Skin Actives Dream Cream—the Answer to Dry Skin

 

Every so often, I discover a product in my beauty arsenal that I am so thankful for at that moment even though that product has been unused and ignored for months. By some kernel of sheer brilliance (or maybe just luck??) I saw this cream online and decided to try it. Thank god for Skin Actives and Dream Cream!!!

For about a month and a half, my facial skin has been so dry that, at times, it has been downright uncomfortable. Having completely forgotten about my neglected jar of Dream Cream, I discovered it the other day and have slathered it on my face ever since. After the first application, the moisture began to return to my parched skin and all became right with the world. This lovely, creamy, moussey (my new favorite, made-up word) yummy potion is so moisturizing that I’ve started using it in place of my usual hand and nail cream (goodbye dry cuticles!!). It also works wonders on dry elbows, knees and just about anyplace where dry skin lives.

A view at the ingredient list shows why it’s so wonderful: sea kelp bioferment, shea butter, oils (jojoba, rosehip, sesame, sweet almond, avocado seed, coconut, pomegranate seed, etc) as well as a number of ingredients that are found in antiaging skincare products. The folks at Skin Actives have a real winner with this one!!! In fact, because it has literally saved my skin this winter, Dream Cream receives the coveted “Love” rating from Ages of Beauty!

If you or someone in your household has dry skin (or even if no one does, they may someday and you’ll want to make sure you have this!) head on over to the Skin Actives website and purchase a jar of Dream Cream by clicking here. Available in three sizes (4 oz to 64 oz) and starting at $30 per jar, this is one purchase that you absolutely will not regret! Use it “as is” like I do or mix it with your favorite Skin Actives ingredients for your own customized moisturizer. Dream Cream also makes a great gift!!!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

My Skin Savior: Skin Actives Every Lipid Serum

As you all know, I test out many, many different skincare and makeup products. Some of them work great for me and some don’t. Those that don’t can often irritate my skin, making it dry and sometimes itchy. I’ve yet to have an actual reaction from a product (at least since testing products for this blog) but my skin does get patchy and dry if a product is too strong. Usually it’s the tender skin around my nose and then on either side of my chin. Flaky. Dry. Gross. The one product that works to clear this up almost instantly is Skin Actives Every Lipid Serum.

My own well used and well loved bottle of ELS

Skin Actives describes the purpose of this serum is to “provide an array of nutrients and antioxidants that your skin needs to stay healthy.” It contains 100% actives and no fillers and is designed to repair the skin barrier. Every Lipid Serum has also been shown to regulate oil production in oily skin, which makes it suitable for an acne control regime. That seems like it wouldn’t make sense, but we all now know that when we strip oil out of the skin, the skin produces more oil. 

The ingredients in ELS are as follows:

Squalane, Rosehip (Rosa rubiginosa ) seed oil, Pomegranate (Punica granatum ) seed oil, Chia (Salvia Hispanica) seed oil, Argan (Argania spinosa) oil, Schizochytrium oil, Soybean (Glycine max, non GMO) Lecithin, Cholesterol Oleyl Carbonate and Cholesteryl Nanoate and Cholesteryl Chloride, Punica granatum (pomegranate) Seed Oil and Astaxanthin and Tocotrienols and Lycopene and alpha D-Tocopherol and Thioctic Acid and Lutein and beta Carotene, Ceramide-3, Phytosterols, Gamma Oryzanol.

You can see from the ingredients list above, this serum is primarily oils and various actives. And no fillers! I use it exactly as it comes but it can also be used as a based serum for the addition of other actives (SA recommends CoEnzyme Q10, GABA and other actives that will dissolve in oil).

During the summer, I primarily use ELS when needed (like last week when toner I was testing was a little bit too strong for me), but during the winter, it is a regular part of my daily routine. Very little is needed---one or two “squirts” at the most (that's actually probably too much). I spread it over my face and neck and my skin is soothed and hydrated.

Every Lipid Serum is what I consider a “miracle product” in an industry where there is no such thing as a real miracle. For $18.50, users receive one ounce of a serum which is 1000% better than any $300 serum (a larger size is available). Skin Active products are formulated by chemists who actually know a thing or two about ingredients, formulations and what actually works for the skin. You can see from the packaging (and their website) that they are not a “marketing company.” That’s a very good thing as there are no outlandish claims made but, rather, the real truth about what is possible and what’s not in skin care and anti aging.

