Skincare Ingredients Week Day One - Murad Essential C Day Moisture

One of the most popular ingredients in skincare is Vitamin C and therefore this is where I decided to start off the Theme Week.  Vitamin C has been used by more brands than I can count and is used in products designed to reduce and prevent the signs of aging, along with products that help to protect the skin from free radical damage and improve the overall complexion.  This ingredient has potential benefits for all types of skin but can also irritate or be completely ineffective if not at the correct concentration and stabilization.  A bit of extra research is worth it before purchasing any type of product with this active ingredient.  When shopping for products with this active ingredient, I recommend shopping only from brands with a very reputable following and not trying to buy cheap skincare products.  Quality Vitamin C products will cost extra to ensure that the active ingredient is in the correct concentration and the correct level of stabilization.

A bit of background on Vitamin C itself will be first.  When I took Organic Chemistry in college, Vitamin C was considered too complex and large to be studied in the first two semesters of this topic.  Therefore I have really never done any formal study of this exact complex and this post is my first time going into the complex chemistry behind the Vitamin C molecule.  Vitamin C as contained in skincare products could also be listed under the name of L-ascorbic Acid, this is the only form that is effective for the face and if the "L" is not present in the complex, there will be no benefits to use of this product.  This is the main reason that it is worth the extra time and effort to check out the products before you make the purchase.  L-ascorbic Acid helps to stimulate collagen production and this is why is used very heavily in anti-aging products.  Collagen production is the major goal of most anti-aging products and finding an effective Vitamin C product is worth the search.  L-ascorbic Acid is also heavily used in products that promise anti-oxidant benefits, this complex also helps to fight free radical damage by binding to the particles before they attract themselves to the skin and begin do damage to the upper layers of the epidermis.  This complex will neutralize the charged free radicals and prevent the damage to the epidermis.  A good Vitamin C product is worth its weight in gold.

What the drawbacks to this ingredient?  No skincare ingredient (at least ones that work) are without some drawbacks/side effects.  L-ascorbic Acid can be irritating to sensitive skin types and sensitivity to this ingredient can come out if if you don't have "sensitive" skin.  At effective levels, this ingredient can cause redness, dryness, and overall irritation.  At very high levels, this ingredient is most effective when used under a doctor's care.  I have had a hard time in the past trying to find a product with the effective levels of Vitamin C that doesn't harm my skin more than help it.

The best line of Vitamin C products that I have used is the Essential C line of products from Dr. Murad's skincare line.  I have used several products from this line over the years and today we will look at the Day Cream that is offered with this line.  This line is also known as the Environmental Shield, "Daily exposure to sunlight, smog, pollution and stress is the number one cause of premature aging. Murad's Environmental Shield® product line will help to restore, renew, and protect your skin against sun damage, preventing and reversing environmental damage through the Science of Cellular Water™."

Essential-C Day Moisture is the SPF-enriched day cream from this line, using Vitamin C during the day will help to fight off the free radicals that attach to your skin all throughout the day.  This type of cream is especially valuable if you live or work in the city, smog throws off some of the worst free radicals and assaults your skin throughout the whole day.  "A powerful, antioxidant-rich sunscreen that shields and restores environmentally stressed skin.  Block UVA and UVB while preventing free-radical damage with this complexion-protecting essential. The advanced formula multitasks, improving the skin's barrier function to maintain optimal hydration."

This formula is best for normal to slightly dry skin and gave me the best results when used in the spring and summer months, I did not find it hydrating enough for winter skin issues.  A dime-sized drop was all that I needed to cover my whole face and the product absorbed in quickly and didn't leave a residue (I have found that some products with a higher SPF will leave a film on the skin).  This product is hydrating enough to keep my skin soft throughout the day and is smooth enough that I can still apply primer and all the needed face makeup over it.  This is the best Vitamin C cream for that I have found for skin that doesn't always like Vitamin C. 

The Murad collection of Vitamin C products is one of the few that I truly trust to be effective yet not cause more harm than good to sensitive skin.  If you really want to reap the benefits of this ingredient than I do recommend using this day cream and then matching night cream.  I am most interested in this ingredient to help protect my skin and I love how effective it is.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer

The Murad Vitalic line is reported to be one their best-selling overall product lines, this line of anit-oxidant based skincare products can be used by a wide range of skin types and helps to fight the free radicals that have been all over beauty magazines for the past two years.  The Vitalic line of skincare was my first introduction to the Murad line several years ago when I was in college and I have been using it ever since.  I first bought a tube of this product when the Murad line was still available at certain Bath and Body Works and I made the trip down to King of Prussia one day to see the "fancy" store.  This was one of my first clinical skincare products and I still remember how excited I was to buy this product!

