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Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Acid?

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 6:30 pm
by Lemon
My sensitive skin has been dehydrated for years and my adult acne has continuously worsen. I know I have to work on my diet to include more fats, less sugar and carbs, and drink more water. But I need something topically to use so that SN mineral foundation will look smoother (I need to wear foundation because I won't dare go out in public with all my blemishes).

I've gone through the message board, and the Green Tea and Aloe Hydrating Serum seems to be highly recommended for those with dehydrated skin. I'm still not convinced if this is right for me. I could order a sample, but I don't need anything else from SN at the moment, so it wouldn't be cool to pay shipping just for one sample. And I don't think I can make a return if the full-size doesn't work for me.

I was about to purchase Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (Moist) and the Milky Lotion (if anyone has any experience with this or other Asian brand hyaluronic lotions, please share), but I see that SN's Green Tea and Aloe Serum description states that tamarind seed extract performs better than hyaluronic acid.

I read that hyaluronic acid molecules are too large to penetrate into skin. And topical hyaluronic acid in gels and creams won't penetrate either. It easily washes off so it must be continuously reapplied according to this article http://www.dermaviduals.com/english/pub ... agent.html that was supposedly published in Kosmetische Praxis 2008.

In my father's country, women use tamarind water as a beauty, relieving and whitening facial mask. I actually just found a solid block of tamarind paste in the fridge (you can find in Asian market..maybe some Latin or Caribbean markets too), and I might try making a mask. But I don't know anything about tamarind seed extract. Where can I find reliable sources on the web that describes the benefits and scientific evidence that tamarind seed extract works just as well or better than hyaluronic acid? I probably will have to stop by a library.

I did find this: http://www.cphs.chula.ac.th/J%20Health% ... ee_159.pdf ...but uhhh..I can't understand any of it except for part of the conclusion. Heheh.

A brand called Juara has a toner with tamarind seed extract AND hyaluronic acid...for $27....ahhhhhh..I'm so poor!

I've purchased a full size Vitamin C Peptide Serum last year, and decided to stop using it because I think I had slight itchiness and I didn't see any improvements. I've also tried a sample of the Oatmeal Hydrating Serum, and I couldn't tell any difference (well maybe a week wasn't enough). And I've tried the Hemp moisturizer and Intensive moisturizer, and those didn't really do the job for me either. Thank you kindly.

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:41 pm
by JenK
It really depends on your skin as to what will work best. I've used a ton of HA products from another online skincare company (I won't use their name out of respect for SN)...way cheaper than what you posted. They really didn't do a thing for my skin, but I stuck w/ them. I now use SPF w/ HA...my skin looks great (CeraVE, drugstore brand...not sure if it is the HA...my guess would be there is too little in it to even help).

SN's serums w/ TSE are very hydrating for my skin. I found the Oatmeal Serum to be more hydrating than the greentea...I think most people find greentea more hydrating.

Hate to say it...you may need to try both. Good luck!!!

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:54 pm
by Lemon
Thank you for your insight. Yeah, I came to my senses and decided that I don't want to spend extra money on the Japanese hyaluronic lotions. Seems gimmicky and full of fillers anyway (like high amounts of glycerin, which I don't like the feeling). Nor do I want to get that fancy $27 toner. I've seen different smaller companies on the web carry toners with tamarind seed extract, but I'm suspicious as to why all these places have the same exact ingredient list...hmmm.

I still don't know how to simply label my skin type...I can only describe it as very dehydrated, sensitive, acne-prone (t-zone, along the lower jaw area and upper neck), flakey and super oily T-zone (in warmer weather), but really dry in air conditioned environments and colder seasons.

So I guess I will try the green tea & aloe serum and retry the oatmeal serum. After searching around, SN serum's size and prices are still better than many other hydrating products.

I've never heard of CeraVE (didn't realize it's so easy to find). I will check out the SPF AM lotion (definitely need SPF not only for protection, but I'm one of those few people who wants to remain pale in the Spring/Summer).

Oh yeah, I tried making a tamarind water mask...stung a bit, skin felt tight and somewhat drying. But didn't cause any bad reactions. Won't do it frequently, but I'll continue to experiment with it. There's really not much legit info out there about cosmetic uses of tamarind and tamarind seed extract compared to hyaluronic acid (maybe there is, but I no longer have free access to academic databases). Though I do believe it does have skin benefits that should be continuously studied and published.

Thanks again.

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:52 pm
by karen
I've seen the side by side comparisons on the tamarind seed vs. HA- but it's from the manufacturer. There isn't anything really peer reviewed that I could point you to online, only to say that HA didn't really do much for me either.

CeraVe is actually a pretty good recommendation for chronically dehydrated skin- at least for a little while. It's the ceramides that are nice in it- they'll build back the holes in your skin that are letting the water seep out. As much as it pains me to recommend someone else's products- I don't have anything with ceramides in the works, and it's available at a good price in a lot of drug stores. There might be a paraben or something odd in it- I can't remember, so read the label before you take it home.

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 2:06 am
by frckls
Ha! I wonder why I missed this thread. I have Hadalabo Gokujyun Arbutin Lotion/Toner/whatever (I forgot the complete name), but I don't even get to finish one-third of it. In my opinion, it barely does anything spectacular, and I get my glow from SN Oatmeal Serum (and I just finished one-third of it after 4-months religious daily use).

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:45 am
by Mare
Your skin type sounds like mine from 2 years ago. What worked for me was cleaning up my diet and simplifying my routine. I've tried both the Green Tea and the Oatmeal serums and the Oatmeal wins hands down for being more hydrating for my skin. I use either the Hemp or Raspberry moisturizer afterwards. For acne, have you tried the BHA toner?

Re: Dehydrated Skin: Tamarind Seed Extract or Hyaluronic Aci

Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:18 pm
by Lemon
frckls wrote:I have Hadalabo Gokujyun Arbutin Lotion/Toner/whatever (I forgot the complete name), but I don't even get to finish one-third of it. In my opinion, it barely does anything spectacular,
Yeah, I tried another Japanese toner, and all I felt was stickiness and as if my pores were being clogged.
Mare wrote:I've tried both the Green Tea and the Oatmeal serums and the Oatmeal wins hands down for being more hydrating for my skin. I use either the Hemp or Raspberry moisturizer afterwards. For acne, have you tried the BHA toner?

AHA products work better for my adult acne instead of BHA. The Super Serum also works great to prevent further acne. But didn't do much for hydration. After trying out other products, I find that tamarind seed extract alone doesn't do much. I placed an order recently including Awesome Sauce sample....but I totally forgot about Green Tea Serum and Oatmeal Serum again (and a few other things). I also was curious about the raspberry moisturizer (hemp isn't ideal for my skin). Well I do plan on making another order when I finish up some other skincare samples. Thanks for the suggestions.
karen wrote:CeraVe is actually a pretty good recommendation for chronically dehydrated skin- at least for a little while. It's the ceramides that are nice in it
I have been using CeraVe PM for 4 months or maybe more...I like how it kind of plumps my skin when I wake up, but it doesn't feel like it's providing long-lasting benefits. So I still need to use serums, facial oils, etc.