Enhance Lips And Eyes With Retinol Cream
Let’s face it-laugh lines are not that funny. Sure, they may be a reminder of the smiles and good times we’ve shared with friends and loved ones over the years, but they’re also a wake-up call that we’re not getting any younger.
The good news is that innovative skin care products may help us hit the snooze bar on all those fine lines that are causing alarm. Amazing advances have been made in treating and preventing wrinkles, especially with products containing retinol. Retinol is a topical form of the antioxidant vitamin A, and it has proven to be one of the most effective ingredients to reduce the visible signs of aging.
How does retinol work? Retinol is one of few substances with a small enough molecular structure to penetrate into the lower layers of the skin. Once there, it repairs and stimulates collagen and elastin production to create firmer, smoother skin. Retinol also works to speed cell turnover and exfoliation by stimulating cell production. Sloughing off dead skin cells allows healthier cells to appear. The result is softer skin, smaller pores and diminishing signs of sun-damage like age spots and blotchiness.
Because of its promising results, cosmetic companies are now using retinol in all kinds of products, from face creams and hair serums to powder foundation and nail polish. But most of us see the first and most noticeable signs of aging around the eyes and lips. The skin around these areas is thinner, so it’s more vulnerable to damage and the repeated effects of facial expressions like smiling or squinting. That’s why many beauty experts advise making retinol eye creams and lip treatments part of your daily beauty routine.
Contrary to popular belief, eye creams and facial moisturizers are not one in the same. Facial moisturizers may contain active ingredients that are much too strong for the delicate eye area, causing stinging and burning. Eye creams, on the other hand, contain more moisturizing and emollient ingredients to specifically treat the thinner, drier skin around the eyes. While there are multitudes of eye creams on the market, retinol eye creams are powerful best bets to combat crow’s feet, the fine lines and wrinkles that appear near the corners and under the eyes.
Retinol eye creams are available at drugstores, cosmetic retailers, upscale beauty counters and online skincare stores. They range in price from about $12 to $65 and up (just remember, a little eye cream goes a long way). Some retinol products to look for include: L’Oreal Dermo-Expertise RevitaLift Eye, RoC Retinol Actif Pure Eye Contour Cream, H20+ Line Defense Retinol Eye Complex, Lancome Re-Surface Eye, MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream and DDF Retinol Eye Renewal.
For more intensive treatment, look for Spa Sciences Collagen Retinol Eye Patch Therapy. These transdermal patches are placed under the eye for 30 to 40 minutes to deliver retinol in a high potency dose.
A number of products do double-duty by smoothing skin around the eyes and the lips. Estee Lauder’s Diminish Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment can be used as a spot treatment for crow’s feet and laugh lines, as well as wrinkles and discolored spots anywhere on the face. Avon’s Anew Line Eliminator Neo-Retinol Line Plumper SPF 15 comes in a convenient portable swivel stick that you can smooth around the mouth, under the eyes and other lined areas. It can be used before moisturizer in the morning and as a mid-day touch-up too.
In addition to preventing and smoothing lines, retinol’s collagen boosting properties have also been used to create a number of lip-plumping products (think of the pout on Angelina Jolie). They’re called lip enhancers, and they work to smooth and moisturize lips, as well as enhance their natural color and fullness. The most popular brands range in price from $20 to $45 (but you can’t put a price on beauty). Favorites include Freeze 24-7 Plump Lips Lip Plumper, Physicians Complex Lip Enhancer and Poutrageous, a new sheer, shiny gloss from New York’s trendy Bliss spa. All promise to give lips a fuller, more sensuous appearance in an instant.
For a more colorful mix of lip enhancers, look to Avon’s Beyond Color cosmetics. This product line offers a Plumping Lip Conditioner, Plumping Lip Liner, Plumping Lipstick and Plumping Lip Gloss, all made with retinol. These anti-aging lip products boost fullness and resurface lips so color won’t feather or settle into creases. They come in a variety of warm, cool and shimmering colors, and better yet, you can boost your beauty without breaking your budget-they cost about $7 to $8 each.
By: Diane Bobis
