I Vote For Retinol In the Skincare Competition

Sometimes, pictures do indeed “say 1,000 words,” like these photos of my completely unmade up face…

…taken on 7 consecutive nights, at exactly the same time (11 PM), in exactly the same spot (the SE corner of my living room), with exactly the same lighting. I also tried to keep my face pretty much expressionless.

Notice the following: On day 7, I have A) less pronounced crow’s feet (a.k.a. periorbital lines); B) creases at the sides of my face, below my nose and above my mouth (a.k.a. nasolabial folds); and C) little lines to the bottom left and right of my mouth (a.k.a. oral commissures). My skin tone also is brighter and the texture is smoother.

It doesn’t just look smoother. It feels smoother.
I give you my word!

Mighty good results for using a mass skin care line, called Rapid Wrinkle Repair, from Neutrogena. Like every other woman who has used the four products (RWR serum, moisturizer with sunscreen for day, moisturizer for night, and eye cream), for only one week, the results are clearly visible. If the outcome is this good on my 67-year-old skin, imagine how good it would be on skin a decade or more younger?

At about $84 for all four products ($21 each), that makes Rapid Wrinkle Repair one heck of a deal. When the Neutrogena PR agency called to ask if I’d try the products, I’d said sure. I’ll never turn down the chance to do something nice for my skin, since it’s been kind to me for many years. Truth is, I didn’t trust the products would work since I’d heard this (empty) promise over and over, for years, from other drugstore lines, including Olay and L’Oreal, to fancy schmancy brands that sell a single jar of moisturizer for four times the price of what Neutrogena sells its quartet of products. Can’t think of a single product that worked anywhere near Rapid Wrinkle Repair. I admire Neutrogena for taking the chance that my older skin would respond as well as it did.

Retinol By Any Other Name
Is NOT Retinol

OK, obvious question:
Why are these Neutrogena products so effective?

Simple answer: They contain Retinol, a pure form of Vitamin A, that is naturally found in our skin, and is the leading anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists (the prescription version is called Retin-A). As we age, our skin renews itself less frequently and fine lines, large pores and uneven skin tones start to appear. By enhancing surface skin renewal to complement our skin’s natural processes, Retinol clearly improves signs of aging.

Other ingredients may sound like Retinol, such as Pro-Retinol, Retinyl Ester, and Retinyl Palmitate, but they aren’t as active as Retinol, and therefore, not as effective. Scientific evidence, as a matter of fact, supports the claim that Retinol is superior to other forms of Vitamin A when it comes to providing benefits to our skin. Here, for example, is the list of ingredients, in one of the other leading drugstore brands.

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Retinyl Propionate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Carnosine, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide 4, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Panthenol, Isohexadecane, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Dmdm Hydantoin, Carbomer, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Decyl Glucoside, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, Lactic Acid.

Pulling The Wool
(Oops, Retinol Propionate)
Over Our Eyes!

Notice, it doesn’t say Retinol! Shame on those big brands that use weaker versions of Vitamin A and would have us think otherwise. One of them even shows the results of its non-Retinol product on two young women, and never ever uses FabOverFifty women. Sure, a weaker product will work better on younger skin, but it sure didn’t work well on mine. Many skin care companies have figured out how to brilliantly pull the wool over our eyes, or should I say Retinol Propionate!

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair also contains Glucose Complex and Hyaluronic Acid to add line-plumping moisture to help hydrate, replenish and rejuvenate the look of skin, and to speed up the skin’s surface activity for rapid results on the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The results of a double-blind, eight-week study of 40 women, from 40 to 69 years old, showed Rapid Wrinkle Repair was 94.9 percent effective in reducing fine lines, compared to 2.5 percent efficacy for a leading department store brand; 76.9 percent effective in reducing pigmentation, compared to 0 percent for the department store brand, and 87.2 percent effective in reducing sallowness, compared to 15 percent for the department store brand.

Certainly, different skin care formulas work differently on different skin. And, our skin is as varied as our personalities, I would, however, recommend trying Neutrogena’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the mass market brand with the class to give us the best ingredients at a price we can all afford.