Good Skin(Ceuticals) Days : Review of Serum 10 and Phyto Corrective Gel

An unusual phenomenon is sweeping across Britain: SUNSHINE woohoo! So if you haven’t already added suncream to your daily skincare routine, now is the perfik time to start and stick to it whatever the weather. It’ll stop you turning an unsightly shade of lobster and protect against skin damage. Today’s post, however, isn’t about suncreams - it’s about anti-oxidant serums! Anti-oxidant serums and suncream go hand in hand; both working to neutralise free radicals and help protect against UV damage. I think it’s the best combo to help prevent premature ageing.

In your search for the best anti-oxidant serums, you’re likely to come across SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. C E Ferulic contains 15% L-ascorbic Acid, 1% Alpha Tocopherol, and 0.5% Ferulic Acid. Unfortunately, it carries a $150 price tag to match its impressive claims. It's not stocked in many places. John Bell & Croydon sell it, so do dermatology clinics. I tried getting a sample but consultants kept giving me the same advice: you’re too young for it. (I’m 25, FYG) I’m not entirely why this is so - maybe it’s because high concentrations of Vitamin C can irritate the skin? IDK. They recommended I use a milder formulation, Serum 10 which contains 10% L-ascorbic acid and 0.2% Ferulic acid, and the Phyto Corrective Gel, an anti-inflammatory serum to target spots and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

I got sample of each to try out, and this is how I’ve been using them:

Morning

Cleanser: REN Clay Cleanser / Bioderma Sensibo H20 Solution Micellaire

Lotion: Decleor Aroma White C+ Hydra Brightening Lotion

Eye Serum: Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment Serum

Eye Cream: DHC Coenzyme Q10 Cream

Serum: Serum 10

Serum: Phyto Corrective Gel

Moisturiser: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

Sun Cream: John Masters Organics Mineral Sun Cream (SPF 30)

Evening
Cleansers: Bioderma / samples

Lotion: Decleor Hydra Brightening Lotion

Eye Serum: Elemis Serum

Eye Cream: DHC Q10 Cream

Serum: Phyto Corrective Gel

Moisturiser: Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

You use the dropper to dispense a few drops directly on to the skin and then massage in. Serum 10 has a runny texture, while Phyto is thicker but still very far from your typical gel formulation. Both spread easily, absorb quickly and a little goes a long way. I didn't have any issues applying products afterwards. One is designed to ‘prevent’ (AM) and one to ‘correct’ (AM + PM). 

I typically use Rosehip Oil or Ole's Truth Serum (antioxidant serums to ‘prevent’) followed by Hydraluron or REN’s Omega Three Serum (hydrating serums to ‘correct’).

I’ve been using these two serums for five weeks have noticed my skin looking so much better: smoother, brighter and clearer. I’m honestly not sure if it’s thanks to these serums but my hyperpigmentation marks have faded considerably and I'm even getting "compliments" that my skin is looking better. The price tag is extravagant but I went for it.

Re-thinking my Skincare Routine / Indeed Labs Hydraluron: is it worth the hype?

Anyone who follows/worships the world of Asian skincare will surely have heard of Hada Labo’s Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion. With one sold every four seconds in Japan, promises of soft bouncy skin, endless praise blahblahblah who wouldn't want a bottle for themselves? I certainly do, but you can't buy it in the UK :( So when I first heard about the launch of Hydraluron I jumped at the opportunity to buy a similar product. The key ingredient is Sodium Hyaluronate so it should be a great product - in theory. I'm down to my last tube after using it for about two years (thank you, 3-for-2 at Boots for the never-ending supply) and I'm only now questioning whether it actually does anything. When in doubt, ask the Internet. A Google search for “hydraluron does it work” brings up pages and pages of reviews, praises and ballads upon Hydraluron:

• Plumps the skin
• Skin appears more glowy
• Restores dull and dry skin
• Fewer breakouts
• Helped scars heal and fade more quickly

I’m not sure how this landed in cult status territory because I don't think it's anywhere near as good as it's cracked up to be! Or have I simply been using it for too long to remember any difference? Because of that, I decided to do a little experiment. Rather than stop using Hydraluron altogether to see if I would notice a difference, I thought I'd test it against other serums by using Hydraluron on one half of my face and a different serum on the other.

