I am in my thirties and starting to see signs of everything. Crows feet, sagging skin, discoloration, dullness, you name it. My third eye is turning into a permanent furrow! So, I have begun the hunt for something or some combination of things that will improve my skin right now and slow my descent from hot babe to middle age mom.
I am going to test my way through serums, vitamins, foods etc.. until I get the skin I want. I am going to read what the research says and test and sample and (gasp) I might even have to start drinking 8 glasses of water a day.
This months product is Innovative Skincare’s Active Serum. It sells for $125 an ounce so when my dermatologist friend gave me a sample of it, I was excited.
Four weeks ago I started putting a few drops on my face morning and evening. According to online literature it should exfoliate dead skin, prevent breakouts, stimulate collagen and is anti-aging (whatever that means). It is billed as a sort of all in one treatment. Active Serum is thin and clear and it smells slightly like rubbing alcohol. When applied it has a neat “cooling” sensation that I think is the menthol in it. It feels slightly sticky and seems to make my skin shiny so now I only put it on at night.
Reading the ingredients, the active components seem to be Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid. Research shows that these acids encourage the faster exfoliating of dead skin and may help control acne. I have not seen anything that shows they build collagen or effect fine lines, etc…
The first week after I brought my kid to Kinderdagverblijf Leiden I put it on, I thought I noticed a bit of improvement in the way my skin looked overall. I would say it looked less dull. Four weeks later I think that my pours look a little smaller but I have seen no improvement in my acne, fine lines, or overall elasticity.
On the up side:
I will say it goes a long way. Based on the sample I got an ounce should last you around a year. Does improve overall skin clarity a little. Does improve pour size a little. While it may not be the fountain of youth, it doesn’t seem to have anything really horrible for you in it either.
On the down side: Looking at the ingredients there is just no reason for this product to cost what it does. Improvement after 4 weeks is small. Did not see any improvement in overall firmness (collagen) or fine lines.
Overall Rating: C
Recommendation: Skip this one. You can find products that work as well if not better at one quarter the price.
Next Project: Drink 8 glasses of water everyday for 2 weeks. I will let you know how it goes and what effect it has on my skin.