A few months ago I was getting dressed when I thought my mirror was suddenly all crinkly between my chest and my chin. So I went to another mirror and that mirror was also seeming broken. And I went to another mirror. Same problem! So I looked down and the problem was ME! I am getting old skin at 43. Since the realization that I'm turning into a piece of wrinkled tissue paper, Karen and I have been hunting for anti-wrinkle cream. A few weeks ago, I was reading some magazines and saw a bunch of articles discussing how good Neutrogena's Rapid Repair Wrinkle Cream is. On the eve of Karen's daughter's highschool graduation, we decided we would take the 7-day challenge (we felt particularly old that day).
Background: I am 43 and Karen is 48. I have yellowish skin, she has pinkish skin. I am pleasantly plump, she is thin. I have a really bad and odd scar from a spider bite on my left eye. Karen has a scar on her forehead from a time she cracked her head open. Karen is currently in a very bad mood because she is in an awful neck brace from becoming bionic. We spent all of the 80's in a tanning bed.
We both use make-up remover wipes at night but have no nightly routine. We know, we know. Our mom and Nana just dug themselves out of their graves and are coming to smother us in Oil of Olay. Every morning I wash my face with DDF Glycolic Cleanser and until last week used Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream moisturizer with sunblock under my makeup. Karen used the same. Also, I am addicted to lotion, especially CeraVe. I have bottles of it in every room. Every time I walk by, I put it on any exposed body part. I also like any scented lotion that is not barfy. Karen's addiction is lip balm.
Our wrinkles: I have lines around my eyes that are most obvious when I smile. Overall, I think my plumpness is keeping wrinkles at bay. I am most bothered by my chest and neck being crinkly. Karen's lines are a bit deeper, she has the same lines around her eyes and lines in her forehead that bother her.
The results: First of all, the Rapid Repair Wrinkle Cream smells bad. It might not be bad if you just put it on your face but I also put it on my chest and neck and was smelling it on myself all day. I think it smells like burning plastic tape or a wet Hefty Bag. Karen thinks it smells like Elmer's Glue. It's not a good smell. After about 4 days, my chest and neck looked less crinkly! My face looks much more evened out and smoother. I don't think my wrinkles have gone away but my skin just looks much better in general. My skin looks less dry. The most amazing thing to me is that my spider bite eye looks much different by Day 7. I did not expect the scar to change. The scarred area has flattened out and is less discolored. The scar is still there but it is not as lumpy and the area around it is smoother. Karen thinks her skin also looks much healthier, more evened out and better in general. The lines on her forehead seem softer. After 7 days, we are both happy with the results. We will continue to use the Rapid Repair and see if our wrinkles become less visible over the next few weeks. This cream is really good under makeup (except for the smell). It's not greasy or slippery at all. I am slightly tempted to switch to the night version of the cream when I am done with this bottle to see if the smell bothers me less when I am asleep.
This is what you have to look forward to when YOUR kid/niece graduates from highschool! Welcome to covering your emotions with wrinkle cream!
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