{"title":"Skin","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe face under the hairline. Scalp treatments run onto it and dry it out, so it is part of the routine rather than an afterthought.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"face-cleanser","title":"Face Cleanser","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA gentle daily wash with aloe vera and cucumber. It is in a hair loss range for a\npractical reason: the treatments in the rest of this range dry the skin out, and the skin they dry\nout is the skin your hair grows from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAloe vera, which soothes and holds water in the outer layer of skin, and cucumber extract, which\nis mild and calming on skin that has been stripped. The formulation is a low-foaming daily wash\nrather than a stripping one, because the last thing skin under treatment needs is more surfactant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopical minoxidil is carried in alcohol, and the solution also contains propylene glycol.\nTretinoin, in the Signature Spray, increases skin turnover. Together they leave the hairline, the\ntemples and the forehead dry, tight and flaky somewhere between week two and week six. That\ndryness is the most common reason people abandon treatment before it has had a chance to work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWet your face with lukewarm water. Hot water strips skin that a topical treatment is already\n    drying out.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWork a small amount into a light lather in your hands, then over your face for about thirty\n    seconds, taking it up to the hairline.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly and pat dry rather than rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFollow with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e while your\n    skin is still slightly damp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrder matters.\u003c\/strong\u003e Wash before you apply a topical treatment, never after.\nApplying minoxidil and then washing an hour later throws the dose away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with water if it gets in. Stop using it if\nyou develop irritation or a rash. Suitable for all skin types.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57954609627518,"sku":"QN-CLN-120","price":36.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/cleanser.png?v=1790587835"},{"product_id":"face-hydration-cream","title":"Face Hydration Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eHyaluronic acid, squalane and ceramides in a light cream. It repairs the skin\nbarrier that a topical hair loss treatment spends every day wearing down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHyaluronic acid\u003c\/strong\u003e holds water in the upper layers of the skin, which is what\n    makes tight, dehydrated skin feel comfortable again.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSqualane\u003c\/strong\u003e is a light emollient close to what skin produces on its own. It\n    softens without leaving a film, which matters when you are putting a topical on the same area\n    every day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCeramides\u003c\/strong\u003e are the lipids that hold the outer layer of skin together. They\n    are what an alcohol-based treatment strips out, and replacing them is the difference between\n    skin that recovers overnight and skin that stays flaky for weeks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scalp and the face are one continuous piece of skin with the same barrier, and the hairline\nsits on the join. Anyone applying an alcohol-based minoxidil twice a day, and especially anyone\nusing a formula containing tretinoin, is running a slow drying process along that line. Barrier\nrepair is the cheapest thing you can do to stay on treatment long enough for it to work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening, on slightly damp skin after cleansing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a pea-sized amount for the whole face.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips and press it in rather than rubbing it around.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake it up to and along the hairline. That is the part people skip and the first part to dry\n    out.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGive it a minute to absorb before anything else goes on top.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep it clear of your minoxidil dose in time.\u003c\/strong\u003e Use it after washing and leave\nthe topical its own slot in the routine, so the cream is not diluting it or carrying it somewhere\nyou did not intend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area. Stop using it if you develop irritation or a rash.\nSuitable for all skin types.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57954609758590,"sku":"QN-CRM-50","price":96.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/cream.png?v=1790587844"},{"product_id":"salicylic-face-wash","title":"Salicylic Acid Face Wash","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA daily wash with salicylic acid, for men whose skin runs oily and breaks out. It sits\nin a hair loss range for a reason that becomes obvious about a month into treatment: scalp oils and\nserums do not stay on the scalp. They migrate down overnight, and the forehead, the temples and the\njaw are where a lot of men find themselves getting spots for the first time in twenty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, and the useful thing about it is that it is oil soluble.\nIt can get into a pore that is already full of sebum and loosen the dead skin holding it shut, which\nwater and a normal surfactant cannot do. It is the best evidenced ingredient in this formula by some\ndistance, and it is the same acid that does the work in a large share of the over the counter acne\nproducts sold in the United States, where the usual range is 0.5 to 2 per cent. The honest limit is\ncontact time. A wash is on your face for under a minute and then goes down the drain, so it does less\nthan a leave-on treatment at the same strength, and it earns its place by keeping pores clear week\nafter week rather than by clearing a breakout tonight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeramides are one of the three lipid classes that make up the skin's own barrier, alongside\ncholesterol and free fatty acids. Formulas containing them have reasonable evidence for supporting\nhydration and barrier function, mostly from trials in dry and eczema-prone skin using other people's\nformulations, and the reviews of that literature still ask for larger double-blind studies. It is fair to say\nthey support the skin's moisture barrier, and anything stronger than that overstates what has actually\nbeen shown. Vitamin B5, as panthenol, is a humectant with\nmodest evidence for soothing washed skin and slowing water loss from it. Neither ingredient does\nanything for your hair. Both are in here so that an acid wash used every day does not leave your face\ntight and flaking by the end of the first week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gentle wash in this range is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e, which\nsuits skin that alcohol-based topicals have already dried out. This one is aimed at the opposite\ncomplaint. If your forehead is shining by mid afternoon, if you get closed bumps in a band along the\nhairline, or if you use a scalp oil such as\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/rosemary-hair-oil\"\u003eRosemary Hair Oil\u003c\/a\u003e and notice spots appearing exactly where\nit settles on the pillow, an oil-soluble acid is the sensible answer. Follow it with the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zinc-oil-control-cream\"\u003eZinc Oil Control Cream\u003c\/a\u003e if oiliness is the main\ncomplaint, or the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e if a topical\ntreatment has left you dry in some places and greasy in others, which is common.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOnce a day, in the evening.\u003c\/strong\u003e Twice a day is more than most skin needs, and the\nmorning is better handled with water or a gentle wash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWet your face with lukewarm water. Hot water strips skin that is already under treatment.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake one pump, or two if you are washing the neck and jaw as well, and work it into a light\n    lather in your hands.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMassage it over the oily areas for a slow thirty seconds, so the acid has some contact time.\n    Take it up to the hairline and across the temples, since that is where scalp products end up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry rather than rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eApply your moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp, within a minute or two.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrder matters.\u003c\/strong\u003e Wash before you apply anything to your scalp, never in the hours\nafter. Washing an hour after a minoxidil dose throws that dose away. The other common mistake is\nstacking exfoliants, so if you are already using the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/walnut-scrub-cleanser\"\u003eWalnut Scrub Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e or the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/retinol-night-cream\"\u003eRetinol Night Cream\u003c\/a\u003e, put them on different nights until\nyou know how your skin takes this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSkin feels cleaner and less oily from the first wash, which is the surfactant doing its job and\ntells you nothing about the acid. The change worth measuring is in blemishes, blackheads and the\ntexture of the forehead, and that takes four to eight weeks of daily use to judge fairly. A fortnight\nof slight tightness or flaking at the start is normal while your skin adjusts, and it usually settles.\nThe job of this wash is the skin around a treated scalp, kept in good enough condition that you stay\non the treatment. Your hair will neither improve nor worsen for using it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with water if it gets in. If your skin is\nsensitive or already irritated, patch test on the jawline for a few days before using it on the whole\nface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun exposure.\u003c\/strong\u003e This product contains a beta hydroxy acid. Skin that is being\nexfoliated daily can react more to sunlight, so use a sunscreen and limit sun exposure while you are\nusing it and for a week afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo not use\u003c\/strong\u003e on broken, sunburnt or inflamed skin, and do not use it on a scalp that\nis red or irritated from a topical treatment. Avoid it if you are allergic to aspirin or other\nsalicylates. Speak to a doctor before combining it with a prescription retinoid, and keep it off any\narea you are treating with the tretinoin in the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e. Stop using it if you\ndevelop persistent stinging, redness or a rash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic wash, sold for the look and feel of oily, blemish-prone skin, and it is not a\nmedicine for acne. If your breakouts are severe, painful, cystic or leaving scars, see a GP or a\ndermatologist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981140107646,"sku":"QN-SALICYLICFACEWASH","price":63.