Renewing AHA Cream by DHC

The mark of a high performing skincare product for me is if I repurchase it.  I've got a glut of skincare items that are just waiting to be used, so if I repurchase something, it stands out from the sea of other products on hand.  DHC's Renewing AHA Cream falls into that category, as this is my 3rd bottle.

Exfoliation is key for healthy and glowing skin, and this formula contains a powerful 10% concentration of lactic acid which manages to do the job for me.  I've got very oily skin with multiple under the skin bumps, known as sebaceous hyperplasia.  Sebaceous hyperplasia is extremely hard to treat, but some specific skincare ingredients do help, such as salicylic acid, Retin A, and lactic acid. 

The Renewing AHA Cream is strong enough that my skin tingles after I apply it.  If you've got sensitive skin, it may be too strong for you, but it does have some skin soothing ingredients in the mix as well.  I use it about once or twice a week at night, but never two nights in a row.   Consequently, a bottle lasts me about 2 years, making the $42.50 price quite reasonable.  Bottom line, it's effective and improves the texture of my skin, which I'm all about :-)

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant by Eminence Organic Skin Care

Anybody ever had strawberry rhubarb pie?  I haven't, but I do have a strawberry rhubarb facial scrub to show you on this Thanksgiving day!  It's a rice-based exfoliant that is gentle enough for daily use, and includes:

• 
  Strawberry: cleanser and astringent; contains Salicylic acid that gently exfoliates and removes impurities to brighten skin and shrink pores
• Rhubarb: a good source of ascorbic acid and vitamins to fight the look of wrinkles
• Lactic Acid: sloughs off dead skin cells to improve texture of skin
• Rice: gentle exfoliant; buffs and smooths skin texture
• Chickpea Flour: tightens pores; absorbs excess oil and helps to buff and smooth skin
• Thermal Mud: contains high amounts of mineral trace elements and sulfur to improve and support the skin
• Oats: deeply cleanse and smoothe
• Biocomplex™: a booster of antioxidants, vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin

I've got to hand it to Eminence Organics, as they make some really interesting products.  I've been fortunate to try a large number of them, and by and large they are top quality.  I keep this scrub in the shower, and while I don't use it every day, I do have it in rotation and always enjoy it's lovely scent.  The only problem I've had is that sometimes the fine granules get caught in my eyelashes, so I make sure to rinse really well so they don't end up in my eye.

Eminence products are more on the pricey side, and the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant retails for $48.  I can say that it lasts for a long time, as I've had mine for close to 2 years now.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those that are celebrating!

Disclosure:  I purchased this.

First Aid Beauty Fab Faves Set

Fab Faves is a set of First Aid Beauty's full sized face cleanser, radiance pads, and ultra repair cream.  I bought this set back in March and am just about to run out of the cleanser, so it's definitely time to post a review. 

I use the cleanser every morning in the shower, and find it to be gentle and effective.  The texture is a pearly whipped cream and it's both sulfate and paraben free.  Some of the ingredients listed include glycerin, aloe leaf juice, camellia sinensis, feverfew, and licorice root extracts.  I really like it and would purchase again, as I think it's a perfect morning cleanser for me.


Also included in the kit are the Facial Radiance pads, which contain lactic and glycolic acids to exfoliate, cucumber and Indian gooseberry to tone, and lemon peel and licorice root to brighten skin.  I find these to also be gentle and non-irritating and have been using them in the morning (I used a stronger exfoliating pad in the evenings).  I like these, but I'm not sure they are strong enough for my oily skin on their own.  However, the product I'm using in the evenings is too much for twice daily use, so these are a good gentle alternative for my morning routine. 

Last is the Ultra Repair cream, which is dense whipped cream which is supposed to replenish lipids and protect the skin's natural barrier function.  I find it a bit too heavy for facial use, as my skin is quite oily.  However, it can also be used elsewhere, and I've used it on my neck, chest and hands.  It's scent and paraben free and contains colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, eucalyptus oil, shea butter, feverfew, camellia sinensis, feverfew, and licorice extracts.  It does not feel greasy on and is a really nice cream for sensitive skin.

I really like this kit and found it a great way to try several First Aid Beauty products at almost half the price if you purchased them individually.  The set retails for $38 and I got mine at Sephora. 

