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.

Valentia Skin Detoxifying Mask

April 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This product is intended for the face but I found it particularly useful for the skin on my shoulders and upper arms. Do you know those hard white bumps that sometimes occur on the back of the upper arms, they are sometimes called chicken skin (real name Keratosis Pilaris), and they don’t respond to acne medicines or dermabrasion? This worked pretty well for improving the appearance of those bumps.

INGREDIENTS:

Kaolin Clay an astringent effect that removes oils and impurities.
Hibiscus & Cranberry fibers are exfoliants with anti-aging properties, this is what you feel when you massage it off your face when you wash it off.

Spirulina has the antioxidant beta-carotene which helps neutralize free radicals and relieve acne and psoriasis. It is similar to algae and seaweed for skin benefits.

Astaxanthin is an antioxidant that protects cells from damage and improves the appearance of wrinkles by supporting moisture retention.

CoQ10 fights wrinkles

Vitamin C promotes collagen, fades dark spots such as acne scars, brown spots from aging and sun damage.

INDICATIONS FOR USE:
To remove toxins from pollution, cosmetics/makeup, hard water, and environmental gunk that gets into your skin and clogs pores, leaving skin congested looking and potentially causing breakouts and bumps on the skin.

Personally, I like to use this on my shoulder skin and on the back of my upper arms because my hair is long and probably exposes that skin to more oil and products, and I don’t take good care of that skin as I do my facial skin. The pores on my upper back and shoulders seem larger than on my face. Now that summer is coming, I am starting to use some scrubs and masks to improve that skin. This addresses impurities and areas of trapped sebum on my shoulders and upper back. I do notice less of those chicken skin sort of bumps on my upper arms after using this mask.

APPLICATION
The Valentia Mask is a creamy but thick consistency texture mask, more like a thick whipped mud treatment. When I hold it on my fingers upside down, it does not drip off. It spreads on skin evenly without pulling and does not sting or burn. Leave on for no more than 15-20 minutes then remove with a warm washcloth. I let the washcloth sit on my face for a minute or two to soften the mask and steam my pores a bit, then lightly massage my face in a circular motion as per the instructions, then rinse off the mask with warm water.

It feels and smells somewhat astringent-like and I do feel my pores are clean afterward, and my skin is a little tight so I like to moisturize extra well after use. It is not drying to my skin.

PACKAGING:
The packaging of the box and the product itself has a pretty gold trim and looks higher-end. It comes in a plastic jar, not a tube, so your fingers dip into the product. I would prefer this come in a tube to squeeze it out to keep it the most sanitary, so I scoop it out with a disposable spatula or plastic spoon.

Find it at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PJLKJ6

I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review. 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 Eternal Youth Scrub

April 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

OVERVIEW: A face scrub for sensitive skin. I am generally not a fan of using scrubs on facial skin for people over age 35 because the exfoliating agents are often just too rough on the aged skin and tend to tear more than buff away and smooth. But this is a nice gentle scrub similar to the Clinique 7 Day Scrub but with a bit more exfoliating action from gentle jojoba beads.

INGREDIENTS
Jojoba beads for the exfoliating grains â€“ this is probably my favorite part because it is so much gentler on the skin and can melt while scrubbing into a soothing oil, whereas a hard grain or pieces of walnut shells are often used in other scrubs can micro-tear skin.

Several vitamins that focus on making skin more even. Since it is on the skin for a shorter period of time and it leaves no residue, this is a nice feature but not a big selling point for me.

White and green teas, both of which are both anti-inflammatory and soothing to the skin.
To soothe the skin, ingredients include Aloe Vera, Olive Butter, Avocado Butter and Kukui Butter. Kukui was new to me: doing some research, it is used to intensely hydrate and moisture skin. Olive Oil on the skin has been used for years to soothe and fortify, and Avocado is a nice rich moisturizer that in oil form does not feel too heavy on the skin.