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/salicylic-face-wash.png?v=1790587780"},{"product_id":"zinc-face-wash","title":"Zinc PCA Face Wash","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA daily wash built around zinc PCA, for men whose skin runs oily. It sits in a hair\nloss range for a straightforward reason: the forehead, the temples and the hairline take the run-off\nfrom everything you put on your scalp, on top of styling product and a day of sebum. Oily skin under\nthat load gets congested along exactly the line you spend the most time looking at.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZinc PCA\u003c\/strong\u003e is zinc bound to pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. The PCA half is one of the\nmolecules skin already uses to hold water, so the carrier is a humectant rather than a drying agent,\nwhich is why this wash can be aimed at oily skin without stripping it. The zinc half is the part\npeople buy it for. Zinc salts reduce sebum output in cultured sebocytes and have mild activity\nagainst Cutibacterium acnes, the organism involved in spots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest state of that evidence is worth setting out. Most of it is laboratory work or\nsupplier-run testing, usually on leave-on formulas at concentrations a rinse-off product does not\nreach. The better human data on zinc for acne comes from oral zinc, or from topical zinc paired with\nan antibiotic, neither of which is what you are buying here. This wash sits on your face for under a\nminute and then goes down the drain, so the sensible expectation from the zinc is modest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the cleansing itself is doing most of the visible work. The surfactant base is what\nremoves the oil, the sunscreen and the topical residue, and it is built to do that without the tight,\nsqueaking finish that makes skin overproduce a few hours later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne point needs to be clear.\u003c\/strong\u003e Zinc salts inhibit 5-alpha-reductase in laboratory\nassays, and anyone shopping a hair loss brand will run into that fact sooner or later. Nobody has\nshown that washing your face with zinc affects scalp DHT, hair density or shedding, and there is no\nplausible route by which a rinse-off facial product would. Buy this for your skin. Your hair is the\njob of the products further up the range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe range carries more than one daily wash, and skin type is what decides between them.\nThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e is the gentle aloe and cucumber wash for skin\nthat alcohol-based minoxidil has dried out. This one is for the opposite problem, where your T-zone is\nshiny by lunchtime and small congested bumps appear along the hairline and forehead after a few weeks\nof daily topicals and pomade. Anyone using the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e should lean towards the\ngentler option, since the tretinoin in it already leaves surrounding skin reactive and a second active\nwash on top of that is more irritation than most people want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOily skin still needs moisturising, and skipping that step is the most common way men make shine\nworse. Follow with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e if your skin\nis oily and tight at the same time, which is the usual pattern once\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-topical-solution-5\"\u003eMinoxidil Topical Solution\u003c\/a\u003e has been going on twice\na day for a month. If shine is the whole of the problem, the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zinc-oil-control-cream\"\u003eZinc Oil Control Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the better partner, since a\nleave-on gives the zinc hours of contact rather than forty seconds. The evidence for topical zinc is\nno stronger in a cream than it is in a wash, so read that as a reason to give the cream a fair trial\nrather than as a promise about what it will do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWet your face with lukewarm water. Hot water strips oily skin just as readily as dry skin, and\n    it usually rebounds oilier.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake one pump, roughly 1 mL, for the whole face. Use two after a workout or on a day you have\n    worn sunscreen.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWork it into a lather in wet hands first, then over the face for thirty to sixty seconds,\n    spending most of that on the forehead, nose and chin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake it up to and just past the hairline, which is where topical run-off and styling product\n    collect and where the congestion tends to start.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry rather than rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMoisturise while your skin is still slightly damp, even on an oily day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe mistake to avoid is washing more often to fight the oil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Three or four washes\na day leaves skin tight and reactive and produces more shine by evening, so hold at twice. The\nsequencing point is the same as everywhere else in this range: wash first, then apply your topical to\ndry skin, and never wash within four hours of a dose, because rinsing the hairline an hour after\napplying throws that dose away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immediate effect is cosmetic and you will feel it the first time. Skin is clean and matte\nstraight after washing, and the shine returns over the following few hours, which is normal and is\nwhat sebaceous glands do. Over two to four weeks of consistent use, most people find the hairline and\nforehead look less congested and clogged pores are easier to keep on top of. That improvement comes\nmainly from washing properly twice a day rather than from any one ingredient, and it is a real\nimprovement worth having on its own terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing here will regrow hair, slow shedding or change anything you could photograph on your scalp.\nThis is a supporting product and it earns its place by keeping the skin your hairline sits on\ncomfortable enough that you stay on the routine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes and rinse with plenty of water if it happens.\nIf your skin reacts easily, patch test on the inner forearm for a couple of days before you use it on\nyour face. Do not use it on skin that is broken, inflamed, sunburnt or freshly needled, and leave at\nleast twenty-four hours after using the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller\u003c\/a\u003e. Stop\nusing it if you develop redness, stinging or a rash that does not settle within a day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic wash and it is not a medicine. It does not treat acne, and it makes no claim to\ntreat, cure or prevent hair loss. If you have persistent inflammatory or cystic acne, or hair loss\nthat is sudden or patchy, see a doctor rather than working through products. Keep out of reach of\nchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981141746046,"sku":"QN-ZINCFACEWASH","price":30.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/zinc-face-wash.png?v=1790587823"},{"product_id":"charcoal-cleansing-milk","title":"Charcoal Cleansing Milk","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA low-foaming cleansing milk with charcoal, vitamin C, niacinamide, an alpha hydroxy\nacid and salicylic acid, in a lotion texture rather than a foaming gel. It is meant for skin that\nruns oily or congested across the forehead, the nose and the hairline. The honest caveat is in the\nword wash: something you rinse off after a minute cannot do what a leave-on serum does, so treat the\nacids and the vitamin C as a mild surface effect rather than the reason to buy it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharcoal adsorbs oil and grime on the surface of the skin and gives the milk its colour. That is\nthe whole of it. The idea that charcoal draws impurities out of a pore is marketing rather than\ndermatology, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalicylic acid is the ingredient here with the strongest track record. It is oil soluble, so it\ngets into the pore lining rather than sitting on top of it, and it is a long-established treatment\nfor blocked pores and blemishes. Its limitation in this product is contact time, because a wash is\non the skin for well under a minute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe alpha hydroxy acid loosens dead cells at the surface, which is what makes skin feel smoother\nafter a week or two of use. It also raises sun sensitivity, which is covered in the warnings below.\nNiacinamide has decent published work behind it for oil control, redness and tone, and vitamin C has\na large literature on pigmentation and antioxidant protection, but almost all of that research was\ndone on leave-on formulas at defined concentrations and a controlled pH. In a rinse-off, most of\nboth goes down the sink. They are a sensible addition to a cleanser and they are not the same thing\nas a serum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIngredient research is done on other formulas at other strengths. It tells you what an ingredient\ncan do in principle, and it is not a clinical trial of this bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMen on a scalp treatment spend a lot of time touching the forehead and the hairline, often under\na hat, often with styling product on top. That strip of skin is where oil, sweat and residue collect,\nand it is the part of the face most likely to look congested. A cleanser aimed at it earns its place\nin the range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe honest with yourself about your skin type before you choose this one. Topical minoxidil is\ncarried in alcohol and propylene glycol, and the tretinoin in the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e speeds up skin turnover.\nIf your hairline and temples are already dry, tight or flaking, adding two exfoliating acids to that\nskin is the wrong move, and the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e with aloe and cucumber is the one to use instead.\nThis milk is for the oilier end of the range. If blemishes rather than oiliness are the main\ncomplaint, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/salicylic-face-wash\"\u003eSalicylic Acid Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e is the more direct\nanswer. Whichever you land on, follow it with the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a face wash and it stays on the face. It is not a scalp product, and a congested,\nproduct-heavy scalp is a job for the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/deep-cleanse-shampoo\"\u003eDeep Cleanse Scalp Shampoo\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOnce a day, in the evening.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash in the evening rather than the morning, so that the acids are on skin you are about to\n    keep out of the sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWet your face with lukewarm water. Hot water strips skin that is already being exfoliated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDispense two pumps, roughly a five pence coin's worth, into damp hands.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMassage it over the face for thirty to forty-five seconds, working across the forehead, the\n    nose and the chin and up to the hairline. Use your fingertips rather than a cloth or a brush,\n    since the acids are doing the exfoliating.