Used to use Estee Lauder DayWear. During the summer I like CeraVe moisturizer. In the winter when I don't have to worry about sun exposure so much I prefer Philosophy's Renewed Hope in a Jar. My mom always wore Merle Norman products. She still had beautiful skin in her late 80s.

I use the simple old fashioned pink olay moisturizer on my face. It costs about 7 bucks a bottle. I know I should be doing more. I was given many dire warnings when I turned thirty that if I didnt start a skin care regime i would be hideous by the time I turn 40. But every trip down a skin care aisle makes my head spin. Day cream,night cream,eye gel, serums,wrinkle reducer, wrinkle preventer, dark spot reducer,toners,retinol,vitamins,masks, moisturizer, and it goes on and on and on...... I wonder how much of it actually DOES anything beneficial. Every time I try to do research I get the same result: too much information adding up to nothing. I would ask my dermatologist but all of them have their own lines for sale and who knows if they are any good. I think I will just wash and moisturize as needed and cross my fingers and hope that me being a night minion will somehow work in my favor,in the skin department anyway.

I use Clinique but only because I know that it is fragrance/scent free and it doesn't feel heavy or oily on my skin.

$100?! Wow.

I have dry skin. I use Eucerin Q10 anti-wrinkle. I like the feel of it, it works and no fragrance.

So it is pricey, and, the other. Ok. I don't feel so bad. I actually stopped cleansing with soap years ago, and that's helped. If I feel exceptionally dry, I'm sure I'd slather on some coconut oil and call it a day. It's good to know Eucerin is fragrance free. When I did use soapy cleansers, I used Clinque. Same reason, it's scentfree and light.

Neutrogena Tone Repair followed, in the winter, by Embryolisse. Neither costs close to $100, and there is no reason to spend that kind of money.

There are a lot of good, over-the-counter creams and lotions that contain retinol, which is a great ingredient and actually does something more than just moisturizing. The Neutrogena and RoC ones are both very good.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/style/retinol-questions-answers.html

ETA: how much you wrinkle is determined in great measure by how much time you've spent in the sun. No lotion is going to actually get rid of wrinkles, although prescription retinoids can make some fine lines less noticeable.

I've been using Shu Uemura maxi hydrability gel, like that its clean feeling, not slick or sticky. $65 jar goes a long way. I've still been using it daytime, but after an annual skin check and conversation with dermatologist in early May....plain CeraVe for a head to toe cream. Including on my face at night instead of something spendy. I bought a two pack at Costco for approx $20 and think I got a total of about two pounds of product. No need to use it sparingly ;0)

petroleum jelly for me, every day

I have never used facial cream.

Sue

Aveeno.

AHA serum in summer, somaluxe collagen cream in winter. Amylou, sunscreen is much more important than all the other stuff. I stick with natural, non-nano. And use on neck and chest as well as your face. And don't forget hands and arms. That'll go a long way toward wrinkle and sag and age spot prevention.

If you use a moisturizer you are using a thinned facial cream. It should depend on what she wants it for. If she still wears makeup she needs a heavier moisturizer that forms a thin layer between skin and makeup. Is she still at the stage that she is fighting wrinkles? A fight that will always be lost unless we die. Is her skin dry or oily or like most combination. Moisturizers are such an individual thing that while you may try lots of them which is what it sounds like on one moisturizer will work at all times of the year.

I personally use what is sold as night creams do for both day and to apply lightly if I go out at night. One thing that many do not realize is that creams that have a color will leave a light color on your skin. Currently I use Equates Night-Time Firming Cream which has a colorant since I have not been able to find the Lumene Time Freeze that I was using. Since few products have the same formulation I have found that each time the formula changes I may have to change product.

My criteria for moisturizer/facial creams is that it should be quickly absorbed or dry rapidly so that when I touch my skin it is not tacky to the touch. I have purchased some of those $100 or better skin creams but few are things that meet my criteria.

I do not use either a moisturizer or a facial cream on my face. I will sometimes use a moisturizer on my hands..

I never use face cream at all. I only use water based makeup without added stuff like sunscreen or "age inhibitors". The closest thing I use to any face cream is a tinted "dry" zinc when I ride in the hot sun and wind. I just started using that recently and only when I ride.

This is my 68 year old skin today. No makeup no filters. Lifetime spent in the sun.

