Nerium AD Night Cream: Reviewed

Today I have a guest reviewer, my husband Brandon.  We were sponsored by a Nerium Brand Partner that we know, to review one bottle of Nerium AD Night cream in exchange for an honest review.  I decided to have my husband try this as he has deep wrinkles on his forehead that he would like to try to smooth out.  The following is his own opinion.  We are not selling this.  This is just a review and informational post about the cream and his personal experience.  As with any cosmetic, anti-aging, or even weight loss product, results and opinions will vary among individuals. 

The following is Brandon's full account of his personal experience based on his notes and our discussions.  This post has been typed / edited by myself (for links, pictures, and some excess content added by me.)  This is a husband / wife collaboration of his experience with small bits of input from me as well.  Any links to the website and product are for your further reference, and I do not receive any compensation or benefit if you do decide to purchase from the website or from any Brand Partner. Neither myself or my husband are experts on this product. 

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As I begin my 34th year, I look at a rising hairline and a few more wrinkles on my forehead and eye area.  I often look for advice from my wife about skin and hair care.  Maintaining a face with few wrinkles and softer skin is something men want, but might not reveal, at least beyond our spouse.

Especially evident during fall and winter, I have found that as I age, I have dryer skin and wrinkled areas.  My problem areas are mainly my forehead (dramatic weight loss over the years and stress) and crows feet around my eyes.  I have tried an assortment of different skin care products ranging from retinol products to simple aloe gel.  

In speaking with my wife, she discovered a skin care product, Nerium.  She had heard of this product about a year ago, however had not tried due to the cost.  Skin care products can be rather expensive, especially when looking at the ‘cost per ounce’, just like with any cologne or other beauty product.  We also have been slow to spend much lately on anything beyond the most basic essential items as we are now a family of four and living off a reduced income.  We were happy to learn that our sister-in-law enjoyed this product so much that she decided to sell it as a ‘Brand Partner’.  She offered us a 1 oz container to enjoy, sample, and  provide our feedback.   

The product reviewed in this post is the “NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment” night lotion.  I have been using this product for nearly three months.  I do want to mention, this one ounce container is meant to be used as a single month’s use.  I have been using this solely on my forehead and some around my eye area, rather than full face and neck, as suggested.  I also want to mention that due to the smaller treatment area, I have been using only two pumps rather than the suggested four or five.  Had I used four or five pumps daily I may have further and more dramatic results to share, and would have gone through the bottle faster.

Here is my BEFORE picture.  Please note these were taken immediately after scrubbing my face before bed and my wife caught me off guard requesting a quick "before" picture.  My skin is not normally this broken out.  It was also really late and I do look tired.  You can see that my skin is broken out, and splotchy.  But hey, aren't all "Before" pictures unattractive?  I have deep forehead wrinkles from loose skin and stress.  I had lost over 100 lbs. in the last several years and so my forehead never toned up fully.  Lack of proper sleep, increased stress, aging, and lack of proper hydration have accelerated the wrinkling.

Second Month of Nerium:

Packaging:

The bottle comes with a small plastic leaf to keep the pump dispenser fresh and the ingredients potent.  I like the gender neutral packaging and dark grey color of the container.  So many products for skin care are marketed and packaged for ladies.  Bright shades of pink or purple with frilly fonts, or flowers, are generally things that discourage men trying a product.  I do not usually care what color a product container is if it works well, but I know it would bother many men and if given a choice, I definitely prefer a neutral color, if an item is going to be taken with me on a trip.  Kudos is due to the makers of Nerium for this neutrality and also for the quality of the container and pump.  I find the function and feel to be superlative, the pump works very well, even after prolonged usage.  I find the bottle shape to be comfortable to hold and the slightly weighted base is easy to stand on the counter.   I do want to mention that it is impossible to determine the level of remaining product in the bottle.  If there was a section of the bottle where there would be a clear view area where you could view the level of lotion remaining in the bottle,  this would be a useful update for future packaging for the Nerium company.  I am concerned about getting full use of the bottle, and am concerned there might be difficulty getting every last drop out.  I really like the ergonomic bottle, the pump top is very easy to use and the bottle is comfortable to hold.   The logo is simple and looks classy.

Fragrance:

The product has a faint fragrance that is thankfully not overpowering.  Although it has a modest cucumber herbal smell, it is not overwhelming and not overly feminine.  I think it smells clean and is not too noticeable.

Lotion Application:

I use the product before bed each night.  I follow the suggested steps of first lightly washing the area, leaving the skin slightly damp, then applying the lotion to the damp skin with circular motion.

