Skin Care

Lano Everywhere Multi-Cream Allover

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

Everywhere Multi-Cream Allover by Lano is a rich, versatile cream that can be used on hands, cuticles, feet, lips, anywhere on the body, as a day cream, night cream and a baby cream. This cream claims to nourish and hydrate the skin while giving a silky feeling.

Ingredients: Water*, Lanolin*, Cetearyl Alcohol*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride*, Glyceryl Stearate*, Butrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond ) Oil*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil*, Glycerin*, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate*, Cetearyl Glucoside*, Cetearyl Olivate*, Sorbitan Olivate*, Carrageenan*, Benzyl Alcohol, Fragrance (natural)*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)*, Milk*, Ascorbic Acid, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, Citric Acid, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract*, Beta-Carotene (Ci 75130)*. *Naturally Derived.

The star ingredient is lanolin, a moisturizing oil found in sheep’s wool; Lano sources from Australian sheep farmers. Lanolin is an emollient, softening and soothing the skin, and an occlusive, preventing moisture loss. Lanolin is commonly used as a nipple cream when breastfeeding. This multi-cream also contains a number of plant oils and moisturizing and humectant ingredients.

Directions: Apply to dry areas as needed.

I got the multi-cream to use on my hands, but tried it on my under-eyes, lips, face and arm. This is a rich cream that has a light lotion scent. It applies smoothly at first, then sticky and tugs on the skin, then a tacky feeling is left for a few minutes and I preferred to use this on my hands at night for this reason. Once absorbed a bit, a silky layer is left on the skin. It is not greasy. The lotion felt nice on my lips; I do not think there was really any further improvement compared to my usual lip balm. However, I think this would be really nice as a base lip treatment in the winter. The multi-cream is quite heavy for use under the eyes, so just a tiny amount is needed. Applying the cream tugs on the skin, so patting in works better. This was not too bad on the face (I applied to my cheeks only as I have oily skin), but heavier than I would like and a bit tacky, though again, this would be good in cold weather on small dry patches. It applies to large areas much easier when the skin is damp, but still has the tacky, friction feeling.

Above, my hands had been very dry with cracked knuckles and I used the Lano cream for a week in the evening. There are still a couple of dry areas and peeling skin on my thumb in the after photo, but they look much improved and are no longer painful and cracked. My skin felt softer and more nourished. Having said that, I got better results from Working Hands but if looking for a more “natural” lotion, the Lano cream is not bad.

Lano Everywhere Multi-Cream is okay; it improved very dry hands, however, the skin gets pulled when applying and it remains tacky for about 10 minutes, after which a silky layer is left on the skin. I prefer other lotions for face and body, but I think this cream will be nourishing and hydrating on smaller dry areas in cold weather.

Thanks for visiting.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 1 Comment

The Gentle Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover by Sulwhasoo is a lightweight oil for all skin types that claims to remove waterproof makeup and impurities without leaving residue while keeping the skin balanced. This is to be used as the first step in a double cleanse routine.

Ingredients: C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Peg-8 Isostearate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Fragrance / Parfum, Dextrin Palmitate, Limonene, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Linalool, Water / Aqua / Eau, Butylene Glycol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Pinus Koraiensis Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Castanea Crenata (Chestnut) Shell Extract, Spirodela Polyrhiza Extract, Prunus Mume Seed Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract

Directions: Massage two pumps onto dry skin, gliding fingertips over the nose, forehead, cheeks and chin until makeup and oil are dissolved. Emulsify with lukewarm water and rinse until clean. Follow with a cleanser. Directions on the box state to avoid direct eye contact.

I have oily/combination and dehydrated skin and have used this nightly for about a month, using two pumps for the face and neck. The cleanser has a nice herbal scent. It glides very smoothly across the skin and removes sunscreen, foundation, eye makeup and oils quite easily. After rinsing, the skin feels clean and soft with no residue left. The oil is not drying, like some cleansing oils, and over time I have noticed that my skin has gotten softer and smoother. I had not used a cleansing oil for a couple months previous and using the Sulwhasoo oil, the T-zone area looks cleaner and less congested than usual.

Interestingly, the directions do not mention using this on eye makeup and the box states to avoid contact with the eyes. I used this on mascara and eyeliner anyhow. The oil does sting the eyes a lot and makes the vision blurry, but takes off eye makeup really well. So long as I close my eyes pretty tight, cleanse with the oil, rinse and use my second cleanser without opening my eye, I can avoid the stinging.

Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover feels really nice on the skin, removes makeup and sunscreen well and helps the skin feel soft and clean, but stings the eyes. I really like this cleansing oil (it has become a new favorite) and will repurchase, despite the potential irritation to the eyes.

Thanks for reading.

