Still Learning: Primers for Over 50 Faces

Last weekend, while cleaning out my makeup bin, I came across Tarte primer. It was part of a makeup “starter” kit I’d purchased several years ago. After turning 50, I decided it was time to get serious about makeup. (Before 50, my makeup regimen consisted of the very occasionally applied lipstick, blush and mascara.) The Tarte primer was the only product left from the starter kit. It was the only product in the kit that seemed more trouble than it was worth. Recently, I read an article about the many wonderful things primer has to offer the over 50 face. Is that true? I decided it was time to learn more. Am I the last over 50 woman on the planet who doesn't know about primer? (I wouldn’t be surprised!) If not, click “Read More” below for the scoop on primer and which ones are recommended for over 50 women. And if you're already a primer user, let me know which product works best for you.
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NeriumAD: A Product Review

In October, Amy, a Nerium International product representative, emailed and asked me if I’d like to try NeriumAD, an anti-aging skin care product. Apparently, the night skin cream is formulated to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, skin texture, and aging or sun-damaged skin. Since all those pesky signs of aging plague my over 50 skin, I said, “Absolutely!” Click “Read More” below to learn the results of my 30-day trial.
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Parisian Style: Grey Hair Everywhere

During my recent trip to Paris, I was struck by the number of women over 50 with grey hair. It was, perhaps, my most surprising Paris style observation. If asked to give a number, I would say 20% of the over 50 Frenchwomen I saw had natural, dye-free hair. Now, you might think: Well, with the volume of people in a city, it would stand to reason that there would be lots of women with grey hair…as well as lots of women with dyed hair. But I’m in New York City at least a half-dozen times a month and I don’t see many grey-haired women—not anywhere near 20%. The thing that surprised me most about this grey hair trend was it looked good on most of the Frenchwomen. Why? I think these women had two things going for them: 1) great haircuts that flattered their faces and 2) a stylish outfit. Perhaps, their makeup helped as well. Click “read more” to see a few examples.
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Over 50 Arms: Time for Potions and Pilates?

I was curious to see what, if any, solutions for aging arms were on the web. My most recent Flattering50 Giveaway asked readers to answer the questions, "Are You Alarmed About Your Arms?" While the degree of "alarm" seemed to vary, most readers were conscious of the aging process's effect on their limbs. So I thought I'd write a quick post with a few available arm "treatments" and workout options. I have absolutely no idea if any of this works. Chances are the potions are as effective as the many anti-aging facial products. However, I like the fact that one site has a remedy you can mix up yourself at home and another has a few exercises that don't require a gym membership or a whole lot of time. For what they're worth, read on...
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Eco-Fashion and Beauty: What's New?

The celebration of our earth is actually a month-long event. I recently went online to see what others are doing to honor and protect our precious planet. This post includes a few sighting. Also, I’ve updated a blog I wrote last April, entitled Eco-Fashions: It's Getting Easier to be Green, which gives links to a bunch of eco-friendly clothing companies. But for news on Earth Month 2012, read on…
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Over 50: Making Sense of Makeup

I just got Vogue’s “Age Issue.” I chuckled as I flipped through it and found one after the other advertisement for anti-aging products. For example, there’s a two-page spread for Estee Lauder’s “Idealist,” an even skintone illuminator that supposedly reduce redness, sun spots and dark spots. Then, a few pages later, there’s an ad for Clinique’s “Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector,” which apparently can wipe away the dark spots and age spots all over your body. And I saw an ad for Clarin’s “Vital Light Serum,” an anti-aging skin product said to “correct the appearance of dark spots, while visibly lifting, firming and restoring the deep luminosity of young-looking skin.” Three skin care choices, all before the magazine’s Table of Contents page. The truth: I’d love to find a product that would fad dark spots—those cute childhood freckles that have now exploded into murky brown ponds—on my face. But how do I know which product is the best?