The Vitalic line is a series of products that all contain pomegranate as one of the active ingredients and is an anti-oxidant rich line for all skin types.  "Combination skin, also known as normal skin, is the most common skin type.  It might be oilier in the T-Zone with perhaps some dryness at the perimeter of the face.  Murad Vitalic line features pomegranate extract to balance oily and dry zones and creates beautiful skin through the science of Cellular Water.", states the Sephora website in an overall description of how the line itself functions.  The line contains the full array of traditional skincare products; cleansers, moisturizers, and more targeted products.  So far I have only used one product from the line however I have replaced it several times over the years, considering that I rarely rebuy products and am always on the lookout for the newest products and ingredients, this is saying something huge about this face lotion. 

The main moisturizer in the Vitalic line is the Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer.  "A lightweight moisturizer that infuses skin with hydration and energy.  Stimulates and shields skin by infusing energy and providing oil-free, essential hydration."  This product is a lightweight lotion, with a pleasant smell and very light texture, this is a product that I would use in the late spring and summer only, so I will not be buying another tube of for quite a bit.  It provides enough hydration for my cheeks in the wamr weather months, but it is much too light for fall and winter months, since I am already beginning to feel the change in my skin and we are only halfway through September. 

This is nice, but basic, moisturizer.  The products in the Vitalic line are targeted for younger skin that really hasn't begun to show any major signs of aging, they help to prevent some of the signs of aging with the Murad Pomegranate Complex and wouldn't work very well in someone who already is beginning to show obvious signs (I would recommend the Vitamin C line for this type of skincare issue), this product is not going to change your world and it is not designed for someone who wants and needs major results from their moisturizer.  I recommend this product for someone who truly has "normal" skin, it hydrates a bit but not too much and doesn't contain any mattifying ingredients.

My least favorite parts about this product?  My first issue is the tube, somehow I can never squeeze out exactly how much product that I need.  The tip is different from some of the other Murad products and one squeeze was never enough to cover my whole face but two squeezes released so much product that I still had some left on hands after application.  This is the Goldilocks of Murad packaging...  My second issue is the one that I often have with other Murad day creams, an SPF of 15 is way too low for me and this product is not applied heavily enough for the sunscreen to be fully opaque on the skin.  I know that many people applaud doctors that put SPF in their products but having too low an SPF is worse than none at all, I prefer to find my own sunscreen formula to use and I can't layer it with this product without the higher SPF being diluted.  So annoying in such a great line of facecare...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Murad Acne Spot Treatment

My skin is sensitive to many anti-acne ingredients so I have found that many of them only make my skin even worse than the blemish itself.  When the cure is even worse than the problem, it ends up in a very frustrating problem and the problem made the one or two blemishes that I get each month a huge disaster instead of a minor annoyance.  Most of the acne treatments that I have tried will rid me of the blemish but make the area around it dry, red, and flaking; making the whole area even worse to conceal and worse looking.  I tried to get around that isse by applying the treatment only exactly to the blemish and it reduced the issue but still couldn't rid me of the problem all together.  I mentioned this problem to the sales associate at Sephora several months ago and she recommened that I try something completely different than the traditional acne medication ingredients. 

She recommened the famed Murad acne products, some of the best-selling and top rated skincare products in thie store.  The Murad line contains sulfur as an active ingredient,  a more gentle anti-acne ingredient that is said to be better for sensitve skin that doesn't agree with other ingredients on the market today.  I decided to give it a shot since it couldn't really be any worse than most of the other products that I have tried.  I decided to buy the Acne Spot Treatment to start out since my skin doesn't have enough blemishes to warrant the purchase of the full Acne line.

"A fast-acting formula that minimizes acne breakouts.  This targeted formula eliminates and clears active breakouts and helps speed healing on contact.  Clinically proven in over 90% of users to reduce blemishes in just four weeks.", states the Sephora website by way of a product description.  This sport treatment contains four major active ingredients: Sulfur, Salicylic Acid, Zinc Oxide, and Licorice Extract.  Sulfur is used to help control and prevent breakouts.  Salicylic Acid is used to help exfoliate dead skin cell buildup.  Zinc Oxide and Licorice Extract both help to reduce the redness associated with the blemish.  Most of my product reactions occured when using benzoyl perioxide so I was ok with the amount of salicylic acid in this product. 