Cosrx Real Fit Vitamin C Serum C23 Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 1 Comment

The Cosrx Real Fit Vitamin C Serum claims to brighten skin, fade dark spots, even skin tone, plump the skin, refine texture, hydrate and smooth fine lines and wrinkles without the harsh side effects (irritation and redness) of an ascorbic acid product.

Ingredients: Propolis Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Lactate, Water, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin

The first ingredient is 60% propolis extract, a material made by bees that soothes the skin and has antioxidant properties. Cosrx says they added propolis instead of water to combat dryness caused by vitamin C (though water is added as the eighth of 11 ingredients). Ascorbic acid is the most researched form of vitamin C in skincare, but is unstable and can be irritating. Vitamin C can even skin tone, brighten, reduce fine lines, wrinkles and spots, firm the skin and defend the skin against free radicals and environmental stressors. This formula contains 23% ascorbic acid at 99% purity. Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract (black chokeberry) and Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract are antioxidants, hydrating and have some vitamins and minerals and are said to increase the stability and efficacy of the vitamin C. Butylene glycol is a skin conditioning ingredient that can soften the skin. Sodium lactate is a humectant. Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and helps redness. Allantoin is a soothing ingredient.

Directions: Apply 2 or 3 drops to clean skin. Store in a dark, cool (15 to 25oC) place. If redness or irritation occurs, use every other day until skin adjusts.

The vitamin c serum comes in a lidded bottle packaged with a dropper. On opening the container, there was a small puff of air that was released and air bubbles moving the surface; this happened the first few times when opening. Cosrx sent an email saying that since the vitamin C has 99% purity, it reacts to temperature changes during shipping and gas is generated inside the product; this can cause the lid to slightly open and leak (this happened to one of my bottles). The serum comes in a 20 mL bottle and is best before 2 months once opened. It has no scent other than a slight vitamin C smell. It has a liquid texture and is light yellow in color.

I have oily/combination skin and used the Real Fit vitamin C for 5 months, using 5 to 6 drops per use (2 to 3 did not seem like enough) for 5 months every morning.

I got no irritation, stinging or redness of the skin until after about a month of use. I tried it on dry skin and damp skin with no other changes to my routine. Some days my skin would be fine, a few days my skin got very red and irritated (after 30 to 60 seconds of application) and I wanted to wash it off, and some days just stung a bit. I did not find this to be a hydrating formula (some days my skin felt quite dry and I got flakiness around my nose and mouth) and other products layered on top did not feel as nice on the skin. It left a dry, sticky layer over the skin. Using this, my skin felt a bit more rough than usual and there was no plumping of the skin.

I keep my skin care in my closet, away from light, heat and humidity. Despite this, the vitamin C was very unstable and started turning darker yellow after a couple weeks, then turning dark yellow-brown at about 6 weeks (best before 8 weeks). I did not get through more than half the bottle (of any of the bottles I purchased) before I could not use it due to oxidation. I wonder if the air in the bottle caused it to oxidize faster than it should have. Likely a bottle with about half the product and a pump would be better, but the pump would have to be metered and very smooth with a liquid formula and would probably have increased cost.

After about 2 weeks of use, my skin looked generally brighter and was less oily.

Above, after 5 months of use, my complexion looks generally brighter and less congested. The splotch of hyperpigmentation does not look greatly improved, but some of the darker spots have faded.

The left side of my face has darker hyperpigmentation and I was surprised by how much the spots on my cheekbones had faded. This is more noticeable on this side of my face likely because the spots were darker and more defined than the right side.

The left photo shows general improvement in brightness, pores and hyperpigmentation. I have some fine lines on my forehead that I do not think are improved, but the brown spots over the far eyebrow have faded and my forehead looks less oily.

I am not sure if this is my imagination or not, but looking in the mirror, I thought my skin looked darker than normal (surprising since I used this over the fall and winter). A quick read of an article on labmuffin.com says that ascorbic acid turns into erythrulose, an ingredient in fake tanner that reacts to proteins in dead skin cells, causing darkening of the skin. This can be prevented if the ascorbic acid is used in a formula with vitamin E and ferulic acid, using an oil or cream after application of the vitamin C to protect it from the air (which I did, using The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisturizer) or using it at night.

The Cosrx Real Fit Vitamin C Serum C23 faded hyperpigmented spots, brightened and generally improved the skin’s complexion, but is not a formula I enjoyed using; it is sticky, drying, irritating, unstable, oxidized before I could get halfway through the bottle (a waste of product and money) and potentially darkened the skin. Despite the results, I would not repurchase.

Thanks for reading.

The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 1 Comment

The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisturizer is a peptide cream that claims to hydrate, support collagen, improve fine lines, wrinkles, firmness and elasticity. This is said to be a rich cream for dry skin.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water/Eau), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Maltodextrin, Pentapeptide-48

The Peptide Moisturizer contains 2% Royal Epigen P5 that nurtures skin to help decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and a 1% peptide solution to support that skin’s moisture barrier for radiant skin. The product contains humectants, emollients and occlusive ingredients.