vs Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale Longevity Concentrate
My sample of Orchide Imperiale lasted 11 days and by the end of it I thought my complexion looked better on the Guerlain side. My skin felt smoother and I was convinced that my cheeks felt fuller, more plump and boingy. I briefly thought of buying this til I found it costs £300. Yah.

vs Guerlain Super-Aqua Serum Light
This sample lasted six days. After much pinching and squashing of cheeks, I had to conclude that there was no difference between using the two. The side with Hydraluron felt smoother after application, but I think this is just a temporary thing to do with the formula.

vs Guerlain Abeille Royale Serum Jeunesse
More from Guerlain! This sample lasted four days and again, both sides felt the same by the end.

vs Astalift Jelly Aquarysta Rejuvenating Concentrate
I have a full 15ml pot of this but only used it for one day :( By the time I came home in the evening, I had two spots on my forehead, and I could feel two more lurking below the surface - all on the Astalift side. Do not megusta.

vs Melvita Eau Extraordinaire Fleurs d'Oranger - Hydration (Orange Blossom Extraordinary Water - Hydration)
This sample lasted five days. I could have got more out of it had I not spilled half on my dressing table. The "eau" part of it is no joke. This 'extraordinary water' (that name wtf) felt a little dry when first applied, but this went away when followed with moisturiser etc.

vs Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
I used this for two weeks to see if not using a hydrating serum would make a difference.

Drum roll: after one month plus of using Hydraluron on only one side .. there was no difference. My skin wasn’t any drier, no less “plump” or spot-prone (ignoring the Astalift jelly), hyperpigmentation still there, face still intact ... So what DOES it do - if anything?

The Claims:
  1.  Reinforces skin's natural short and long term moisturisation
  2.  Increases hydration from below the surface

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant. Humectants retain moisture => immediate difference in skin hydration. Ok. I'm less sure of the 'long-term' benefit though. Since I don’t have a chemistry degree I relied on snippets from articles and journals floating around the internet (heck at least I admit my ignorance) to erm, ‘establish’ that hyaluronic acid molecules are too big to penetrate the skin’s deeper layers. Hyaluronic acid provides effective surface hydration and supports the skin’s protective barrier but topical application won’t boost our ‘natural’ store of hyaluronic acid or send wrinkles to Neverland. It can help prevent the appearance of fine lines etc. by keeping the skin hydrated.

  3.  Plumps up skin tissue to restore elasticity and firmness 

Theres a little graph printed on the packaging about an in-vivo clinical trial conducted over eight weeks that showed an increase of skin elasticity by 27% and decreases surface roughness by 10%. In-vivo testing is great - it means tests on people, not in test tubes. You know how many participants that study had? TWELVE. Taking the concept of a 'trial' literally.

How can you ‘plump up’ the skin without dermal fillers? I'm going to guess that this relates to dehydration. (Not 'dry skin' a la Helena Rubenstein) There's a simple way of testing dehydration by pinching (facial) cheeks. Normal skin will quickly 'bounce' back. Skin with low turgor goes back to normal more slowly, which can be a sign of dehydration. For the sake of your health you'll need to increase water intake. For your skin, a humectant like HA will help skin retain moisture.

All in all, this is definitely not one of my skincare saviours. I'm not really convinced it does anything! I do want to use some kind of hyaluronic acid serum and I have my eye on Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel but it's a bit too expensive :/

Review : balance Me skin bright hydrating face mist

Out of a grand total of 7 ½ reviews I’ve written so far, only two have been positive! To restore some balance, I thought I’d mention some of the products that I DO like and use every day. (Edit: unintended pun there. Har har.)



Going by my last few reviews, you might think that I have insane skin that reacts badly to everything. (I'm inclined to agree TBH) I've been using the skin bright hydrating face mist from balance Me for about three months and I can safely say that it doesn't break me out. Hurrah! Simply spritz 2-3 times after applying lotion and follow with your usual products. I haven't tried using it to set make-up because for fear of looking like I have melted candle wax all over my face. The mist isn't anywhere near fine enough!

