It is more than safe to say that I gave the tria Hair Removal Laser 4X a fair trial with 6 months of bi-weekly usage. Even tria claims there would be visible results after just 3 months of lasering. I gave my pits, stache, and knuckles double the attention and received varying degrees of results in return.
Click to see the progression of hair loss: 1 month. 2 months. 3 months. 4 months. 5 months.
Do take my observations with a grain of salt. Everyone's skin and hair are different. Heck, even on my own body the hairs on different areas are not one in the same. My knuckle and arm hairs are thin and wispy. My armpit hairs are thick and course. My mustache hairs are thin & short and thick & long depending on which section of my upper lip it grows out from.
With that being said, I have come to the definite conclusion that the tria Hair Removal Laser works best on thicker, darker, and coarser hair. I won't say that it is completely ineffective towards thinner and lighter hairs; I just didn't see as noticeable results in the same treatment period.
Upper lips.
Case in point 1. There are minimal differences between the photo taken 2 weeks after my first lasering and two weeks after my thirteenth lasering. Maybe there are some hairs that haven't regrown. But on the whole, most of the stache hairs are still very much present. My biggest hope was to at least not see the longer wisps at the corner of my mouth. But alas, those continue to grow back a little longer every week that I don't shave them.
Knuckle hairs.
Case in point 2. Like I've mentioned this before, these hairs aren't my top priority when it comes to hair removal. The strands don't bother me if it's there. If the lasering could rid them, cool. If not, cool too.
These hairs are much thinner and lighter when compared those on my upper lip. I had a difficult time trying to laser this area because the surface is small compared to the laser's nozzle and the hairs don't all grow on the flattest part of the knuckle. Both reasons gave the device a tough time trying to detect the hairs and to activate the lasering.
Armpits.
The success story of the journey. True to their words, I definitely saw the most drastic results within the first 3 months of using the device on the pits. I was floored by the number of armpit hairs that didn't sprout back after just 1 month of zapping. 2 months in and there was only about a quarter of the original amount of thick pit hairs left. 3 months in however was when things started to stagnate. 6 months later, a few stragglers are still left behind; those few strands of hair seem very persistent despite after half a year of trying to literally destroy them at their roots.
Few hairs remain but the time it takes for them to grow back after each shave is much longer than before. My pits also do not feel unbearably itchy when the regrowth occurs. I have also noticed fewer in-grown hairs over the half year that I have been lasering and shaving instead of plucking.
Half-Year Conclusion
The tria Hair Removal Laser is truly an investment device in terms of cost and time dedication needed. Using this device is considerably cheaper than having to pay professionals up to thousands of dollars per session. Both require the same commitment to multiple sessions while the tria has one flat cost and unlimited usage.
Worth it just for the time I save by not plucking each individual armpit hair with tweezers manually. I am aware that epilating, waxing, and shaving are much faster options. But the preparation & cleanup time and other frustrations (in-growns, stubbles, itchiness, etc.) with those methods aren't as ideal.
Worth it for the cost when compared to professional services. If comparing to prices of other at-home hair removal options mentioned earlier, it cannot even be placed in the same league.
I haven't had any professional treatment done so I don't know what the size of those laser's treatment window is, but the biggest gripe I have with the tria is its small laser window. Zapping larger areas like the pits is a pain since the device does start to feel heavy after using one-handed for a while. I can't even imagine trying to tackle larger spaces like the arms, legs, and chest. I guess the good thing with a smaller treatment window is that it allows for precision and targeting of smaller regions without needing to buy a separate smaller device.
The SmootStart Calming Gel doesn't do the best job as a consumer-friendly numbing cream of sorts, it did help psychologically to know there is a slight barrier between my skin and the laser. While I am always tempted to slather on a thick layer of it prior to the zapping session, I found that this action only hinders the devices from being able to sense the skin and hair properly.
Now that I have used the laser for half a year, I am declaring my mustache, knuckles, and armpits to be laser-free for at least 3 to 6 months to see whether or not any of the current results revert. I have read that while the laser does stop existing hair follicles from producing hairs, it doesn't mean new hair follicles won't develop. Here's to hoping the changes aren't too drastic!
