Valentia: Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask #Review #ValentiaBeauty

When it comes to masks, I always have a plethora of what one would call dehydrating masks. Mud masks, clay masks, peeling masks, exfoliating masks, and so forth. I tend to rely on on what I apply after as my hydration and I must admit that does not always cut it. The sensitive areas around my face, like the outer edges of my forehead and around my nose, they sometimes will exhibit the stress from over cleaning my pores. Stressed skin I can recover from in a few days, but I dislike babying it while doing it, so I have been searching for a in-between system to add to me beauty regimen.

In comes Valentia, I am familiar with the line as I tried one of their products in the past. Valentia has expanded their beauty line and added other items like the Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask and the True Glow Eye Cream, which I will be reviewing after. The Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask is what I call a “feeder mask”, it feeds your skin versus just drawing out impurities and many times that includes oils that nourish our skin. The Valentia Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask has the following key ingredients in it’s formula:

• Aloe Vera
• Algae Extract
• Green Tea Leaf Extract
• Sea Buckthorn Oil
• Rosehip Seed Oil
• CoQ10
• Jojoba Oil
• Acai Berry (used as a fragrance, so no odd perfumes to irritate the skin)
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Vitamin B5
• Silk Amino Acid Blend
• Frakincense Oil (active and not used for fragrance)
• Vitamin E
• Gotu Kola
• and other emulsifiers and thickeners that are friendly to your skin

You read the key ingredients and they sound more like an overnight cream versus just a mask and this is where this Valentia product differs from the common OTC masks you find with mass merchandisers. This mask provides within 15 to 30 minutes a power punch of moisture, along with anti-aging properties but because the intense hydration is limited in time, people like myself that are prone to acne blemishes (aka: skin that rebels against moisture even when it needs it) need not to worry. I know, I know, you probably heard that before and then used a moisturizer that made your skin feel and look good but by day three, the bumps and blemishes win out any positive outcome you received from the moisturizing effect. This is different. Remember this is a beauty treatment, so you have to see it as a “power nap” where the exposure is limited in time but just those few minutes make a world of difference and allows your skin to get what it has been missing. I like the idea, so I was eager to see what Valentia’s new Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask could do for me.

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Verdict:
I tried the mask and because I have been using a microdermabrasion system at home once a week, I need a good amount of feed afterwards to give my “new skin” a huge welcome. I started by using the mask once a week after my treatments and figured if it made my new skin have a fit, my older skin was going to have a tantrum like no other. Nothing happened when it came to pimples, red bumps, blemishes, clogged pores, black heads, or let us just call them bumps from hell that sometimes do not even surface all the way to just be more difficult. My new skin acted like everything has always been hunky dory. Okay, so my new skin is literally a new beginning! I up my treatment to two times a week by week 3. I notice that my skin gets what I describe as a tickle when I first apply the mask but nothing like my pores are being pulled from their core like a mud or clay mask can do. I see softer skin and my pores are looking smaller, which I like because as much as I like clean pores, empty ones can look more pronounced because even the good oils have been pulled out.  My skin just seems more relaxed after I use the Ultra Plumping Hydration mask from Valemtia. The Green Tea’s anti-inflammation properties really calm my skin while the hydrating key ingredients feed my skin, producing a smoother and younger appearance. I don’t go to bed with a sticky face that ends up feeding my pillow more than anything and because I can control how long I do the treatment, I can limit or prolong my hydration to fit my needs. Not something you can do with many ant-aging creams out there and I literally put on the mask, watch a show and then wash my face. Painless, and my skin looks better while I do nothing extravagant. By week 4, the biggest difference and improvement has been around my eye and cheek area. Fine lines are diminished and you know how you look fresh and smooth in the morning after washing your face (i.e. less wrinkly)? Well, that effect lasts longer thru-out the day. I look less spent and so will your pocket book because this mask just costs $25 for a 4 ounce jar! It’s a win-win for a girl that wants moisturized skin without suffering the pumps later on!

Connect with Valentia at:

• On-line
• Product link
• Amazon
• #ValentiaBeauty

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Valentia. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Trilane: Retinol + Vitamin C Anti-Aging Moisturizer #Review #Trilane

Trilane is part of Healthy Directions LLC., which has an extensive line of serums, moisturizers to battle all your anti-aging needs.

I was sent a bottle of their 100% Natural Retinol and Vitamin C moisturizer. The Trilane line reflects several acting agents and the ones that stood the most, was Olive Squalane and Jojoba Esters. The rest of the ingredients are familiar from Pomegranate, Cucumber, Licorice and so forth.

• Olive Squalane-
  Upon researching what makes this ingredient different and more powerful, I discovered that it is really just an emollient. It is also a Vegan friendly alternative as Shark Squalane is derived from their liver. I’m not a vegetarian, but the latter is not exactly something I want to purchase and much less apply to my skin…..no matter the claims. Olive Squalane provides a lightly formulated oil like substance that is rich in lipids. Much like olive oil when it comes to the beneficial properties, but you have some differences that can be felt in how the final product feels and applies. It’s thinner and provides a rich barrier, something you want to seek out because you want a moisturizer that applies thin and absorbs quickly, but leaves no oily slick behind. I tried seeing if Squalane as an individual source differed greatly when it came to nutritional properties, like is it more potent (percentage wise) but could not allocate any clinical information stating so. After pages and pages, I could only find that it penetrates (absorbs) into the skin quickly at a rate of 2MM per second when the agent is used singularly (by itself). So, it gives you an idea on why it was added to this moisturizer!

 

• Jojoba Esters-
  Jojoba is always identified as an oil and it’s really technically a wax, but still an emollient. You have a wax that has been boiled down to produce a purer and more intensified solution. Jojoba is rich in fatty acids, so you not only get improvement in how a product applies but a richer and more nutritional formula. Due to Jojoba being close to the properties found in human sebum, you can see why it’s so “skin friendly”.

Retail Price Point: $42.53 via Amazon, but make sure to scroll down and use the code to get a discount!  The product retails for $44.99 (with Auto-ship) via the website.

Verdict:
The Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C anti-aging moisturizer, is simple when it comes to the properties that make-it up, so I was looking forward in trying a product that can cause less interactions, but still provide results. I tried the product for a period of 2 weeks and stopped using any alternate Vitamin C and Retinol product. I figure this was a 2-in-1 product, so let us see how it does on it’s own. While I was very happy with the moisturizer and how well it applied, distributed and absorbed, I did find I was not satisfied with the Retinol level. I have been using OTC products with 2.5% and none was declared on the package from Healthy Directions, but I did feel I needed to amp it up and decided to incorporate back my serum (containing Retinol) back by the 2.5 week point. Then I did get what I felt a better edge on keeping any fine lines at bay and I can say the Trilane line does deliver a lot of moisture and I say this again, because it put up with the weather swings we have been experiencing in Southern California. It’s been cloudy and in the 60’s to then the 80’s three days later! Trilane kept my skin’s temperaments at bay because it likes to misbehave when the weather swings like this.

Connect with Trilane and their products at:

• On-line
• Amazon
• Save 20% off your first purchase of Trilane Retinol + Vitamin C sold by Healthy Directions on Amazon.com. Promotion code (SAVERETC) expires 12/31/15
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• #Trilane

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Trilane (Healthy Directions).  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.