Right before Christmas, I was thrilled to receive several products from the Olay Regenerist line to try out (my first reactions can be found here: My Olay Regenerist Experiment Begins). I’ve been using the line for six weeks now, so I figured it was time to give you an update. Please remember that this is my experience – I’m very cautious about sharing my opinions after recently reading “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?”, in which author Timothy Caulfield tests out various celebrity diet, health and beauty claims, finding that almost all are incorrect.
When it comes to my face, I am satisfied with the science that tells me that there are benefits to cleaning, exfoliating and moisturizing the skin, and very happy that I can find reasonably-priced drugstore products to do those jobs for me.
Read on for the details!
The products:
1. Micro-Sculpting Scrub Cleanser
2. Fragrance-Free Renerating Serum
3. Anti-Aging Eye Roller
4. Fragrance-Free Micro-Sculpting Cream
5. Wrinkle and Pore Vanisher
The routine:
I’ve used the Micro-Sculpting Scrub Cleanser every morning in the shower, using a lighter touch on my more sensitive cheeks. (I still use my trusty Cetaphil to wash face and remove makeup before bed.)
The Serum and Micro-Sculpting Cream go on morning and night, and I’ve been pretty religious about using both. I have to make sure to give the Serum time to absorb before putting the cream on top, and to remember that less is more – or else I end up a bit sticky.
I haven’t been as consistent about the Anti-Aging Eye Roller (you click the bottom and a bit of product comes out the top where the tiny rollers are, and then you roll over the eye area), and I think it’s because the instructions say to do the rolling for 30 seconds (which I assume means per eye) for a total of one whole minute of eye-rolling time (an image which calls to mind teenage girls, but in a different sense of the eye roll). Whether it’s the rushed pace of the morning or the too-tired-to-care bedtime feeling, I haven’t been able to motivate myself to add that part to either routine on a daily basis – but I use it at least a few times per week. Just not 14.
I’ve used the Wrinkle and Pore Vanisher (which gives instant results) a handful of times just to experiment, and I put it on when I’m going somewhere special or doing a TV appearance.
The results:
Overall, I’m very pleased with the results I’m seeing. I will openly admit that the change has not been “miraculous” – no at-home treatments can do that, I know, but I always hope!
Some specifics:
- After just a couple of days my skin felt softer and smoother to the touch.
- I’m happy with how clean and smooth my face feels after using the Micro-Sculpting Scrub Cleanser. I feel like over time the dull skin really has been scrubbed away.
- Over the last 6 weeks I’ve noticed that my skin tone is more even (especially under the harsh fluorescent lights of the staff washrooms at school, which can easily throw someone into a skin-related depression).
- In particular, I had one pencil-eraser-sized dark spot intensifying on my right cheekbone over the past few months, and it has faded noticeably.
- I didn’t have many deep wrinkles, but the one running across the middle of my forehead since my 20’s has been smoothed out considerably, which I’m very pleased with. (Just to show you how serious sun damage is: the wrinkle was definitely deeper on the side of my forehead that hasn’t been covered for years by my sideswept bangs! The whole thing looks much more subtle now.)
- My crows’ feet do look better too, but I’m sure I need to be more consistent with the eye product if I want to see the benefits there (though I do apply the serum and micro-sculpting cream in that area as well.)
- The closest thing to a miracle (though temporary) product is the Wrinkle and Pore Vanisher. As I mentioned when I first posted about Regenerist, this item is like spackle for the face. You dab it in creases or areas with large pores, and it instantly fills them in, providing a more flawless finish. This has worked well on the aforementioned big forehead wrinkle, as well as spots where my pores are noticeable.
