Alright, I’m curious if anyone is doing this – using 2 different moisturisers on your face at the same time.
Not layering them, but using them in different areas for different reasons to target different concerns. Anyone? 🙂
I’ve been experimenting with this tip for a few months and because I’ve seen results, I wanted to share it in case you too were facing the same issues I did and weren’t sure how to deal with it.
Basically, I realised that when I had my hormonal or general breakouts, they tend to be concentrated around my chin area. To keep the skin clear therefore, I was using one of those moisturisers for blemished skin. I was using the remnants of my Vichy Normaderm moisturisers and upon reader suggestions, picked up the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Corrective and Unclogging Anti-Imperfection Care which I think may be the wrong product! HAHA! That aside, it’s a moisturiser that contains salicylic acid to control skin imperfections and help unclog pores similar to the way the Vichy Normaderm moisturisers perform.
I found that the La Roche Posay cream was helping calm and smooth my skin and my spots would go away eventually, but I suffered another set back. The parts of my face that did not have breakouts i.e. cheeks and nose, weren’t getting enough hydration. So, I’d have a clear chin, but a peeling nose. Jeez, will this never end? So one day, in a fit of pique, I decided to use 2 different moisturisers on my face.
Around my chin area or wherever I have breakouts or pimple spots, I’d use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo moisturiser, but on the other parts of my face, I’d use a hydrating moisturiser which at this point in time is the Origins Make a Difference Plus + and the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +, which I’m taking for another trial spin.
At night, I do the same thing. LRP around my chin, and the Dior Capture Totale Night Cream on my cheeks and nose area.
Guess what?
Problem solved! The hydrating creams take care of the dry and flaky non-breakout skin while the targeted cream take care of the spots. When my spots and breakouts go away, I go back to my regular creams all over the face. When I happen to breakout again, I go back to this 2-in-1 treatment.
Sure, it adds one more step to my skincare routine but it takes just 2 seconds so I don’t see the problem, plus I like how my skin is getting what it needs where it needs it most, instead of just carpet-bombing my whole face with treatment cream and drying it out 🙂 If you didn’t realise, sometimes you can even break out from having skin that’s too dry. Oh yes you can!
The thing about trying this skincare tip is, you have to know and understand your skin in order to know what it is your skin needs and when. Yes, using a hydrating serum underneath helps but I’ve found that my skin needs a lot more than just hydrating serum. It needs a hydrating serum AND a hydrating and/or anti-aging moisturiser to be at its optimum.
If you are using a whitening product, I’d hesitate to tell you to try this because if the product works, you’d want your skin to be even toned overall not just in certain areas. So this only really works for those who have problems with spot breakouts and don’t want your breakout creams to dry out the rest of your face.
Have you tried doing something similar with your skincare?
I’m always doing madcap experimentations with my creams and how I use them and sometimes, I hit on a hit and sometimes, I don’t. This was one of those where a lightbulb came on over my head and I ran naked out in the streets shouting “Eureka!” only of course, I didn’t. Really.
Paris B
LeGeeque says
July 9, 2013 at 8:41 amThat’s actually pretty clever! I use multiple serums, I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to use multiple moisturisers 😐
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 4:59 pmWith serums I tend to layer them, but with moisturisers, I only use them where I want to. So don’t layer them. It might end up too heavy 🙂
Angelina says
July 9, 2013 at 9:06 amYes, I use different moisturizer on different part of my face.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:00 pmDo you use them for breakout areas and others, or for other reasons? Curious to know 🙂
Angelina says
July 22, 2013 at 1:34 amI use different moisturizers based on my skin condition. I tend to be careful with the moisturizer I use around my jawline. At the moment, it’s back to basic. Am using a concentrated serum for the scars. So far so good.
Paris B says
July 22, 2013 at 5:50 pmGood to know the scars are healing up! 🙂
Fiona @ Street Love says
July 9, 2013 at 9:08 amI do that too. I’m using Dr. Brandt Pore Effect Refining Cream for area near my nose where pores are larger and Talika PBT Anti-Ageing Cream for the rest of my face 🙂
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:01 pmLooks like its a lot more common than I expected! How are you liking the Talika skincare? 😉
Fiona says
July 12, 2013 at 7:24 pmIt’s actually not bad. I think I would love the Brightening range. Will see about that when I started using haha
Esther Neo says
July 9, 2013 at 9:16 amUsed to…an oil control for t zone and a hydrating moisturiser for day but it proved too much of a hassle when you only have 5 mins!! Night time….just smack on whatever it is on the whole face, plain lazy….but at least I am using skincare. Lol.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:02 pmLOL Thank goodness for small mercies! 😉 But yes I can imagine it is rather a hassle to have to switch around 😉
Teresa says
July 9, 2013 at 9:35 amYes I do this at night! Same thing with serums. Usually when it’s spring/summer/autumn I just use a serum all over because I have oily skin, but when I need extra moisturising or when it’s winter I put moisturiser on my cheeks, or maybe an oil control product just on my tzone when I feel like it. Basically my skin routine changes from day to day. It just feels more “right”, more intuitive.