Directions: Morning and evening, apply a pea-sized amount to face and neck after cleansing and preferred serums.

The moisturizer is labeled for dry skin, however, I have oily/combination (in colder temperatures)/dehydrated skin. I have used this for 3 months thus far as my morning moisturizer, and sometimes in the evening.

Peptide Moisturizer comes in a jar with a pump and has no added scent, but smells a bit medicinal (this smell lasts a few minutes and does not bother me). This is a medium-thick cream, described as “rich,” though I’m not sure I would actually describe it as such; I think it is generally similar to an average cream moisturizer. It spreads nicely over the skin. After initially applying, this product feels relatively moisturizing on oilier areas of the skin, particularly my nose, with a silky layer on the skin, however, on drier areas like my chin, I need to apply a couple layers. Foundation does not apply as nicely over this as other moisturizers I have used. The moisture lasts only 3 to 4 hours and I feel like I need to reapply. If I put some other hydrating or moisturizing serum underneath, my skin feels moisturized all day. For this purpose, I’ve used Indeed Labs’ Hydraluron Moisture Serum, Cosrx Snail Mucin Essence and surprisingly, the Vichy vitamin C serum ampoule seems to provide extra hydration as well; my skin feels more moisturized and protected than with the peptide cream alone just over a toner. I’m not sure if this is because Peptide Moisturizer does not have enough moisture or hydration for the skin or if it is ineffective in preventing water loss (and I have combination skin). Interestingly, it is stated on the jar to use hyaluronic acid under the moisturizer to draw in the peptides. I also need to use more than the recommended amount; I use one pea size for the face and one for the neck, with an extra layer or two on drier areas.

I’ve not seen any difference to fine lines and wrinkles or radiance to the skin, though I doubt 3 months is enough time to improve fine lines, and there are other better products targeted to those issues. My skin feels a little softer though.

I’ve seen this recommended as a dupe for Drunk Elephant’s Protini; I disagree. Protini provides more hydration/moisture, lasts all day on its own and leaves the skin feeling plump, bouncy and silky with a general improvement in texture and complexion. If Protini was not so expensive, I would continue purchasing.

Peptide Moisturizer from The Inkey List is just okay (surprisingly rather ineffective on drier areas of my face). The price is good. I might use this as a summer moisturizer for the face and neck (other than my T-zone which would be too oily), but would need a more moisturizing/hydrating and protecting product for fall and winter.

Thanks for reading.

Indeed Laboratories Eysilix II Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

Indeed Labs’ Eysilix II eye cream is formulated with ceramides, peptides and probiotics and claims to reduce puffiness, dark circles, crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles while brightening, lifting and smoothing the eye area.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua / Eau), Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Arachidyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Behenyl Alcohol, Peg-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Glycine, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Polysilicone-11, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Tribehenin, Panthenol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Camelia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium Edta, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Punica Granatum Extract, Polysorbate 80, Ceramide Ng, Peg-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Glucose, Lactobacillus Ferment, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Pantolactone, Potassium Sorbate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12.

A few key ingredients; Neodermyl and Uplevity trigger/increase collagen and elastin, Dermaxyl repairs skin’s natural barrier function, Revital-Eyes is a complex of probiotics, green tea extract, pomegranate extract and caffeine that protects the skin from environmental damage and diminishes dark circles and puffiness.

Directions: After cleansing, pat a small amount around eye contour in the morning and evening.

I have fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes and puffiness and dark circles (I suspect the dark circles are hereditary, so an eye cream is unlikely to improve those). I have used Eysilix II for 5 months thus far. Eysilix II has no scent.

Having used the same before photo for the Indeed Labs eyelash serum as eye cream (I started both products at the same time), I did not realize the undereye is a bit blurry/smoothed, so unfortunately, the before photo is not really helpful. In any case, Eysilix spreads easily and leaves a silky, smooth, protective layer over the skin that lasts until it is washed off in the morning/evening. My undereye feels more moisturized and smooth. The eyes looked maybe a bit brighter in the morning, but I would not say that there was really any significant improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness or dark circles. I have used a number of eye creams and have yet to find one that provides significant noticeable improvement (though the eye cream by Your Best Face Skincare worked quite well for my husband). Eysilix is a good moisturizer, however. I’ve seen here and there online that eye creams do not work and are just expensive moisturizers; based on my results with a few different eye creams, I wonder if that is true, though I think if an eye cream has peptides and actives, it would have potential.

I am going to finish the tube of Indeed Labs Eysilix II and will not repurchase. Next I am going to order the Retinol Eye Cream from the Inkey List. I expect (hope) retinol will help the fine lines and wrinkles.

Thanks for reading.