Turn Back Time With Countertime
I am ONE DAY away from turning 31 ya’ll! I don’t feel 31 and I surely do not want to look it. Unfortunately for me, I over exposed my skin to the sun for decades. I couldn’t be more upset with myself for the cosmetic damage I’ve caused and really started stressing about cancerous and precancerous moles. After a trip to the dermatologist, I left with a clear bill of health and can fully focus on reducing fine lines and wrinkles on my face, neck, chest and backs of my hands. I never realized how toxic our personal care products really were until I started looking into the ingredients when I was pregnant with my first child. This was my “ah-ha” moment and why I strive to use safer products for myself and my family.
Y’all… the amount of research that can go into finding a good skincare regime makes my eyes cross. For years, I have struggled with finding what works best for me…. almost two decades if I sit back and think about it. I personally have tried dozens and dozens of skincare products until I found my dream team. The journey to get to this point wasn’t pretty and makes me cringe when I think about all the toxic crap I put all over my face and body. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to go back in time and correct that so I can only focus on choosing better options now that I know better. Over my blogging career, I’ve tried even more non toxic regimens and haven’t found any of them performing to the level I wanted.
Not gonna lie, I have found the skincare love of my life and I’m vowing to never go without it ever again! I have legit turned back time with the Countertime anti-aging skincare line and I’m here to share that it’s a MUST for anyone wanting a safer, top of the line, fast result system for their skin. The products I am currently using from the regimen are the Cleansing Oil, Mineral Essence, Radiance Serum, Eye Cream and the Soft Cream.
Almost every conventional anti-aging skincare item uses Retinol because it has been proven tried-and-true to work over many years. The new Countertime line doesn’t contain standard retinol, it is formulated with Retinatural!
Beautycounter helps us dig a little deeper on retinol v. Retinatural below.
WHAT IS RETINOL?
Retinoids are a family of vitamin A derivatives best known for their use in anti-aging skin-care products. Retinoids include retinol, Retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, retinyl linoleate, retinyl propionate, and the fun-to-pronounce hydroxypinacolone retinoate.
They are active cosmetic ingredients commonly used in anti-aging skin care, but they have links to health concerns which made them an early candidate for The Never List™. In addition, in order to be effective, retinol and its derivatives must convert into the active ingredient retinoic acid. Studies show that retinoic acid can have harmful side effects, including being a skin irritant and making the skin sensitive to the sun’s damaging rays.
In fact, both the EU and Canada have restricted the use of retinol—the EU cites a “precautionary principle,” which means that if an ingredient has shown evidence of danger to human health or the environment, it takes preventative action.
While vitamin A and its derivatives have been shown to have protective and therapeutic skin properties when used properly, the decision not to formulate with retinol/vitamin A or its derivatives was based on extensive scientific research and evaluation.
Research on retinol and its derivatives shows:
• Most common adverse effects from topical use are skin irritations including redness, excessive desquamation (skin peeling), and sensitization to sunlight.
• On the Skin Deep Database, the Environmental Working Group assigned retinol and its derivatives, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinyl linoleate, a rating of 9 on its hazard scale, linking safety concerns such as skin irritation and sun sensitivity. To learn more, visit: https://www.ewg.org.
• As a precaution, topical application of retinol and retinoic acid should be avoided by pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant.
• Due to its photochemical instability, sunscreen is required while using products containing retinol or its derivatives, or use should be avoided during the daytime.
• Too much retinol can be harmful: the main supplier for retinol in the cosmetics industry recommends usage not to exceed 0.1% due to its potential for skin sensitivity.
WHAT SHOULD WE USE INSTEAD?
Because there was no other alternative that was safer and performed as well as retinoids, Beautycounter created the plant derived Retinatural Complex, a safer alternative—and the powerhouse ingredient—in the Countertime Collection.
The exclusive plant-derived Retinatural Complex combines the powerful age-defying and reparative benefits of bakuchiol (“Bah-koo-chee-all”) with antioxidant-rich Swiss Alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum) to reinforce the skin’s ability to protect itself from oxidative stress. Bakuchiol is a retinol alternative derived from the babchi plant. In 2014, The International Journal of Cosmetic Science published a clinical study of retinol versus bakuchiol. The study concluded that bakuchiol mimics and sometimes exceeds the performance benefits of retinol!
For the exclusive plant-derived Retinatural Complex, found in every Countertime product, they combined the powerful anti-aging and reparative benefits of bakuchiol with antioxidant-rich Swiss Alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum). It is this combination that makes the product so effective for aging skin. Bakuchiol, from the babchi plant, is indigenous to India and China and has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese skin-care remedies. Swiss Alpine rose (Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract) is a unique ingredient which grows at the highest altitudes of the Swiss Alps. It is renowned for its remarkable ability to protect itself against dehydration and other environmental stressors.
HOW DOES RETINATURAL WORK?
It Promotes Healthy Barrier Function: Our skin’s moisture barrier prevents excess water loss and helps protect skin from the environment—and as we age, it becomes depleted. Retinatural Complex helps improve barrier function to maintain the skin’s natural hydration levels (and keep that plumpness going strong).
It Visibly Plumps And Firms Skin: Collagen is the skin’s most vital protein and the cushion that keeps it supple, taut, and wrinkle-free. It’s found in the middle layer of the skin, and its production begins to slow by the time we reach 30. Luckily, it’s possible to visibly improve skin firmness and plumpness. Enter Retinatural Complex.
It Improves Resilience: With age, the skin’s ability to protect itself from oxidative stress is compromised, which damages cells, speeds up the appearance of aging, and leaves skin looking dull and sallow. The targeted ingredients in our Retinatural Complex help protect skin and improve radiance.
If y’all have stuck with me this far, thank you! Ha! One more thing before I go – bakuchiol isn’t brand new to the market, and mainstream media is finally catching on! “Why haven’t you heard of bakuchiol before? The natural ingredient started to go mainstream in the skin-care world in the 1970s, Shah says, but it was only until recent research highlighted bakuchiol’s effectiveness that it started to gain industry steam. For proof, look no further than recent product launches.” Read more about what ALLURE has to say about the safer retinol replacement here!