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly with lukewarm water after a minute at most. Leaving a wash on for longer does\n    not increase the benefit and does increase the irritation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePat dry rather than rubbing, and apply the\n    \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e while the skin is still\n    slightly damp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eIn the morning, rinse with water or use a gentler wash. Twice a day with this one is too much\n    acid for most skin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe common mistake is stacking.\u003c\/strong\u003e This milk already contains two exfoliating acids,\nso using it in the same evening as a scrub or a retinol cream is how people end up with a stinging,\npeeling face and blame the wrong product. Pick one exfoliating step per evening. And if you are\napplying a scalp topical, wash first and apply afterwards. Washing an hour later takes the dose off\nthe hairline with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immediate effect is cosmetic and it is the point of the product. Skin feels clean and matte\nstraight away, and the oily film returns more slowly through the day. Surface smoothness usually\nturns up within one to two weeks, which is the alpha hydroxy acid doing its job.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet your expectations low on tone and marks. Any brightening from a rinse-off wash is modest and\nslow, and if it comes at all it takes a couple of months of daily use. If uneven tone and\npost-blemish marks are genuinely what you are after, a leave-on product such as the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/brightening-spot-cream\"\u003eBrightening Spot Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the format with a real\nchance of doing something about them. This is a supporting product, and it will do nothing at all for your hair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with water if it gets in. Keep it off the\nscalp, and do not use it on broken, sunburnt, or already irritated skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunburn alert.\u003c\/strong\u003e This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid that may increase your\nskin's sensitivity to the sun, and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, limit\nyour time in the sun while you are using it, and continue for a week afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatch test before you commit.\u003c\/strong\u003e Apply a small amount to the inner forearm, leave it\nfor the same length of time you would on your face, rinse, and check the area a day later. This\nmatters more than usual if your skin is already dry or reactive from a scalp treatment. Do not use it\nif you are sensitive to aspirin or other salicylates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot on freshly needled skin.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you use the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller 0.5 mm\u003c\/a\u003e on the beard area, leave this wash out of\nthat evening's routine and give the skin a full day to close. Three women developed facial granulomas\nafter microneedling alongside a vitamin C serum (JAMA Dermatology 2014;150(1):68-72), and the authors\nconcluded that applying non-approved topical products before microneedling can introduce immunogenic\nparticles into the dermis and potentiate hypersensitivity reactions. Those cases involved leave-on\nserums rather than a rinse-off wash, and they are still the reason we tell you to put nothing active\ninto skin you have just opened up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStop using it if you develop persistent stinging, redness or a rash. Keep out of reach of\nchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981145022846,"sku":"QN-CHARCOALCLEANSINGM","price":34.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/charcoal-cleansing-milk.png?v=1790587668"},{"product_id":"hydrating-face-wash","title":"Hydrating Face Wash","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA daily face wash built around humectants, for skin that feels tight and papery once\nit has dried. This is the second gentle wash in the range, and it exists for a narrower reason than the\nfirst one. Alcohol-based scalp treatments can dry the forehead, the temples and the hairline within the\nfirst few weeks, and that dryness is a common reason routines get abandoned before they have had time to\ndo anything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA humectant blend in a mild surfactant base, and it is worth separating what each half does. The\nsurfactants do the cleaning. The humectants, the water-binding ingredients of the glycerin family, are\nthere mainly to offset the drying potential of the detergent while it is sitting on your face.\nDermatology literature on cleansers as a class points the same way. Classic alkaline soaps at around\npH 10 have been reported to thin the stratum corneum and strip the lipids between the cells, while\nsynthetic detergents formulated near the skin's own pH appear to leave both better preserved, and mild\ncleansers pair their surfactants with emollients and humectants for that reason. That is ingredient\nclass reasoning, drawn from small studies, and it has not been tested on this particular bottle. It is\nthe honest basis for the formula and no more than that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn the phrase water locking.\u003c\/strong\u003e It is on the carton, so it deserves a translation. A\nrinse-off product is on your skin for about a minute, which means the humectants here will not leave\nbehind the reservoir of moisture that a leave-on cream does. What a wash of this kind can honestly do is\nremove less water and less lipid than a foaming bar or a stripping gel, so your face is closer to\ncomfortable when you walk away from the sink. Lasting hydration comes from what you put on afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is nothing in this bottle aimed at hair, and that means no minoxidil, no caffeine, no peptides\nand no botanical growth story. It is a cosmetic face wash and it does nothing to a follicle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo things in this range dry facial skin out. Topical minoxidil is carried in alcohol, and the\nsolution also contains propylene glycol, which is the ingredient most often behind a dry, tight,\nitchy reaction. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eSignature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e adds tretinoin,\nwhich speeds up skin turnover. Somewhere between week two and week six, the skin around the hairline\ncan start to feel tight and look flaky, and people quietly stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis overlaps with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e, and you do not need both.\nTake the Face Cleanser if you want the mildest, lowest-foaming wash in the range with aloe and cucumber\nbehind it. Take this one if your skin is dry and your face also gets genuinely dirty during the day,\nbecause it cleans more thoroughly while carrying humectants to make that survivable. If your skin runs\noily or breaks out, neither is right for you, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/zinc-face-wash\"\u003eZinc PCA Face\nWash\u003c\/a\u003e or the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/salicylic-face-wash\"\u003eSalicylic Acid Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e is the product to\nlook at. Whichever wash you land on, the step that actually addresses dryness is the leave-on one, so\nfollow it with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e, or the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e if your skin has got to the point\nof flaking and stinging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne boundary worth stating. This is a face product and it stays on the face. The minoxidil label\ninstructs users not to apply other medicines to the scalp, so do not carry this or any face product up\nonto a treated scalp. The scalp has its own washes in this range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUse one pump twice a day, morning and evening.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 120 mL bottle holds roughly a\nhundred pumps, so at that rate it lasts a little under two months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWet your face with lukewarm water. Hot water pulls lipid out of skin that a topical treatment is\n    already drying.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake one pump, roughly a millilitre, into wet hands and work it into a light lather. Enough to\n    lift oil and dirt is enough, and a thick foam is a sign you have used too much.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMassage it over your face for about thirty seconds, taking it up to the hairline and along the\n    temples where a topical tends to run. Keep it away from the eye area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat your face dry with a towel rather than rubbing it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eApply your moisturiser within a minute, while the skin is still slightly damp. Dermatologists\n    generally advise moisturising damp skin rather than fully dried skin, and it is worth doing on a\n    face that has been under treatment.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWash first, treat second.\u003c\/strong\u003e A topical goes on after the wash, once your skin and scalp\nare completely dry, never before it. Applying minoxidil and then washing an hour or two later throws the\ndose away, and the label asks for at least four hours between the two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effect is cosmetic and it arrives with the first wash. Your face should feel clean without that\ndrawn, tight sensation as it dries, and if tightness was your main complaint you will know within a\ncouple of days whether the change of wash has helped. Nothing accumulates and nothing needs months.\nIf your skin is still tight after a week of using this and moisturising properly, look at the topical\nitself or the amount of it running down onto your face. This\nproduct will not affect your hair in any way at any point, and it is not meant to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Use it on the face, not on the scalp. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with\nplenty of water if it gets into your eyes. If your skin is already irritated or reacts easily, patch\ntest it first on the inner forearm and wait twenty-four hours. Do not use it on skin that is broken,\ncracked, sunburnt or inflamed. Stop using it if you develop redness, stinging or a rash that does not\nsettle. This is a cosmetic wash and it is not a treatment for eczema, dermatitis, acne or any other skin\ncondition. If your scalp becomes red, inflamed, irritated or painful while you are using minoxidil, that\nis a stop-use signal on the drug's own label, so speak to a doctor rather than washing your way through\nit. Keep out of reach of children.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981147545982,"sku":"QN-HYDRATINGFACEWASH","price":24.