Shine Free and Pore Free: Perfecting with Dr. Brandt Pores No More

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I have combination skin. My t-zone is shiny (though this issue is much worse in the summer), and the rest of my skin is normal, bordering on dry. This combo is particularly difficult this time of year, when keeping my cheeks adequately hydrated gives me a nice, shiny nose and forehead.

I've tried just about every silicone based foundation primer out there, and I've found that...well, they're tricky. You need only a tiny, tiny amount, or else everything smears around and looks horrible. I also have much better results when I pat the primer on to my skin, rather than rubbing it around with my fingertips.

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Dr. Brandt Contour Effect

Dr. Brandt's newest product is a rich cream meant to help you win the battle of aging! I haven't tried this product yet, but a quick glance at what is in it shows me that is has peptides and antioxidants. In addition, Dr. Brandt states that this product is for those with dry skin, meaning it is very hydrating product, and will help plump up your skin helping with those fine lines we all develop as we age.

Key Ingredients:
• allantoin: prevents irritation to the skin.
• bacocalmine: anti-stress herb that sends signals to stop inflammation and irritation within the skin.
• calmosensine: a di-peptide that acts as a messenger for a relaxing effect on skins comfort and well-being.
• glycerine: is a humectant, and attracts water.
• grape seed extract: antioxidant
• mamaku essence: fern plant from New Zealand that increases cell production as well as tissue vitality and function. protects from environmental aggressors allowing cells to regenerate in a perfect healthy way. cell multiplication is boosted, restoring moisture and volume in the epidermis, prolongs cell life

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Dr. Brandt Crease Release

I have a confession, I was going to be a neurologist. And I hated learning about neurotransmitters in medical school. Strange, huh? Yet, here I am with a beauty blog, writing about neurotransmitters! What are they? Little chemicals that are released by the neurons or nerves, they travel across the great unknown to their target (usually another nerve or neuron, but sometimes part of a gland or maybe even a muscle), where the neurotransmitter makes the target act in certain ways.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because the whole idea behind this Crease Release product is a neurotransmitter, GABA. GABA is short for Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and it is a very small neurotransmitter that nearly always inhibits it's target, as it does at the neuromuscular junction. Which means that GABA will inhibit the muscle. That's right, the muscle won't move. Now, in theory it definitely makes sense if you could deliver GABA to the muscle, that you could inhibit it's movement, which would be a great way to simulate the effect of Botox on the forehead, for example.

So, does Crease Release actually work? Honestly, I had serious doubts that this product would be able to penetrate far enough into the skin to reach any muscle fibers (despite the small size of GABA). While you won't see complete immobilization of anything from this product (sorry, you'll need Botox to do that, it works with a different neurotransmitter, but that's a whole different series of posts that I'll likely never do), I do think that this product made an overall difference. I used WAY too much of this one day and my forehead was really sore, everytime I moved my eyebrows it hurt. So yes, I do think it gets down in there. I tend to get horizontal creases in my forehead by the end of the day, and I honestly think that by the end of the days I use this product the lines are much smaller.

Crease Release is a thick cream, and literally I can cover my entire forehead with a very small amount, similar to the amount of lip balm I apply to my lips. Which means that even though this cream is very expensive (thank goodness it is in that Discovery Kit!), a small amount is going to last you a very long time! Try this before you Botox!

Key Ingredients:
• gamma amino butyric acid: causes immediate and visible smoothing effect on the skin.
• gynostemma: anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory.
• sesame oil: emollient on the skin. very moisturizing.

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Dr Brandt "c"-gel

Now, if you want to add anti-oxidants to your skin care routine, pretty much any of the Dr. Brandt products will have you covered. But, if you really want to add a big punch of anti-oxidants, I have to recommend the c-gel. A quick glance at the list of ingredients below will show you just the sheer number of antioxidants in this gel.

Dr. Brandt recommends applying gels and serums to your skin before you apply a cream or lotion. This product in particular he recommends combining with Laser Tight- Laser in a Bottle to really combat aging.

This gel is fantastic! It is light, has a very faint smell and basically just absorbs into your skin without any residue, you'll never even know that you applied it! It is silky (due to the silicones) and just applies beautifully.

