GLOSSIER | PRIMING MOISTURIZER BALANCE

This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Super Lightweight Summer Moisturizers SS21 Part 1 – Best Brightening Moisturizer, Best Face Creams For Oily Skin (And All Skin In The Heat!). You can catch the full piece here.

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As I do each summer, it’s time to feature what I consider the best lightweight moisturizers of the season — the ones that have stood out to me since the weather began to warm up in June. And, as in years past, I’m segmenting it into two digestible parts.

Last year, I featured five of my favorite warm weather face creams in an article titled, Summer Moisturizers Part I – Some Of The Best Lightweight Face Creams For Oily Skin And All Skin Types In Hot Weather. Perhaps the star of the range was the Organic the New Beauty Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum — one of the best organic face creams I’ve ever tried. I’ve long been out of it and I still miss it, which says a lot.

SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I – SOME OF THE BEST LIGHTWEIGHT FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN AND ALL SKIN TYPES IN HOT WEATHER

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Two others in that initial SS20 collection of lightweight face cream were The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisturizer and the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer — one of the best face creams for oily skin.

First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer remains a favorite of mine on the hottest, most humid day. In fact, Ultra Repair Oil-Control is as light as air and feels virtually weightless on the skin — something I know people with oily skin can appreciate.

It’s more oil control than moisturizer, though. Since there are no oils in Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer, it doesn’t actually infuse skin with moisture; rather it helps prevent moisture and water loss through the inclusion of occlusive Dimethicone and a small amount of humectant Sodium Hyaluronate — the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid that’s the most skin-compatible.

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR OIL-CONTROL MOISTURIZER – BEST FACE CREAM FOR OILY SKIN

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Controlling surface oils is the main benefit of the Ultra Repair Oil-Control formula. One of my favorite brands for sensitive skin, FAB achieves that with what the brand refers to as Oil-Absorbing Microspheres — a blend of mineral powders that absorb excess sebum on the surface of the skin to mattify the complexion. If you’re super oily, give First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer a serious look.

With seriously hot weather upon us here in NYC, and humidity reaching 75% on even seemingly pleasant, rain-free days, I’m reluctant to put anything on my face. Some days, I struggle to apply much more than a humectant serum, my favorite Niacinamide serum (the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster!) and sunscreen.

But, I know my skin needs more than just that no matter the weather. The heat is both drying and dehydrating and while it may not seem like it when your face is greasy, skin needs oil replenishment, too.

What’s the Difference between Dry Skin and Dehydrated Skin?

Many people confuse the two. They’re not the same thing and it’s helpful to understand the difference in order to advance your skin health. For the answer to that vexing questing, as I most often do, I turned to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team for insights. There’s a superb piece on the Paula’s Choice site titled, What is Dehydrated Skin & How to Choose the Best Products. Here is an excerpt:

Dehydrated skin often looks and feels like dry skin all over your face, but there's a major difference between the two: dehydrated skin is usually a temporary concern (with various surprising causes) and dry skin typically doesn't change over time. If you have dehydrated skin, your skin may also produce a normal or even excessive amount of oil on its surface.
"Dehydrated skin" is something we’re asked about frequently. It seems there’s a lot of confusion about what this skin concern is about. A major part of the confusion is that the term "dehydrated skin" is often used interchangeably with "dry skin" or "combination skin" but they are not the same! Dehydrated skin can occur in all skin types and is not exclusive to those with dry skin or combination skin.
The Difference Between Dry Skin and Dehydrated Skin
Having classically dry skin is easy to recognize. Dry skin frequently feels tight and dry, with no oil anywhere to be seen. This situation rarely fluctuates; skin feels dry all year long. The dryness might get worse depending on the climate, season, or activity, but regardless of those things, without great skin care products, the uncomfortable dry, tight feeling will persist.
As mentioned above, dehydrated skin can look and feel similar, but there’s a major difference: Dehydrated skin tends to come and go, it does not persist.

