Fighting Aging with Parisian Botanicals: Darphin Paris Skincare Review

I was recently asked to review some skin care products from Darphin, a skin care company that I've been really curious about for years. I've only had the products for a short period of time (I'll be posting an update after my typical six week trial period), but so far I've really been liking the products!

I started using the products two weeks ago, right as the cold(ish) winter weather was suddenly giving way to mid-70 early summer weather? What was up with that? And it was a challenging time of the month for blemishes. So, from several perspectives, these products have already been through some skincare-challenging times.

Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water

This was a completely different skin cleanser for me. It looks like water, but you basically use it like a toner. Which means you apply with a cotton round and don't rinse it off. It did remove all of my makeup without issue, including mascara and eye liner. Since Darphin says to not rinse afterwards, I was worried about residue, but there wasn't any. I had no after wash irritation or redness. It seemed to just get the job done and to be very gentle. Darphin says that this product has been formulated to be ultra-gentle and suitable even for those with rosacea.

Age-Defying Dermabrasion

I'm super picky about scrubs, particularly if they will be used on my face. My phobia stems from a comment made by one of the faculty during a lecture when I was in medical school. They showed a picture of the skin surface after using a scrub. It was full of deep scratches, and while they weren't visible to the naked eye, it really it looked horrible. It made most of us cringe. I had a few tubes of the same scrub stockpiled in my bathroom at home, they were promptly thrown out! The problem? The grit was unevenly sized, sharp and there wasn't enough of it. To compensate, most women really scrub with the scrub, resulting in skin injury.

This scrub really does have all of my ideal scrub qualities. When looking for a scrub I look for grain that it small, uniform in size and not at all sharp. The grit (silica, pearl and lava powders) is small, consistent in size and I haven't had any issues with sharp edges. There's just enough grit to spread around and get every little bit of skin. With light washing I found that this scrub has a good balance between being gentle enough to use a few times a week and still get a nice exfoliating effect.

Ideal Resource

Ideal Resource is the real star here, the anti-aging cream. Sure, it has the usual suspects such as anti-oxidants (Tocopheryl Acetate), my beloved sqaulene and sodium hyaluronate are there for some hydration, and there's even caffeine for some added temporary skin tightening. But, you'll also find some new ingredients here such as Centella Asiatica, Knotweed, and White Hibiscus.

What exactly do these things do? Truthfully, I was a bit confused by the paperwork sent to me by Darphin on these ingredients. (What exactly does "increased oxygen resource" mean?) The MD in me needed more info, so I dug some up.

Centella Asiatica

According to Darphin, Centella recharges the dermo-epidermal junction with oxygen resources by stimulating cutaneous microcirculation, resulting in an increased "glow." What does this mean? It took me a while to figure out because that term "oxygen resources" was confusing me. What I can figure out from that sentence is that the underlying levels of the skin see improved oxygen delivery because their microcirculation is better, essentially because there are more blood vessels in the area. Is it true?

A quick search for this ingredient over in Pubmed found that it is used in a wide array of applications, and this reference in particular mentioned decreased edema, anti-oxidant properties, anti-inflammatory actions, collagen modulation to prevent scarring, and yes effects on blood vessel creation in the area. I even found quite a few references about wound healing (2, 3, 4). Perhaps more encouraging was the effects on fibroblasts, preventing them from early death (reference 5).

So, overall there are quite a few ways that this little extract could fight aging, and the increased "oxygen resource" claim is true as there is evidence in the literature for improved microcirculation in the area.

Knotweed Knotweed extract is rich in Resveratrol, the amazing wondrous anti-oxidant found in red wine. Preventing damage from reactive oxygen species will help fight the signs of aging, but in particular premature aging due to sun exposure (reference).

White Hibiscus Here's another claim that I was confused by when reading the info sent to me by Darphin. White Hibiscus is present to "recharge the epidermis with cellular vitality resources by stimulating keratinocyte renewal" and the "epidermis is transformed progressively, and skin surface imperfections are removed." Which I think means improved cell turnover and maybe improved cellular life so that the cells are around to improve that skin surface.

