The Ordinary Vitamin C 23% + HA Review

I've heard mixed reviews about this product. Some say its gritty and others say its too irritating (although it was reformulated at one point). That being said I've wanted to try it for a while in the hopes it would help my Hyper-pigmentation so thoughtfully left over by my acne. This formula has 23% ascorbic acid, one of the best forms of vitamin c for pigmentation issues but The Ordinary has a guide for their different forms of vitamin c, here. But another popular form is Ascorbyl Palmitate and is often found in cheaper products, especially moisturizers as its oil soluble and it's a good antioxidant but won't do much for pigmentation.

Ascorbic acid can also increase collagen production helping to with fine lines and protect against free radical damage. That being said ascorbic acid has a tendency to sting or be gritty as aforementioned. When left for long periods of time or in bad packaging it can easily oxidise so it's not something you want to keep in a stash and use only once in a while.

Oxidation is when it reacts with the air (acting as an antioxidant, losing electrons) which will cause the serum to change colour rendering it ineffective and some say it can be harmful. Its nothing to be worried about but if the serum changes colour its time to bin it.


Free From:
Water, Silicone, Oil, nuts and alcohol are listed on the product page. Although Deciem says "across all brands including The Ordinary, are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, benzalkonium chloride, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone."

Ethics:
Don't test on animals or sell in China. Vegan.

Price:
£4.90 (12.17)

First Impressions
The product has slip and is smooth, it has a slight metallic smell. It does feel a bit greasy after applying but it's not too bad. The 2% Hyaluronic Acid defiantly helps to smooth out fine lines. I was very much expecting to have to deal with stinging and a gritty texture but luckily I had none of that. The serum has a low viscosity, meaning its quite liquid but is sold in a tube. They say they changed it from a bottle with a dropper to a tube after it was requested by customers but I don't feel like its thick enough for a tube, it can be quite clumsy to get some out so I'm not sure whether I like the packaging.

How I recommend using it:
It's somewhat thick and occlusive (sits on top of the skin). I would use it as a last step before moisturiser as it wouldn't be nice to layer under other serums.

Overall Opinion:
I don't like the texture that much with it being overly occlusive, instead, I am trying their Alpha Arbutin 2%. I might find a different use for this serum, maybe on my hands. I did try and use it under my eyes but it moved into them from rubbing quite quickly and caused a fair amount of stinging.


References

Humbert PG , et al. (n.d.). Topical ascorbic acid on photoaged skin. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12823436

Oxidation of ascorbic acid. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://chemistry.oregonstate.edu/courses/ch130/old/VITCTEXT.htm

Vitamin C in dermatology. (2013, April). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673383/

November Favourites

So its basically Christmas. Only just over a month to go now so I'm kicking this favourites off with a festive start. Feel free to skip the first products if you're not ready or just hate Christmas.

The Bodyshop Spiced Apple and Frosted Berry Scent

 

The products pictured here are the spice apple and frosted berry hand creams (£4) and shower gels (£5) as well as the spiced apple body butter (£14). The spiced apple is a warm cinnamon apple scent and the frosted berry smells of sweet cranberries. If you get a chance to go to the body shop I really recommend testing them out.

I think I prefer the spiced apple in the night and frosted berry in the day, thats why I bought the body butter just in spiced apple because I feel that it would be too thick to use in the day. I like to apply something thing after I shower at night, although I think I might purchase the frosted berry lotion for the day.

Ive never been a big user of the body stuff from the body shop (I know, its the body shop) but I think I will defiantly be buying more.

The Ordinary

I was quite excited when I heard about this new brand from Deciem. The premise is cheap skincare, mostly serums, priced around their active ingredients.

Advanced Retinoid 2% (£8)

This is a light, milky serum this applies nicely. Its a mixture of retinoids which are meant to give better results than retinol with less irritation. Ive been using it a while, over a month, and I haven't really seen drastic results although I have been using it not stop without irritation. I think I'm going to try the 1% retinol and if I seen no difference between the two I'll probably stick with this one.

I'd recommend this for anyone but defiantly for young people, below 25 who can't afford a fancier retinol as this will most likely do them well at preventing ageing without breaking the bank. 

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% (£5)
The function of this serum might not be as obvious as the retinoid as much like most of the Ordinary range, you've probably never heard of the two main ingredients. This is a serum aimed at people with oily skin, large pores and acne. Zinc PCA works to reduce oil production and at 1% its at the right concentration to see results. Niacinamide is anti-inflammatory that also reduces pore size as well as helping overall skin health.

This serum is thick but provides a nice base for anything you put over it. My skin definitely feels less oily after using it every morning although I think I'm going to start using it at night as aswell. I'd recommend this to anyone with oily skin and enlarged pores.

Clearly Youthful AHA/BHA exfoliating cream cleanser

Why It interested me?
I originally saw this on Instagram and very quickly decided I needed it and I've liked other products in the range before such as the night serum. At the time when I saw this product I was looking for some new cream cleansers and the idea of a nonphysical exfoliating cleanser excited me.

How I used it?
The directions recommend using a cotton wool pad and sweeping it over your face. Don't listen to that as washing with water is important for exfoliation. I used warm water and a muslin cloth. Unlike a physical exfoliator, I think you could use this as often as you like just use it a bit less if your skin gets irritated or you're using other AHA's (you're probably fine with BHA's).