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/hydrating-face-wash.png?v=1790587708"},{"product_id":"walnut-scrub-cleanser","title":"Walnut Scrub Cleanser","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA fine walnut shell polish for the face, meant for twice a week at most. Most men\nreach for a scrub because they can see flaking along the hairline and the forehead, so it is worth\nsaying at the top that if that flaking started after you began a twice-daily topical, a scrub is the\nwrong tool and will leave the skin worse than it found it. This is for ordinary rough, dull or\ncongested skin, and it does nothing at all for your hair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWalnut shell powder\u003c\/strong\u003e is the only ingredient here doing any work, and it works\nmechanically rather than chemically. Ground shell is hard and its fragments are irregular, which is\nthe basis of the long-standing dermatological objection to nut-shell scrubs, that coarse particles\ncan scratch skin instead of polishing it. Much of that objection is about grade and pressure, so the\nsensible response is a finely milled powder in a cushioning cleansing base, used gently and rarely.\nThis is a fine grade, though it is still a physical scrub, and the way you use it matters more than\nthe ingredient list.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGround shell is also what replaced plastic microbeads after the UK banned them from rinse-off\ncosmetics in 2018, which is why almost every physical scrub now uses a shell, a seed or a salt.\nNothing in here absorbs, and there is no evidence that exfoliating the face or the scalp improves\nhair growth or helps a topical treatment get through. Anyone telling you a scrub unblocks follicles\nand lets hair out is selling you something.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSkin under treatment gets neglected, and the men in this range tend to have oily, congested or\nshaving-roughened skin on top of everything else. A polish twice a week keeps texture smooth and\nkeeps a dull, coated look off the forehead and nose. Use it alongside the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e, which stays the daily wash. If your skin is\nblemish-prone, a chemical exfoliant such as the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/salicylic-face-wash\"\u003eSalicylic Acid Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e is the better choice, because\nsalicylic acid works inside the pore and does not require you to rub anything over an inflamed spot.\nAnd if the flaking you are trying to sand off sits along the hairline and temples, that is barrier\ndryness from an alcohol-based topical, and the fix is the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e or the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e rather than this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a week at most, in the evening, after your usual cleanser.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash first with your normal cleanser and leave your face damp rather than dripping. A scrub\n    dragged over dry skin is far harsher than the same scrub on wet skin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSqueeze a strip about 2 cm long onto your fingertips, roughly 1 mL, for the whole face. At\n    twice a week, one 100 mL tube lasts about a year.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips and work it in small circles for about thirty seconds, mostly\n    across the forehead, nose and chin. Let the grains do the work and keep the pressure light. There\n    is nothing to be gained by scrubbing harder or for longer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eStop at the hairline. Do not take it up into the scalp or across the temples if you are\n    applying a topical treatment there.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFollow immediately with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e\n    while your skin is still slightly damp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep it away from treated skin and from anything that breaks the surface.\u003c\/strong\u003e\nMinoxidil labelling tells you not to apply it to skin that is broken, irritated or inflamed, because\nabsorption through a damaged barrier can be higher than through intact skin. Exfoliating an area you\nthen dose with\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-topical-solution-5\"\u003eMinoxidil Topical Solution\u003c\/a\u003e is a change you did not\nintend to make to your dose. For the same reason, leave at least twenty-four hours either side of the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller\u003c\/a\u003e, and never use both in one session. The other\ncommon mistake is frequency. Three or four times a week will strip the skin, and the tightness that\nfollows feels like it needs more exfoliation when it needs less.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effect is cosmetic and immediate. Skin feels smoother the same evening, looks a little\nbrighter for a day or two, and a shave the next morning goes more cleanly over polished skin. That is\nthe entire benefit, and it fades in a few days, which is why it is a twice-weekly habit rather than a\ncourse of treatment. Nothing here builds up over months, nothing affects shedding or regrowth, and\nnothing in this tube will show up in a photograph of your hairline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with water if it gets in. Patch test on the\njaw before the first full use if your skin reacts easily. Do not use it on skin that is broken,\nsunburnt, inflamed or freshly needled, on active inflamed spots, or on the treated scalp. Stop using\nit if you develop redness, stinging or a rash that does not settle within a day. This is a cosmetic\nscrub and it is not a treatment for hair loss, acne or any skin condition. Keep out of reach of\nchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981148791166,"sku":"QN-WALNUTSCRUBCLEANSE","price":18.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/walnut-scrub-cleanser.png?v=1790587817"},{"product_id":"ceramide-barrier-cream","title":"Ceramide Barrier Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA rich ceramide and hyaluronic acid cream in a 50 g jar, for skin that has gone\npast dry and started to flake. It sits in a hair loss range for a practical reason: the topicals in\nthis range are drying, and tight, sore skin along the hairline is a common reason men\nstop applying a treatment before it has had time to work. Its job is to hold water in the outer layer\nof skin and keep that skin comfortable, which is a smaller claim than this category usually makes and\nthe one the ingredient evidence will actually carry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCeramides\u003c\/strong\u003e are one of the three lipid classes that make up the skin's permeability\nbarrier, alongside cholesterol and free fatty acids. They sit between the cells of the outer layer in\nmulti-layered lamellar structures, and that arrangement is what stops water leaving the skin faster\nthan it arrives. Alcohol, surfactants and frequent washing all deplete them, so putting them back is\na reasonable thing to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe evidence for that is decent for a cosmetic ingredient, and it is worth knowing exactly what it\nis. A randomised trial in adults with moderate eczema found that a ceramide-dominant cream and\ncleanser used as a daily regimen improved transepidermal water loss significantly more than a matched\nplacebo regimen at nearly every measurement point. Four things about that trial matter. It was funded\nby the company selling the product being tested, with several of its authors employed there. The\npeople in it had eczema rather than skin dried out by a hair treatment. It tested a cream and a\ncleanser together as one regimen, not a cream on its own. And it tested a different formula from\nthis one.\nIngredient science of that kind tells you the class is worth having on your face. It does not tell\nyou what this particular jar will do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the honest ceiling here is barrier support and comfort. You will see creams like this sold as\nrepairing, restoring or rebuilding the barrier. We will not describe it that way, because that goes\nfurther than the published evidence and further than a cosmetic product is entitled to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHyaluronic acid\u003c\/strong\u003e is a humectant. It holds many times its own weight in water and\ndraws water into the upper layers of the skin, which is the part you feel within minutes of putting\nit on. It is worth separating that from the barrier story. In a double-blind trial in older adults\nwith dry skin, a hyaluronic acid lotion raised measured skin hydration against both a heavier-weight\nversion and a plain vehicle, and yet no group in that trial showed a significant improvement in water\nloss through the barrier. Hyaluronic acid handles hydration and comfort. The ceramides are what carry\nthe barrier part.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopical minoxidil is carried in alcohol, and the solution adds propylene glycol on top. The\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e contains tretinoin, which\nincreases skin turnover. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/retinol-night-cream\"\u003eRetinol Night Cream\u003c\/a\u003e does\nsomething similar on the face. Any of those, applied daily to the same strip of skin, can leave the\nhairline, the temples and the forehead dry and flaky, often within the first month or two. The\nproblem there is in the skin barrier, and a moisturiser is the sensible thing to reach for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis overlaps with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e and you\nshould know that before you buy. The ingredient families are the same. The hydration cream is a light\ndaily moisturiser that sits under everything else and suits most skin most of the time. This one is\nthe heavier jar, for skin that has already tipped into visible flaking, tightness, or a sting when the\ntopical goes on. Plenty of men need only the lighter one. If you are in a bad patch, in the middle of\nwinter, or running a retinoid alongside a topical, this is the jar to switch to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo other pairings are worth naming. The ceramide trial above tested a cream with a cleanser, so\nusing it after the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e rather than after a bar of soap\nis closer to how the ingredient class was actually studied. And on the days after you use the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller 0.5 mm\u003c\/a\u003e, a moisturiser genuinely helps: a\nsplit-face trial after microneedling found reduced water loss and reduced redness in the moisturised\nskin. In that same trial the ceramide-lipid active did no better than its own plain base, so the\nuseful instruction is to moisturise after rolling, and no more than that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and night, on slightly damp skin after washing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCleanse first, then pat your face until it is damp rather than dry. A humectant works better\n    when there is water present for it to hold.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake roughly a pea-sized amount for the whole face, using clean, dry fingers or a spatula. Wet\n    or dirty fingers in an open jar is how a cream spoils early.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips for a few seconds, then press it into the skin instead of\n    rubbing it around.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCarry it up to and along the hairline and the temples. That is the strip people skip and the\n    first place a topical dries out.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGive it two or three minutes to absorb before anything goes on top of it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAt night, apply it as the last step, once any treatment has fully dried.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep it well away from your minoxidil dose in time.