Also has anyone tried any of the wrinkle sort of fill in products out there like Genie line smoother from QVC or the topical silicone from HSN. I'm 38 & have been told I look in my 20's but I have noticed a difference in my skin texture & lines around my eyes & forhead over the last yr & want to do anything to camouflague them. I tried that dewey make-up look that's so in but my husband just felt I looked like I had greasy skin.

Michie

A topic I'm always on top of!

All the ingredients you mention work to exfoliate the top layer of the skin - dead skin, to make your skin look smoother. They are also all great for very oily and acne-prone skin. None of them prevent wrinkles or reduce them. In excess, they can irritate and dry-out sensitive skin, and should be used one at a time and for a short duration. Over-the-counter formulations almost all use the same percentages of amounts - the maximum allowed for OTC products.

Wrinkles are caused by sun exposure, facial expressions, and gravity, and can be exacerbated by dryness.

I'm in my mid-40s now, and my skin looks great, but I am getting gravity wrinkles around the mouth, my jawline is getting "soft", and my eye area is starting to droop. This natural aging can only be fixed with surgery.

But what you can do now to keep your skin in good shape is keep hydrated inside and out.
- Drink water and gatorade, stay away from diuretics like caffeine, which actually pulls water out of your system.
- Stay moisturized and use sunscreen. It doesn't really matter which moisturizer you use - they work mechanically - (kind of like keeping a leather handbag supple with oil rubbing). Just choose one that you like, that doesn't clog pores. Any moisturizer used daily will reduce the "appearance" of wrinkles by plumping up the top layer of skin temporarily. So don't feel like you have to spend lots of money. (Believe me I have!)
- Powder settles in wrinkles, clogs pores and makes you look older - stay away from it.
- Stay out of the sun or wear a hat and sunscreen if you do go outdoors.
- Don't smoke - smokers' skin ages quickly due to dehydration of tissues and the sucking on cigs that bring on the vertical mouth lines.
- Don't drink too much alcohol or eat excess sugar or salt.
- Get enough sleep.
- Don't sleep on your face. If you sleep on your side, make sure to switch from side to side or you may get more gravity-wrinkling on one side of your face.
- Smile, be happy. If you are going to wrinkle, you might as well wrinkle attractively!

and add- leave your poor skin alone. don't poke the wrinkles, stretch the skin into its 'old' tautness...this breaks down collagen even faster than sunlight.

put sunscreen and moisturizer on gently, drink more water and fruit juice than coffee or anything else.

all those treatments can be matched by mashing up a piece of mango, papaya, or pineapple, and applying it to the skin as a mask for just a few minutes. they all contain the 'plant enzymes' that they're selling for $40/bottle, without all the synthetics.

Regards, Jordan

Well there MUST be products that actually work b/c the cosmetics & advertising industry are always using tricks to dimish the look or camouflauge wrinkels. Lucky for my my gene pool was pretty good, but ANY wrinkles or sagging is too much.

I've tried several moisturizers but other than helping to eliminate dryness which can make you look ashy & older, I don't really find they plump. I've tried glycolic peels/microdermabrasions at home a few times & each time got horrible breakouts (never thought of myself as having sensitive skin). I went for 2 microdermabrasions (they were complementary) & not only did I not see any improvement but I also had horrible dryness & breakouts afterwards. B/c of those experiences I'm afraid to try retin A or retinol products. The breakouts last wks.

For months I've used eye cream with no noticebale difference. I've also tried lip plumpers & didn't notice anything.

I've also tried different cosmetics. The dewy look looks greasy not necessarily youthful. I've tried the mineral lines & really hated them. They work no differently than powders & everything settles in the lines making them even MORE noticeable. Any of the cream products that actually offer any coverage also settle in the lines.

Finally the best switches I've made are to use a makeup primer under my eyes so that at least the under eye conceler won't settle in the lines - it makes the skin smoother for applying make-up. It's makes no difference in teh way the skin actually looks other than protecting against settling make-up & making the make-up glid eon easily so less tugging. I also switched to a foundation that has light diffusing BUT I find they are lighter formulations & while that's good b/c it causes less settling they also don't offer as much coverage which I find is needed as you age & the skin b/c more blotchy.

I even tried Gene Instant line Remover which is supposed to offer immediately temporary results & it felt like my skin was being pulled & taut & if I smiled I felt like I was going to crack. Has anyone else tried any other products like this that has worked for them.

Michie

The celebrity tricks include pulling loose skin back and under the hair. Try it - While looking in a mirror, take the hair directly above your ears and pull up. It's great. If you want to do that all the time. I know women who do variations on that. Personally I get a headache wearing my hair up.

Another tried and true is to wear your hair ON your face - like Goldie Hawn. It hides the crows feet, that's for sure.

There ARE some gluey solutions on the market - I think Adrienne Arpel has one she hawks on QVC. You put it on and pull the skin up - the gluey stuff dries and your skin stays like that for the day, until you wash it off.

OUCH!!!! I'm only 41 & have good genetics, don't have much wrinkling (gravity softening - double chin developing, some fine wrinkles around the eyes are the only wrinkles I really have but the skin texture is also different than when I was younger) so I don't have any loose skin to do that with. How would one hold up that loose skin under the hair anyway?

Adrienne Arpel actually sells on HSN & I wondered if anyone has used her products. I know I tried what I thought was something similar, QVC's Genie instant line smoother & I felt like my face had glue all over it & if I smiled I felt like it was going to crack, so I sent that back.

I'll look into "SkinMedica's Retinol Complex". I've seen dr Pericone on some shopping channel. His beauty products are way too costly.

Thanks ladies.
Michie