Anti-Aging

Joyal Beauty Organic Retinol for Face and Eyes

June 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Joyal Beauty Organic Retinol for Face and Eyes

I hadn’t heard of this brand before, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it had several quality ingredients that I like to see in my skin care products, so I thought it was worth giving a try, and I am glad I did. I usually respond well to Retinols, but the supporting active ingredients used in tandem with the Retinol itself make a big difference for me as to whether or not I find a particular Retinol product to be effective for my skin problems. The Joyal Retinol is a 1% retinol, so my expectations were a bit lower since I mistakenly felt the higher the Retinol percentage, the better. However, this was not the case: my skin is getting results but is not drying out or getting red and irritated even with daily use, so this Retinol is safe to use each night. It is too strong to use twice a day, however, which should be noted if you are a typically a twice a day Retinol user. I was pleased with the results from the Joyal Beauty Retinol ingredient combination.

RESULTS
I applied this Retinol at night, and it left my skin with an even tone the next morning. I had a few healing blemishes that flattened and dried and the redness dissipated. My skin had a nice glow to it and was not dry, it seemed plump and dewy, which is a nice perk for Retinol use.

After using the serum each night, my skin is soft and dewy, but I can still see treatment results occurring including fine lines seeming smoother, dry skin flakes are gone, and my skin tone is more even, less blotchy, and my skin glows. I have some occasional adult acne breakouts that have stayed to a minimum while I have used this serum. I also have a few brownish acne scars on my cheeks and jawline that are now fading nicely. My skin looks particularly hydrated and plump, probably due to the Propolis and Jojoba combination.

INGREDIENTS

The supporting active ingredients include:

Aloe Leaf soothes and hydrates while reducing dryness or itching that is at times a side effect of Retinol use. Aloe helps the skin makes a very useful base for Retinol so that the skin can tolerate effective and regular Retinol treatment. Aloe is in of itself a very nourishing treatment for skin and helps hydrate and heal the skin.

Hyaluronic acid paired with Retinol serves to both hydrate and plump the skin, as well as to help the Retinol sink deeper into the skin to help fade deeper scars and hyperpigmentation, and address deep wrinkles.

Witch Hazel reduces inflammation and tightens pores.

Jojoba Oil is a natural moisturizer that is very close to the natural oils of the skin.

Propolis is a bee by-product (if you are allergic bee products such as honey you may wish to avoid products with this ingredient) that is a natural anti-inflammatory that treats many issues that cause sensitive skin such as acne, eczema and skin disorders and infections.

CONCLUSION: I am glad I tried this Retinol because it has several quality ingredients, and my skin is becoming more even, my wrinkles seem less deep, and my acne is reduced. I like that this Retinol is very effective yet still suitable for sensitive skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

Rejuven Skin 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator

June 19, 2016 · 6 Comments

Have you ever discovered a beauty product that is so effective that it corrects problems you didn’t even know you had? That is what happened to me when I started using the Rejuven Skin 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator.

Rejuven Skin 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator

I adore beauty gadgets, but for me to use them for the long term they need to deliver results. The 5-in-1 Rejuven Ultra Skin Rejuvenator delivers astonishing results and does so quickly.

To get the most out of this great device, make sure to read the user manual before use. The product arrives half-charged, and it is important to charge it fully before use. Be sure to be familiar with the various settings and what they do. It’s a quick and easy read, but it makes the process much simpler!

So what have my results been?

I am very impressed with this device for many reasons, but the firming and sculpting I have achieved after just a few uses is what amazes me the most. I use it over my eyebrows, and it lifted my upper eyes dramatically. This is impressive since I didn’t actually use it on my eye, just the skin above it. My lids are slightly hooded, but I looked wide awake and perky without even contouring with eyeshadow.

The change to my jawline is what I consider the most impressive. I have achieved decent sculpting with other devices that I have used over time, but this was the tautest my jawline has ever looked. I didn’t even know I had some of the contours around my chin that appeared after using the 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator a few times – and believe me, I have spent years trying to get my chin more chiseled looking!

The Galvanic ION function is fascinating. Using the ION+ mode to cleanse my skin and the ION- mode to drive topical products deep into my skin (I’ve been using a potent hyaluronic acid), my skin (especially on my cheeks) is smooth, plump, bright, and dewy.