White Hibiscus was a bit harder to find information about, and surprisingly enough a lot of what I initially found was about insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia (1 and 2). What was more interesting about those references was the potential for anti-oxidant activity, which was then confirmed in reference 3, and then in reference 4 there was event discussion of specifically improving White Hibiscus for topical application. I'm not certain that what I found matches what was in my paperwork, but it does sound promising as an active ingredient in skin care.

So, get to the point

After all of that, how did I actually like the cream? I really like it. It is thick, light ivory color, and it has a subtle floral scent. It feels really, really good going on. It seemed like it should have been much too heavy for my combination skin, in particular once the weather turned so warm. But it really wasn't. The cream absorbs within 1 or 2 minutes and there wasn't a residue left behind. I can use it at night or in the morning since it doesn't interfere with makeup application at all. And since it is so hydrating it seems to just make me glowy. All sorts of glowy goodness is going on. And there were no issues with blemishes, despite some hormonal issues and weather changes. So far I really like this cream!

Darphin Paris

This is a sponsored post, so I have been given both free product (from Darphin) and money for my time (from BlogHer) to write an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sweepstakes

Now that I've tried the Darphin Age Defying Dermabrasion that I was lusting after, what do you want to try? Leave me a comment to enter for a chance to win a Darphin products valued at a minimum of $100.

Plus, Darphin has a special offer (one of their best!) just for readers of this post: Get a free Age Defying Dermabrasion Deluxe Sample, Dark Circles and De-puffing Eye Serum Deluxe Sample and Spa Headband with any order at Darphin.com through 5/31/12. Use code BLOGGER at checkout.

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments. Leave your email address in the comment below with your entry info.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

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d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/23 ñ 5/24

Be sure to visit the sponsor's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!

56

Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream Review

I love reviewing great skin care products. But, when each of my readers has the opportunity to get a free 7 day supply of their own... well... that's just amazing, isn't it?

I've been using the Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream for a while now, and I am so glad that I had it for the end of winter! This is a medium to heavy cream, and it really did a great job of keeping moisture where it should be, which is in my skin, rather than leaving it. Somehow, it did this without feeling heavy or greasy at all, which is even better! The cream has a light pinky-beige color and has a faint floral perfumed scent, which I couldn't smell once I applied it. The cream sinks in quickly and left no residue behind on my combination skin. I found that I could easily apply makeup over it without any issues.

So, what is in this stuff? Well, Clarins lists a ton of botanicals with anti-aging properties. Note that a lot of these claims are made by many skin care companies, though I can't verify all of it in PubMed. That doesn't mean it isn't true, it just means that no one has bothered to publish it in the American Medical Literature.

Green Bananas
Encourages collagen synthesis and helps keep the dermis strong and well organized. I found evidence in the literature for ulcer and wound healing as well.

Lemon Thyme
Helps to keep the skin firm.

Oats
You've seen this one used by many skin care companies, but Avena sativa has been in use for over 2000 years for a reason! It has anti-oxidant capacities, acts as a protectant, helps decrease inflammation and even helps to cleanse the skin. The sugars in the oats help to have a temporary tightening effect as well.

Bocoa
Encourages collagen synthesis and helps prevent it from breaking down.

Hops
Helps to stimulate fibroblasts (which I assume in turn make more collagen).

Lotus Zymbiosome
Helps to brighten the skin.


So, how did it work for me? I really liked it. It was enough moisture for me without being too much, it made my skin glowy and the added moisture definitely helped my makeup go on more smoothly. I can't really comment on any anti-aging effects since I don't really have wrinkles, but the added moisture and glowiness definitely would help there.

Now for info on how to get your own sample! You'll be able to get the 7 day testing pack pictured here. There are 7 one time uses included, a week is definitely enough time to see that you'll be nicely hydrated and glowy.

To get your own pack, you can head to the Clarins Facebook page today, or from April 13-15 head to any Clarins counter throughout the US.

