Adovia's Anti-Wrinkle Facial Moisturizer (AKA "The Sea in a Jar," For Ya Mermaids Out There)

The folks at Adovia sent me more fun stuff, you guys! In the past, I've reviewed their exfoliating facial sea salts, which I wasn't too crazy about. However, I was dying to try something new, since people seem to be obsessed with Adovia. Just check out all of their reviews on Cleopatra's Choice, a popular online beauty retailer. Obsessed!! Luckily, I wasn't blacklisted for leaving a bad review (the Adovia people appreciate honest, unbiased reviews) and they later sent me a jar of their facial moisturizer.

And they're at it again! I was pretty pumped to receive a jar of their intensive anti-wrinkle cream. As a 31 (gasp!!) year old, I definitely want to stop aging- now. At the least, it's super important for anyone my age to begin to take preventative measures, like, stat (if they're not already). So, hell yeah, anti-wrinkle cream, I'll take it!

Once again, this product smells like the ocean. Makes sense, since it has dead sea minerals in it. At first the smell weirded me out- I'm not used to my products smelling like the sea- but after a while, I grew to love it. A lot. After all, I truly am a closet mermaid (even though the last time I went scuba diving I totally freaked out and had to abandon the dive UGH LOSER).

Anyway, some reallyyyy cool stuff in this product. The ingredients list is semi-long.. not too bad, not tiny short either. Here goes:

Demineralised Water & Dead Sea Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Bergamot (Citrus Aurantium Bergamia) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Grape (Vitis Vinifera) Seed Oil, Caprilyc/Capric Triglyceride, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol & Chamomile (Anthemis Noblis) Extract & Algae Extract & Papaya (Carica Papaya) Extract & Aloe Vera Barbadensis Gel, Urea, Lactic Acid, Dimethicone, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzalkoinium Chloride, Retinyl Palmitate, Dead Sea Salt, Benzophenone-3.

That's mildly overwhelming..let's pick out the cool stuff. Ready, go!

Glycerin pulls in moisture from the outside. Glycerin is an uber popular staple ingredient in many skincare products. I know, the name "glycerin" sounds a little weird and chemically. Don't worry, it really does help with the hydration. 

Bergamot is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Plus, it smells really good (think earl gray tea!)

Grape seed oil is a super light oil that helps to hydrate.

Algae extract has many benefits, depending on the type of algae that it is. Since it doesn't list the specific type, I'll just list the general benefits of algae. Algae is mineral rich, aka good for the skin and increases cell regeneration and elasticity. In addition, it is a great antioxidant!

Papaya extract contains peptin, an active enzyme that helps to slough off dead skin cells. A gentle, natural exfoliant.

Aloe vera gel-  Super healing and soothing. Really great for sensitive skin.

Lactic acid comes from milk and is also a gentle exfoliant. Don't be scared because it says "acid" and don't be scared if you're familiar with lactic acid chemical peels- the concentration of lactic acid in this product is clearly not as much as a peel.

Retinyl Palmitate- Retinol! Vitamin A, yay! Firms, evens out skin tone, very gently exfoliates

Dead sea salt - Again, packed with minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, as well as bromides. Actually, check out this excerpt about the benefits of dead sea salt that I snagged from Salt Works:

"Magnesium is important for both combating stress and fluid retention, slowing skin aging and calming the nervous system. Calcium is effective at preventing water retention, increasing circulation and strengthening bones and nails. Potassium energizes the body, helps to balance skin moisture and is a crucial mineral to replenish following intense exercise. Bromides act to ease muscle stiffness and relax muscles. Sodium is important for the lymphatic fluid balance (this in turn is important for immune system function). So we can see that bathing in high quality sea salt could replenish the minerals which are critical to our skin metabolism."

And, last but not least...

Benzophenone-3, a very mild chemical sunscreen. I italicize very mild because this is certainly not enough alone. While wearing this product during the day, you should definitely pair it up with a sunscreen. Remember, UV rays penetrate clouds and windows!!!

Rad. So, some kick ass ingredients in this little tub of anti-aging fun. Summing it up, this jar is going to realllyyy help hydrate, fight breakouts and aging, and alsooooo provide a very, very gentle exfoliation while wearing it.

The texture of this product is semi-thick, but absorbs pretty quickly. In addition, it leaves my skin soooooo soft. I've been wearing it day and night (don't forget to mix with suncreen!)

I'm really happy with this product by Adovia. Those guys are growing on me more and more. They have a whole line of super fun products that you can check out on their website. Their retail page on Cleopatra's Choice features their whole line, which I'm really looking forward to trying more of. A 1.7 oz jar of their anti-wrinkle cream is currently on sale on amazon for $28.51. You can buy it here if you want. Especially if you're in your 30's, like me (::insert whining here).