So why is sulfur different than many of the other ingredients on the market and is it as effective as others?  I found my answer on acne.org.  Sulfur helps to promote the peeling and drying of the skin and also works the same as salicylic acid to promote cell turnover.  Any type of cream that is applied to a blemish will help to dry out the blemish (hence why many ladies still use toothpaste on blemishes) however sulfur appears to be a more mild active ingredient.  I can't state how it will work in higher amounts than a spot treatment, I have never used it in a mask or in any type of face wash (nor do I think that I really need to).

The best part about this product is that it didn't dry out or irritate my skin.  It helped to heal the blemish but didn't make the whole area look worse as it is working.  I could see that ingredients that helps to reduce redness were included in this formula, they helped to make the area look a bit better and therefore easier to conceal.  What is the downside of using sulfur instead of other acne ingredients?  It takes the blemish about twice or three times as long to heal as other products that I have tried.  This is fine for me since I only get about one blemish a month and can completely deal with taking those extra few minutes to cover it up.  But I can't imagine that this ingredient is the best choice for those who have moderate to severe acne (unless a much more intense version is prescribed by a doctor).  I am perfectly fine with the product taking a bit longer since it doesn't dry the area out and makes it easier than normal products to cover up.

I recommend this spot treatment for those of us with more sensitive skin than don't have the greatest reactions to some traditional acne ingredients.  I don't recommend this product for someone with moderate to severe acne and if you have more a more oily skin type then you will get better results from a traditional benzoyl peroxide formula. 

photo courtesy of Sephora 

Murad Redness Therapy Recovery Treatment Gel

Several months ago, I posted on the moisturizer that I had bought and used in this line of redness reducing skincare. I had initially bought the entire line of Murad Redness Therapy and was happy with the moisturizer but not enough to warrant another purchase unless the formula was changed or a new formula was made with a texture for dry skin. Now for the serum, I was hoping for the exact opposite in terms of texture. I dislike thick serums during the day since I have to layer them with my regular moisturizer and then another layer of sun protection. If the serum is too thick, I have found that I simply cannot wear it during the day time and then cannot do the twice daily usage recommended by most skincare companies. So I am very hapy to report that the serum texture is as thin as the moisturizer and in this case, it is the perfect texture.

The Murad Redness Therapy line is made for skin that is of any type and suffers from redness and sensitivity. We all know that my skin falls into this category but lately I have the added problem of heat. Several times, my cheeks have gotten so red that they have heated up and I can feel hot (think a sunburn that randomly pops up only in some areas). I am hoping that as the extreme weather of this winter leaves us behind, that beauty woe will disappear as well. Here's to hoping...

But in the meantime, I decided to pull this product out of my skincare collection and get it a run and see how it fared against my very unhappy skin. First, a full description from Sephora to give you an idea of how this product is designed to perform. "A patented, lightweight gel that penetrates to relieve redness and irritation. Treats and reduces the appearance of redness and the feeling of sensitivity by fortifying delicate skin with cooling agents and retexturizing skin for all day comfort." The four active ingredients are Azelaic Acid, Goji Berry Extract, Zinc Oxide, and Peppermint Leaf Extract. Azelaic Acid improves hydration and calms flushed skin. Goji Berry Extract hydrates and rejuvenates dry, flaky skin. Zinc Oxide and Peppermint Leaf Extract both soothe and help reduce stinging and sensitivity.

My favorite aspect of this product was the texture, it allowed me to use it morning and night to fully reap all the redness reducing benefits. The product is very lightweight, sinks in easily and quickly and will never feel heavy or cakey. I used this product for four weeks straight, twice a day on clean, dry skin. It helped to reduce redness but wasn't the best that I have tried. This line is better for mild redness and skin that is normal to oily. The texture will be fine for those who suffer from oiliness and acne so perhaps that should be the target audience for this collection. It didn't irritate or dry out my skin but I didn't really feel that it had any amazing moisturizing benefits.

