IMGN By IMAGINE Dermatology

I didn't expect to be writing about skincare so soon after writing about skincare, but in the wake of discovering a stellar anti-aging brand at an amazing price point, of course, I have to share it with my readers. You!

IMAGINE Dermatology is a small family-run US business with 40 years of experience in skincare, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and biology. Their aim is to make the best skin care products on the market with clean, results-based ingredients from reputable sources that are affordable. IMGN is luxury beauty containing anti-aging properties that 100% work without breaking the bank, a subject forever up THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S alley! Customers will also appreciate the bigger 2-ounce sizes of IMGN serums. This merchant never skimps on value! Normally you only get 1 oz bottles of serum.

The IMGN brand offers a full array of beauty scrubs, serums, hydrators, and treatments including these:

1) Beyond Retinol Creamy Bakuchiol Serum - A gentle retinol alternative that according to a British 2-blind scientific study produces all the benefits of retinol to soften lines and wrinkles plus brighten the skin without the irritation of retinol. The formula contains 1.0% bakuchiol, which is double the amount used in the British study. Among its anti-aging ingredients are anti-oxidants to fight free radicals and niacinamide (vitamin B3), which helps improve the skin's protective barrier by stimulating the synthesis of ceramides within the skin. Ceramides are needed for a strong skin barrier. The serum has a faint citrus scent.

2) Pure Retinol Creamy Serum - Has stabilized 2.5% retinol with an advanced delivery system, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and vitamin E. This is an excellent retinol serum in a great big bottle for cheap!

3) Pure Vitamin C Serum - Along with ascorbic acid, it contains ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid which together moisturize and help promote collagen synthesis and skin brightening. The whole line of skincare has no parabens, soy, sulfates, artificial colors, or fragrances. Here again, customers get a generous 2-ounce size cheaper than what many competitors charge for 1-ounce.

4) Smoother Skin Anti-Aging Renewal Complex - A cream that moisturizes, smooths, and firms the skin with an algae yeast complex that treats wrinkles. Everybody needs a face cream sometimes and do we mind if it builds collagen while moisturizing our faces? Nooo!

5) Instant Lifting Wrinkle Fighter - With acmella oleracea, an ancient plant from South America, to instantly ease the appearance of lines and wrinkles similar to botox. Personally, I'm not interested in quick temporary fixes, but hey, perhaps a person has a reunion to attend, an old girlfriend-or-boyfriend to see, or works in a profession where aging is frowned upon. Nooo judgment here as people have different skin care needs!

To economize I always start with a serum (1st) and a moisturizer (2nd), then I might add products as needed. The website has more than the 5 serums and treatments featured above to whiten, hydrate or bathe the skin in powerful anti-aging ingredients ... all worth your time and money. Take a browse to be impressed with the brand!

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Skincare Holiday Gifts Everybody Will Love

Ho, ho, ho! Hard to believe the holiday season is here, isn't it? Let's consider the beauty mavens on your shopping list. A good skincare gift can be either an introduction to a stellar new brand or something extra for a friend who already has the knowledge and skincare basics. If your giftees use Retin-A or
its non-prescription derivative retinol (for nighttime), and perhaps vitamin C (in the mornings), they have an excellent anti-aging skincare routine even if they do nothing else. Other products may do good things for the skin, but they are less essential. Dermatologists call Retin-A or retinol the gold standard in anti-aging skincare. THE SAVVY SHOPPER has written a number of blogs explaining and recommending good retinol and you can use the search box to pull them up to read if you wish.

Today I'll feature skincare extras to give as holiday gifts that go beyond the basics. Sometimes it takes a friend's holiday gift to either introduce you to an unfamiliar brand or spoil you with ingredients you're not using -- the skincare extras - that provide additional skin benefits. They include:

1) The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + Vitamin B5 (see top image👆) - Hyaluronic acid moisturizes dry skin and Vitamin B5 helps the skin attract and maintain moisture. As we age our skin gets drier so keeping skin moist and dewy instantly makes us look younger ... and it feels better too.

2) The Ordinary Niacinamide (B3) 10% + Zinc 1% - Reinforces and balances the skin's protective barrier. Also treats acne by unclogging pores and drying oils and pimple-causing components.

