Retinol Wrinkle Filler from Vichy (scream!) - preview

Here's one that Mammy Make Up For Dolls got massively excited about, I barely had the words outa my mouth when she firmly announced "I'll have that one".

Vichy are releasing their new LiftActiv Advanced Filler, containing Pure Retinol and LR2412.  I know that sounds a bit like wall spackle, but bear with me.  Mammy MUFD may have to take a back seat coz I wanna try this stuff out too...

Money bit out of the way first, this will set you back €35.00 for what Vichy are claiming, in all kinds of shouty capitals in their PR release, to be their MOST POWERFUL WRINKLE CORRECTING SKINCARE EVER... dum dum dummmmmmm...

So what's the deal with wrinkles.  If you're super young and reading this, well, frankly, go away now.  This post isn't really for you.  But for the rest of us in "the know", over time, two types of wrinkles can form on your face; horizontal wrinkles (or "laughter lines", such as crows feet), which are often associated with a smiling face, and vertical wrinkles, which form more deeply under the contraction of certain facial muscles and/or the effect of gravity.  Vertical lines can often make you look sad, grumpy, frowny, worried, unhappy, crabby cranky, annoyed, all kinds of old and tired and careworn.  These wrinkles form in a few areas:

• the frown lines located between the eyebrows, also called the glabellar wrinkles;
• the nasolabial folds on either side of the nose;
• wrinkles around the mouth, or bitterness lines which include the cheek;
• wrinkles above the lips: fine lines located between the upper lip and the base of the nose.

Pure Retinol, derived from Vitamin A, is one of those miracle skincare ingredients.  It's considered one of the most powerful anti-wrinkle products in existence. It's also an anti-oxidant (this means that it can help skin to stop looking older, help prevention of new wrinkles, help stimulate collagen).  It is good for acne and eczema sufferers equally, and it can help with minor sun damaged skin pigmentation issues.  And as for the LR2412, well, forgettable name aside, it's another molecule, used in 2% concentration, which enhances cell renewal leading to smoother more hydrated skin.  Other ingredients include hyaluronic acid, glycerin and soya oil, all highly moisturising (Mammy MUFD is a big fan of glycerin products now, so she is).  There are no parabens in this (good, good).  It contains pearlescent powders to fake some radiance (I don't like this in skincare, but I can understand that people like it).

In general, Retinol works better in the dark, but you can use this morning and/or night time.  Just be careful that you're not using other products also containing retinol in addition.  It's recommended if you're using it during the day that you use at least an SPF15 on top of that (I would say: use at least a 30, but that's just me).  If you're using it after a product that contains glycolic acid, be aware that this may sting a little.  It can be used on top of a serum.  Instead of one.  Before a moistuirser.  In place of one.  Whatever takes your fancy and in accordance with your own skin needs.  Incidentally, this joins an existing product line up that includes a serum, an eye serum, a day and night cream and an eye cream.

Product claims include smoothing-out surface (horizontal) wrinkles and filling-in deeper vertical wrinkles, providing anti-ageing, moisturising, resurfacing of the skin, suitable for sensitive skin and promising results within eight weeks (this is around about a standard amount of time to see if something has really worked or not).  Mammy, get ready, this one is coming your way soon... (product review will follow, oh, in about eight to ten weeks or so ;-))