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*Treatment results may vary
8 weeks later!
06/30/19
Overall I see some improvement in fine lines and crepey skin around my eyes. My skin also feels much plumper and more hydrated. Deep lines? No improvement, however I really don't expect any cream to fix those! My pores are still enlarged, but less noticeable because they are less clogged. My skin tone is more even, and some days I don't even bother using a foundation or powder.
Some notes:
-I took all my pics in natural daylight and tried to get the exact same poses. My BEFORES are on the left, my AFTERS are on the right.
-In the after pics, I was only wearing eyeliner and mascara - no foundation or other makeup.
-The Alto Defense Serum (AM/PM) claims to enhance vitality and improvement in skin tone and luminosity, and reduces the appearance of redness.
-The AlphaRet Overnight Cream (PM) claims to significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles in as little as four weeks, with little-to-no irritation. It also is said to provide moisture to combat dryness that is normally associated with retinoid products.
-I’ve been using both products religiously, aside from approximately 4 evenings when I missed.
-I use 2 pumps of the product.
-The only other products I’ve been using are a gentle cleanser at night to take off my makeup, and a micellar water in the morning to refresh the skin. I also found the micellar water helped the product spread evenly and go further.
Initially, there was some tingling from the PM product, but that mostly went away. I would notice it come back if I had missed an application the night before. In the first 2-3 weeks of use, there was some pretty apparent flaking on my cheeks, likely from the retinoid,/AHA in the PM cream, but I stuck with it and that too went away. I am very sensitive to smells and perfumes, and I’m happy to report that neither products bothered me. They are lightly scented, with no lingering perfumes.
As predicted, the fact that the AM/PM serum is used 2x per day, it clearly would get used up faster than the PM Overnight Cream. After the first couple weeks, I started only using the AM/PM serum in the mornings, and only using the overnight cream at night. (I was worried that I’d run out of the serum and only have the overnight cream left.) That way, the products would be used more evenly. I also didn’t like that I couldn’t see how much I had left in the bottles. This makes it very difficult to estimate when I'd need to buy more.
In summary:
PROS
-hydrated, smooth, plump skin
-spreads nicely and easily
-not greasy
-great scent, not perfumey
-softened lines around eyes
-less clogged pores
-more even skin tone
CONS
-can’t see how much product is left
-uneven use (AM/PM cream gets used up twice as fast)
-peeling in weeks 2-3
Overall I see some improvement in fine lines and crepey skin around my eyes. My skin also feels much plumper and more hydrated. Deep lines? No improvement, however I really don't expect any cream to fix those! My pores are still enlarged, but less noticeable because they are less clogged. My skin tone is more even, and some days I don't even bother using a foundation or powder.
Some notes:
-I took all my pics in natural daylight and tried to get the exact same poses. My BEFORES are on the left, my AFTERS are on the right.
-In the after pics, I was only wearing eyeliner and mascara - no foundation or other makeup.
-The Alto Defense Serum (AM/PM) claims to enhance vitality and improvement in skin tone and luminosity, and reduces the appearance of redness.
-The AlphaRet Overnight Cream (PM) claims to significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles in as little as four weeks, with little-to-no irritation. It also is said to provide moisture to combat dryness that is normally associated with retinoid products.
-I’ve been using both products religiously, aside from approximately 4 evenings when I missed.
-I use 2 pumps of the product.
-The only other products I’ve been using are a gentle cleanser at night to take off my makeup, and a micellar water in the morning to refresh the skin. I also found the micellar water helped the product spread evenly and go further.
Initially, there was some tingling from the PM product, but that mostly went away. I would notice it come back if I had missed an application the night before. In the first 2-3 weeks of use, there was some pretty apparent flaking on my cheeks, likely from the retinoid,/AHA in the PM cream, but I stuck with it and that too went away. I am very sensitive to smells and perfumes, and I’m happy to report that neither products bothered me. They are lightly scented, with no lingering perfumes.
As predicted, the fact that the AM/PM serum is used 2x per day, it clearly would get used up faster than the PM Overnight Cream. After the first couple weeks, I started only using the AM/PM serum in the mornings, and only using the overnight cream at night. (I was worried that I’d run out of the serum and only have the overnight cream left.) That way, the products would be used more evenly. I also didn’t like that I couldn’t see how much I had left in the bottles. This makes it very difficult to estimate when I'd need to buy more.
In summary:
PROS
-hydrated, smooth, plump skin
-spreads nicely and easily
-not greasy
-great scent, not perfumey
-softened lines around eyes
-less clogged pores
-more even skin tone
CONS
-can’t see how much product is left
-uneven use (AM/PM cream gets used up twice as fast)
-peeling in weeks 2-3
Alto Defense Serum & AlphaRet Overnight Cream
05/06/19
Today was my first day trying both the Alto Defense Serum (retails $145) and the AlphaRet Overnight Cream (retails $120). I was able to try these products for free as part of the RealSelf Insider program. The packaging is nice, and I like how you just twist the top to open it, so there are no stray lids to keep track of. I read the instructions on both products. The Alto Defense Serum was to be used morning and night, and the AlphaRet Overnight Cream at night only. It was a little unclear to me what order to use both products at night. I did send a message to SkinBetter and received a response very quickly. They clarified that the Defense Serum goes on before the Overnight Cream in the PM.
My main concerns for my skin are fine lines and crepey skin around my eyes, a deeper frown line between the eyes, and deeper lines on the sides of my mouth. The skin on my neck has a crease and has also lost elasticity and is loose. I also have large pores on my nose, and on my cheeks next to my nose. I'm hoping the SkinBetter products give some improvement to any/all of these areas.
Right off the bat, my concern is that I can't see how much product is in the bottles, and that since I use the Serum 2x/day, I will be running out of this much quicker than the Overnight Cream which is only used 1x/day.
Today was my first day trying both the Alto Defense Serum (retails $145) and the AlphaRet Overnight Cream (retails $120). I was able to try these products for free as part of the RealSelf Insider program. The packaging is nice, and I like how you just twist the top to open it, so there are no stray lids to keep track of. I read the instructions on both products. The Alto Defense Serum was to be used morning and night, and the AlphaRet Overnight Cream at night only. It was a little unclear to me what order to use both products at night. I did send a message to SkinBetter and received a response very quickly. They clarified that the Defense Serum goes on before the Overnight Cream in the PM.
My main concerns for my skin are fine lines and crepey skin around my eyes, a deeper frown line between the eyes, and deeper lines on the sides of my mouth. The skin on my neck has a crease and has also lost elasticity and is loose. I also have large pores on my nose, and on my cheeks next to my nose. I'm hoping the SkinBetter products give some improvement to any/all of these areas.
Right off the bat, my concern is that I can't see how much product is in the bottles, and that since I use the Serum 2x/day, I will be running out of this much quicker than the Overnight Cream which is only used 1x/day.