For me, it's all about synergy:

[CaliMom]

I first started using Green Cream, level 6, in 2002. I've used it on and off ever since. My skin would get to a certain state, I'd use Green Cream for a few months, my skin would be great, and I'd taper off using Green Cream. I stopped using it all together when (at age 42) I became pregnant with my daughter, who recently turned 2. After my daughter was born, I was plagued with typical post-partum stuff, and I still have noticeable melasma. My skin is medium-toned and I tan like crazy, even through sunscreens. That, combined with the fact that I love being outdoors in sunshine guarantees that I have a decent amount of sun damage. Plus, I'm aging, obviously. I've always had great skin, but since "hitting" 40, it's definitely not the same skin.

I like to think that I'm sensible, so adding a retinol product to my skincare, particularly since I'd seen success with Green Cream in the past, was obviously an important move for me. Knowing how well Green Cream worked, I tried many, many retinol creams over the past two years. At first I tried to be cheap (Alpha Hydrox, Neutrogena, etc.), then moderate (Paula's Choice, Philosophy, etc.), then higher priced, (Skinceuticals, Avene, etc.) Not a single product produced anything I would call a "noticeable" effect. Not even a bad one. With Green Cream, I'd always immediately shedded some skin, and then my skin would look smoother and smoother and more even. With the exception of one of these products, which made my skin feel like dry latex, none made any difference that was worth the cost I put into giving them a try. (I gave them all a "fair" try, too. Each one was used for 2-3 months).

I decided to hunt down Green Cream again. In the process I came across a product review by an extremely well-known cosmetics consumer advocate. For the most part, I find the information she provides to be helpful. I know enough about dermatology to be very dangerous (lol), so I find the Glossary of common cosmetics to be an endless source of fascination. To be continued:

[CaliMom]

Continuation: I saw the review of Green Cream at this website and I was so stunned by it that the credibility of all the reviews on this site has been damaged for me. This review was based almost exclusively on Green Cream's used of ethanol as its retinol delivery system. The review asserts that the use of ethanol in skin care is known to be a bad thing universally, and other areas of that website insinuate that companies that use ethanol are trying to get big profits from "cheap" ingredients. I think this review is so unfair that I feel compelled to post here. I'm concerned about all the people who could benefit, as I have, from using Green Cream. I'm afraid this "encyclopedia" review has scared some people away from GC (unless they've already used GC, of course), and that many will miss out on the opportunity to try this product for themselves. After trying it, they can decide if it works for them, or not, but the review may make them afraid to try it! (What would they do if their doctor prescribed Avita?) The "beauty encyclopedia" to which I am referring can be used to illustrate that certain ingredients are not universally bad. For example, as far as I knew, this website consistently warned against using products with essential oils, claiming that they are unnecessarily irritating, etc. Lavender, in particular, is claimed to "cause skin cell death", and the site suggests avoiding any use of lavender on skin, (despite its success rate over thousands of years of usage.) Imagine my shock when I did a search for "Best Eye Cream" and "Best Serum" and two of the recommended products were Avalon Organics Lavender Renewal Facial Serum, and Avalon Organics Lavender Revitalizing Eye Gel! (You couldn't pay me to put lavender anywhere near my eyes because I am honestly alleric to it.) I found these recommendations to be surprising. If these particular products containing lavender are safe and beneficial, then isn't there a possibility that some products containing ethanol (like numerous topical prescriptions) might be safe and beneficial , depending upon their synergistic performance with a formula as a whole?

[kevin]

Cali, Paula doesn't understand and she never will. The benefits that you derive from a better retinol delivery system FAR outweigh the potential detriments that you may get from ethanol. Paula simply does not have a clue about the benefits or retinoids and I think she has her own profit motives to try and discredit our product.

I said it to Paula and I will say it again. Ethanol enhances the performance of retinol. I love to use the glass of wine analogy. Though ingested alcohol is bad for you (increases free radical development) when taken in moderation, its actually good for you. Especially red wine.

However, I do agree with Paula that ethanol in non-retinol products have the potential to be detrimental to your skin. It strips the oils and lowers the pH which can be bad (think of toners). However, in a retinol, it is the absolute best thing in the world to use.

Thank you for taking the time to write your review and I don't think your experience is similar to others. We have tested every retinol product on the market and ours performs much better. But, again I am biased.