This post is all about 2 products: Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment. I discuss their many benefits, multiple uses and why they unequivocally should be placed on an over 50 Holy Grail product list.
Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment. Two of my favorite triple threat hybrid (skin/makeup/medical) and Holy Grail products. TBH, my intention behind this post was simply to share my many insights on both over the years. And I will do that.
In this process, though, I found myself on an adjunct journey ruminating about “Holy Grail” products and how we define them. And whether that definition changes as we get older. Where I landed is that I believe it does and pretty dramatically.
As a refresher, the Holy Grail was a legendary cup believed to be that which Jesus used at the Last Supper and therefore, the source of all things amazing and good. Many knights and people went in search of this magical vessel. And here we are today, still in search of the magical in beauty products.
So, what would we, as over 50 women, define as that penultimate of all things good for us in beauty?
Before I dive into product merits, I want to discuss what constitutes a “Holy Grail” measuring stick as an over 50er and one of your own.
We can then walk through the well-deserving accolades of Aquaphor and Cicapair.
Holy Grail Product Redefined?
Perhaps we can best describe a Holy Grail product by the benefits it provides: high efficacy along with an elevation of our beauty game (and here’s the kicker), not necessarily costing an arm and a leg. All these characteristics are very important- to me at least- in this phase of life.
Four words come to mind when I think Holy Grail: Timeless, Versatile, Adaptable, and Accessible. More specifically:
- A product that has lasted more than a decade, suggesting an ability to be relevant throughout much change.
- As what we do evolves, we can adapt the product to our new needs.
- The Holy Grail product can act as a Swiss Army knife effectively with multiple disparate uses.
- It positively impacts, improves and advances our beauty lives; an example of this might even be simplifying our lives
- The use of the product oftentimes extends beyond its makers’ intent
- The product is accessible to many and relatively inexpensive compared to its value and use(s) (ie LaMer Cream at $190/ounce would NOT make it at least on my list)
Not sexy, glittery or glamourous, but if I could have a makeup bag chock full of these holy grail products, I would be a rich woman indeed.
If you agree, then read on to learn more about 2 products that check off all these checkboxes and more.
Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Much has been written about Aquaphor and rightfully so. Over the many years I have used it, it has become a larger and more integrated part of my routine. Like Cicapair Tiger Grass Treatment, the second product I will discuss, I consider it a triple threat with uses in all 3 areas: skincare, makeup, and medical.
Aquaphor Overview-The Test of Time
Aquaphor was invented in 1925! Its first product offering was sold exclusively to the medical industry. It wasn’t until 1982 that it was sold directly to consumers.
Most of us are very familiar with Vaseline and may think of Aquaphor as the same thing but it is not. Vaseline is 100% petrolatum and as such is occlusive (meaning it is like a bandage that protects skin from the air and retains moisture). Rather, Aquaphor is 41% petrolatum and as such forms a semi-occlusive more breathable skin barrier. Other important ingredients in it provide additional benefits of emollience, humectants and even anti-inflammatory properties. With all of that, it doesn’t even clog pores.
From a medical perspective, it is used to treat and prevent skin irritations such as burns from radiation therapy, diaper rash, eczema etc.
For beauty, there is a multitude of uses. Below is a personal list I have compiled. While I know there are more, these 13 are some of my favorites.
13 Effective Uses For Aquaphor That Really Do Work
1. Undereye Wrinkle Filler
Apply on top of your undereye moisturizer and before any kind of under-eye concealer. Not only does it fill in the lines but it also locks in moisture for a long time. The result is less crepiness.
2. Nighttime Under Eye Cream
Apply this at night either instead of your regular night cream or on top of your night cream. Wake up with softer undereye skin.
3. Eye And Cheek Gloss
After applying makeup, a dab of the stuff on your cheekbones or eyelids adds sheen, shine and moisture.
4. Best Ever Night Lip Mask
Last step in a nighttime skin routine. Slather on lips at night and wake up with soft lips! Here is a whole post on lips.
5. Very Effective Lip Moisturizer
Daytime application as needed, and it comes in a tube for ease. Much more effective than any other brand IMO. It is not habit-forming which I find to be the case with other well-known brands.
6. Chapped Skin Fixer for Face and Hands
On the darkest coldest and driest winter days, hands and face can easily get spot chapped. Apply this throughout the day to heal. Ditto for under your nose when you have a cold.
