Murad Sleep Reform Serum

I received a sample of this product from Sephora recently. Normally I don't review samples, since you don't get enough product to determine whether or not it really works over time, but I think this product deserves a review!

The Murad Sleep Reform Serum is an expensive little commodity...at $97 for just one ounce, you're paying a lot for something which will only last you a one to three months, at most. But as a culture obsessed with aging gracefully (or not aging at all), many of us will probably shell out our hard earned dollars in search of a non-surgical method to turn back time.

Since I don't have wrinkles yet, I can't tell you whether or not this product actually diminishes them. However, I can tell you that within two nights I could already feel it working on my young, early twenties skin.

Some readers might be wondering why I'm even testing this product out if I'm so young. Well, I may not have wrinkles yet, but delaying their appearance is all about prevention. Murad Sleep Reform Serum claims to do just that--it's an anti-aging treatment that works at night when you sleep by "locking in moisture, promoting skin firmness, and fighting signs of aging" so your complexion is "rejuvenated" when you wake up in the morning. It contains an exclusive formula they call "Repair Enhancing Matrix"--not sure what that is, but we all know that as we sleep, our skin works to slough off dead cells and repair the damage incurred during the day, and this repair matrix is supposed to aid that process. Furthermore, the serum contains melatonin, which is supposed to stimulate collagen production. Melatonin is a chemical our bodies produce naturally when we go to sleep in response to levels of light, and it helps with all the renewal, cleansing, and healing processes our bodies undergo as we rest...this is why beauty sleep is so important.

I applied Sleep Reform Serum after cleansing and toning my skin, and then simply added a thick cream on top. The first morning after I woke up, my skin looked slightly more glowing than it normally does, and my eyelids which have a tendency to droop, looked more lifted. My pores (which have become enlarged lately due to clogged sebum that refuses to be extracted) were visibly tighter and refined. But after the second night, my skin felt tight, firm, and lifted in the morning, even to the touch. It was as if the temporary tightening of the skin you get from egg whites had been harnessed into a serum, except the tightening didn't feel dry or uncomfortable. The sensation lasted the entire day and the next, though I didn't apply any more serum the following night. My skin continued to look and feel completely hydrated--my eyelids, which have thinner and more fragile skin than normal, were nice and plump, and the tiny lines disappeared except for my eyelid crease.

Unfortunately, the effect did not last into the rest of the week. When I tried the serum again another night, my skin looked nicer the next day, but the tightening effect was not as apparent. Based on my results, I would recommend that you apply this serum nightly until you can feel and see the results, skip a night or two, then start applying it again. It's very potent, but whether the results are long lasting or temporary remains to be seen. Murad claims it stimulates collagen producing cells by 78% and improves collagen potential by 62%, but notice how they never say the percentage of actual collagen increase. Ultimately, I consider this product a form of "topical Botox"--you'll see positive results, but without continued use, they'll go away.

Ah, I forgot to mention that this product isn't good for those with sensitive skin. My skin is sensitive lately because it's pretty dry, and this product burned upon application...though the burning sensation did go away as soon as it was absorbed into the skin.