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The Best Retinol Cream Ever (Guaranteed!)

The following is a guest post from Nicki Zevola of FutureDerm, Inc.  She is a medical student who worked in research for seven years.  She is also the blogger at FutureDerm.com.

It's been a lifelong dream for me to design my own skin care products.  I think some young girls dream about getting married.  I dreamt about conjuring up the next Estée Lauder line.  (Maybe that's why I'm not married!)

Still, all joking aside, I'm really proud of the first product, FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 ($54.95, FutureDerm.com).  We took the best in retinol technology to design a formula that:

  • Fights fine lines and wrinkles
  • Smooths mottled or rough skin
  • Aids mild to moderate acne
  • Alleviates the appearance of age spots
  • Maintains and builds skin firmness

futurederm-timerelease-retinol

Best of all, it is proven by independent, peer-reviewed scientific research to do these things.  As Dr. Ranella Hirsch, M.D., former president-elect of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons, once said: “We have beautiful, profound data that shows if you use retinoids for 20 years, you’re going to look a lot better than someone who doesn’t.” Retinoids do the following:

  • Prevents collagen loss by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases, enzymes that degrade collagen (Archives of Dermatology, 2002);
  • Treat fine lines, wrinkles, and mottled skin. Retinol accomplishes this by increasing cell turnover (Archives of Dermatology, 2002, amongst many others);
  • Prevent future damage.  In addition to the above, retinol also functions as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals (Methods in Enzymology, 1992, amongst many others)

How Our Product is Revolutionary

FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 contains microencapsulated retinol with a delivery system that is optimized for efficacy.  Our retinol is released slowly over the course of eight hours, allowing the retinol to work for a longer period of time than most other formulas.

FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 also embedded in a lightweight gel.  You don't need to wait for 30 minutes between cleansing and moisturizing for our product to be effective.  Just apply it and go!  You can also immediately apply your favorite moisturizer after (or not).  It's your choice.

What to Expect

Start out using FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 once every 2-3 nights, and gradually work up to nightly use.  In the beginning, if you have never used a retinoid before, your skin may be a bit red or irritated.  This is normal.  After about 7-10 days, your skin will appear less wrinkled, more smooth, and clearer than ever!

Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Well, you can't make a claim like that one and not back it up.  Truth be told, I'm really proud of our retinol, and every tester is now a devoted fan.  And we genuinely care about people at FutureDerm.  With that said, we offer a 100% satisfaction guaranteed, 30-day money-back guarantee.

$15 Off for 30 Days!

FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 is normally $54.95 in spas, salons, and other select retailers.  However, because it's our first product, we are offering it for $39.95 until September 19, 2012.  After that date, we need to raise the price back up to $54.95 to cover all of our costs adequately.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a high-quality treatment, look no further than FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5.  As a company owner, I want to tell you sincerely that I believe ours is the best!  But as a scientist, I will say that it is a highly proven active ingredient with a state-of-the-art delivery system, and that you can always try it out for 30 days and see how well it works for you.  I do believe it's a must-have!  :-)

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Home Microdermabrasion: Personal Microderm Review

Home microdermabrasion can be a rather effective treatment for a variety of skin problems. Microdermabrasion can address melasma (a personal concern of mine), acne, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, and it is good for overall soft skin and brightening. Aside from exfoliating well, dermabrasion removes the dead skin cells through suction, which allows other treatment products to absorb better. I purchased a home microdermabrasion system, the Personal Microderm which I have used a couple of times now. So far, I think it is a keeper and plan to test it more, so watch for a follow up review in a few months. The device costs $179, which is considerably cheaper than having professional treatments done (those often run over $100 per treatment). The device is also now covered and is our top recommendation in our complete home microdermabrasion buyer's guide. You can view that and learn about a number of additional devices here:  Home Microdermabrasion Reviews.