The byproducts of a skin allergy and drugstore sales: two too many backups of skincare in my stash. I hadn't bought beauty goods from CVS, Walgreens, or RiteAid in over 3 years. I stocked up on so many skincare and makeup items from the time I studied abroad and on my big Asia trip that local shopping was quite unnecessary. As I depleted the basics like toner and moisturizer in my stash, I still found myself gravitating towards Asian brands just out of habit. Then that allergic reaction happened and I forced myself to go on a skincare diet of sorts with some non-fancy and inexpensive beauty potions.
The CeraVe brand and especially their PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion seemed to be highly recommended by dermatologists, at least according to a bunch of forum threads I came across when searching about treating the allergic reaction I had in April. Reviews were generally high praises for how gentle and moisturizing the lotion is—exactly what I was looking.
Then you know...drugstores and their BOGO 50% deals, CeraVe's Eye Repair Cream found it's way in my hands as well. It made the best use of the 50% off as it was closest in price to the lotion ($16.29 versus $16.49). I didn't want to commit to 2 bottles of the moisturizer without having tried it. Plus, CeraVe always has a $2 manufacturer's coupon on their website.
June came around and Bestie C kept me updated every week on the status of stock at our local CVS after I lamented about how impossible it was initially to track even one bottle of the PM lotion in our neighborhood. I wasn't too interested in the idea of having multiple back ups but another BOGO 50% sale on CeraVe, $2 manufacturer's coupon, $4 off $14 CeraVe brand at CVS, and $5 off $25 at CVS changed my mind immediately. My second haul came out to be as if it was BOGO Free, an impressively better deal when compared to my previous purchase!
Despite having a bunch of backups, I won't rule out the idea of buying non-drugstore brand moisturizers in the near future. It is just nice to have something on hand which works with my skin, isn't too expensive, and I can fall back to if sensitivities do happen.
Despite the scarce number of reviews for May Coop's Raw Moisturizer, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the rest of the Raw line since their Raw Sauce is beloved by so many people. The moisturizer is the most affordable cream in their lineup to incorporate the star ingredient: Acer Maple Water. Keeping within the same range isn't a priority. It is more likely to happen if I hear good things about any one item, adding a sister product seems like a no-brainer.
Peach & Lily's description:
The Raw Moisturizer is a unique formula moisturizer that contains a powerful combination of 70% maple tree sap, aloe, baobab tree and cactus extracts that easily absorb into the skin. Leaves skin feeling deeply hydrated and smooth. Perfect for all skin types.
If the Raw Sauce is the perfect prepping agent to ensure your skin will drink the following steps of moisture and nutrition, the Raw Moisturizer is the perfect seal, holding everything in with a silky non-sticky finish perfect for both morning and evening wear. Take full advantage of all the steps of your skincare routine, from start to finish.
Directions
Apply as the very last step of your skincare routine to seal your skin for maximal moisture retention.
Ingredients
ACER MONO SAP, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, HEXYL LAURATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, POLYSORBATE 60, NYLON-12, BETAINE, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, ARACHIDYL GLUCOSIDE, ARACHIDYL ALCOHOL, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, SILICA, DIMETHICONE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, WATER, STEARIC ACID, PEG-100 STEARATE, PALMITIC ACID, GLYCERYL STEARATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, TRIDECETH-6, SODIUM ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, MINERAL OIL, FRAGRANCE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) GERM EXTRACT, TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) FLOUR EXTRACT, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) EXTRACT, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN EXTRACT, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) SEED EXTRACT, PANTHENOL, OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA EXTRACT, FRUCTAN, CARBOMER, ALOE ARBORESCENS LEAF EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED ADANSONIA DIGITATA EXTRACT, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PAEONIA ALBIFLORA ROOT EXTRACT, LUFFA CYLINDRICA FRUIT EXTRACT, HEMEROCALLIS FULVA FLOWER EXTRACT, CITRULLUS LANATUS (WATERMELON) FRUIT EXTRACT, BETULA ALBA BARK/LEAF EXTRACT, BAMBUSA VULGARIS EXTRACT, ACORUS CALAMUS ROOT EXTRACT, SOPHORA ANGUSTIFOLIA ROOT EXTRACT, EUGENIA CARYOPHYLLUS (CLOVE) FLOWER EXTRACT, EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS LEAF EXTRACT, CITRUS PARADISI (GRAPEFRUIT) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS JUNOS FRUIT EXTRACT, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, DISODIUM EDTA, TROMETHAMINE, PROPYLPARABEN, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, ISOBUTYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN
Peach & Lily (80ml): USD $40
Ingredients
Unlike the Raw Sauce, the Raw Moisturizer only has 70% maple tree sap. Peach & Lily mentions a bunch of other extracts. However, those are listed further down on the ingredients list—meaning amounts used are small and benefits typically minimal. For those with sensitive skin, the moisturizer does have silicones, mineral oil, fragrance, and parabens.
