Skincare Products + Skin Care Techniques

Skin Products & Devices

Skincare products & skin care techniques for skin problems. How to apply Retinol & Vitamin C. Anti-aging skincare. How to treat acne, brown spots, dry skin, wrinkles, Keratosis Pilaris. Skincare ingredient list. Skincare research. Skin care techniques, news, products, tutorials.

How to use anti-aging devices such as NuFace and Revive light therapy devices. Details on dermaplaning and cleansing devices. News of the latest skin care products.

CURRENT SKIN CARE OBSESSIONS: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid.

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!

Valentia Skin Care Even Glow Serum

June 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Valentia Skin Care Even Glow Serum

WHY USE TOPICAL VITAMIN C?

Vitamin C Serum is a must-have anti-aging skin care product because it enables the production of collagen, a vital building block of skin that gives skin its’ support. Without adequate collagen supplies, the skin begins to sag, wrinkle and look dull. The body produces less collagen as we age, so the more collagen one can produce the better. Vitamin C also fades discoloration caused by brown spots due to aging, acne, sun damage and scars. Valentia Skin Care Even Glow Serum is a great Vitamin C Serum for this purpose.

RESULTS: I had pretty good results with this Vitamin C; it contains a few ingredients that are not frequently paired with C serums such as Sea Buckthorn Oil, which is an oil with fatty C and E Vitamins that can revive skin cells with its’ over 200+ skin nutrients. These nutrients not only reduce the length and depth of wrinkles, but they can soften rough skin textures including acne. I have a forehead wrinkle near my hairline above my right eye, the depth and length of which appears much softer with nightly use of Vitamin C serum. It also has lightened the look of the lines between my nose and mouth and made some rough skin patches on my cheek and forehead softer and more pliable. I like the Sea Buckthorn Oil in this serum. It is not sticky and applies smoothly. I had no skin irritation.

SERUM TEXTURE AND APPEARANCE
This 20% Vitamin C Serum is unique in that it is more of a very lightweight creamy liquid than a watery liquid serum, so it applies smoothly and evenly. Unlike other Vitamin C serums, it is a primarily opaque, light shade of creamsicle orange due to the coloring of the Sea buckthorn oil.

APPLICATION
The serum has a light citrus scent that is pleasant and dissipates on the dry down. A small pump of product is enough to cover the face and throat, too much will be sticky. Allow time for the serum to dry before applying makeup or sunscreen. Skin is not sticky after it is dry and makeup applies smoothly as long as serum is not over-applied. There is a glow to the skin that is natural and dewy but not fake looking. This glow is semi light-deflecting.

OTHER ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
In addition to the 20% Vitamin C, this serum contains the following anti-aging skin care superheroes:

Organic rosehip oil gives a glow to the skin. It is a natural source of Vitamin E and is suitable for even the driest, most sensitive skin. It contains powerful antioxidants such as lycopene and beta-carotene. These antioxidants remove toxins and improve skin texture. Visible results can be seen especially quickly on sun damaged skin.

Organic sea buckthorn oil can immediately reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines because it plumps up the skin. As previously mentioned, its’ contains many nutrients which have a variety of skin care applications including soothing the redness of sun damage, nourishing skin, providing C and E, and serving as a super-anti-oxidant.

Green tea extract reduces inflammation and is soothing, allowing active ingredients to do their job without excessive irritation to the skin.

Hyaluronic acid holds an exceptional amount of moisture to plump the skin and make it appear dewy and hydrated. Hyaluronic Acid is an excellent ingredient in a Vitamin C serum because it can draw the C deep into the skin. This results in the formation of collagen at a deeper level, which means less sagging and fewer wrinkles, as well as the fading of areas of deep dark discoloration due to sun damage, redness, and scarring.

Resistem is plant stem cells. Stem Cells are frequently used in anti-aging skin care products because they enable some stage of the collagen production process.

CONCLUSION: an efficient combination of natural ingredients that are rarely found in a Vitamin C serum, these ingredients are especially helpful for sensitive skin types who could use some gentle reparative ingredients.

Valentia Skin Care Even Glow Serum

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

June 15, 2016 · 1 Comment

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

I am newly obsessed with Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask.

I have stubborn blackheads and a few whiteheads that don’t respond to scrubbing or exfoliating, especially on the curve of my nostrils. These types of blackheads are noticeable, especially against my pale skin. I have used nose strips with limited success because they only remove parts of the sebum plug of a blackhead. So I was excited to try Mediderm Blackhead Remover to dissolve and peel away my blackheads, especially on my nose and chin.

