When you look at articles about what skin type you are there are usually four different options like normal, dry, oily and combination, mine doesn’t really fit any of them.
I’m white but with a fair amount of Irish ruddy red. I’m dry to the point of having visible flaky skin on the end of my nose but also so oily that by the end of the day if I wipe my fingers across my forehead it’s like I’ve touched the bottom of the frying pan. I also get small breakouts of eczema on my cheeks.
I also still get hormonal pimples every month on my chin even though I just turned 40. Fit that into one of your four skin types I dare you!
So because I’ve found it so hard to find a moisturiser that handles all of that, I’ve been pretty reluctant to try anything I don’t usually use. What if a particular fragrance sets off my eczema? What if it sits on my skin and makes me look like an oil slick or what if it’s perfect but so damn expensive I can never afford it?
When I was asked to try out L’Oreal’s new Revitalift Laser X3 (RRP: $44.95) I was equal parts excited and terrified. As soon as I opened the jar and smelled that amazing (I can only describe it as a greenhouse full of orchids) fragrance I was convinced it would definitely end in me with big red itchy patches.
The Day cream was promising me an “intensive anti-ageing experience that will correct re-densify and re-support my skin with hyaluronic acid and concentrated pro-xylane”. First of all, what the hell is pro-xylane? (note it is not a professional xylophone player) We’ve been hearing about hyaluronic acid for years and I feel like we’re comfortable with its water retaining qualities but this is the first time I’d come across pro-xylane.
So I did what any self respecting woman in her 40s does - I Googled it and found out that it’s a sugar protein hybrid made from a sugar found in beech trees. This little guy stimulates your glycosaminoglycans, the molecules who are responsible for defending your skin against water loss by building up the extra cellular network in your skin (the scaffolding between your cells). So between the two, they’re bringing in the moisture and then locking it in there, preventing sagging.
On day one I popped it on after I’d cleansed with micellar water and it felt nice and light, not greasy and that smell… so delicious! My husband liked it so much when he came and gave me a hug he asked if he could use it too. Yep, now I have to give my man regular facials. I only needed a tiny blob too - a little went a long way.