Nivea soft. Drives the ladies in our beauty boutique crazy when I say that, but I've used it for 20+ years and I look just fine. I saw absolulety no difference when I used Shisedo for six months. So back to the $13 jar that lasts me a year over the $50 jar that lasted 6 months.

Pond’s dry skin cream. Been using it since I was 16 with forays into Clinique and Lancôme, but after a few bottles I always come back to Pond’s.

Any cheep bottle of body mostuizer and I add a bottle of vitamin E to it.

I still use Nivea cream after at least 40 years. Recently Nivea Soft in warmer humid weather. Cutaneous lymphoma has wreaked havoc on my skin, so Dermatologist recommended CaraVe for body moisturizing.

I usually use Oil of Olay, and sometimes will use the off brand Wal-mart one, which I think is what I bought last time. My skin has age spots and no creams are going to help. Sun damage. I don't spend a lot of money on stuff like that. I have tried some more expensive creams but they never work. Quite wasting my money.

My skin has age spots and no creams are going to help.

Actually, lotions with vitamin A derivatives in them will in fact fade age spots. As I noted above, it's an ingredient that actually does do something to improve the tone and texture of your skin, long-term. You can get a prescription for retinoids like Retin-A, which are stronger, or just use over-the-counter ones with retinol, which are much less irritating but take longer to work.

Here's a good page from the Cleveland Clinic about the various ingredients in face creams: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10980-understanding-the-ingredients-in-skin-care-products

Okay - get the flame guns ready! I use La Prairie Caviar Luxe Cream and it costs the sun and the moon. I can usually find it on eBay and safe $100 or more on a jar. I use one jar a year.

I did not set out to use an expensive face cream. I was in LA visiting friends and had gone to the desert to visit college friends for 3 days. It was Feb and I had no idea how close the sun was at that time! Yes, I definitely got a bit too much sun, but was not truly "burned".

The day I returned, I was in Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills looking for an oil-based foundation like the old Alexandra de Markoff foundation. They did not carry this and could think of no brand that today was not water-based. They suggested I ask at the La Prairie counter which I did. No, not them, either. But the sales lady said my skin looked dry and asked if she could apply some moisturizer.

She did and I swooned! It felt cool and light and I could feel ZERO residue on my skin. It was like butter melting into hot toast. One will often buy things when one is on vacation that one will not when at home, and so I bought a small jar.

A year later, I had used up that jar and started searching for something like it but far less costly. Alas, the only product that came close was a cream by La Mer and it was not quite as good and nearly as expensive.

I wear nearly no makeup at all - not even mascara anymore. Foundation and wrinkles are not a good pairing. I buy my eyebrow pencils at the drug store. My lipstick is Cover Girl. I don't drink and rarely eat out. So, my extravagance is this wonderful skin cream. Of course I have wrinkles! I'm 75 and I lost 70 pounds in my mid-60's and my skin wrinkled as a result - just not the elasticity there once had been. But my skin feels and looks good and I will continue to treat myself. I can't stand "feeling" something on my skin and I don't with this cream.

Yes, I am one who uses some very good, and some are fairly expensive, face creams. They are not so expensive as your mother’s in the $100+ range.

I made a switch to Bobbi Brown when I was in my mid-40’s and am still mostly using it. For daytime I am still using Vitamin Enriched Face Base over a serum for aging. For cleanser I use a cheap Olay cleanser. For eyes, I alternate between an expensive one I get at the derm for day and a Neutrogena or a BB one in winter for night. I also use a BB night cream but it has been discontinued, so I am shopping around. When I run out of my stockpile I think I will use a SkinCeuticals product which is about the same price. All of the products last forever because it doesn’t take much in application. I also use Revision’s Intellishade tinted moisturizer (spf 45) most days. No other foundation unless we are going out.

Since retiring a couple of years ago I played around with some cheaper products(one was the highly touted CeraVe which started my breakouts and I found greasy). My skin didn’t like it one bit. I was either too dry, started breaking out, or looked aged and fine lines started creeping in all of a sudden. No thanks, I went back to my usual. Worth it.

There is something about certain products that when they touch your skin you know it is the right one for you. May or may not be expensive but to you they are worth it.

