Instytutrum Swiss Skincare

Instytutrum has branded itself Result-Driven Skincare. It was founded in 2014 by Dr. Natalia Derkach who teamed up with Swiss laboratory scientists -- skincare veterans with 30 years of skin research experience -- to develop professional in-office strength skincare to be used at home. The beauty company strives to be a skincare disruptor offering innovative formulas and performance-driven actives such as retinol, hydrators, and peptides.

Instyturum's Founder and CEO

Its full line of professional-grade skincare products contain ingredients that are clean, cruelty-free, and next-generation actives backed by clinically proven efficacy.

 A main objective of Instytutrum is to teach and advise clients about effective home skincare. Free online or telephone consultations and skincare advice from a team of skin experts are offered to anyone interested in receiving it by going to its website or calling an 800 number listed on the website.

Additionally, type the words: skincare or anti-aging in THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S search box to learn about skincare ingredients and effective brands to put on your radar.

Instytutrum is more expensive than drugstore anti-aging beauty brands but it contains ingredients that leading dermatologists recommend and celebrity clientele like Kristen Bell and Gabrielle Union buy. It's worth examining the ingredients in the brand and comparing them with similar products to increase your overall knowledge about what works to maintain and treat your skin. 

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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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Know The Minimalist Skincare

Photo: Minimalist

A savvy shopper needs to have a selection of brands to get the best value on skincare. Feel free to enter the words "skincare," "serum," and "anti-aging" in the blog's search box on the upper left to learn about some amazing brands that like today's featured line focus on efficacy, transparency, and affordability.

The Mininalist is a high-performance skincare brand with an array of cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and sunscreen based on science to address a range of skin concerns. The company was launched by 2 brothers (one a scientist, the other with a business background) in October 2020 to make low-cost skincare available in India because, at the time, The Ordinary (launched in August 2016) wasn't on shelves in India. Today both brands sell in both India and the USA, so everybody wins! The consumer has choices galore! Mohit Yadav is the CEO and co-founder with Unilever as an investor.

Although the Minimalist is not The Ordinary and The Ordinary is not the Mininalist, here's what they have in common: Clean packaging, transparent information, and ingredients that are scientifically formulated at rock-bottom prices -- all fantastic! While many consumers can get all their skincare needs met with products developed solely by The Ordinary or solely by the Minimalist, the Mininalist is especially good at offering a wide range of chemical peels and sun protection. If you have acne or rosacea, you'll have a greater selection of treatments from the Mininalist. An emphasis on treating acne explains why the Minimalist offers more chemical peels than The Ordinary. There's also better sunscreen at the Mininalist possibly because the company started in India, a continent where the population needs good sun protection.

The more knowledgeable you become about skincare ingredients and what you want your skincare to do, your appreciation for companies like the Mininalist and The Ordinary grows. Initially, it might seem confusing and like lots of work to learn about what ingredients to buy, but after you do the research to know, you know.

Moreover, sometimes the two companies pair or combine ingredients differently, and I think this also gives customers a greater chance to personalize their skincare. So for consumers, it's awesome to have not one, but two companies with stellar ingredients for less on the market! Hats off to The Ordinary for changing the skin suspension game, as well as, to the Mininalist for expanding it!🎩

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

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8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend

Photo: Adobe

Through experience, you inevitably learn about skin care products like which ingredients really work, and which knockoffs, identical to their more costly name-brand counterparts, to buy.

Here's what I now use every day in my skincare routine, as well as, for my senior mother whose skin still feels baby soft. I like to pamper her with mild, good clean ingredients to keep her skin healthy and moisturized. I've reviewed the following beauty items in prior blogs, so if you wish to know why they're good for your skin click on their links for a description and list of ingredients. Today's blog will try to save you a few bucks when purchasing them:

8 Skincare Products I Use Daily And Highly Recommend:

 

1) SheaMoisture Soap(s) - to wash with during a shower. T.J. Maxx often carries the bars at $3.99/bar.

2) Noxema Cleansing Cream - to wash my face before bed. I also use it to soothe my mom's dry skin where she needs it, such as her arms. Alternatively, I love the face washes from CeraVe and Cetaphil, as well as, their Walmart Equate knockoffs. Walmart also has a Noxema dupe only for in-store pickup. However, Noxema, the name brand, usually selling at under $5, is cheap enough.

