Product Review: Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer (Sensitive Skin)

click on the picture to go to Olay's website

I bought Olay's Complete All Day UV Moisturizer for sensitive skin at around this time last year to deal with my bout of eczema* caused by some allergic reaction to something in a Neutrogena SPFer. 

*I'm only guessing it's eczema - never went to the dermatologist to have it confirmed.

Product information:

Complete All Day UV Moisturizer - Sensitive Skin has a light, non-greasy and gentle formula that provides moisture while helping to protect your sensitive skin from daily incidental sun exposure.

Add it to your skin care routine to:

~ Moisturizer with lasting hydration

~ Help protect skin with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 sunscreen

~ Maintain healthy-looking skin with a gentle formula

~ Includes zinc oxide, vitamin E and aloe

100% Oil-, Fragrance- and PABA-Free. Dermatologically Tested. Non-Comedogenic (Won’t Clog Pores)

Well, now that we have the product information out of the way let's the product review underway!  ;-)

Light, non-greasy and gentle formula
This product completely absorbed into my skin a couple minutes after application.  It felt great that it was not greasy, didn't leave a residue, and didn't further irritate my skin.  The lightness of the formula was great for my oily skin (esp. in summer).  My eczema-ish thing was able to heal while I used this product.

Moisturize with lasting hydration
This moisturizer did provide light hydration for my skin, but I also felt that I could have used more around my eyes where they were really dry, rough, and patchy.  However, I didn't at the time because I didn't want to aggravate the eczema.  I think this is good for oily skinned people because it provides good hydration to the skin and accommodates the oils that kick in later.

Protect skin with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 sunscreen
Skeptical.  It doesn't seem like SPF 15 is enough to really protect one's skin.  It may protect one's skin for a 10 minute commute to and from work, but I don't think this product provides ample protection for a 20 minute walk out in the sun.


Maintains healthy looking skin with gentle formula
Considering that my skin was dry, rough, and patchy prior to using this product and now it's normal again (yes, also oily again), I'd have to say that this product did nurse my skin back to health.

Non-comedogenic
True, that.  I never had an outbreak as a result of using this product.  The only outbreaks I had at the time of using this was during Moon Time and when I ate too much junk food.

Other thoughts and observations
All in all, this is a pretty decent moisturizer for those with sensitive skin and/or oily skin.  It doesn't claim to be an anti-aging product so don't expect it to erase your wrinkles, fine lines, or dark spots.  It's a solid and good moisturizer that does what it says it'll do.  Also, this is soooo cheap.  You get a lot of product for the tiny lil' bit of money you pay.

So, would I buy this again?
I wouldn't rule it out.  Now that my skin is normal again, I want to branch out and try other moisturizers with anti-aging or whitening properties.  HOWEVER, if I ever have any problems with my skin in the future, this is going to my go-to product to nurse my skin back to health.

Thanks for reading!

PS - Mr. P took me to go watch the very last Harry Potter at the IMAX.  It was soooo good and I loved it!  I will miss looking forward to new Harry Potter movies.

Product Review: Olay Definity Color Recapture in Light/Medium

Please find more details about this product here.

CLAIMS:

It will take 8 weeks to correct the look of dullness, discoloration, brown spots, PLUS fine lines and wrinkles.

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EDIT:  Updated 4/1/2011

I've started using this again this Winter/Spring as a tinted moisturizer.  I have to retract some statements from my intial "review" from May of 2010 (see below).  It doesn't feel so sticky on my face anymore, nor does my skin seem to be producing excess oil.  I have to conclude that the difference between my first time using this product and this time is the climate.  My initial "review" took place in Dallas.  My current review takes place in Los Angeles.

SoCal climate:

~Dry

~Current temperature 89 F

Northern Texas climate:

~Humid

~Temperature then 85-95 F

Correct the look of dullness, discoloration, brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles

This is a tinted moisturizer and provides a sheer coverage to even out the skin tone without caking too much color on my face.  I haven't noticed an under-the-surface improvement to my skin.  My sun spots and fine lines are still where they are, but just layering on a pea-sized amount is enough to even out my skin tone.  So, I'd say this is a surface fix rather than molecular or cellular improvement.

Would I repurchase this?

For the convenience of having SPF, a little bit of anti-aging, and tone correction, I would repurchase this product but only use it in a climate like SoCal.  I wouldn't use it in a humid environment.

For my initial "review", keep reading.

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I'm going to do something different with this Product Review entry for Olay Definity.  What I will do with this entry is to provide periodic updates as I go along in my usage of this product.

5/10/2010

Today is the first day of using Olay Definity Color Recapture in light/medium.  I just HAD to write this down right now.  Upon first pumping it out on my skin, I noticed that the product looks very very pigmented.  It looks like a foundation but with gel consistency.  It smells a little like sunblock, but that's to be expected because it has SPF 15 in it.  The smell doesn't bother me as much because it fades over a short period of time.  The packaging is nice because it is an air-powered pump bottle that I believe is more hygienic.

