The Beauty Bunny

Continuing in my preventive maintenance approach to skincare, I tried Aveeno’s Active Naturals Positively Ageless Lifting and Firming Night Cream. The product is formulated with the ever-trendy shiitake complex and wheat proteins (because in theory, rubbing healthy foods on yourself is just as good for you as eating them).

This cream smells like your typical wrinkle cream fare, and rubs in easily without leaving a greasy film on your face. There was some minor tingling and irritation, which I assume is due to the fragrance, and that’s annoying - but tingly feelings always help to convince me the product’s working, so maybe it’s all a marketing ploy.

I saw results the next morning after use; my skin was soft and smooth and unlike other moisturizers, it didn’t cause a breakout, even on my oily skin. After using it a few times, the tingly sensation disappears and the product goes on cool and refreshing and leaves skin soft. (Maybe I desensitized myself or something.) My pores appeared smaller, too. However, this benefit didn’t stick around.

After about 3 weeks of use, my face stopped feeling any smoother or softer in the morning. Had I maxed out on beauty? Nope, the product just didn’t work any more. That’s the trick with these creams, girls - it takes about a month for your skin cells to fully regenerate, so you need to give any moisturizer at least that much time to really see its effects. For whatever reason, this one slugged out after a couple of weeks, and I have no way of knowing if the benefits I saw before that were from this product or my rigorous skincare regimen beforehand.

The verdict: 2/5 stars - If I had a 2.5/5, I’d have given it that rating. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to pass on this one, and the effects don’t seem to last.

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Ageless Firming Night Cream sells at Drugstore.com for $19.99.