Review: Instantly Ageless - Thumbs in Pocket

The Claim:   Instantly Ageless™ is a powerful anti-wrinkle microcream that works quickly and effectively to diminish the visible signs of aging. The revolutionary ingredient is argireline: a peptide that works like botox—without the needles. Instantly Ageless™ revives the skin and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and pores for a flawless finish.

The Review:  I was gifted a sample of Instantly Ageless™and gave it a try after a night of insomnia.  The manufacturer claims that this is a powerful anti-wrinkle cream, but I found it to really only be effective on bags under the eyes.  My fine lines and wrinkles were still there, but the bags were gone and this gave me a much better appearance.

A little bit goes a looooonnnnggg way so you can get about 5 applications for the eyes per tube (if you're willing to cut the tube open).  The smell is quite pleasant and it was very easy to use.  My only caution would be to make sure you don't use too much or it will leave a white flakey residue.

Here is a video of me applying the product 
and the end results

I've given this product a "Thumbs in Pocket" rating, because it's excellent at getting rid of bags and saggy skin under the eyes (temporarily), but it doesn't really work that well on wrinkles.  I tried it in the following areas.

Eyes - Got rid of bags, but still had fine lines

Forehead - (before and after photos below) Some improvement in my wrinkles, but I went a big overboard and looked like I had dried glue on my forehead.  I blotted it with a damp cloth to get rid of the flakey look.

Flakey Forehead 

Nasolabial Folds - No improvement

Neck - No improvement

While this product does definitely help improve the eye area, it is not Botox and the claim that it's Botox in a bottle is a little bit overboard.  If you're looking for a product to help with bags in the eye area this product is great!

Purchasing Information:  $85 apx. for 25 vials.  You can purchase this product through the companies web site, http://www.jeunesseglobal.com/instantly-ageless-content.aspx or online at many different sites and in a variety of sizes (some costing less for less product).

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua)
Sodium Silicate - A buffering agent and pH adjuster
Magnesium Silicate - Used to absorb excess moisture from liquid skin care formulations to make them less watery or runny.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline) - This is the ingredient they claim as a "liquid botox"
Phenoxyethanol - Preservative
Ethylexylglycerin - Skin-conditioning agent and preservative
Yellow 5 (Cl 19140)
Red 40 (Cl16035)

Review: 18Actives Dynamic Eye Pack - Thumbs in Pocket

The Claim: Eye Essence is a potent therapy for under eye treatment. Dark circles, puffiness, dry skin, and fine lines can be addressed with this amazing formulation. Faux Filler works by increasing the number of adipocytes (fat cells) in the area being treated, resulting in increased volume and density of the underlying skin structure.

The Review: The first thing I noticed was the web site for these products did not contain the full ingredient list (that would be red flag number one). I did go to their distributors site, http://www.naturalskinshop.com/, and I was able to find the ingredients there.

The second red flag was their claim that the Faux Filler “works by increasing the number of adipocytes (fat cells) in the area being treated”. Um, sorry, but that would be impossible, without actually injecting fat under the skin. There is no miracle product that can do this, if there was there wouldn’t be a flat chested woman left in the world! Interestingly enough there are topical creams for the chest that claim to do the same thing, but those claims have never been proven in an independent study.

Below are before and after pictures of my co-worker, as she was a great test subject for the “lightening” claim put forth by the manufacturer and pictures of myself before and after using the Faux Filler.

Before and after using Eye Essence

 
Before and after using Faux Filler

As you can see my eyes don’t look any fatter and my co-workers dark circles haven’t faded one shade. My co-worker did state, however, that the product left her eye area moisturized and she noticed that it felt dryer when she stopped using the product. I also noticed a tingling sensation when I applied the faux filler and you’ll notice in my before and after photos that the skin around my eyes appears less shiny, which is due to the silicone in the product. Overall I noticed a slight improvement, but not enough for what this product costs.

My overall advice when it comes to these two products would be this…don’t waste your money. For dark circles you can rub a little bit of organic, virgin, coconut oil under your eyes. This isn’t a miracle solution that’s going to make you look 25 again, but it will definitely moisturize the under-eye skin. It also contains vitamin K, which along with the massaging motion, will help to decrease dark circles. In regards to the Faux Filler, like any other product that contains silicone it will give a smooth and satin feel the area where it’s applied, but there are cheaper versions, Sephora Perfecting Eye Primer, $14, comes to mind. I am also a bit put off by the amount of preservatives used in these products.

Price: Eye Essence, $48 and Faux Filler, $74

Purchasing Information: http://www.18actives.com/product-category/products/

Eye Essence Ingredients:

• Deionized Water
• Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) – red algae used as a thickener & moisturizer
• Glycerin – humectant, draws moisture to the skin
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 – known as botox in a jar, but not proven
• Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein – skin-conditioning agent (moisturizing)
• Oxido Reductases - Large group of enzymes that reduce or block oxygen in different forms from generating free radical damage.
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein – skin-conditioning agent (moisturizing)
• Citric Acid – preservative (that means that everything below this is 2% or less of the total ingredients.
• Sodium Hyaluronate - moisturizing
• Coffee Robusta Extract – (Green Coffee Extract) – antioxidant, but I couldn’t find any research that showed it was effective at this low of a level.
• Coffee Arabica Seed Extract – antioxidant
• Phenoxyethanol - preservative
• Caprylyl Glycol - preservative
• Potassium Sorbate - preservative
• Hexylene Glycol - solvent

Faux Filler Ingredients:

