La Roche Posay Active Vitamin C

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This story originally appeared on InStyle.com by Rachel Nussbaum.

Little known fact: For Whom the Bell Tolls has two meanings. One refers to Ernest Hemingway's novel, and the other, to everyone who's been shafted by beauty products that fail to deliver. There's nothing like spending money on a do-nothing cream that's inevitably tossed into a shadowy cabinet, and if you're trying to avoid that fate, the key is to stick with trusted brands and trusted ingredients, like a retinol from La Roche-Posay.

After searching for something to replace their prescription retinol when insurance stopped covering it, one shopper says Redermic "is definitely the winner" for similar results at a lower price. A single application produces a remarkable change: "After only wearing it overnight once, there was already a huge difference in redness reduction, softness, and wrinkle smoothing," comments a 46-year-old, adding that it also made creases more shallow and reduced rosacea. "I was blown away."

Reviewers a decade older see similar results from the creamy serum. "I'm almost 63 and don't have one wrinkle around my eyes. No one ever believes my age," one person writes. "You wake up looking five years younger, not kidding!" A few weeks of it diminishes dark spots, and long-term use develops even greater rewards; a 66-year-old at the sixth-month mark says that it significantly reduced their fine lines, and vastly improved "deep wrinkles." Those with sagging, uneven skin say it performed just as well, their skin left glowing, even, and smoother within days. (Related: Best Retinol Creams You Can Buy Over the Counter)

The ingredients responsible? Two forms of retinol, emollient octyldodecanol, and adenosine. Speaking to the latter, Paula's Choice writes, "One of the particularly exceptional qualities of adenosine is that it's a natural component of the body, and its receptors have specifically been identified in skin cells, allowing for a direct connection and impressive effectiveness when applied topically.

In one study conducted by L'Oréal, adenosine showed efficacy in as low as 0.1 percent concentration for improving deep wrinkles in the periorbital area (i.e. crow's feet) as well as glabellar frown lines (known as the 11s between brows)." La Roche-Posay is owned by L'Oréal, so grain of salt, but impressive nevertheless.

The effects extend to acne and large pores: "After two weeks, I don't have a single noticeable blackhead anywhere. The acne that used to pile up over my temples is gone," one 45-year-old noted. "My friends are even starting to notice, asking if I quit smoking and drinking beer. The answer to that is no. I will buy this stuff as long as it is available."

Another shopper writes, "I received a compliment recently from a young man on how pretty my skin is. I haven't had a compliment on my skin since my 20s — [and] I'm 55 years old." They're not alone; a different person writes that it erased their fine lines so well, their skin actually looks better than it did when they were in their 20s. Intrigued? Try the multitasking serum for yourself.

La Roche Posay Active Vitamin C

Source: https://www.shape.com/syndication/la-roche-posay-redermic-retinol-serum-amazon