Packaging
Nice packaging is the one thing I can confidently say I love about May Coop. Frosted glass jars are such a pleasure to look at every day. Although it doesn't matter so much for a jar per say, I generally appreciate see-through properties of glass packaging more as I can tell when the product inside is running low.
May Coop's Raw line has a bunch of different moisturizers:
Raw Moisturizer 80ml - USD $40
Raw Concentra Day Cream 50ml - USD $48
Raw Concentra Night Cream 50ml - USD $65.
I chose the Raw Moisturizer because of it's clearly larger size and cheaper price. The biggest difference ingredient-wise between the three are their maple sap percentages (70% vs. 90% vs. 80%) and various additional extracts. The fact that May Coop decided to balance out the lower percentage of maple sap with more product is very much appreciated.
After having gone through a majority of my tub of Raw Moisturizer, I am curious of just how much more moisturizing the extra percentages of acer mono sap really is in cream form. Would it really be worth the extra money and less product for a higher concentration?
Color & Scent
There is a scent to the cream. I can't place my finger on precisely what it is. It definitely isn't mapley as one would expect nor is it overpowering. Regardless, the fragrance doesn't linger once applied.
How I Apply & Finish
The moisturizer is very lightweight - it is heavier than a gel but far lighter than most creams. My skin takes it in really well. I can easily apply a generous glob of product (2-3x shown above) and my skin would drink it right up without leaving any stickiness. It might not be heavy enough for those with drier skin though. The moisturizing-ness doesn't last all day for my driest and flakiest parts. Raw Moisturizer would be just right for normal, combination, and oily skin.
Even when I wake up, my face, for the most part, feels moisturized without being oily. It is normal for me to feel some kind of leftover tackiness in the mornings but I didn't have that with this moisturizer.
I have also used this very generously (heaping dollop) and moderately (stingy scoop) on various occasions. Like with Raw Sauce, this cream shows better results when a liberal amount is applied. I would recommend using more than "just enough" to cover the face.
Peach & Lily accurately describes the finish as "silky non-sticky finish". I assume this is a result of all the silicones it is formulated with in addition to the maple sap being able to sink into the skin more easily. The moisturizer even spreads like a typical silicone-based primer would. There is definitely a visible lack of the moist look minus the pore-smoothing effect.
Thoughts & Recommendations
For comparison's sake, I have applied the Raw Moisturizer on half my face and neck before. It was weird because the moisturizing difference didn't look drastic. The side with moisturizer did feel softer and smoother but it could very well be all the silicones.
My skin looks less oily of late. I cannot tell whether or not this moisturizer is the reason for it or if my skin is still in cold & dry weather mode. There are tons of reviews that claim this cream is mattifying and keeps their oilies at bay. I won't argue with that because it does have a satiny finish after applying. What I can say from my experience is the Raw Moisturizer is slightly lacking in the deep moisture department for my combo-dry skin. My face looks just right in the oily spots throughout the day but for the drier and flakier sections, it just isn't enough—very similar to the Raw Sauce in this respect.
Maybe I just used this moisturizer during the wrong seasons? Maybe I need to find a way to better exfoliate those darn dry flakes from my face? I wonder if my opinions towards May Coop's Raw Moisturizer would have been any different under different circumstances. It is a great product in the areas that aren't overly troubled and I have never tried a moisturizer of all things to have such a satin finish. Chances of me repurchasing are kind of low right now; perhaps if my skin gets oilier in the summer I might consider Raw Moisturizer as a tried-and-trusted option.
