first, i have to admit to oodles of skepticism about testing this one out. it’s only taken me four years of testing and reviewing beauty products (and about two years of developing some concerning new “fine lines” of my very own) to determine there may well be no such thing as a product that actually eliminates wrinkles. now, there are plenty that keep matters from getting worse, but for the most part, i’ve nearly resigned myself to aging with grace.
but. i had been hearing things about retin-a being the new wonder drug (you know, besides botox), but was also a little scared about the potential for my sensitive skin to freak out (retin-a is known for being more than a little harsh). so, i checked in with the the super-sweet people at olay to see what they thought about the whole thing, and they sent over this pro x deep wrinkle treatment for me to try. their version has retinyl, a gentler form of retin-a, which suited me perfectly.
skeptical as i was, i have to admit that after a week of testing, i’m actually noticing a little bit of a difference in those fine lines around my mouth, and the area next to my nose (i’m a dedicated side sleeper, which translates to uneven wrinkling…a highly traumatic realization, i assure you). it’s not like a life-altering difference, but a definite improvement. and it’s only been a week, so i’m crossing my fingers it gets better from here. cautious optimism is vastly superior to aging gracefully, i think.
the verdict? while i was loath to add yet another step to my already-too-long daily facial routine (cleanse, serum, olay pro x, eye cream, moisturizer), i actually think this one’s worth the extra three seconds i’m devoting to it twice a day.
pricing on this runs the gamut in a big way, but the cheapest i found it was on amazon for $16, plus free shipping, which is hard to beat.
ps…for those that are wondering, as i was, exactly how to use this: think of it like a targeted treatment (ie, zit cream), not an all-over facial moisturizer. put a dab on your finger, and blend gently into whatever wrinkles you want to work on. serum goes underneath, moisturizer & sunscreen go on top.
