Origins A Perfect World Review

Origins: A Perfect World

White tea skin guardian

I'm normally not a sucker for skincare products. I've essentially had the same routine since adolescence: facial cleanser, astringent, moisturizer. Ho hum. This has carried me through different brands and fads, through aging and allergic reactions.

Only once did I deviate, when a plastic surgeon put me on Retin-A (Retinol) after I had a pre-cancerous lesion removed from my nose.

This product treated my skin similarly, restoring my skin's elasticity, but with more immediate results. I feel the difference every time I apply it, in fact.

I first read about it in a fashion magazine--Glamour? Elle? I can't recall--and decided to try it on my next visit to a department store's cosmetics counter.

It's made with extract of white tea, the first tender leaves from the same plants that give us green and black teas. They're especially high in anti-oxidents that rid the body of free radicals (not the kind you find on college campuses, but the ionized kind that wreak havoc on the cells in your body).

This all sounds fine, but is it real, or just feel-good New Age hooey? I can only compare the results with the Retinol.

Retinol Vs. A Perfect World

Retinol's a highly concentrated form of Vitamin A, which prompts your skin to make new cells from deep under the surface. But it's dangerous to fetuses and babies, so it's a no-no while I nurse. No such problem with APW.

APW worked right away, instead of waiting the six weeks it takes Retinol to clean up your skin from beneath. There's also no ugly period of outbreaks and redness as you get initially with Retinol, but the final effects are far more subtle. Retinol still rules for changing your skin's chemistry more dramatically and with longer-lasting results.

At roughly $50 for a 1.7-ounce tube, APW is pricey stuff, but I can't live without it in the drying Chicago winds. Like Retinol, it works on both dry skin--restoring elasticity and minimizing fine lines--and oily skin to reduce the chance of outbreaks. It also forms a barrier between your skin and pollution, which in diesel-plagued Chicago is a real asset.

Origins makes a full line of products with white tea, but this is the only one I use until I win the lottery. Here's their web page: http://snipurl.com/1bzo9