Product Review - IS Extreme Protect SPF 30

I'm a total sunscreen geek.  (Just thought I'd point that out, on the off chance that slipped by you.)  Every year, a whole new batch hit the shelves, and since I go through multiple bottles over the course of spring and summer, I can go crazy trying out as many as I can get my paws on.

I was psyched to try the IS Extreme Protect SPF 30 after having fallen madly in love with the Clinical line's Hydra Cool Serum, even though it took me a while to figure out what the heck the difference was between Clinical and the not-Clinical line.  Other than the not-Clinical line coming in different packaging. 


PACKAGING:  Fat white plastic bottle with a pump. PLUS.  I had to think for a while before I decided to rate this a plus.  Given the texture, and my pathological need to use every last iota of product, I'd normally prefer a tube.  However, the clever folks at IS have pulled a fast one on the sunscreen-skimping general populace with this package (intentional or not), in that it dispenses a full teaspoon per pump.  Ha!  Tricks you into using the amount that will get you to that SPF 30 without my even nagging you.

TEXTURE:  Medium thick white cream.  Medium-low shine factor.  Zero residue.  The texture reads more 'sunscreen' than moisturizer, which took me aback initially, but again, this may be a strategy.  I know any number of guys who will use sunscreen, but almost none who will consent to moisturize.

USAGE:  Last step in the morning before makeup.  Or by itself if you're zooming out the door, natch. 

MIRACLE INGREDIENTS:  Beloved Zinc Oxide at a concentration of 4.12%, Octinoxate at 5.5%;  Vitamin E (hydrating); Aloe (anti-irritant and hydrating);  Olive Leaf Extract (anti-oxidant); Centella Asiatica (anti-oxidant, with circulation-boosting potential); and Extremozymes.  I have no idea what Extremozymes are, the IS team claims that they're enzymes that allow micro-organisms to survive in extreme environments, which then confer these miraculous protective capabilities on your skin.  Got it? 

Even without the extremeozyme thingies, this is an excellent, non-comedogenic sunscreen that moisturizes like a champ, while managing to be not at all greasy.  For me, its huge that a moisturizer provides such great sun protection and I LOVE it that the bottles dispenses the right amount without the user having to think about it.  Finally, there is something weirdly satisfying about the hefty, fat white bottle.  I'll have to discuss that with my shrink but in the meantime, check it out!

This Is Not a Product Review

But it would be if I had tested the product for the proper period of time. Even though it isn't an actual review, the effects (overnight) were so remarkable, I had to report.

L moved to a very, very dry climate about a year ago. At the same time, she changed a part of her routine that caused her to start breaking out pretty badly. Like most people who suffered from teenage acne, she launched a full-on assault with every harsh astringent, peel, and anti-microbial she could load into her CVS basket. The result? Dry, red, cracked skin. With acne.

Even if you break out as an adult, it is unlikely that oil is the primary culprit, as our skins produce less and less oil over time. In a dry environment, with all oil stripped away from the surface, this leads to massive dehydration and a compromised barrier, and ultimately a reduced ability to repair itself.  Or, the situation that L found herself in.

I busted out a sample of Sunday Riley's Good Genes, and insisted that she try it.  I had a vague (stress on vague, this all happened at 3 or so in the morning) recollection that it contained a high concentration of lactic acid and, um, other stuff, which would not only help to turn over the affected skin more quickly, but decongest and pack a wallop of hydration.  On top of that, a very thin layer of YonKa Creme PG for any active breakouts, and those lurking that I couldn't see yet. 

Lo and behold, the next morning, a visible difference.  Reduced redness.  Much smoother.  Just...calmer looking, and even a bit plumper.  (If that makes sense.) 

I've been a fan of Creme PG for a zillion years, but Good Genes warrants further investigation.  Stay tuned. 

Spring Has Sprung

Finally!  And with spring comes tulips and sun care shibboleths.  My top five, heard just this week......

1) Its cloudy
2) I'm only going to be outside for a half hour
3) My foundation has sunscreen in it
4) Its cold out
5) If I'm going to have all of these wrinkles, I may as well be tan

I think my favorite, in terms of total non-sequitoriousness, would be #4.  But "Its cloudy" gets the top spot due to sheer persistence.  The number of people who believe that clouds double as an umbrella simply can't be counted (tip:  clouds are water.)  The UV rays that burn and cause cancer zip through clouds just like they're.....vaporous water.  On a cloudy day, wear exactly as much sunscreen as you would on a bright, sunny day.

A half hour is plenty of time to get a nasty sunburn.  Even without a sunburn, a half hour a day, say twice a day, over the course of your adult life, adds up to a sh-tload of sun exposure. 

Yes, your foundation may have sunscreen in it, but what kind?  And how much?  Most of the women that I know use just a tiny dab, smaller than the size of a pea, once per day.  Whatever the SPF advertised on the bottle, to get that level of protection, you would have to use a full teaspoonful of foundation on your face and neck.  Worse, using inadequate sun protection may afford a sense of false security, and encourage you to stay out in the sun longer.  (Did I even ask if you reapplied??)

Mom, that last one's for you.  Tan wrinkles are still wrinkles, so use that self tanner I bought you instead.

This Is Not Normal

And I have a good hair day about once every eight weeks. Someone, please, make a styling product that works!

Miracle Salad

Not really, but that got your attention, right?  Its actually more of a miracle oil, that could easily be used in a salad dressing.  Get it? 

