The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% vs Pure+simple Collagen Elastin Plus

*I've been intrigued by Canadian beauty company Deceim, aka the Abnormal Beauty Company, aka The Ordinary and several other brand lines, ever since it opened a store near me on Queen St. West over a year (or two?) ago. But even though Deceim generally offers very affordable price points, I'd never tried it until my friend started working for the company this past fall. Now, with almost two months worth of experience with several Deceim products, it's time for me to share my thoughts on them.*

I have two primary skincare concerns: Blemishes, which we'll deal with next week, and forehead lines. Specifically, I am battling with two horizontal lines that snake across my forehead in varying depths and one less noticeable, but more unattractive, vertical line that lives just to the inside of my right eyebrow. A Deceim employee (yes, the same one from this review) told me that the company's Argireline Solution 10% was the magical product that I was looking for.
Prior to that conversation, I'd never heard of Argireline, which yes, does take a capital "A." It turns out that it's "a proprietary solution of Acetyl Hexapeptide-8." What is that? I have no idea but supposedly,  "controlled studies" show that it, "improves the appearance of facial areas prone to developing dynamic folds, including around the eyes and in the forehead area." In other words, it sounds like the perfect product to fight my forehead lines.

This is not an overnight miracle product. It promises no quick fixes and according to the other reviews I read, it takes a few weeks to work its magic. But I'm pretty sure that my forehead lines started to soften after not even two weeks of regular use. I had attempted to take a "before" photo however, the results weren't usable.

While it seemed like this serum was working, I decided to run a split-face test to see if it was generating real results while also testing out another product. So in late November, I started applying Argireline Solution 10% only to the right side of my forehead while my left side received Pure+simple Collagen Elastin Plus serum.

I'd received a deluxe-sized sample bottle of that product from a friend. Pure+simple is a Toronto company best known for its spa services but it does offer some take-home products, like this "ultra-hydrating serum" that "is perfect for those who are serious about anti-aging." According to it, this product's usage of "10% marine collagen and elastin helps rebuild collagen while hydrating and rejuvenating mature skin" while "algae and aloe vera base reduces fine lines and lessens sensitivity and redness."

I've been using both products nightly for over five weeks and so far, each serum seems to be holding its own. Neither side of my forehead looks better than the other and overall, my forehead lines do look a little softer. The improvement is mild but it is there and I do think that these products are helping to keep the lines from getting deeper. They also seem to be keeping my forehead nicely hydrated without leaving it greasy or shiny.

Usually when I do split-face tests, there is an obvious winner but not in this case. While neither product delivered the amazing anti-aging results that I was hoping for, they did do something and at the same level.

Results aren't the only quality that these two products have in common. Both serums are thin, water-like fluids that easily go onto your skin and are designed to be used under a moisturizer. Neither caused me any irritation and neither has a noticeable scent.

There is though one big difference between these two products: The price. The Argireline solution retails for $7.90, which is a steal. The Pure+simple product costs $145. WTF? Yes, seriously, wft? Okay, it's for 100ml and one bottle of this stuff will last you months but still, $145 is a hell of lot of money for mild results. You don't even get fancy packaging for that price, just a simple pump bottle.

Part of Deceim's The Ordinary line, Argireline Solution 10% follows that brand's style guide of being packaged in a clinical-looking glass bottle that comes with an eyedropper. I quite like this look and while the glass bottle isn't very travel friendly, the overall design is effective as keeping dirty, greasy fingers from contaminating the serum.

Would I buy this product again: Because the price is so low, and I did see some results, I likely will pick up another bottle of Argireline. But I will not be grabbing the Pure+simple product; sorry local small business.

Should you buy this product: Give The Ordinary solution a shot. Don't expect miracles but also don't be surprised if you do see visible results. But pass on the Pure+simple serum.