Also, Clarins is about to start an amazing Facebook giveaway with 5 winners each week for a month from April 11 to May 11. Each winner will receive a full sized Extra-Firming day, night and foundation ($202 value), so make sure you enter!


Clarins USA

1

Lightening Up For Spring: Nivea Extended Moisture

Now that spring is officially here to stay, I'm starting my annual lightening up of products. Which includes my usual beloved Cetaphil Cream. While this intense moisturizer is a must have in the cold winter weather (without it my eczema flares and I become a big red, flaky mess), once the warmer weather is here it is definitely just too much. It is heavy, takes longer to sink in and I start to feel greasy. Just kinda gross.

So, every year I start the search for a lighter lotion that is still enough hydration. And hopefully it comes in a pump, because I just find those a lot easier to use. I've yet to find a lotion that I really like, most of them don't make it to the blog.

So, finally! Here's a good lotion to recommend. This Nivea lotion has a very faint scent that disappears once applied (good!), it feels hydrating and sinks in right away with no residue left behind. Most importantly it is just exactly the right amount of moisture for my skin in this weather. And it sticks around! I've found decent lotions in the past, but 8 hours later I feel dry again. Not exactly what I want when I'm running around in a dress or shorts. This lotion keeps me hydrated for a looooong time.

So, I think this is my new go-to lotion for spring/summer. Worth checking out if you need some extra moisture as well.


Nivea

1

Blistex Intensive Hand Cream: Hiding in my White Coat Pocket

I'm pretty particular about hand creams, especially during the winter. My hands get dry, scaly and they just hurt. Throw in a few days at work into the mix (we use some pretty heavy duty hand soap in my ICU) and those scaly areas start to crack and if I'm really unlucky, they can even bleed.

Luckily, I can avoid a lot of this with a good hand lotion. I've been testing out a new one recently, and it is so good that the last few times I've had it with my at work (hiding out in the pocket of my white coat), I've had people coming up to me and requesting to use it. This is a bit unusual for me. We certainly all share our hand lotion, but people were hunting me down in the hallway for "some of that Blistex stuff."

The lotion is relatively thick, and does feel a bit greasy when being applied. It sinks into my skin pretty quickly and I have to say that it does feel really good when it is sinking in to my skin. After a few minutes there is no residue left, just well moisturized skin. It was really heavy duty and it actually lasts through a few hand washings. At work. Yes, with our crazy ICU soap.

The best part? This stuff is really affordable. You can buy it at stores like WalMart for less than $3 a tube.

Blistex

10

5 Years of Favorite Products: Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

I've review a lot of hand cremes over the years, but I keep coming back to this one. At work we can use some pretty harsh hand soap (need to kill the ICU germies!), but we took this to an entirely higher and crazy level when I was still in training a few years ago.

That's right, the ICU where I did my fellowship used surgical scrub as hand soap. Rather than the just plain old harsh regular hospital soap. It was the most drying stuff ever, and if I didn't get a moisturizer on my skin pronto my ezcema would flare and I'd be a red and rashy mess.

By far and away the best hand lotion to keep my skin comfortable and looking good during the months that I was "on-service" was this one from Kiehl's. It isn't exactly cheap, but the bottles are pretty big and would last me at least six months.

Once I started bringing Ultimate Strength in to work with me a few other people got hooked, and then a few others... and it kind of snow balled. We were giving it to each other as gifts. It was amazing.

Why did the nurses, docs and I love it so much? This stuff isn't girly, so any one was willing to use it. It has a light fresh scent that disappears quickly. It is a thick white cream that just soothes immediately as you are applying, and it fully sinks into your skin. No greasiness left behind. Perhaps most importantly, it worked so well that you only needed to apply it every 3 or 4 hand washes. When using surgical scrub. That's definitely Ultimate Strength.

4

5 Years of Favorite Products: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15

If I had the time to go back and count how many times I've mentioned this product on the blog, I'd likely end up with a double digit number. Easily. Maybe 3 digits. My most complete review of this lotion is probably this one: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 review.