• Deionized Water
• Silicone Glycol - emollient, humectant and moisturizer
• Cetyl-Peg - emulsifier
• Polymethylsilsesquioxane - a silicone ingredient that creates a lubricating, smooth, silky feel.
• Cyclopentasiloxane - a silicone
• Dimethicone – a silicone
• Polysilicone-11 – a silicone
• Butylene Glycol - thickener
• Decyl Glucoside – surfactant (lower the surface tension of a liquid i.e. “slip”)
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil – skin conditioner
• Macelignan – A polyphenol that is isolated from nutmeg that is touted as increasing the volume of fat cells. I cannot find any scientific research stating that this is true. I do find research stating that this ingredient is an anti-oxidant though.
• Seaweed Extract - hydrating and firming effect, as well as anti-inflammatory
• Tocopherol – vitamin E
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 – peptide used to relax muscles
• Rice Bran Protein – skin conditioner
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) – moisturizer and antioxidant
• Tripeptide-10 Citrulline – Skin conditioner that mimics the molecule responsible for regulating collagen fibers I’ve only been able to find research from the manufacturer so I’m thinking that it probably doesn’t really work.
• Squalane – emollient/moisturizer
• Hydroxyethyl Acrylate – thickener that leaves creates feeling of velvety softness when applied to the skin. Note: the manufacturer of this states the following on their site “Brief skin contact may cause skin irritation with local redness, including an allergic skin reaction. Prolonged skin contact may result in skin burns, including pain, severe local redness, swelling, and tissue damage. Prolonged or widespread contact could result in absorption of amounts that could be fatal. (seriously would you want this around your eyes…)
• Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer - thickener
• polysorbate 60 – surfactant/emulsifier
• Sodium Hyaluronate - lubricant
• Silica - humectant
• Phenoxyethanol - preservative
• Caprylyl Glycol - preservative
• Potassium Sorbate - preservative
• Hexylene Glycol - solvent

Review: Baby Bottom Butter – Thumbs “In Pockets”

The Claim:  It was designed to protect babies bottoms, keeping them smooth, free from infection and sores, but it has become an anti-aging phenomenon.

Baby Bottom Butter, which is priced at just £2.54, has become the top selling skincare product for people of all ages, particularly women, at Waitrose.


The Review:  If you like dipping your face into Crisco then you'll love the texture of this cream.  Although I love the fact that the ingredients are all natural and the product contains no parabens I just can't get past the fact that it's suuuuuper greasy.  For every day use I would say this product is a no go, but then again that is just my opinion.  I tend to prefer heavier and greasier face lotions, but this one was just too much for even me.

I cannot give this product a negative review, because I found that it is an amazing foot cream, works well on rough and dry cuticles and did work quite well as a face cream after I had a medium depth chemical peel.  My makeup slid off of my face when I tried to use this during the day, but at night it was fine, as long as I had my hair tied back.  The smell is lovely and the price can't be beat.


Purchasing Information: You can purchase this product in Waitrose (if you can find it in stock) or on-line at the Waitrose site .


Ingredients:  Olea Europeae (Olive Oil), Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Vanillin, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile Oil).

Review: Nectifirm® from Revision Skincare – Thumbs “In Pockets”

The Claim:  A twice-daily-use cream, Revision Skincare's Nectifirm® hones in on the neck and decolletage to decrease wrinkle depth.  Packed with lipopeptides that have been shown to tighten and lift the neck, it also contains flavonoids to break up stubborn fatty deposits under the chin and along the neck.

Biotechnological extract reinforces the cohesion between the dermis and epidermis smoothing roughness and crepiness. Clinical studies showed a decrease in wrinkle depth of 67%.

Plant-based molecule helps slow the ability to store lipids, reduces fat already accumulated and helps prevent the creation of new lipid deposits.


The Review:  You had me at neck.  When it comes to anything that helps the neck I take notice and I’m a sucker for a claim.  I read about Nectifirm® in a reputable beauty magazine for professionals and since I am slowly forming my very own turkey neck I decided I would give it a try.  Who wouldn’t want a neck cream that minimizes a double chin and improves the texture of the skin.  The article, as well as the Nectifirm® web site had great before and after photos and I was hooked.

I have to give this neck cream a rating of “Thumbs in Pockets”, because I don’t know whether to give it a Thumbs Up as a great moisturizer or a Thumbs Down as it doesn’t live up to the claims.  I had a funny feeling that there was no miracle cream that would remove my sagging chin and striated lines, but of course I always dream that it will happen and therefore I buy into the hype. 

I did notice that when I smoothed the cream onto my neck the appearance of the lines were definitely less, so therefore it is a great moisturizer and it does appear to moisturize for about half a day.  By evening the lines are back and it’s time to slather on some more cream.  Unfortunately I still have a double chin and I don’t think anything short of stepping up my exercise routine and/or a little liposuction is going to help that.

I think I’ll stick to my regular, and cheaper, heavy cream for the neck and chalk Nectifirm® up to a nice cream, but a bit overpriced.


Purchasing Information:  You can use the Nectifirm® web site to find a local retailer for Nectifirm®, or you can just Google it and buy it online.  I paid $49 for mine online.
 

Ingredients:  Purified water, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Yeast) extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed extract, Tricaprylin, Glycerin, Methylsilanol Carboxymethyl Theophylline, Cetyl Esters, Phellodendron Amurense Bark extract, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate (emulsifier), Squalane (emollient), Glyceryl Stearate (emulsifier), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3, Hordeum Distichon (Barley) extract, Lauryl Lactate, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (emollient/thickening), Ceteareth-20, Ceramide 2, Dihydromyricetin (fat reducer), Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Algae Extract, Barmbusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) extract, Steareth-20, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer (thickener/stabilizer), Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Pisum Sativum (Pea) extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Polysorbate 60 (emulsifier), Butylene Glycol (humectant), Glucosamine HCL (anti-inflammatory), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C), PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Tribehenin, Diazolidinyl Urea (preservative), Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum (thickener), lodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (preservative), Fragrance.