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.

Dealing with Spots & Acne

Spots & acne: the story of my life eh. I suffer from hormonal breakouts (self-diagnosis), not the more serious 'acne' of Roaccutane adverts. Adequate sleep, Oil of Evening Primrose supplements, simple dietary changes and a decent skincare routine have helped keep my face free of breakouts. Over on the sidebar is a link to my regime: a run-down of the twelve different products I use daily and was confident that they worked. ‘WAS’ confident. That sentiment has changed (I think I cursed myself by claiming spot-free skin for four months) because in the fifth month of May my skin was the worst I'd ever seen it. Red, inflammed and sore-looking - the sorta thing you can't even conceal with five pounds of make-up. But enough of that ~ I thought I'd share what I did to get it back to normal :)

What Changed?

This is obvious but easy to overlook when you're too frustrated about the little volcanoes erupting all over your face. Be honest: did you go on a near suicidal Haribo binge? Stress? Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune hit you in the knee? New products? In my case I think stress + new make-up was the cause. Theres not much you can do about stress, but exercise and sleep helps. (I did little of either.) I stopped using my new foundation but that didn’t solve the problem. So I swapped my usual moisturisers for DHC’s CoEnzyme Q10 Cream, thinking it might be a good idea to avoid shea butter but that didn’t help either. It just got worse, and come end of May, it was so bad that I went to my GP for a prescription for Benzoyl Peroxide and changed a few of my skincare products.

Nothing 'unnecessary' (masks, different serums), no potentially irritating products, no aggressive products (like acid exfoliants) and nothing containing alcohol (particularly important if you're using Benzoyl Peroxide creams). I switched my cleansing oil for a gentle micellaire water and rosehip oil for ylang ylang. I know fragrant essential oils are potentially irritating and all that jazz but my Decleor routine worked wonders for me a few years back so I’m happy to use it again.

New Routine:

• Bioderma Sensibo H20 Solution Micellaire. At £4.50/100ml it’s a cheap buy, but only so-so. You’ll still need a flannel and a second cleanser.
• Una Brennan Superfacialist Neroli Cleanser [reviewed here]
• Lancome Tonique Douceur
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment serum & Origins Gin Zing Eye Cream
• Decleor Aromessence Ylang Ylang purifying serum
• Hydraluron
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream & Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 
• Skinceuticals Sheer Mineral Defence SPF 50 (sample) / John Masters Mineral Suncream SPF 30
• Duac Cream (prescription only). Benzoyl Peroxide is available in over the counter solutions, but some contain Hydroquinone, a potential carcinogen.

So in the morning I used Bioderma > Toner > Eye creams > Ylang Ylang oil > Hydraluron > Moisturiser > Suncream. In the evening: Bioderma > Neroli cleanser > Toner > Eye creams > Moisturiser on non spot infested areas.

Within days the redness had noticeably subsided - probably because I stopped using cleansing oils. I’d been using DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil since the beginning of May, which coincided with the time I broke out like crazy. It didn’t even occur to me that a fruit I eat so happily could wreak havoc on my skin -.-'

My prescription for Duac (containing 5% Benzoyl Peroxide / 1% Clindamycin) came though a few days later and after four days of use the spots have completely cleared and my skin has smoothed out. Super effective stuff - but not without its side-effects!* If you've been struggling with spots, consult your GP instead of faffing with remedies that don’t work. I’ve tried them all, believe me!

Theres no reason to change your skincare products if they’re well formulated. (Unless they're whats breaking you out.) Try making a few small (and inexpensive) changes when your routine doesn’t cut it anymore. My Elemis creams cost me £200 - there is no frickin way I’m going to stop using them before they run out!

Suncream
If you're struggling with spots/acne, you're probably struggling with hyperpigmentation too. GET A SUNCREAM!! I’ve looked up dozens of them and of the ones I’ve tried myself I’d recommend Skinceuticals Sheer Mineral UV Defence SPF 50. The white cast settles quickly, theres no greasy or heavy feeling so it’s suitable for all skin types and make-up applies ok afterwards. It also comes in a tinted version (Mineral Radiance UV Defence SPF 50) but I haven’t tried it. Skinceuticals is sold in these places. I went to John Bell & Croyden on Wigmore Street, which is also where I discovered Bioderma - right next to the Skinceuticals section :p

Products not to bother with:

• Quick fixes. Maybe these work for people who get the odd spot. I haven’t found them to be at all useful when you have a persistent problem. You need a good routine to keep spots under control.
• Tea Tree Oil is an effective disinfectant but undiluted tea tree oil can cause skin irritation so it should be bought diluted. It’s frequently sold in 1% concentrations - which is not high enough to be of benefit. Plus it stings like hell. 
• Sudocrem. What post on acne would be complete without a mention of Sudocrem? Don’t buy a cream designed for baby butts. Do buy something designed for adults + your face.

