REMEDY FOR HEALTHY AGING PRODUCT REVIEW - What is the remedy for aging skin? Is encapsulated Retinol less effective?
What is the remedy for skin aging?
Dermatologists and skin-savvy experts agree that two of the most important remedies for fighting most signs of aging are sunscreen and Retinol.
Simply, when paired in your daily skincare routine, sunscreen and retinoids like Retinol form a one-two punch to both combat and correct multiple signs of skin aging.
Curiously, after more than four decades in the consumer market, Retinol remains the gold standard in anti-aging.
Key Takeaways:
The Remedy For Healthy Aging pairs two potent retinoids with proven skin brightening actives to deliver a powerful treatment that corrects multiple signs of aging.
Encapsulated Retinol helps enhance stability, reduce irritation, and promote controlled delivery into the skin, making it more tolerable – especially for sensitive skins.
At just $38, the Remedy For Healthy Aging is one of the best anti-aging treatments – and one of the most affordable.
Harnessing the reliable efficacy of retinoids, Dr. Muneeb Shah’s Remedy brand has been leading the way in Retinol innovation. Last year, the brand introduced the Remedy for Dark Spots Nightly All in One Treatment – one of the best corrective face treatments with Retinol of 2024. In fact, the Remedy for Dark Spots remains one of my go-to corrective treatments in my nightly routine. You can catch my review of it here.
This year, Remedy introduced a new Retinol treatment – the Remedy For Healthy Aging. It’s formulated with a cocktail of proven anti-aging powerhouse ingredients at active levels: Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, ceramides, peptides, and two distinct retinoids – Retinol and Retinaldehyde.
My detailed review of the Remedy For Healthy Aging is just below…
There is no doubt that the Remedy For Healthy Aging is an exceptional formula. But the fact that it’s priced at just $38 makes it one of the best and most affordable anti-aging creams with Retinol on the market today. Dr. Shah’s new anti-aging treatment is the perfect example of the notion that high quality products don’t have to cost more. And, of course, just because a product is priced at a premium doesn’t mean that it does anything particularly well at fighting signs of aging.
Just look at the INCI of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s $360 Super Anti-Aging Face Cream. There’s barely anything “anti-aging” about it – unless you consider Shea Butter, Lecithin and Avocado Oil to be anti-aging super-stars. Sure, there’s a single ceramide way down the list and a smattering of the formula’s “key active”: plankton extract. So TF what.
My point is, you will see far better results with a legitimate anti-aging cream over a luxury cream spun with marketing tactics. And you can get 10 bottles of the Remedy For Healthy Aging for the price of a single jar of Barbara Sturm’s snake oil cream.
BEST RETINOL FACE CREAMS & SERUMS
Before I get into my Remedy For Healthy Aging product review below, I wanted to explore the benefits of the brand’s treatments for skin aging, including the two retinoids featured in this particular anti-aging cream.
1. What is the remedy for aging skin?
Dermatologists agree on a range of remedies for skin aging that involves a combination of lifestyle changes, topical treatments, and professional procedures that can help correct, prevent or delay the visible signs of aging, including wrinkles, loss of elasticity, hyperpigmentation and dryness.
Skincare and lifestyle remedies:
Sun protection: Using a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen each morning is crucial to preventing signs of skin aging due to UV damage, also known as photodamage.
Moisturizing: Applying a fragrance-free moisturizer, especially one with humectants like Ectoin, Hyaluronic Acid or Glycerin, helps maintain healthy hydration and prevents dryness.
Healthy diet and exercise: Consuming nutrient-rich superfoods (such as avocados, salmon, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and walnuts) along with regular exercise helps support youthful, healthy skin functions.
Avoid smoking: Smoking accelerates and exacerbates skin aging akin to the photoaging resulting from unprotected sun exposure.
Topical treatment remedies:
Retinoids: Anti-aging retinoids like Retinol and Retinaldehyde are proven to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production and promoting cell turnover.
