Beauty

[phoenixbrd]

I asked a question about anti-aging and brown spots on the board.  Bella Carro was kind enough to respond and suggested that I look for certain ingredients.  That led me to an Internet search that resulted in a site Skin Actives where you can add ingredients as well as order specific premade products.  I love this idea, but I have never used this brand.  Have any of you ever used Skin Active products?  I would appreciate if you would share your results.  I have never had significant success removing aging spots and considering this brand.  Thanks.

[Ms X]

Phoenixbrd:  I can't answer your specific question, but I've recently noticed subtle brownish discoloration on the top of my cheekbones of all places.  This only appears in the magnifying mirror that I use to check my make-up in sunlight.  I plan to ask my primary care and/or my sister who is a primary care and colleague of my primary care.  You'd be surprised by the info you can get from doctors who aren't derms but that is better than general beauty advice. I'll probably be asking this same question about brown sun discoloration (they are not spots but more amorphous) soon.

[UMDTerpFan]

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@phoenixbrd wrote:

I asked a question about anti-aging and brown spots on the board.  Bella Carro was kind enough to respond and suggested that I look for certain ingredients.  That led me to an Internet search that resulted in a site Skin Actives where you can add ingredients as well as order specific premade products.  I love this idea, but I have never used this brand.  Have any of you ever used Skin Active products?  I would appreciate if you would share your results.  I have never had significant success removing aging spots and considering this brand.  Thanks.

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@phoenixbrd, I've used SkinActives UV Repair Cream and had a lot of success with reducing their color & size. I wouldn't say they completely went a way but I noticed a big difference. I used it on my arms, face, neck & chest. If you order, get the sandlewood option as well. The cream does have a gritty feel to it & some people may not like it, but I did because I saw results, and have used it off & on for two years. I also like their Vitamin A cream & Revitalizing Night Cream. These are ready to use creams under the creams header. I've also bought some of their additives and added them to SkinActive creams or other brands I was using.

[phoenixbrd]

Ms. X....hope you post any information that you receive.  I think a lot of us are seeking a solution.  Thanks!

[phoenixbrd]

UMD   Thank you for the information.  I'm happy to hear that you have had results.  I think I'm going to give it a try....being able to control the ingredients and not paying the overhead for a brand name and packaging is appealing.  I appreciate your response.

QVC lost a lot of my posts when the system changed.

[River Song]

@phoenixbrd, I use Skin Actives pre-made 15% Vitamin C serum and like it very much.  (It's also 50% off for their Black Friday sale, no code required, until Sunday).  Anyway, I've also purchased their Niacinamide powder and added it to an Earth Science brand toner I purchased at Whole Foods.

While I like the idea of buying ingredients and adding them to products I have on hand to 'boost' them, I think it's more complicated than that.  There is a reason skin care companies employ cosmetic chemists to formulate their products.  There's quite a lot of chemistry involved with ingredients, some dissolve only in water, others only in oil, still others only in alcohol.  And the pH can also profoundly affect how ingredients work together.  Just because you dump some ingredient into a cream doesn't mean that the ingredient is available to your skin...it might just be bound up in the cream and will never have any effect on your skin.

As an example with the niacinamide powder, it's best not to mix it with acidic ingredients (like Vit. C, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, usually having a pH 2.5 to 4.0) because the niacinamide content will gradually convert to niacin.  Niacin can trigger facial flushing (which can be mistaken for an allergic reaction, btw).  The flushing isn't harmful to the skin, it's just cosmetically inconvenient.  And who wants to have facial redness, not me.  So, don't mix niacinamide powder into a Vit. C serum, salicylic acid toner, glycolic toner or the like.  I mixed the niacinamide powder into an Earth Science Aloe Vera Complexion Toner & Freshener that is alchohol free and has a pH of 5.5.  I don't get any facial flushing from this concoction.

But, you won't find this pH formulating information on the Skin Actives niacinamide powder ingredient page.  You have to do research and figure this out for yourself.  So, my point being, it's a little more complicated.