I highly recommend this product for everyone with Normal to Very Dry skin and then as needed for people with oilier complexions (try it out and see if it works for you!).

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Dupe for Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel?

I’m always on a quest for great skincare products that really work. Recently, I began to look at revamping my anti aging skincare regime and came across a lot of info about hyaluronic acid, a substance that helps skin hold onto moisture. Then I started hearing more about vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, which also acts as a moisturizer and a healer. These two ingredients sound like they would be great in a skincare product, right? Right! After even more research, I found that lots of companies already DO put these ingredients together and one of the most popular products is Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 gel. I thought, “I need to get that!” But then I looked at the price of said product ($74 for one ounce) and I said, “Whoa boy!” No way did I want to pay that much if I didn’t have to so off I went to the Skinactives web site. Through web research, I found out what the actual ingredients are in the Skinactives Hydrating B5 Gel and decided to make it myself for a lot less!

Okay, so I learned that the Skinceuticals gel contains the following ingredients: Water, Sodium Hyaluronate (this is Hyaluronic Acid), Pantothenic Acid (this is Vitamin B5) and Phenoxyethanol (a preservative). That’s it: four ingredients! At that point, I knew what I had to do: formulate MY OWN version of B5 gel! The ingredients are incredibly easy to find on the SkinActives site so I purchased two grams of Calcium Pantothenate (another name for Vitamin B5) for $4.50, one gram of Hyaluronic Acid for $7.50, and ten milliliters of an appropriate preservative for $1.00. I already had some distilled water and a brown bottle (which you can get from the internet or at Whole Foods for a couple of dollars). Here’s how I made my serum:

SkinActives Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5)

 

SkinActives Hyaluronic Acid

SkinActives Germaben

First I sterilized my tools and the brown bottle with a water and bleach solution, then rinsed and air dried. Then I took 2 Tablespoons of distilled water and added it to the brown bottle. After that, I added the entire tube of hyaluronic acid  (1 gram) to the distilled water and shook it up for several minutes to combine it as much as possible. The next step was to add 1 gram (half of a tube) of Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5) to the bottle and shook that up. To finish it off, I added a pipette full of the preservative, Germaben. After a final shaking to mix, I capped the bottle and placed my new serum in the refrigerator over night.

After the final mixing

The next morning, I took the mixture out of the refrigerator and was greeted with a clear, thick liquid. I shook it again, and then poured a little onto my hand and rubbed it into my skin. It was soft and silky!!! I’ve been using this serum for the past month and I have a LOT left so it will last me for several more months.

One note on making this serum, if the serum is too thick coming out of the refrigerator, try adding another tablespoon of distilled water. It’s not necessary to keep the serum in the refrigerator because of the preservative but I do anyway to make sure it lasts longer. It will be less thick out of the refrigerator and the way you’ll know if you’ve not added enough preservative is that the serum will become watery. That means that the hyaluronic acid has basically been “used up” by bacteria so throw it away. Keeping it in the refrigerator also prevents bacteria from taking hold.

My serum has been working beautifully for me in my new skincare routine. Total cost for one batch was about $10 plus a bottle (which I already had) vs. $74 for the same ingredients in the same volume for the Skinceuticals version. That’s a $64 savings plus I have enough Vitamin B5 and preservative for at least one more batch!

Making your own serums is a great way to save money on expensive skincare products and have fun at the same time!!! Try it!

Product Review: Skin Actives Formulation Kit

Kit includes: Sea Kelp Ultramarine Customization Kit (fragrances, antioxidants), Canvas Cream base, Seak Kelp Coral, Shea Mousse,

empty container and various measuring and mixing tools

There are so many companies out there that prey on women our age. Many of us are looking for the “miracle” that solves aging or that removes wrinkles and magically makes us look like we did when we were 20. I got so tired of spending hundreds of dollars on lotions and potions because I hoped that the marketing hype was true (it pretty much isn’t). So it was a huge breath of fresh air when I discovered Skin Actives.