Antioxidants: Vitamins C, E, and B3 (Niacinamide) are among the most important actives you can add to your skincare routine to help defend against free radical damage.
Emollient plant oils: Coconut, olive and avocado oils applied topically help replenish skin’s lipid content to prevent dryness and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
Alpha hydroxy acids: AHA’s like Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid help accelerate the shedding of dead surface skin cells to keep pores clear and skin functioning optimally.
Professional and medical remedies:
Non-invasive procedures: Micro-needling, chemical peels, laser resurfacing and microdermabrasion can help reduce the look of wrinkles and improve skin texture.
Fillers and Botox: Injectable treatments address deeper lines and loss of volume.
Advanced facials and spa treatments: Spa procedures often employ peptides, growth factors and other specialized ingredients that help rejuvenate the skin to correct damage.
Explore my picks of the best Retinol face creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: The Cleveland Clinic - How to Get Rid of Wrinkles: Retinol, Fillers & Other Treatments; National Institute on Aging, NIH - Skin Care and Aging
2. What is the best thing for aging skin?
The best and most effective thing you can do to address aging skin is to prevent and slow the progression of skin aging by incorporating a facial sunscreen into your morning routine. Never skip it – even on cloudy, seemingly sunless days!
The simple truth is that the vast majority of the signs of skin aging are the result of the photodamage caused by the sun’s UV rays. In fact, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation, up to 90% of the visible signs of aging is due to the photoaging that results from unprotected sun exposure.
Beyond prevention of skin aging, you can do a number of things to help correct existing signs of aging.
Replenish depleted lipids: Regular use of a face cream suited for your skin type helps to restore your skin’s lipid levels to prevent dryness and dehydration due to trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
Add retinoids to your PM routine: Retinoid creams formulated with Retinol or prescription Tretinoin are the top dermatologist-recommended ingredients for reducing wrinkles, boosting collagen, and improving skin texture.
Add antioxidants to your AM routine: The antioxidants found in Vitamin C serums and Niacinamide serums are the best way to increase environmental defense in your routine. Antioxidants offer an additional layer of protection beyond what sunscreen can provide, defending skin against oxidative and photodamage.
Explore my picks of the best Vitamin C serums here and the best Niacinamide serums here.
Sources: Harvard Health - Skin care for aging skin: Minimizing age spots, wrinkles, and undereye bags; AAD - 11 ways to reduce premature skin aging
3. Is encapsulated Retinol less effective?
No, encapsulated Retinol is not considered less effective than un-encapsulated Retinol. In fact, encapsulation can enhance Retinol’s efficacy, stability, and even reduce potential irritation. Due to its slower delivery of the potent retinoid, encapsulated Retinol allows for deeper, more controlled delivery into the skin, making it more tolerable for more users – especially those with sensitive skin.
The importance of stability of Retinol cannot be overstated. Encapsulated Retinol is inherently better protected from degradation by light, heat, oxygen, and interaction with other actives, maintaining its potency over time and enabling a gradual, time-released application.
Studies have shown that encapsulated Retinol achieves similar or better wrinkle reduction than traditional Retinol, even at lower concentrations.
Explore my picks of the best Retinol face creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Medik8 - Clinical Studies; Croda Beauty - What are the advantages of encapsulated retinol?; PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, NIH - Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety
4. Is Retinaldehyde stronger than Retinol?
Yes, Retinaldehyde is indeed stronger than Retinol. The Retinaldehyde retinoid molecule is closer to the active form (retinoic acid) and is about 10 times more bioavailable, resulting in faster and more visible improvements in skin texture, uneven skin tone and wrinkle reduction.
Retinaldehyde, also known as Retinal, is just one conversion step away from retinoic acid, the active form that produces anti-aging results in the skin, while Retinol requires two conversion steps, making Retinaldehyde more effective and faster-acting.
Dermatologists often recommend Retinaldehyde as the most powerful non-prescription retinoid.