Disclosure:  I purchased these.

Image Skincare Ageless Total Resurfacing Masque Review

Founded in 2003, Image Skincare is a relatively new skincare company with products that I was introduced to at my spa.  Only certified dermatologists, plastic surgeons, licensed estheticians and other licensed medical professionals are supposed to act as resellers of Image Skincare products, which could explain why I found zero reviews when I first started using their products several years ago.  According to their web site, Image Skincare is now the fastest growing skincare company in the US, and they have expanded to 27 countries.  I've now used quite a few of the products and have discovered a few favorites, as well as some that did not work for me.

First up is the Ageless Total Resurfacing Masque.  This is an exfoliating and brightening masque for aging, oily/acne prone, and sun damaged skin.  Um, I qualify for all three.  The total Resurfacing Masque uses three different exfoliating agents - lactic, glycolic, and salycylic acids - as well as rounded micro beads to gently exfoliate skin.  It is also supposed to lighten brown spots. 

Other key ingredients are vitamin C for antioxidant benefits, hyaluronic acid for moisture binding properties, papaya as an enzymatic exfoliator, and arnica montana as an anti-inflammatory.  Recommended usage is 1-3 times per week, although I've never used it more than once a week due to the other exfoliators I use.  Instructions say you can also mix this with your cleanser for additional exfoliation or as an overnight blemish treatment, although I've tried neither.

After cleansing skin, you apply about a quarter's worth to skin and massage skin for about a minute.  You can leave on anywhere from 5-30 minutes, and I usually shoot for the 30 minutes.  This masque smells faintly medicinal.  It's not unpleasant and is almost, but not quite, a minty smell.   My skin does tingle/slightly burn after first applying, but that calms down in about 5 minutes.  To remove, use cool water, massage around a bit more, and then rinse.  My skin is soft, smooth and does not feel taut or dry afterwards.  The only con (and it's not really even that) about the masque is that I frequently find the little micro beads in my hairline after rinsing, 

When I purchased this, it was $27 for a 2 oz. tube, which I think is very reasonable.  Exfoliate by Kate Somerville is $85 for the same amount.  I like Exfolikate and use it, but the Total Resurfacing Masque is quite good for a fraction of the price.  I was even able to locate it on Amazon for $27.50 (it looks like the regular retail has gone up to $28), so apparently you can find it outside of a spa or doctor's office. 

All of the Image Skincare lines are paraben, petrochemical, and chemical preservative free.  They do not test on animals, respect the environment, and fragrances are composed with 100% essential oils.

Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel

Amore Pacific is a Korean skincare brand that started in 1945.  The founder, Sung-Hwan Suh, believed that indigenous Asian botanicals such as bamboo sap, green tea, and Korean red ginseng promote overall wellness and healthy skin.  So, this brand was actually an early pioneer in fighting free radicals, as they grew and hand harvested their own green tea for use in products. 

I was introduced to Amore Pacific when I received a free sample of the Treatment Enzyme Peel from Sephora.  This exfoliant is botanical based and is supposed to brighten skin as well as remove dead surface cells without harsh abrasives.   Utilizing papaya enzymes, this powder turns into a foamy wash once you add water.  The inclusion of "peel" in the name is a bit misleading IMO, as this is a gentle exfoliant and not one that is going to lead to layers of skin coming off, barring a bad reaction of course.  

Amore Pacific is billed as a luxury brand and the cost of the Treatment Enzyme Peel is $60, so it's more on the expensive side.  However, this stuff will last forever.  The dispenser has a nifty design feature which shakes out just the right amount, which is not much at all.  A potential negative for some may be the strong perfumey smell.  I understand that in the Asian market strongly fragranced products are not unusual, but if you are sensitive to scents be warned.  It's not unpleasant to me, just a bit too much. 

After use, my skin feels very soft and clean.  I'm tempted to use this as a cleanser, as it does seem to function as one as well.  It's gentle enough for daily usage on my skin, so I may experiment with it as a cleanser either after using cleansing oil or in the morning for the next few weeks and see how it does.  I'll update this review with my results. 


Ingredients:Lactose, Mannitol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate Dextrin, Water, Zeolite, Silica, Betaine, Papain, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract Starch, PEG-32, Butylparaben, Methylparaben, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Yellow 5, Green 3, Fragrance.

