Tip for trying new skincare

Personally I am a skincare junkie. I actually keep a notebook with all the different products that I would like to try. These are products from magazines, online ads, emails and etc. It has become a thick notebook. One day it occurred to me that my progress in wading through these products is just too slow due to time and money. As I told my sister I have so much skin care products now that if I were to quit work, stay home and use it every five minutes, I still couldn’t use it all up. There needs to be a cheaper and faster way to wade through my notebook, because I won’t live forever and also I am not financially wealthy.

I discovered that EBay is an excellent place to buy skincare. You can purchase samples at very decent prices. So instead of purchasing that full-sized product at a hefty price, you can purchase some samples for a small price to determine if that skincare works for you. Just pay attention to the size of the sample and shipping to assess the value. Many times I have bought a pack of samples that the total quantity equaled the full-sized bottle for a fraction of the price the full-size product would cost. For example I can buy Avon samples and get it cheaper than if I were to buy it from my sister who is an Avon representative. I have always wanted to try La Mer products but didn’t want to spend two hundred dollars. So I ordered a travel sample.

These samples come in individual packets which are more than you need for one use. I have several small containers that I use to put the remainder of skincare left in the packet to use later. So now how to handle the time factor? I was only using this skincare on my face, not much real estate to cover. Then I got the brilliant idea to use it other places, neck, knees and so on. What good is a young face if the rest doesn’t match? So in reality I could really be trying out 4 or 5 products at a time and decide which gives the best result.

One more bit of information the full-sized skincare that I may be using on my face but decided that it is not doing the trick instead of throwing it out I use it on my body. The bottom line is I am wading through my notebook faster and cheaper, plus actually using all my skincare up.

Tazorac® - supercharged retinoid

Tazorac® is a retinoid and requires a prescription. It is a prodrug which means that the medication is supplied in a chemically inactive form and becomes active only after it enters the body. The active ingredient (tazarotene) becomes effective once it passes through the skin. None of the other retinoid prescriptions perform the same way.


One of my beauty magazines described Tazorac® as a supercharged retinoid. Reminds me of a retinoid on steriods. After obtaining a prescription from my doctor I started applying it every night. Until your skin adapts it may peel and be red but it will calm down. This retinoid gave me the plumpness and firmness of much younger skin and still continues to do so. Every morning I can’t wait to look in the mirror to see how much more my complexion is improving. I have been using this for over two years and it still continues to deliver results.


Tazorac® is available in gel and cream form. The concentrations are typically 0.05% and 0.1%. I use the cream in 0.1% in a 60 gram tube. It comes in a 30 gram tube but your copay is the same so it is best to get the largest tube. Your doctor may need to specify the amount on the prescription. Before when I used another retinoid before this my drug card would not pay anything because it was considered a cosmetic drug. However when I purchase this, the drug card works just like any other prescription. Personally I think the insurance companies do not know it is a retinoid. On the Internet one website said there is a generic form.


My skin is very oily so it can handle this aggressive retinoid. If you have sensitive or dry skin and this drug is too harsh Differin® may be a better alternative. Personally I am addicted to Tazorac® and cannot do without it.