Ingredients

Aqua 
Rosa centifolia (rose) aqueous extract - Antioxidant. Has hydrating and astringent properties. (Fragrant)  
Ananas sativus (pineapple) aqueous extract - Moisturising properties, contains AHAs
Glycerin - A humectant and hygroscopic i.e.  attracts and holds water from the environment. Increases hydration in the epidermis
Polyglyceryl-4 caprate - An emollient
Sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) - Hygroscopic. Increases hydration 
Citrus aurantium (neroli)* - Refreshing, helps control oil production (Fragrant)
Nardostachys jatamansi (spikenard)* - Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
Rosa centifolia (rose absolute)* - Moisturising (Fragrant)
Citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot)* - Astringent properties (Fragrant)
Pelargonium roseum asperum (rose geranium)* - helps control oil production (Fragrant)
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)* - Anti-inflammatory properties. Yarrow contains fatty acids, salicylic acid and is high in anti-oxidants
Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile)* - Soothing

Benzyl alcohol - Preservative

Dehydroacetic acid - Preservative
Limonene**, Linalool**, Citronellol**, Geraniol** - Fragrance ingredients

*natural pure essential oil
**naturally occurring in essential oils 

Overall, it's a good mix of ingredients. If you avoid fragrance like the plague you won't agree of course. As obsessed as I am with skincare/ingredients, I like botanical extracts and all that jazz so I don't completely rule out fragrant ones. There are sources of AHAs and BHAs but I doubt they're in high enough concentrations to function as effective exfoliants. There are a lot of hydrating ingredients (esp. glycerin and hyaluronic acid) which sounds like DUH the most predictable observation ever, but you can't take that as given unless you've read the label! It's surprising how many products are labelled as one thing yet the ingredients on the back tell another story. Take this Balancing Mist from Jurlique, for example, which "restores and hydrates the complexion". The second ingredient is alcohol: go figure. Anyway back to balance Me. Speaking of alcohol, this mist does contain it but it's near the end of the list so it's a small(er) amount. The alcohol will stop it going mouldy not burn your face off.

If scare stories about parabens and the C-word have you shi**ing yourself and triggered a skincare exorcism, you'll be happy to hear that the formula is free of parabens and a host of other nasties. Like REN with its clean skincare guarantee, balance Me has a ‘promise’ to make products free of parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, DEA, PEGS, propylene glycol, artificial fragrances and colours. (They must be husband and wife because it's the same promise lol). If you’re hipster and believe in the benefits of “natural” skincare, you'll appreciate that balance Me also aim to create 100% natural products. Just be prepared to handle stuff that’s off by the odd percentile or so.

Overall, I like it. It’s refreshing, using it is mildly amusing (Yoon Seul & Oska’s mom in Secret Garden) and it does what it says on the tin. I wouldn't quite call it a skincare essential, it's more of a 'booster' product that helps keep the skin hydrated. The more products the merrier as far as I'm concerned! What I don’t like is the smell (smeeelll) which is VILE. I seem to have a knack for buying weirdly scented products: a mask that smells like poo, a cleanser that smells like lemony toilet cleaner and this. Which smells like bug repellent. But it’s fine, I can hold my breath for more than ten seconds. 

Price

It's £20 for a 60ml bottle, which is the starting price of most toners. I don't expect it to last as long as normal pour-y toners because using a spray bottle = product wastage. I can feel it settling onto my feet when I spritz -.- One bottle would probably go for six months.

It works out to be £33.33 per 100ml which didn't seem particularly expensive .. until I compared it to the cost of other toners. I usually use Lancome's Tonique Douceur which comes in a 400ml gargantuan of a bottle. That costs £35.50 and works out to be £8.88 per 100ml. I also have Clarins' Camomile Lotion which is £23 for 400ml and works out to be even cheaper at £5.75 per 100ml. These aren’t called “value sizes” for nothing so probably aren’t the best comparisons, but I do have some normal sized ones too: Decleor’s Hydra Brightening Lotion works out as £16.33 per 100ml; DHC’s CoQ10 Lotion is £18.44 per 100ml and Givenchy’s Mist Me Gently is £22.00/100ml.

Here are a few more for comparison:

Gatineau Nasturtium Toner works out as £8.75 per 100ml 
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Toner (£12.50 per 100ml) 
Darphin Intral Toner (£13.50 per 100ml)   
Chanel Lotion Douceur (£15.00 per 100ml)  
Trilogy Hydrating Mist (£17.50/100ml)  
Sisley Floral Toning Lotion (£23.80 per 100ml)

The Organic Pharmacy Rose Toner (£23.95/100ml)

Dr Hauschka Facial Toner (£24/100ml)
Guerlain Lotion Preparatrice (£24.00 per 100ml)
Shiseido White Lucency Softener (£26 per 100ml)

It even beats Creme de la Mer! 'The Tonic' is £30 per 100ml and you know something is expensive when it's more expensive than Creme de la Mert.