The Mediderm Laboratories Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask is a thick, honey-like consistency that glides on smoothly and dries down to a thin film. It smells a bit like warm bread. After 5-30 minutes you peel it off, and dead and flaky skin, blackheads, and stubborn whiteheads come off with it. Upon removal, it feels like peeling off thin saran wrap, like the overwrap on vegetables from the supermarket. It removes cleanly in large pieces without residue but some little bits needed to be washed off in the crevices of the skin. You can see blackhead sebum and oil buildup removed instantly. The peel removed some deep blackheads and whiteheads and unclogged some congested skin on my cheeks. My pores appeared smaller once the skin congestion was removed by the peel.

I was primarily interested in blackhead and whitehead removal, but the peel is also a fading cream that helps pigmentation problems by lightening the appearance of freckles, acne, scars and age spots. My age spots faded in color, and my skin was left glowing. There was no irritation.

TIP: I found this worked even better the second time by washing my face and then holding a hot washcloth or compress on my problem areas such as my nose first to open the pores.

CONCLUSION: I am very excited about this product, it removes stubborn blackheads and dead skin without causing irritation. It is fun to peel off and leaves skin smooth. I am excited to use it again to lighten dark spots on my face and to keep my nostrils blackhead-free.

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

Majestic Pure Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen

June 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Sunscreen is a fundamental component in any beauty arsenal to both protect the skin from burning but to also reduce premature aging and the production of sunspots and the eroding of collagen, which gives the face an older, duller look. Despite the importance of sunscreen for younger looking skin, many women don’t consistently use sunscreen because it leaves the skin too greasy feeling to apply makeup, and some prefer not to use the kinds of chemicals found in many sunscreens especially on the delicate facial skin. There are various reports about sunscreen chemicals can seep into the skin and absorb into the body. Some parents want to use only natural sunscreens on their children. For these reasons, I was excited to try Majestic Pure 30+ SPF Sunscreen, a 100% natural broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen for face and body.

I was intrigued by the concept of an all-natural sunscreen, not knowing that some oils were in fact, natural sunscreens. Some of these ingredients are Grape Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Organic Honey, and Coconut, all of which have natural sunscreen properties and the Palm Oil and Sea Salt support and enhance these properties

Grape Seed Oil is a non-greasy oil that serves as a natural sunscreen and has outstanding nourishing, anti-aging and moisturizing properties. Grape Seed Oil contains proanthocyanidins which are potent antioxidants that diminish the sun’s damaging effects and lessen the free radical damage. Grape Seed Oil in a sunscreen is also beneficial for reducing age spots, sunburn, and wrinkles.

Sunflower Oil Its nutritious composition makes it one of the healthiest oils for consumption as well as application on the skin and the hair. The main component of sunflower oil is linoleic acid. Its other components include oleic acid and palmitic acid. In addition to these, it contains lecithin, carotenoids, tocopherols and appreciable quantities of vitamins

Sea Salt can help mitigate the effect of sunburn and soothe skin and for the body is a natural deodorant.

Coconut Oil has an SPF value which is magnified by the other oils.

APPLICATION AND RESULTS

The consistency is creamy; I imagine this is what a thickened version of Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion would feel like on the skin. The scent is very mild, a light aroma of Palm Oil and a tiny bit of Coconut, but it is not sweet smelling. It applies smoothly upon contact with the skin and goes on evenly. It is very emollient and seems like a hand cream but melts quickly and does not feel sticky or thick on the skin. There is a very light sheen to the skin so that it could be worn without makeup and the skin would have a nice light deflection glow. I like the subtle glow it leaves on my arms and legs, my skin looks soft, dewy and toned.

Makeup did apply evenly over the sunscreen, but it was necessary to allow a good 15 minutes for the sunscreen to sink in before foundation application to not have my foundation melt away too quickly. On the body, I only wait a few minutes before putting on my clothes because it does dry down well.

I found I did not need to re-apply during the day, and while it is water resistant, the bottle recommends reapplying it after various outdoor activities such as swimming or towel drying.

CONCLUSION: Nice texture and scent, not greasy, soothing to the skin with no irritation. It is nice to have peace of mind that I can protect my skin and not be exposed to excessive chemicals.

Majestic Pure Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen