Readers: Please be Wary of Auto-Ship Plans

While some reputable companies, like Drugstore.com, have auto-ship options as a convenience to customers who need a particular drug or product on a regular schedule, there are unscrupulous companies that entice you into very costly auto-ship plans. Frequently this is done with free trial offers and promises that you can return the product if you are not satisfied.

After all the articles and blog posts I have written to warn my readers, it still pains me to learn that people like this reader continue to be taken advantage of in this way. If you don’t have time to read the small print or are nervous about giving credit card information to an unfamiliar online company, don’t order. Stick with companies you know or that are recommended by someone you trust.

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I am deeply disappointed re Resveratrol Pure Rezv These people are an absolute rip off. They billed me for the product 4 days after I ordered it. They have no intention of giving you the free trial. I have asked for a refund and have never received it. No wonder they closed the comments because of spam. I think that is a lie. If you are going to associate yourself with this type of company then how can one really rate your evidence as honest.

Christine

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Hi Christine,

My gosh, why do you think I recommended this product or am associated with this company?! I’ve never even heard of them.

If you read the series of articles I wrote about Resveratrol, you’ll see that I started out with an auto-ship warning.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of Jean’s response to Christine.

Tags: resveratrol anti-aging benefits, resveratrol supplements, science behind resveratrol, Dr. Oz recommendation of resveratrol, 60 Minutes report on resveratrol, auto-ship policies, check The Ripoff Report, media reports on resveratrol

Anti-Aging: It’s not Just About Me

My anti-aging lifestyle includes doing whatever I can to help my husband stay youthful and healthy. It’s not all about me. LOL.

Besides the fact that I love him (we’ve been together for over 40 years), I hate to imagine my life without him. When you’ve got a good partnership going, each one takes up the slack for the other. He handles things I don’t do as well as he; and vice versa.

Chris’ sister recently told him she had been diagnosed as a carrier of a genetic predisposition which causes sudden cardiac death (SCD). SCD is defined as death within an hour of first symptoms. Their dad died within minutes of slumping over. A male with one parent who suffered SCD has double the average risk of dying the same way. If both parents died of cardiac arrest, the risk is ninefold.

We already knew the standard preventive measures: stay at a healthy weight (he does); keep your blood pressure down (he is on medication for that); watch your cholesterol levels (we don’t even know his levels); stay physically active (he’s not too good there); don’t smoke (he quit 40 years ago).

What the doctor told Rosemary was new to us. He said people at risk because of the SCD gene and family history should be especially careful to keep their vitamin B levels up by taking folic acid supplements. I’m researching what the daily dose should be. So far I’ve narrowed it to between 400 mcg (recommended by the American Heart Association) and 1000 mcg (from two European studies on heart disease).

I need to get after my DH to get his cholesterol checked. There’s no way I can entice him into exercising. Believe me, I’ve tried! A simple supplement – that’s an easy lifestyle change. I just ordered one bottle (250 capsules) of 800 mcg Folic Acid from Puritan’s Pride and got two more bottles free.

That should hold him for a while and allow me to sleep easier.

Tags: anti-aging, sudden cardiac death gene, Puritan’s Pride for supplement buys, sudden cardiac death risk, life extension, healthy lifestyle, vitamin B, folic acid for heart health

What do Your Eyebrows Say about You?

The June issue of O, The Oprah Magazine had one of the best beauty tip articles I’ve seen in a long time: “The Secret Language of Brows” by Jenny Bailey.

Who would think that simply changing how you groom your brows could make such an incredible difference in your appearance? Of course, the before pictures are without makeup and mostly without smiles; while the after pictures are glamour shots.

However that doesn’t change the fact that the vibes sent out by each woman’s eyebrows went from negative in one way or another to positive. Pick up the June issue if you still can or, better yet, subscribe to O. I’ve only been a subscriber for a year and O has become one of my favs.

Much of the article is available online here. View the slideshow. If your eyebrows resemble any of the before shots, follow the instructions given by master eyebrow expert Eliza Petrescu. Prepare to be amazed.

My eyebrows before say “I’m surprised” like Catherine’s photo in the slideshow.

My eyebrows after say “I’m easygoing.” I’d much rather be perceived in that way. Plus, overall my face looks more balanced – surprisingly more natural.

I’m having success regrowing my overplucked browline with Lashes to Die For. (Yes, it really does work to regrow brows as well as lashes.) I plan to follow Eliza’s advice to stop plucking for at least a month. Over time, I expect to need less filling in with eyebrow pencil.