3) The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution - Promotes mild exfoliation to correct dullness, uneven skin tone, or textual irregularities. Also contains skin-loving ingredients, such as Tasmanian pepperberry, aloe vera, and ginseng root to soothe, balance, and hydrate the skin. Amino acids are added to support the skin barrier. I'm surprised at how often YouTube dermatologists recommend glycolic acid + exfoliating the skin, a practice I rarely do. It speeds up skin turnover to promote new skin cells to rise to the surface.

The Ordinary is offering a 23% discount on their entire skincare line through December 23, 2022, on top of their already high quality and low prices.

The last two gift ideas are Korean skin barrier-protecting face creams. The Korean market excels at making beauty serums and creams. The following skin moisturizers will check Old Man Winter:⛄

4) Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream - Is packed with lipids and fatty acids to strengthen and protect your skin barrier, including “Panthensoside”: Panthenol (Protection of skin barrier & maintenance of hydration) + Madecassoside (Soothing effect for irritated skin).

5) Pyunkang Yul Intensive Repair Cream - Contains ceramides, shea butter, macadamia seed oil, and antioxidants to protect the skin barrier and smooth the skin.

Extra find: Bakuchiol (a phytoretinol). A good one is IMGN Beyond Retinol🎄🎄🎄 

This year make your beauty gifts count! Think quality, not quantity! Frequently beauty sets come with items nobody uses like bubble baths. Instead consider giving a skin elixir backed by science that really works, or an introduction to a fabulous beauty brand your friend or family member doesn't know about. A new discovery is exciting ... and how thoughtful of you to share your tips in the form of a gift!

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What Does Argireline Do?

As a consumer, I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about anti-aging skincare. I try to take care of my skin by using products backed by science, keeping it as simple as possible, and I learn new information every week. Only recently did I hear of acetyl hexapeptide 8 also known as Argireline on the market. It is sometimes called Botox in a bottle.

Serums and creams with effective anti-aging ingredients contain either: 1) Retin-A (prescription Tretinoin and its non-prescription derivatives, Retinal and Retinol), 2) Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid); 3) glycolic acid (a hygroscopic crystalline compound that is widespread in nature. Longer name: hydroxyacetic acid.) or 4) peptides (defined as two or more amino acids, a compound, linked in a chain). All 4 ingredients work to do different things for the skin.

C34H60N14O12S

Argireline is a peptide compound with a similar chemical structure to botulinum toxin (or Botox). It is used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions. As it turns out, just like Botox acetyl hexapeptide 8 works by stopping the production of neurotransmitters, thereby relaxing the facial muscles and softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you see acetyl hexapeptide 3 as the listed ingredient, know it's interchangeable with acetyl hexapeptide 8 to confuse us. :)

Argireline also stimulates the skin to produce more collagen, a protein that forms large eosinophilic fibers to rebuild muscles and this also diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Wham!💥and double wham!!💥😄

Research shows a 30% reduction in wrinkle depth when Argireline is used for 30 days, so acetyl hexapeptide 8 is promoted as an excellent, non-invasive alternative to Botox. Argireline also moisturizes dry skin and improves the skin's elasticity. Sometimes dermatologists talk about protecting or restoring your skin barrier (the outermost layer of skin that is bound together by lipids). Inside the skin cells are keratin and natural moisturizers. Moisturizing with oils, ceramides, and/or Argireline helps to keep your skin barrier healthy. Keeping your skin barrier moist and dewy makes you look younger.

Without a doubt, THE SAVVY SHOPPER recommends Argireline over Botox ... not even close! Think twice before injecting anything artificial and expensive into your face that only lasts 3 - 6 months! What a waste of time and money!! Not to mention you want some expression lines to look natural. The robot look is not beautiful!🤖

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Brad Pitt Launches Genderless Skincare

Hey Brad, "you don't impress me much."🎵♩♪ I lie, I'm a fan girl.

Le Domaine is the new 4-piece genderless skincare line launched by actor, Brad Pitt, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2020) after a distinguished acting and producing career in film. With 12 nominations, it's lovely knowing he won for such a stellar role. Moreover, last week Mr. Pitt made a surprise debut as a sculptor of 9 pieces at a Finnish art gallery in Tampere, where he hung out with friends, musician Nick Cave and artist Thomas Houseago. Isn't he the coolest? He also has a longtime interest in architecture; the environment; humanitarian causes; and now this multifaceted human has paired with winemaker, Marc Perrin, to develop a luxury, clean and green skincare line. 

