Arcona • Booster Defense Serum • Treatments

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barbiH on 8/12/2012 3:52:00 PM more reviews by barbiH

Age: Unknown   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy   Eyes: Blue    

Last and final UPDATE (1/22/12) I am SO done w/ ARCONA. They're systematically reformulating (and ruining) some great original products. Buyer Beware! I am downgrading and no, I would not "buy this product again." 4th UPDATE (11/02/12) OK, so I've calmed down and done a bit more looking into the new reformulation. It's still loaded w/ AOX, such as glutathione, which supposedly is the granddaddy of all AOX's. I will admit that I can overreact at times when a favorite product is redone. I've posted the current (new) formulation above. 3rd UPDATE (10/15/12): Finally decided to repurchase only to find that it's been reformulated. NO more vitamin C and more EO's. I'm just about done w/ ARCONA due to their stealth reformulations. Just when I seem to find a HG, it gets changed. Luckily, in this instance, skincarerx was great about sending a postpaid label so I could return it. My only regret is that I didn't post the new formulation before I popped it back in the return mail.

2nd UPDATE (09/22/12): So it's been a month and I miss this serum. Been test driving other vitamin C derivatives and haven't found something that my skin responds to like Booster Defense. I have since reconsidered my earlier concerns regarding ascorbyl palmitate. The Mayo study is the ONLY study that suggests a downside to using AP topically. And it was conducted over 10 yrs ago (2002). There have been ZERO studies since backing this up. Since then there have been numerous studies demonstrating AP's safety and efficacy & that it inhibits skin damage. I am revising my rating upwards. UPDATE (8/28/12). After doing a little research on ascorbyl palmitate (the vitamin C in this product), I've decided that I no longer wish to use it. Here's a quote from a peer-reviewed study conducted by MayoClinic: "despite its antioxidant properties, ascorbic acid-6-palmitate MAY intensify skin damage following physiologic doses of ultraviolet radiationhttp": //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12445199 ///ORIGINAL REVIEW: Lovely AOX cocktail loaded with witch hazel, reservatrol and superoxide dismutase along w/ white, green and black tea. There's 12% vitamin C ester and a bit of spin trap as well. ARCONA bills this product as an AM serum, to be layered underneath one's hydrator. I'm using it in the evening and love my results. Skin looks glowy, hydrated, happy....no small feat when one is very SD/clog prone. NO clogging nor irritation after two weeks of use, so it's time to declare it a winner....at least so far. This may be replacing my Replenix serum which I liked but didn't love. The Booster Defense serum is better.

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fancypants7 on 7/19/2011 2:52:00 AM more reviews by fancypants7

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I love this product! It has great ingredients in it and makes me feel ultra protected during the day. I wouldn't buy this expecting to see dramatic changes in the look of your skin (antioxidants aren't for that anyway) but I like to think of it as backup to clean up all those free radicals from UV rays that get by my sunscreen. I'm feel like this is a great product to prevent aging skin and sun damage. I put it on after my C serum has absorbed and before my moisturizer and sunscreen. It smells great and absorbs into my skin completely after a few minutes.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hellokittybrock on 3/23/2011 1:27:00 PM more reviews by hellokittybrock

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this product for 1 month. I have extremely oily skin with not much pigmentation. Do I see any results with pigmentation lightening? I dun think so. Do I have glowy skin? Actually I always do partly bcos I have oily skin. But I have to say this product is lightweight and does not clog pores. Will constantly update reviews if I have a differing opinion on this later.

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thejacks on 12/2/2010 11:12:00 PM more reviews by thejacks

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

get so many compliments on my skin when i use this. some times just in the morning is enough to make a difference. rosacea is under control and no other irritations to report. it is not enough as a moisturizer on its own but it is not meant to be used like that. highly recommended.

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crybabyblue1 on 10/30/2010 9:48:00 PM more reviews by crybabyblue1

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Got this free from SkinStore.com when I purchased the Clarisonic Mia. I just tried it tonight and like it for night time since it goes on a little sticky but becomes smooth after it dries minutes later. I heard it might help with hyperpigmentation so I'm going to stick to using this and the Arcona White Ice hydrator that came with it until its finished. I'm a beauty product addict and I hop from product to product. So I plan to commit to these until th 2 .5 oz bottles are finished.

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prittybritty on 6/22/2010 12:57:00 AM more reviews by prittybritty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I started incorporating this into my Arcona regime after my facialist recommended it. Like most Arcona products, you have to use it for 4-6 weeks before realizing how much you love it. I cannot imagine life without this serum. My pores are bright and my face glows. Love it!

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wildimportgal on 1/11/2010 3:59:00 PM more reviews by wildimportgal

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I don't really see the "booster defense" that this serum claimed. My skin feels and looks the same at 6pm whether or not I use this serum. It doesn't really add any moisture to my skin. It just felt like an extra step in my regimen that doesn't really do much, hence the reason why I would not purchase again. I personally did not like the smell of this product, it has a slightly citrusy smell. This serum also gives your skin that tacky feel afterwards, so if I apply makeup, I'd had to use a primer to make sure that certain spot doesn't grab more foundation and make my application patchy. I do like the packaging of this serum though, very sanitary friendly bottle.

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janis100 on 9/19/2009 6:48:00 AM more reviews by janis100

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

am wondering why there are not more reviews on this product since being a gwp with beauty.com a while back. anyway, i put off using because of my sensitive, rosacea flaky skin. glad i finally tried as my skin has turned around almost immediately. it says use in am so that is what i am doing. i wait 10 minutes- a new trick learned on MUA when using all products- and add my moisturizer. sometimes do not even do that in this current humid weather. no broken capillaries or flareups so far. neck is looking better. one strange but good thing happening is that i swear the upper lip hairs are fewer. UPDATE: march 2010 and still like this product very much. it is a good primer.

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*TOP REVIEWER* deliah008 on 5/23/2009 10:43:00 PM more reviews by deliah008

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

It is a "more than okay" product, I just don't find myself reaching for it as much. It does make my skin more supple, but it is kind of hard to find anything that doesn't make my 25-year-old skin supple. I do like the liquid texture and how fast it sinks in, and the "cocktail of potent ingredients" kind of sucked me in. It is nice, and coming from one who doesn't blink an eye on spending over $100 for 1.7 oz creams, I must say that it may not be worth the price. I see the "instant" benefits, but no long-lasting ones (at the end of the day, my skin looks the same whether I put this on in the morning or not, although my skin looked wonderful when I put this on underneath my tinted moisturizer in the morning).

It is a splurge - not necessarily a bad splurge. But the "glow" and "benefits" are quite ephemeral, if you know what I mean.

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*TOP REVIEWER* queenV on 1/13/2009 3:09:00 PM more reviews by queenV

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

After trying several Arcona products and having great results, I decided to splurge for this Booster Defense Serum. I use it a few times a week after washing my face at night & wake up to a refreshed, glowing, perfect complexion. Anytime my skin feels "blah" I use this before going to bed & wake up with "wow" skin. I don't know how it works, but it does, and without chemicals! I love it.

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