Optimera Day and Night Cream {Holiday Gift Idea – Giveaway}

Pamela Chan, Contributor

When I have an opportunity to try a new skincare cream, the very first place I head to are the online reviews. Most times I find mixed reviews about products. Some think they’re fabulous while others hate them. It can be confusing to read the reviews and try to align them with your own experiences with the product.

What I have come to realize is that we have wrinkles from the days when we are babies. The images of women that we see in ads (models and actors) are heavily air brushed. THEY had more wrinkles when they were babies. The rest of us look in the mirror, notice that our skin doesn’t look as smooth as the advertisements and take a hard line on our appearance.

Keeping this in mind, I took a realistic perspective when I had the opportunity to try Nerium International’s Optimera day cream and night cream.

What You Get

The moisturizers are sealed in 30 ml pump bottles that have a fine nozzle. The unopened bottles come with a small leaf that is pushed into the end of the nozzle. The pump mechanism on the top of the bottle delivers even amounts of the moisturizer.

These creams are designed to be non-comedogenic, paraben free, gluten free and cruelty free. Many over the counter creams – including expensive ones – contain paraben, which is considered to be something that can cause cancer. The moisturizers are described as improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; uneven skin texture; enlarged pores; and, aging, hyperpigmented sun-damaged skin. In clinical trials performed using Optimera, 93%of participants experienced improvement in the appearance of facial wrinkls and 97% experienced improvement in skin radiance.

The creams feature SAL-14 extract, vitamins A, B,m C and D, and plant triterpenoids, flavonoids and amino acids. The company has chosen ingredients that work well individually and also in conjunction with other ingredients.

My Initial Reaction

I noticed that the creams are not heavily fragranced and the night cream, in particular, has a notable scent. It isn’t unpleasant but smells, instead, like I’m putting bread on my face. As you can see in the ingredient list below, the cream does contain bran oil. Perhaps this explains the scent. The day cream goes on smoothly while the night cream is noticeably thick and leaves you with a short-lived tightening effect after application. If you would like it to glide on easier, you could dampen your skin before applying the cream. The instructions advise to use 4 pumps. I decided to follow the instructions exactly so that I could fully test the bottles until they were empty and used both the day cream and night cream every day.

What I Noticed

After a few weeks using the creams, I noticed a reduction of the size of my pores around my nose; soft, pliant skin around the eyes which helps to reduce the look of deeper wrinkles; normalized dry skin that felt moist; smooth soft and even looking skin; and, an overall good colouring and glow to my skin. My makeup went on more smoothly. Was my skin more wrinkle free? I can’t say that I would describe it that way. Did it feel and look better? Yes.

My Thoughts

I noticed that the day cream does not include a sunscreen. On the other hand I have heard that built in sunscreens are not terribly effective, so perhaps it is no loss that it isn’t there. I waited quite a few weeks after finishing the bottles to see if I had a skin break-out. Apparently it can take a couple of months for blemishes to appear as a result of changing your skincare routine. No break-out arrived, thankfully.

It’s recommended that you try the cream for two to four weeks. Follow the instructions about how many pumps to use and don’t skimp. Use extra cream for the front of your neck and tops of your hands.

I would be interested to try out complimentary products from the same line to see how they go together. I am a firm believer in the benefits of a skin serum in addition to a moisturizer. Perhaps the company could develop this kind of skincare product in the future.

If you are keen to try a product that makes your skin feel balanced, moisturized, smooth and glowing, I recommend this product. These would also make a wonderful gift for a lady in your gift giving list this year!

Optimera ingredients can be found here.

Nerium website

THE GIVEAWAY

Win it: One lucky CAN/US reader will win a set of Nerium’s day and night creams (a $188 value). Enter to WIN via Rafflecopter below. Good Luck!!

Disclosure: I received a sample of a product to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided and all views and opinions stated on this post are 100% my own.