Product Review! Nerium AD Skin Care

To date, I have published 32 blog posts. They've been all over the map topic-wise, but there's one category I've wanted to explore and now is my chance: a product review. If I'm going to weigh-in on something out there, it's probably going to be something I think can enhance my life and/or the lives of my friends. So imagine my excitement when a new blog opportunity arose and it's something that might even make me look better. Here'a little background.

I love skin care products. I started using eye cream when I was 29 and incorporated sunscreen into my daily routine about 5 years later (I now know that was about 30 years too late). I've used everything from basic drugstore stuff to a high end doctor-dispensed 5-step line. Once, in a very low moment, I even put a gel version of a acai drink on my face because I'd heard the antioxidant properties could pause the clock. I should've warned my family because one of my daughters burst into hysterics thinking I'd been attacked by Lizzie Borden's axe-wielding ghost.

The product I'm reviewing is called Nerium AD. They have a day cream and a night cream and I was given a one month supply of each.

According to the Nerium International website, these products are designed to improve the appearance of: fine lines and wrinkles, hyper pigmentation, discoloration, uneven skin texture, aging or sun-damaged skin, enlarged pores and loose skin. The product is a patented formula derived from the Nerium Oleander plant.

I can't wait to find out if any of these amazing results are going to come my way. To make this more official, I pledge to use the products as directed, day and night, for 30 straight days.

A few things to note:

• I am almost 47.
• I have no Botox, filler or the like.
• I am not using a separate eye cream during this experiment because Nerium says I don't need to.
• I am using a separate sunscreen during the day because the Nerium Day Cream does not contain any.
• I took make-up free "before" pictures 

Day 1

Daytime: The instructions say 4 pumps, but 3 more than covered my entire face, neck and décolletage. I realize I might not get optimum results using a little less, but my face is really small and I have nowhere to put the extra product. Due to the extremely cold weather, I applied a little of my own moisturizer (mixed with tinted moisturizer) on top for added emollience. Nerium says this is fine.
Nighttime: The product has a nice heavy, almost sticky feel (it contains no water) and must be applied to damp skin which seems strange, but I guess that's to help spread it around. The smell is different -- earthy and and grassy. Not unpleasant, but certainly not flowery. As it dries, my skin feels tight. A little odd, but not uncomfortable. I can see getting used to that feeling in a few days. I am applying to same body parts as daytime, but also including the backs of hands -- I have some ugly dark spots. I found that I only had room on myself for 3 pumps of the night cream as well.

Day 14

I have been a perfect student and am using the product exactly as indicated. My favorite thing is probably how easy it is. I love that both the morning and night are only one step -- especially when I'm feeling lazy. My skin does feel softer and smoother and I like how my make up looks. I think I'm needing less to cover, but without makeup I cannot see a significant difference. I plan to rephotograph at the end of the month so maybe I'll see something then.

Day 30

Ok, so my 30 days is over and I really wasn't expecting to see much of a change based on the first 2 weeks. But surprisingly, I actually do see improvement, particularly in the overall evenness of my complexion. My pores are definitely smaller and without make up my skin is more even looking -- including the dark circles under my eyes which bother me more than anything. I still have broken capillaries around my nose (I think a laser is the only thing that can fix these) and I didn't see any noticeable changes in the dark spots on my chest or hands. I have come to enjoy the ease of these products and now find the smell delightful. The company's slogan is "Give us a year and we'll give you back 10". I'm curious whether I'd see even more improvement over a longer time, but this review was a one month experiment.

Other thoughts

• Sorry, but I'm not publishing any photos because it turns out, I'm too vain; and I took them on an iPhone in my bedroom with crappy lighting and frankly, they don't show what I see in the mirror. 
• The night cream is $80 and the day cream is $40 for a one month supply, but I think the company occasionally runs specials to get better pricing. Nerium is not the most expensive product around, but it's certainly not the most affordable either. 
• I think it's worth a try if you want your overall complexion improved and don't mind spending a little more. I was considering a peel of some sort, but now think I can put that off for a while. 

I'm just a tester, but if you want to know more, email me: evirden@me.com