I'm a huge fan of this daily sunscreen moisturizer. I first discovered it as a senior in college, when my acne was just going out of control. Tired of buying all the over the counter acne treatments, only to end up with a dry and peeling face, I decided I'd switch everything out to gentle product. I decided to head to the nearest Kiehl's counter. My skin loved it, particularly this lotion.

Today this lotion is definitely still my go-to morning moisturizer. I can wear it every day without my skin breaking out, it works perfectly under makeup and feels lightweight all day long. While it isn't broad spectrum coverage, it is probably enough for walking to and from the car and driving around. (I opt for heavier duty SPF protection on days that I'll be spending more time outside in direct sun.)


Kiehl's

0

Aveeno Positively Ageless Review: Shitake Extract Makes Me Risk Myself for Beauty

When a box of Aveeno's Positively Ageless products arrived at my house I was pretty happy. I'm a skincare junkie, and lately I haven't posted much about more affordable anti-aging skincare products. So, I started using them almost immediately (I may have "accidentally" forgotten to see what I was meant to be reviewing next. Oops!)

I assumed that I was just using some anti-oxidants and maybe peptides in addition to the usual oatmeal and the SPF 30. I found out a few days later that the product has Shitake Extract. Oops! I'm a bit, ok, more than a bit, allergic to mushrooms. I've always avoided them in beauty products in the past. I had no untoward effects from the mushrooms.

I want everyone to know that I risked myself for you. Well, for you and and a good broad spectrum UV coverage skin lotion. Moral of the story, read the box before I test something. Which I've always done in the past, but here I was blinded by the UV coverage.

Read on to see what I actually thought of the products, and why I kept using them despite the mushrooms!

4

Bel Mondo Beauty: Moisture + Bio-Cellulose = Glow

Lately, my amazing hubby has been helping me carve out a few (ok, maybe 15-20) extra minutes for some morning pampering. It isn't do-able every day, but about once a week he balances our dog (super old, some strange spinal condition so he wears two diapers for accidents not to mention his anxiety and weakness issues) and super energetic and sometimes clingy 9 month old. All in the name of letting me spend some extra time under the shower and maybe have a chance to squeeze in a bit of pampering for myself. When this happens, I break out a mask!

This weekend I used a new type of mask for me, an infused bio-cellulose mask from Bel Mondo. Bio-cellulose is artificially created in a lab. It is 200x finer and 4x stronger than cellulose from plants/wood. The process takes 10 days, basically putting a special bacterial formula into a mold and letting things grow, though I'm sure there is a lot of special care that goes into this along the way.

The film is amazing. It is actually pretty thick (I think it feels at least 1 mm thick), and is somewhat translucent. It can hold up to 100x its dry weight in fluid, so a lot of active ingredients can be infused. Then, once you put it on the skin it is so pliable that it lies very easily on the skin surface. Obviously this has medical uses such as burn and wound dressings, but here we're using it for something much more mundane. A face mask.

The mask itself is somewhat large (it will definitely fit your face!), and there are holes in it for your eyes, nose and mouth. The directions talk about removing outer layers in a certain order as you apply it, blah blah blah. I found it too hard to move the mask around this way. I ended up removing the outer layers so I could just position the mask itself. I found this much easier for application. The mask is thick and has some strength, though it isn't super strong. I didn't tear it at all, but I would just treat it fairly gingerly. Once it is positioned where you want it, smooth out the bio-cellulose and fold flaps under the mask for access to your eyes.

The mask feels somewhat heavy (I guess that is the 100x its dry weight in fluid!), and is cool. I found it to be a bit cold for me, though in the future I'll probably warm it up by putting the mask in warm water for a bit before opening it. It is definitely moist! Leave it on for about 20 minutes, and then simply pull the whole thing off. The mask does not dry at all, so there will be a lot of left over liquid on your face. Rub it in to your skin (it does absorb pretty quickly) for added moisture. It leaves a very light residue, though I could apply makeup later without an issue.

