If you’ve read my blog for any period of time, you’d know that I try an awful lot of skincare lines. And I continue to tell people that it’s one of the hardest things to review for several reasons.
First of all, skincare is very personal. We all have different skin types and skin problems and what works for one person may not work for the others.
Second, what you put into your body affects your skin just as much as what you put on your body.
And finally, any skincare review takes at least two weeks (or more) to really provide a legitimate review.
With all of that in mind, I’ll be addressing these three items as I tell you about my experiences with ZENMED, a skincare company providing “100% Doctor-formulated, naturally-based skincare with a conscience in mind.”
Their reputation has been built on helping to solve the problems of troubled skin: acne, rosacea, scarring, and even anti-aging. I’m fortunate enough that I’ve lived long enough to have anti-aging as my primary skin concern and, really, my only skin concern.
When ZENMED contacted me, I was interested primarily because it’s touted as a naturally based and cruelty free skincare company. I’m always looking for more natural products and, ideally, more effective products. So I wrote back explaining that my primary anti-aging concerns were fine lines and skin firmness. I also added that I have classic combination skin.
As a result, they sent me a LOT of products. So much product that it was overwhelming at first. (Note: None of their products arrive in boxes. They come neatly wrapped in protective paper so as to minimize waste in their product design)
While it may looks like a lot, it can broken down like this:
Cleanser: Facial Cleansing Gel
Toner: AHA/BHA Complex
Serums: L-Ascorbic Booster, B5 Hyaluronic Plumping Serum
Moisturizers: Skin Protecting Lotion with SPF 30, Oil-Free Day Lotion, Omegaceramide+ Recovery Moisturizer
Along with the products was a brochure from ZENMED outlining the Four Phases of Visible Skin Transformation which is what I used as the foundation for my morning and evening routine. The phases are designed around their Booster Serums and are designed to be used in succession to really see a transformation.
Here’s how my routine went for the first few weeks:
ZENMED Morning Routine
- Wash with Facial Cleansing Gel
- Follow with AHA/BHA Complex
- Apply L-Ascorbic Booster
- Apply Skin Protecting Lotion with SPF 30 followed by the Oil-Free Day Lotion
ZENMEN Evening Routine
- Wash with Facial Cleansing Gel
- Follow with AHA/BHA Complex
- Apply Omegaceramide+ Recovery Moisturizer
Let’s get real. That’s way more product than I’m used to using. I usually wash, slap on a moisturizer, and go. But ZENMED believes that if you’re going to go through the effort of correcting your skin, you should protect so that you don’t undo all the damage you did.
The Facial Cleansing Gel felt great on my skin but I didn’t really love the AHA/BHA Complex. It didn’t feel bad on my skin. It just didn’t feel necessary. But I persisted and followed with the L-Ascorbic Booster which is designed to stimulate the skin with a high dose of Vitamin C. The skin will start producing normal, healthy cells while the dead skin cells start to slough off. And in theory, this all results in increased collagen production.
I dutifully applied theSkin Protecting Lotion with SPF 30 and had to seriously rub it in since it’s heavy and contains 20% zinc oxide to protect your skin from UV rays. I then followed with the Oil-Free Day Lotion, which contains no SPF.
TRUTH: I didn’t love my skin during this time period. It looked rougher than normal. It felt drier and even a bit more irritated. But I happen to know that L-Ascorbic Booster is an acid and I expected it to make my skin worse before it got better. After about two weeks of usage, I felt it was time to move to the next phase.
Here’s how I changed things up for the next few weeks:
ZENMED Morning Routine
- Wash with Facial Cleansing Gel
- Apply B5 Hyaluronic Plumping Serum
- Apply Skin Protecting Lotion with SPF 30 followed by the Oil-Free Day Lotion
ZENMED Evening Routine
- Wash with Facial Cleansing Gel
- Apply Omegaceramide+ Recovery Moisturizer
The biggest differences are that I skipped the AHA/BHA Complex. I just didn’t care for it and didn’t think it was helping my skin. And leaving out just one step helped simplify my routine.
The next thing you’ll notice is that I changed the serum I was using. The B5 Hyaluronic Plumping Serum is designed to heal, plump, soften, and smooth the skin. By adding volume, you see less fine lines and wrinkles and it also helps stimulate deep collagen activation.
Ultimately, what worked for me was using products that were designed for my skin type and my skin concerns. It also helped that I recognized that sometimes your skin has to get worse before it gets better. And I also modified the routine until it felt manageable and I really saw results.
By the way, once I switched to the Plumping Serum, I started to see results almost right away. I didn’t do any official before and after photos but when I pulled up a picture of me at the end of August and compared it to one I just took last weekend, I see some changes. And for an over 40 woman, I’m feeling pretty good.
If you’re looking for a more holistic line of skincare that’s cruelty-free and uses more natural ingredients to work with your skin and address your skin concerns, I highly recommend checking out the extremely reasonable priced ZENMED line.