Skin Actives is a supplier of skin care actives (the chemical ingredients found in skincare products) to the home user and to small private label firms that customize products for their own needs. Not only do they offer the building blocks of skin care products, they also offer their own formulated products. What’s significant to me is that Skin Actives is operated by scientists and not marketing people. This means that, as consumers, we get the actual truth about product performance and not “marketing fluff” that plays on our insecurities about aging. I’ve been using Skin Actives products for quite awhile now (I will eventually get around to reviewing some of their pre-formulated products) but this is the first time I have taken the plunge into actually custom formulating a product for myself.

I recently purchased the Formulation Kit for Beginners after hearing a lot about it. People refer to it as the “La Mer Kit” because it contains the ingredients to make a “La Mer-like” facial cream that contains sea kelp. The difference between the kit and La Mer is that the La Mer cream is incredibly expensive and actually contains a lot of ingredients that aren’t that special (aside from the sea kelp). Skin Actives not only has their own wonderful sea kelp (in fact, several kinds) but they have some really great ingredients that actually do work well on the skin (it’s the difference between being a marketing company and a company run by real scientists). Below, I’ll show you how I formulated my skin cream.

It all starts with the Canvas Base Cream. The ingredients of this cream include:

Distilled Water (Aqua), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate,Stearyl Alcohol, Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed Oil, Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) Oil, Avocado (Persea gratissima) Oil, HyaluronicAcid, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Diazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

This is a good, basic cream with all good stuff! (Note on the parabens---I am definitely not worried about these preservatives! We need preservatives in our skincare products to ensure that no “bugs” grow. Until the industry comes out with alternatives that have long term testing and data behind them, there’s nothing that we should fear about small amounts of parabens. They are a necessary part of these types of products.)

I placed a small amount of the Canvas Base Cream into the empty container provided, filling it about half full. Then I added a small amount of the shea mousse to this container.









After that I added some of the Skin Actives Antioxidant booster (also in the kit).







And now for the really special ingredient---Sea Kelp Bioferment!




Last, but not least, is a small amount of fragrance. The kit completes with several different options. I chose the cucumber/melon fragrance (just a few drops!).





Now for the finished cream, which is glorious!!!








I’ve been using this cream for about the past 3 weeks and it has been wonderful!! You only need a tiny amount and I used it all over my face and neck. The cream is silky, hydrating and absolutely lovely!!! My skin feels softer than it’s ever felt and very hydrated. To say I am satisfied, is an understatement. I’m thrilled!!!

As far as the cost, I only spent $29.50 for the kit (which will make at least 2-3 more batches). Compare that to $285 for 2 ounces of La Mer Ultrarich Creme (their original formula), which is the same amount of cream that I made for my use. To me, there is NO comparison. Skin Actives all the way!!!

You can purchase the Skin Actives Formulation Kit for Beginners (and other products) at Skinactives.com. The kit is available here. Check them out!!!


Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Products I’m Loving Right Now

I have tons of things going on right now but thought I’d give a quick flash of some products that I’m currently using and loving. During the summer, my skin care, hair care and makeup needs change (as do yours, I’m sure) so most of these products are new to me. Detailed reviews will follow!

Mac Face & Body

S’well Bottle

Cetaphil Moisturizer SPF 50

L’Oreal Eversleek Sulfate Free Shampoo (and conditioner)

L’Oreal Everstyle Energizing Dry Shampoo

Skin Actives Formulation Kit for Beginners

DIY Hyaluronic Acid Serum with B5

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Sticks

Chanel Soleil Tan

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

My Skincare Routine: Part 2

It wasn't until I was 42 that I began to be interested in skincare and take the health of my skin seriously. That first summer that I went to the beach slathered in sunblock, my pale white skin glowing against my black bathing suit as I sat under a beach umbrella with a sunhat and sunglasses, was very uncomfortable, indeed! Besides being slightly embarrassed by my deathly pallor, I really wanted to get out there on the beach and in the water! 

Slowly but surely, I embraced my natural color and began to figure out what would work best for my skin. Not one to be impressed by fancy packaging and expensive brands, I researched the ingredients that worked for aging skin (I'm still learning!) and came up with a skincare routine that works for my skin at this stage in my life. Skincare products can be soooo expensive and my research indicated that some of the most expensive products are made with some of the simplest, most inexpensive ingredients (in other words, they are waaay over priced!).

My routine is spelled out after the jump. Check it out!