Serums that actually work!

[dope]

Has anyone purchased or used a serum that actually works to help firm and tone the face? I’m 65 and I have tried sooo many that have done absolutely nothing to help. Even the really high end ones. 

[Chris38]

I’ve been very happy with Sunday Riley. I use their whole line, practically, and I will say that the addition of Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum 1 oz / 30 ml has made a noticeable difference in my skin’s texture and feel. It feels smoother and plumper. 

If you feel like you’re on a treadmill when it comes to your skin, like you’re working hard, but not getting anywhere, it’s time to talk to a professional, i.e. a dermatologist. They can often give you an idea of what topicals can, and just can’t, do. You need to know if your expectations are realistic. 

[WinglessOne]

@dope  You’ll want ingredients that boost collagen production. A gold standard is vitamin A, aka the retinoid family. OTC options include retinol and retinaldehyde (aka retinal); the primary Rx-only option is tretinoin. All 3 of those forms of vitamin A are effective; they just don’t work at the same speed. Tretinoin is fastest, followed by retinaldehyde, and retinol’s the slowest of the 3. No form of vitamin A is an overnight miracle. Whichever one you pick, you gotta use it consistently and longterm. That goes for pretty much any other collagen-boosting ingredient, including ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Patience and consistency are key. 

If you’ve never used retinol or another form of vitamin A, start off slowly: use it just a couple nights a week for a few weeks. Then increase usage to 2-3 nights a week. Keep gradually increasing usage til you’re at a comfy-for-you consistency: nightly, every other night, or even just 3 nights a week. Depends on how well your skin tolerates vitamin A. 

I’ve used different forms of vitamin A for 4 years. I started with retinol and switched to retinaldehyde to get results faster without tretinoin-level irritation. (I use it mostly to treat hyperpigmentation.) My usual retinal product is Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream, but I’ve been testing Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL this year. Maelove makes a less expensive option I’ve never tried. There are many retinol products on the market, including Maelove’s. Consider The INKEY List SuperSolutions 1% Retinol Serum 1 oz / 30 mL , The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion 1 oz/ 30 mL (The Ordinary has other retinoid products available at their site), or one of the Paula’s Choice retinol options.