Face Cream!

Rainy-Days

I have a significant confession to make - I have bought and spent allot of money over the years on expensive face creams. The truth of the matter is that despite spending sums amounting to around £400.00 to £500.00 per year none of it has worked!

Last month I sat down with a years worth of bank statements and 'totted' up what the spending of it would be and I was not only shocked, but disgusted with myself for spending such sums. One pot of cream was £50.00 and it lasted about six weeks.

Years ago I used to sit with my late mum of an evening and we both used to take our make-up off and then cleanse and moisturise our faces. Something we just did together. When my Mum was younger she used to use Pond's cream, but without any question she had really beautiful skin. She always said that I was wasting my money on these expensive products and that her cream was not just basic, but way better than anything else. Did I believe her - no!

I, on the other hand, would have Clinique! Expensive - yes! Then I moved to Estee Lauder and Clarins. Then I found L'Occitane and also Liz Earle. So, you can see over the years how this ritual has cost me allot.

In October - when I was back in Northants for a few weeks - I said to one of my closest friends that my skin, despite all the money spent on it, had not really progressed well. We had a long discussion on this and like me she had spent stupid sums. It was at this juncture that I said I was going back to basic stuff, the products mum used.

For decades Mum had used Boot's own traditional creams. They were more cost effective than the Pond's, they have bigger jars and in her view were effectively the same. I went into Boots and searched for these creams and finally there they were to my joy still being made, but languishing on the bottom shelf. I got the Cold Cream for cleasning (now in a plastic jar but it used to be opaque glass years ago) and a big 200ml tub of the A&E Traditional moisturising cream. I had a new bottle of toner so did not need to get anymore of that for the time being.

So, after cleansing my face with the Cold Cream, toning and then using this moisturiser and being nearly two months in to this 'experiment' I have to say that my skin has never, not ever, looked better. Allot of people have commented even DH!

My grand sum outlay for these two pots £5.55 :eek: £2.49 for the Cold Cream and £3.06 for the moisturiser. My friend has done exactly the same and she said that some scaly patches of dry skin on her cheekbones have not only gone, but that the redness has cleared up totally.

So, here it is, I think that buying and sticking with this will save me around about £350.00 to £400.00 per year. I cannot believe I have typed that, but I have. I have to say I am just ashamed of myself for spending vast sums on products that have neither lived up to their hype or even showm little in the way of performance. Yet these two cheapo pots have done such an amazing job.

So, thats it confession over. Allot of money will now be saved.

pollypenny

Clinique is not that expensive. I buy it in the USA for $26 and it last a year, morning and night use.

I think it's £30 here.

Ilona

My sister buys the expensive stuff and her skin is no better than mine and she is five years younger than me. What you put into your mouth is what counts, eat junk and you will look like junk.

I have always been a bit slap dash with my cleansing routine. These days it's soap and water and any old moisturizer I have, usually the cheap stuff. Toner? Do people still use that?
Ilona

Islandmaid

I use L'Occataine, when its bought as birthday/Christmas prezzies - if I don,t have any, then I'm happy to use Lidl,s version of Nivea - it's a lovely consistency, has a nice smell, and does the job.

I think a lot of us have been sucked into paying loads for a label, when the product can be bought for a lot less - at least you won on both counts, saved a small fortune, and look fab X

Rainy-Days

Sorry Pollypenny, but I would get through a jar of the Clinique every six to eight weeks and thats morning and night. No possible way can it last a year and certainly not on twice daily use at all. Those jars would be around 50 to 75ml from recollection so even a tiny drop (which wouldn't cover face and neck BTW) twice a day you would be through it in under three months tops!

They are all expensive for what they are. With Clinque it was a fluid and not a cream and the point is this, I never saw an improvement in my skin at all. Each year I would change to a different make - probably bought in by the hype of it can do this X,Y and Z and the truth is that even at £30.00 I am still saving £25.00!

I had started to get open pores as well, they have now gone and the point is that despite spending allot of money none of it really lived up to what these companies promised. A 50ml jar of Clarins years back was £55.00 :eek: thats disgusting, but I bought it and what a sheer utter waste of money it has been. The truth is that the basic Boots brand has done what the others failed to do and the money I will save in the longer term will be massive, not just for my bank balance but for my skin as well.

dandy-candy

I use the Boots traditional A&E cream, and have done for twenty years. Occasionally they have supply glitches and I can't get it for a month or two and nothing else is quite as good.
I'm 42 and only just starting to get a slight crease by my right eye (side I sleep on), however I'm sure being a non smoker, very occasional drinker (4-5 alcoholic drinks a year) and genes are all a big part of it too!

lilian1977

Just ordered the A&E cream - thank you for the tip xx

gunsandbanjos

I use astral, love it. Makes my skin look amazing.

whiteguineapig

what does a and e stand for?

Rainy-Days

whiteguineapig wrote: »

what does a and e stand for?

Vitamins A & E:-

http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=846148&storeId=10052
Read the reviews - very helpful!


This is the Cold Cream

http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Traditional-Skin-Care-Cold-Cream-200ml_1126661/

Janey3

My late Mum always used Ponds Cold Cream and didn't use anything else. I remember it had a green lid on it. She had lovely skin too. I didn't follow in her footsteps and I try different ones.