Gimme Face - A Cloud Vitamin A Cream Review
I'm fairly picky about facial creams. I don't like when it's too tacky, too thick, too runny, too stinky, hard to spread, and hard to apply make-up on top of. So, when Cloud approached me to review their Vitamin A cream, I was skeptical. Was it an anti-aging cream, a sunscreen, or a corrector? The literature seemed to suggest that it was this miracle do-all cream, and let's face it, I don't know of too many creams that can actually live up to that kind of hype.
Well, it has been a week. Let's see what I've noticed so far:
The Good
- It's fragrance free, paraben free, preservative free, fragrance free and doesn't test on animals.
- SPF 23, plus the active ingredient (retinyl palmitate) is a naturally-occurring Vitamin A that acts as a barrier between your skin and the environment's damaging toxins (93% of the sun's harmful rays, smoke, pollution)
- It feels like your skin is "plumped up" after you've applied it - the way a facial feels on your face when you're done
- On wet skin, it applies very easily and smoothly. A little goes a long way.
- It claims to reverse sun-aging, smooth skin, reduce hyperpigmentation (I hope so!), stimulate collagen production, and tighten flabby jowls - all of which would be great results to have
- It comes in a tube with a pump! I love the pump, which reduces waste.
- It is supposed to be an everything-all-in-one kind of product, which saves time for those who don't have a lot of time to go through multi-step skin regimens every morning.
- It was developed by Dr. Gordon Telford, a local dermatologist. Yay for supporting local businesses!
- After about a week of using Cloud Vitamin A, I do feel like maybe my syringoma isn't as "bumpy" or noticeable. My plastic surgeon/dermatologist disagrees, but to me, it has helped improve my under-eye texture.
- I also feel like my sun spots / hyperpigmentation are lighter. Again, it could be psychosomatic, but either way, it has helped me feel better about the random dark spots on my mug.
The Bad
- You have to apply it to wet skin. Wet, not just damp or slightly moist from washing and drying. This is weird and kind of inconvenient. Also, if you try to apply it dry, it feels like trying to spread cold butter on soft bread. It just doesn't work.
- It doesn't contain fragrances, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't smell. It smells like the compound that the doctor prescribes and the pharmacist mixes together in an unlabelled white jar.
- Because it only contains SPF23, you will need to use an additional SPF if the UV outside is intense.
- It will set you back $48 for a tube.
- Because it is readily available over the counter, you know that its active ingredient is not so concentrated that it would warrant a prescription. This means that the concentration of retinyl palmitate must be relatively low enough to be safe for the general public. Which means it might not work.
The Ugly
- It contains mineral oil and white petrolatum, which are safe emollients but petroleum by-products nonetheless. This might be a deal-breaker for some.
- It's called "Cloud Vitamin A Cream." The name is lame. Even something like "VitASkin" would have been better. Maybe.
- The packaging, which is of course in keeping with the name of the product, is really cheesy. So is the copy (see image below, and shudder).
- Dr. Telford has been in the industry a long time, but the reviews you find online for him are not favourable. This has nothing to do with the product, obviously, but I can't help but associate the professional with his product.
BOTTOM LINE: I will probably finish off my tube of Cloud A Vitamin Cream, since it seems to be having some slight, positive effects on my skin and couldn't possibly do it too much harm. However, I will probably not be spending $48 every few months to buy more. Lots of moms do love this cream, however, so I guess it is one of those products that you just have to try out and determine for yourself if it works or not.
Disclosure: I was contacted to try Cloud A Vitamin cream by the media relations specialist at Reformation PR. This product was provided to me at no charge. The opinions, of course, are entirely mine.
Well, it has been a week. Let's see what I've noticed so far:
The Good
- It's fragrance free, paraben free, preservative free, fragrance free and doesn't test on animals.
- SPF 23, plus the active ingredient (retinyl palmitate) is a naturally-occurring Vitamin A that acts as a barrier between your skin and the environment's damaging toxins (93% of the sun's harmful rays, smoke, pollution)
- It feels like your skin is "plumped up" after you've applied it - the way a facial feels on your face when you're done
- On wet skin, it applies very easily and smoothly. A little goes a long way.
- It claims to reverse sun-aging, smooth skin, reduce hyperpigmentation (I hope so!), stimulate collagen production, and tighten flabby jowls - all of which would be great results to have
- It comes in a tube with a pump! I love the pump, which reduces waste.
- It is supposed to be an everything-all-in-one kind of product, which saves time for those who don't have a lot of time to go through multi-step skin regimens every morning.
- It was developed by Dr. Gordon Telford, a local dermatologist. Yay for supporting local businesses!
- After about a week of using Cloud Vitamin A, I do feel like maybe my syringoma isn't as "bumpy" or noticeable. My plastic surgeon/dermatologist disagrees, but to me, it has helped improve my under-eye texture.
- I also feel like my sun spots / hyperpigmentation are lighter. Again, it could be psychosomatic, but either way, it has helped me feel better about the random dark spots on my mug.
The Bad
- You have to apply it to wet skin. Wet, not just damp or slightly moist from washing and drying. This is weird and kind of inconvenient. Also, if you try to apply it dry, it feels like trying to spread cold butter on soft bread. It just doesn't work.
- It doesn't contain fragrances, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't smell. It smells like the compound that the doctor prescribes and the pharmacist mixes together in an unlabelled white jar.
- Because it only contains SPF23, you will need to use an additional SPF if the UV outside is intense.
- It will set you back $48 for a tube.
- Because it is readily available over the counter, you know that its active ingredient is not so concentrated that it would warrant a prescription. This means that the concentration of retinyl palmitate must be relatively low enough to be safe for the general public. Which means it might not work.
The Ugly
- It contains mineral oil and white petrolatum, which are safe emollients but petroleum by-products nonetheless. This might be a deal-breaker for some.
- It's called "Cloud Vitamin A Cream." The name is lame. Even something like "VitASkin" would have been better. Maybe.
- The packaging, which is of course in keeping with the name of the product, is really cheesy. So is the copy (see image below, and shudder).
- Dr. Telford has been in the industry a long time, but the reviews you find online for him are not favourable. This has nothing to do with the product, obviously, but I can't help but associate the professional with his product.
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| Retinyl palmitate is the 4th ingredient, after the petroleum by-products. |
BOTTOM LINE: I will probably finish off my tube of Cloud A Vitamin Cream, since it seems to be having some slight, positive effects on my skin and couldn't possibly do it too much harm. However, I will probably not be spending $48 every few months to buy more. Lots of moms do love this cream, however, so I guess it is one of those products that you just have to try out and determine for yourself if it works or not.
Disclosure: I was contacted to try Cloud A Vitamin cream by the media relations specialist at Reformation PR. This product was provided to me at no charge. The opinions, of course, are entirely mine.
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