As far as over-the-counter remedies for puffy undereyes go, Patricia Wexler Fastscription™ Instant De-Puff Eye Gel ($19.50, Bath and Body Works.com) is an award-winning choice, with accolades including the 2008 Allure Best of Beauty Award in the Best DePuffing Eye Product category. As one would expect from the renowned Dr. Wexler, the list of ingredients is firmly substantiated by a number of research studies: mushroom (A. bisporus) found to prevent pigmentation through uncompetitive tyrosinase inhibition; oat extract and rice bran proteins to decrease inflammation; cucumber is a proven natural soothing extract; and MMPi technology and peptides to prevent the loss of collagen in the future. An incredible, well-rounded product!
I was sent this product by a PR exec to try for a few weeks. From my personal experience, the product goes on as a medium-texture clear gel that smells a bit like cucumber and feels cool to the touch. It takes a few minutes to dry completely, so you may want to keep that in mind before putting on your undereye concealer. I honestly do not have puffy eyes, so I can’t tell any legitimate change in that area.
Despite the research behind its ingredients, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. First and foremost, there are a number of factors that may cause puffy eyes, including fluid retention, stress, allergies, hormonal changes, and certain ailments. While this product is likely to cosmetically relieve some of the swelling under your eyes, it is not treating the underlying cause of your puffy eyes. (For ways to do that, please refer to this previous post). Second, some patients have sensitivity to the form of mushroom (A. bisporus) and yeast (S. cerevisiae) found in this product. Though the concentrations of each ingredient are low enough that allergy is unlikely to occur, it may be wise to check with your dermatologist before using the product, particularly if you have sensitive skin or known allergic reactions to mushroom or baker’s yeast.
Product Rating: 8/10 (High concentration of proven effective ingredients: 2/3. New technology or unique formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients in Patricia Wexler Fastscription Instant dePuff Eye Gel
Water, Glyceryl polymethacrylate, Butylene glycol, Glycerin polysorbate 20, PEG-8 dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Agaricus bisporus (mushroom) extract, Avena sativa (oat) extract, Cucumis satvis (Cucumber) fruit extract, Glycerin soja (soybean) seed extract, Pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, Cinnamon bark extract, Rheum palmatum (rhubarb) extract, Pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, Saccharoyces lysate extract, Caffeine, Glycine, Soja (soybean) protein, Hydrolyzed rice bran protein, Caprylyl glycol, Dipotassium glycyrphizate, Glycpretl triacetate, oxido reductases, Palmitoyl oligopeptide, Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3, Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium polystyrene sulfonate, Acrylic acid/acrylonitrogens copolymer, Citric acid, Hexylene glycol, Menthone glycerin acetal, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol.
Patricia Wexler Fastscription™ Advanced No Injection Wrinkle Smoother ($29.50, BathandBodyWorks.com) provides a small amount of temporary wrinkle reduction and long-term preventative anti-aging benefits.
The product temporarily reduces fine lines and wrinkles in three ways: the silicone base (cyclopentasiloxane) temporarily fills in fine lines (think of filling a ditch with sand), a bit of alcohol (ethoxydiglycol) plumps the skin surrounding the lines (think of making the walls of the ditch thicker), and GABA (aminobutyric acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The theory behind using GABA is the same behind Botox™: to prevent neurotransmission across the neuromuscular junction, and hence to cause the muscle to “relax.” Unfortunately, when applied topically, GABA cannot affect synaptic transmission at the cellular level, whereas injected Botox™ certainly can. Truthfully, some patients report better effects than others after using topically applied neurotransmitters; whether this effect is due to variation in surface receptors or a placebo effect remains to be seen.
With all due honesty, it has been shown that no over-the-counter wrinkle cream is ever as effective as injected Botox™. However, of the OTC anti-wrinkle creams I have reviewed, Patricia Wexler Fastscription™ Advanced No Injection Wrinkle Smoother is amongst the best I have seen, with the aforementioned temporary cosmetic effects and the long-term benefits of brightening and smoothing myristyl nicotinate (a form of vitamin B3), soothing wheat protein, and antioxidant apple extract.
Product Rating: 7.5/10 (High concentration of proven effective ingredients: 2/3. New technology or unique formulation: 2.5/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).