7. Tame Eyebrow Hair
Aging changes eyebrow hair (yes, that too!). It can become more coarse and unruly. Dabbing this on eyebrow hair acts as a net for your eyebrow and helps it stay in place.
8. Eyebrow Hair Conditioner Mask
As an adjunct to #7 above, it can be used as a conditioner for eyebrow hair. Dab it on your eyebrows in the evening and wake up to less coarse and unruly hair in the morning.
9. Lipstick Moisturizer
If you want a glossier look to your lips/lipstick and/or your favorite tube lipstick is too drying (highly pigmented lipsticks are naturally more drying) then mix a little lipstick and Aquaphor for your custom cream lipstick to dab on with your finger or small brush. Or just put Aquaphor on lips first then lipstick on top.
10. Transform Powdered Eyeshadow to Cream Eyeshadow
The same concept as above is to create your own cream eyeshadow. Given how powdered eyeshadow can settle into wrinkles in your eyes and how many powdered eyeshadows one may have, this is a great option. Or, put Aquaphor on the lid first and gently tap the powder on top.
11. Moisturize Dry Eyelids
As we age and skin gets drier, dry eyelids happen. Dabbing on Aquaphor can help fix that.
12. Layer Underneath Perfume For A Fragrance To Last Longer
Perfume just does not last as long as it used to. Our skin is drier and when perfume lands on dry skin, it evaporates quicker. Putting Aquaphor on the skin before perfume can help with longevity.
13. Remove Eye Makeup Or Makeup
Applying a bit can help remove eye makeup. This is not a long-term solution but can help in a pinch.
Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
Like Aquaphor, Cicapair Tiger Grass CC Treatment was initially introduced (in 2004) exclusively to the medical community to address medical not beauty problems. The product was created to help minimize redness caused by rosacea and improve eczema-related conditions. It wasn’t until ~2008 that its sales channel expanded to include e-commerce and Sephora. The product continues to be marketed as a color corrector/redness reducer, but its benefits extend well beyond that.
It is a bit of a magical potion because it comes out of the jar green and then transforms and magically blends into your skin as your skin color. Note that it does work best on light to medium-toned skin. Darker skin tones do not fair well. The product looks like this:
The ingredients include Tiger Grass (Centella Asiatica), a medicinal herb native to Asian wetlands. This ingredient is relatively common in Korean skincare and is known to improve skin hydration as well as to treat skin conditions such as leprosy and psoriasis. Other ingredients are Niacinamide (hydration & skin barrier), Lavender oil (skin conditioning), Glycerin (humectant) and Ceramides (moisture retention). It also contains a sunscreen of SPF 30.
I have increasingly integrated and expanded my use of the product. Here are 6 ways that I use this product.
6 Amazing Uses of Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
1. Use as BB Cream/foundation
Not only does this reduce redness but it evens out skin tone. It can act much like a BB cream or tinted skin moisturizer. You can wear it by itself for a great no-makeup makeup look.
2. Layer Underneath Foundation
Elevate your tinted skin moisturizer or sheer foundation by completing #1 above and then layer your foundation/tinted skin moisturizer over it.
3. Eye Primer
This is a wonderful eye primer to even out any redness or discoloration on your eyelids. Can be used alone or with an eyeshadow on top.
4. Under Eye Concealer
The color does not suit everyone, however, for those it does, it’s great at eliminating any shadowing or redness under your eyes. If you have a lot of under-eye discoloration, you may need to layer a (sheer) concealer on top. The benefit is a more natural less cakey look to the under eye.
5. Facial Sunscreen
This can be used at the beach, by the pool and with a no make-up look!
6. Reduce Redness/Even Out Skin Tone
This is a green cream before it goes on your skin. Since green counteracts red (they are opposites on the color wheel), skin is evened out.
Aquaphor and Cicapair Final Thoughts
This post is all about the many uses and benefits of two of my favorite hybrid skin/makeup/medical products: Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment and Aquaphor Healing Ointment. These products are my over 50 Holy Grail: timeless, versatile, adaptable and accessible and I expect that I will very probably take them into the next decade and beyond. Here’s hoping that you will too!
What are your Holy Grail products?
Thank you for reading!
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