LancerDr. Advanced C Radiance Treatment, 1.7 fl.oz. airless

I loved how it felt on my skin, but after using for a little bit it created an allergy. I don’t think this is supposed to be used in the morning, it creates bad hives when exposed to the sun.

Great product

PRICEY FOR COMMON INGREDIENTSI love the effects of waxy skin smoothers. Who doesn't for youthful-looking skin? They also make great foundation primers. But, the effect is only temporary, not transformative. Skin looks and feels like a baby's bottom because all those pesky lines and wrinkles have been smoothly spackled over as though they never existed. Trouble is, it's all illusion and those lines and wrinkles are still there underneath the cream once removed.Does Advanced C Radiance Treatment with Vitamin C Collagen Cofactor 10x just give surface beauty, or does its stable form of 10% Vitamin C go deeper to erase, plump, and restore skin/lines/wrinkles/pigmentation while increasing collagen production? Time will tell, but given this formula, you're mainly paying for the doctor-branded name. And 10% Vitamin C is on the low end of the acceptable range.I do know this ... it's never truly skin transformative when the main, primary ingredient is a WAXY SMOOTHER instead of a retinol, aha, squalane, or other serious skincare ingredient that actually changes the skin. Vitamin C is #2, but Retinol isn't even in the Top 5 main ingredients. Shea butter feels nice as a common moisturizer, but isn't exactly a fountain of youth either. The entire ingredient list is commonly found in even drugstore brands, which also isn't a surprise. So where's the magic for such a pricey skin treatment? Why not just use a good Vitamin C serum?Lavender kills bacteria, can prevent and heal acne breakouts, unclogs pores and reduces inflammation. For some reason, skincare companies favor using the oil in their formulas (clearly it must be cheap and easily sourced), even though it's a pungent fragrance and can be very allergenic to sensitive users. I avoid it like the plague. Although it comes at the end of the ingredient list, the scent is very strong, somewhat medicinal, and irritating on contact. Let me repeat, the scent is strong and unmistakably lavender.Dr. Harold Lancer is a Beverly Hills dermatologist right here in L.A. and somewhat of a skin guru with a celebrity cult following. His clients swear by him, but my judgment is reserved. As I always underscore in my reviews, the ingredient list doesn't lie, regardless of hype. I find it interesting that so many dermatologist brands of skincare from L.A. doctors often disappoint or just don't measure up. You'd think their medical expertise would mean more. Supposedly, this brand's products contain medical grade ingredients, but I'm not convinced until I see actual results over time. Frankly, there isn't enough in this formula to bowl me over and work magic. I'm giving 3 stars for the pleasant feeling illusion of a smooth appearance, and that's generous considering the lavender issue and underwhelming ingredient list. It's okay, but I wouldn't re-order, especially at this price.

Vitamin C is great for your skin as a great antioxidant and UV protection booster. Super nice to see it listed as the second ingredient. Studies of skin treated with ascorbic acid showed less reddening, fewer sunburn cells and decreased tumor formation after UV exposure. This means it's a great idea to use Vit C serum under your sunscreen, not instead of it. It also helps skin to make collagen, so it can help decrease wrinkles but you need to use it every day for at least 3 months to see improvement. I don't know how much retinol is in this treatment as it's listed towards the bottom of the ingredient list. Retinol is the OTC derivative of prescription tretinoin. In theory, our skin has metabolic machinery to do the conversion which is a two-step process: retinol -- > retinaldehyde --> retinoic acid. Once the conversion is complete, retinol becomes tretinoin and can work it's magic, BUT this two-step conversion process is not very effective and the effectiveness varies from person to person. This means retinol is much weaker than tretinoin, and it's also possible that retinol doesn't do much for you, because your skin is a lazy converter, while tretinoin still happily works. If it works for you, it'll take months to see a noticeable difference. YMMV.The thing you will notice with this treatment is it's smoothing factor. The Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone Crosspolymer work together to form a water-resistant, breathable protective barrier on the skin. That means, to really benefit make sure that you have applied any hyaluronic acid products before this and have allowed them time to absorb. That way you'll benefit from this silicone layer that will help hold moisture in. I am applying it just before my sunscreen which I apply after my moisturizer.I think this treatment is way overpriced for what it is. There are plenty of inexpensive C + Retinol products out there. The silicones are really the only thing "special" about this, as I don't see them together in a lot of the products I've tried.

The Lancer Advanced C Radiance Treatment comes in a tall 1.7oz plastic pump. The mirrored effect on the container's body is nice looking but picks up on every smudge, residue, and fingerprint. It dulls the seemingly luxurious effect Lancer is trying to achieve.The treatment is a lightweight, almost waxy, or silky white cream, primer-like with a near silicone feel. The product temporarily smooths out the look and gives me a matte finish, similar to a good primer, but does not seem to promote repair or exfoliation.I have used retinol and high concentrations of vitamin C and their respective derivatives. And because I have reactive, sensitive skin, I will alternate the use of said powerhouse ingredients to every other night or sparingly to limit irritation. However, I did not have to do that with this cream. I expected this expensive treatment (~$82 as of this writing) to be similar, but it wasn't. Instead, I was able to slather it on nightly without irritation or flares. No noteworthy results either. It didn't do for me what other, less expensive, better-formulated retinol and vitamin C (and their respective derivates) boosters can do. I had high expectations given the short ingredient list and higher-end price point. Unfortunately, the highlighted ingredients, vitamin C and Retinol, are ineffectual.Also, I'm disappointed Lancer incorporated a cheap filler essential oil (lavender). It can be sensitizing for some users; the antioxidant benefits are scant and not worth using. But more and more skincare manufacturers seem to be using them as natural fragrance additives, I guess. Completely unnecessary and can ruin otherwise good skincare for those of us with sensitive skin.As a primer for a matte-smooth canvas, this cream is excellent. However, as a Retinol or vitamin C treatment, this woefully underperforms. As someone over 40, I need something active and effective.