A Retinol, Retinal, Retin-A Primer

The Ordinary offers highly affordable (approx. $9–$15) vitamin A serums, primarily in squalane, that are designed to target anti-aging by treating fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin texture. For years, I’ve used these serums in strengths of 0.2% and 0.5%, as well as other name brands, which also claim to improve collagen production and cell turnover. 

Certain dermatologists, such as YouTube’s Dr. Dray, question the efficacy of The Ordinary’s higher strengths as being more effective. When adhering strictly to results based on the known scientific studies, Dr. Dray recommends we use the following over-the-counter serums: (1) Differin Gel, (2) La Roche Posay Adapalene, (3) Avene Retinial 0.1 Intensive, (4) CeraVe Resurfacing Reinol or (5) Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair.  

A few days ago, I started using The Ordinary Retinal 2% Emulsion, a high-strength retinaldehyde (a/k/a retinal) formula, which I like as it has the well-studied retinaldehyde ingredient, and it doesn't irritate my skin. 

So let's have a quick review of Vitamin A serums: The medical or generic name for Retin-A is tretinoin (= prescription strength). Differein Gel is an FDA-approved non-prescription retinoid called adapalene 1% that was developed to treat acne. When 1st on the market, it was obtained by prescription, then it became non-prescription. Adapalene works by regulating skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation to clear, treat, and prevent blemishes, but this same remedy also eases the signs of aging.

Usually, tretinoin, a/k/a Retin-A, is too harsh on virgin skin, which must build up a tolerance for it to avoid the painful side effects of dry, flaky, raw skin. It’s best to start with non-prescription strengths of retinol or retinal. The good news is that all 3 forms (strengths) of Vitamin A serums have efficacy as anti-aging serums. We don’t get better results with higher-strength Vitamin A serums; rather, the benefits come from regular, consistent use.

Here’s how the different forms of Vitamin A serums work: retinol -> retinal -> retinoic acid. Retinol is converted into retinoic acid in 2 steps, whereas retinal requires 1 step. Retinoic acid is the active, oxidized metabolite of Vitamin A (from either retinol or retinal) that regulates cell growth, differentiation, and gene expression in the body. It’s potient skin renewing (or cell turnover) power is what erases the visible signs of aging.

And there you have it in a nutshell!

The Ordinary was the original game changer in making affordable anti-aging products, but other skincare companies followed. CereVe, Olay, L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Differein, Roche Posay, ROC, No. 7, and Avene (to name several) are fantastic drugstore options backed by science! 

Choice galore lets consumers who take the time to learn about skincare ingredients find the best deals for less moola, so we can afford to use them daily without breaking the bank!

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How Do You Use Glycerin?

I ordered 4 ounces of anise oil to make springerle for Christmas next year. Instead, a pharmacy sent me 6 ounces of glycerin. I hate to waste it. Although I know it is often an ingredient in soap and moisturizers, I don’t know how to use it. So I looked it up.

Glycerin (C3H8O3 - glycerol) is a compound derived from plants (from the triglycerides of such oils as soybean, coconut, or palm), animal fats (from beef or mutton tallow), or synthetic petroleum products (like propylene). It’s produced as a byproduct of making soap or splitting animal fats. Glycerin is also a natural ingredient found in fermented foods like beer, honey, and vinegar. If you are a science geek, go here for the in-depth details.

Suffice it to say, glycerin is a humectant (a substance that retains moisture, meaning it stops the loss of moisture), so it's often added to skincare as a moisturizer.

As a powerful moisturizer, glycerin needs to be diluted with water, rosewater, or mixed into lotions to prevent irritation and stickiness on the skin.

Photo: musimmas

According to several sources, you mix 1 part glycerin to 2 - 5 parts water or rosewater and can put it in a spray bottle to use as a mist. Or you can add 1 - 2 drops of glycerin to one application of your regular face or body toners and lotions. You can also add 1 - 2 drops on a cotton pad along with a cleanser or toner to remove dirt on your skin, or you can add 1 - 2 drops to hand lotions, lip balms, or overnight face masks to boost their moisturizing properties.

Safety tips for using pure glycerin include: (1) Always dilute, (2) apply to damp skin, and (3) avoid excess. Too much of a good thing is rarely a good thing!

Frankly, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to buy pure glycerin, but now I know more about it, and sometimes we do have lotions or moisturizers that work well in warm seasons, but need an extra boost to work better in drier, colder seasons. In such cases, it sounds like a few drops of glycerin could enrich an already sitting-at-home moisturizer, turning it into the ultra winter moisturizer!

