SATURDAY SAMPLE SAFARI: SKIN LOTIONS

This Saturday continues the exploratory journey through my pile of little envelope samples, considering three very different versions of skin lotion/treatment products.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Radiance Lotion

Like all of the other Fresh products I’ve sampled, this has that annoying cucumber scent. Given all of the plant extracts that supposedly are in it (lotus, algae, hibiscus, fig, star fruit, etc) you would think it might have the scent of those things. The one thing I will have to concede is that my little envelope sample contains quite a bit of product, unlike other Fresh products that I’ve tried. It’s fairly liquid in consistency, so a little goes a long way. I’ve been smearing it on my face at least once a day for a week with no observable results except that I smell like Fresh’s version of cucumber. It looks like the full size may come in one of those silly sealed pump jars that consistently malfunction and end up on the deep discount shelf at TJ Maxx for unsuspecting people to buy thinking they're getting a bargain. As in the case of other products of this type, I think one would have to use it for an extended period of time to fully evaluate it, so will reserve judgment on its efficacy based on a sample envelope. It is expensive.

DermaDoctor KP Duty Lotion

This product contains AHA, glycolic acid, green tea extract and urea in a very thick, greasy base. I couldn’t bring myself to put it on my face, but have used it on my hands and other body parts, and it does seem to be an effective moisturizer. It’s low-odor or unscented, which is a plus. It’s relatively inexpensive, so might be a good choice if you want an intensive moisturizer. Besides, I inexplicably like the gratuitous but cute chicken cartoon on the sample envelope and the small full size tube. It’s probably a decent product at a decent price.

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment

This contains lactic acid, licorice, lemongrass, and who knows what else. It’s intermediate in consistency between the above two products, not thick and not runny. It has an acidic scent, which I suppose is to be expected. I’ve been using the little sample for about a week and feel like it actually has made my skin softer and smoother. Whether it’s brighter or not, I’m not sure, but I can imagine that it is. The full size looks like it comes in a pump jar, but it appears to have a screw-on top so that if the pump malfunctions the product can still be extracted and it's not a total loss. This seems to be a pretty good product, but the down side is that it’s expensive.

[All product photos are from retailers’ websites]