The Hydrating Mist works out to be £15 above the average price (£18.15). Obviously, none of the lotions (chosen at complete random from John Lewis) are necessarily better - just cheaper, so it's something to bear in mind if you're thinking of purchasing.

Would I repurchase?

I like it but the product hasn’t really “wowed” me (except in replicating the smell of bug spray - incredible) and in light of my cost/value revelation that occurred in the last ten minutes, it's not something I’d rush to repurchase. There are plenty of other cheaper and perhaps better products to try. Only a few come in the form of a spray though, which I rather like using. I might try decanting some lotion into a Muji bottle or something ... would that work?

Review : REN Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil

For the past six weeks or so I've been trialling REN's Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil and ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser. Today's review is about the Omega 3 serum and tomorrows will be about the clay cleanser.

A few words about the brand:

I rarely mention (or care) about a brand's "ethos" but I'm making an exception for REN because it's pretty much free of BS that you should hear it. REN is about "clean" skincare (no synthetic fragrances, mineral oil, silicones and parabens) but they don't spin the usual "natural skincare is better than yours" line. Their view is that: "It's very difficult to be entirely precise when it comes to words like “natural” and "chemical". Every ingredient in every cosmetic product is a chemical in the sense that it consists of molecules made up of atoms of chemical elements. In addition, many natural (ie not synthetically derived) compounds are poisons (eg arsenic) and so to use the term "natural" is also meaningless without further explanation." WELL SAID REN. I'll  probably end up plagiarising this at some stage. (Ignore the "chemical-free skincare" description on M&S' website)

Also:

-Their products are not tested on animals.

-Full list of ingredients on website!! *Throws confetti*Skips towards the rainbow*

Right then, about the product. I'm pleased to report that this doesn't stink of fish oil. (Though oddly enough, the Omega 3/fish connotation is what piqued my interest) It has a deliciously sweet fruity smell which makes it a joy to apply. The consistency is quite runny, so you have to be careful that it doesn't trickle off your fingers. It comes in a plastic pump bottle and it's easy to control the amount that's dispensed, ensuring no product wastage. I thought it might not absorb well because of the slippery texture, but it absorbs perfectly. I sometimes layer it with other oils and there's no greasiness, thanks to its light consistency.

{ The Ingredients - "Bio Actives" in bold }

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Camelina Sativa Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Phaeodactylum Tricornotum Extract, Bisabolol, Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Tocopherol.

Translation?

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: an emollient

Wheat Germ Oil: "nourishes and provides essential vitamins to protect the skin from oxidative damage"

Camelina Sativa Oil: AKA "gold of pleasure" oil (*snicker*) is rich in Omega 3. "Promotes cell renewal and optimum moisture levels to restore firmness and elasticity"

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rosehip Oil): "rich in Vitamin A. Stimulates the natural metabolism of skin cells". That doesn't mean an awful thing beginning with C, it means healing and repairing the skin (scarring, sunburn) and reducing fine lines. It also rehydrates the skin.

Phaeodactylum Tricornotum Extract: seaweed

Bisabolol: anti-inflammatory (found in Chamomile)

Linalool, Limonene: fragrance ingredients

Tocopherol: anti-oxidant

"Clean" skincare is all well and good, but does it work?

It shure does. My skin is usually "normal", but come January my make-up didn't sit well and the only explanation I could think of was that my skin was dry. With less than a week of use, my skin was back to normal and I could use face powders without looking all gross and flaky.

It's good to use as a main oil to hydrate the skin but also light enough to use as a "booster" layered with other oils to give your skin a bit more love when it's feeling sad and dry. I prefer to use different oils to beef up my skincare routine, rather than changing moisturisers, because I find oils to be much more effective in treating the skin. (Plus, it means that the old moisturiser won't be left to languish at the back of the skincare drawer.)

It can be expensive to have a bunch of face oils on rotation, but this is very reasonably priced at £23 for a 30ml bottle.* It works out as £76.67/100ml, which sounds quite expensive but a 30ml bottle lasts AGES. £23 is very reasonable, especially compared to other oils aimed for dry skin, e.g.:

-Aromatherapy Associates Intensive Skin Treatment Oil - £44/15ml

-Decleor Neroli Serum, £44/15ml

-Sunday Riley Isis Face Oil, £98/30ml

Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ Oil (£26.50/30ml) is another great product, but I don't find it to be as hydrating.

Would I recommend it? 