3) Coconut Oil - I buy food-grade coconut oil often from Puritan's Pride, to use as after-bath oil to lock in moisture. The reason for the food-grade coconut oil is to simplify my life and not have to buy 2 different coconut oils. {The same applies to white vinegar for cleaning my home. I buy food-grade, not cleaning-grade white vinegar which lies in the cleaning products aisle of supermarkets. When cheap enough, reduce to one multi-tasking product you have to stock. Saves time! Looks like Puritan's Pride no longer sells what I use, so here's another good online retailer. Costs: $6 - $10 for 16 oz.

If I need extra moisturizers in the fall and winter to slatter on dry skin, I add the following to my skincare routine --

4) Equate Moisturizing Cream (a dupe for CeraVe) - Cost: $10

5) Equate Beauty Gentle Skin Cream with Long-Lasting Moisture (the dupe for Cetaphil). - Cost: $6.40. Cetaphil is a tad thicker than CeraVe. Both knockoffs are excellent, plus they work wonders in moisturizing your face, so mild, light, and absorbent that you can skip buying a separate face moisturizer.

6) Target's Up and Up or Walmart's Equate Baby Powder - We use it after bathing and I often apply a sprinkle with a makeup brush to my face to prevent a shiny complexion. Real face powder has a finer texture, than the cornstarch ingredient in baby powder, but baby powder with cornstarch is still a super substitute. Talic (a finer grain) in body power has been removed in the USA. Price: $2.99 for 22 ounces.

7) Daytime: I use Equate Beauty All Day Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion for Skin, Broad Spectrum SPF 15. (the dupe for Olay Complete Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin, SPF 15). I'll use whatever I can get, for normal or sensitive skin. You'll pay about $4

8) Nighttime: I apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair - I use the cream formula but have also tried the serum. If only buying one of these, get the cream. Cost: $16 at T.J. Maxx or $13 - $16 on eBay. $25 regular retail price.

By learning what's in skincare products, and focusing on key effective ingredients supported by science, you can find knockoffs for less. Look in health food stores, small batch-start-up companies, and drugstores that offer both name brands that go on sale, as well as, drugstore dupes to lower the costs of your everyday skincare. Toss in Equate (from Walmart) and Up and Up (Target's store brand).

We're talking about effective, clean, high-caliber skincare for less. Skincare without compromise you can afford to use 365 days of the year without going broke! You are welcome.

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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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4 Anti-Aging Face Serums Dermatologists Like

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Tula Anti-aging Skincare

Photo: Adweek

As regular readers know, I've switched to drugstore retinoids for my skincare routine because certain brands (Olay, Neutrogena, L'Oreal, Roc) are budget-friendly with scientifically proven anti-aging ingredients that really work. But it doesn't mean I don't continue to learn about skincare and put other impressive brands on my radar. Tula is such a brand to know about. Although it costs far more than the drugstore brands, the retailer has regular Friends-and-Family discounts, making it more affordable. And, Tula has a store on Amazon with savings.

Tula focuses on a gut-to-skin connection by putting prebiotics and probiotics in its skincare. While this may seem like shrewd marketing, there is real science behind it. We have billions of bacteria living on our skin, as well as, in our gut. {A lurking microbiome of living microorganisms ... you are never truly alone!😱😂} Without a doubt, preprobiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are essential for overall good health, creating a good microbiome and resulting in skin balance, not to mention, glowing skin. There's plenty yet to be learned, but the company's approach of putting biotics into its skincare works to balance the skin microbiome -- this is backed by science, as it helps fight inflammation (a cause of aging), treats wounds, and strengthens immunity.

Tula is formulated by Dr. Roshini Raj, its founder, a practicing gastroenterologist who is at the forefront of the gut-to-skin microbiome connection. Dr. Raj developed an innovative way to put probiotic extracts called S6Pro Complex into skin elixirs to effectively balance your skin microbiome with the results of strengthening, hydrating, and healing the skin. She has 20 years of experience, including research with successful clinical trials and product testing, behind her.

Next, I'll list Tula's probiotic complex products in the order I'd splurge on them ... still only after waiting for a good sale to roll around:

1) Retinol Alternative Serum - To ease wrinkles with 3 botanical retinol alternatives of bakuchiol, alfalfa sprouts, and stevia with squalane.