What did I like?
As I said before it is a nonphysical or nonmechanical exfoliator meaning it uses acids instead of grains, charcoal or plastic beads... which I much prefer as they give a much better and nondamaging exfoliation. The BHA is great for acne and blackheads and the AHA (lactic acid) is good for evening skin tone.

What I disliked?
It can be slightly irritating if you have already irritated skin but if you have sensitive skin and this is the only AHA/BHA you use it shouldn't be a problem.

Who's it for?
Anyone. The Clearly Youthful is for people looking for clear skin and anti-aging but many of the active ingredients they used can help many skin type. If you have sensitive skin and you're looking for an AHA or BHA then this wouldn't be a bad choice.

Where can I get it?
Superdrug £3.69
http://www.superdrug.com/Skincare-Offers/Superdrug-Clearly-Youthful-Cream-Cleanse-150ml/p/296601

What is comedogenic? What actually clogs pores?

Comedogenic or Non-comedogenic are often used to described moisturisers that block or don't block pores. Saying that it doesn't have to be proven thus could be put on any product regardless. The misconception is that all oils block or clog pores... which they don't, in fact there is no point for going oil free as oil does have many benefits.

What does block pores?

The main things I'd recormend avoiding are butters such as shea, cocoa, seed and parkii butter in moisturisers, but if you have dry skin these are generally fine in cleansers most of the time. Avoid using body or hand creams on your face as they contain things like la
nolin which is great for the body but will definitely break you out.

For a longer list check this out: http://www.acne.org/comedogenic-list.html although but it isn't always accurate.

Print it out or keep it on your phone so you can quickly check ingredients when you're out shopping.

Also use this search for ingredients: http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary as its much more accurate.

If in doubt just google it as some ingredients have multiple names.

Easy way to avoid pore blocking ingredients? Use a facial oil.

Here's an example of one I like to use:

Waitrose Pure Facial Oil £3

Its first ingredient is isopropyl myristate and if you read the acne.org list above your'll probably thinking its comedogenic. The problem with that is its based on evidence of animal testing which its all that accurate for humans[1] and I find its fine. The second ingredient is almond oil: this is great if you're suffering with breaking to avoid scarring as it helps the skin to heal [2]. The rest of the ingredients are great emollients that leave your skin hydrated.

A few drops of a facial oil is best for use as a night moisturiser as they do leave your facing looking shiny. This facial oil is great as it's cheap yet more than worth it as I feel its more affective and less blocking than most night creams. It's great for sensitive skin or alongside drying ore irritating products and its easy to use for a quick facial massage.

Best BHA: Stridex or Paulas choice Clear

BHA's should be the basis of any acid tone for oily skin, acne and clogged pores. A BHA is salicylic acid and it clears pores, works on discolouration (red or brown marks) and reduces inflammation. Products can range from £1 and up but today I'm going to be comparing 2 alcohol free options.

Alcohol and denatured alcohol (alcohol denat) is in many cheap products, the problem is it damages and irritates the skin but also dries out skin which leads many people to think it helps with acne (it doesn't). If you've ever used a product with alcohol after shaving or on broken skin you will know it hurts. Alcohol is best avoided especially when high up on ingredient lists, avoid products where you can feel you face getting tighter.

Stridex Max VS Paula's Choice Clear

Stridex (£8) is sold in many US drug stores, sadly only available on Amazon in the UK. It does contain irritants such as methanol and detergents (ALS).  Get them here.

Paula's Choice (£22) is sold only online. As far as irritants go... its a clean slate!

How to useStridex is pre soaked pads, for PC you need to soak a cotton round. I usually only soak half a cotton round as I find that's enough to wet my face and not waste any. Use both after cleansing before anything else.

How it leaves the skin feeling
Stridex does leave my skin feeling dry, although it doesn't irritate much but I find using an AHA cream over to sting more then usual. PC is a different story, it could be water for all I know as it doesn't dry me out at all.

Effectiveness
I used stridex first for a month and found it did help a bit towards acne control but it didn't really work enough. PC on the other was great, after about two weeks I noticed I wasn't breaking out even though I had run out of benzoyl peroxide.

Conclusion / TLDR
PC is the clear winner. There's not much to say other than it left my skin looking great without drying or irritating. After using this I will definitely try the stronger strength or use their original BHA liquid.

Goodbye Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation (PIH) is often a part of scarring. For example when acne leaves a scar it leaves a dent and a red or discoloured mark. These products help over time to reduce and after 2 maybe 3 months can remove these discolourations.

Eucerin: Even brighter day cream SPF 30
As a day cream Id recommend this to anyone with or without active acne. It leaves skin feeling moisturised without feeling very greasy. Its free from thick moisturisers like cocoa or shea butter so is unlikely to cause breakouts. 

For Hyperpigmentation (PIH) it contains B-Resorcinol and Glycyrrhetinic Acid. Eucerin claims that these can repair the skin and help protect it. It also contains SPF 30 which is vitally important if you're going to spend any amount of money on skincare. This is because, epically when using glycolic acid,  any amount of sun can make PIH much worse and can undo any effects these products have had on you.

Reviva 10% Glycolic acid Cream
Glycolic acid is the number one thing I recommend for PIH. At 10% its very effective although first time users should  try 5% or less first as it can irritate skin and you want to build up tolerance. I use this as a night cream although its not very moisturising, if you have dry skin id recommend putting a thicker moistener over the top. It does sting a bit when I use it, but its only for a short while (as to be expected wit some acids).

I find my skins always at its brightest the day after I use it, and its really effective on PIH.

Non of the products mentioned are tested on animals.