Skin Care | Beauty and Fashion Tech

L’Oreal Deep Set Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream

L’Oreal Revitalift Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream comes in a double sided tube. One side for night and the other for day. As far as eye creams go, it is pretty standard, but a decent enough choice for a product with Retinol at around $20.

The day creme is really a light lotion that includes SPF 15 and moisturizers for basic conditioning and protection. It absorbs well, feels fine, and I really can’t find anything to complain about other than it doesn’t really stand out either. It basically is a just a good everyday basic eye cream.

The night creme is slightly thicker (but not much) and includes Retinol for anti-aging and wrinkle treatment. Retinol is pretty much the ingredient of choice for night treatment and L’Oreal’s cream feels good and absorbs well. However, without knowing the concentration of Retinol, it might not be the best choice available. If you are not sensitive to Retinol, look for an eye cream that includes the full amount allowed over the counter, such as ROC. I have my doubts that L’Oreal includes it to that concentration. Also, keep in mind that this cream, or any eye cream for that matter, regardless of the amount of Retinol, is not going to repair your deep set wrinkles. They might help with the appearance some, or better yet, prevent worsening, but no cream is a cure. Sorry.

Overall, L’Oreal’s eye cream duo is pretty standard. It has an OK price point for its ingredients, but mostly I just like the combo of a day and night cream in one package and I think it is particularly nice for travel.

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

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Canyon Ranch Balance Light Weight Moisture Lotion

204206 Canyon Ranch Balance Light-Weight Moisture is a nice light moisturizer with no parabens, mineral oil, petroleum, alcohol or added color. I got mine in my last edition of Beauty Fix (I love Beauty Fix! Link is to a previous review).

Overall, Canyon Ranch moisturizer has a nice, soft, luxurious feel. Yet it is light and absorbs quickly. It is perfect for oily to normal skin. It also includes anti-aging ingredients. I have read one Canyon Ranch review where the author had an acne breakout after using the SPF version of this moisturizer. I have had no problem though, and am quite acne prone. So, I guess there are some mixed results in that department. Personally, I love the product.

I curious about the rest of the Canyon Ranch skincare line now. I will have to see about trying a few more of their skin care products.

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

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Elizabeth Arden Prevage Day Moisturizer SPF 30

Prevage is pricey, but its active ingredient, Idebenone, an antioxidant closely related to CoQ10, has been touted as a great item for skin protection and wrinkle treatment. As a general treatment cream, I have always liked it, although, as is the case with most wrinkle treatments and skin care items, it is hard to say if it really is having any meaningful effect.

In any event, now Prevage is available as a day moisturizer with SPF 30. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Day Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30. If you are a Prevage fan, this is a must have item. The moisturizer is on the lighter side and suitable for all skin types. I have been using on my oily, acne prone skin for several weeks with no problems. Yet, it would moisture dry skin fairly well too. It also has broad spectrum SPF 30 protection, which I find essential in a day moisturizer.

So, if you use Prevage and want to get your moisturizer and sunscreen packaged with it, now you can do so!

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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Claro Acne Clearing Device Review

Acne sufferers! Take notice of the CLARO Acne Clearing Device (Nordstrom Exclusive)! This intense pulsed light device (IPL) works quite well at clearing standard acne and, although not developed for use on cystic acne, had some effect on some that was bordering on being that type for me as well. Before I give my Claro review, here is what the company says about it:

CLARO offers a completely new way to treat acne–no lotions, creams or pills. CLARO is a personal acne-treatment medical device that is based on the same Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology used by dermatologists worldwide. The IPL system used in the CLARO harnesses a powerful combination of heat and light to treat mild to moderate acne quickly and naturally. CLARO delivers a series of pulses in six seconds that safely penetrate the skin to target the cause of acne.The effective and natural treatment for acne:- Fast and easy to use.- Kills up to 94.8% of acne bacteria after just one treatment.- Results you’ll notice quicker than with competitive devices.- Painless, gentle treatments.- Safe, with no side effects.- Natural alternative to drugs and lotions.- Portable, battery-operated and rechargeable. Color(s): cobalt blue, hot pink, onyx black.

I have been using the Claro for over a month now, with some particularly heavy use on a post-holiday breakout. I think all that bad eating didn’t do well for my skin! I ran into a couple of minor difficulties using it, but overall I was quite happy with the results.

About the Claro Acne Treatment Device: The Claro uses a pulsed light laser to kill bacteria. It also generates heat, something that also help treat acne. It is formulated for use on standard pimples, not for use on cystic acne or blackheads.

Using the Claro Acne Clearing Device: To use the Claro, it is turned on and held over the pimple that is being treated. Two sensors on either side of the light must be in contact with the skin for the device to work. The unit beeps to let you know that contact is made. Then, the button is pressed and the device emits 12 pulses of light over 6 seconds. After one treatment, the user is instructed to wait a few minutes and then treat the same area again. One pimple should be treated this way no more than once every 8 hours. After one set of two cycles, the device pauses and cant be used again for a minute. This is a safety feature to allow the device to cool.