I have done Photofacials for years, and it’s great to be able to do them at home with this device. I had a few hormonal blemishes that reduced by about 50% within a day of using the Blue mode. That is pretty impressive. There is also a red mode and a green mode for other issues. If you have any doubts regarding the ability of light to affect your skin for the better, consider this: the sun damages your skin via certain wavelengths, but other wavelengths, like the ones in this device, heal the skin. Plus it feels amazing: warm and soothing. Be sure to use the included goggles when using the Phototherapy mode – this is a potent modality, and should be treated as such.

I will be doing periodic updates on my progress with the 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator. However, even after using it for less than two weeks, I can heartily recommend it for younger, brighter, tighter, smoother, healthier skin. I’m excited to see if the improvement continues!

Find it at Amazon.com.

Rejuven Skin 5-in-1 Ultra Skin Rejuvenator

I received this item at a discount for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

I Max Ceramide-Post Chemical Peel-Soothing and Moisturizing Cream

June 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I Max Ceramide-Post Chemical Peel-Soothing and Moisturizing Cream

WHY USE A CERAMIDE CREAM AFTER A PEEL?
I find Glycolic peels to be very beneficial for the skin for shrinking pores, lightening dark spots and reducing the appearance of wrinkles while leaving skin smooth and fresh. AHA’s are often more effective for people with sensitive skin or aging skin because they break up the cement-like glue that holds the dead skin together, so dead skin just melts off, revealing fresher new skin underneath. The longer you can tolerate leaving the AHA on your skin, generally 15-30 minutes, the better.

The problem is that it is easy to over-do it and leave skin red and irritated and in need of some soothing barrier to moisturize and protect the skin. Skin can also require a protective ceramide moisture barrier due to eczema or psoriasis.

This I Max Ceramide Cream is for use after a chemical peel such as any Glycolic Acid AHA peels or other at-home peels that may cause irritation and redness on the skin. It helps skin quickly recover from a peel.

HOW TO USE THIS CREAM POST-PEEL
I use this cream immediately after I do an at home Glycolic Acid Peel because this cream is effective enough to allow me to leave the acid treatment on my skin for longer time spans and get maximum benefit from the peels. After use, the redness subsides within a few hours and the next day my skin is smooth with no indication of swelling, inflammation, dryness or redness. This cream is also useful if you get any chemical peel or too much sun resulting in dryness and redness.

Even if the skin has not been exposed to harsh chemicals or peels, I find this Ceramide cream can make for a soothing and hydrating facial mask for an at-home spa treat. I slather my face with the cream and give my face and neck and decolletage good gentle massage to help the cream soak in, and I leave the cream on for 30 minutes to an hour while I watch TV. I gently remove any remaining cream with a tissue and the next day my skin is soft and supple.

APPLICATION:
This is a very thick, rich cream without notable scent. It is emollient but not sticky or slick, and once it is massaged in it is not oily or greasy. It should be massaged in well for 2-3 minutes. I apply it and add more as needed because a small amount goes a long way. It comes with a small spatula which I like.

INGREDIENTS:
A key ingredient in this cream is Ceramide, which prevents loss of water and keeps skin moist and supple. The loss of Ceramide due to aging or exposure to harsh chemicals, such as those in peels, acne medicines, and some abrasive face soaps can disrupt this layer and result in dry, dull, irritated and sometimes blotchy red skin.

Additional ingredients include Vitamin A, B’s, and C, all of which nourish and improve the skin. Since they are paired with deep moisturizing ingredients within the cream, they are not too harsh even for very sensitive skin.

RESULTS:
As an at-home spa treat for dry, lackluster skin, as a treatment to restore Ceramide balance after a peel, or as a protective barrier for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, this Ceramide-Post Chemical Peel-Soothing and Moisturizing Cream provides the important protective layer to restore much-needed moisture balance to the skin. I find that after an AHA peel that this cream reduces my “downtime” due to skin redness and irritation and lets me get the most out of my at-home peel skin care treatments.

Good price, effective and recommended product for use after at-home peels and treatments.

I Max Ceramide-Post Chemical Peel-Soothing and Moisturizing Cream

New York Biology Eye Gel

June 3, 2016 · Leave a Comment

New York Biology Eye Gel is a generously-sized 1.7-ounce container at a very reasonable price point, especially for an eye gel. The price is particularly exceptional for an eye cream with so many ingredients that are typically found in expensive creams the come in tiny containers.

APPLICATION
I found this easy to apply with no residue; it was not greasy or oily upon dry down. Once dry, it provides a smooth and dewy surface for applying makeup, but it also can be worn on a bare face when I choose to go out without any eye makeup. After a few minutes, it reduces my mild morning eye puffiness, especially since I started keeping this eye gel in my refrigerator, which makes for a new cooling treat on the eyes. I also use it at night over my Retinol serum. One pump is enough to cover both eyes; I do another two pumps to cover my forehead, brows, and temple area.

