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by Paula Begoun
In this online database, author Paula Begoun reviews and rates a multitude of products from more than 200 makeup and skin-care lines. Begoun, who includes medical journals, cosmetic industry reports and the… Food and Drug Administration among her research sources, provides comprehensive information on the common ingredients found in moisturizers and other skin-care products. In her reviews, she discusses effectiveness, possible risks (such as skin irritation) and whether or not an item is worth its cost. She lists dozens of top picks for every skin type except for oily skin, which she says does not need a moisturizer. Given its scope, the website may be overkill for someone who simply wants to learn about facial moisturizers. In general, however, it's an excellent resource for regular users of cosmetic products. Many of Begoun's reviews can also be found in her book, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and on her website, CosmeticsCop.com.
by Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
After reviewing hundreds of beauty products for her newsletters and beauty bulletins, Paula Begoun lists the best inexpensive beauty products for 2009. Begoun says that you don't have to sacrifice quality… for price, and she lists several inexpensive products containing ingredients that keep skin hydrated and looking young. Each of the products chosen contains state-of-the art ingredients and comes in airtight packaging to preserve those ingredients. Although Begoun dismisses a lot of the hype that cosmetic companies give to their products, she also acknowledges that cosmetics companies are paying more attention to current research. Begoun's picks used to be extremely objective, but now that she is making her own line of skin-care products (which are, not surprisingly, highly rated), that may be less true. Still, Begoun does recommend moisturizers from several other companies including Avon, Clinique and Olay.
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports, in partnership with L'Union Fédérale des Consommateurs-Que Choisir (Consumers Union's French counterpart) tests 12 wrinkle creams for effectiveness, moisturizing ability and overall… olerance. All of the products tested show results for some of the testers, and none at all for others, but most results are barely visible to the naked eye. All of the creams, however, are considered to be effective moisturizers in general.
by Holly Crawford
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests the effectiveness of day and night creams on volunteers' skin using a corneometer to measure moisture levels. Facial moisturizers are also evaluated on the… basis of their scent, texture and usability. Two night creams, Lancome Absolue Premium BX Night Recovery Cream and Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Night Cream tie for first place. Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream is the best daytime moisturizer, but it doesn't contain sunscreen, which is necessary for daytime protection. Only winning products are listed, with no comparison to other products tested.
by Olessa Pindak
For their fourth annual beauty awards, Natural Health partnered with dermatologists and readers to test and rate hundreds of new natural beauty products. Products are tested for effectiveness as well as… safety (based on the ingredient list) and each has a natural component to it. Readers help to evaluate the products based on price, availability and familiarity. One winner is listed for each category with a total of 22 top picks. Aveeno Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 takes top honors for natural moisturizers, while Clarins Younger Longer Balm wins for its anti-aging properties. The downside to this article is that not all products tested are identified.
by Editors of Allure
by Sally Wadyka
This is the fifth consecutive year that Shape magazine has rated beauty products. Shape claims that more than 5,000 readers, along with staff and beauty experts, weigh in on several products in 23… categories. Each category includes picks in both the drugstore and higher-end price ranges. Olay Definity Night Restorative Sleep Cream and Shiseido the Skincare Tinted Moisture Protection SPF 20 earn the top awards in the facial moisturizers category. The weakness of this review is that products that didn't win are not identified.
by Editors of CEW.org
Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) lists its 2008 Beauty Award winners. Products are chosen by a group of voters that consists of CEW members, industry professionals and beauty experts. CEW.org claims that the… Beauty award is "the beauty industry's highest honor" and is given to "the most innovative beauty products of the year." Categories for the award include bath and body, facial skincare and makeup, among others. Each category has several subcategories with both high- and low-priced winners. Winning moisturizers include products from Olay, Shiseido, L'Oreal and Estee Lauder. Like other such ratings, however, moisturizers that didn't make the cut aren't identified.
by Editors of InStyle
InStyle editors list top beauty picks based on industry experts' favorites. The winning moisturizers are categorized by skin type, and a brief description is given for each. Most categories include two… night creams (high- and low-priced) and a daytime moisturizer with SPF. An anti-aging category also includes a couple of moisturizers. Top picks include products from La Roche-Posay, Eucerin, Neutrogena and Shiseido among others. However, editors don't say which moisturizers didn't make the cut.
by Editors of Health
by Editors of TotalBeauty.com
Editors of TotalBeauty.com review and test thousands of beauty products each year and rate them on a scale of one to 10. Products are tested for quality, reality of product claims and value. Editors also… consider product availability, smell and packaging. Only a handful of facial moisturizers are rated by TotalBeauty.com editors, but thousands are rated by users. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer and Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 get high ratings from editors and users alike.
by Arthur Belebeau
Editors enlist the help of 48 beauty professionals to pick 65 top beauty "problem-solvers". Winning products are listed under five categories -- facial skin care, body skin care, hair care, makeup and… "green giants." RevaleSkin Night Cream is called The Best New Product. Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15, SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel and RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream also make the list of winning products.