I like the anti-oxidant benefits that this product has to offer. It will help to protect my skin against aging and free radicals and help to give it a healthy glow. This serum has a bit of a green hue to it but not enough that it would be of any help to camoflage the redness in my face. I didn't see any major difference in the "cooling" of the skin on the days that it was really inflamed. Based on the product description and the way that it worked so me, I almost wonder if this product would be better off with their acne collection to play down the redness that is caused by ance break outs. I don't find it strong enough to effectively treat and reduce redness in large areas, which is a same since Murad hit the perfect texture on this serum.

photo courtesy of Murad

Murad Redness Therapy Correcting Moisturizer SPF 15

Normally, I am a Murad lady, I have used many products from this skincare line and had great results. I love Dr. Murad, his research, and all his products. Based on many positive experiences with his Vitamin C and Pomegranate based product lines, I decided to invest in his redness line when I went to Sephora over the holidays. I purchased the mositurizer, face cleanser, and serum and so far I have been using only the moisturizer. And for the first time with this company, I am not happy and am somewhat regretting purchasing this whole collection. Why? Let me explain...

First I want to start with the description of the product from the Sephora website. "A patented, tinted lotion with soothing, moisturizing extracts. Reduces the appearance of red, rough, flaky skin on contact by neutralizing and protecting dry, irritated skin and minimzing the appearance of redness with a color correcting tint. Also shields against sun damage". The three active ingredients in this products are goji berry extract, licorice extract, and peppermint leaf extract. The goji berry is an antioxidant that reduces skin inflammation and helps to protect against free radical damage. The licorice extract helps to reduce surface redness and the peppermint leaf extract helps to relieve discomfort and stinging that is associated with red skin. The formula itself sounds good and I am a big fan of the goji berrry extract in his products. So what are the issues?

My two major issues with this product is the texture and the SPF protection. To start with the texture. This is a lotion formula, I need more of a cream especially this time of the year. This formula felt thinand wtery on application and was quickly absorbed into my skin but within about two hours, my skin has dry against and needed something else. I am thinking that this formula is better suited to someone with oily skin and that Murad might be better off if two hydrators were available in this line. He should keep the lotion for those with oily skin but also make a hydrating cream for those of us with dry skin. A cream in this line would rock my world and make me very happy. My second issue is the SPF, why is this only at a 15?! Most dermatologist recommend at least 30 or higher for more sensitive skin. I would rather this product had nothing SPF in it and then I could layer my own with it instead of only having the SPF 15. Ok, rant over!

What I did like about this product! It helps to control my redness especially in my cheek area and felt very nice on application. I had no issues with my face reacting to it. I like the antioxidant protection that this product offers. I think that I would be much happier just seeing this product in a cream formula and with a different SPF level. Looking at the two reasons that this product didn't work out for me still isn't stopping me from the rest of the Murad line. The wash and serum should be of the same formula and neither of those will have the SPF issues and I can layer them with a thicker hydrator.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Murad Essential C Night Moisture

Now that it will be winter in two weeks, I have had to up my skincare routine and try to find products that contain both powerful anti-oxidant protection and still are very hydrating since my skin is getting so dry that I think it might crack off my face if I ignore it for a day. With the craziness of the holidays in full swing right now, I wasn't able to get to Sephora right when I needed to so I had to rely on going through my bins of products and hope that something would jump out at me. And thankfully, it did.

I found a tube of Murad Essential C Night Moisture in one of bins. This product was given to me by a Murad rep at least a few months ago when I was at Bath and Body Works and she was helping me pick skincare out and having a discussion on the anti-oxidant protection that is available in all Murad skincare products. This product is more geared for older skin as it both protects from visible signs of aging and helps to correct the ones that are already present. This product is the night moisturizer in the best-selling Essential C line of products from Murad. This whole line is based on Vitamin C and the benefits that it provides to the skin. I have used many other Murad products with great results so I was very happy when I found this forgotten gem in my collection.

Murad states that this product "Encourages healthy cell renewal to reveal younger looking skin overnight". It has two primary benefits. The first is that it reduces morning creases and the second is that it neutralizes toxins and fights free radicals. I have two more benefits to it in addition. The first is that it hydrates my skin very well and the second is that it hydrates without a greasy feel and I have yet to break out from this product. Also the smell reminds me of a citrus fruit but it is light and while it might bother certain people, I feel that it adds to the allure of the product. I do use this product both morning and night even though it is without an SPF and therefore should only be used as a night cream. I have found that during the colder months, I need a separate moisturizer and then a layer of sunscreen to help protect my skin, so overall it works for me to use this night product during the day. And as an added bonus, since the product is not greasy, I can easily wear it during the day.

Overall, I am very happy that the Murad rep gave me this product and I would recommend it to anyone with dry to normal skin for use day or night. This product makes me want others from this same collection, especially the matching cleanser.

photo courtesy of Murad