Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30

First off, thank you for coming to see my second blog post!

I wanted to give my first review honor to the product that really kicked off my sudden and overwhelming interest in skin care. For the longest time my knowledge of skin care has been really limited to just sunscreens because it was the one thing my mom really stressed all my life. Unfortunately as most combination / oily skinned girls like myself know, sunscreen is often not our friend and the SPF 50 sunscreen I've worn since circa 2004 was...well, it just wasn't my soulmate.

When I came across Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Moisturizer with SPF 30 (4 fl oz, $18.49), however, I started to realize there's hope for even a combination/oily skinned girl like me! This product really helped a great deal in erasing the disdain I had for my skin.

My expectations for morning moisturizer is pretty simple: (1) offers ample UVA/UVB protection and (2) doesn't worsen my skin's tendency to get oily.

My personal rule for morning moisturizer is that it has to include SPF of at least 30. For me this is a pretty good standard to have because in true Los Angeles fashion, I get a lot of sun exposure during my long commute to work.

I was so delighted by this moisturizer because of the incredibly light feel of this lotion. It leaves my face free to breath and has an almost velvety finish. But what really makes me happy about this product is the way it controls oil. I tend to think most really awesome claims are gimmicks in skin care and cosmetics so I didn't really take the "oil control moisturizer" part of its name to heart and was perfectly OK with that. However, I've noticed that even though my skin eventually does need blotting, it was hours after when I usually start to notice shine in my problem areas.

My days are pretty long, generally lasting a minimum of 12 hours and frequently longer. When I wear this moisturizer my face doesn't get greasy until maybe after 7-8 hours. In comparison, when I wear regular moisturizer or no moisturizer, I start noticing shine within 3-5 hours.

I've now had this moisturizer for about half a year and have used it daily. I've noticed a slight decrease in the oil control's effectiveness, but I am still a big fan of this moisturizer. I'm about one third through the 4 fl oz bottle, and will definitely repurchase.

What are your favorite moisturizers with SPF? I would love to know if there are more great oil controlling moisturizers out there worth trying!

-Katherine