I used the Anti-Aging mask, which contains a ton of moisture with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and ceramides. It also contains peptides, which yes do need to work over time, but a little boost every now and then certainly isn't going to hurt. Mostly I loved the huge boost in moisture, I was definitely glowing after my treatment!






Bel Mondo Beauty

1

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Collection Review

The Ultra Facial line from Kiehl's has long been a best seller. The cult products have recently been released in oil free versions. The products are also free of parabens, colorants and fragrances. The products in this line aren't the same old Ultra Facial products with a few ingredients swapped out. Instead, these seem to have been completely reformulated, so think of them as new additions to the line rather than oil free counterparts to the old Ultra Facial products.

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser
The cleanser is probably my favorite of the collection. It is a light white/ivory color with a bit of pearlescent sheen. It is a bit thicker than most cleansers, and would be amazing for my Clarisonic if it didn't have so much lather! I'm actually shocked that it has so much lather since it is sulfate free! (I did use it a few times with my Clarisonic, the result is so much lather that it actually makes it hard to breathe. It works great, but things are just a tad too bubbly.) The cleanser removes everything quickly and easily, with the exception of waterproof mascara, it seems to leave a bit behind. (Another aside- to be fair this isn't an eye makeup remover, I'm just giving you the info, it does exactly what it promises to do.) It rinses off easily and I have no after wash tightness or redness/irritation.



Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner
I need to first state that I'm not a toner girl. I've never really "gotten" it, why isn't your cleanser taking that stuff off? And usually toners leave my skin irritated anyways.... so I skip this step. This toner is refreshing, doesn't irritate my skin and dries almost immediately. It has a very light herbal scent that isn't at all noticeable. This non-toner gal did like it, which surprised me.

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion
For my combination skin the lotion was the best match for hydration. The lotion is opaque and white and actually thicker in consistency than the cream. It absorbed quickly and left no residue behind. Just skin perfectly prepared for makeup.

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel-Cream
The cream isn't really a cream, it isn't really a gel either. It is more like a lotion with some gel like properties. It is semi-translucent and almost white in color. It feels a little like a sticky gel but more watery. That's really the best way I can describe it. It takes a few minutes to sink in to my skin, but it does feel great once it does. I found that it is too much for me to use in the morning, I have a little bit of residue that interferes with makeup application. I think this wouldn't be the case in the winter, I'm going to keep it in my "skin care" drawer and try to remember to try it out then. I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be perfect for my combination skin in mid-January.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil Free Collection

0

Lush Tiny Hands: Softer Hands in a Little Bar!

Believe it or not, that little bar is actually a moisturizing hand serum! The little bar is about the size of the palm of my hand. It's infused with Argan Oil (doesn't it seem like that ingredient is everywhere lately?) Aloe, Cocoa and Shea Butters as well. It has a vanilla/floral scent that I like but it is very subtle, so I like that even better.

The bar is very solid but feels just a little bit slippery. As you hold the bar it will melt just a little, applying the product. I've found that warming my hands a little by just washing with warm water first, does help application quite a bit.

This product won't give you the super moisturized, almost slick hands that a lot of moisturizers do. Instead, it seems to restore the moisture and make my hands just feel normal. I've tested it out with our normal home hand soap (we use Soft Soap anti-bacterial) and the stronger anti-bac stuff we use in my ICU. I literally wash my hands about 4 times an hour as a minimum now that I'm a mommy, and that number goes way up at work. My hands definitely felt better using the Tiny Hands, though I did reapply every hour or so to help combat the huge amount of washing I do.


Lush Tiny Hands

2

Pai's Rosehip BioRegenerate: Is it Different from other Rosehips?

Rosehip oil is something that I'm just starting to learn about, though that is likely because I'm usually excited about super scientific skin care and not paying much attention to the more natural and organic products. (I'm trying to change!)