BEST USE
I like to combine the New York Biology Eye Gel with my Vitamin C serum during the day and Retinol Serums at night to maximize my skin care routine. The ingredients in the eye gel have an excellent synergy with these serums. The gel can be used on the forehead and temples as well. The scent is light and neutral and suitable for men and women.

NOTABLE INGREDIENTS
This eye gel contains one of my favorite anti-aging ingredients, Matrixyl 3000. Matrixyl 3000 is a combination of two peptides that signal the skin to go into “repair mode.” Typically the skin goes into repair mode when there is an injury to the skin that requires the formation of new collagen and elastin; it does not go into repair mode for age-related collagen loss. Matrixyl 3000 “tricks” the skin into thinking the missing collagen is due to injury and requires replacement. The gel also has Amino Acid Complex, the protein of collagen building blocks. I pair this eye gel with my Vitamin C serum; the C supplies additional components to build collagen and elastin. More collagen means fewer wrinkles, less sagging and overall younger looking skin.

Hyaluronic Acid is another one of my favorite anti-aging ingredients because it super-hydrates the skin making it appear dewy and plump. Hyaluronic Acid absorbs moisture from the skin and air and pulls it into wrinkles and sagging skin and instantly improves their appearance by plumping them. Hyaluronic Acid also helps skin care ingredients such as Vitamin C sink deeper into the skin so they can be more efficient.

Nourishing and moisturizing ingredients soothe the skin and keep it hydrated and soft including Vitamin E, jojoba, and licorice.

OVERVIEW
Great price, pleasant scent, effective product with quality ingredients.

New York Biology Eye Gel

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

Anaiti Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum

June 1, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Anaiti Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum is a powerhouse of ingredients that provide long-term benefits to the skin as well as offer immediately visible skin improvements including light deflection to soften the look of wrinkles and fine lines, plus plumping and moisturizing the skin for a youthful, dewy glow. It is suitable for use under makeup or worn alone on a natural no-makeup or low-makeup face.

APPLICATION
The serum comes in a pump bottle; the product is a creamy white. It is not sticky on contact or dry-down, but I try to allow a good 15 minutes before makeup application so the serum can fully soak in and dry well. There is no residue on the skin once it is dry and skin feels naturally soft to the touch. Skin also looks dewy immediately after application, and wrinkles are plumped and seem less prominent. There is a light deflecting property to the serum that makes skin look smoother and more even in tone and appearance.

A little goes a long way: one pump covers the entire face and the front of my throat. Apply it sparingly, no need to slather it on, which is tempting once you see the light reflecting properties of the serum.

INGREDIENTS
The Anaiti combines several active ingredients and soothing moisturizers. I like this dual approach to soothing while treating because my skin stays moist and supple enough to tolerate the stronger active ingredients such as Argireline, Matrixyl, and Renovage. Avoiding irritation during an anti-aging skin improvement regimen is a big plus and a worthwhile thing to find in any skincare product.

The Anaiti serum packs in several ingredients that are typically just seen in very expensive serums. A few of them are:

ARGIRELINE is sometimes called Botox in a Jar because it inhibits muscles that cause expression lines such as squinting, furrowing and frowning. Afraid you will look like an expressionless, vacant-eyed Stepford Wife with a face full of Botox? Don’t be, because there is no impairment of your actual facial expressions.

Research indicates that expression lines are due to muscle contraction, not the movement itself. Argireline mimics the protein that is involved in these involuntary contractions, and can stop the muscle contraction when moving facial muscles. But Argireline does not repair skin or boost collagen; it strictly limits future damage caused by wrinkle-causing contraction movements. Any product with Argireline alone won’t address aging: other ingredients address the repair and collagen production, including Matrixyl.

MATRIXYL kickstarts your skin into “repair mode” by telling skin to send more support to build more collagen and elastin. The layperson’s version of the science behind it is Matrixyl alerts the fibroblasts (the part of the collagen support or scaffolding) to go into collagen production overdrive, which is what it does when there has been an injury to the skin that needs collagen to rebuild and heal.