Aren’t we all the wiser? If you have experience using glycerin, feel free to share.

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Lady Gaga’s High Performance Makeup

Haus Labs is a vegan and cruelty-free cosmetic line started by Lady Gaga in 2019, focusing on high-performance, clean, and sustainably packaged products. The beauty company’s makeup consists of skincare-infused ingredients like fermented arnica (reduces redness), squalane (nourishes), hyaluronic acid & hydraberry (hydrates), vitamins C & E (antioxidants), prickly pear (nourishes with vitamin C, magnesium & copper) and proprietary complexes like BioFerment 7 Complex for anti-aging. It’s on the pricey but not obscene side as it contains rarer (as opposed to common) ingredients. I'm featuring it because beauty editors love every product in the brand from the makeup brushes to the foundation and concealer.

Consumers benefit from introductions to quality brands. One day if they land at discount retailers, or a major department store runs a bonanza beauty sale, you know about the cosmetic line.

It doesn’t surprise me that Lady Gaga would develop high quality makeup. We’ve never met, however, she impresses me as an artist who would never attach her name to junk, or subpar quality. Authenticity and excellence seems to motivate her over money and profits. She appears to be a hard-worker who is passionate about what she does and cares deeply about her fans.

Rarely would I spend this price point for makeup but if I did, I'd get the 3 makeup brush set. Good makeup brushes are a must-have and are never cheap. You need them for an even application of makeup, and the brushes will not shed.

You can find brushes for less, however repeatedly picking brush hairs off you face while applying makeup makes you open your wallet to stop the annoyance! 

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Top 6 Budget Anti-aging Skin Care Brands For Mature Skin

Although it's never too early or too late to take care of your skin, you probably think more about doing so as you mature, let’s say after you hit 40. But as I always say, what good is skincare with efficacy if it's too expensive to use every day? Luckily there are several budget brands dermatologists recommend based on science with effective ingredients that are also affordable and widely available at drugstores, Walmart and Target. Some affordable drugstore brands have more effective ingredients such as retinoids, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants like vitamin C, and optimal delivery systems than higher priced products because they were developed by dermatologists!

6 Top Dermatologists Recommended Budget Brands are:

CeraVe

Its Daily Moisturizing Lotion was a top pick in testing for instantly smoothing dry skin and fast absorption. Moisturizing your skin makes you look years younger instantly! CeraVe’s many formulas contain ceramides and hyaluronic acid to repair the skin barrier and lock in moisture, which is vital for aging skin. Its cleansers for sensitive skin rank high with skin doctors.

La Roche-Posay

Known for its testing and evidence-based results on sensitive, dry and acne-prone skin, this brand tops leading dermatologists' lists. Its Lipikar Balm AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream is a top choice for sensitive skin. Its Redermic R Retinol Cream forcefully targets aging.

Neutrogena

A top affordable brand hailed by dermatologists for its retinol creams and serums at lower costs, Neutrogena's wide range of products target all skin types and have a long history of clinical efficacy.

Gold Bond

The Gold Bond the Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion is a top-rated drugstore brand for both -- you guested it -- the body and face. It contains retinol to help tighten and lift skin for a more youthful appearance by treating fine lines and wrinkles. Shea butter and coconut butter hydrates the skin for 24 hours.

No7

The Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Face Cream is cited as an effective anti-aging moisturizer that includes hyaluronic acid and collagen peptide technology to help erase fine lines and wrinkles.

Cetaphil

Very effective on dry and sensitive skin, it contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), vitamin E, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. Some formulas have added almond oil and ceramides.

If you know which budget brands are favored by dermatologists because they really work, you’ll have the knowledge and flexibility to save some major moola when one of them goes on sale. When discounted buy 1 + 1!

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T.J. Maxx Is the Best Retailer For Beauty Products

Korean beauty, Azure, is a top-notch retinol cream. 

T.J. Maxx’s beauty department rocks! It’s buyers find top-notch makeup, skincare and hair care from all over the world. In its aisles, the Korean, Japanese, French, Italian, German, Australian, organic, niche and luxury markets are well represented with beauty products for less than their full retail prices.

Because of the redutions T.J. Maxx must be discreet about the brand names that end up on its shelves. You cannot find brand names online via T.J Maxx’s search box. But I think it’s a great opportunity for brands to pick up new customers who are  first enticed to try them for less.