So, what is Rosehip oil and why is it cool? The oil comes from the pressing of the seeds found within a rose hip (see the picture), which is what a flower turns into once spent. The oil is high in Vitamins A and C, in addition to fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6. Rosehip oil has been found to act as an emollient (moisturizer) and an anti-oxidant. There are even studies looking at it for wound healing and other illnesses, though many of these studies are inconclusive.

So, how is Pai's new Rosehip BioRegenerate different from other Rosehip oils? Rather than simply pressing the seeds, they pressed the actual rose hip as well. The result is a different rose hip oil that contains twice the fatty acids and five times the carotenoids (which have skin protective properties).

The oil doesn't really seem like an oil when you use it. It is an orange/peach color and it does smell faintly of roses. A little goes a long way, and when spread across the skin is a bit more watery than most skin care oils. It takes a minute or two to fully sink into the skin, but it does so with very little residue left behind. I've found that it feels amazing on my dry winter skin and I'm trying hard to ignore my impulse to apply it everywhere!

Pai usually has a Facebook competition every Friday. But, this week (3/21-3/25) they'll be giving away 10 bottles of Rosehip BioRegenerate each day on their Facebook page! Run over there to enter. Stay tuned for a contest for 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic readers!

Pai Skincare

2

Pai Fragonia & Sea Buckthorn Instant Hand Therapy Cream

With a new baby in the house, in the middle of a cold midwest winter, you can bet that my hands are taking a real beating. I'm washing them like crazy, using hand sanitizer frequently and that's on top of my usual dried out winter hands from cold and lack of humidity. Yes, my hands are dry. My hands hurt.

To combat this I've been using hand lotion like crazy. My current pick is from Pai, an organic skin care company out of the UK. Pai's founder started the company after dealing with years of skin allergies. Their products are certified organic and have left out irritating ingredients like Alcohol, Propylene Glycol and Phenoxyethanol. I think this is great considering how often I'm using the stuff! The cream also features Fragonia & Sea Buckthorn, which help with inflammation and increase cell turnover.

The cream is really more of a heavy lotion that comes in an air tight pump (love this packaging!). It's a light tan color and has a light herbal scent that I love. It sinks right into my skin and I swear I can almost hear the skin sighing in relief! My skin is well hydrated after I use it, there's no greasy residue left behind and it lasts through a few hand washings.


Pai Fragonia & Seabuckthorn Instant Hand Therapy Cream

1

Kiehl's Whipped Creme de Corps

I'm sure sometime soon I'll have made all of my readers tired of my Kiehl's obsession (have you noticed?? I love Kiehl's), but in the meantime I'm just going to keep trying out every product and writing about them. Because it makes me happy.

Creme de Corps is one of those cult favorite products that not everyone has heard about, but frequently makes beauty editors' best of lists. It is a super hydrating body lotion that doesn't make your skin greasy, which I love. This fall Kiehl's released a new version of this bestseller, and this one is a Whipped Creme. Which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, a light and fluffy version that pretty much has the consistency of good whipped creme.

I bought a jar of this just before Christmas, and since then both my husband and I have been using it. The creme is very potent and only a small amount is needed. I love the whipped texture of it, and while it spreads easily it, I swear the creme melts into skin. It feels ahhhhhmmmmaaazing. Really. The creme smells like honey and while the smell isn't super strong, it does stick around for a few hours. The moisture from the creme lasts much longer, pretty much a full 24 hours. Love!

Kiehl's Whipped Creme de Corps

3

Your Best Face: A Great Scrub and Concentrates

Today is the last day of recapping Your Best Face's products, yes a company that I love. Again, they feature Spin Traps, super high powered anti-oxidants that will help you prevent aging. I haven't mentioned it in my previous posts, but this is a company that you really need to follow on Twitter and Fan on Facebook. They have a ton of specials and I swear that they run at least one amazing contest a day on Twitter. (I try to retweet them from my Twitter feed, but I'm sure I miss a lot. Just follow them directly so you can win some great skin care.)

Today we'll go over a few more products, so read on to find out about the last few items in the line.