It's a good serum to use, whether you have dry skin or not. (Keeping your skin hydrated is vital for keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay - so don't wait for the signs of dryness before getting yourself an oil!) However, I'm not sure this worked for me - tomorrow's post will explain.

Celine

*You'll receive 10% off your first order at renskincare.com :)

Review : Origins Never a Dull Moment Skin-Brightening Face Polisher

I had mixed feelings about this product when I first bought it. The texture feels nice on the skin, it smells delicious, but did it do anything?

This exfoliator is formulated like a really, really, thick paste. Something like the squidgy sweets in a packet of Haribo all-stars. (It smells like sweets too.)

You only need a small blob to cover your face, and I find it spreads better if your face is slightly damp. Keep massaging and you’ll have a fine layer of jelly on your visage … but you can’t feel much scrubby stuff in it. The “grains” are just specks dotted here and there. It's kinda like the bits of sugar that stick to your face after eating Royal Dansk biscuits.

So without much scrubby stuff, what was I doing massaging pasty goo on my face? I thought it was £25 down the drain, but my skin felt surprisingly smooth and soft afterwards - something in it worked.

I’ve been using it for a few months (since December to be precise), more for the sake of using it than because it makes a difference. I try not to waste products and to be honest I quite enjoyed washing my face with a jelly baby paste.

Two months later and I’ve finally made up my mind. It works. AND I HAVE PROOF! Behold!

>> Warning: gross pictures of my face coming up. I know you’re going to look anyways <<

I’ve been using Benozyl Peroxide to treat Mt. Vesuvius, which REALLY dries out your skin. After a week of use, I had patch of dry skin resembling fish scales. Naice.

Cleansers and hydrating masks didn’t make any difference - I needed something to slough those cells right off. I could either pick it off like Goldmember or be sane/hygienic and use a peel. That’s when it occurred to me that this would be a good test for Origins - if it got rid of the flakiness, it must work.

And sure enough, it did.

  

Cheesus Crust, I can't believe I'm putting this up on the internet. This pic came up supersized on my computer and for a moment I thought I was looking at an aerial photo of the sea!

Anyhoo there it is. So how does it work? Quite a lot of (negative) reviews point out that it lacks a scrubby texture. No beads, no oomph. That's a bit unfair to Origins, because the ingredients indicate that isn't a  grainy scrub. In any event, you do not want a fruit scrub to be filled with bits of crushed papaya and apricot kernels. You scrubbing your skin with jaddegy bits = you cutting your skin.

{ Ingredients }
Water, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Chloride, Barosma Betulina (Buchu) Leaf Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Abies Sibirica (Pine) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Amara (Bitter Almond) Kernel Oil, Mentha Arvensis (Field Mint) Leaf Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Limonene, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Yucca Schidigera (Yucca) Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-6, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Other reviewers say that you got what you bargained for - this is a “face polish” not a “face scrub”. Err… there’s a difference? There is, apparently: a face polish is gentle with fine granules whereas a face scrub has big thick granules. So in other words, the former is what a face scrub should be like and the latter describes crap from St. Ives.

It’s all words and spades to me. It’s an exfoliator. It works. The end.

Would I Recommend it?

We've all heard that exfoliating is a key part of your skincare, sloughing off the dead skin cells blah blah fresh and even skin tone. For people with normal skin, this product is OK. I myself - with abnormal spot-prone skin - steer well away from any kind of exfoliators with grains/microbeads. My skin has the added joy of being quite sensitive, so using scrubs is just painful. I prefer to use liquid exfoliators that you apply in the same way as you do a lotion (or toner). Just bear in mind that these products don’t go round calling themselves “liquid exfoliators”. They’re often marketed as “brightening” which can point you in the right direction. Read the ingredients and look for glycolic acid, lactic acid (AHAs), fruit acids and salicylic acid (BHA). AHAs are good for treating hyper-pigmentation, and BHAs are for spots. (As for how I ended up with this when I constantly complain of skin woes, I bought it at a point when my spots had cleared up, to help prevent future breakouts and do something about the post-spot blemishes.)

Would I Repurchase?
It's good, but I think I can find better. It works to slough off dead skin but I don't think it's strong enough to treat residual marks. For those, I need something more hard-hitting. I have REN's Clarifying Toning Lotion which contains lactic acid in mind for that :} At £12.00/150ml, it's half the price of Never a Dull Moment (£25/125ml)

Celine