The quality, quantity and cost of a variety of personal care products are unbeatable. I haven’t bought cosmetics, skincare, or hair products at major department stores in years because I haven’t had to with such a wide array of awesome international beauty and luxury brands at T.J. Maxx. It's fun browsing the myriad of offerings and discovering new beauty products you wouldn’t otherwise try or even know about.   

At bargain prices customers can afford to up their beauty routines, as well as, take a few risks trying new products along with tried-and-true essentials. Think of it as an education without breaking the bank! You never know what stellar beauty surprises you’ll see on a trip to the retailer.  I’ll add links below of some of the T. J. Maxx beauty finds I highly recommend!

As a kit, $16 bucks for both, full-sizes

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5 Body Lotions Similar To EOS

Click to enlarge.

EOS (Evolution of Smooth) lotions claim to add 24 hours of moisture to your skin. Users like its lightweight, non-greasy formula and pleasant scents. The Cashmere Vanilla scent is especially popular. Surprisingly, only Target has a bonafide dupe of it, but there are a number of drugstore moisturizes that offer very similar benefits like moisturizing and norising your skin for 24 hours. With such a claim, at least we know the body lotion will have a rich consistency. I’m going to introduce you to more than 5 choices to consider, including a link to a previous blog (#5) listing a ton of moisturizers costing less. 

Here we go!

1) Up & Up Everyday Moisturizing Body Lotion (Target’s house brand) - 20 oz. Vanilla and White Jasmine + other scents. Cost: $5.49

2) Nivea Soft: 6.8 oz. A classic moisturizing lotion with a creamy texture and a subtle floral scent.

3) Jergens Shea Fusion Vanilla Crush Lotion with Shea Butter and Vitamin E, 14 oz. Like the others on the list, it has deep moisturizing properties to nourish very dry or sensitive skin.

4)  Malibu Hemp Ultra Healing Body Moisturizer For Dry Skin, 18 oz. Aloe Vera and Hemp Seed Oil are main ingredients.

5) My previous blog on Equate dupe moisturizers (Walmart’s house brand) which of course means the original brands are also super moisturizing.

With choice galore you can watch for sales to get rich moisturizers for less per ounce. Watch for drugstores' 2 for 1 deals. No longer are you restricted to buying one brand when it isn’t on sale. Consider another brand! Dupes and some alternatives come in larger sizes of 18 oz - 20 oz to last longer saving you more money.

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Savvy Shoppers Know That Size Matters

It takes a surprising amount of commodities to maintain ourselves! Doesn’t it?! Even a minimalist has to agree. From household germicides to skincare to haircare to personal care, we certainly need to buy a slew of solutions, soaps, lotions, and potions to clean, groom, and perfume our homes and physiques until the day we die!😳 Today and everyday, I mean, stop and what’s next? Germs? Bad smells? Dishevelment? Surely people in their right minds would never just let themselves go!

A reason I love T.J Maxx is the many botanical and organic finds including liquid soaps, moisturizing lotions, shampoos and hair conditioners that are also sold in huge 1 liter or 33 oz sizes for less. My practice is to buy one, plus one to keep on deck for when the first bottle turns into an empty.

I do the exact same thing when buying household cleaners like gallon sizes of distilled white vinegar, a 4 lb box of baking soda, Pinalen (pine oil), ammonia, and bleach from Walmart, Target, Key Food, or C-Town. (I’ve decided not to replace the ammonia because the others do the same jobs. I hardly reach for it anymore. Before switching to white vinegar to clean my floors and counters, I used ammonia to keep from ruining colored rugs with splatters while cleaning.)

Neither overbuying nor underbuying saves you money. Learn which products keep and which lose potency with the passage of time. Then the trick is to figure out what you need and will continue using. We might make a few mistakes before we figure it out, but eventually we do figure it out. 

After we figure it out, buying staples in big ole sizes not only saves time and money, but simplifies our lives. You make fewer trips to the store to restock and instead can do other tasks or pleasures.

Buying huge sizes of non-perishable household and personal care products is always the Savvy Shopper way to go. It’s well worth creating space for them!

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Korean Beauty: Meditherapy

I’m a big fan of Korean Beauty. Its skincare contains good clean ingredients based on science that works, and it's great value for the money. Generous sizes for less!

Meditherapy is a skincare brand to put on your radar. It’s potent anti-aging serums and creams are formulated to be moisturizing, quick absorbing, non-greasy, non-sticky, suitable for sensitive skin and most importantly, affordable. I mean what more do we want? 