\u003c\/strong\u003e Minoxidil takes two to four\nhours to dry, and minoxidil product information warns that topical products which alter the outer\nlayer of skin can increase how much minoxidil is absorbed if they are applied at the same time. A rich\ncream over a wet dose also spreads that dose somewhere you did not intend it to go. Wash, moisturise,\nand leave the topical its own slot at the other end of the day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComfort is the part you notice first. Skin should feel less tight within minutes, and that is the\nhumectant and the emollients doing exactly what they do. Visible flaking usually settles over several\ndays to a couple of weeks of consistent twice-daily use, assuming the cause really is the drying effect of a\ntopical. The measurable barrier changes in the published trials took weeks of daily use rather than a\nsingle application, so judge this over a fortnight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing in this jar will grow hair, slow shedding, or hold a receding line. Its whole contribution\nis supportive: it keeps the skin under a treatment comfortable enough that you carry on with the\ntreatment. For some men, that comfort is the difference between sticking with a topical and quietly\ngiving up on it in the first couple of months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only, on the face and hairline. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with cool water if\nit gets in. Keep out of reach of children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatch test before your first full application.\u003c\/strong\u003e Put a small amount behind an ear or\non the inner forearm and leave it for twenty-four hours. This matters more than usual if your skin is\nalready irritated, because irritated skin reacts to things it would otherwise tolerate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo not apply it to skin that is broken, cracked, bleeding, sunburnt or infected. If you have used\nthe dermaroller, wait twenty-four hours and until the skin looks normal again. Microneedling opens the\nbarrier deliberately, absorption of anything applied afterwards rises while it is open, and stinging\nor itching when moisturisers are applied is a recognised effect of the procedure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is not the answer to a stop-use signal.\u003c\/strong\u003e The minoxidil label tells you to stop\nusing it and speak to a doctor if your scalp becomes red, inflamed, irritated or painful. A moisturiser\ndoes not change that instruction, and using one to push through those symptoms is a bad idea. Dryness\nand flaking are a different matter, and they are what this cream is for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic product and it is not a medicine. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or\nprevent any condition, including hair loss. If redness, scaling or itching persists, spreads, or comes\nback as soon as you stop, see a doctor. Seborrhoeic dermatitis and eczema are common on the scalp and\nhairline, they look a lot like treatment dryness, and they need something more than a moisturiser.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStore below 25 degrees Celsius, away from direct sunlight, with the lid screwed shut.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981149970814,"sku":"QN-CERAMIDEBARRIERCRE","price":54.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/ceramide-barrier-cream.png?v=1790587663"},{"product_id":"centella-calming-cream","title":"Centella Calming Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA plain soothing cream with centella asiatica, in a 50 g jar. It is in a hair loss\nrange for one reason: the treatments in this range leave the hairline, the temples and the forehead\nred, tight and stinging, and that discomfort is what makes men stop applying them. This cream does\nnothing for hair growth, and its whole job is keeping your skin comfortable enough that you carry on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCentella asiatica extract, the plant sold in skincare under the name cica. The compounds usually\ncredited for its effect are four triterpenes, asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and\nmadecassic acid, and in laboratory and animal work they increase collagen production and speed\nwound closure. The human evidence is thinner than the popularity of the ingredient suggests. Most\nof it comes from small trials on creams containing several other active ingredients, often run by\nthe company selling the formula, and it points at reduced redness and better tolerance on skin that\nis already irritated rather than at anything structural. Centella is best understood as well\ntolerated and mildly calming on reactive skin, which is a modest claim and an honest one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rest of the jar is a light emollient base. Some of the relief you feel in the first minutes\ncomes from the base itself, in the same way that any decent cream takes the sting out of dry skin,\nand it would be dishonest to attribute all of it to the extract.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinoxidil solution is carried in alcohol with propylene glycol, and propylene glycol is the\ningredient most often behind an itchy, scaling, red scalp. The\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e adds tretinoin, which\nincreases skin turnover and brings its own redness and peeling. The scalp and the face are one\ncontinuous piece of skin, and the hairline sits on the join, so the irritation shows up somewhere\nyou can see it, usually between week two and week six.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree creams in this range do three different jobs. The\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the daily one for skin that is\nsimply dry. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e replaces the\nlipids a solvent strips out, which is the slower structural fix. This one is what you reach for on\nthe days when skin is actively angry, when the hairline is pink and a topical stings going on.\nIt suits anyone with reactive skin, anyone in the first weeks of a new treatment, and anyone who\nhas just added tretinoin to a routine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening, on clean skin.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash first with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e and pat dry, leaving\n    the skin slightly damp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a pea-sized amount for the hairline, temples and forehead, or roughly an almond-sized\n    amount if you are covering the whole face. Use clean, dry fingers, since a jar has no pump and\n    picks up whatever you put into it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips and press it into the red areas rather than rubbing it\n    around. Rubbing is its own irritant on skin that is already sore.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake it right up to and just past the hairline, into the first centimetre of scalp. That\n    edge is where treatment irritation starts and it is the part most people skip.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGive it two or three minutes to absorb before anything else goes on top.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep it away from your minoxidil dose in time.\u003c\/strong\u003e Apply the cream at the opposite\nend of the day, or at least an hour after the topical has dried completely. Putting minoxidil onto\na freshly creamed hairline dilutes the dose and spreads it somewhere you did not intend, and it is\nthe most common way people quietly waste half an application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComfort is immediate, within a minute or two, and it is cosmetic. Skin that stings stops\nstinging and feels less tight. Visible redness is slower and much less certain. Give it a week or\ntwo of consistent twice-daily use before you judge it, and bear in mind that redness is unlikely to\nsettle while whatever is irritating the skin carries on at the same level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing about this cream affects hair count, density or shedding at any point, and no amount of\npatience will change that. If your skin is redder after two weeks of using it, the cream is not the\nproblem to solve. Reduce how often you apply the topical treatment, or stop and speak to a doctor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with cool water if it gets in. Do not apply\nit to skin that is broken, weeping, sunburnt or infected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatch test before your first full application.\u003c\/strong\u003e Put a small amount behind an ear\nor on the inner forearm and leave it for twenty-four hours. Centella asiatica, and asiaticoside in\nparticular, is a recognised cause of allergic contact dermatitis, which is worth taking seriously\nin a product you are buying specifically because your skin is already reacting to something.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you use the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller 0.5 mm\u003c\/a\u003e, wait twenty-four\nhours and until the skin looks normal again before applying this or anything else. Microneedling\nopens channels through the outer layer of skin on purpose, which raises the absorption of whatever\ngoes on afterwards, and a soothing cream is not an exception to that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA calming cream does not make an irritated scalp safe to treat. The Drug Facts label for 5%\nminoxidil says under Do not use if: your scalp is red, inflamed, infected, irritated or painful.\nThat instruction still stands whatever you put on top of it, so pause the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-topical-solution-5\"\u003eMinoxidil Topical Solution USP, 5%\u003c\/a\u003e until your\nskin has settled rather than treating through it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic product and it is not a medicine. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure\nor prevent any condition, including hair loss. Stop using it if you develop a rash or persistent\nitching. Persistent facial redness with scaling or bumps can be a skin condition in its own right,\nso see a doctor if it does not settle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStore below 25 degrees Celsius, away from direct sunlight, with the lid closed.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981150003582,"sku":"QN-CENTELLACALMINGCRE","price":136.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/centella-calming-cream.png?v=1790587656"},{"product_id":"retinol-night-cream","title":"Retinol Night Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA 50 g night cream with retinol, ProXylane and hyaluronic acid, for facial skin\nonly. It does nothing for hair, and it is worth saying that first, because it sits in a hair loss\nrange for a plainer reason. Men who use topical minoxidil end up with a face routine whether they\nwanted one or not, and once you own a routine, retinol is one of the few cosmetic actives with a\nreal body of trial evidence behind it. It is also the one most likely to make an already dry hairline\nworse, so the instructions below matter more than usual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRetinol.\u003c\/strong\u003e A vitamin A derivative, and the cosmetic relative of prescription\ntretinoin. Skin converts it in two steps, retinol to retinaldehyde to retinoic acid, and it loses\npotency at each step, which is why a retinol cream is slower and gentler than a prescription\nretinoid doing the same job. The evidence behind it is genuinely good by cosmetic standards.