Sometimes it's tough to sort between fact and fiction on the beauty-focused corners of the Internet, but there are a few things I know to be true, and one of them is that retinol during daylight hours is bad news. The ingredient is a potent anti-ager, but makes your skin more sensitive to UV light — as I learned six years ago when I slapped on a retinol, went about my day, and hours later found my skin flaking off in my hands. The horror is still fresh! And yet, here I am talking about Avène's Retrinal Day Cream with nothing but praise.
That's because despite the name, the French moisturizer doesn't include retinol, but is instead meant to complement retinol elsewhere in your routine with a dose of comforting hydration and strong antioxidants. "The ingredients in this cream are very nice," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marina Peredo tells InStyle. "Pre-tocopheryl is a powerful antioxidant, a precursor of vitamin E that protects against free radicals. It also provides intense hydration, as it is formulated with hyaluronic acid."
Which means that even without retinol in the formula, the cream will deliver a different angle of ~youth~. Dr. Peredo says hyaluronic acid plumps the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and the included mother of pearl and brown algae both provide a brightening effect on the skin — a combination that makes for "powerful, yet gentle anti-aging benefits" and faded dark marks, according to shoppers.
"My skin feels incredibly smooth using this thick, yet fast-absorbing cream. I could tell a difference in the texture of my skin in about two days of use," the former person continued. "The light scent smells clean, and I know my skin looks more radiant after several weeks of using this. Highly recommend [it] for anyone looking for an anti-aging product that is gentle on hypersensitive skin."
Shop now: $55; aveneusa.com
The mother of pearl is an especially interesting addition, adds Dr. Rachel Maiman, a board-certified dermatologist at New York's Marmur Medical dermatology and aesthetics clinic. "Studies have shown that it can significantly induce the proliferation of fibroblasts, the cells that lay down collagen, as well as directly stimulate collagen synthesis and reduce the activity of matrix metalloproteinases, enzymes that degrade collagen."
That's just the case, according to reviewers who've seen their fine lines decrease within weeks. "I've noticed a difference in skin clarity, and [my] fine lines are not as visible, especially between my eyes where I have frown lines," they comment. It makes a difference even for under-eye circles and dryness, another person says, and the little gem doesn't irritate their extremely sensitive eyes.
As a last person writes, "I am going to be 75 years old, and I constantly get compliments about my skin and [am] told they would never guess me to be the age I am. I have been using these creams for more than 10 years and would not use anything else." If you want to follow their lead, try the Retrinal Day Cream for $55.
Source: Read Full Article