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Popping in
Popping in to say that I'm about to head away on a 3.5 week trip to Asia. I had debated whether to take the serums with me because we're very limited on space (trying to pack in carry ons - eeeek!!!), but ultimately, I'm so in love with these two products that I'm going to squeeze them in. And I've been so impressed by my results. I'm hoping that continuing to use them (and some strong SPF) while we're tramping around will help protect my skin from too much vacation damage!
I should be returning right about the 2 month mark of product use, so I'm hoping to have some updated pictures then. I've recently upgraded my camera phone - so it might be even more visible !
Can't wait to see you ladies and read your reviews after my trip!!!
I should be returning right about the 2 month mark of product use, so I'm hoping to have some updated pictures then. I've recently upgraded my camera phone - so it might be even more visible !
Can't wait to see you ladies and read your reviews after my trip!!!
1 month update!
Well, I've been using these two serums for a full month as of yesterday. :)
So far I'm reeeeeally pleased!!!
First, I find both serums to be very gentle on my skin. When I've used night creams in the past that have retinoids or vit A, I can find them irritating or have to work up to using them every night. When a night cream doesn't cause any "tingling" sensation, I've been worried in the past that maybe "nothing is happening" - but that's not the case! I find the products to feel substantial/potent, and yet, they glide on smooth and don't cause any irritation. They absorb into my skin (rather than sitting on the top layer) and leave my skin feeling smooth/soft.
The first week or so of using any night cream/ Vit A type product, I tend to have some break outs. I assume this is because the creams increase cell turnover and sort of bring blemishes to the surface, however, I find that when I continue using the creams, the blemishes disappear MUCH faster than they would otherwise. IE, I'll have a small red blemish on my chin for 2 days rather than 4 1/2.
In terms of results, I feel like my hyperpigmentation is definitely improving! My freckles look lighter (though that's not the products explicit purpose). I think the high amount of vit C and antioxidants in the day cream + the retinoid/Vit A of the night cream have evened out my skin tone quite a bit! I took some photos. It always seems less dramatic in photos than I see in "real life" but maybe that's the quality of my camera phone! All my 1 month progress photos are: in natural light, wearing NO makeup, using NO phone filters/portrait mode, no flash photography, etc. I tried to take the photos by the same window at roughly the same time of day as I took my beginning photos in May (though it is lighter because the sun is staying out later - but I tried to account for this). If you look at my photos, you can see my skin looks more even, and I am seeing less redness around my nostrils (where I've had broken blood vessels) and less pigmentation under my chin.
My results feel all the more impressive to me because its Summer time in Texas, and I'm spending a LOT of time outside! This is the time of year when my freckles are normally DARKENING significantly (and the ones on my arms definitely ARE!). I wear daily 30 SPF on my face, and higher amounts when I'm planning to swim, etc. for several hours, but on a normal day/afternoon, I don't necessarily re-apply SPF midway through the day before being outside in the evening. So I'm getting a lot of sun but I think the combination of the Alto Defense day + AlphaRet at night is helping keep more damage at bay! HURRAY!
So far I'm very impressed! I can't wait to see how much better things look in another month.
We're about to head away on a long vacation to SE Asia where I'll be spending even more time out in the sun each day. I'm taking both creams + some heavy SPF with me!
Looking forward to seeing more results!
So far I'm reeeeeally pleased!!!
First, I find both serums to be very gentle on my skin. When I've used night creams in the past that have retinoids or vit A, I can find them irritating or have to work up to using them every night. When a night cream doesn't cause any "tingling" sensation, I've been worried in the past that maybe "nothing is happening" - but that's not the case! I find the products to feel substantial/potent, and yet, they glide on smooth and don't cause any irritation. They absorb into my skin (rather than sitting on the top layer) and leave my skin feeling smooth/soft.
The first week or so of using any night cream/ Vit A type product, I tend to have some break outs. I assume this is because the creams increase cell turnover and sort of bring blemishes to the surface, however, I find that when I continue using the creams, the blemishes disappear MUCH faster than they would otherwise. IE, I'll have a small red blemish on my chin for 2 days rather than 4 1/2.
In terms of results, I feel like my hyperpigmentation is definitely improving! My freckles look lighter (though that's not the products explicit purpose). I think the high amount of vit C and antioxidants in the day cream + the retinoid/Vit A of the night cream have evened out my skin tone quite a bit! I took some photos. It always seems less dramatic in photos than I see in "real life" but maybe that's the quality of my camera phone! All my 1 month progress photos are: in natural light, wearing NO makeup, using NO phone filters/portrait mode, no flash photography, etc. I tried to take the photos by the same window at roughly the same time of day as I took my beginning photos in May (though it is lighter because the sun is staying out later - but I tried to account for this). If you look at my photos, you can see my skin looks more even, and I am seeing less redness around my nostrils (where I've had broken blood vessels) and less pigmentation under my chin.
My results feel all the more impressive to me because its Summer time in Texas, and I'm spending a LOT of time outside! This is the time of year when my freckles are normally DARKENING significantly (and the ones on my arms definitely ARE!). I wear daily 30 SPF on my face, and higher amounts when I'm planning to swim, etc. for several hours, but on a normal day/afternoon, I don't necessarily re-apply SPF midway through the day before being outside in the evening. So I'm getting a lot of sun but I think the combination of the Alto Defense day + AlphaRet at night is helping keep more damage at bay! HURRAY!
So far I'm very impressed! I can't wait to see how much better things look in another month.
