First Impression - Optimera from Nerium International

I have been wanting to find a good anti-aging cream for some time now and recently a friend became a brand partner with Nerium International.  Nerium's Optimera creams just launched in Canada a few months ago, and after hearing the glowing reviews I decided to give the cream a try.

Optimera Night Cream costs $125 and must be purchased directly through a Nerium consultant or online. The company offers customers who subscribe to its replenishment program a discounted price of $92 per month.    Shipping is $11.50

Optimera is one of the most interesting anti aging brands. They have taken a toxic plant (oleander leaf extract) and turned it into an anti aging cream. While there is little in the way of clinical studies or other scientific proof, there certainly is some merit to the Nerium product.

The first thing I noticed is it has a different smell to it - it's not bad, but it's really not all that pleasant. The smell reminds me of compost or wet leaves... I personally hate it. I don't like perfumed smells but I sure as hell don't like smelling like my garden either.

The instructions say to apply 4 to 5 pumps of the night cream on a damp face.  I started with 2 pumps and found that the amount from those 2 pumps was sufficient for my face.  The second thing I noticed is the cream really doesn't absorb into the skin, it seems to set up similar to a mask on top of your skin.

The next morning when I woke, my face seemed a bit itchy.  The instructions say that "Sometimes, using a new product or a new mix of products can cause a temporary reaction. It’s important to remember that your skin must have time to become accustomed to a product in order to determine how it will interact long-term. If you experience minor irritation, we suggest giving yourself time to adjust to the new product. We recommend allowing at least two to three weeks as an adjustment and purging period."   I do know and understand that your skin takes some time to adjust to a new product so didn't give the itching another thought.

After cleansing my face the next evening, I again applied only 2 pumps to my face and went to bed. Upon waking this morning my face was even itchier than the previous morning ... not good.  I began to think that I may be allergic to one of the ingredients and pulled up the instruction sheet and saw on another part of the instruction sheet it says "Should any minor irritation such as redness, itching, or breakouts occur or persist, discontinue using the product and seek medical advice."  Hmmmm

Further the instructions say "Should a reaction occur, such as a breakout, redness, or itching, it is important to determine the cause. It is not always the new product; it could be how the new product is interacting with other products you’re using." ... I don't use any other creams on my face and my cleanser is one I have been using (Purity by Philosophy) so I doubt it's an interaction. I also have trouble with creams containing any sort of sunscreen and when using those types of cream my face also gets itchy, however, it was nothing like the itch I am experiencing from the Optimera. I did end up having to take 2 Benedryl to help combat the itching.

I am not going to use the Optimera tonight and see how my skin feels in the morning.