Putting it on my face though, the coverage of the pigments in this moisturizer is very sheer, but it does even out the skin tone just a tiny bit.  Clearly, my spots are still visible, but I don't look as blotchy.  It feels nice and moisturizing.

HOWEVER, my face has been sticky since I put this on.  I layer my DDF sunscreen over my moisturizers so if this Olay Definity product is not absorbing into my skin, it surely will also make my sunscreen even stickier.  So my face has been really sticky all day today.  It was sticky when I put on my bareMinerals matte foundation, which subsequently made my brush sticky as well.  I have been producing a copious amount of grease today.  I've gone through 3 blottings since 7am this morning and the time right now is 4:35pm.  Each of the blottings have used up 5-6 sheets of my e.l.f. Shine Erasers.

I haven't yet determined if it is the product or the heat and humidity that is making my face feel sticky and greasy, but I don't recall having a sticky problem when I was using Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum.  I especially don't recall having to blot 3 times within the span of 10 hours when I used Olay Regenerist as my moisturizer.  I will keep trying this out and we'll see if the stickiness is just a factor of the climate here rather than the product itself.

One hour to midnight.  I cannot use this product in the summer.  It is this product that is sitting on top of my skin and making my skin feel sticky.  I don't know if this is the "dewey" effect, which I think is beautiful on many people.  However, I'm unfortunate to have such greasy skin, and this product is drawing all the grease out of my skin.  I have never been compelled to wash any product off my face after work as I have been with this product.  I washed my face at 6:30pm this evening, and have just rewashed at 10:45pm.  So much grease from my face that when I splashed water on my face to wet it my hands also came away greasy.  >_<  I am so unhappy!

Of the reviews I've read, this product may be suited for drier skins.  Reviewers with oilier skins agreed that either this product may have broken them out or caused excessive grease.  I will have to save this for my winter skincare routine.  I need to go back to the store and repurchase the Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum, which at least helped control the oil for longer than this Definity Color Recapture product.

It seems like today is the only day I will use this product.  Sorry, Olay, my skin is not agreeing with this product.

Product Review: Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cleanser

Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal Cleanser is one of those diamond in the rough products that don't get enough love.  A lot of companies will market their cleansers as THE magical cleaning elixir but I don't agree that it's one way or the high way.  I believe you can find great cleansers for a fraction of the cost.

My bottle of cleanser is 6.78 fl oz and I got it for less than $4.00 USD.  It has beta hydroxy complex with gentle microbeads to reveal fresher, radiant skin.  It claims the following:

- Cleanses by gently lifting away dirt, oil and make-up
- Renews and reveals by gently lifting away dull, dry skin to start reducing the signs of aging. Leaves skin noticeably soft and smooth the minute you cleanse.

My first thoughts upon using this product were 1) this doesn't lather at all!, 2) smells nice, like the old-school Oil of Olay lotions (from the 1980s) that didn't contain SPF, and 3) the microbeads are doing their job nicely!

Let's work this review by claims.

Cleansing
Yes, in my experience, this product is just as good a cleanser as any Shiseido, Purpose or Neutrogena cleanser.  It doesn't foam or lather because it's a cream cleanser designed to not strip the skin of its natural oils.  I use one pump of this product at the beginning of my shower to remove makeup, dirt, oil, and other impurities.  I use a second pump at the end to make sure that I've removed any residues.  I've done the toner-on-a-cotton-pad test and have been satisfied that my face is clean.  My favorite way to use this product is as a massage cream that happens to cleanse and exfoliate.

Renews and Reveals
I'm sure this part is talking about the microbeads.  The microbeads in this product reminds me of the micro particles in the St. Ives Timeless Skin Daily Microderm Abrasion, except not as densely packed.  The microbeads in the Olay product provide a good enough daily exfoliation to boost the efficacy of a once-a-week deeper exfoliation.  I'm not so sure if this can take the credit for reducing the signs of aging because I have other products in my regimen that also target anti-aging.  Therefore, take the anti-aging part with a grain of salt.  The combination of the exfoliating beads and the cream cleanser work to leave my skin feeling smooth and soft by the end of my shower.

Bonus
This product has 16 ingredients and salicylic acid is the 6th ingredient.  I'm pretty confident that this is just a bonus for skin savvy people and that the product is not intended to be marketed as an acne control facial cleanser.  However, the salicylic acid can't hurt, right?

When I first started using this product I really was disappointed with the lathering aspect.  However, after using it for a couple more weeks, I've changed my mind about its performance.  It is just as good a cleanser as any of the Shiseido, Purpose, and Neutrogena cleansers I've used.

So, now, the loyalty test.  Would I repurchase this?  Yes, definitely!

--

Kus

"Smile on!"

Product Review: Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum

You can read more and learn more about the ingredients at the Olay website.

Product Review: Olay Definity Illuminating Eye Treatment

It claims to illuminate the eye area, smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and strengthen delicate eye skin.