The brand has 4 products derived from grapes, namely: (1) The Cleansing Emulsion, (2) The Serum, (3) The Cream, and (4) The Fluid Cream. Each is packed with mighty antioxidants that are extracted from wine phenolic compounds. Not only do they pamper and moisturize your face, but they also fight free radicals and reportedly, over time, slow down aging. Cheap, the skincare is not, and I predict if successful, 2 future things will happen: (a) Le Domaine will add potent retinol and/or bakuchiol (a gentle retinol alternative) to its formula; and (b) one of the deluxe advent calendars (like Liberty of London, Fenwick, Space NK, etc.) will offer it in one of its drawers. Perhaps it will be The Cream, Mr. Pitt's favorite item.

Photo: Courtesy of Doctorly. Retinoids are not in Le Domaine products, but I say they will be added one day. 

As it turns out once upon a time in Soho, Brad and I stood on the same street corner waiting for a red light to change. He was alone carrying a large canvas wrapped in brown paper, and I was on my way to Cafe Roma with a friend. A hometown friend, so what lucky timing and fun to see him! Needless to say, we did not bother him ... but we really, really wanted to say hi!

Obviously, Brad's new skincare line is pricey and more than we need to spend for good skincare, so I'm not sure who its target market is. Used daily, the expense would run into hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year. But. If I see it displayed in an upscale shop, I'll sample it. Presently it's only sold online, so let me link you up, my awesome readers, for a browse! 👉 Introducing Le Domaine. 

I can see Mr. Brad Pitt following Paul Newman one day in using profits from a business he starts for good causes he supports. He impresses me as a guy of purpose. What do you think? THE SAVVY SHOPPER wishes him continued success in all his endeavors!💋💜

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Fall And Winter Defense Against Dry Body Parts

10 Face Moisturizers For Fall

1) 7E Wellness Restore

As fall descends upon us one of the first signs we may notice is the tightening of our skin especially on our faces. Summer humidity gets replaced by a dryer climate resulting in a dryer face.

Ceramide

With the change of season, you may have to add a moisturizer to your routine to combat the dryness. Two ingredients to look for in an effective face moisturizer are ceramides (fatty acids that are naturally in the skin) and hyaluronic acid (a  

Hyaluronan

chief component in connective tissue that helps the skin retain water). You should moisturize your face right after you wash it in the sink or step out of the shower to lock in moisture and on top of thinner face serums such as vitamin C (an antioxidant that lightens the skin), retinol, or bakuchiol (a natural retinol alternative for sensitive skin) if you use them.

2) Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum and 3) The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide

So let's learn (by clicking the brand names) about 10 new beneficial face moisturizers that help fight the dryness of autumn without breaking the bank.

4) Cerave Moisturizing Cream and 5) Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

CeraVe (#4) and Cetaphil (#5) above👆 are what I use on all my skin including my face. Neither cream is heavy or clogs my pores, and I find each brand as pure, mild, and effective as moisturizing creams formulated expressly for the face. 

The more choices consumers have the better IMHO! Some moisturizers work better than others on different skin types --oily, combination, dry, or sensitive. It's also fun to discover and try new products. When we have options galore we can take full advantage of retail sales to never go without or spend more than necessary. If we know what to buy, when a budget-friendly favorite is out of stock, we can buy another budget-friendly favorite in stock. 

6) SimplyVital and 7) First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

None of today's examples cost more than $20 and the majority are less, with a few offering you extra ingredients like vitamins C, B5, E, etc. Still, without more research to compare concentrations in the right forms of a product, I'd turn to them mainly to moisturize. A moist face is also a younger-looking face!

8) Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream and 9) SeoulCeuticals Snail Muscin Moisturizer

#9 SeoulCeuticals cream is 97% snail mucin valued in Korean beauty as having anti-aging properties; manuka honey in #8, is hailed for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation causes the skin to wrinkle.

10) Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer with Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid

Vanicream (#10) is a brand dermatologists praise and recommend as pure and suitable for all skin types especially sensitive skin.

