At a certain point in life, Oxy 5 gives way to the Oil of Olay. Wake up, Homecoming Queen. You’re getting dry under the eyes and your face is no longer a potential strike for wildcatters. What should be cause for celebration, though, comes with a downside. It’s time to be slathering your face with moisturizer and SPF 30 to prevent looking like a zard in a few years, and yet these prophylactic measures make your still-youthful face slimy. What can a girl do?Â
I contemplated this after finding a problem with my morning ritual. First I coated with alpha hydroxy to keep cells turning over but it makes my skin a bit irritated and red. Then, I mixed moisturizer with dab of foundation to kill the redness and also protect from sun.
I’m not dry to begin with, so I started the day already glowy. Two hours later I can fry an egg on my forehead. Â
I considered the options. I could wash my face at midday, but I’d still have to reapply the same moisturizer/SPF all over again to protect against sun damage. Would I ever have a nice, mattified complexion for long? Or was I doomed to teeter perilously between $19 a barrel and wantonly unprotected skin? And don’t tell me powder! I demand technology.
I was about to give up – but decided on one last visit to the drugstore. Inspiration struck. Did I really need the moisturizer? According to my dermatologist, still young normal-to-oily skin doesn’t really require moisturizer (which only locks in existing moisture and I’ve got plenty of that). What I really needed was sun protection.
I was engaging in overkill. The answer was clear. I needed Alpha Hydroxy lotion with SPF. The Alpha would keep my face smooth, protected against sun and wrinkles, and not add that excess shininess that was rocking my world. Had some brainiac figured this out yet, or was I holding the key to financial freedom? Perhaps…I would found a cosmetic empire in my spare….
Damn. Some brainiac figured it out. There it was on the shelf: Neutrogena Healthy Skin, $13.Â