Tags: eyebrow enhancement, grow longer lusher lashes, O Magazine, what eyebrows say, eyebrow grooming, Lashes to Die For, Peter Thomas Roth hit product, sparse overplucked brows

Ageless Beauty: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Thank you for your great information. I rarely purchase products off the internet. It's difficult to determine whether the product is a scam or legitimate.

This evening I almost signed up (first time EVER) for a hair care free sample. I didn't catch it at first but was reading a review for Dermapril on your site and saw the Warning about Autoship Plans.

I zoomed back over to the [hair care] site and, sure enough, the free sample was part of an autoship plan. I sent an email asking that the order be canceled immediately.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

On another note, I'm always looking for great anti aging products. I have been using the Jan Marini skin care line for the last three years and I have to say my skin looks very good. That said, it is expensive and I am hoping to find alternatives that will be less costly.

I will continue to peruse your site to read your product reviews. Thank you for your great information.

Regards, Beth

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Dear Beth,

Thank you so much for letting me know my article helped you.

I'm pleased also that you plan to visit my website again. Did you notice that we offer an RSS Feed (Feedburner icon - upper right corner of every page) so you can receive alerts to new articles? We also publish a free monthly newsletter: What's New in Ageless Beauty.

I hope to "see" you again soon!

Sincerely,
Jean

Tags: autoship programs, autoship warning, shopping online, anti-aging, free samples, Dermapril review, Ageless Beauty, antiaging skincare

Matrixyl 3000 Skincare

Here is a suggested list of products within Linda’s budget:

• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 3 oz. – one-month supply $10;
• Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser 6.7 oz. – one-month supply $1.50;
• Mychelle Supreme Polypeptide Cream (Matrixyl 3000) 1.2 oz. – one-month supply day cream $30;
• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream 1.7 oz. – one-month supply night cream $15; and
• philosophy eye believe, deep wrinkle peptide balm for eyes and upper lip 0.5 oz - $5.

There you have it: a powerful and affordable anti-aging skin care regime (including Matrixyl 3000) for $61.50 a month – well within your requested budget. With the remaining $38.50, you can buy a nice serum if you feel your skin needs it.

My favorite, for its super-antioxidant power, is SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum. It’s a definite splurge but a little goes a long way. A one-ounce bottle should last at least three months for a cost of $45 a month.

Regards,
Jean

Tags: Matrixyl 3000, anti-aging skincare, affordable skincare, budget skincare, anti-aging peptides , sun protection, broad-spectrum sunscreen, skincare

Matrixyl 3000 Skincare

I am looking for an affordable “complete" anti-aging skin care system containing metrapixyl3000 (I think that's the name of it) - cleanser, day, nite, eye cream, if necessary additional serum.

Can you help? I define affordable, on a monthly basis, to be not more than $100.

Thank you,

Linda

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Hi Linda,

I think you mean “Matrixyl 3000” which is a combination of two anti-aging peptides. In the ingredient list, look for:

• Matrixyl 3000™; or
• Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (previously named Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3) and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 (previously named Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3).

If you figure that a one-ounce jar of face cream or lotion lasts at least a month and a half, your budget of $100 a month is easily attainable. For all-over sun protection (face, neck chest, arms and legs), you need two to three ounces a month. If you are outdoors much of the day for your job or on vacation, you may need more. An ounce of eye cream will last about six months.

Buy the type of cleanser which feels good to you – gel, cream, lotion, whatever. All you need is a good basic cleanser to thoroughly clean without stripping away too much of the skin’s natural acid mantle. Don’t bother with anti-aging peptides in a cleanser. Since you wash a cleanser right off, they would just go down the drain.

Come back tomorrow for Jean’s product recommendations to Linda.

Tags: Matrixyl 3000, anti-aging skincare, affordable skincare, budget skincare, anti-aging peptides , sun protection, broad-spectrum sunscreen, skincare

Dealing with Unwanted Hair

Can you explain the options for removing excess face and body hair? With menopause and all the hormonal changes, I’m finding hairs sprouting where I least want them. Sometimes I look in the mirror and am reminded of the cartoon witches with long hairs growing from warts on their chins and noses. Except at least I don’t have the warts, thank goodness!

Thank you for your trouble.

Jessie

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Hi Jessie,

Life’s just not fair, is it? As we work to keep the hair on our heads looking thick and full – if we still have any left – we start sprouting hairs in places we never had them before and where we don’t want them now.

Of course, most women start fighting the battle against hair when they are teenagers and so are much more comfortable with some of the newer hair removal techniques.

There are several common ways to rid the body of unwanted hair. Some are more permanent than others and some are more versatile, so that hair in sensitive areas can be removed without too much pain.

You can find details on each method in this article on Hair Removal Procedures.