We're about to head away on a long vacation to SE Asia where I'll be spending even more time out in the sun each day. I'm taking both creams + some heavy SPF with me!
Looking forward to seeing more results!
36yo - Fair Skin & Sun Damage Review of Alto Defense Serum & AlphaRet Overnight Cream
I'm a 36 years old and in the last couple of years have invested more time and energy into taking care of myself, focus on health/wellness, and of course, work against excessive aging.
My background: I have very fair skin that is prone to freckling (Irish/British genes). I spent my whole childhood outdoors without sunscreen - because apparently that was normal in the 80's. I feel like I'm now spending my thirties trying to reverse or stall that damage!Besides freckling, I noticed at about age 34 some sun damage spots (perhaps melasma from pregnancy/birth control) on my chin as well as larger pore sizes and laxity in my cheeks, chin and nose. I'm also starting to get my first wrinkle/smile line up on my forehead. I'm at the point now where I need stronger tools in my anti-aging arsenal. Other facts to help give context to my review: 1) I wear SPF 30+ daily on my face (though I'm lazy about applying it to my neck/chest)2) I'm a healthy weight/body composition and exercise 5x week for the past ~1.5years3) I've maintained a healthy, LC/HF diet focused on whole foods, healthy protein and quality fats 99% of the time - going on 2+ years. I don't eat grains, sugar, or high carb legumes/potatoes. Basically, I eat meat, vegetables, dairy and some low carb fruits in small amounts. I share this because insulin spikes/high blood sugar can age us faster (esp women!). 4) I do take multivitaminsI'm hoping the combination of Alto Defense Serum and AlphaRet Overnight Cream will help:1) Reduce my hyperpigmentation, IE lighten my freckles and esp the darker areas on my chin;2) reduce my pore size;3) reduce redness I have just around my nostrils from broken capillaries - this is the only place on my face I feel like I have to use concealer on;4) help prevent further sun damage (esp w SPF use too), 5) and and improve the overall tone/condition of my facial skin. Despite what it sounds like, I'm actually pretty frugal in my daily life and I'm not used to investing in heavier duty, high quality products like this. In the past few years I've been gradually changing my mindset to be ok with spending more for better results and invest in myself as much as I would my child or anyone else in my family! Women tend to put themselves last so I'm working against some of those internal narratives of guilt. :) I'm planning to use these two products in combindation for at least 6 weeks CONSISTENTLY (!) to measure improvements and hopefully decide whether the product is worth continuing. I learned about both creams and more information about the company behind them (Skin Better Science) through the Real Self Insider Program, but I want to reiterate that this program is made of "real" people like me, who are in no way pressured to give positive reviews. One of the reasons I continue to participate on this site is because I find women so willing to be honest and show the good, bad and the challenging so vulnerably with one another!I received these creams complimentary as part of the RealSelf Insider Program, but as anyone who has read my reviews can attest, I'm prepared to be fully honest about my results and whether a treatment is worth the dollars they would cost me to continue.I received this complimentary treatment through the RealSelf Insider program.
My background: I have very fair skin that is prone to freckling (Irish/British genes). I spent my whole childhood outdoors without sunscreen - because apparently that was normal in the 80's. I feel like I'm now spending my thirties trying to reverse or stall that damage!Besides freckling, I noticed at about age 34 some sun damage spots (perhaps melasma from pregnancy/birth control) on my chin as well as larger pore sizes and laxity in my cheeks, chin and nose. I'm also starting to get my first wrinkle/smile line up on my forehead. I'm at the point now where I need stronger tools in my anti-aging arsenal. Other facts to help give context to my review: 1) I wear SPF 30+ daily on my face (though I'm lazy about applying it to my neck/chest)2) I'm a healthy weight/body composition and exercise 5x week for the past ~1.5years3) I've maintained a healthy, LC/HF diet focused on whole foods, healthy protein and quality fats 99% of the time - going on 2+ years. I don't eat grains, sugar, or high carb legumes/potatoes. Basically, I eat meat, vegetables, dairy and some low carb fruits in small amounts. I share this because insulin spikes/high blood sugar can age us faster (esp women!). 4) I do take multivitaminsI'm hoping the combination of Alto Defense Serum and AlphaRet Overnight Cream will help:1) Reduce my hyperpigmentation, IE lighten my freckles and esp the darker areas on my chin;2) reduce my pore size;3) reduce redness I have just around my nostrils from broken capillaries - this is the only place on my face I feel like I have to use concealer on;4) help prevent further sun damage (esp w SPF use too), 5) and and improve the overall tone/condition of my facial skin. Despite what it sounds like, I'm actually pretty frugal in my daily life and I'm not used to investing in heavier duty, high quality products like this. In the past few years I've been gradually changing my mindset to be ok with spending more for better results and invest in myself as much as I would my child or anyone else in my family! Women tend to put themselves last so I'm working against some of those internal narratives of guilt. :) I'm planning to use these two products in combindation for at least 6 weeks CONSISTENTLY (!) to measure improvements and hopefully decide whether the product is worth continuing. I learned about both creams and more information about the company behind them (Skin Better Science) through the Real Self Insider Program, but I want to reiterate that this program is made of "real" people like me, who are in no way pressured to give positive reviews. One of the reasons I continue to participate on this site is because I find women so willing to be honest and show the good, bad and the challenging so vulnerably with one another!I received these creams complimentary as part of the RealSelf Insider Program, but as anyone who has read my reviews can attest, I'm prepared to be fully honest about my results and whether a treatment is worth the dollars they would cost me to continue.I received this complimentary treatment through the RealSelf Insider program.