Lush Ocean Salt

One of Mobile's glaring faults is that it does not have a Lush store.  I was not even aware that Lush existed until a few short years ago.  I was visiting a friend in the D.C. area, told her I needed to get a gift for my mother, and she suggested the Lush store in Georgetown.  La, I was mesmerized.  I ended up getting Karma Cream, which is now one of my mother's favorites.  I've blind ordered some other Lush products from online since then, but nothing really substitutes for in store sampling.

The Lush store in Minneapolis is where I first met Ocean Salt scrub.  The store clerk gave me a hand treatment that involved scrubbing with Ocean Salt, followed by Lemon Cuticle Cream and Dream Creme.  I, of course, subsequently purchased all three.  Ocean Salt scrub contains lime-infused vodka, sea salt, avocado and coconut fats.  Yes, for every 440 pounds of Ocean Salt produced, 11 pounds of vodka infused limes are used.  This scrub is supposed to be ideal for skin with blocked pores, blackheads, and blemishes. Perfect!  The photo below shows some of the fruit being processed for Lush products.

I love how Ocean Salt smells - a bit like vodka tonics at the beach.  Who knew that vodka was good for the skin?  Apparently you can even use it as a skin toner in a pinch.  Would that be when you wake up hung over, sans overnight bag, in a well stocked house?  I don't know, but if you are ever in that situation, now you know.

The salt granules used are sea salt, so they are large enough that you want to scrub gently so as not to irritate your skin.  After I scrub my face, I leave on for a minute or so while I use the residue on my hands.  Ocean Salt can be used as a body scrub as well, but at $34.95 for the large size tub, I save it for my face and hands.  After using, my face feels uber soft and refreshed.  Strangely, I also feel more cheerful. 

All Lush products indicate who they were made by as well as an expiration date.  Shelf life for Ocean Salt is about one year, which is about how long it will take me to completely use mine up.

Exfolikate

Exfolikate by Kate Somerville

As we age, changes take place in the dermis and subcutaneous layers of the skin which effectively slow down the natural exfoliation process in the epidermis. Dead cells pile up, leaving the surface scaly, discolored, and dull.  Exfoliation serves an important function - to help get rid of that dead layer of skin.  Exfolikate by Kate Somerville is a dual action scrubbing and enzymatic exfoliant.

Designed to be used once or twice per week, Exfolikate contains:

• Salicylic Acid to balance hydration
• Scrubbing Microbeads and three powerful P’s - Papaya, Pineapple, and Pumpkin Enzymes - to effectively clean pores.
• Rosewood and Cinnamon Extracts to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
• Aloe Vera, Honey, and Vitamin E to smooth and soften skin. 

After applying to a cleansed but still wet face, you massage for about 30 seconds and then let sit for 2 minutes, although I've left it on for twice that long before.  You can actually feel it tingling, enough so that I wouldn't want to leave it on for too long.  After rinsing, I do see a visible difference in my skin.  It's smoother, softer, and my pores look smaller. 

I originally got some samples of Exfolikate from Sephora and was impressed enough to buy a full sized version, even at its hefty price.  How hefty you ask?  Enough that I thought long and hard about it and waited until Sephora had their Friends and Family 20% off sale to take the plunge.

Cost:
.5 oz tube is $19,
2 oz is $85
5 oz is $175

I bought four of the .5 oz tubes, as that got me the same amount as the 2 oz tube but at $76 vs. $85.   I've used one full tube over a 3 month period, so 2 oz should last me a year.

While the ingredients are chock full of natural sounding ingredients, I'm also seeing parabens (used as a preservative), which is not so good.  According to EWG's Skin Deep Database, parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.  Most of the parabens listed below have a risk rating of 5, which is moderate.  Some of the essential oils listed could also be irritants to some, so that is something to be aware of.  Versions for both sensitive skin and acne are available as well.

Despite the negatives of it's price and a few questionable ingredients, I'm liking Exfolikate!

Ingredients:Water, Lactic Acid, Polyethylene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Pectin, Carica Papaya Fruit, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Papain, Bromelain, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Honey, Acetic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Salicylic Acid, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cinnamal, Potassium Sorbate, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Eugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Beta-Carotene (CI 75130), Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex (CI 75810).