2) Pro-Ferm Overnight Complex - To recharge and replenish the eyes -  It contains bakuchiol (a gentle retinol alternative), s6Pro complex (as do all Tula's products), peptides, chamomile, squalene, and shea butter. As it happens, I don't use a separate eye cream, but if retinol is too harsh, this should provide the same benefits.

3) Overnight Repair Treatment - A high-potency face cream to treat wrinkles using alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C.

Watch for more beauty brands to offer biotics-based skincare -- it's coming and will ultimately bring prices down.

When splurging on skincare I tend to buy only one item, not everything all at once. The serum is the most-worth-the-splurge item for me (as it treats both under the eyes and face). With a 2nd splurge, I might try something I don't already have (anti-aging eye cream). Finally (later on) I might complete the set with the night cream. If I ever see Tula at T.J. Maxx, I'll be sure to snatch it up for less! It's why putting the name on your radar is a smart move.

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Target Your Skincare: Naturium

Photo: Yahoo

Although I try to give equal coverage to all the categories featured on the blog, I'm finding great affordable skincare lately and so won't hold back: A 3rd beauty blog (plus my thoughts) in a row.🙂 💋

Target Express stores are opening all over Manhattan. As concerned as I am for Mom and Pop shops (which I also support), I can't deny liking the decent selection, convenience and savings on every day staples at the big box retailer. In the Target aisles, there are some top-notch skincare, including cleansers, serums and moisturizers costing $25 or less. The next time you go, take a look at Naturium. Online ... 31 products are listed. At the brick and mortar stores, what's available on any given day can be hit or miss, therefore if I see a frequently used item in stock on the shelf, I buy two.

Naturium is a skincare brand launched by Ben Bennett and Susan Yara in 2020. (In fact, Ms. Yara who is also a YouTube influencer, got in trouble with her fans by promoting the brand on her channel without telling them she is a co-owner!) The products are formulated to be natural, clean, non-toxic and green. They are vegan, except for the Intense Overnight Sleeping Cream which uses ethically sourced honey. Everything made is cruelty free, paragon free, skin-compatible, artificial fragrance-free, and dermatology tested. Naturium proudly follows science to continue to learn and improve its skincare. Sounds good, no?

Photo: hip2save

The most popular Naturium items include: Vitamin C Complex Serum, Retinol Complex Cream, Vitamin C Super Serum Plus, Niacinamide Gel Cream 5% and Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc. 

The cost of buying 5 products, even reasonably priced, adds up; so I recommend starting with the Vitamin C Complex for daytime use and Retinol Complex Cream for nighttime use. The pair is likely all you'll need. Consider the Vitamin Super C Serum Plus (it is a mixture of vitamin C and Retinol, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide) if you can only afford to buy a single face serum. Ideally, you want to use these ingredients separately, yet a better one (as a combo) than none! The other serums address individual skincare concerns that you may or may not have, so save your money when possible.

How impressive that a new beauty brand like Naturium started by a YouTube influencer, got Target to sell its products in such a short span of time! We all have brilliant ideas and dreams (just ask me!), but it takes luck, hard work, perseverance, connections and money to get them to market!💋👏

A head's up: The next blog will introduce you to another gemstone. Watch this space on Thursday!

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4 Anti-Aging Face Serums Dermatologists Like

1) Qure is on the top of many dermatologists' lists including YouTube's Doctorly as a spectacular skin serum. The all-in-one serum is packed with clinically proven ingredients, such as Argireline® Peptides, Retinol, Bakuchiol, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Ferulic Acid that does everything for the skin -- meaning it treats a bundle of anti-aging issues such as brightening the skin, increasing the production of collagen and softening lines and wrinkles. Cheap, it isn't, but perhaps you can justify paying more because it is an all-in-one formula so you won't have to buy the ingredients as separate serums. Despite its price point, Qure's multi-functional serum is so popular with skincare enthusiasts, it's often out of stock.

Qure is a 1st rate brand to know about but since it's hard to get plus relatively expensive (as opposed to plum crazy expensive) I've found a far more affordable option by Eclat Skincare, a small Australian beauty brand sold on Amazon with the highest quality and clean ingredients that although not identical, are on par with Qure's multi-purpose serum. So listen up ...

