I have been seeing this in Guardian pharmacy every now and then and it piqued my interest. I could not find much information about this online, so I decided to bite the bullet and try it.
According to the Colonial Dames website on this product, this is the claim it makes:
This Exciting New Product contains potent levels of Vitamins C & E PLUS Parsol sunscreen for complete UVA/UVB SPF of 15 to guard your skin against free radical damage and help support the skins natural collagen synthesis. This product lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, protects delicate skin, offers intense moisturization, and uses the highest quality Pharmeceutical Grade Vitamins available. Use every day to see, feel and experience the bennefits while it helps guard your skin from UVA and UVB sun damage, slowing the skins aging process and lessening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
I liked the idea of a Vitamin C and E product with SPF suncreen and as I’m not getting any younger, the idea of an age-defying product caught my imagination.
The cream comes in a pump bottle which is hygenic and has a peach tint with light fragrance. When applied, it absorbed quickly and did not feel oily or sticky. I was using this together with the night cream Alpha-Lipoic Acid & DMAE Pore Clarifier.
The night cream too comes in a pump bottle and the fragrance is stronger. The cream has a thick consistency and it feels sticky when first applied to the skin. After a while, when it has been absorbed, it feels less sticky.
This is what the website claims:
You’ve heard about it, read about and seen it on TV, Alpha-Lipoic Acid & DMAE. Now there’s no need to pay outrageous prices for effective levels of Alpha-Lipoic Acid and DMAE. Colonial Dámes, a name trusted for almost 120 years, has it right here with 2% Alpha-Liopic Acid and 3% DMAE to get you dramatic results fast. Reduce pore size while tightening and firming the skin all at a consumer friendly price.
For a week or so, I did not notice anything untoward. I thought a week was still too early to tell if any fine lines were being prevented or if my skin texture was improving. However, what bothered me most was the fact that my face started breaking out and my pores were getting very clogged. I was getting lots of hard bumps under the skin and my skin looked very rough and bumpy.
It was not very noticable at first, but after 2 weeks, it got worse. I stayed on with this product, thinking it might be other elements of my skincare regime. However, as I cut out each item one by one and without any improvement, I finally decided to stop using both these products.
To my surprise, once I stopped using these creams, my pores stopped getting clogged, and my face started getting better. So, the culprit must have been these creams! I checked the ingredients and found that one of the top ingredients was Mineral Oil. I have read many articles about how mineral oil is bad for your skin as it causes clogged pores, but I’d never experienced it myself until now. It was horrifying.
So, RM120 poorer and a lot wiser, I am now nursing my skin back to its former condition. The creams cost RM69 or so each but I got them at a discount. I may just continue using them as a neck cream or hand cream so they don’t go to waste but they are not going anywhere near my face anymore.
I don’t know if they have worked for anyone else or if anyone else has had the same problems I’ve had. I would love to read your comments if you have tried this!
[rating:0/5]
Tine says
July 17, 2007 at 2:14 pmI almost bought this actually, after using their hand and body lotion (which I found quite good). Thanks for the review; that’s another one out the window :p
PB says: The hand and body lotion is pretty good as is the pure Vitamin E oil but this was bleh…
entwined says
July 17, 2007 at 11:08 pmi use col. dames vit e cream, and it’s been no problem for my acne prone sensitive skin 🙂 really glad cos it seems like the only “serious” vit. e cream in the market. the body shop vit. e cream is PINK and heavily fragranced. urgh. pink. why must they make it so artificial?!
you might be interested in this link about mineral oil http://cosmeticscop.com/learn/dictionary.asp?keys=mineral+oil&pos=1&type=FIND
PB says: I was tempted to get the Vit E cream and I’m glad to hear it works for you. It actually looks promising but the 2 I reviewed scared me off somewhat. Thanks for the info!
a. says
December 31, 2007 at 6:53 amI have used the Colonial Dames ALA DMAE cream for six months. The first two weeks I used it, it stung ( like the product says on the box. You have to give it a little time.)
After two weeks it worked wonders. It tightened under the chin as well. I am 42 and live in Arizona, a climate that is really hard on skin. Dermatologist paradise. My skin is noticeably better with this stuff. Finer pores and less redness. I stopped using it for awhile because I was so busy and upon resuming saw improvements again. Its part of my regular now, but I do agree that the fragrance is heavy. I have oily skin and have not had breakouts. I have paid way more for stuff that did much less. Don’t knock this one without trying it first.
Lian says
June 10, 2008 at 11:12 amI have never used these products, but I do use ALA and DMAE and really like them. If you are still interested, the brand I use is Prodonia ALA Lifting serum. Their Antioxidant serum is to die for!
http://www.prodonia.com