Using the Home Microdermabrasion System: The Personal Microderm is incredibly easy to use. Simply plug it in and choose from two types of disks - The blue moderate disk for sensitive skin, or the green coarse disk for tougher skin. These disks also come in two sizes – small for facial areas, and large for body areas. Hold the skin tight and move the device in vertical or horizontal lines across the face without lingering in any one area. The device exfoliates the skin, while creating a suction, so it very much feels like you are vacuuming your face. The treatment can be made gentle by using a blue disk with light pressure, or more aggressive by using a green disk with heavier pressure. Home microdermabrasion treatments initially should be done once each week.

I started with the small blue disk and quickly moved up to the green. I have pretty tough skin and did not feel like I got a good treatment until I moved to the green. Sensitive types will want to stick with the blue though. The small disk works well for much of the face, but I moved to the large disk for my main cheek areas and forehead. I had a bit of difficulty with either size keeping suction on my forehead area, but I eventually got it, and I had no problems anywhere else. It doesn’t take long to treat the entire face—maybe 10 minutes tops.

Effectiveness of the Personal Microderm: In terms of results, I noticed softer skin immediately. For achieving nice soft skin, this is the best home exfoliation that you can get in my opinion. The device is effective at removing dead skin cells, and the suction removes them from your face. In regard to melasma, I did not notice any improvement on my main areas, but I also have only done three treatments. As much as anyone with melasma would like a quick cure, there isn’t really anything that can be done at home that will get rid of melasma or serious hyperpigmentation in that short of a times.  I would not expect to see anything noticeable before eight treatments or more. What I did notice in three weeks was a little bit of lightening (we are talking rather tiny here, don't get overly excited)  in a new area of pigmentation (those typically lighten easier) and some general improvement in my acne. Although next week I will be posting about how other products have pretty much cured my acne anyway. But the overall skin smoothing and such was pretty impressive even upon the first treatment. I’ll post an update a few months from now on how it works on tougher areas of melasma. I had some success a few years ago with professional microdermabrasion, but it wasn't overwhelming and I wasn't consistent in getting treatment, so I am curious about how the home system will work on that. Regardless I find it a worthwhile investment in terms of general skin care.

After Effects or Side Effects of Home Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion can be a bit deceptive in that it feels gentler than it really is, especially with the home microderm device, so start gentle and move up to more aggressive over time.  After a treatment, it is normal for your skin to be a bit pink. Because of that, be careful with applying treatment serums immediately after a microdermabrasion treatment. Instead, apply a soothing moisturizer and be sure to wear sunscreen. You should be wearing sunscreen all the time anyway, but Microdermabrasion makes the skin more sensitive to sun, making this even more important, especially if you want to have any hope at treating dark spots, such as melasma.

Recommended Adjunct Products: For those battling melasma, I recommend trying PCA Skin (pHaze 13) Pigment Gel (Hydroquinone version) PCA Skin (pHaze 13) Pigment Gel HQ Free (Hydroquinone free version) as a serum, along with your favorite gentle moisturizer in order to maximize the effect of the microdermabrasion. I personally use DHC White Sunscreen for my oily skin to get moisture, sunscreen and lightening all in one.  Anyone fighting wrinkles who like retinoids may like Derma Doctor Poetry in Lotion, although I also recommend caution using a retinol product too close to any given microderm treatment since retinol can also irritate the skin—be especially careful with that if you have sensitive skin.  Those with acne might want to try Arcona products. I’ll be raving about those next week!

Related Reviews:

PCA Skin Care Melasma Treatment

DHC White Sunscreen

Derma Doctor Poetry in Lotion

Want it? Buy it!

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Vichy Aqualia Antiox Ice-Effect Eye Stick

V094_L Vichy has a neat little product for tired eyes: the Vichy Aqualia Antiox Anti-Fatigue Ice-Effect Stick.  This little eye gel stick moisturizes the under eye area and feels cooling, which is great for puffiness.

The product feels gel-like when it is first applies and the cooling is also felt immediately. It quickly absorbs to provide some light moisture.  Put it in your refrigerator for an even greater cooling effect. The Vichy Ice-Effect stick also has Vitamin C, which is nice for its anti-oxidant properties and for brightening the skin. It is fragrance and paraben free.

If you have puffy eyes, this is a nice little item to have around. It is small, so it also fits nicely in a purse.

Note: This review is based on a product given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

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Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page