PACKAGING:
Sleek gold and black jar, it does not seem like it is full but it weighs in at the advertised weight specified. Ideally, I wish that it was in a tube for sanitary reasons, as I tend to get water in the jar during use and grab the product with my fingers.

APPLICATION
The scrub has a delicate scent of white and green tea. The texture is a whipped gel consistency, with visible exfoliating grains. There is an aroma that is more astringent than fragrant, it dissipates after use. Washes off cleanly.

RESULTS
Skin felt smooth and soft with no flaky skin residue, some dead skin was exfoliated without leaving flakes or patches and my skin was not raw or irritated after use. I especially liked the scrub on my neck. Also, I focused on the blackheads on my nose and it did visibly improve that problem. It reminds me of the general exfoliating feel to Cliniqueâ€™s 7 Day Scrub but somewhat stronger, although a preferable thing to me about the Valentia Scrub is it does not leave a residue like the Clinique. I have been using Retinol and Vitamin C Serums, this product is gentle enough not to irritate but does help remove the dead skin.

I would not use this daily, twice a week at most.

Valentia Eternal Youth Scrub

InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Gel

April 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Youth Express Eye Gel comes in a very generous 1.7 oz pump. It is intended for use under the eye for addressing signs of aging, dark circles, wrinkles, puffiness, and sagging skin. It and can also be used as a face treatment, especially on the forehead and cheek area to give a firmer, plump appearance to the skin.

TAKEAWAY: Dewy, glowing skin with no residue, lots of moisturizing ingredients suitable for those with sensitive skin. Light deflecting properties. Reduces under-eye puffiness.

INGREDIENTS
Active ingredients include:

Hyaluronic Acid: Hold moisture exceptionally well and visibly smooths and plumps skin. It also helps active ingredients sink deeper into the skin for a better, deeper treatment.

Matrixyl 3000: An especially useful ingredient that tricks the body into thinking it needs to fix collagen, which sends the skin into collagen production overdrive.

Peptide Complex: Peptide proteins aid in deep collagen production, which supports the skin and keeps it from sagging.

Plant Stem Cells are powerful anti-oxidants.

Amino Acid Complex is a peptide most useful on scars and stretch marks.

Supporting ingredients include:

In addition to a host of moisturizing ingredients including Aloe which soothes skin and leaves a cool, refreshing feeling on the skin. Jojoba is a carrier oil that helps ingredients reach deeper into the skin and closely resembles the skin own natural oils without clogging pores.

PACKAGING
It is a thick pump with a plug for the dispenser, I like that to not waste product or excessively expose it to the air, this way it stays fresher longer. The pump dispenses well and it is well constructed. The packaging is opaque which protects the product but it is somewhat weighted so I canâ€™t tell when it is running out of product and needs to be replaced. This is more of an observation than a flaw.

APPLICATION
It applies smoothly and evenly, it does not sting or burn around the delicate eye area, it is somewhat cool feeling on application and soothing. On dry down it looks very dewy, one could forgo concealer under the eye as it is a nice glowing look, not sticky and there is no residue as it goes on clear. After allowing adequate time to dry, makeup applies well over the gel.

PLUMPING/WRINKLES
ON FACE: There is some plumping action when applied to wrinkles on the forehead and cheeks, especially plumping for light lines on the cheeks whereas it is more light-deflecting for lines on the forehead.

DARK CIRCLES
This didnâ€™t do anything for my dark circles other than deflecting the light when I was not wearing concealer, but it does so effectively.
But for any product that touts it helps dark circles, you need to know the REASON you have dark circles to effectively treat it.
This product does not really address MY kind of dark circle because my dark circles are complicated: I have allergies, hereditary dark circles, fair skin and a fairly transparent undereye area that exposes the blue veins. I have a visible vessel that is leaking a bit, causing broken capillaries and when the blood leaks and pools it appears as dark brown.

PUFFINESS
This does reduce undereye puffiness well. I did not find it to reduce puffiness on my upper eye area as effectively. I sleep on my left side and have more puffiness on that eye on my upper lid, it reduced but did not eliminate this puffiness.