I have found the Nerium cream to be smooth but somewhat greasy upon first application, however it is absorbed into my skin quickly and does not remain feeling oily.  The cream seems to have a modest warming effect when first applied, however this might be due in part to the simple manner of application and rubbing it in.  I then go to sleep, and rinse off my face when I shower early in the morning.

 Third Month:

I have found the treatment area on my forehead to remain wrinkled, however these wrinkles are less pronounced and seem to be shallower / smoother.  I realize I should have had all my before and after pictures taken in the same positions and same lighting, but due to our family's busy schedules, unfortunately the pictures were taken at different times of day and in different lighting.  

I have often seen before and after pictures, and often lighting can make a big difference, so please know I am not trying to sway any results.  It is just my lack of being able to have the time (and sometimes energy--as I rarely get more than 6 hours sleep each night, and often work 12 hr days) to get my picture taken the same for each results progression. 

I do find that my forehead skin is VERY soft to the touch nowadays.  In fact, the softness is what I notice the most.  The skin on my forehead feels healthy.  I see a slight toning effect on my forehead which seems to be modest, but effective.  As I have only used Nerium 3 months, I would not expect this or any anti-aging product to dramatically make me younger in appearance in such a short time.  It took years of stress, unhealthy sleeping habits, lack of proper water hydration, drastic weight loss,  and general aging processes to put the wrinkles into my forehead, so I do not expect that to all be removed in 3 short months.  

I think that with continued use there would be more improvement and more noticeable results.  As with anything, (whether diet, exercise, or skin care) it is important to be diligent in daily use of this Nerium product and for me to also improve my own habits as well.  I really need to hydrate with drinking more water, as that will assist anti-aging results. Unfortunately, my eye area has always had a droopy appearance which could be in part genetics, as well as lack of proper sleep and aging. 

I have seen other ‘before and after’ photos of other Nerium users, showing prolonged usage with positive results.  In using the product,  I do wonder about how long this needs to be used.  I am guessing that skin improvement lasts only as long as the product is utilized, and this reminds me of products such as Rogaine (for hair loss, an unrelated product).  Rogaine is quite effective, however if usage is stopped for even a few short months, the results revert back to the original hair loss. This is what happened to me when I temporarily had to stop Rogaine 2 or 3 months due to some financial set backs and trying to save funds.  I have now resumed ongoing usage of Rogaine to try to start the regrowth again. I would think that this Nerium product would need to be used monthly and without skipping use.  The product seems to work as stated, and would work even better had I been using the Day cream in addition to the Night cream.  It is suggested by the Nerium website to use 4-5 pumps to apply over the entire face and neck.  I only applied this on my forehead and around my drooping eye area so I used about 2 pumps.  For further reading, here is the Nerium Product Guide.  When speaking with the Brand Partner sponsor, they said that most partners recommend 2 pumps, instead of 4-5.

I see that currently the website sells the combo pack for the special price of $120 (regularly $165) per month if you become a Preferred Customer.  I am not sure if the Night cream is able to be purchased separately on the Nerium website or if you need to go through a Brand Partner for individual bottles.  I am also unsure if there is a deeper discount in purchasing from a Partner.  I personally would not be able to afford the reduced $120 per month (with shipping being extra I believe) with my income currently.  I would love to look younger and have tighter skin, but not even my wife who is an avid makeup wearer and lover, (and uses higher end makeup) spends less than 1/4 of that price each month for her makeup and cosmetics.  
I have been told that 1 bottle can last 6-8 weeks when used daily and applied to the entire face and neck.  So this would potentially save the user some money.  

From what I understand, if you are a Brand Partner and can get at least 3 people to purchase Nerium ongoing on auto ship, your bottles are free I believe (I think shipping cost is extra).  To become a Partner you have to invest money to begin.  I think there is a $500 option and a $1000 option, but I am not sure.  To become successful selling Nerium you would need to have a good social base of friends and or family that would be able to afford purchasing this product and who would continually use it.  The product seems to work, I just would not personally be able to afford it and neither myself, nor my wife would be able to invest the time (or money) to promote / sell this, nor do we have others we know who could afford this.  

I think that if you have skin concerns, such as deep wrinkles, scarring or discoloration, etc. and personally have the funds to purchase this regularly, and are serious about using it ongoing,  then this would be the perfect product for you.  It is a nice product from what I have seen and experienced.  I do like using it.

What is Nerium Made of?  Nerium AD is made with extracts of the Nerium oleander plant, along with herbal mixtures of aloe and various oils.  I do want to mention that when my wife and I read further about how the Nerium oleander plant is toxic (even deadly), we were  concerned about trying Nerium AD.  My wife asked the person sponsoring the sample bottle and we were told that Nerium uses a small extract amount of the plant and that the part used in the Nerium AD is not toxic.  Nerium has done extensive testing on their product.  I did not have any side effects of using this product, however some people have experienced some break outs or rash like symptoms.  There may have been other side effects experienced by other users, but I am not aware.  My wife is breastfeeding our baby and so she is particular about what she will apply to her skin or consume, so she has not tried Nerium.  I came across some information from the Nerium company about toxicity and safety.  It may be helpful to you.

As far as manufacturing, it is marketed as ‘distributed by’ the Nerium Company of Addison, Texas here in the US, however I am curious if that is where it is manufactured, i.e. made.  An ever increasing number of companies have their manufacturing overseas in such places as China, India, or Israel (like Rogaine).  I was unable to learn where this product is made and if the ingredients are domestic, something important to my household.

The company makes a body skin toning product as well, which likely is differently formulated for a further toning effect.  In a spirit of further sharing, I wished to add that at one time in my life I weighed over three hundred and sixty pounds, a heavier man.  For these past nearly eight years I have been just less than two hundred pounds and due to this dramatic and prolonged weight loss I have some abdominal loose skin.  In the future I  might look into this other product, the NeriumFirm body contouring crème, to see if it might help tone my abdomen.  I love that I am at a healthy weight, but sadly my weight loss has left me with loose skin that is somewhat reminiscent of a deflated balloon.   

Perhaps when our finances are more stable and greatly improved, the firming product might be considered.  I am very happy with the results thus far with Nerium AD and would recommend the product as a skin treatment option for those that can afford the products.  I will use the remaining product on my forehead and eye area and hope to see continued results.

In looking on product review sites, like Amazon, I see mixed feedback.  Some of this mixed feedback is observed by posters who are customers who opted to cease use and cancel their Nerium membership.  The product is purchased from different sellers, thus this feedback may vary depending on where or from whom the purchase was made (it is possible that some of the negative feedback was from bottles purchased on Amazon that are fake or tampered with).  As of today there are over three hundred ‘five star’ responses, one hundred ‘four star’, nearly eighty ‘three star’, sixty plus ‘two star’, and over two hundred fifty ‘one star’ review ratings.  

Some reviewers have had great results on skin color evenness, smoother skin, softer texture, and reduced pore size, etc.  Per the Nerium company website, their ‘Real Science’ post remarks on how the product has been found to aid with reduction in wrinkles, discoloration, and skin texture.  I would like to learn more about the "Science" of how this works. 

I have only used the Nerium AD crème treatment, which is their night cream product.  The company also has other products like their NeriumAD age defying day cream, and NeriumFirm body contouring crème used for firming skin.  

Ingredients: 

For a full list of ingredients of both the Night and Day creams, you can visit this link. 

Where to purchase and Full Disclosure:

As for where to purchase, the product cannot be purchased at retailers but is available via ‘Brand Partners’ who sell, similar to Avon, through ‘relationship marketing’ The difference is that Nerium does have upfront investments if you become a partner.  I can suggest contacting one such brand partner, for further questions and also for help in purchasing and trying this product for yourself.  This product is often found on Amazon and Ebay, however it is not recommended to purchase on those sites as it is possible the product has been watered down, tampered with or is a fake.  It is also hard to know how fresh the product would be or if it was stored in safe conditions such as out of sun, or in a clean environment.  Nerium only guarantees purchases from Authorized Sellers (Brand Partners) and their own website. 

 

I received this product as a free sample for the purpose of trial and review.  I will not receive any commission for this review, and will not receive any payment for my feedback.  Any links in this review are solely for further information.  These opinions and experiences are my own.  I am not selling the product and will not receive any benefit if you decide to use or purchase Nerium yourself.  If you would like to be connected to the person who sponsored me so that you may purchase from an authorized Nerium Brand Partner, feel free to contact me and I will direct their information to you.  Any sales that come from me connecting you to them, do not benefit me in any way.  This blog post is meant for informational / review purposes only.  As with any product, not everyone will have desirable or noticeable results.  If you have allergies or health problems that you think might not be a good match for this product, please discuss usage with a professional first. 

To connect with the Nerium Company, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.  If you are interested in learning more and speaking with a Brand Partner, you can contact one here.