Clinique dramatically different moisturising lotion

I might be fired as a beauty blogger for writing this post, but here it goes.  I would love some comments from people who can educate me.

I lived for a year as a poor student in Manhattan when I was in my early 30's.  This year Clinique really became my go-to beauty brand; mostly because of the price.  Clinique is an American product, made in America, and therefore much cheaper in America than the French products.  In South Africa there is much less of a price difference and Clinique is not so much cheaper than other brands. 

That year I started using dramatically different moisturizing lotion.  I have used it for years since.

I bought a nice big bottle of this last year in order to get the free gift.  I therefore still had a full bottle of Clinique when I became interested in beauty products and started reading up on products.  I soon learnt that this was not a good product.  It is full of mineral oils, which apparently are really bad for you.  I have not used this bottle in more than a year.  I live in Durban, which is humid, and do not struggle with dry skin.  And then winter came around, and things became a lot dryer, and my skin always felt dry.  One day I used this, kind of out of desperation between trying out some other products.  And low and behold, my skin stopped feeling dry. 

My understanding of why mineral oils are bad for you.  These oils sit on top and do not penetrate your skin.  It therefore does not moisturise deep inside where it is needed most.  Combining mineral oils with other products is a bad idea, because the mineral oils cause the other great ingredients to also sit on top.  Mineral oils are used by cosmetic companies because they provide a barrier and therefore make the skin feel moisturised.

Image from: http://www.ponikuta.com/

My take on this:  In winter I need a barrier between me and the harsh world outside.  The mineral oils in Dramatically Different Moisturiser provides this barrier.  It worked brilliantly.  My skin felt soft and plump and moisturised.

My compromise:  I do not use it at night any more, because I also use a serum at night and want that serum to penetrate deeply and do its work down there.  I use it in the morning under my make-up to keep my skin plump and hydrated all day.  That way I feel I get the best of best worlds, my skin is treated at night with something that penetrates and in the day it is nicely moisturised with a skin between me and the outside world.

Pros:  My skin feels soft and hydrated when used.
It is not too expensive.
It provides good moisturising without being oily and greasy.
No smell.
A pump bottle (which keeps the product hygienic).
Easily disappears into the skin.

Cons:
All those mineral oils.
No SPF.

I am not sure whether I will repurchase, but it is a lovely product.

There are so many reviews about this.  I just chose this one because it is very balanced.

Please leave a comment telling me how you feel about mineral oils.  Are they evil?

 

You can read a very critical review from Paula's choice.