Written by: Holly Troupe
Clear and radiant skin is, for some of us, a lofty goal. I happen to have an entire drawer full of potions, creams and toners that promise to slough off the dull, dead epidermal cells to reveal luminescent skin underneath. Ha. One day, I dusted off a bottle of i.d. BareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper that was included in a long ago mineral makeup sampler box. Out of curiosity, I tried it as a part of my morning routine. All I can say is…Wow.
I.d. BareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper (aside from having a somewhat clumsy name) is a creamy salicylic and glycolic acid based serum that is meant as a pre-makeup primer. In addition to the salicylic (beta hydroxy) and glycolic acids, the product also contains various botanical extracts (oat kernel, grape and honey) that have components that are thought to soothe skin conditions like eczema and acne. It has no moisturizing properties; there are no ingredients that facilitate the absorption of water into the skin. It is meant to smooth out fine wrinkles, even skin tone and clear clogged pores, so that the mineral makeup will have the smoothest possible surface.
Smooth out the surface it certainly does. I noticed after my first application that my skin was smoother than I had ever seen it. I had used alpha hydroxy acid based lotions before, but they had only succeeded in stinging and leaving my face blotchy and slightly inflamed. With continued use of i.d. BareVitamins I noticed that my occasional break outs had decreased and my skin coloring had improved. My skin is naturally very thick and oily, so I don’t really have any fine lines; I therefore cannot testify to its effectiveness in wrinkle reduction.
As marvelous as i.d. BareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper is in revving up the skin, there is one detraction; something that might give some consumers pause. I.d. Skin Rev-er Upper contains parabens. Parabens are chemical preservatives that cosmetics companies use in products that contain natural ingredients. They are found in shampoos, toothpaste, deodorants, styling products and even certain foods. What makes parabens the Darth Vaders of chemical cosmetic ingredients are (1) evidence that parabens can mimic estrogen, which causes some scientists to believe that continued exposure could potentially lead to breast cancer and (2) trace amounts of parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors. As alarming as this is, the Methylparabens found in the tumors have not been conclusively determined to have been the causal factors in the cancer’s development.
In conclusion, i.d. BareVitamins is an effective skin smoothing serum, has botanical ingredients, is slightly expensive (between $20-$30 for a 2.3oz bottle) and contains a preservative that will possibly kill you. Clearly, everyone who maintains a strictly organic and natural lifestyle will want to avoid this like the plague, but since my body is so suffused with chemicals, carcinogens and fats, I am perfectly comfortable continuing to use this product. I have no interest in living to be 150.