If you only try one product, the top image Retinal Skin Booster Serum is it! (Before tariffs, it sold for $11!) So what makes it so good? The serum contains non-irritating retinaldehyde, which is a nonprescription derivative of retin-A. (Retin-A is the prescription strength.) Retinal is another name for Retinaldhyde. Another non-perscription strength of retinol-A is the more familiar retinol. All 3 strengths are highly effective, but the non-presciption strengths require conversions after their application on the skin to become retinoic acid (i.e. retin-A), often called the holy grail in anti-aging serums. 

2 Conversions: Retinol --> Retinaldehyde --> Retinoic Acid 

As you can see the Meditherapy Retinal Skin Booster only needs one conversion to become retinoic acid, not retinol’s two. But remember all 3 strengths are excellent anti-aging ingredients as all 3 work. Think of it like eating carrots to get your vitamin A. Carrots contain beta carotene which you body converts to vitamin A.

If you have the budget to try more products in the Meditheraphy line, below are a few others worth considering:

Collagen Peptide Boosting Serum - Fights wrinkles and fine lines by boosting collagen production. It hydrates the skin and helps with elasticity and firming the skin.

Yuja Vitamin C 20 Glow Serum - Contains 20% pure vitamin C and yuca oil to soften and hydrate the skin. Vitamin C also brightens the skin. Vitamin B5 and E are added to calm the skin.

Cactus Mucin Hyaluronic Serum - Hyaluronic acid is the main ingredient. It's used to deeply moisturize the face. Like the excellent drugstore brand CeraVe, it has ceramides (a family of waxy lipids found in cells in high concentrations) to strengthen the skin barrier.

Wild Rose Capsule Plumping Serum - This one is a splurge because you don’t need it if using the others. The Wild Rose Serum moisturizes and softens the skin to make your face feel nice! It has oasis rose oil (a hydrator) enriched with vitamin C to promote elasticity, smooth wrinkles and restore a youthful glow. Like all the serums in the line, it’s non-greasy and non-sticky and absorbs right into the skin.

There’s no way around the tariffs imposed on South Korea by you know who.🙂 Tariffs are taxes on foreign goods paid when the goods enter the USA and then get passed onto consumers. So now we are paying $2 - $4 more on each beauty item. Amazon scrapped its plan to list the additional cost for consumers created by the tariffs. Despite this tax, Korean Beauty remains good quality and quantity for the money, and when the tariffs are removed, Korean Beauty will return to costing even less.

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The Ordinary GF 15% Solution: An Anti-ager

The Ordinary was the first company to change the game of anti-aging skincare by making it affordable for most everyone. Once upon a time it cost a mint to buy products containing anti-aging ingredients that were based on science! 

Nowadays when buying effective skincare, you are the one who cho0ses to go broke, or not. Education is a must to know which ingredients based upon science to look for in targeting your skin issues.

The Ordinary keeps evolving because skincare keeps evolving as science evolves. I try to keep up with the science of skincare and enjoy trying new products. 

Here’s a new one from The Ordinary I’m curious to try. It's called GF 15% Solution, an age support serum to help minimize and repair the visible signs of aging, including skin damage. The key ingredients are IGF, EGF, and TGE, which are growth hormones and peptites to regenerate the skin, firming it up and restoring elasticity. GF 15% Solution softens fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes and mouth, and smooths rough skin along with brighting dull skin. Sounds desirable to me!

You apply a few drops after washing your face in the morning and at bedtime. GF 15% Solution doesn’t play nice when used with direct acids, direct vitamin C, or salicylic acid. On the other hand, it pairs well with hyaluronic acid, retinol, and heavier moisturizers. If you use retinol (at night) or bakuchiol (day or night), apply the GF 15% Solution 1st, then retinol or bakuchiol and followed by sunscreen or moisturizers.

I’m writing about GF 15% Solution without testing it first because the Ordinary has proven to be extraordinary skincare. Trying this new product will let me know if its right for my complexion.

At such an affordable price ($15.50, alas like everything else The Ordinary has increased its prices), I’m gung-ho to see if it makes my skin more radiate. I want glowing skin! How about you?

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Kind Science By Ellen DeGeneres

Kind Science By Ellen DeGeneres is a skincare line we often see advertised on television. Two questions come to mind: (1) Are the products effective, and (2) Are they good value for the money? Here are my thoughts ...

It depends on how much you know about anti-aging skincare. If you know nothing or very little about skincare ingredients the $49 introductory kit is worth buying. The products are effective, based on science, and are paired to be used together so you won't cancel out the benefits of one elixir with another. The price isn't outlandish for the kit of 4 products. Yes, I know 6 products are offered, but I wouldn't buy a kit to get a free brush or skin oil. It's nice for the company to include them, however, consumers should focus on the 4 essential potions to determine the value of the kit. Those are the ones you'll need to keep buying as they do the anti-aging heavy lifting.