To the rescue: Makeup Alley. This website invites visitors to become members (for free!) and rate beauty products for other visitors. Currently, there are over a million members reviewing products and rating them with one to five lipstick icons (5 lipstick icons are given to the best rated products). The site has a minimal amount of advertising, but it doesn’t sell any products.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN
I went on Makeup Alley or (MUA to its members) to see what I could find out about the three age spot creams/serums I saw in Vogue. You have to become a MUA member (which I may do later) to see the actual reviews, but anyone can get summary information. For example, Este Lauder’s “Idealist” has been reviewed by 19 members on the website. Overall, the product gets a rating of 3.2 lipsticks and 42% of reviewers say they would buy it again. Clinique’s “Dark Spot Corrector has been given 2.6 lipsticks by 118 reviewers. Only 33% say they would by the product again. And as for Clarin’s “Vital Light Serum,” it is new and hasn’t been rated yet. What did I learn from this? Well, women who’ve tried the Este Lauder and Clinique products aren’t ecstatic about either product, but they aren’t saying they're a waste of money either. Clinique’s product has a slightly lower rating than the Estee Lauder product, but that might reflect the number of reviewers—almost 10 times as many people rated the former product as did the latter one. At this point, my next move would be to go on Amazon.com and see what, if any, is the price difference—always an important factor for me. (Some, but not all products on the Makeup Alley site have links to Amazon.com already.)

PRICE SHOPPING
At Amazon.com, I found...

• Estee Lauder’s “Idealist,” (1.7 oz) is priced at $109.99

• Clinique’s “Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector” (1 oz, 30 ml) sells at prices ranging from $17.99 to $48, depending on the shipping source. Even if you take the higher price, it’s half what the Estee Lauder product costs.

• Clarin’s “Vital Light Serum” (1 oz, 30 ml) is priced at $219.99. Gulp. No wonder there aren’t any reviews for this product on Makeup Alley or on Amazon—women are too busy saving up for it.

If you want a site (other than Amazon) where you can read reviews and shop, you might want to check out Bloom.com, launching in August 2011. This site is being classified as a “social beauty store.” Members will fill out a profile—things like skin type, age and concerns—and the site will recommend products based on reviews by a focus group of 20,000 women.

MAKEUP TIPS FOR WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE
While I’m on the subject of makeup and media sightings, have you heard about Makeup Wakeup: Revitalizing Your Look at Any Age (Running Press, $23), a beauty book for women over 40? Authors Lois Joy Johnson, 60, a founding editor of More magazine, and celebrity makeup artist Sandy Linter have compiled information on buying and applying makeup for older women. For example, I’m foundation phobic. I see older women with caked-on foundation and cringe. Johnson and Linter say women often choose a foundation that’s too light for their skin. They advise us to choose a shade that is a half-shade to a full-shade deeper than the one we think is right. And that’s just one of the tips in the 7-page section of foundation! The book also reports the current treatment alternatives (surgical and non-surgical) to consider when makeup isn’t enough. At Amazon, you’ll find the book in paperback for $13.21.

Anti-Wrinkles: What’s in Your Skin Cream?

What’s your strategy for choosing anti-wrinkle skin creams? How do you pick one from the ever-growing arsenal of anti-aging creams and lotions? My skin care strategy has always been to just keep trying new products. I do this not because I expect to find a cream with benefits, but because I don’t think it matters which product I use; the results are always the same—elusive. But what if there was a list of ingredients that might really, truly help to reduce wrinkles? And what if this list was complied by independent, highly-respected researchers (instead of scientists paid by skin care companies)?

Recently, I came across a list of topical agents that could provide “slight to modest improvement in the appearance of wrinkles,” according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Apparently, no over-the-counter (nonprescription) ingredient is going to provide a “facelift in a bottle.” Sorry, ladies. But if you apply enough of certain key ingredients continuously, you may actually see some improvement.

AND THE ANTI-WRINKLE WINNERS ARE…
Mayo Clinic researchers offer the following list of potential useful topical agents.

• Retinol. This vitamin-A derivative was the first antioxidant to be widely used in nonprescription wrinkle creams. Retinol should not be confused with tretinoin, which the vitamin-A derivative available only by prescription (marketed as Retin-A, Avita, or Renova). Retinol is less potent than Retin-A.
  