The list could go on and on since nowadays there are a ton of fantastic budget-friendly moisturizers on the market. With choices galore, you need never empty a wallet to buy a great face moisturizer. Watch this space periodically for future skincare recommendations.

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Are H2O+ Resort Products Any Good?

H2O+ shampoos, conditioners, and moisturizing lotions are familiar beauty products for anyone at a Disney resort. In 2022 after years of partnering with Pola Orbis Holdings LLC to distribute the products to its customers who stay at Disney hotels, Disney villas, and Disney Cruise ships, Disney bought the rights to the formula for the H2O+ products outright.

Freebies are nice, but it begs the question are the products any good? 

Before I answer the question, I'll share that the brand was founded in 1989 and once upon a time had a retail store on Lexington Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Back then, I discovered the brand on a lunch break when everything in Manhattan was new and exciting to a younger me. I sampled the sea-ingredient skincare on repeated jaunts during my lunch hours. The brand provides facial and body skincare and hair care with good clean ingredients.

After 33 years I understand why the company sold itself to Disney. Nowadays in addition to containing cleansers and moisturizers, retail skincare lines tend to be specialized to treat specific skin issues such as acne, rosacea, or aging. Beauty brands must invest continuously to keep up with the science of skincare. Since H2O+'s launch in 1989, the skincare industry has proliferated 1000-fold! You can now buy highly effective skincare in the aisles of your local drugstore for less.

H2O+ is primarily formulated to clean or moisturize, a perfect spa line for Disney to dole out at its resorts. You don't expect spa skincare products to contain industry-forward ingredients such as retinol, alpha-hydroxy acids, or bakuchiol as they wouldn't suit every chronological age or skin type. For a week you can make do with clean, gentle cleansers and moisturizers. 

I have 2 fluid-ounce tubes of 1) H2O+ Body Lotion; 2) H2O+ Sea Salt Hydrating Body Lotion; 3) H2O+ Marine Revitalizing Shampoo; and 4) H2O+ Salt Marine Collagen Conditioner. They all have the same clean, pleasant oceanside scent. No perfume.

The lotions offer gentle hydration without stickiness. The shampoo and condition feel clean leaving my hair soft and bouncy with no residue. If I can put my fingers or a shower comb through my hair in the shower sans tangles after applying a condition, I judge it to be good. This conditioner passes the test. 

If you stay at a Disney resort be sure to take your H2O+ skincare and haircare complimentary goodies home. They're too clean and good to leave behind! If someone else gives you their products, accept and use them. Basic yet quality ingredients!

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8 Leading Skincare Brands In the USA: A Blog Extra

Photo: Dreamtime

After finishing my 5-blog series on what skincare travelers would find in the pharmacies of 10 countries around the world, I thought my international readers might ask what skincare brands are popular in the USA?

When I wrote the 5 blogs in our series, I listed 5 of the most popular, best-selling skincare brands in each country featured. It's all done for fun. Truthfully, if publishing a book that one gets paid to write, a journalist would have to apply even more scrutiny to verify each entry by contacting a ton of primary sources, which I couldn't do for a personal blog. Perhaps the journalist would also visit the countries to do in-person research with funds provided by her employer, ahh, even more fun! My blogs come from reading a bunch of mostly secondary sources, deciding which are credible, and drawing from the consensus of what I find. It gives us a start and an introduction to the skincare of the 10 countries I featured.

So without further ado, our extra 11th country!🇺🇸

In American skincare, we hear the word efficacy spoken a lot. It means the ingredients are high-performing and in the right amounts to deliver the promised results. Retinol, retinal, retin-A (tretinoin), bakuchiol, peptides, vitamin C, niacinamide, and ceramides are some of the ingredients in top US skincare products with efficacy to moisturize and treat the signs of aging.

For US brands, I have two lists -- 1st I'll focus on knowing ...

5 Leading Skincare Brands Popular in the USA

1) CeraVe was developed by dermatologists containing ceramides to strengthen and protect the skin barrier. Super affordable, some of its formulas also have retinol for night and vitamin C serum with or without sunscreen for day.

2) La Poche-Posey is made in France (so I put it on France's 5 top skincare products since it is manufactured and popular in France).