2) Ecalat's Retinol, Vitamin C, and Hyaluronic Acid serums each have the same leading clinical, dermatologist-approved ingredients as Qure and also contain those ingredients in science-based recommended amounts. Costing much less than Qure even if you buy all 3 Ecalat serums together. Missing in this brand's serums are the 2 newly praised ingredients in the skincare world, namely Argireline® and Bakuchiol ... and yet Ecalat's serums have retinol; one of the most effective forms of vitamin C; and other peptides that do much the same thing as Argireline® and Bakuchiol to brighten the skin, promote the growth of collagen and treat fine lines and wrinkles. IMHO, it's a budget-friendly compromise without sacrificing clean ingredients or their benefits. Interestingly enough, Argireline® and Matrizyl-3000 are peptides in the company's $12 Youth Cream.

3) The Inky List is a brand I previously featured here on THE SAVVY SHOPPER as an affordable and highly effective skincare line. Recently it was also recommended by the Budget Dermatologist on YouTube. A real and practicing skin doctor, she suggested using 4 products from the beauty manufacturer: (a) 1% Retinol Serum, (b) Retinol Eye Cream, (c) Bakuchiol {here in place of Vitamin C serum because it brightens the skin. Likewise, Bakuchiol has similar and gentler anti-aging benefits as retinol}, and (d) Collagen Peptide Serum.

4) CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is mentioned by every dermatologist named here, plus Dr. Daniel Sugai and others on YouTube as one of the best drugstore retinols to buy. It contains 0.3% retinol, the same as Paula's Choice which is also good at about the same price minus a drugstore sale. Drugstore brands go on sale, sometimes as 2 for 1!

There are two nearly identical formulas. The left has dipotassium glycyrrhizate, an ingredient from the licorice plant, which is an additional brightener. The right has cholesterol an ingredient in skincare that locks in moisture. Don't sweat the difference.

The more skincare brands on the market the merrier. Choice of products, ingredients, and price is a consumer's best friend to find deals and steals.

Zooey Deschanel is lovely to look at for the purpose of good skincare. :) 

Extra tip - How to use retinol: Start by applying retinol once a week, twice a week on week 2, 3 times a week on week 3, and 4 times a week on week 4. After your skin builds up a tolerance, you can use retinol every night of the week before bed, but never in the morning (unless an all-in-one serum with retinol is formulated for daytime use). The sun destroys retinol. What makes retinol effective is not its strength as much as using it consistently. You won't be able to use retinol that is too strong for your skin 7 nights a week.

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Sensational Skin Serum Trios Sold Cheap On Amazon

Amazon has become a fantastic place for finding effective affordable skincare sometimes from niche or small-batch merchants, as opposed, to large commercial cosmetic companies. Choice is a consumer's best friend.

Speaking of choice, ELbbuB is an Amazon Choice brand with lots of satisfied customers based on many 5-star reviews. The skincare has clean nurturing ingredients in supportive combinations based on science that really work to prevent aging and maintain the skin. A budget-friendly trio consists of the following essentials:

1) Vitamin C 20% Serum has Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol & Amino Acids  - Best used as a daytime serum to brighten, nourish, and protect the skin.

2) Hyaluronic Acid Serum plumps up the skin with moisture. Moisturizing dry skin takes years off a face by making you look dewy, i.e., soft and lustrous. 

3) Retinol Serum is used at night to repair the skin and stimulate collagen. Treats wrinkles, fine lines, and sun damage. Firms and softens wrinkles by promoting faster skin cell turnover.

The trio set is super inexpensive, yet customers get a bargain whether they order one, two, or splurge on the trio set of serums, so you save by ordering only what you'll use.

Another impressive, affordable brand sold on Amazon containing clean ingredients from nature with tons of satisfied customers who leave 5-star reviews is Eclat skincare (previously featured on the blog).

1) The Vitamin C Serum contains Hyaluronic Acid, Ferulic Acid, & Vitamin E. Ferulic Acid stabilizes and increases the effectiveness of Vitamin C, and protects the skin from free radicals and sun damage.

2) Its Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum has 2.5% Pure Hyaluronic Serum + 3% B5, Vitamins C & E, and Aloe.

3) The Retinol Serum is 2.5% Retinol.

Escat also offers its essential serums as a trio set or sold separately at a super reasonable price meaning cheap enough to use every day! Even cheap enough to splurge on a trio set to try a new serum from a new (to you) beauty brand!!👸🏻

Additionally, Escat has an anti-aging night cream and sun protection. When you buy an Escat serum, the retailer includes a note thanking you and hoping you love its skincare. It's a nice touch!

Splurge and save with skin essentials that won't break the bank!

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