\nRandomised, vehicle-controlled trials on photoaged facial skin report improvements in roughness,\nfine lines and uneven pigmentation over courses of twelve weeks and longer, and that body of work\ncovers facial skin quality and nothing else. European cosmetic rules set a maximum retinol\nconcentration for leave-on face products, and this cream is formulated to stay inside that limit.\nWe are not quoting a percentage here, because a figure on its own tells you very little. The\nfrequency you can actually keep up matters more, and a bigger number mostly buys more irritation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProXylane.\u003c\/strong\u003e The trade name for hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol, a synthetic\nmolecule built from xylose, a sugar taken from beech wood. In laboratory work it is reported to\nraise the production of glycosaminoglycans, the water-holding molecules in the dermis, and that is\nthe whole basis of the claims made for it. The human evidence is thin and almost all of it comes\nfrom the company that developed and patented the ingredient. Treat it as a supporting ingredient\nwith a plausible mechanism rather than as a second active. It is nowhere near retinol's record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHyaluronic acid.\u003c\/strong\u003e A humectant that holds many times its own weight in water and\nsits mainly in the upper layers of the skin. A double-blind trial in older adults with dry skin\nfound that it raised measured skin hydration against a vehicle, while none of the groups showed any\nchange in water loss through the barrier. Its job in this formula is comfort, and it is there to\noffset the dryness retinol causes in the first month.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scalp and the face are one piece of skin and the hairline is the join, which is why this\nrange carries face products at all. Topical minoxidil is carried in alcohol with propylene glycol,\nand the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e adds tretinoin\non top of that. This cream is for the man whose skin has already settled down on treatment and who\nwants to work on texture and lines at night, on the face, away from the treated area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the wrong product for the first months of a minoxidil course, and the wrong product for\nanyone whose hairline is currently red, flaky or sore. If that is where you are, the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e and the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e are the pair that fixes it,\nand this jar can wait a few months. If you already use the Signature Spray, you have a retinoid on\nthat skin, and adding a second one raises the irritation without buying you more benefit. On a normal night this follows\nthe cleanser and goes under the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e or\nthe Ceramide Barrier Cream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUse a pea-sized amount at night only, twice a week to start with, building up over a\nmonth to a maximum of once a night.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e, then pat dry and wait five\n    minutes. Retinol goes on completely dry skin, because damp skin drives more of it in and\n    irritation is the usual result.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a pea-sized amount, which is enough for the whole face. Use clean, dry fingers, since\n    this is a jar and wet fingers shorten its life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips and press it over the cheeks, forehead, chin and jaw. Keep it\n    off the eyelids, the lips, and the creases at the corners of the nose and mouth, which are where\n    people get sore first.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eStop about a centimetre short of the hairline if you apply minoxidil there. That strip is\n    already taking a daily dose of alcohol and propylene glycol and does not need a retinoid as\n    well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLeave it on. Wait two or three minutes, then apply your moisturiser on top if your skin feels\n    tight. If you are sensitive, put the moisturiser on first and the retinol over it, which slows\n    absorption and takes the edge off the first fortnight.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBuild up in stages. Twice a week for two weeks, then every other night for two weeks, then\n    nightly if your skin is comfortable. A great many people do best at three or four nights a week\n    and stay there.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWear sunscreen the following morning, every morning, all year.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe common mistake is stacking actives on one night.\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep this away from\nexfoliating acids, vitamin C, a prescription retinoid, and your evening minoxidil dose. If you use\nthe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller 0.5 mm\u003c\/a\u003e, skip the cream entirely on rolling\nnight and leave at least twenty four hours for the skin to close before it goes back on. Doubling\nthe frequency to catch up after a missed week is the other reliable way to end up abandoning it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first two to four weeks are the unpleasant part. Dryness, tightness, some fine flaking and\nmild redness are normal while skin adjusts to a retinoid. They are worst around the nose and mouth,\nand they are the reason most people give up. Going slowly is what gets you through it, and dropping\nback to every third night for a week is the sensible response when your skin is complaining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmoother texture and a more even surface show up somewhere around eight to twelve weeks. Changes\nin fine lines and tone take three to six months and are modest when they come. The effect is\nmaintenance, so it holds for as long as you keep using it and fades over months once you stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing here will change your hair. If your hairline looks better in six months, the credit\nbelongs to whatever regrowth treatment you are using, and it is worth being clear about that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with cool water if it gets in. Patch test on\nthe inner forearm and leave it twenty four hours before the first full application. Do not use it on\nthe scalp, on broken, inflamed or infected skin, or on skin that is sunburnt or freshly rolled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRetinoids make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so this is a night product and daily sunscreen\ngoes with it. Do not use it alongside a prescription retinoid such as tretinoin, adapalene or oral\nisotretinoin, and speak to your prescriber before combining it with anything else medicated on the\nface. Stop using it if redness, stinging or peeling persists beyond the first month or gets worse\nrather than better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopical vitamin A derivatives are routinely avoided in pregnancy, so this cream should not be\nused by anyone who is pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding. European rules also require a\nvitamin A statement on the pack, because retinol from cosmetics adds to what you already take in\nfrom food and supplements. Keep it out of reach of children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic product. It has no medicinal licence anywhere, and it does not treat, cure or\nprevent hair loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStore below 25 degrees Celsius with the lid closed and out of direct sunlight. Retinol\ndegrades in light and air, so keep the jar shut and off the windowsill.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981150036350,"sku":"QN-RETINOLNIGHTCREAM","price":83.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/retinol-night-cream.png?v=1790587748"},{"product_id":"zinc-oil-control-cream","title":"Zinc Oil Control Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA light daily moisturiser with zinc, made for skin that runs oily and goes shiny by\nthe afternoon. It is in a hair loss range because the treatments here dry out the forehead and the\nhairline, and men with oily skin tend to answer that by using nothing at all. A cream that sits\ncomfortably on oily skin is the one that actually gets used twice a day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZinc, in a cosmetic salt form, is used in skincare to moderate how oily the skin surface looks\nand to keep it feeling calm. The evidence behind that is modest. Most of it comes from small\nstudies and from testing run by the ingredient suppliers themselves, and there is laboratory work\non how zinc behaves in sebaceous cells that has never been confirmed to matter on a real face.\nTreat it as a reasonable, well-tolerated ingredient for oily skin rather than a proven one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immediate matte finish comes from the base of the cream rather than from the zinc. It is a\nlight, fast-absorbing texture that holds water in the skin without leaving a film, so the shine you\nlose in the first minutes is a cosmetic effect of the formulation, and it is honest to call it\nthat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne claim to ignore, including when other brands make it: laboratory data on zinc and\n5-alpha-reductase is sometimes stretched into a hair loss claim. A face cream does not treat hair\nloss, and nothing in this jar will do anything for the hair on your head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopical minoxidil is carried in alcohol and propylene glycol, and tretinoin, in the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-signature-spray\"\u003eMinoxidil Signature Spray\u003c\/a\u003e, speeds up skin\nturnover. Both leave the hairline, the temples and the forehead dry and tight within the first\nweeks, and that discomfort is one of the common reasons men give up on a treatment early. Oily skin\nstill dehydrates, it simply does it while producing oil, which is why the usual advice to skip\nmoisturiser because you are greasy makes the problem worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the moisturiser for you if your skin is oily, combination or acne-prone. If your skin is\ndry, tight or flaking, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the\nbetter choice and there is no reason to own both. It follows naturally from the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zinc-face-wash\"\u003eZinc PCA Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e, and from the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/salicylic-face-wash\"\u003eSalicylic Acid Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e if you get blocked pores along\nthe hairline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening, after washing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCleanse and pat your face dry, leaving the skin slightly damp. A moisturiser applied to damp\n    skin holds on to more of that water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a pea-sized amount, about half of what you would use of a richer cream.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDot it across the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, then spread it in a thin, even layer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBring it up to the hairline and the temples, since that is where a topical treatment dries the\n    skin most.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGive it two or three minutes to absorb before sunscreen, a topical treatment, or anything\n    else.