I found that using the Claro Acne Treatment Device was generally easy and comfortable. It heats up slightly while emitting the IPL pulses, but it is not uncomfortable. If you have ever used a Zeno (link is to previous review), the sensation is similar. It is not at all like the quick shocks of heat that come from the now discontinued Thermaclear (link is to previous review). Where I ran into problems at times was lining up the device. It is a bit hard to tell if it is centered over the area of acne being treated, and I have contemplated drawing a black arrow on mine with a sharpie! Also, in areas where the face curves, such as the chin, it can be hard to keep both sensors in contact with the skin. This can result in the treatment cycle being cut short. I sometimes had both cycles cut off, and then had to wait for the device to allow me to use it again.

Effectiveness of the Claro: Here is the great part. I found the device to be very effective, and much more so than the Zeno was for me. The first time that I used it on an area of standard acne, it was practically gone the next day, with only a bit of redness remaining. Needless to say, I was impressed! Then, I tried it on an area that had several pimples, including a bit of particularly inflamed acne. It cleared the entire area up quite well. Finally, I gave the Claro Device a try on a particularly difficult area of adult acne, that was bordering on being cystic acne, but not quite there yet–keep in mind that the Claro was not developed for use on cystic acne. It did not completely clear that one up, but I felt that it hastened its clearing—something I also feels that the Zeno and Thermaclear do with particularly inflamed or cystic acne. I think that heat generation might be the main cause of help when it comes to the tougher to treat types of breakouts. Again, the Claro does not advertise that it works on cystic acne, and does not recommend its use on that type, so there should be no expectations from it on that type of acne. Any such use is off label and not recommended by the company (or me for that matter). It also won’t do a thing for blackheads, and is not recommended for use on them.

Safety of the Claro: Because the Claro uses a pulsed light laser, the user should never look into the light and it should be used with caution around the eyes. The device is shipped with a set of mini goggles if you would like extra eye protection. I used them when treating an area underneath my one of eyes.

Price and Product Life: The Claro is $250. Not mentioned on the Nordstrom sale page is that it also has a product life. It will last for about 800 six second treatments, which if you are comparing it to the Zeno, comes to about equal in pricing since the Zeno is cheaper but needs its tips replaced more frequently.

Want it? You can purchase a Claro below:

This review is based on a product that was sent to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

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Glam Beauty Expert: Solve Skin Concerns With Vichy

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Envision Beauty The Solution

Recently some beauty bloggers were discussing favorite products and products that they have repurchased, and multiple people brought up Envision Solution as a favorite. I thought it sounded familiar, so I went digging through my group of products that I am way behind on reviewing, and sure enough, there it was! Apparently I had even started testing it for a review, but for whatever reason, I had set it aside and forgot about it. So I made a point of using it for 4 weeks, and I’m quite happy that I rediscovered it and gave it a try!

Envision Beauty The Solution is an interesting moisturizer that is akin to a cross between a serum and a light lotion. In fact, the website advertises it as a replacement for most skin care items, stating:

The Solution’s luxurious all-in-one formula is loaded with the most effective ingredients found in Nature and Science. It powerfully nourishes, brightens and evens out the skin- repairing and preventing the signs of aging. Applied twice daily in place of a day cream, night cream, eye cream, moisturizer, anti-aging serum and pre-makeup base, The Solution rapidly produces drastic, visible results.

The active ingredient list is also rather impressive with: DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, NaPCA, Vitamins A, B5, C, and E, Goji, Acai, Centella Asiatica, and Grapeseed.

Overall, I love the feel of The Solution. Most moisturizers with DMAE and Hyaluronic Acid are thick and heavy, but Envision Solution is very light. It feels like a serum, but it still moisturizes very well. I currently have oily skin and had no issues with it feeling greasy or causing breakouts. I would happily suggest it for pretty much all skin types—I think Envision will take care of dry skin nicely, yet not clog up or grease up oily skin. It tingles a bit on application, which is probably from the Vitamin C, and that actually makes me happy, since I can then trust that there is a decent concentration of it.

I used The Solution in place of most serums, eye cream and moisturizers for about 4 weeks and it did indeed replace all of them all rather well. I was particularly surprised to find that I liked it just fine in place of eye cream. I still used my melasma treatment products, Azaleic Acid for acne, sunscreen, and my makeup primer. Contrary to Envision’s assertions, I didn’t find that the Solution worked particularly well as a pre-makeup base. I like to use a silicone based primer for that (psst, try out one of these three best makeup primers). I also would like to see Envision add sunscreen to the product. In any event, I will probably be repurchasing this one when my sample runs out.

Envision Beauty The Solution is $79 and 10% of the proceeds from their sales goes to charities in developing countries.

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

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DHC Coupons

DHC SKincare has a few nice sales for the month of January. For example, you can get $5 off $30 of any DHC skin care products or 25% off of Olive Virgin Oil. Click below to use either DHC Coupon (actually, hey are more like sales since you don’t seem to need a coupon code).

DHC also always gives 4 free samples with every order. Looking for ideas on what to buy? Browse through the DHC Skincare category here on Beauty and Fashion Tech or see even more DHC skin care items in the DHC tag.