Frownies 30-Day Challenge

If you’re a longtime reader, you’ve probably heard me talk about Frownies before. This line of skin care products includes unique facial patches that are essentially gummy kraft paper that you moisten and apply to wrinkles to smooth the skin back overnight. I’ve always been intrigued by the concept and had some promising initial results, but I never made it to the full 30 days that you’re supposed to wear them for. Either I got out of the routine – things are always chaotic, and it felt like a chore to go through a big skin care routine before bed when I was already exhausted – and I also found I was breaking out after using them. I’ve been saying for months that I wanted to give it another try now that I have somewhat of a better routine (Or did before we started remodeling the kitchen ;)) and also my skin has been doing a lot better in general thanks to being in better health. So it was time to try the full 30 day challenge!

I received two boxes of patches: One for Forehead & Between Eyes, and one for Corner of Eyes & Mouth. I also received a bottle of their Rose Water Spray and a package of Eye Gels. I’ve commented in the past on how much I love the soothing eye gels – it feels really nice to wear these cold gel patches when I’m worn out and my skin feels tired. It doesn’t really make me look less tired, but it feels good and refreshing. I also love the Rose Water spray, which I use primarily to apply the Frownies but also carry with me when I’m on long flights to rehydrate my skin.

Now, on to the Frownies. I’ve tried the Corner of Eyes & Mouth a few times but mostly stuck to the Forehead patches, since that’s my main area of concern and I figured if it worked there well, it would motivate me to use the others. 😉 The area around my eyes almost feels a little too delicate to be pulling of patches, although I can put them further away from the eyes and it’s not quite as sensitive. I’ve tried them around the mouth too and there’s no problem with delicate skin for me there.

At first, it felt like a real chore having to apply these on my forehead at night, but once you get used to it it’s no big deal. I’m finding that it’s good to do my nigttime routine of removing makeup, cleansing, moisturizing and applying Frownies early in the night, an hour or two before bedtime, because I’m usually so wiped out by the time I get to bed that I will sometimes just collapse in my makeup. Terrible, I know! At first, wearing the Frownies feels a little awkward and uncomfortable – after all, I’m not used to having paper stuck to my head! But I got used to that as well, and again, it’s no big deal.

Now, I did my very best to use them for a solid month but I did miss some days. I use three on my forehead over the lines I have there, which really bother me a lot. I feel like I’ve aged 10 years since 2010 and I hate it! I looked at some old photos from a few years back and noticed that I had the lines then, too – I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse! Anyway, I was really eager to see if these would help me smooth the lines out a bit.

When I wear Frownies for the first week or so, I can actually feel my forehead muscles are tighter the next day, for lack of a better word – almost as if it’s naturally held in position a little higher. I definitely think that could be a big help, if not for removing the lines I have, then at least for maybe preventing them from getting worse for a while. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of scientific research on removing wrinkles, so you really have to wing it when it comes to figuring out what to do for your skin. It’s hard to know if something is working or not, because how would I know if I would have gotten more wrinkles without it, you know?

Using Frownies, I notice that my forehead is smoother in the mornings, with the lines much more prominent at night. I do feel that the Frownies improve the appearance of my forehead wrinkles temporarily, although to be fair I notice my forehead is smoother in the mornings even without Frownies. Although it’s not a miracle for removing wrinkles, I definitely feel it’s worthwhile – with regular use, anything that can help re-train my forehead muscles to “knit” less is a good thing. I do feel like there is some temporary, minimal reduction in the appearance of the lines, which doesn’t hurt either, so I’m going to keep using them. I’m hoping that the effects may be more pronounced over time, although there’s no way to know if it’ll do any more than it has. At the least, I figure if my forehead is smoothed out at night, it might prevent future lines. I haven’t really had any issues with breakouts this time around – I started to get a few blemishes at one point where the patches were, but those went away quickly. I think the Frownies just exacerbate blemishes when I’m in poor health or not taking good care of my skin (IE falling asleep in makeup!).

Have you ever tried Frownies?