ReVive Renewal Cream Supreme Ultra Retexturizing Hydrator

It was quite a risky choice to try an unknown brand and pay a high price tag for it without proper research. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and I was really in a mood to find something to soothe my frustrating skin condition so I bought ReVive Renewal Cream Supreme Ultra Retexturizing Hydrator on a whim at Neiman Marcus back in May this year.   Skin condition before using this cream: Extremely dry, flaky, with many red patches, highly irritated, my rosecea flared up, itchy, had a few stubborn bumps on my forehead that didn’t want to go away. Prior to discovering this brand, I was considering skin microdemabrasion or chemical peel to promote cell turnover.      I was told by two SAs that after the first use I may notice more flaky skin on my face but that’s normal, don’t freak out. It is how the cream works to gently exfoliate the top layer of skin. He said it would help the cream to work more effectively if I exfoliate my face in prior to using it as exfoliation will remove the dead cells and aid the cream to penetrate deeper and deliver nutrients into the skin. One of the SAs said she has started using this cream and significantly noticed the difference the next day, especially the glow. I thought to myself – “yeah whatever”.  I seriously didn’t know what to expect from this cream except that I hope my skin wouldn’t break out. The last thing I want is to pay $211 (with tax) and end up using this cream on my feet or my bottom.   1st day: I exfoliated per SA’s suggestion with St. Ives’ and applied this cream to my skin. The next day I woke up I noticed that it did help minimize the dryness.  2nd day: Used it without exfoliation. Applied and felt kinda itchy and tingling in certain areas. I woke up and felt that my skin felt so soft and smooth to the touch. Noticed a subtle glow. A few tiny pimples had formed in addition to the existing one in prior to using the cream (I assume it was an adjusting period)  3rd day: I made an attempt to exfoliate every other day so this day I exfoliate and applied this cream as usual. Still had that slightly tingling and itchy feeling but I hated to give up now. The next morning, skin felt so soft and smooth the next day. Flakiness was completely gone. 4th day: No exfoliation – just a cream. Saw a major difference in skin texture and appearance.   Fast forward to July: A little over 2 months of continuous use of this cream alone (without trying other new products during the same timeframe), I am freaking LOVING it. The first jar was completely empty the other day and I am sad. I think it did a great job in delivering a subtle grow and transforms a top layer of skin texture. Skin feels soft and smooth. I see major improvements overall: red patches/flakiness disappear. My skin has a lovely and healthy glow to it. There is no need to apply foundation to fake a healthy skin. It also helps clear up the pimples. The bumps on my forehead were gone in a few weeks.  A few things worth mentioning: 1) I have never spotted my skin being more flaky or peeling as what the SA warned me though. All I feel throughout the course of usage is a slight tingling sensation and itchy (which appears to be happen to a lot of people based on waht I read on Makeupalley website) especially on my cheeks (just slightly, not to the point where it bothers me badly or feel like my face is burning up). I assume that is the part where the cream is gently exfoliating. I almost stopped using it but decided to continue because I didn’t see any breakouts. It was just tingling sensation.  Upon further research, this cream has glycolic acid (quoted from Wikipedia.org) which is the smallest (AHA). This colorless, odorless, and crystalline solid is used in various skin-care products. Due to its excellent capability to penetrate skin, glycolic acid finds applications in skin care products, most often as a chemical peel by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or licensed aesthetician in concentrations of 20 to 70% or at-home kits in lower concentrations between 10 and 20%. Glycolic acid is used to improve the skin's appearance and texture. It may reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation improve many other skin conditions, including actinic keratosis, hyperkeratosis, and seborrheic keratosis applied, glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together. This allows the stratum corneum to be exfoliated, exposing live skin cells. Highly purified grades of glycolic acid are commercially available for personal care applications.  Safety note: Glycolic acid is a strong irritant depending on the pH levels. Given that my skin is so darn sensitive and that ingredient seems to be fairly strong, I am quite impressed that it didn’t give me a major breakout. My pimples on forehead cleared up in 2-3 weeks.  2) I would rate its moisturizing property at 9/10. It doesn’t completely heal my desperately dry skin (will any product ever do that?!!!) But people with different skin type may find it too greasy or doesn’t work) but overall it does a better job than most brands out there as far as keeping my skin reasonably moisturized.  3) Give it time to work. Don’t expect to see a huge improvement overnight. Stick with it at least a month (unless you have major breakout and it gets worse).   4) I wouldn’t suggest it if you are in your 20’s because you really don’t need it yet. Unlike me, I am in my early 30’s. My skin needs a bit more aggressive anti-aging product.  5) The effectiveness of product varies from individuals. I find it work wonderfully on me but it may not do any wonder to you.   6) It doesn’t matter how awesome the products claim to be. Other factors also play important roles in improving your skin such as diet, sleep, mood and exercise.  7) Packaging looks quite cheap but that doesn’t really bother me as long as the cream inside does a good job. I would rather spend money on what’s inside than a pretty packaging.   My impression:Its texture is light and has nice consistency. It smells pleasantly (not as strong as some other brands out there I have tried). It absorbs well without leaving grease/oily layer on my skin Comparing to Crème de la Mer which is quite tricky to apply due to its super thick texture, this cream blends and absorbs like a dream (keep in mind I have very dry skin so it absorbs really well in my case). It did a great job transforming my overall skin appearance which is something I have never noticed when using other brands (I also tried Clarins moisturizer which kept my skin well moisturize but didn’t do anything on my skin appearance so I didn’t repurchase).  I saw the results in about 3 weeks.   Will I buy it again? Yes but one thing that stops me from buying another jar is mainly its price tag ($195 + tax). My husband who at a time was with me on this random shopping extravaganza overheard the conversation and its price was in awe simply because I handed a credit to an SA without thinking twice – lol. I am considering buying a second jar with a jar of eye renewal cream. Got a few samples of eye cream and totally loved how it felt around my eyes too (damn it!).  However, this brand is very expensive. It is pricey but totally worth it. Next time though, I will most likely use it every other day in combination of another lower end moisturizer. Plus I am not sure if it is really good to use this every single day in a long run as my skin may become more sensitive due to prolong usage of glycolic acid??  Disclosure: I purcahsed this product with my own money and is not affiliated with the company who makes this product. My opinion is of original and my own.