Do wrinkle creams really work?

By Amra B.

Problem: I have wrinkles and need a wrinkle cream! Do wrinkle creams really work? 

While shopping yesterday for skin products, I was so TIRED of the sales lady trying to sell me their "miracle" cream. While listening to her, one would imagine that what sperated me from my "perfect complexion" was just a little neatly packaged bottle. Nevertheless, I walked off while she was still in the middle of her sentence. The truth of the matter is: I had already tried this "miracle potion" and it hardly does what she promised. Furthermore, many creams fall short of their promise and some of the benefits we think we are receiving may just as well be a placebo effect (a result of enormous amount of marketing we are exposed to). 

Andie MacDowell wrinkles (before and after)

The questions remains: should we purchase anti wrinkle creams? How do we know they will deliver half of the benefits they claim? If you don't want to fall VICTIM to clever marketing schemes made to lure you into buying a CRAPPY product, you may want to consider the following steps (solution): 

Renee Zellweger and Nicole Kidman wrinkles  

Cameron Diaz wrinkles

Sienna Miller wrinkles 

• Try the product: I am shameless to say that I LOVE samples! They are FREE! Here is a true story: while roaming around Harrods (a large store equivalent to SaksFifthAve or Bergdorg Goodman), I came upon a display of Natura Bissé, a luxury skin line from Spain. I had tried their products before (purchased a cleanser and a facial cream) and had been quite impressed with the quality. Their Harrods representative was ecstatic to hear that I liked their products and eagerly started telling me about a product that had just been launched. It was a "miracle potion" called "Diamond Life Infusion Youth Biomaker Serum" and the price was nothing short of what you would expect for a "miracle in a bottle": a whopping £468 or $706.82 (for 25ml). I requested a sample, and she said that although she does not give out samples of this "amazing" liquid, she was ready to share a (£30 or $45 worth) packet. That day I received two packets: one was given to me and another one to my sister (my sister later handed over her portion as her skin is too sensitive). Each packet was a supply for 7 days and I was told that I would be able to tell the difference during that time. Result: absolutely no difference with the exception of a light moisturizer!!! In another words: total disappointment, especially when considering the price and the benefits claimed

• Consult the reviews of other women/men that have used the product:start with the NEGATIVE reviews first! There are so many reviews out there and it is hard to know which ones are sponsored (companies paying individuals to rave about their product even when it is crap) and which are genuine. I like to start with the negative because I KNOW that they are not sponsored. If there has been a reaction or if someone has not received the benefits that were advertised, I WANT to read about it. I also do go over the positive ones and try to evaluate if there is a common "trait" identified in the positive comments (ex. if comments say that the cream hydrates well, there might be a chance that it indeed does so). I also like to consult multiple sites and blogs in order to get a better perspective. Personally, I don't even step into the store to get a sample unless I have already read the reviews. Some of the sites that I have used in the past include:  http://www.paulaschoice.com and http://www.totalbeauty.com

• Products I recommend: there are some products that I have tried and feel they make a difference. My favorite wrinkle serum is Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate. To be fair, I have purchased products from Kiehls that were quite disappointing (will review disappointing products in another post). However, this is one of my favorite wrinkle creams. It has a high dosage of Vitamic C (10.5%) and is packaged well (in a bottle with a pump) to maintain the effectiveness of the ingredients. I use the Kiehl's with Nude ProGenius treatment oil or with Vichy Aqualia Thermal. Both Nude and Vichy make my skin plum and moisturized. Nude is also great for sensitive skin (I have a little bit of Rosacea and this product makes it less visible). Other creams I use daily include Clinique redness solutions daily relief cream (it calms my skin and makes it even), redness solution daily protective base (it has an SPF 15 and I never skip sunscreen even on a cloudy day), and Clinique sun screen for the face (this is a  SPF 50 and I used it every day this summer). I really find that when it comes to wrinkles, the creams that moisturize well (not the ones that sit on top of the skin, but the ones that soak in and leave the skin plump) are usually the most effective.

Creams I am currently using

Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

My skin (closeup)

Please feel free to share your experience with some of the good wrinkle creams you have tried! Wish you a wonderful day! 

XOXO