BEAUTY // ACIDS

I still have the skin of a hormonal teenager and now I'm no longer living the travelling life and getting no sun to my pea, my skin has repelled and is being a complete bitch.

I am a sucker for scientific terms when it comes to skin care. They could tell me anything and I would swear by it and these products I've recently purchased are no exception. The main reason I've indulged in yet more products for problematic skin is because I ran out of exfoliator and everyone knows you can't just have one thing in your shopping basket. You're paying for delivery, may as well make the most of it right? Right.

So the scientific bit, as I was browsing I came across some terms such as AHA (glycolic, lactic, and tartaric acid) and BHA (salicylic acid). Skin care guru Jill Zander was the one that sold these ingredients to me...

"Over-exfoliating can lead to redness and irritation and constantly stripping your skin can actually make the skin greasy as it overcompensates for lack of oil.

"Physical exfoliating scrubs that have sharp, uneven grains can tear or damage the skin," Jill says.

Rather than going for granules and grains, Jill suggests trying non-abrasive exfoliators that use AHA, BHA and fruit acids.

She says this "can help prevent sensitive skin from being over-exfoliated. Remember, normal to oily skin only needs exfoliating twice a week."

For those who don't know what AHA or BHA do, I'll tell thee:

Salicylic acid - beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), provides exfoliation preventing pore clogging and smoothing fine lines/wrinkles, stimulates new cell growth, reduces inflammation.

L-Lactic Acid - an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that hydrates and exfoliates, reducing wrinkles and pigmentation discolorations.

Glycolic - (AHA) It safely removes the outer layer of dead skin cells on the surface your skin, bring fresh new skin to the surface. This is beneficial for those who are looking for ingredients that help with anti-ageing.

So of course at this point I was completely focused on finding an exfoliator with either AHA or BHA acids in as Jill MUST known what she's talking about...

Medik8 poreCleanse Gel

The first product I came across seemed a winner which was by Murad called 'AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser' which contained salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids but at a hefty £34 for a 200ml bottle, I wasn't so sure. Therefore I decided on the Medik8 poreCleanse Gel at a reasonable(ish) £17 and with a 15% off voucher I had for Feel Unique £14.45 seemed a little more acceptable.

The description: poreCleanse Gel works effectively to manage the main concerns of oily skin while providing anti-ageing benefits, with both AHA and BHA acids. poreCleanse Gel contains L-Mandelic Acid, which has been shown to offer similar exfoliation properties to glycolic acid, but without the same level of stinging or irritation which can ultimately lead to superior results and a more comfortable experience.

The benefits:
-Removes oil, dirt and bacteria

-Provides deep-pore cleansing
-Renews daily exfoliation
-Prepares the skin for the follow up products

The key ingredients:

L-Mandelic Acid - a gentle Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), with exfoliation and anti-bacterial properties.

Salicylic acid - beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), provides exfoliation preventing pore clogging and smoothing fine lines/wrinkles, stimulates new cell growth, reduces inflammation.

L-Lactic Acid - an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) that hydrates and exfoliates, reducing wrinkles and pigmentation discolorations.

Yogurt Extract - rich in vitamins, calcium and minerals and growth factors.

Mangosteen Peel Extract - potent antioxidant, with, anti‐viral, anti‐fungal, and anti‐bacterial properties.

Raspberry Fruit Extract - antioxidant, astringent and anti‐inflammatory.

If that hasn't sold it to you than I don't know what will! I've only had this product for 2 days now so I can't give you any results but it definitely doesn't feel as stripping as my Vichy cleanser and it is much nicer to use rather than a beaded exfoliator. Give it a few weeks and if you want to know the results then let me know!





Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation

I'm slightly annoyed about this one as I was meant to receive a free sample to try before opening and they never sent one therefore I can't recommend it as of yet but if you're like me and looking for solutions to problematic skin then this might be worth a try.

I don't wear foundation as much as I used to, I prefer wearing something lighter in the daytime so I'm currently using the 'L'oreal Skin Perfection BB 5 in 1 Instant Blemish Balm' but I've found it's really oily so I went on the hunt for something better. I came across this Vichy product when I was watching a pixiwoo video on which foundation is best for different types of skin and this one was categorised under problematic because of it been renown for covering up imperfections. It has a load of good reviews although some say it's a little too heavy but I'm going to give it a try and hopefully my skin will love it.

If you've got any good foundation/tinted moisturiser suggestions to help blemished skin then please let me know!

Vichy Normaderm Purifying Cleansing Gel + Avene Cleansing Water

These two products I had previous to my order but I use them in conjunction with the others as they are also for spot prone skin! The Avene Cleansing Water I tend to use after I've taken my make-up off with a face wipe (yes, I still use face wipes) to get any make up that's still clinging on as the bottle I have is only small therefore I don't want to waste it to get a full face of make-up off! It's specially formulated for blemish-prone skin and anything by Avene or Vichy I will fall for whether it works or not. I feel like the French are just...good at it.

The cleansing gel I use at night as it does make my skin feel a little tight so I put a rich moisturiser on which I obviously wouldn't be able to do in the day. 

Hopefully all of these products together will help me on my way to having better skin!

(I'm also aiming to drink A LOT of water per day)

Fingers crossed!