CONCLUSION: This does not address my kind of dark circle, at least not yet, but there are some good features to this gel. This is more of a treatment that results appear over a few weeks than an immediate result type of product, but it skin looks better after application including a reduction in puffiness, some plumping of wrinkles, smoothness, and light deflecting to give a smooth appearance to the undereye area. Useful, especially for the price.

Find it at Amazon.com.

InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Gel

I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review. 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!

Natural Anti-aging B3: InstaNatural Niacinamide Serum

April 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment

InstaNatural Niacinamide SerumÂ uses Vitamin B3 and Hyaluronic Acid to address hyperpigmentation, redness/inflammation, acne, and elasticity – especially around delicate skin areas such as the eyes and mouth. It can be used in tandem with a vitamin C serum. Only a small amount is needed per use. It leaves a nice glow and makeup applies evenly over it.

wHY USE A VITAMIN B3 SERUM

Redness around the nose and cheeks makes one look older, this is due in part by tiny capillaries that tend to break starting in the early 40’s, causing redness, especially around the nose. It is subtle, especially at the bottom of the nostrils, but it is there and makes one look older.

Adult acne can start at any time, often when anti-aging products are being concurrently used. Treating adult acne is more complicated than just drying the pimples as we did as teens. Â Both these issues cause redness, and some skincare products such as peels can cause irritation. Â Vitamin B3 can treat both acne and wrinkles at the same time without irritating the skin or causing it to feel dry and itchy.

INGREDIENTS:

Active ingredients include:

Vitamin B3 (5%) a powerful anti-inflammatory that reduces the redness and puffiness in acne, irritated skin, and blotchy skin.

Hyaluronic Acid makes skin look instantly younger by adding lots of moisture and plumping the skin. It also allows the B3 to reach deeper into the skin, it sort of sucks it into the skin by swelling the pores with moisture to open them, making them receptive to the product. The deeper a product gets into the skin, the better. It can, however, make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so if you are not using a sunscreen already, make sure to do so, especially if you are using any anti-aging Retinols. Vitamin C serums, or ALAs.

Soothing ingredients like Organic Aloe Vera to soothe and cool the skin, Avocado Oil is a rich conditioning and moisturizing agent, as is Vitamin E.

UPON APPLICATION

The serum does not sting or burn on application, it is cool to the touch and smooth. It dries down well without any visible residue and my skin is not sticky. My skin is normal to dry/sensitive, some users mentioned it was sticky, the instructions say to use about a pea size amount, I found this amount or a bit more to leave no residue. Â There is a nice glow. Do however allow enough time for the serum to dry before makeup application to give it time to set. I apply it after I shower, I eat breakfast then apply my moisturizer and sunscreen, and then dry my hair, then apply my makeup to allow time for it to set.

HOW MY SKIN LOOKS WHEN USING IT

There is an interesting sort of airbrushing in the light deflecting nature of the serum. I have a cluster of broken capillaries that is red, the redness in that area seemed to diffuse and is not as noticeable even just after applying the serum, and it seemed to be less inflamed. Â I also have a glow/highlight to the top of the cheekbone where one might apply highlighter.

My hands have hyperpigmentation and lots of blotchy redness, so I treat my hands to some of the serum as well. Â Hands can be a giveaway for aging, so I try to treat my hands to what I put on my face whenever possible. But always follow the serum with a moisturizer.

ACNE andÂ Niacinamide

I have one pimple on my cheek, it is red and just forming. The serum did reduce some of the visible inflammation and redness, so far it hasn’t irradicated the pimple, so I don’t think this would be my only treatment for acne, but a nice addition for areas that suffer for both from acne and wrinkles, such as the forehead area.

CONCLUSION:

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) is a very good addition to an anti-aging regimen because it addresses a loss of elasticity and reduces redness.

Find it at Amazon.com.

InstaNatural Niacinamide Serum

I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review. 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!