MommaJ - stuff with retinol / Retin-A really does work. That is proven, and not marketing mumbo jumbo.
I would have to add it helps fine lines disappear. If you have deep creases, it’s not going to do much.
Every year it’s something. Just recently I started to notice just a small crease of loose neck skin when I turn my head. Just a teeny bit…but enough think think oh Dammit…now this. I’ve had the cracks for awhile.
Are retinol and retin-a the same thing? My dermatologist said my pimples were rosacea and taht retinol would help. She said I wouldn’t need a prescription and offered to sell me a really expensive container of it that they just so happen to sell at the dermatologist office. I didn’t buy it, but I hear there are drugstore brands that contain retinol and am thinking of trying it. I think it was Neutrogena Healthy Skin. I don’t have a lot of wrinkles, but am sick of having pimples at age 58. I thought the trade-off of getting old was having clear skin, but no such luck for me.
Retinol and Retin A (all-trans retinoic acid to be precise) are not the same thing. Retin A is the active form. Retinol is the reduced form (alcohol) of Retin A (retinoic acid). The human body is a marvelous machine that can turn retinol into retinoic acid, so yes, retinol will eventually deliver some retinoic acid. That said, retinol is SUPER unstable - it is a powerful antioxidant and if exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it will disintegrate very quickly. So creams that have retinol in them lose their potency from the moment they are opened. I will never buy a product with retinol in a large jar or large pump. If you want a retinol containing product, get something is a small tube, make sure to cap it tightly, store it in the dark and preferably refrigerate.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/733085_5
In plain English: retinol creams are better tolerated with fewer side effects, but it 20-times less potent than Retin A and is much less stable.
Of drugstore products, RoC is the best when it comes to retinol.
Yes, because it comes in (i) small (ii) tubes. 
So it stays potent longer.
I alternate between the RoC, Refissa and an Aveeno tone corrector. I’d like to get rid of those bands on my neck but I’m not willing to spend the money on injections (NTTAWWT, just not my thing).
Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle is a fantastic product. 12% glycolic acid, not animal tested, inexpensive. Unscented and very lightweight.
Following the thread.
On a slightly different beauty note, what can fair people with eyebrows that are getting smaller and smaller do? Anything?
I always thought my mom overplucked but now I know it’s just that they are disappearing from both sides and soon I will only have hair in the middle.
Get them dyed a little darker.
Just an FYI - Glycolic acid products should not be used daily if the concentration is too high or the skin has not been acclimated to the lower concentration. It is a chemical peel process, after all.
Tempe Mom- regarding the eyebrows. I went into Nordstrom and had a consultation with a great rep at the Laura Mercier counter. She suggested Laura Mercier brow definer. I also got a brush made by Anastasia. One end of the brush I use to put on the brow definer and the other end is like a mascara brush. I am so happy. It looks like I have eyebrows again without that drawn on look.
I have never had a dermatologist recommend Retin a for me. I’m assuming that I don’t have the right skin for it. I did have a BBL laser treatment done for both red and brown pigmentation on my face and chest. It has been a year and I feel it was worth it. My face was so smooth after.
As someone else mentioned I use Mad Hippie serum. I also use Rosehip oil and Argan oil on my face. All three of those at the recommendation of my dermatologist. I also like Murad Vit C line of moisturizers. I buy it at Ulta and stock up when I have a coupon.
I think one of these days I’m going to try the Juvaderm. @DonnaL did it, and sounds like she had wonderful results. It sounds like one of the only things you can do if you are plagued by the creases from your nose to your mouth, and your mouth downwards. I have a very thin face, and when the fat cells start disappearing, it is not a good look. I am scared of surgery and want to avoid that as long as possible, but I don’t think any facial cream can help this issue.
I just had a small amount of Restalyne injected under my eyes and in my nasolabial folds and I honestly don’t see much – if any – difference (though I did have a black eye for 3 weeks).
I was very adamant about not wanting a “done” look, so the doctor was very conservative.
It was quite expensive for so little result.
My sisters have confirmed my own perception that there is no real difference.
Anastasia brow products are great - both the brush-on gel and the pencil with a brush on the other end. Dying the brows helps but doesn’t last very long on me. I’ve been tempted to try Latisse on my brows. I’ve heard that some people have good results with it.
I tried filler twice in the nasolabial folds and saw no difference at all.
My dermatologist is bullish on Avene Retrinal. It’s supposed to be stronger than retinol but not as strong as Retin-A. I used it for a while and it’s very nice, not at all irritating. But I use Retin-A now.
For me the product that makes the biggest difference is vitamin C serum. I started with Skinceuticals C E Ferulic and it works like magic. But it oxidizes quickly, and the serum thickens and turns yellow, then orange. The stuff is very expensive and it’s not possible to use the entire bottle before it goes bad. For a while I was buying the small sample bottles from ebay or Amazon, but I think that some of them were fake. Now I use the Obagi Vitamin C serum in the 20% concentration. It does not seem to go bad. They also have 10% and 15% versions.
On essentialdayspa.com, there are discussions of DIY vitamin C serum. Apparently you can make it very cheaply after investing in some equipment (think chemistry class). You make it frequently so that it doesn’t oxidize.
BB, I’m interested in your take on this.
“I tried filler twice in the nasolabial folds and saw no difference at all.”
What kind of filler, @oneofthosemoms? I have heard Juvaderm has very good results. They recommended two syringes for me, which I think is the max. Do you think they didn’t use enough, as how could it show no results at all?
I’m very curious about the vitamin C serum also, as compared to retinol.
NYMomof2 – I’ve read reviews that the vitamin C serum sold by Timeless is virtually identical to the Skinceuticals one you mentioned. I just bought it but haven’t tried it yet. It’s much cheaper. http://www.timelessha.com/20-vitamin-c-e-ferulic-acid-serum-1-oz/
The reviews I read are from the makeupalley website – http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=163432/Timeless-20-Vitamin-C-±E-Ferulic-Acid-Serum/Unlisted-Brand/Treatments-(Face)
@busdriver11, I’m sorry I can’t remember now if it was Juvederm or Restylane or how much was used. I was told later that the problem may have been that the filler was injected directly into the folds to try to fill them. Apparently people get better results if the product is injected higher in the face, and as a result the skin at the folds gets pulled up and makes the fold appear less deep. I didn’t try that because I was afraid of getting that weird puffy face look. So I’ll stick with my basset hound look instead.