A Heavenly light shines upon them

• Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions.  Maybe it's because of the brand's 'professional clinical' image, I find a lot of people recommend Clinique. I used the entire range (Cleansing Foam, Cleansing Bar, Clarifying Lotion, Moisturiser and Cleansing Mask) and it didn’t make a difference. And the Lotion gave me a chemical burn. I don’t bother with products specifically targeted for spots/acne anymore because too many like to equate the drying effect of alcohol to treating your skin. Take the Origins Super Spot Remover. So it’s going to ‘remove’ a spot like Febreeze lifts a stain is it? *Eyeroll* On the other hand, the alcohol content would probably work to remove fabric stains so maybe it’s a double entendre.

Any other suggestions for dealing with outbreaks?

Bisous! Celine

*Some warnings & side-effects of Benzoyl Peroxide:

Increased sensitivity to sunlight - hence why you must use a sun-cream

Redness and dryness of the skin - have you seen this post?

Can bleach fabric and hair. I sometimes get it in my eyebrows and they haven’t gone white like Bak Mei

Review : REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

REN reviews, deuxieme partie: ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser. This slightly absurdly named cleanser was another accidental find while I was looking for face oils for dry skin (see previous post). It contains clay, which you don't often find in cleansers. (There's Sunday Riley's Ceramic Slip Cleanser, but it's quite expensive at £35/125ml) At £18/200ml*, I thought it was a bargain and there was 20% off on top of that so I went ahead and bought it - but never before checking the ingredients!

{ Ingredients - "Bio-Extracts" in bold }

Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Water, Kaolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Oryzanol, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Leptospermum Scoparium Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Linalool, Limonene, Zinc Gluconate, Bisabolol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Crataegus Oxyacantha Stem Extract, Glucose, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol.

Ahh this is a long list to get through... 

Chamomile Flower Water - soothing and calms the skin 
Kaolin - AKA white clay. Anti-bacterial and detoxifying. Helps keep breakouts at bay.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride - an emollient 

Cetearyl Alcohol - this is a "fatty" alcohol. We like them for moisturising, we do not like denatured alcohol which is drying 

Sesame Seed Oil - contains fatty acids which act as emollients

Cetearyl Glucoside - binding agent

Glycerin - an emollient

Sunflower Seed Oil - contains Vitamin E, helps skin retain moisture

Willow Bark Extract or Salicilin - provides mild exfoliation and has anti-bacterial properties

Benzyl Alcohol - I've noticed this ingredient in a lot of "natural" skincare ranges (eg. balance Me). I wax lyrical about avoiding alcohol in skincare but it's not always possible - products will go mouldy otherwise. Gotta live with it. Benzyl alcohol is plant-derived and supposedly less drying than denatured alcohol, and since it's a bit further down the list, I like to think it's a fairly small quantity. I hope.

Oryzanol - skin conditioner

Sage Oil - anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial

Lavender Oil - antiseptic. You may have read that lavender is cytotoxic on Beautypedia. I went into an OMF-PANIC but I looked up the relevant study, and it turns out that tests were in vitro. In other words, it won't kill you.  

Leptospermum Scoparium Oil - AKA Manuka Essential Oil. Anti-bacterial. Soothes and nourishes.

Chamomile Flower Oil - anti-inflammatory

Linalool, Limonene - fragrance ingredients

Zinc Gluconate - reduces production of sebum

Bisabolol - anti-inflammatory

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract - AKA Pot Marigold. Soothing, anti-inflammatory

Dehydroacetic Acid - preservative

Crataegus Oxyacantha Stem Extract - AKA Hawthorwn or Mayblossom. Anti-microbial and "tones enlarged pores" (whatever that means)

Glucose - sugar?

Xanthan Gum - thickening agent

Lactic Acid - an AHA, which are excellent for exfoliating the skin. However, it's so low down on the list that I doubt it's in any useful quantity! 

Tocopherol - anti-oxidant

You skimmed right past that didn't you ;)

The instructions direct you to pump this on to slightly damp hands but I never bother and apply it straight. The product feels quite cool when applied to the skin and has a luxurious thick consistency, like a mix of three parts clay mask to one part cream cleanser. It feels lovely to massage over the skin (one pump is enough) and leaves it feeling refreshed after rinsing off.

So. Ingredients: check. Texture: check. No French clay pooey smells? Check. So far so good, but does it work? Quite honestly, I find it hard to tell. When it comes to removing make-up, I can tell whether a cleanser does its job by the state of my flannel afterwards - a yellowy residue spells no. This test doesn't work here because I only use it in the mornings for a detoxifying cleanse not for make-up & daily gunk cleansing.

It's almost like a clay mask, so you wouldn't expect to see an immediate result. It needs time to make a difference. Now that six weeks have passed, the question to ask is: has there been an improvement in my skin's condition? The answer to that is ... no. Since I started using these two products from REN, I've broken out in spots -.- And the problem with using new products is that I don't know which of the two is to blame!

With that in mind, I can't really recommend either product at this stage. All I can say is that:

-The Omega 3 serum works very well for dry skin

-The Clay Cleanser should work well for spot-prone skin (and others, there's no reason to restrict it to "blemish prone" skin)

-But one of them caused my skin to break out.

After my skin calms down, I'll start using them again to figure it out. Part troisieme coming soon I suppose.

Celine

*A lot of websites are still selling the old size (150ml) for the same price. Make sure you choose the "33% extra free" 200ml size.