I will also say that if you are younger than mid-thirties and you have no visible signs of ageing (and I don't mean little crinkles when you smile, laugh or frown that disappear when you stop) then you absolutely do not need this product and you'd be wasting your money to buy it. Spend money on a good moisturiser with sunscreen and a decent cleanser, but don't drop huge amounts of cash on serums you don't need yet.
I needed to find the right moisturiser to wear over this. I tried it at first with my Sarah Chapman Skinesis Dynamic Defence and that wasn't a good combination - I ended up with irritated skin, characterised by random dryness and little red bumps on my chin and forehead; a sure sign the skincare I'm using isn't agreeing with my face. I suspect that the actives in the Sarah Chapman and those in the Perricone were just too much for my skin in combination, because as soon as I started using Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream SPF 15 my skin calmed back down and I've had no irritation since. You must wear a sunscreen over this serum, as the glycolic acid in the formula can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight.
Perricone MD Face Firming Activator is a light fluid/cream texture that sinks quickly into the skin. There are some silicones in the formula, but quite low down on the ingredients list and it doesn't have a silicone-y feel; it sinks into the skin without leaving a residue behind. This does smell slightly fishy after application from the DMAE in it, and there's a citrus/floral fragrance added to mask it. The fish smell fades to nothing on my skin after a few minutes, but if you possibly can it's worth trying this at a counter to see if you find it tolerable before putting down the (not inconsiderable) cash for the product.
With the fish-smell issue out of the way, I think I've seen the biggest effect from this serum that I've ever seen from skincare. I bought this and used it when it first came out in the UK about a decade ago (there was a very good GWP going on in Liberty) and I wasn't massively impressed with it. My skin felt nice, but it didn't seem to do anything much; I now realise that there was nothing for it to do on my twenty-mumble skin. On my thirty-mumble skin, it's a different matter; while I'd say my skin was good for my age I've noticed a reduction in the depth of the lines from my nose to the corners of my mouth, between my eyebrows and on my forehead, particularly in the last month or so (I've been using this for nearly two months now.) I've always had pretty even skintone so it hasn't made a huge difference there, but I notice I don't look quite so tired at the end of the day, even when I feel it.
I use every other morning as a serum underneath my moisturiser (with SPF). I have not been using any other serum on the alternate days. I don't use every morning as recommended by Perricone MD as I believe that using a glycolic product everyday is overdoing it; that's my personal philosophy and it suits my reasonably fine-textured skin best. The other active ingredients are high up on the ingredients list, which means you are getting a decent amount of actives for the money.
The closest results I've seen to this product (for those for whom the fish thing is a deal-breaker) were from Skinceuticals Vitamin C AOX serum and the Nude Cellular Renewal Serum. I do think the Perricone has given the biggest results, although the Nude might be better for a very sensitive skin and the Skinceuticals provides an additional sun protection boost if you are spending time in strong sunlight.
If you'd like to try this product at a lower entry price point, I'd suggest this travel set, which has a half size of the Face Firming Activator and travel sized moisturiser (no SPF - don't use this alone over the Face Firming Activator during the day!) and toner and foaming cleanser for £58: Perricone Travel Set. I've been using the 2oz full size version for two months, every other morning only, and I am about a quarter of the way through the bottle.
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sounds excellent. i'm using nude advanced cellular renewal serum at the moment and seeing great results thought not even that can lessen the dreaded nasolabial folds! i might invest in this when I run out of the nude.
ReplyDeleteamina x
http://aminasbazaar.blogspot.com
It's worth putting on your list (sniff it first if you can though!)
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your thoughts and based on your picture from the Trollop post, your skin looks fabulous! Mentally, I don't feel like I could stretch to it, which is in fact silly as I know I can end up spending that on several items in one day. I just need to work myself up to spending it in one go ;). The travel set sounds like the ideal way to give it try. I'm still quite interested in the Skinceuticals serum too.
ReplyDeleteHey MB - I know exactly what you mean - when it hits that £100 mark it gets harder to justify. I don't buy masks etc, or foundation very often, so I'd rather spend the money on a serum I know gives results. The skinceuticals is also excellent - I'd really recommend for summer.
DeleteThe last Perricone TSV on QVC had this in and was on 4 x epay at around the £35-£40 mark. There is another TSV somewhen in March I think so that may get over the smell/feel/texture. I too had thought that your skin looked refreshed somehow - difficult to achieve in the grey of February. Thanks for your review - I bet I have a good 10yrs on you and feel the need to ramp it up a bit.
ReplyDeleteHi Jan - thanks for the info, really helpful. I hope I look better than I feel today (another rotten cold!) :)
DeleteThis is an excellent product, but you are too young to use it. I think you need to be at least 45 and can get away with other, cheaper products. I personally use the next product up (e.g. for older skin): High Potency Amine Face Lift. I use most of the RX3 product line, and I guess you can see the results - but I have dry, thinning post-menopausal skin.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamilla - that's an interesting take! As I said in my review, I have done well with Skinceutical AOX C serums, which are slightly but not much less expensive than the Perricone. I've noticed slightly more from the Perricone though.
DeleteI went through the skincare prescription thing from the website, and it landed me smack in the RX2 range. I don't think the Perricone line goes on age = more expensive - the Cold Plasma is in RX1 and it's more expensive than the Face Firming Activator, which is itself more expensive than the High Potency Amine Face Lift you use in the RX3 line.
I am usually critical of skin care product that doesn't come from a dermatologist's office, however the Lady Soma Antioxidant Masque is dermatologist quality, and it will save you so much money on caring for your face!
ReplyDeleteI love the smell and my skin really does look shinier and refreshed after I use it. Also, it only has to stay on for 8 minutes so it's something I can do more often than masks that require 20-30 minutes. It tingles when its on your face, and the next day OMG - my face looked AMAZING. I looked like 5 years younger. LOVE IT!