Ingredients:
• cyclomethicone: silicone
• dimethicone crosspolymer: silicone
• propylene glycol: a "base" for holding the other ingredients together
• sorbitan olivate: emulsifier
• lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil: anti-inflammatory
• vilis vinifera (grapeseed) oil: antioxidant
• phenoxyethanol: preservative
• polysorbate 80: surfactant
• citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil
• anthemis: chamomile, helps increase cell turnover
• nobilis flower oil (chamomile): antioxidant
• geranium maculatum oil: helps to balance oil production
• zinglber officinale (ginger) root oil: anti-inflammatory
• PVP: Silicone
• aqua (water)
• phospholipids: these are fatty little things that are part of cell membranes, not sure why they are here, but there you go!
• tocopheryl acetate: Vitamin E, Antioxidant
• ascorbyl palmitate: Vitamin C, Antioxidant

I do have one small problem with this product- Vitamin C is somewhat unstable, and it does best when not exposed to light and air. The bottle it comes in has a pump, and the bottom pushes up as you use the product which is great! This means that the product doesn't get exposed to air. However, the bottle is clear, rather than tinted. So, to help ensure that your Vitamin C remains stable I recommend storing it somewhere dark like inside of your medicine cabinet, rather than on the countertop.

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Dr. Brandt Laser in a Bottle

Laser in a Bottle is an interesting product. This is a light moisturizer chock full of anti-oxidants, but with the addition of Hyaluronic Acid this lotion promises to tighten and tone your skin. Unfortunately Hyaluronic Acid is pretty large, and it can't really penetrate down into the skin, but what it can do (and it can do it very well) is sit on the surface of the skin, holding on to moisture, and creating a definite firming and plumping effect. While this effect is temporary, it is definitely there and it can last for hours! If you glance down at the ingredient list, amongst the moisturizers and tons of antioxidants that Dr. Brandt is definitely known for, you'll see that the hyaluronic acid is actually pretty high up on the ingredient list, which is very unusual and definitely accounts for the great results many see with this lotion!

So, how did I like this lotion? I do like it quite a bit! This is a light, unscented lotion that was the perfect amount of moisture for my combination skin. I did see a "plumping" effect after use and several people commented that I was "looking great" or "more awake" which I consider a great success!

Ingredients:
• aqua (water)
• camellia oleifera (green tea) leaf extract: antioxidant
• pisum sativum (pea) extract: antioxidant
• helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil: emollient
• PEG-12 glyceryl distearate: emollient
• cetyl alcohol: thickening agent
• hydrolyzed soy protein: antioxidant
• stearyl alcohol
• vitis vinifera (grapeseed) extract: antioxidant
• camellia sinensis
• (white tea) leaf extract: antioxidant
• lavandula latifolia (lavender) oil
• hyaluronic acid: a large molecule that while found in your skin, is much too large to penetrate into the skin itself. It is known for it's ability to hold moisture to it.
• cyanocobalamin: Vitamin B12
• ceramide-2, menthone glycerine acetal, glycerin, glyceril stearate, PEG-100 stearate, butylene glycol, xanthan gum, titanium dioxide, cyclopentasiloxane, ammonium, acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, dimethicone/vinyl, dimethicone crosspolymer, triethanolamine, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, methylparaben, propylparaben.

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Dr. Brandt r3p Cream

Dr. Brandt includes a lot of antioxidants in many of his products, and this cream is no exception. However, what does make this cream different from many other anti-aging creams on the market today is that this cream also includes not 1, but 3 peptides! I love when a product includes multiple ways of fighting aging. I spent an incredibly long time looking at the list of ingredients in this product (that and work made today's post later than usual), and you can see from the list that not only is there a lot of moisturizers, but that there is a large number of peptide and antioxidant ingredients as well. (I put these important ingredients in bold for you to notice them more easily)

So, how is this cream? It's a little strange, because I'm not sure I would call this a cream actually. It's a little bit stickier than most creams, a light yellow/tan color and I honestly have been trying for days to think of a way to describe the smell. It's a sweet earthy smell, that's really the best I can do for you. I don't particularly care for the smell, but given all the good stuff packed into this product and that the smell goes away as soon as you apply the product, I can put up with it!

The r3p Cream is actually a light moisturizer, believe it or not, and Dr. Brandt suggests that if you have dry skin you consider pairing this cream with a second, stronger moisturizer. It was actually just right for my combination skin, soothing my dry spots but not over moisturizing my oily areas. Dr. Brandt does warn that some dryness or peeling may occur (I'm guessing from the red algae extract that speeds cell turnover), but with once a day use at night I did not experience this problem. What I did see was smooth, glowing skin!