If you have any more specific questions, please write again.

Regards,
Jean

Tags: hair removal, excess facial hair, excess body hair, laser hair removal, depilatories, anti-aging, hormonal changes, permanent+hair+removal

Real Deal vs. Good Deal Comment

I just read your blog about Anti-Aging Bargains in your Drugstore’s Skin Care Aisle.

I love Olay beauty products in general, particularly their tanning range. My mum has always sworn by Olay when it comes to their anti-wrinkle range, the best bit is their products are never too expensive!

Now that I am older I would love to try their tinted SPF moisturizer.

I watched this video the other day about How to Prevent Wrinkles and realized that to stay young and healthy all you have to do is take care of yourself. I thought you might find it interesting as well.

Ghislaine

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Thank you, Ghislaine.

I really enjoyed the video. It has very good tips and, as I watched it, I kept thinking, "Yup, I have that on Ageless Beauty. Yup. Yup. Yup."

The only areas where I think I should write a bit more is re acai and goji for their antioxidant power.

But you're right. It is basic stuff. We pretty much know what is good and bad for our health. The "bad" things, especially in excess, do damage that takes years to become obvious: UV rays, sugar, smoke, alcohol ...

On the other hand, there is a lot of exciting positive anti-aging news for us to stay on top of - like acai, goji juice, retinol, topical peptides ...

Plus, the fact that we're keeping on top of all these developments keeps our neurons firing and helps us maintain a positive attitude about aging!

Thank you for a great comment and link!
Jean

Tags: anti-aging, prevent wrinkles, healthy living, causes of aging , positive attitude toward aging, anti-wrinkle video, Ageless Beauty, anti-aging common sense

More on Mixing Your Own Cosmetics from Oprah

If you read my blog on Tuesday, you know I don’t recommend mixing your own cosmetics. My reasons relate to sanitation, quality control, product consistency and product stability.

So when I picked up my May issue of O: The Oprah Magazine to finish reading it Friday, the headline “We Tried It (and you might want to): Make Your Own Moisturizer” caught my attention.

The author raved about L’Occitane Ma Creme Nature face and body moisturizer and suggested that if you like to DIY, you would probably love it. It is completely organic and preservative-free. Of course you need to store it in the refrigerator after mixing to maintain the creamy consistency and keep bacteria and mold from growing in it.

The ingredient list reads more like a recipe than a cosmetic formula: organic olive tree leaf extract, olive water, olive and sunflower oil, olive and shea butter …

If I were to want to try this DIY product, I would buy the L’Occitane Ma Creme Nature Refill Kit. In so doing, I would save $8 and keep at least one more face cream jar from going into our planet’s landfills. On the other hand, glass jars are recyclable …

To the author’s credit, she consulted Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Beer, author of Palm Beach Perfect Skin, and asked if there were advantages to preparing the cream at home. His response – “Yes. You can probably fry garlic in it.” LOL

Tags: DIY Cosmeceuticals, DIY moisturizers, mix you own skin cream, anti-aging, anti-aging skincare, certified organic cosmetics, cosmeceutical science, cosmeceutical quality control

Good Deal vs. Real Deal: Sally Hansen Natural Shine and Trind Natural Nail Repair

Real Deal: Trind Natural Nail Repair $19

Trind is absolutely the best for weak damaged nails. It’s the only product I found that could restore my nails after 20 years of wearing acrylics and so it is one of the picks on my Top Ten Cosmetics List.

Trind explains how its formula is superior.

“The nail is made out of three layers of protein molecules, connected to each other by natural moisturizers. These moisturizers make the nail supple. Most nail hardeners glue the nail layers together, leaving no space for any of the natural nail moisture that is needed, resulting in brittle nails that break easily. Trind Natural Nail Repair tightens the protein-molecules while leaving space for the natural moisturizers, leaving nails stronger and healthier.”

Good Deal: Sally Hansen Natural Shine $8

Sally Hansen Natural Shine Instant Nail Finish comes very close to Trind at about half the price. It dries in seconds like Trind and gives more of a polished finish – somewhere between Trind (which mostly soaks in and leaves a slight sheen) and regular nail polish.

The container is a tube rather than a small bottle so you need to hold it while you apply unlike nail polish that you set on a flat surface and dip into.

Sally Hansen Natural Shine adds in several antioxidants and vitamins to protect and nourish: Safflower Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5).

Tags: real deal vs good deal, anti-aging bargain shopping, drugstore skincare bargains, product comparison, Trind Nail Repair vs Sally Hansen Instant Nail Finish, nail strenghtheners, nail repair products, damage from acrylic nails