My skin is extremely sensitive. I am sensitive to many fragrances and very prone to eczema and dryness. I have struggled and struggled to find a moisturizer for me, and just recently found one in a very strange place. I was researching different mixing mediums to use to convert my cream foundations to liquid and stumbled upon a homemade mix. After using it on a client and seeing the dewy glow on her face, I thought I’d try it on my own face.
This mix is simple: vegetable glycerin and water. Start with a 1:3 ratio and add more water if you find it too oily. I keep it in a little squeeze bottle and wipe it over my face immediately after washing. I don’t dry my face after washing, I just wash the mixture right over my wet face and let it soak in, then towel my face off.
Now, for most people I would only recommend using this in the winter time, and even then maybe it isn’t for every day. Personally, I use it twice a day, after each washing. Certain times a month I might switch to only once a day but for the most part, twice a day is all I need. After applying, I notice an immediate softening effect, which is awesome for me because my skin can get a very rough texture and if I exfoliate too often my skin gets very red.
For me and my many skin allergies, it is a great advantage to know exactly what is in my skin care products. Anything that simply says “fragrance” or “parfum” is a gamble for me. I have Eucerin, Cetaphil, Cera Ve and many of the other fragrance free lotions, but many of them are very heavy and eithere don’t soak into the skin, don’t moisturize, or leave a film. This glycerin/water mixture soaks right in and doesn’t leave much behind. I have found that by the end of the day, I do have some shine, but nothing a tiny bit of powder can’t handle. A small amount of shine is nothing compared to what Cetaphil leaves behind and it is infinitely better than my skin flaking up under my foundation.
Glycerin is available at most grocery stores for about $4. It is used as a natural sweetener. I would not recommend putting it on your face without diluting it quite a bit. Water is free and can be found at your local faucet.
The bottom line is, if you don’t have dry skin, this isn’t for you. Even if you do, it might not be the right fit for you. I just wanted to share because it has a made a big difference in my skin and for $4 it is worth a shot if you have fussy skin like me! And don’t forget, never change multiple steps of your beauty routine at once. If you try this, try to keep everything else the same at first.
Rachel Lynn Carr 