Meanwhile, the serum has also supplied the “building blocks” like Vitamin C that needed to make collagen, and via other supporting ingredients, it has gotten these building blocks past the surface layer of skin to where the collagen is missing and needs to rebuild. Elastin forms fibrils which act like the mattress springs to give the skin its elasticity and solidity. As we age, we naturally have much less of these collagen and elastin building blocks, so to have them available exactly when the skin is in repair mode is a very efficient way to get an abundance of collagen and elastin, similar to the amounts found in youthful skin. This Matrixyl trick works especially well on improving skin elasticity and wrinkles. I have seen my wrinkle depth significantly improve with the use of the serum. And the best part is the skin doesn’t “catch on” to the fact that Matrixyl is essentially tricking the skin working overtime every time you apply the serum to build as much collagen and elastin as it can, so it always works even if the serum is used twice a day.

RENOVAGE slows down the premature aging of cells. It operates on the deeper level skin issues. The value of Renovage in a product is to fix deep skin layer problems that surface serums and creams can’t reach. These issues include lightening over-pigmentation, reducing redness and improving skin firmness. Over-pigmentation can be caused by dark spots, acne, and scarring. It also works to some extent on undereye circles, depending on why the circles exist. Skin starts to get random brown spots and redness in the early 40’s and sometimes sooner due to sun damage. The results of Renovage take longer than other improvements seen with the serum, as it lessens pigmentation over the course of several months, and helps to start firming the skin in about a month. It firms the skin at the DNA level, a deeper layer of skin that if treated can improve sagging. I don’t have much sagging but do like applying this serum to the drooping areas on the sides of my mouth and around the eye area and a bit on my jawline.

SUPPORTING INGREDIENTS:
The serum contains one of my favorite support ingredients: the dual purpose HYALURONIC ACID. While it is an “acid”, it is not irritating, rather it makes skin soft and dewy without greasiness. It does this by holding a fair amount of water compared to its’ weight, so when I apply it over my just washed damp skin, it plumps the skin, giving a bit of a “lift” and immediately reducing the appearance of wrinkles. The second benefit to Hyaluronic Acid is that this moisture holding property gives it the ability to penetrate deep into the skin, almost serving as a microscopic transport system by pulling active ingredients that would not otherwise pass the skin barrier if they were not within the Hyaluronic Acid moisture content. When collagen-producing ingredients seep deeper into the skin and make collagen at lower levels of the skin which create better support for the “scaffolding” of the face. I’m always happy to see an active ingredient paired with Hyaluronic Acid because I know the Hyaluronic will enable the best results possible.

RESULTS
I like the immediate results of the appearance of dewy skin where wrinkles seem to diminish, and skin looks moist and youthful. Pores There is a light deflecting property to this serum that skin has a glow that is not sticky or fake looking, and it makes pores seem to disappear. Allow time for the serum to dry down before applying makeup.

Actual skin improvement showed in a couple of weeks, notably on my brown spots and wrinkles.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the difference in my skin after using the serum for a while and realizing how the brown spots I had around the top of my cheekbones were making my skin look older, much more so than any wrinkle does. The dark spots created a dull look to my skin, and I am happy to start to see a real improvement that the brown spots easily conceal with just a light powder instead of full foundation.

The depth and width of my wrinkles have improved over time. While the wrinkles are still there, they are lighter, less prominent and seem thinner in width. They appear smoother immediately upon the application of the serum due to the Hyaluronic Acid. The other wrinkle related issue I like about this serum is the wrinkle-prevention action of the Argireline. I often inadvertently crinkle my nose and brow when I am confused, so as a result, the pursuit of my Master’s Degree gives me “eleven lines” on the brow area of my forehead. I doubt I will stop being confused anytime soon, so I am glad to find a non-Botox injection way to pre-empt further deepening of those pesky furrows. I have one expression line on the top right of my forehead that is undetectable when I apply the serum and has significantly improved in general appearance with the consistent use of the Anaiti serum.

Included with the cream is a complimentary eBook entitled How to Use Oil Blends, a PDF geared toward understanding how to use natural oils for beauty purposes. It covers a variety of oil blend recipes ranging from acne skin care to cellulite treatments, eczema, beard care, pre-shave oils, as well as general topics such as how to correctly blend carrier oils and essential oils. An in-depth discussion of hair oils delineated by potential haircare problems is discussed as well.

The section I like best is Section Seven: Face Oils for the face. Washing the face with oil has become more popular within gentle skin care treatment, and oils are even used to gently massage blackheads into self-extraction. I like this approach over the overly drying skin care regimens that used to be the standard of skin care. What oils protect the face from potentially drying anti-aging treatments are discussed as well as and what product pairings are effective.

Anyone interested in this product will probably find interesting the benefits of washing your face with Vitamin C oil regimen for 12 weeks. How to do this at-home anti-aging treatment described in exacting detail in section 7.2

Anaiti Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum