I've had problem skin all my life, with extremely dehydrated skin that tended to become excessively oily if not moisturised well enough, which has then become dryer with age. Acne has been a constant battle, and even after an isotretinoin treatment 5 years ago improved my skin a lot, I was still prone to the occasional break out on my chin and cheeks.
With these ongoing battles, I've constantly hunted for moisturisers that don't make be break out, but are rich and moisturising enough for my dry skin.
I had landed on Clinique's Moisture Surge moisturiser, but the price was pretty hard to swallow, and I found my skin acclimating to it and needing more over time. Once covid hit and I couldn't get it duty free any more, I took a punt and tried The Perfector - it's still not a CHEAP moisturiser, but definitely a lot less for the two or three tubes I need a year compared to how much Clinique I needed.
I've been using Ethique products for years and won't use any other shampoos, so I already love the company ethos (living wages, sustainable sourcing, and a single-minded focus on products that are as good for the planet as they are for you - including compostable packaging!), but was admittedly dubious about how easy to use a solid moisturiser would be, after having tried some samples and not loved them a few years earlier.
However, I was delighted by how much easier the new (at the time) push up tube packaging was to use, and even more delighted by the results. I can happily say that after the first month or so of acclimation, I haven't had a single breakout in the year or so that I've been using The Perfector. I'm sure this will be different for everyone, but it's been an absolute game changer for me.
More importantly, my skin feels soft and nourished, and like actual skin - not oily or slick like some moisturisers can. I can't see myself changing moisturisers again any time soon.
I received this as part of the face sampler pack. I found the heart shaped bar took a while to warm up either in my hands or against my face so found it took a while to apply. I'm glad the full sized version now comes in a stick which would be much easier to use than the old large bar version. The product took a bit of work to apply evenly around my face and does take time to soak in. It has a nice subtle fragrance. My skin gets aggitated quite easily so the rubbing required to use this product put me off, but otherwise it was very nice.