What we eat shows up on our skin, sometimes with dramatic effect.  And on our hips, but that's a topic for another blog.  What if something we eat were equally good for nourishing the skin from the outside as well as from the inside?  It would make shopping at Whole Foods either very efficient, or really confuse what goes in which aisle.

Such is the case with organic, expeller (cold)-pressed safflower oil, which is rich in oleic (or linoleic, depending on the type) acid and omega 6 fatty acids.  As an oil alone, its an excellent occlusive (or substance that helps to prevent water from escaping by forming a 'seal'), but the oleic acid and omega 6 fatty acids actually make safflower oil a potential body anti-aging powerhouse, fighting loss of elasticity and density naturally.  Even better, a diet rich in safflower oil, like in your salads, may even help to control acne by encouraging elimination of the gook that gets clogged up in pores. 

And a bottle will run you about $4.99.  Love.

Random Thought Bubble

It's bad enough when one's favorite lipstick, go-to cream, must-have concealer gets discontinued. I've written plenty of nasto-mails whining about the loss of cosmetics that I had unhealthy attachments to.

But when a whole line disappears? And not just retreats to Europe (guaranteed if they've been acquired by L'Oreal)? That's just....wrong.

I went to Jemma Kidd's website to buy her miracle eye primer, which not only prevents the dread concealer creep, but is (was) packed with peptides, thus preventing eyelid sag while ensuring all day fabulousness. And no matter how many times I clicked, the website was just...gone. Gonzo. Not there. The whole line went poof. (Dabs eyes with tissue.)

And just when I finished sitting shiva for my favorite mascara!!! As usual, I wonder why no one told me....

Product Review - Evologie

Acne. Even when it's hiding out, it's still somehow there. The teenage acne sufferer will assault his or her face with Ten-O-Six or straight lye well into his or her 50s, dead sure that the dread plague will attack from wherever it might be hiding at the slightest slackening of vigilance.

Typical treatment regimens skew hard toward anti-biotics, both topical and ingested, which work until they...don't. Birth control pills work for some types of acne (and then only for women) but not others. So if you've tried everything, topical anti-biotics aren't working any more, you're convinced that one more round of tetracycline will get you declares a national health risk, you're on the pill, you're still breaking out, but not badly enough to go the Accutane route?

Enter Evologie.  Rather than depending on benzoyl peroxide (which, while effective, can be drying and can bleach darker skins), the line utilizes something they call YS3 complex.  I have no idea what exactly that means.  BUT as far as I can tell, it contains Azelaic acid, and sulfur.  The former is both anti-bacterial and inhibits keratin, which contributes to clogged pores.  The latter is a powerful anti-bacterial, and unlike anti-biotics, is less likely to diminish in effectiveness over time (meaning that you're less likely to develop a resistance to it, unlike, say, to over-using Penicillin.)  And despite its claims to have an enhanced ability to deliver acne-fighting ingredients deep down where the problems start, the line claims to strengthen the skin's water retention barrier.  So your face won't, like, peel off and stuff.

I figured it would be a waste to just test this on my CLAcne, so I hoarded one component (Stay Clear Cream) for myself, and shipped off the whole system to a One-A tester for acne stuff, eg, a teenager.  The system is deceptively simple:  Stay Clear Cleanser, Intensive Blemish Serum, and Stay Clear Cream.  Easy:  wash face, apply stay clear cream, use serum on active breakouts.  Done!



Said zitty teen used the products for eight weeks (well, sort of, teenage boys are notoriously unreliable), and despite his failure to be consistent, actually found that the products worked.  He saw improvement in frequency, duration, and aftereffects of breakouts, and a significant reduction in oil.  The latter might make this a bit drying for the 40+ female set, so either 1) add a hydrating serum on top or 2) rotate the system in during heavy breakout periods, like summertime.  I used the extra bottle of Stay Clear Cream on my cleavage for the same period of time to test its ability to prevent breakouts, and reduce scarring and dark marks.  I was going through a rough patch of pimples from my sports bra when I started the test, and eight weeks later, I have definitely noticed a marked reduction, and some fading of the dark spots I had acquired in the ugly two weeks prior to the test.  Yay!

PACKAGING:  White plastic pump bottles.  Some clogging in dispensers (in that creams tend to dry out upon contact with air) but not spring loaded, so no issues with product shooting out irrationally.

TEXTURE:  Whitish, creamy textured.  Medium foamy cleanser, reasonably concentrated.  Stay Clear Cream spreads well, so the utility is good.  PLUS.  Bonus points for pleasant, green-teaish smell that isn't at all fragrance-y.  (Zitty teen claims to smell tea tree oil, but who listens to teenagers anyway?)

USAGE:  Morning and night, all three steps.  Wait a good ten minutes for the cream to absorb fully before applying sunscreen, and you MUST use a physical, oil free sunscreen with a high SPF when using any acne regimen.  The simplicity of the system is a PLUS.

MIRACLE INGREDIENTS:  That's a fine question, but it ain't benzoyl peroxide.  Best guess is Azelaic acid, salycylic acid, and sulfer, plus a barrier repair/restorative.  Despite sneering at the zitty teen's whiff of tea tree oil, my guess is that's in there too (which would be beneficial, given tea tree oil's powerful anti-microbial properties), and willow bark extract (OK, I scooped that from Google) as anti-inflammatory.  No parabens or sodium laurel sulfate.  PLUS.

This system gets the thumbs-up for those with mild to moderate recurring breakouts, particularly anyone resistant to anti-biotic treatments or with darker skin.