Studies have shown that Retinaldehyde works about 10 times faster than Retinol.
Retinaldehyde is up to 20 times stronger than Retinol at equivalent concentrations.
Despite its potency, Retinaldehyde tends to be better tolerated and can actually be more suitable for sensitive skin without compromising the anti-aging results.
Retinaldehyde’s rapid conversion means users see visible improvements quicker.
Explore my picks of the best Retinol face creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine, NIH - Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety; Paula’s Choice - Your Guide to Retinol and Retinoid Strengths - Paula's Choice
5. Product Review
I first became aware of just how exceptional Dr. Muneeb Shah’s Remedy brand is when I got my hands on the brand’s inaugural Retinol cream – the Remedy for Dark Spots Nightly All in One Treatment.
Soon after, came the brand’s Remedy for Pore Size Nightly All in One Treatment – one of the best pore creams with Salicylic Acid. In fact, it’s right up there with the iconic Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant if you’re looking to address visible pores. (And who isn’t?!)
So I was excited to try the new Remedy For Healthy Aging. All three of these particular “remedies” are powered by Retinol. But with two distinct retinoids, the Remedy For Healthy Aging is the most potent Retinol cream the brand offers.
The Remedy For Healthy Aging is designed with a combination of retinoids – 0.1% Encapsulated Retinol and 0.05% Retinaldehyde, making it more of a mid-strength Retinol treatment. It’s not quite for beginners but perfectly fine for those starting out as long as you go slow.
What’s truly amazing about the product is that it contains an exceptional number of proven anti-aging ingredients at active levels. In addition to the retinoids, there’s Niacinamide, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid and Phospholipids – all in the top 10.
Beyond that, you’ll find three peptides – two of which form the patented Matrixyl 3000 complex – as well as ceramides, Resveratrol, Ferulic Acid, and numerous emollient plant oils.
The Remedy For Healthy Aging has a super lightweight gel-lotion texture than melts quickly into your skin. And because it’s so packed with anti-aging actives, you really don’t need to apply it over any serums – this is your entire serum step in your PM routine in one.
That said, I do still layer it over my go-to anti-aging serum, the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. The Remedy For Healthy Aging only has a 2% concentration of Niacinamide and I believe skin needs more than that. At least mine does!
What the Remedy For Healthy Aging achieves makes me question why every anti-aging cream doesn’t deliver the same broad range of actives. It’s not rocket science; but Dr. Shah knows what a treatment needs to be formulated with to effectively correct skin damage.
For $38, it laughs in the face of the vast majority of anti-aging creams – from mass to luxury and everything in between.
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The Remedy For Healthy Aging is one of the most well-rounded and best anti-aging treatments. At just $38, it’s also one of the most affordable and is a profoundly better anti-aging cream than even the most expensive creams on the market (ahem, Barbara Scam).
What I don’t like about it: More Niacinamide, please.
Who it’s for: All skin types, except very sensitive skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase the Remedy For Healthy Aging for $38 here.
FIND OUT WHICH SERUM PERFORMED BETTER – AND BY HOW MUCH!
The Ingredient List of the Remedy For Healthy Aging:
cci|sb|aacne|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Glycolic Acid exf|buff, Lactic Acid exf|h|buff, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Retinol cci, Phospholipids 
sii|emo, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Retinaldehyde cci, Cellulose vc, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 cci|h, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 cci, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 cci, Dicaprylyl Carbonate emo, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emo 0 0-2, Sodium Magnesium Silicate vc, Ceramide NP sii, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Gluconolactone exf|chel, Ferulic Acid aox|amic, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture aox, Ubiquinone aox, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum vc, Sodium Phytate chel, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Sodium Benzoate pres, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract aox|so, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract aox|so|sb|perf, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Citric Acid buff, Potassium Sorbate pres, Carbomer vc 0 1, Phenoxyethanol pres
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