One of the side effects of loosing weight when older are the wrinkles that start appearing which are seldom mentioned when people talk about loosing weight. Twenty or thirty pounds lighter and you have more energy but all of a sudden when you look in the mirror you see an old woman. However I call them Shrinkles. I do wonder at older women using products that are made to peel their skin rather than bleach it.

Don't use a cream to apply to face, but use a 10% cream to add to cereal, coffee or stew, etc. to put into the major hole in it, that seems to crave such, and other tummy-friendly materials.

For gardening or outside work have a cloth hanging from baseball cap (or straw hat) from edge of face around back to edge of face on other side, for mosquitos, but also during day to keep sun off, as don't use sunscreen. Sometimes use strap under, or even over chin to hold neck cloth close to deter mosquitos.

Always wear long pants, for same reasons plus to deter ticks, and long sleeved shirt - often thin shirt, so may put on a second late in the day when the skeeters come out.

I'd like to wear low shoes, but wear rubber boots, again to deter ticks - found three so far, one attached.

I wear thin, comfortable leather gloves much of the time, for sun and skeeter reasons. I have a number of dark spots on hands, don't fuss over them.

I've been losing weight, so wrinkles are appearing - figure that at my age, it pretty well goes with the territory, so is worth a slight shrug of the shoulders.

Good wishes for reasonable success at preserving a measure of your good looks, especially if that's of subsantial importance to you.

I'm much more interested in the beauty of our inner being, of our respect for others and this earth, the home of humankind, generosity and kindness.

ole joyful

I use the eucerin in a tub for my face and feet. It’s for extra dry skin. It’s thick and soothing. Feels so good! Once I bought the Cerave in a tub but it felt greasy to me. I once test marketed a $90 night cream. It was nice, but not as nice as the eucerin

I've tried all kinds of lotions/moisturizers, but I always come back to St. Ives. It's thick and creamy, but not greasy and has little to no scent. Hubby and I are both sensitive to scents, so that is important to us. I also use sunscreen, but am not brand loyal to any particular brand. I did like a CVS brand, but it's no longer available, so now I just get whatever has the spf I want that's not ridiculously expensive and call it good.

I agree 100% with what Lucille said. I have nothing against anyone spending the bucks where it makes them happy, I'm happy that someone pampers themselves, they deserve something to enjoy, right? I merely wondered if what she did was commonplace. Apparently, Anglo, it's where Mom wants to pamper herself :) She sure didn't have a fancy car, big house, antiques (those are also fun to enjoy), or for me, gardens. She loves to look and feel her best.

That's been the saddest part of this whole process, she not only doesn't care any more (except that lipstick, gotta have lipstick!), she is terrified of taking a shower, won't pick out clothes other than loose fitting pants, doesn't wear a bra... she doesn't look like herself. We have tried and tried to get her to cut her hair. She has never worn it long. Ever. And it's scraggly looking. She not only doesn't act like my mom, she doesn't look like her any more. My hope is to distill it down to something that isn't overwhelming and it's out where she can see/use it again. She was actually wearing an outfit?! the other day. So it is working. She seemed to feel herself again. Even if it was brief, we loved seeing it. Bright yellow capris and a cute print top.

We were spending time in the chemo-suite last year when hubby was getting twice-weekly infusions of phosphorous. His skin was dry, and the nurses recommended Eucerin cream on his arms. We bought the tub and it's very thick. I use it. It's heavy and takes time to absorb.

I also bought some Nivea cream, as it was something that I'd used years and years ago, but the scent throws me off. I don't like anything scented, period. I'll have to find someone to give it to

I use an inexpensive moisturizer in winter (harsh, dry winters here). Criteria is it must have no fragrances or sunscreen. I unknowingly used a product that had sunscreen in it and ending up with a chemical burn, never again.

Years ago a product called PABA was used in sunscreen, but no more. It did cause people to have a reaction. Maybe that’s what you used, Raye.

robb you are reaching the point where your mother is no longer the person you knew. To lessen the major mental anguish that is coming I would suggest that now, not later when it happens, that you find someone that will explain exactly what to expect as your mother follows this path. Understanding the progression which can be devastating as it happens but knowing in general what to expect can help prevent so much mental bashing of yourself as the process progresses. Not all people progress at the same rate and there will be good days and bad days. Understanding why the bad days will help you with your sorrow.