Ingredients:
• aqua (deionized water)
• isodecyl neopantanoate: emollient
• cetearyl alcohol (and) cetearyl glucoside: emollient, emulsifier, thickener
• glycerin: emollient
• polyacrylamide (and) C13-14 isoparaffin (and) laureth-7: solvent/surfactant
• butyrospermum parkii (shea butter): emollient
• squalane: emollient
• sodium PCA: a natural skin humectant
• maltodextrin (and) camellia sinensis leaf (white tea) extract: Antioxidant
• acetyl hexapeptide-3: Peptide
• camellia oleifera seed (green tea) extract: Antioxidant
• saccharide isomerate: Emollient
• chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract (chamomile): Antioxidant
• ethoxydiglycol:Peptide
• sodium PCA (and) betaine (and) sorbitol (and) glycine, (and) alanine (and) proline (and) serine (and) threonine (and) arginine (and) lysine (and) glutamic acid
• retinyl palmitate (vitamin A): Antioxidant
• ahnfeltia concinna extract: A very special extract from red algae, this is a peptide that dramatically increases cell turnover!
• propylene glycol (and) cyclopentasiloxane: emulsifier
• (and) ascorbic acid (and) PVP (and) PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone (and) sodium chloride
carbomer: Vitamin C, Antioxidant
• triethanolamine: a pH adjuster
• vitis vinefera (grapeseed) extract: Antioxidant
• hedychium coronarium root extract: Hawaiian White Ginger, antimicrobial agent
• aloe barbadensis leaf
• propylene glycol (and) methylparaben (and) propylparaben (and) diazolidinyl urea: preservative
• DMDM hydantoin: antimicrobial preservative
• lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil
• tocophenol acetate (vitamin E): Antioxidant

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Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion

Remember back when I reviewed Bioelement's Pumice Peel? I stated that I had yet to find a scrub that I felt was both effective and gentle enough for the face, with small and even grit that was appropriate for facial skin. The grit of the Pumice Peel was small and even and I loved the product, I called it a Holy Grail product. Well, I have now found a second product that is definitely worthy of being mentioned in the same post as the Bioelements Pumice Peel. In the interest of full disclosure, I honestly have to say that I do not have a preference for the Pumice Peel or the Microdermabrasion. However, both products are fantastic and the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion is also worthy of being named a Holy Grail Scrub!

Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion is everything you want a great scrub to be. It has very small even grit, it has a faint citrus smell, rinses easily without residue and only a small amount is all you need. The instructions state how long to leave on the product and how long to "scrub" with it. They are based on your type of skin- longer for those with oily, acne prone skin, shorter for those with sensitive skin. I think by following the instructions this scrub is made appropriate for every skin type, and it is likely the better choice for those with sensitive skin given this and the smaller grit size. After using this scrub my skin is left smooth (so smooth I can't stop touching my face!), glowing and radiant!

Key Ingredients:
• aloe vera: healing emollient that soothes irritation and prevents scarring.
• chamomile (anthemis nobilis flower oil): calms, soothes and reduces irritation.
• green tea (camellia sinensis): anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant that boosts the sunscreen action to protect against free radical damage. green tea has been clinically proven to prevent cellular damage caused by exposure to UV rays.
• Magnesium Oxide Crystals: These diamond shaped crystals are the "grit" in this scrub.

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Dr. Brandt's Pores No More

I have combination skin that at times can become the bane of my existance, really. I need to moisturize my cheeks before they become dry and tight feeling, but too much moisture turns my slightly oily t-zone into an oil slick. Throw in a little change of the weather (like fall), and I'm very prone to shininess. I try carrying around blotting papers, powder, and I've tried nearly all of the mattifiers on the market without improvement. Until now! I do not know how I survived all of those years without this product. This is the mattifier that actually works people! Apparently someone even did a clinical study on it, and immediately oil is decreased by 63%!

This stuff is easy to use. 1 pump is enough for your entire face. It's a medium nude tone liquid, the consistency is somewhere between Ranch Dressing and A1 Sauce (I know, I know.... I couldn't think of any other way to describe it!). Don't worry about the color, once it's applied you can not see it (even on my lightest shade of MAC foundation skin!). It does smell quite a bit of Witch Hazel, but the smell is gone once the liquid has absorbed into your skin. It has an interesting feel, almost like talcum powder instead of a liquid. As you spread it onto your face, any oil literally disappears before your eyes, leaving behind smooth, virtually poreless, matte skin! I've had no issues with applying makeup over the Pores No More, in fact my foundation has been applying much more smoothly and I spend less time blending each morning. While the directions state that you can reapply over your makeup throughout the day, I have had no shine late into the evening!

The Active Ingredients
flax seed oil (linum seed extract): reduces oil production.

pro dimethysilanediol salicylate (same family as salicylic acid): soothing anti-inflammatory ingredient that restores pH balance in the skin, absorbs oil and prevents future breakouts.

tea tree oil: is an anti-bacterial, lipid soluble, non-irritating, and clarifying ingredient making it exceptional for treating blemished acne prone, and/or oily skin.

If all of that isn't reason enough to run out and buy this product right now, Karen over at Makeup and Beauty Blog recently attended the Nordstrom Cosmetics Trend Show where top makeup artists from MAC, Chanel, Clinique and Philosophy told all the ladies that the next trend will be Matte Skin! Ack! If that doesn't strike fear in the heart of those of us with shiny t-zones, I don't know what will!

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