Teresa says
July 9, 2013 at 9:46 amFor example, right now I’m using a moisturising toner all over (Clarins one for oily combination skin) and then the Environ AVST just on my chin and part of my cheeks, because I’ve been having breakouts and it’s the only thing in my collection that’s clearing it up!
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:03 pmGood call Teresa! My cheeks are drier than the rest of my face too, so I too concentrate product on that area. You’re absolutely right too about how skincare changes as we go along. I think sometimes, its also to do with awareness of our skin condition and what we should be doing to help it along 🙂
Dee says
July 9, 2013 at 10:34 amI have been doing this for the past 3 years! 😀 the sides of my nose flake like nobody’s business, however i have combination oily skin.. my nose will only behave if i use an oil base moisturiser, however, oil seeds started popping up on my face when i used the same moisturiser for my entire face! My solution: I use an oil for my nose and a normal oil free moisturiser for the rest of my face! Works like a charm! 😉 it never occured to me that others might be facing this kind of problems too, especially you Paris! Haha..
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:08 pmHaha I face all sorts of skin problems, Dee! But working out how to resolve them gives me loads of discussion topics to share on the blog and then tada! I realise I’m not alone doing what I do 😀 Its awesome that you’ve worked this out instead of slathering the same product all over and wondering why it doesn’t work etc. On hindsight, maybe I should have been doing this from way back haha! 😀
Ching says
July 9, 2013 at 10:44 amYes, I do apply combination serum on my face once in a while but I have never tried using two different moisturiser for the rest of my face and neck. My neck in fact is more sensitive than my face. I wonder why I have breakouts on my neck too (right underneath my chin). Has anyone experience the same problem?
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:10 pmHmm I haven’t experienced this problem about breakouts on my neck, Ching and I do hope someone can help you on this. Could it be anything to do with sweat? I know some people are very sensitive to sweat. One of my exercise mates is and she told me that her breakouts on her neck and body are usually caused by sweat if she doesn’t clean it off quickly enough.
Firn says
July 9, 2013 at 11:49 amI’m totally doing this now because my prescription acne stuff is very drying on my chin. My nose seems to like my doctor’s moisturiser (very similar to the LRP one) but it’s not enough for my poor dried out chin.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:11 pmAcne stuff are so drying aren’t they? I sometimes wonder if they do more harm to the surrounding skin than good 😛 Still, I’m glad to know you’ve got something that works but I too dislike how the rest of my face feels like a dried husk if I use the same product 😛
Swati says
July 9, 2013 at 11:50 amhuh…i hate putting different products on different areas of my face and just for that fact, i do not use an eye cream. since i go for oils so its not a big deal but this makes sense because if you have breakouts then yeah spot treatment works well!! otherwise in general i do not really subscribe to the idea of different moisturizers for different areas of skin.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:12 pmHaha yes, I can imagine it will be a hassle but hey, if you don’t need to do this, and have found a product that can work for all over, why not? 😀 I think its mostly skin with breakouts that will benefit most from using separate products – anti-acne products are so drying!
MJ says
July 9, 2013 at 1:49 pmI have different cleanser, toner, serum, creme & mask … for my dry-dehydrated forehead and very acne-prone chin, jaw. My face seems to like this regime =__= Once, a salesperson in EL asked about my skincare and her jaws dropped when I told her this. I never mention this to anyone since.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:14 pmWow MJ you are dedicated! 😀 But I love how in tune with your skin you are because so few people are! I would have thought the SA at EL would be happy. she could have pushed you the whole counter! HAHA 😉
Victoria says
July 9, 2013 at 3:23 pmI have never tried using different moisturisers for my face perhaps only two serums for different areas.
On a different note, I am a bit puzzle on how to determine whether your face have sufficient hydration. The skin analysis I had yesterday seems to suggest that my face does not have enough hydration but ever since I started using a daytime hydration moisturiser in March and hydration oil/serum at night, my face has been clear of any breakouts even during that particular time of the month. I guess no breakouts does not necessary equal to sufficient hydration for skin?
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:20 pmOne way I’ve been told to check visually for hydrated skin is if it looks plump and pores don’t look too enlarged, skin doesn’t look tired, and doesn’t feel dehydrated, and if you lightly press it, you don’t see a lot of fine lines which is a sure sign of dehydration. But I honestly think also that there are many reasons why your skin may not look like it has enough hydration. One of it is that it loses its hydration over the day so its fine when you put on your skincare but not by the evening. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know of many products that can hold it all in for the whole day, no matter the claims 😛
Sunny says
July 9, 2013 at 7:30 pmHey Paris, you went for Duo at the end? I recently picked up Duo (had this ENORMOUS acne forming under my nose. It was too fast for Effaclar K), and I’ve been doing exactly this! I’ve always been plagued by blackheads in my T-zone, so nowadays at night I use Duo on my T-zone and whatever I normally use all over my face on my cheeks. It’s been a week or two and I can see a difference already!
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:21 pmHonestly Sunny, I didn’t know what to look for LOL! So I just picked one and hoped for the best (I didn’t even realise there was a difference between Effaclar Duo and just Effaclar? 😛 Its actually a really good product! Nips all my baby spots in the bud and also helps with cystic ones 😀
Sunny says
July 11, 2013 at 10:02 pmHaha Effaclar is the name of the line, and there are many different variations. So glad to hear it helps! It must be a huge relief 🙂
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 4:36 pmYes it is! It does work 😀
Hannah says
July 10, 2013 at 7:44 amI don’t think the LRP Effaclar Duo is a moisturizer. When I first got it, the brand promoter told me to apply it on clean skin before my usual skincare products. So that’s how I’ve been using it.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:25 pmHey Hannah, the instructions said to use it all over the face morning and evening which is what I did 🙂 I found it a little too heavy for a serum especially if I was to layer it which is why I use it the way I do but thanks for letting us know. Perhaps it might help others.
Shay says
July 10, 2013 at 1:44 pmI had massive clogged pores and breakouts at my lower jaw and chin area and even on my neck for about a year. I was quite fed up and stopped drinking milk and start eating a vitamin a supplement. Now I still have the clogged pores and spots if I dont watch what I eat but its fine otherwise.
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 5:33 pmEver since I worked out my beef connection I have done the same. Cut out beef from my diet. Recently, I indulged (its so hard to stay away!) and almost immediately, BOOM! Cystic pimple. Bah!
Shay says
July 10, 2013 at 5:51 pmYes! Those on my jaw and neck are cystic….deeply lodged and headless. Hmmm…I think it has to do with inflammation in our body. Perhaps different foods trigger such reaction. Its quite bad!
Paris B says
July 10, 2013 at 6:37 pmIts true! Not sure if you saw this earlier discussion we had about food and acne, Shay but some of the comments are insightful too 🙂
Shay says
July 10, 2013 at 10:25 pmI have not been surfing beauty blogs for a rather long time. Thanks for linking me to your previous post. Indeed! I think most of the foods listed are whats causing inflammation. ..or maybe causing existing inflammation in the body to flare up as acne.
Besides stopping dairy intake, I am taking vitamin A. It really helps a lot to control the flare ups and also existing cystic bumps so that my skin can take a breather and heal.
But I know too much vitamin A is also not good. Not sure what else I can do otherwise as I have tried acne products but doesnt work.
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 3:53 pmIts entirely possible re: foods. We can never be too sure what’s in food these days and how they can react with our bodies and breaking out may be a way of ridding our bodies of the toxins. Horrible way to do it though 😛
Jenny says
July 11, 2013 at 3:06 amYes I do. At that time my t zone was super oily n unpredictable while both my cheeks was super dry n sensitive. At one point I had 2 types of toners as well. Hehe
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 4:07 pmWow 2 toners is dedication! 😀 Hope your skin’s better now 🙂
poonam says
July 11, 2013 at 4:05 amSorry fr d typos …nice idea i have tried it wen my skin was peeling due to dermatologist medication for acne.paris can you please suggest me some serum or anyother product available in europe n spain for my very oily acne prone skin
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 4:10 pmIts a bit hard for me to talk about oily skin as I don’t have that problem Poonam. I can tell you that brands like Vichy and La Roche Posay do very good anti imperfection creams that have helped me when I have breakouts so maybe you can start there 🙂
Julia says
July 11, 2013 at 7:04 pmI sometimes do that, or I’ll use one moisturizer all over and an oil only for the dry parts (eyes, cheeks.)
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 4:30 pmGood idea Julia! Oils are fab skincare!
Sam Still Reading says
July 13, 2013 at 3:16 pmI do this in the winter when I get flaky forehead and nose – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream to the dry bits, usual DDML to the rest.
Paris B says
July 14, 2013 at 5:50 pmGolly! I could never use the Kiehl’s ULtra Facial Cream, its so thick! But then, look at where I live – clearly not made for the tropics 😉
Ting says
July 17, 2013 at 11:28 amHmm… it also never occurred to me to use different moisturisers at the same time. What a clever idea! If I get pimple outbreak, I just avoid putting any creams around the pimple(s), and then put those acne gel (the one from Origins work quite well) to cover the whole thing and go to sleep. I only do this at night as I don’t want to have the gel thingi staring at people’s face in the day… hahaha!
Paris B says
July 18, 2013 at 4:37 pmI once saw someone wear those 3M pimple patch covered with concealer/foundation, walking around KLCC. It was surreal.
Ting says
July 18, 2013 at 4:41 pmI hope the someone you saw had those cute shaped pimple patch on. Otherwise…
Paris B says
July 19, 2013 at 6:41 pmNope, it was the round patches 0_0