Have a look at one of my five super lightweight summer moisturizer picks for SS21…

Glossier | Priming Moisturizer Balance

I wouldn’t call myself a #glossierfanboy, per se. My affinity for the pink, girlie brand doesn’t go that deep. But that’s not to say that I’m not an admirer of the brand’s relatively well-formulated, affordable skincare products. In particular, I actually quite like Glossier’s three “super serums” — Super Pure, Super Glow and Super Bounce.

In the grand scheme of things, the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum is not the best Niacinamide serum, but it’s effective for the price — and one of the best Niacinamide serums for oily skin or acne prone skin.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER SUPER PURE NIACINAMIDE + ZINC SERUM - BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM FOR OILY SKIN

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Also ideal for acne prone and oily skin is the Glossier Super Glow Vitamin C + Magnesium Serum. While the $28 Super Glow is a relatively uncomplicated formula, it’s packed with intrigue in the form of pure mineral magnesium, or Magnesium PCA. Minerals help to regulate water flow within the skin’s layers to balance out hydration levels and maintain skin health. You can’t say that about even the best Vitamin C serums for face!

Rounding out the brand’s three super serums is the Glossier Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin B5 Serum. I featured it in my recent blog article titled, New Hyaluronic Acid Serums I Love from Farmacy Beauty, Herbivore, Glossier and More - Best Hyaluronic Acid Serums, Best Hydrating Serums For Face. Psst…you can catch the full piece here.

NEW HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS I LOVE FROM FARMACY BEAUTY, HERBIVORE, GLOSSIER AND MORE

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Also priced at $28, the Super Bounce Hyaluronic Acid serum is a viable option if you’re in the market for a well-formulated hydrating serum at a great price. With a milky, silky texture reminiscent of a personal favorite, Herbivore’s Cloud Jelly Plumping Hydration Serum, the Super Bounce serum is a relatively simple formula with an INCI that’s just about a dozen ingredients deep. But sometimes skincare doesn’t need to be “deep” to do what it needs to do; in this case, effectively hydrate skin.

So I was excited to take Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance for a test drive throughout the month of July, which boasted the hottest, most humid days of the year. On some days last month, temps reached into the mid-90s and felt like well over 100. The humidity felt like 1,000%.

Standing on a hot AF subway platform one day, I recall thinking that the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance was actually holding up well. While I would otherwise look like a grease monkey (whatever that is!), I looked fresh and relatively matte in my selfies.

With its light-as-air silky serum texture, Priming Moisturizer Balance is a treat for skin on a hot summer day. If you’re oily, it would likely be a mattifying treat for skin all year round. Even though it’s a gel-cream, I would characterize it a gel-serum. Most gel-creams, while light, wouldn’t dispense as well out of a tube. Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance certainly does.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER INVISIBLE SHIELD DAILY SUNSCREEN+ SPF 35 – BEST CHEMICAL SUNSCREEN FOR FACE

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In fact, it’s so lightweight that it absorbs nearly instantly and dries down to a soft, matte texture with a powdery finish — something most oily skins would appreciate. I’ve examined the INCI over and over and just can’t put my finger on which ingredient or blend of ingredients actually give the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance its mattifying oomph.

The brand claims that a marine extract “sourced from the fermentation of Antarctic Ocean marine bacteria reduces the appearance of shine instantly, throughout the day, and over time.” I have no reason to doubt that, but I have a hard time understanding how seaweed is mattifying. Unless it’s magic seaweed!

No matter, it does mattify quite well — and for an extended period of time; hours, in fact. The brand claims that Priming Moisturizer Balance controls skin for up to 12 hours. (That’s a lot of time on a hot subway platform!)

There’s also a bit of antioxidant, brightening Niacinamide at what I estimate to be about a 3-4% concentration. At higher levels, Niacinamide can unclog pores, though I’m not sure that a lower concentration can achieve that.

For a bit more pore maintenance, Glossier included Willow Bark Extract, a botanical derivative with pore-refining qualities similar to Salicylic Acid.

For just $25, the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance is a nice formula and, if you’re oily or acne prone, one of the best lightweight moisturizers for you. For the rest of us, its mattifying properties are welcome during the dog days of summer!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance for $25 here.

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