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrder matters.\u003c\/strong\u003e Apply the cream first and let it settle, then apply your\nminoxidil to a dry scalp. Layering a cream on top of a fresh dose spreads it around and wastes it.\nKeep the cream on your face and off the scalp itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe matte finish is immediate and it is a cosmetic effect, so judge that on the first\napplication. Any change in how oily your skin actually gets through the day is slower and smaller,\nand if it comes at all you would expect to notice it somewhere between two and four weeks of\nconsistent twice-daily use. Comfort at a dry, treated hairline usually improves within the first\nweek. Nothing about this cream will change your hair, and it is not intended to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with cool water if it gets in the eyes. If\nyour skin is sensitive or reactive, patch test on the inner forearm and leave it for 48 hours\nbefore using it on your face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo not apply it to broken, inflamed or actively irritated skin. Stop using it if you develop\nredness, stinging or a rash that does not settle. It contains no sun protection, so use a separate\nsunscreen in the morning, particularly if you are using tretinoin or a\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/retinol-night-cream\"\u003eRetinol Night Cream\u003c\/a\u003e, both of which make skin more\nsensitive to sunlight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic moisturiser and it treats no medical condition. Persistent, painful or cystic\nacne is worth taking to a doctor rather than managing with skincare. Keep out of reach of children.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981150200190,"sku":"QN-ZINCOILCONTROLCREA","price":81.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/zinc-oil-control-cream.png?v=1790587829"},{"product_id":"brightening-spot-cream","title":"Brightening Spot Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA targeted night cream with alpha-arbutin and glutathione, for the brown marks left\nbehind after a spot, a shaving nick or a patch of irritation has healed. It is in a hair loss range\nbecause these routines produce marks of exactly that kind, along a hairline that an alcohol-based\ntopical keeps dry and flaking, and across the scalp and jaw after rolling. It is a cosmetic\nproduct that works on discolouration slowly, and it treats no pigment disorder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlpha-arbutin\u003c\/strong\u003e is a derivative of hydroquinone that slows tyrosinase, the enzyme\nyour skin uses to make melanin. The practical consequence is worth being clear about, because it\nsets your expectations for everything below. New pigment is made more slowly, so a mark fades only\nas the skin above it turns over, and pigment already sitting in the skin is not lifted out by a\ncream. The clinical evidence is real and modest, meaning small trials, mostly in melasma, several of\nthem run or paid for by ingredient suppliers, showing measurable falls in melanin readings over\neight to twelve weeks. That makes it one of the better-supported cosmetic brightening ingredients,\nwhich is a lower bar than it sounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGlutathione\u003c\/strong\u003e is an antioxidant peptide your body already makes, included here for\nits effect on the type of melanin produced. The topical evidence is thinner than arbutin's, a\nhandful of small studies with modest reductions in melanin index. The oral and injectable versions\nsold for skin lightening deserve real scepticism, and the injectable form has drawn safety warnings\nfrom regulators in several countries. In a cream it is a supporting ingredient that is well\ntolerated and has little to show on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name of this product changed before launch, from whitening to brightening, and the\ndistinction is a real one. It works on marks and patches against your own skin tone. It will not\nlighten your natural colouring, and no cosmetic cream should be sold on that promise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is for men whose spots have cleared and left the colour behind. Post-inflammatory\npigmentation is what skin deposits after inflammation of almost any kind, and it is more visible and\nmore persistent in deeper skin tones. Two things in this range cause it. The\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dermaroller-0-5mm\"\u003eDermaroller\u003c\/a\u003e lists post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation\namong its documented adverse effects, with darker skin types named as a risk factor, so if you roll\nand mark easily, this is the cream that follows. The second is ordinary breakouts, and if that is\nyour pattern the useful order is to reduce the spots first with the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/salicylic-face-wash\"\u003eSalicylic Acid Face Wash\u003c\/a\u003e and treat the marks second.\nSkin that is still irritated will keep laying down new pigment faster than any brightener clears the\nold, so if a topical has left your hairline raw, calm it with the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e before you start here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOnce a day at night, on the marks rather than over the whole face.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e and pat dry. Give your skin\n    a full minute to dry properly, since damp skin takes up more of any active than you intended.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a rice-grain amount for a single mark, or a pea-sized amount for a larger area such as\n    one cheek or a stretch of hairline.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePress it into the marked skin only and give it a minute to settle. There is no benefit to\n    covering clear skin with it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFollow with a moisturiser over the top if a topical treatment has left your skin dry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLeave it on overnight and wash your face as normal in the morning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every morning, through winter as well as summer. We do\n    not sell one, so buy one you will actually use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunscreen is the part that decides whether any of this works.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ultraviolet light\ndrives the pigment production you are spending twelve weeks trying to slow, and skipping it is the\nsingle most common reason a brightening routine goes nowhere. If you are also using a retinol at\nnight, alternate the two on different evenings for the first month rather than layering them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is slow work and you should plan for months. Nothing visible happens in the first four\nweeks. Recent marks usually start to soften somewhere between eight and twelve weeks of nightly use,\nand older marks, or pigment built up over years of sun, take longer and sometimes never clear\ncompletely. Judge it from photographs taken in the same light a month apart, because the mirror is\nuseless for changes this gradual. If four consistent months with daily sunscreen have changed\nnothing, it is not going to, and a dermatologist is the better next step. One thing worth knowing is\nthat a fresh mark still pink or red is inflammation at that stage, and it settles on its own over\nweeks. This cream is for the brown that follows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with cool water if it gets in. Patch test on\nthe inner forearm on two consecutive nights before you use it on your face, because arbutin can\nsting or redden reactive skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo not apply it to broken, freshly needled or actively inflamed skin.\u003c\/strong\u003e Never use\nit on the same night you dermaroll, and leave at least twenty-four hours for the channels to close.\nCosmetic products carried into fresh microchannels have caused granulomas and hypersensitivity\nreactions in published cases, and that risk is not worth a few days of progress.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStop use if you develop persistent stinging, itching or a rash. Ask a doctor before use if you\nare pregnant or breast-feeding, since arbutin releases small quantities of hydroquinone. Any patch\nof pigment that is new in adult life, changing in shape or colour, unevenly bordered or bleeding\nshould be seen by a doctor rather than covered with a cream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClose the jar firmly after use and keep it out of direct sunlight, as glutathione oxidises on\nexposure to air and light. Apply with clean hands. Keep out of reach of children.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981150232958,"sku":"QN-BRIGHTENINGSPOTCRE","price":90.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/brightening-spot-cream.png?v=1790587630"},{"product_id":"tallow-restoring-cream","title":"Tallow Restoring Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA rich occlusive balm made from rendered grass-fed beef tallow, for use at night. It\nsits in a hair loss range because the topicals in that range are drying, and some men reach a point,\nusually in cold weather or a few weeks into treatment, where a light lotion has stopped being\nenough. This is the heaviest thing we make, and it only earns that weight on genuinely dry skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRendered beef tallow, which is largely triglycerides of oleic, palmitic and stearic acid, with\nsmall amounts of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. What it does on skin is mechanical and\neasy to describe. It sits on the surface as a sealing layer and slows the rate at which water\nevaporates out of the outer layer of skin. That is the same job petrolatum, lanolin and shea butter\ndo, and tallow does it well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe evidence deserves plain language. There are no controlled human trials on tallow as a facial\nmoisturiser. Its behaviour as an occlusive is basic lipid chemistry and nobody disputes it. The\nclaims made for it elsewhere go a long way past that. You will read that tallow is biologically\nsimilar to human sebum. Sebum is roughly half triglycerides and free fatty acids, about a quarter\nwax esters and around a tenth squalene, and tallow contains no squalene and no wax esters at all.