Tried and tested: Wipes, moisturisers and hand creams
This is a towelette version of Sensibio H2O, the pink-capped cleanser that was every Parisian tourist’s beauty must-have until 2015 (its allure’s been sapped by Avibon A313 Pommade, a gentle retinol cream worth trying if you’re in France over Easter).
Now you can get it at any major pharmacy here and the wipes are just as good, though unfortunately an online-only buy right now. Neither removes waterproof makeup very quickly but the formula suits all skin types and does not leave residue.
Nivea’s been successful in the micellar water-wars. Their bottles are large, affordable and contain a basic but effective blend of water, surfactants and plant oils. These wipes are saturated with the same ingredients.
They are comprised of silky fibers that reduce tugging on the skin during makeup removal (always a plus, as pulling the skin encourages elastin breakdown). I recommend rinsing the face after use as the main detergent cleanser will cause dryness if residue remains.
Most makeup artists can a produce a pack of Simple wipes from somewhere in their kit. They are cheap, widely available and handy for quick changes. Removing everything at the end of the day is not so easy and you’ll need two or three to get really clean.
The brand promises they’re effective in waterproof eye makeup removal and maybe they are, if you are willing to spend an unreasonable amount of time swiping at your lashes.
Clinique’s Take The Day Off range has great oil, lotion and balm cleansers, all of which I would recommend over these wipes. Their fabric is quite rough and just not saturated with enough micellar lotion to remove makeup quickly and gently.
The wipes are very securely packaged with a snap-lidded wrapper, there is no reason they should feel this dry. It is a real shame because the fragrance-free formula contains soothing extracts and suits all skin types.
SPF MOISTURISERS
Clinique’s latest SPF moisturiser has lots of excellent ingredients, include anti-ageing peptides and hyaluronic acid. Jar packaging put them at risk, as exposure to light and air is potentially destabilising.
As a rule, you should chose skincare products in tubes or pump- bottles to ensure they perform as well the last time you use them as they did the first. This is a fine moisturiser otherwise, and ideal for normal to slightly dry skin.
This is called “Light Guard” but broad-spectrum SPF30 is classed as high protection by the British Association of Dermatologists (to whose online information the Irish equivalent refers you), so you don’t need to supplement it with other products, as you do the above.
The formula is very thin and watery and though there are some useful antioxidants in the mix, including kukui nut oil and Vitamin E, I would still use a reparative serum or facial oil underneath. The price is too high for 30ml of this stuff.
This is an excellent SPF moisturiser and an effective anti-ageing cream to boot. The formula is very high in niacinamide, a potent skin-replenisher, as well as soothing Vitamin E. It is unusual to see the exfoliants lactic acid and urea in a moisturiser designed for sun protection but these do help antioxidants permeate dry skin.
Your face should not look even slightly redder after applying SPF. This moisturiser is ideal for skin that seems to react unhappily to sunscreen actives.
The formula is packed with soothing and reparative ingredients. It best suits normal to dry skin, though there is an oily/combination version available.
HAND CREAMS
Deep Comfort is perfectly named. A rich but not-greasy blend of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and soothing plant extracts, the formula is unscented and suits all skin types.
No hand cream could keep the brand’s promise of 12-hour hydration unless you wore gloves all day, life is too manual, but this is a nice one to keep in your desk.
Harpagophytum, or devil’s claw, is a South African plant used for its anti- inflammatory and water-binding properties in skincare. There are less exotic-sounding ingredients that do the same things, but putting those in a product name isn’t very Sisley.
It is very like the French luxury brand to pack a cream with comforting plant fats and powerful antioxidants and then add some flower oils that smell wonderful but may irritate skin with regular use.
What is better than Elizabeth Arden’s best-selling Eight Hour Cream? A fragrance-free version with more Vitamin E than the original. I love this product.
It is a good multi-purpose salve but a much better overnight hand and nail treatment. The formula is famously rich and gooey, so slip on white cotton gloves.
This is another hero product for it but less appealing because shea butter is more cheaply available and the rest of the formula contains jasmine, ylang-ylang and other sweet-smelling oils that can sensitise skin over time.
Almond oil, honey and other humectants make skin immediately softer but hand creams require many repeat applications to maintain their effects, so fragrance-free options are always best.
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