Also keep in mind that when buying the kit, you won't get full sized products, but are paying less then you will to rebuy them in bigger sizes.

So what are we getting for our $49? Reduced sizes of:

1) Gentle Cleanser - 1.5 fl oz/44 ml - Enriched with skin-brightening vitamin C from Kakadu plum, soothing chamomile and green tea (green tea is one source of antioxidants).

2) Micro Exfoliant+ - 0.75 fl oz/22 ml - A face mask that contains volcanic sand and bamboo silk to polish and soften the skin. Its alpha-hydroxy acids brighten the skin and remove dead skin cells.

3) Firming Serum - 0.34 fl oz/10 ml - The main ingredients are bakuchiol (a retinol alternative) and peptides (short chains of amino acids) to smooth the skin.

4) Hydration Cream - 0.5 fl oz014 ml - Has snow mushroom to hydrate, omega-rich sea buckthorn (a source of antioxidants; doesn't grow in the sea) and our retinol alternative bakuchiol.

5) Free Gift: FacialCleansing Brush

6) Free Gift: Radiance Oil 05 fl oz/14 ml - It's mainly sunflower, apricot and jojoba oils with bakuchiol as one of its very last ingredients.

So now I'll find you alternative full sized skincare for less which may source cheaper ingredients that still give you the same anti-aging benefits as the more expensive components. Budget friendly skincare that is based on science can be just as effective as their costly cousins with fancy rarer ingredients that do essentially the same things. 

My skincare picks are:

For Gentle Cleanser:

1) Vanicream Sensitive Skin Cleanser; or Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; or CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser; or Equate Gentle Skin Cleanser.

To Micro Exfoliate:

3) Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub; Alaparte Green Tangerine Vitamin C Face Scrub; Trilogy Vitamin C Microdermabrasion with AHAs (aka Alpha-hydroxy acids).

For Firming Cream:

3) IMAGINE Dermatology Beyond Retinol which is bakuchiol. Since the main ingredient in the Kind Science Firming Serum is bakuchiol, you could buy either a bakuchiol serum or cream. I recommend the IMAGINE brand’s full range of products! (See my review here.) Its Anti Wrinkle Renewal Cream is a close match for the Kind Science Firming Cream for a lot less moola! 

For Hydrating Cream:

4) Neutrogena Hydro Boost; Olay Age Defying Renewal Cream is only one formula choice of many in the Olay line of moisturizers. e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream;  Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer; Cetaphil Deep Hydration Healthy Glow Cream. There are so many excellent hydrating/anti-aging creams at the drugstore they are too numerous to list. You can't go wrong with CereVe, L'Oreal, No7, Curology, Get-Dreamy, or ROC either! Choice galore at wayyyy under $20 a jar! The first ingredient of most if not all hydrating creams is hyaluronic acid (HA). It’s a naturally occurring substance in the body, found in the skin, eyes and joints. It’s main job is to bind with water, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. As we age, HA production lessens leading to dryer less elastic skin and joint issues. A good moisturizing cream will have HA as one of its 1st ingredients. Moisturize your face to look 5 years younger! Instantly, boom!

For a Cleansing Brush

5) Washcloths are never abrasive and easier to sanitize than cleansing brushes because they can be machine washed and dried after each use! Scrubbing the skin with a brush is totally unnecessary, often even damaging to the skin.

For Radiant Oil:

6) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Rosehip Scented Therapy Oil for Face (Rosehip is a source of vitamin C which is an antioxidant). Good Molecules Niacinamide Face Serum (Niacinamide is vitamin B3. It calms the skin and increases hydration). Sky Organics Jojoba Oil to Balance and Hydrate Face and Body.

Conclusion: Kind Science is effective skincare backed by science. It's pricey if used daily, but if you need more budget-friendly skincare you'll find equally effective skincare sold in drugstores. These brands employ scientists and dermatologists to formulate their skincare and can go toe to toe with designer and celebrity higher priced skincare.

Lastly, Korean Beauty is also great quality and quantity for the money. Nowadays drugstores, Walmart and Target carry it. (Next week, I’ll highlight an anti-aging Korean Beauty serum to put on your radar ... for its stellar ingredients, quantity and price! Watch for it to be published!)

Great skincare need not break the bank, but can be found at every price point! I’ll leave you some links below to learn more about what ingredients to look for in effective skincare.

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