• Hydroxyl acids. Alpha hydroxy acids ((glycolic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids) , beta hydroxy acids and poly hydroxy acids are derived from fruits with high sugar content. They exfoliate the skin. Not surprisingly, these acids make you more susceptible to sunburns.

• Coenzyme Q10. This nutrient “helps regulate energy production in cells.” It may also reduce fine lines around the eyes.

• Copper peptides. These peptides promote collagen production and may help the action of antioxidants.

• Kinetin. This plant growth factor may “improve the appearance” of wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. Though it’s unclear how it works, the Mayo Clinic researchers suspect it may reduce wrinkles by promoting moisture retention and enhancing collagen production. It may also work as a potent antioxidant.

• Green tea extracts. Green, black and oolong tea have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

LET’S GO TO THE MEDICINE CABINET
After reading the Mayo Clinic article, I thought: Now that I have a list, maybe I can make an informed skin cream decision, instead of making my selection based on the eenie-meenie-miney-moe approach. I decided to test this idea on the products I already had at home. Here’s what I found.

• StriVectin($135 for 5 oz). Recently, I was given a sample tube. According the ingredients’ label, this cream includes Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. The promotion material says that the peptide levels are 4 times what they’d been in the past. I happen to liked this product. It has Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, which seems to wake up my skin a little.

• Korres Wild Rose 24-hour moisturizer ($32.50 for 1.5 oz). A Sephora sales clerk sold me this product, saying it was all natural—no parabens, artifical dyes, or petro-chemicals. I have to admit it smells gorgeous and goes on nicely. But none of its ingredients are the Mayo Clinic list. What's a girl to think?
  

• Regenerist Micro-sculpting Cream($23.67 for 1.7 oz). Consumer Reports ranks Olay’s Regenerist products #1 among wrinkle fighting products. Its ingredients include citric acid, green tea leaf extract, and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4. By the way, I saw this same, exact product available on Amazon.com for $13.89.

• Olay Anti-Wrinkle Enriched UV Lotion for Mature Skin SPF 15 (13.99 for 4 oz). Since the Regenerist cream doesn’t have a SPF, I apply this lotion with my foundation. (I’ve got a dermatologist in the family who’s always yelling at me to wear sunscreen.) I’m glad to have the SPF, but it doesn’t have any of the must-have anti-wrinkle agents in its formula.
  

• Boots Triple Action Day Moisture Cream SPF15 ($12.99 for 1.69 oz). This is what I used before I got the Olay lotion with a SPF. Again, the label doesn’t have any of the recommended anti-wrinkle ingredients.

My best friend who lived in London for years tried to get me to buy Boots No. 7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream SPF 15 ($19.99 for 1.69 oz) (Boots is a great pharmacy chain in England.) Now that I’ve looked at the label, I may take her advise. The cream contains C18-36 acid glycol ester, Citric acid, Palmitoyl oligopeptide, and Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7. It also has sunscreen.

So what did I learn from this little exercise? Well, I learned that you can find some of the ingredients that are currently believed to offer anti-wrinkle benefits in reasonably priced drug store and online products. However, there is no way to know if the amounts used in these products are enough to provide the potential benefits. I also learned that reading labels isn’t easy. (No, wait—I already knew that.) It’s quite possible that some of the other promising ingredients are on the labels of the products I looked at, but under names I didn’t recognize because, quite frankly, I’m not exactly an expert on Coenzyme Q10 or Kinetin. So while I’ll probably look for peptides, green tea extract, and hydroxyl acids on skin cream labels in the future, I don’t know if my wrinkles will benefit from this new knowledge.

By the by, you may want to take a peek at the rest of the Mayo Clinic article, which gives tips on buying an anti-wrinkle cream and how to maximize your wrinkle fighting efforts. I found two things interesting. First, the cost of a skin cream doesn’t determine its effectiveness. However, drugstore products may contain lower amounts of the useful agents, and therefore, require regularly use indefinitely to maintain benefits. That doesn't really bother me. When it comes to moisturizing my poor dry skin, I figure I'm in it for the long haul.