3

Your Best Face: Eye and Lip Creams

Yesterday I covered 5 different products in the Your Best Face lineup, and today we'll go over four more. As a quick refresher, I'm going over the products at reader request, though this is one of my favorite anti-aging skin care companies.

In discussing starting an anti-aging skin care routine, I've mentioned that I do have an active ingredient check list (you'll see it after each product mentioned below), and I try to include each category in my routine. I think a sunscreen is a must for every day, and that sunscreen should be broad spectrum UVA/UVB with a SPF of 15 at a bare minimum, 30 is better. Once you have that down, you should start adding in other ingredients shown to help fight aging and increase cell turnover and collagen production. That means exfoliation (whether physical or chemical, I prefer chemical for more even and predictable results but that isn't possible during pregnancy), as well as adding in peptides and anti-oxidants (more preventative, they haven't been shown conclusively in clinical studies to reverse wrinkles). I like to add in a concentrated retinoid product after that, so you can add it in slowly as your skin tolerates (for me that means every other night usually).

So, that's my quick and dirty anti-aging routine philosophy. If you want more in depth than that or bigger guns to help fight the wrinkles, I strongly recommend going to a dermatologist. Chances are your insurance will cover it anyways (Hello??? Skin cancer check? I need to do this, probably in the next few months once I get this new mommy thing down), and you'll hopefully be surprised at what a derm tells you to do. I doubt they'll immediately try to sell you on crazy peels and lasers, they aren't a medi-spa. I'd expect a gentle cleanser, good moisturizer, the kind of sunscreen I mentioned above and help fighting aging after that (likely including the prescription strength retinoid).

After all of that rambling, I'll point out that I really like the Your Best Face products because they include Spin Traps (very powerful anti-oxidants), often include peptides and you can find cool perks like Nylon-12, which helps absorb oil for those of us with combination skin. So, they're a great option to include in that routine I mentioned above, where you can add in the retinoid every other night and such. My skin also seems to like them a lot, never a break out and my skin is nice and glowy.

Read out to find out more about today's products.

2

Your Best Face: Spin Traps to the Rescue!

One of my favorite skin care brands is Your Best Face. They have a fairly wide range of products that are primarily focused around anti-oxidants, in particular Spin Traps. Spin Traps are among the most powerful anti-oxidants known, so if you are going to be including anti-oxidants as your primary anti-aging category, this is a good way to go. Note that very few companies use spin traps, but Your Best Face is one of them, hence my love.

Recently I had a Delurking Post in which I asked readers to comment about who they are (I'm curious! Who are these people that care what I think about lip gloss and eye cream??) and one of the commenters "The fake kind of doctor" said that she was interested in YBF's Prep scrub that I had brought up, but was waiting to order until I discussed some of their other products again.

Since I have pretty much their entire line sitting here, I thought a series of 3 posts in which I go over what is in each product and how I like it would be exactly what she needed. So, this is day #1. If products you're interested in aren't covered then just be patient, the next 2 days will have pretty much the exact same post as well.

6

Shisheido's Advanced Super Revitalizer Cream

For those of us experiencing a cold, dry winter a little extra moisture can be very welcome. This cream from Shisheido is called "anti-aging", though I'd really classify it more as a very intense moisturizer. The formulation includes a bio-engineered form of Hyaluronic Acid, which is amazing at moisturizing. The cream has a light perfume scent, is thick and creamy and feels amazing going on. I can feel it sinking into my skin and I've really loved using this cream this winter! The moisturization is absolutely amazing and that's why I've just packed it into my Hospital Bag, to help combat with the sub-zero humidity environment of the hospital. (Can such a place exist? No. But I swear hospitals suck the moisture out of skin.)


Ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Octanoate, Squalane, Dimethicone Copolyol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, PEG-150, Mortierella Oil, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Arginine HCI, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Glutamate, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Rosa Roxburghii Extract, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Agar, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopherol, BHT, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Iron Oxides.



Shisheido's Advanced Super Revitalizer Cream

My sample was from Beauty Stat and J Brands, a great discount site for Japanese Brands. Check out their Current Promotions if you're thinking about buying something!

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