by Editors of Flare
by Editors of Cosmo Girl
Editors of Cosmo Girl magazine, along with readers and celebrities, choose their favorite beauty products. Favorites are chosen in several categories, including eyes, face and body, but there are no… comparisons or descriptions of the beauty products listed. Clean & Clear Morning Glow Moisturizer is chosen as a favorite in the facial moisturizing category while Laura Mercier Illuminated Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 makes the list as the Best Face Brightener.
by Krista Bennett, Cheryl Kramer Kaye, Crystal Martin
In this article, Redbook lists the 45 best beauty products of the year. Moisturizers that make the list are Avon Anew Ultimate Age Repair Night Cream, L'Oreal Paris Revitalift UV Daily Moisturizing Cream… with Sunscreen SPF15, La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Cream SPF15 and Pangea Organics Facial Cream. Products listed are not rated or compared to any others, and it's unclear how exactly these products were tested.
by Bonnie Malott
This article discusses what to look for in a moisturizer for various skin issues, including dry, oily, irritated or aging skin. The benefits of common moisturizer ingredients are mentioned. Reviewer Bonnie… Malott also recommends eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C to help improve skin appearance. Products from Cetaphil, Dr. Hauschka and Jergens are suggested, but not ranked or compared to others.
by Colleen Moriarty
Colleen Moriarty discusses the causes of wintertime dry skin and chapped lips and provides solutions as well as product recommendations. She points out that skin types change with the seasons and suggests… that readers adjust their skin-care routines to fit the weather. She suggests non-greasy moisturizers that won't clog pores and more emollient formulas at night. She does not rate or compare any products but does recommend Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF15 and L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise HydraRenewal Continuous Moisture Cream as solutions to dry skin.
by Jenny Bailly
by Editors of Good Housekeeping
by Editors of Green Guide
This report focuses on environmental and health concerns related to ingredients in moisturizers. Warnings are given about artificial colors, fragrance, preservatives, glycols and benzophenone in some… sunscreens. Natural plant-based moisturizers are recommended as well as USDA-certified organic lotions and those that are free of parabens and other hazardous ingredients. A list of 14 safer moisturizers is given but Burt's Bees Radiance Day Creme and Terressentials Flower Therapy Replenishing Facial Cream get the highest recommendations. Experts warn, however, that products labeled "organic" or "natural" aren't necessarily better for your skin than other products; thus determining that this requires a careful look at the list of ingredients.
by Jen Adkins
Jen Adkins, skin-care guide for About.com, says that drugstore moisturizers often contain the same, if not better, ingredients as those at the department store. She lists six facial moisturizers, each under… $20, which she calls the best. Products from CeraVe, Olay, Jergens, Neutrogena, Beauty Without Cruelty and Sephora are listed but none are ranked. While at least one of the moisturizers, CeraVe, was tested by Adkins, it's not clear if the others were. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Julyne Derrick
About.com's beauty guide, Julyne Derrick, offers a comprehensive recommended list of moisturizers from "cheap to steep & for every skin type." Every skin type is covered, although only a short description… of the pertinent features of each product is given. Products aren't rated against each other, except by price. Recommendations here match those of other reviewers, including Crème de la Mer and Olay Complete. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Editors of iVillage
by Contributors to MakeupAlley.com
Approximately 1,000 facial moisturizers are reviewed by members of this website. Product reviews can be sorted in a multitude of ways, making it easy for users to find the highest consumer rated products as… well as those that are reviewed most often. Some products receive hundreds of reviews, while others receive only a few. Among those with many reviews, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Crème, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream and Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Cream 10% AHA receive the highest ratings.
by Contributors to Drugstore.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Cheryl Gultman
In this article, Cheryl Gultman discusses skin-care products that promise to reduce signs of aging. She says most of these products have no evidence behind their claims and that the only products proven to… make any difference are sunscreens, antioxidants and retinoids. She explains that while antioxidants are effective, there is not enough information available to rank any of them as being superior to others. For this reason, she suggests that consumers use a mix of several antioxidants, both topically and internally. No particular products are recommended or rated.
by Editors of CosmeticsDatabase.com
This website, sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, hosts a cosmetic safety database known as Skin Deep. The database lists thousands of beauty products and gives them a hazard score. Products with… a score of zero to two are considered a low hazard, while a score of three to six is moderate and a score of seven to 10 is a high hazard. Each product has its own page with a listing of the hazards that its ingredients are linked to, such as cancer, reproductive problems and allergies. In addition to hazardous ingredients, the website also states whether or not a company engages in animal testing. Out of nearly 4,000 facial moisturizers/treatments, fewer than 1,000 products are given low hazard scores. Most fall in the middle "moderate hazard" range. While this site is very informative, it does not consider the effectiveness of any products that it rates nor does it consider the likelihood of skin irritations. But it's a great source for investigating specific ingredients.
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OLAY Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion: SPF-15 2.5 Oz
 from Amazon.com New: $39.12 In Stock.
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Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 - 4 Oz
from Amazon.com New: $14.79 In Stock.
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Revaleskin Night Cream 1.7 Oz. with Coffeeberry
from Amazon.com New: $69.00 In Stock.
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