Easy and cheap facial moisturizer trick

Since many of you have been asking me about good facial moisturizers to use during this winter...here are my two cents.

A little background about my skin first. I have extremely oily skin so during the summer, I use not only oil free but also oil controlling moisturizer.  Even that doesn't help me much. But ever since I have been using Milk Of Magnesia all my oil problems has gone away...you can read about it here.

So thing is, people have different kind of skin. So what suits best for my oily skin will not be the perfect option for people with dry skin. But today I will share a tip which will help everyone to have the best of facial moisturizer. And it wouldn't even cost you much. 

Anyway, these are my most-go to moisturizer during summer. It took me a lot of trail and error methods to find the ones that works best with my skin, do not cause break-outs, help to fade acne/pimple marks and to most importantly stops making it oily. 

But from the start of winter, my skin started acting out. At times it still feels oily and at times it is dry. I started to woke up with skin flaking. So I knew it was time to change my summer moisturizers. I need heavier products, need to change my oil free creams to something oil-based to counter-act the dryness.

Then I tried a number of oil based creams to find a suitable one. I have got Body Shop, Ponds and Neutrogena's  moisturizers, and they did help with the dryness but had other problems. i.e

• I am really used to using oil free products, thick heavy creams makes me really uncomfortable.
• I still tried to use them and after a few days, it gave me pimples and break-outs. I think my skin is used to oil free products as well.
• Not to mention it was a total waste of money to buy a cream which I would probably only use for a month or so. 

So, I gave those creams to my sister, who has a dry skin and loved using them. But I still needed to find a moisturizer.so I researched net and settled for almond oil as my new facial moisturzer.

Why almond oil is so awesome:
I used almond oil regularly for 2-3 weeks and had no porblem whatsoever. in fact, it is awesome becasue:

• Almond oil is 100% natural oil. Most of the commercial oil-based products has mineral oil, glycerin etc as the base oil which are not that good for skin.
• It does not contain any perfume or preservatives like commercial products.
• It is enriched in Vitamin E, which is a must for all the commercial products where the vitamin is added artificially, where in Almond oil is its present naturally.
• Since its an oil it can trap moisture more effectively than cream therefore is a superior moisturizer.
• It has scientifically proven anti-aging properties.
• It is pretty darn cheap.
• Most important it is  non-comedogenic, it will not clog pores like most of the oil based products (mineral oil, glycerin and most of the heavy oils clog pore) therefore did not give me any breakouts.

So, almond oil is awesome as a moisturizer itself and if you want just a moisturizer you can very well use it. But I was missing my typical summer moisturizers, they always made my skin really bright and help with fading some marks that I have (and the new pimple marks that I got after I tried those creams moisturizers). I didn't want to stop using almond oil but I also wanted the benefits of my regular moisturizers. So I improvised:

1. I cleanse my face and put on my usual moisturizers on damp skin.
2. Then I wait 5 minutes for the moisturizer to sink in
3. Finally I use some almond oil over the cream . I use really little, like 2-3 drops during the day and 3-4 drops during the night.   

Viola! Been doing this for last two weeks and let me tell you lovelies, this has been the best idea I have had so far

• Skin is no longer dry, almond oil is so nourishing. No flaking as well.
  
• It is also very light and so not sticky.
• I could totally use the moisturizers that I already have and already love. No time and money wasted to find another perfect moisturizer for winter
• Almond oil can seal the moisturizer which will ensure more effects.
• Most importantly, almond oil is a carrier oil, that means it can penetrate the deeper layer of the skin, so when you put almond oil 3-4 minute after moisturizer, some of the nutrients of the mositureizer will be carried to the depper level of you skin and the moistuzer alone may or may not have been able to do so.

So try it, whatever your skin type is, oily, normal or dry, if you are feeling extra dry this year and your regular summer moisturizers are not doing the job, instead of buying new products, put on the one you already have and follow with a bit of almond oil. You will love it.

A word of caution though, do a patch test first to see if you are allergic to almond oil. Put some of the moisturizer that you will be using on your feet maybe, then wait 3-4 minute, apply a drop of almond oil and check for any reaction. It is rare but but you should always be careful.

Also, try not use any "oil control" moisturizer, it will be kind of counter productive. Remember, there are moisturizers for oily skin (like the ones I posted above) and moisturizers that control oil like bellow, Ponds Warm Classic Vanishing Cream (made in South Africa one, my most most most fav oil control weapon, after Milk of magnesia maybe) and Garnier Oil Control Moisturizer (okay for summer, but will definitely be too dry for winter even with almond oil)

Finally, if you do not want to use Almond Oil and want to know my honest opinion about a good moisturizer for dry, normal, mixed or sensitive skin I will totally recommend Ponds Dry Skin Cream Rich Hydrating facial moisturizer Humactante Facial. Even with my oily skin, it was really good and for my sister's dry skin it is awesome. Even my dad uses the same moisturizer.

I know too many ponds right, I assure you me or nobody in my family sells Ponds product lol I just have a soft spot for this brand, that's all.

So anyway, let me know if you guys have any question or anything.