My mother used Vaseline and Ponds well into her 60s afaik, then started using Yves Roche products. She must have liked them because she sent them to me too (she was exasperated by the fact that I just did and do not pay much attention to skin care and makeup.) She also religiously avoided the sun as much as possible (I really don't remember her ever doing any yard work, going for walks, or spending time at the pool) which I think was key! She looked much younger than her years up until her last months and took pride in that. I have photos of her at age 66 where she looked 10 years younger than I do now (almost the same age).

As my facial skin has gotten drier I have finally started using products -- right now focusing on using her leftovers, and whatever lotions etc I have on hand (including petroleum jelly). I've always had extremely dry, even flaky skin on my lower legs and hands but my face was never a concern until I hit 60. Where I see crepiness on my neck and some wrinkles around my mouth are areas that haven't been shaded by my golf visor over the years as I spent hours in the sun running, walking and working outside.

working on it maifleur ;) (((thanks!)))

I mostly just want her to have what she wants. She seems to still want these things, just trying to make it a bit easier on her. The part I am mourning, I have been, is the loss of our time out. We spent a LOT of time together. We've worked together, went to movies and pool as an adult... it's killing both of us. No way she can do those things any more. None.

I use CeraVe moisturizer on my face -- and CeraVe cream on the entire 'rest of me' after I shower. A dermatologist recommended the brand to me when it was a new product. (She probably owned shares!) I've thrown out Eucerin body wash and moisturizer -- it never did 'sink in' and left me feeling *greased*. I suspect it's good stuff -- and that the CeraVe just has more water content -- but , I'm happier with the feeling.

My honorary aunt was married four times (divorced from a slick band leader when she was twenty, then widowed three times). Her last DH was impressed that she used an ultra-expensive line of creams made in France. I would buy duty free jars of it for her when we used to cruise. I can't recall the name, just that the jars were pink (big surprise), and it supposedly contained some kind of bee 'serum'. (I know women are suckers for this kind of thing, but I was surprised that a widower in his seventies would give a hoot. Maybe his late wife had used it.)

Another CeraVe user here. I like that it has SPF 30 in it. I don’t find it greasy or heavy at all. I used to use Olay but like CeraVe better. The markup on makeup and lotions is outrageous. I feel like a sucker when I spend a lot of money on them. I do buy makeup at the department store, not the drugstore, though. Usually Clinique.

I'm an octogenarian and I have never used any face cream either, or even hand lotion. I have used only soap and water all these years. I also use only water-based makeup very lightly applied and then a translucent powder over it. People have offered me some hand lotion from time to time when they have been applying theirs, and if I put any of it on I feel like my hands have gloves on them I just don't like the feeling. Thankfully my life has been such that I I have never had to take care of my hands due to rough work. My skin is not dry and I have been told it is very nice for my age. Just think of all the money I saved by just using soap and water!

As a side note, when I was a teenager I noticed that my skin was oily and I was beginning to see blackheads here and there. There was never a female in the family to teach me how to do the girly things so my treatment for my skin then consisted of washing once or twice a day with brown laundry soap. I did this for about a week, as I remember, and it seemed to really work so I stopped and return to using Ivory soap which was the only soap used in the house, and have never had a problem since.

I've been using this for the last few years...I like it because it does not leave a film or feel heavy on my skin and my foundation goes on over nicely. I tried the Cerve AM and PM, I think it was too rich for my skin. My dd uses it though.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/St-Ives-Collagen-Elastin-Paraben-free-and-Non-Comedogenic-Face-Moisturizer-for-Dry-Skin-10-oz/12167029

And I just got this from Trader Joes after reading good reviews. I like it also.

https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/ultra-hydrating-gel-moisturizer

always1step, that TJ moisturizer looks like a clone of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost (which is a great product) at a much better price. Thanks for the info!

Question on the Neutrogena Hydro Boost, if you use too much does it ball up? I've been wanting to try it and I tried I think maybe I tried an overnight gel, but it was super thick and didn't sink into the skin. I was wondering of the regular gel is the same. I tried a quick sample of the Aqua Bomb which gets rave reviews but I felt like it sat on top of your skin and balled up.

I haven't had an issue with that, but I've only used the regular daytime formulation, not the extra-dry version. And I tend to use barely enough, rather than too much.

Socks, the reaction wasn't that long ago, any form of sunscreen damages my skin.