skincare gratis

...i better look good after all this effort

06.01.05

Today, a factory rep came in from Klein-Becker, to give a powerpoint demo for their products Strivectin-SD, and their latest endeavor, Hylexin.

Pappy and I of course joined in, both because we were available, but also because people constantly ask us for skincare recommendations.

And for our time, we were given 2 oz bottles of Strivectin-SD, and a full-size tube of Hylexin. A 6 oz bottle of Strivectin-SD runs like $135, and the Hylexin retails for $95, so that was a good haul.

It's not like I am a wrinkle factory or anything, but I'm concerned about my the skin on my face because I am vain.

I can't help that I'm short, or that I have disproportionally muscular thighs and calves compared to my waifish upper body's tiny boobies and visible ribs. I can't really help that I am so fricking pasty-ass white. Or that when my legs are cold, my skin resembles that of a plucked chicken, from the hip to ankle. I can't really help that I grew too fast and have horrible stretch marks all over my hips and ass -- fortunately I am almost as white as the shade of off-white that scar tissue turns when the pink fades, so they don't stick out that badly.

I can, however, do something about my large pores and breakouts. I can do something about my flaky yet oily skin, the circles under my eyes, the various scars, and the fine lines and wrinkles that I have started noticing as of late.

Mostly, I can utilize concealer and sundry powders to effect the look of smooth, porcelain skin.

Everyone tells me that I have beautiful skin, but I don't believe them, because they're wrong.

But up close, I have horrible skin.

I have pink acne scars, chicken pox scars, the scars that run across my filtrum and up around the corner of my nose, fine lines and wrinkles, shadows, a nose shiny enough to see from space, and ever-increasing pores. I don't want to see uneven pigmentation and visible pores.

So, now I'm using my new skin products to help remedy many of those things.

And here is what I learned about Strivectin-SD and Hylexin from the rep:

1. Because the product's packaging is marketed towards the stretch-marked demographic, it isn't specific about facial application, and as a result, people tend to overuse the product. For your entire face and neck, you should be using no more than a pea-sized amount per application. Anything more than that, and you are using way, way too much.

2. You should use a moisturizer after applying a small amount of the product. Despite the hydrating agents in the formulation, it really isn't intended to be used on the face as a stand-alone moisturizer. If you are using the proper amount of product, it shouldn't be working as a moisturizer or make you feel greasy.

3. When I asked how long you should wait before applying moisturizer, I was told that if you are using the proper amount of Strivectin, it should immediately absorb into the skin, and that you can apply moisturizer immedately afterwards.

4. People that have sensitive eyes or have sensitive skin around their eyes may have problems with the product due to the aromatic oils in it. Their eye cream is the exact same formula sans irritants. Also, I was told that the company has a product called Hylexin that is meant specifically to treat dark eye circles and puffiness. And we're talking genetically-programmed circles -- lots of people of Mediterranean extraction tend to have this problem. However, the Hylexin is about the same price as a small pony, so you might want to take that into consideration.

5. Strivectin is hypoallergenic and opthamologist-tested, but it does have a lot of botanical ingredients that may irritate some people's skin. As an example, mint can be overstimulating for some people, and some people probably have an allergy to one or more of the listed ingredients. (I know someone that used a tea tree foot soak that his girlfriend got him because he was a bartender and stood on his feet all the time, and then found out in from the people in the ER that he was incredibly allergic to tea tree. As you can imagine, he took some time off work to recuperate while the soles of his feet regenerated.) Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be able to use the product because everyone's skin isn't the same. Hell, I have very sensitive skin, so I may not even end up liking the product for these exact reasons. (Oh, and they don't test on animals, for the people that are concerned about that. They test on people.)

6. In terms of scar and stretch mark healing, the rep told me that she had a fairly significant scar across her forehead and down into her eyebrow. All that was visible to casual viewing was the nick in the brow where the hair was missing, so I thought she was full of it. However, she moved into an area that had very bright lighting, and pulled the skin on her forehead taut, and you could actually see where the scar was by the difference in skin texture -- it didn't look like scar tissue, but more like skin with a slightly thinner and shinier texture. I was also informed that it is supposed to help with acne scarring, chicken pox scarring, and should help make the pores in age-coarsened skin look smoother and less visible.

7. Much like many products on the market for a variety of reasons, if you stop using Strivectin, the more temporary results go away. Wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes will most likely come back, and plumped skin will look thinner. However, once scar tissue and stretch marks are faded, uneven pigmentation is corrected, or any of that sort of skin flaw is dealt with, the results are essentially permanent. However, if the skin damage is as a result of something that can be caused again -- let's say uneven pigmentation in the skin from sun damage or stretch marks from pregnancy, results should be lasting unless you again engage in whatever behavior created the problem in the first place, ie: get your hiney back out into the sun and create more damage, or get pregnant again and make that area stretch back out.

8. Strivectin has a generous return policy -- if you are dissatisfied with the product for any reason, you can return it within 30 days and get a full refund. I am fairly sure this won't apply to most online vendors, however, brick-and-mortar stores that have more stringent return policies are supposed to have an agreement with Strivectin to take back the product without question, regardless of amount used -- as long as it's in the first 30 days, and with proof of purchase.

As an aside, lots of people get weird about returning products that they have used and disliked to their respective stores of purchase. As a consumer, you have the right to return a product that you dislike, provided that you meet return requirements -- some places require receipt, original packaging, 50% or more of the product left in the container, have a time frame for returns, etc. If you are going to pony up serious bank for something and you hate it, can't see results, or it creates unwanted problems, get your money back, fool*.

Personally, I tried the Go Smile teeth whitening system, and while I was actually impressed with the whitening action, I was less than impressed with the way that it ate large raw holes in my gums. You better bet that I returned it to get my $65 back -- and this was at the place I worked, no less.

I'm also running a personal study, where I rub Strivectin-SD over one section of stretch marks on my hip, and regular moisturizing body lotion over the comparable section of scarred flesh on the other side of my body.

And I'll let you know in a month if I see any difference.

I am more than willing to spend a little money to permanently get rid of stretch marks, and if it works, I'll also be more than happy to maintain less-flawed skin for $22.50 a month. That's a hell of a lot cheaper than the Retin-A Micro and Clindamax regimen I'm following now, and I won't need a prescription.
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*If you are worried about effecting the store's bottom line, most companies have arrangements with their distributors to take back returned products for credit, so you aren't jacking up the prices of the items in the store by bringing back some face cream. Shoplifters and thieving employees cause that sort of thing, so don't fret. It's the shady bastards actually working in the store that create the largest amount of company shrink, although shoplifters do a fine bit of damage.

And, if you're embarassed about making a return for fear that the people in the store are judging you, look at it this way: you can afford to purchase a $135 stretch mark cream, and they probably can't. Thus the internal theft. People that can't afford to shop at stores often work at them for the discounts, if they're younger. And if they're older and you're worried about them judging you, dude, they're working retail. It's not like it is the most glamorous of trades. Sure, no toilets are being scrubbed, but running a register or pimping skin cream isn't really that sexy, either.