3) Neutrogena offers science-based anti-aging products that target anti-aging, hydration, and acne issues. Its formulas are developed and tested in a laboratory and sold in drugstores. Its popular Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream contains retinol, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin but is free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing agents, benzoyl peroxide, parabens, and mineral oil. 

4) SkinCeuticals is often recommended by dermatologists as having clinical strength ingredients like vitamins C, E, B5, and Ferulic Acid. The brand is luxury priced to boot.

5) The Ordinary continues to be manufactured in Canada, so I grouped it with Canada’s skincare. I made the assumption that because of its budget-friendly price points, it is popular in Canada, as it is in the United States.

 

I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ↑above list. Why??? France’s La Poche-Posey and Canada's The Ordinary may be widely used in the USA, but we can’t claim them as US Skincare, so I did more reading. ↓Below is a 2nd list to reflect this:

5 Top Skincare Brands Manufactured and Popular in the USA are:

1) SkinCeuticals, as already stated, is science-based, antioxidant-rich skincare (often produced by L'Oréal USA, a fact I didn’t know). A double lister!

2) Estée Lauder, founded in 1946, specializes in luxury skincare. Today, it is the umbrella company of many other skincare brands, not only luxury brands. (See my info re: The Ordinary* to follow.) Estèe Lauder now owns MAC, Revlon, Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford, Clinique, Darphin, Too Face, La Mer, Origins, Deciem* (bought in 2021), and The Ordinary* (bought in 2024) + other brands. The woman who started the company was born Josephine Esther Mentzer in 1908, yet reinvented herself. She was the only woman on TIME magazine’s 1998 list of the 20 most influential entrepreneurs of the 20th century.

 
3) SkinMedica is a medical-grade brand focused on anti-aging formulas. This is a new brand to me! I’ve never used it.

4) CeraVe's formulas contain ceramides to protect the skin barrier, as mentioned in list 1. Often it is cited as America’s #1 bestselling skincare. I love the popular and bestselling CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for the Face and Body! A 2nd double lister!

5) EltaMD is known mostly for its professional-grade and lightweight sunscreen, yet it offers other skincare. A pity its superior sunscreen at $41 for 1.7 ounces is so expensive, the sun protection isn’t accessible for us common folk to use daily! Let them eat cake, eh?

Other key US brands are Aveeno and Cetaphil (the latter is another drugstore brand developed by dermatologists). I buy and like both brands for their hand and body moisturizing creams.

I have the benefit of in-person research in the US, and yes, both lists seem correct, or in the words of the late great Executive Editor, Ben Bradley of the respected Washington Post during his tenure (1968 - 1991), of getting at "the best obtainable version of the truth.”:)  

As it happens, Estée Lauder acquired  The Ordinary* by 2024, adding it to its portfolio of brands. This explains why this Canadian brand is on the 1st US skincare list. I love The Ordinary’s many products and am only too happy to add to its American success! I hope Estée Lauder doesn’t change the company (its philosophy, formulas, or price points) for the sake of profits! Critics accuse EL of buying and then running MAC (also Two Face, another of its acquired companies) into the ground by weakening the pigments in MAC lipsticks while simultaneously raising the retail price of the lipsticks. Let’s hold our collective breath for The Ordinary!🙏

The skincare brands I buy repeatedly are CeraVe (my overall favorite moisturizer - clean, thick, and never greasy), The Ordinary (for serum treatments, especially Retinol and Retinal), Neutrogena (Rapid Wrinkle Repair, Sunscreen), and Cetaphil (Moisturizing cream with glycerin, Vitamins B3 and B5).

Here’s a little insight into how the beauty industry works:

Today, Cetaphil products are primarily manufactured in Canada, specifically at a major Galderma plant in Baie-d'Urfé, Québec, which serves as a global supply hub. While the brand was originally developed in the USA in 1947, it is now owned by Galderma, a Swiss company. Making my 11-county skincare lists, at times, I had to split a few hairs. Cetaphil was created in an American lab, is widely available in US drugstores, remains a bestseller, and is widely used by Americans, so I grouped it as a US skincare brand. Moreover, once a skincare brand becomes part of a conglomerate, users should stay alert to notice any changes in formulas over time.

What skincare brands do you use where you live?

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