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Healthy skin through the ages
I've been trying to concentrate on products that will help me maintain healthy skin as I approach the end of my 50's. I have several new items to share with you here and in upcoming reviews.
It's been years since I've used Clinique for skin care. I remember when Clinique first was introduced by Estee Lauder in 1968. I was in college at the time and everyone rushed to try Clinique's three step skincare program: a bar of soap, a huge glass bottle of toner and a bottle of moisturizer. The bar of soap was just soap and that huge bottle of toner never got finished because it was SO big! Anyhow... in the past few months, while looking for a simple gel cleanser for the summer, I discovered that Clinique, which now features skincare and cosmetic products for all age ranges, has introduced a version of their basic cleanser as a gel in a pump bottle! At $14.50 for 6.7 oz., the bottle is plastic and lightweight! It's a great price for a great product. One bottle lasted me a couple of months. I use Gentle, but it also comes in Extra Mild and Oily skin formulas. It cleans beautifully without drying or leaving an oily residue, perfect for warm weather or year round use. For traveling Clinique has also introduced a set of three small tubes of the same cleanser for $18.50, available in Oily and Mild.
Clinique also makes some great lightweight warm weather foundations. I particularly like Moisture Sheer Tint SPF 15 ($26). It contains anti-oxidants and is oil free, so it's sheer without shine, which is what I like. I chose the lightest shade, Fair.
Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup ($22.50) offers light to moderate coverage and is heavier than the Moisture Sheer Tint mentioned above. It has a light reflective formula which visually smooths out skin tone or, according to Clinique, "optically resurfaces skin". It has a lovely natural finish and looks and feels great! I chose Very Fair 02.
All products are available at your local Clinique counter, clinique.com or macys.com.
I've fallen in love with Olay's new skincare line, Definity. Comprised of three products, which alone and together help aging skin concerns, the most unique product in this range is Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer. Dispensed as a foam from a pump dispenser and used as you would a serum, it contains a glucosamine complex which helps rebuild collagen and even out discoloration. This foam is light as a feather and works great in combination with the other products in the range or, as I have done during our hot and humid summer, used alone as a light moisturizer under makeup. If you buy just one product in this range, this is the one to go for!
Olay Definity Correcting Protective Lotion with SPF15 is a light cream, also dispensed through a pump, also containing glucosamine. Glucosamine also gives broad spectrum UV protection and which has been shown in recent tests to reduce the amount of melatonin, which produces brown and age spots. This lotion can be used under or over Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer. While they can't completely erase existing discolorations, and because they do not contain any hydroquinone, which is the most effective skin bleaching agent, Definity will not completely erase existing age spots, but the fact that the products contain broad spectrum UV protection can help prevent additional brown spots.
The third Definity product is the Defense Intense Hydrating Cream, which is really a translucent gel-type cream in a jar. Used as a night cream, it is easily absorbed and leaves your skin velvety smooth when you wake up in the morning. I look forward to using this as a daytime moisturizer in cold weather. It, too, can be applied over the Foaming Moisturizer.
I highly recommend these products. I've been using them for about a month and I see a definite difference in the texture of my skin, which is saying a lot in the moisture-laden heat of Washington, DC in the summer! My skin looks much smoother and my laugh lines are not quite as noticeable.
While Olay has made many products since I first started using their plain vanilla Oil of Olay over 25 years ago, this is one of the best product lines I have tried from Olay and I give it a whole-hearted thumbs up!
Available at your local drug or discount chain, each item runs about $29.95, but can often be found online for less at drugstore.com or walgreens.com.
Another skin care product that I've used a lot in the past few months is Immuderm. When I received a sample of this cosmeceutical, I was a bit skeptical about all of its marvelous claims, and because I've managed to avoid trying any of the recent astronomically-priced miracle creams that have come on the market in the past few years, I put off trying this for a while.
A few months ago, I pulled the sample out and decided to give it a try and I was absolutely amazed at the results. For starters, this is not a fancy department store product. Packaged in a large 6 oz. tube, Immuderm is thick and more medicinal than cosmetic. Immuderm worked wonders with my aging complexion. It contains Norwegian Beta 1,3/1,6 Glucan which is extraced from Brewer's Yeast; taken orally, Glucan supports the immune system. When applied topically, it helps repair the skin and protect it from damaging environmental elements, as does the Glucosamine used in the Olay Definity products.
All the scientific and advertising blurbs aside, this stuff is simply great! Most noticeably, after a night or two of use, it really did wonders on red or irritated spots. Check out all the scientific data at immunocorp.com.
Immuderm is not cheap - the price is $89.95 for a large 6 oz tube, which will last several months. (You can find "deals" on multiple orders on their web page and on other skincare sites.) I truly like this product and definitely recommend it for aging baby boomers like me.
Happy Shopping!
- Judith
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Posted August 28, 2006
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