Review: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF30

The only reason I don't review more skincare products on this blog is because, quite frankly, they take a long time to test! I would never want to give you my thoughts on skincare after having used a product for just a few days, so that's why my skincare reviews are kind of few and far between.

I received this new product from Neutrogena back in late July and, after having used it for over two months straight, I feel that I can finally give you my thoughts:

 Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF30

(retail: $20.99, 1.0 oz)

This product comes in a small glass bottle that's coated with shimmery silver plastic. It contains a pump dispenser:

(from the Neutrogena website)

Active Ingredients:
Avobenzone 2%, Homosalate 4%, Octisalate 4%, Octocrylene 2%

Inactive Ingredients:
Water, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Trisiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Steareth-21, Nylon-12, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbic Acid 

This product has a lot of claims, but what I really like about it is that it does NOT claim to "erase" or "eliminate" wrinkles. It only claims to "fade the look" of wrinkles:

The consistency of this product is sort of like a thin body lotion. It's not so thick that it's difficult to work into the skin, yet it's not so watery that it feels like it just evaporates once it hits your face:

It's hard to see, but once this product is absorbed into the skin, it leaves behind a sort of semi-matte, kind of faintly "dewy" sheen, which I really love. At first, probably due to the suncreen, there is a subtle white cast to this product, but I find that once it's fully absorbed, the white cast disappears completely.

After using this product for over two months now (both morning and night as a moisturizer AND as an eye cream), here are my thoughts:

The first week that I used this product, I experienced slight redness and mild stinging. Per Neutrogena, this is common:

(from the packaging):

Important: You may experience mild redness, a warm tingling sensation or flaking (skin exfoliation). These are normal, temporary indications that the formula is working. If effects persist or cause discomfort, limit use to once every other day until your skin adjusts, then revert to daily use.

After about 3-4 days of mild redness and stinging, these effects disappeared completely for me. FYI, it was never so bad that I felt I needed to stop using this product altogether; it was just a very minor discomfort.

After week one of using this product morning and night (again, both as a facial moisturizer and as an eye cream), I began to notice that my skin felt a lot softer, and a bit more even. I did not notice any improvement in the look of my wrinkles or fine lines.

After three weeks, I noticed that my skin seemed to appear brighter, smoother and softer to the touch. But the most important thing, to me, is that I noticed the little fine lines around my lips to be less noticeable. I can actually pinpoint exactly when I noticed this: it was when I took the picture I used for this lipstick review, from August 18th. It wasn't until I saw those photos that I really was convinced that this product was working to help "plump" up my skin and make my wrinkles and lines appear less noticeable.

After month one, I also noticed that this product was helping to keep my occasional break-outs at bay. I'm prone to time-of-the-month breakouts (never too bad, but sometimes I'll get acne on my cheeks or chin). After using this product for one month, I noticed that my breakouts were far more mild, and by two months in, I noticed a dramatic decrease in acne altogether.

After over two months of using this product both morning and night, here's what I can tell you:

I find that I don't need a lot of this product to sufficiently cover my entire face and neck. Two pumps from the bottle is all I need, and I LOVE the texture of this moisturizer (as well as the fragrance--it's got a nice, "clean" scent to it). It's so effortless to spread this moisturizer over my face and it only take a few seconds to work it in. I find that it absorbs easily and it doesn't have a negative impact on my makeup, which I LOVE. Sometimes moisturizers will make my foundation feel greasy and also make it fade more quickly. This is not the case for me with this moisturizer, which is great because I have oily skin to begin with.

After two months, I can confirm that my skin feels a bit plumper, more hydrated and overall smoother in texture. The fine lines around my lips are far less noticeable (even in extreme-close-up pictures!) and the wrinkles around my eyes look a tiny bit less noticeable as well. I wish that I could tell you the wrinkles around my eyes look dramatically less noticeable, but this is not the case for me.

One warning: as is the case with many skincare products that contain suncreen, be careful if you're going to apply this product around your eye area. On a few occasions, I applied this moisturizer too close to my eyes and it does sting, so take care during application.

FINAL VERDICT: For a moisturizer that contains Retinol SA, hyaluronic acid and  sunscreen, I think that $20 is a fair price as this 1-oz bottle has lasted me over two months (used both morning and night). For a product that you can find easily at the drugstore, I'm impressed with Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF30, and I would purchase it in the future. If you're expecting sudden and dramatic results, this might not be a good fit for you, but if you're looking for a product that might improve the look and feel of your skin with continued use, and you like moisturizers with built-in sunscreens, I think this might be a product worthy of your consideration. Put it this way: I have enjoyed the results so much that I now would like to try the nighttime version.

For more information and to see the full range of Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair products, click here.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.