\nTake it as a good occlusive fat with a long history of use, and expect nothing beyond that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe formula also carries a supporting anti-ageing blend. We would rather be plain about how much\nthat is worth. No controlled trial has been run on this cream, and a blend of that kind sitting in\nan occlusive balm should be read as a cosmetic addition, nothing more. What it can honestly do is\nwhat good hydration does, which is make fine dryness lines look softer for as long as the hydration\nlasts. If you want an active with real evidence behind it for skin ageing, that is retinol, and it\nsits in the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/retinol-night-cream\"\u003eRetinol Night Cream\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTopical minoxidil is carried in alcohol and propylene glycol, and tretinoin, in the Signature\nSpray, speeds up skin turnover. The forehead, temples and hairline take the worst of it, and for\nmost men the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e and the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e are the whole answer. This balm\nis for the smaller group whose skin has gone past dry into tight and visibly flaking, and for\nwinter. If your skin is oily or breaks out, use the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zinc-oil-control-cream\"\u003eZinc Oil Control Cream\u003c\/a\u003e instead. If your\nbarrier is properly disturbed rather than simply dry, the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the more considered\nchoice, since ceramides are one of the lipid classes your own barrier is built from and ceramide\nformulations at least have trial evidence behind them. Tallow is the blunter instrument, since it\nseals the surface without rebuilding anything underneath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne caution matters more for this product than for anything else in the range. The label for\ntopical minoxidil warns that products which alter the outer layer of skin, petrolatum among them,\ncan increase how much minoxidil is absorbed when they are applied at the same time. A heavy\nocclusive does exactly that. Keep this on your face, below the hairline, and keep it off any area\nyou treat with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/minoxidil-topical-solution-5\"\u003eMinoxidil Topical Solution\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA pea-sized amount, once a night, on clean damp skin, and only while your skin is\nactually dry.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWash with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e and pat dry, leaving the\n    skin slightly damp. An occlusive holds in the water that is already there, so it works far\n    better over damp skin than over bone-dry skin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eApply any water-based step first, a serum or the Face Hydration Cream. This balm goes on last,\n    because very little passes through it once it is down.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eScoop a pea-sized amount for the whole face and warm it between your fingertips for five to\n    ten seconds, until it turns from a solid to an oil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePress it over the cheeks, jaw and forehead. Stay below the hairline, and leave out the nose\n    and anywhere that turns oily or congested.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLeave it on overnight and wash it off in the morning. It is too heavy to wear during the day,\n    and it will pill under sunscreen.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe common mistake is keeping it in the routine all year.\u003c\/strong\u003e Use it nightly through\na dry spell or a cold month, which is usually two to eight weeks, then drop back to the lighter\ncream once your skin settles. A 50 g jar lasts about three months at that rate. Take it out of the jar\nwith clean dry fingers, since water introduced into an anhydrous balm is what spoils it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effect is immediate and it is cosmetic. Skin feels less tight the same evening, and visible\nflaking usually settles within three to five nights of nightly use. Fine lines that are really\ndryness lines look softer while the skin is well hydrated, and they come back when it dries out\nagain. Nothing here reaches past the outer layer of skin, so there is no slow accumulating result\nto wait months for, and none of it does anything for your hair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with water if it gets in. Patch test on the\ninner forearm for two days before putting it on your face, because rich occlusive fats are among\nthe more common causes of blocked pores and small bumps in people who are prone to them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo not use it on oily or blemish-prone skin, on broken or irritated skin, or on skin that has\nbeen microneedled in the last twenty-four hours. Do not apply it over an area treated with topical\nminoxidil, for the reason given above. It is rendered from beef, so it is unsuitable if you avoid\nanimal-derived ingredients for dietary, religious or ethical reasons, and if you have a known\nallergy to beef or other mammalian meat you should patch test carefully or leave this one alone.\nStop using it if you develop irritation, a rash or persistent spots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKeep the jar closed, out of direct sunlight and away from heat. Keep out of reach of\nchildren.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981150298494,"sku":"QN-TALLOWRESTORINGCRE","price":38.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/tallow-restoring-cream.png?v=1790587812"},{"product_id":"snail-repair-cream","title":"Snail Repair Cream","description":"\u003cp class=\"q-lead\"\u003eA rich face cream built on snail secretion filtrate and hyaluronic acid, in a 50 g\njar. Repair is the conventional name for this category of cream, so it is worth being clear at the\ntop about what it reliably does, which is hold water in the surface of the skin and leave a dry,\ntight face comfortable again. It sits in a hair loss range because the topicals here are alcohol\nbased, and the facial skin around a hairline takes the brunt of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSnail secretion filtrate is a filtered mucous secretion from snails, and it carries\nglycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and allantoin. Most of the research behind it is laboratory work\non cultured skin cells, alongside a small number of human trials, several of them run by the\ncompanies that sell the ingredient. That is a thin evidence base by the standards of this range, so\ntreat it as what it demonstrably is in use, a humectant with a light, cushioned slip that makes a\nheavy cream feel wearable. Claims you will see elsewhere about healing wounds, erasing scars or\nrebuilding skin run well past what has actually been shown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHyaluronic acid holds many times its own weight in water, and controlled trials of topical formulas\nhave measured a rise in surface hydration. Where those trials also looked at water loss through the\nskin, they have generally found it unchanged, which is the honest limit of the claim. It hydrates\nthe surface, and it does not rebuild a barrier. Every study cited for either ingredient tested a\ndifferent formula at a different concentration, which is the ordinary situation in skincare and\nworth knowing whenever a brand quotes ingredient research at you, including this one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it belongs here\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinoxidil solution is carried in alcohol and propylene glycol. Where it runs down from the\nhairline onto the forehead and temples, that skin often turns dry, tight and flaky in the first\nweeks of use. This is a facial moisturiser for that skin. It is for dry or\ndehydrated skin generally, and for anyone who has found the\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-hydration-cream\"\u003eFace Hydration Cream\u003c\/a\u003e too light for winter. Use it after\nthe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/face-cleanser\"\u003eFace Cleanser\u003c\/a\u003e, and on the nights when a retinoid such as\nthe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/retinol-night-cream\"\u003eRetinol Night Cream\u003c\/a\u003e leaves your face feeling\nstripped. If your barrier is genuinely compromised, meaning water and mild products sting on\ncontact, the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceramide-barrier-cream\"\u003eCeramide Barrier Cream\u003c\/a\u003e is the more\nappropriate choice, because lipids do that job better than humectants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne boundary matters. This is a face cream and it stays on facial skin. If the scalp itself\nbecomes red, sore or inflamed while you are using minoxidil, the label tells you to stop and speak\nto a doctor, and no moisturiser changes that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwice a day, morning and evening, on the face and neck.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCleanse first, then pat your face until it is barely damp rather than dry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake a pea-sized amount, roughly half a fingertip, with clean dry hands. Wet or dirty fingers\n    put water and bacteria into a jar that has no pump to protect it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWarm it between your fingertips and press it over your face and neck within a minute of\n    patting dry, while there is still water on the skin for it to hold.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTake it up to the hairline and across the temples, which are the driest areas if you use a\n    topical there, and stop at the hairline. Do not work it into the scalp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGive it two or three minutes to settle before sunscreen, a razor or anything else goes on\n    top.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eIf you apply a scalp topical in the evening, do your face first and the scalp last, then wash\n    your hands.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe common mistake is applying it to bone-dry skin.\u003c\/strong\u003e A humectant cream works on\nthe water already sitting in the surface, so an hour after a shower it has far less to hold onto.\nThe minute after you pat dry is the whole point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat to expect\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effect is cosmetic and it is immediate. Skin feels softer and less tight within minutes, and\nflaking at the hairline usually looks better within three or four days of consistent twice-daily\nuse, largely because hydrated flakes lie flat instead of catching the light. That is the honest\nextent of it. The effect is temporary and depends on reapplying, so skin drifts back to its\nbaseline within a few days of stopping. Nothing here acts on hair, changes what is happening on your\nscalp, or affects how well a treatment works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarnings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor external use only. Avoid the eye area and rinse with cool water if it gets in. Patch test on\nthe inner forearm for two days before the first facial use, and stop if you develop irritation, a\nrash or itching. Do not apply it to broken, inflamed or infected skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you have a shellfish or mollusc allergy, read this.\u003c\/strong\u003e Snail secretion filtrate\nis animal derived, which also means this product is not vegan. Allergy to snails is documented, and\ncross-reactivity between molluscs, crustaceans and dust mite has been described in the allergy\nliterature. If you react to any of those, speak to a doctor before using this cream rather than\npatch testing it yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a cosmetic product. It does not treat, cure or prevent any skin condition, and it has no\nrole in treating hair loss. Keep the lid closed between uses and always use it with clean dry hands,\nsince a jar is exposed to whatever goes into it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStore below 25 degrees Celsius, out of direct sunlight. Keep out of reach of children.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quintéa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57981151936894,"sku":"QN-SNAILREPAIRCREAM","price":32.99,"currency_code":"RON","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1019\/9849\/4078\/files\/snail-repair-cream.png?v=1790587806"}],"url":"https:\/\/quintea.eu\/collections\/skin.oembed","provider":"Quintéa","version":"1.0","type":"link"}