AnteAge MD Serum Review
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Ourself Advanced Regenerative Serum: Three in One?
You may already be familiar with Ourself’s HA+ Replenishing Serum, but you likely haven’t heard of their new updated formula, newly released as Ourself Advanced Regenerative Serum. Since the HA+ Replenishing Serum has been my personal favorite product of the last couple of years, I’ve been excited to try the new formula. But, once I heard about a new blind trial Ourself recently conducted, I knew it was something everyone needed to hear about. The Study Ourself had a blinded investigator (a researcher who doesn’t know the purpose of the study or the products that are being tested) conduct an 8 week study with 6 women ages 44-71. The women were instructed to use the new Ourself Advanced Regenerative Serum on one half of their face, and a regimen of three best selling products on the other half. They were asked to self-assess their results after 8 weeks of use, and also graded by a dermatologist who performed blinded evaluations of their results. Across seven metrics like overall skin quality/appearance, elasticity, and fine lines/wrinkles, Ourself out-performed the three product regimen in every way. Additionally, all but one of the study participants self-reported that they preferred the single serum regiment and that made their skin feel better. To learn more about this study, click here. The Product I've been using Advanced Regenerative Serum for about 6 weeks now, and I love it just as much as the originial HA+ Replenishing Serum. It helps my skin feel hydrated, firm, and more elastic. I'm definitely planning on keeping this serum as an important part of my skincare regimen for a long time to come. Click here to learn more and shop groundbreaking new product.
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What are Peptides and What do they do in Skincare?
Peptides are a buzzworthy ingredient in skincare that even beginner enthusiasts will have heard of. But have you ever wondered what they actually are, and what they do for your skin? If so, I have great news, because that's exactly what we'll discuss here. What are Peptides? Peptides are short chains of amino acids, naturally occurring compounds found throughout the body. When many of these chains combine together, they create proteins. They serve many jobs throughout the body like regulating hormones, repairing damaged cells, and metabolizing sugars. [You can read more about peptides and health here.] How can Peptides help your skin? As we age, our skin's supply of two key proteins, collagen and elastin, run short. Wrinkled or saggy, skin is a result of lower, weaker numbers of these structure maintaining proteins. This is where peptides come in: they are often compared to building blocks because they're exactly what the body needs to create more protein. If you can add peptides back into your skin, theoretically you can give your body what it needs to build new collagen and elastin, and restore healthy, youthful appearing skin. Plus, due to their natural role in the body of regulating hormones and other bodily functions, adding peptide-rich products to your skincare routine can help reduce inflammation. Do Peptides really work? If you're a long time reader of our blog (especially the post about microencapsulation), you might already see a potential issue with peptides in skincare: delivery. Collagen and Elastin are formed deep in the dermis of your skin, meaning products need to be formulated in a way that can deliver peptides to the places they can be most impactful. Because peptide molecules are generally too large to be absorbed through the epidermis, there are some people who don't believe peptides can actually help skin. In reality, there are a couple of ways to make it work. 1) Like hyaluronic acid, which is too big in its pure form to be absorbed by the skin, peptides can be broken into smaller forms, which can be absorbed. 2) Peptides can also be encapsulated or micro-encapsulated to improve absorption. For example, Ourself's microencapsulation technology allows ingredients like hyaluronic acid to be delivered directly to the dermis, where they can be most effective. [Read more about peptide absorption here.] Best skincare products with peptides Ourself Advanced Regenerative Serum (formerly known as HA+ Replenishing Serum-- new packaging coming soon) With Ourself's patented sub-topical delivery system, this advanced serum delivers peptides and hyaluronic acid to the dermis where they can plump skin and stimulate collagen and elastin. It's been clinically tested and proven to improve your skin's firmness while reducing the appearance of wrinkles, and crepey or saggy skin. Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & GF Advanced Lifting SerumA new favorite with Harben House customers & staff, this serum combines peptides with growth factors to maximize your firming and lifting results. Backed by clinical trials and years of work in development, this is a peptide rich serum you can trust to deliver real results. Revision Skincare Revox Line Relaxer Those in the know have nicknamed Revox Line Relaxer "Botox in a bottle," and it has become popular as a pregnancy safe alternative to anti-aging injections. With a highly concentrated peptide-rich formula, this spot treatment is designed to be applied directly to areas with wrinkles and fine lines for targeted results. Obagi Professional-C Peptide Complex Similar to the Allies of Skin serum, Obagi's offering combines peptides and growth factors, but this complex adds vitamins C & E to make this a comprehensive anti-aging serum. It's clinically proven to produce help firm skin and reduce the appearance of signs of aging as quickly as in one week. Neocutis Lumiere Firm Eye Cream Consistently one of the best-selling eye creams in the industry, there's a decent chance you've already tried Neocutis' Lumiere Firm (or Firm Riche). This powerhouse eye treatment helps brighten dark circles, and uses a tried and true combination of peptides and growth factors to firm and tighten skin around the eyes.
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Fresh Start: Our Favorite Cleansers
This time of year always feels like a good time to update your skin care routine, and there's no better place to start than with the foundation of any regimen: a good cleanser. Here are some cleansers we, the Harben House staff have been loving lately, including a new favorite. 1. Allies of Skin Vitamin C & Omegas Cleansing Balm Meredyth has been raving about this cleanser since she first tried it last year, so I recently decided to give it a shot too. This luxurious balm melts onto skin, and with its well-balanced formula, it cleanses gently and smoothly. Plus, it has a pleasant scent from natural botanicals while being fragrance free. The one downside to this balm cleanser is that it can be a little difficult to remove. But, that doesn't feel like a problem if you're using it as a first step in a two-part cleansing routine, which it's ideal for as an oil based cleanser. 2. Ourself Daily Purifying Cleanser Ourself's Daily Purifying Cleanser is a perfect classic cleanser that cleans without drying skin. It's great at removing makeup without being too harsh, and lathers up into a satisfying, deep cleansing foam. This is the cleanser I'm currently using as my second step after the Allies Vitamin C Balm, and I'm enjoying it as a versatile option. 3. EltaMD Skin Recovery Amino Acid Foaming Cleanser If you were a fan of the best-selling Foaming Facial Cleanser that EltaMD recently discontinued, this cleanser is your next step. With a similar formula that has been boosted by new active ingredients, this cleanser will feel familiar but leave you with even better results. 4. Sente Daily Soothing Cleanser This gentle cleansing lotion is Jenny's long time favorite, perfect for people with sensitive skin or for use post-procedure. Everyone who loves this cleanser knows how well it cleanses without drying or irritation, and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. 5. Restorsea Reviving Cleanser If you're like me and have sensitive skin, exfoliating cleansers can be too much for your skin. While Reviving Cleanser isn't technically an exfoliator, it does help dissolve dead skin cells, thanks to Restorsea's proprietary Aquabeautine XL® complex. I love this cleanser for its ability to cleanse gently and remove makeup quickly. Just keep in mind it is lightly scented, so if you are particularly sensitive to fragrances, this might not be right for you. 6. Revision Brightening Facial Wash If you've been around a while, there's a good chance you've seen Courtney talk about how much she loves this cleanser, and maybe even tried it yourself. If you haven't, consider giving this gem a try. This exfoliating cleanser features AHA & BHAs, plus soothing botanicals to soothe skin as it is lightly resurfaced, with a bright, refreshing scent.
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