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.

June Favourites

As it is the start of summer my skincare has been focused on light textures, sun protection, and hydration. I really recommend looking after your skin in the summer as heightened levels od UV can lead to darkening of acne scars and accelerating the look of ageing.

Skin

Body Shop skin defence £16

When I saw this was going to be released it was around the time I was looking for a new moisturiser, especially one with a high SPF. Initially, my thought was either an SPF from a french brand or the Body Shop vitamin C moisturiser but when this came out I couldn't resist.

It has a light texture which Is great for summer as I find mattifying can be too dry and other moisturisers too thick. This essence that turns to a water provides a light texture and doesn't leave a white cast. It's SPF 50 pa++++ whilst also containing anti oxidants such as vitamin-C which provides a good all round protection. I recommend to anyone looking for a new SPF this summer: this is your match!

Superdrug Clearly Youthful Cream Cleanser and Serums

I first tried this range a while back when I bought the night serum and although I liked it I didn't really use it much until recently. After that, I used the cream cleanser, which if you've seen my review you probably know I liked it and I've been using it a lot, most nights in fact.

After liking the cleanser I decided to go back to the night serum but also try the day serum. The night serum boasts 2% salicylic acid, lactic acid, and tetra peptide. It does talk of other ingredients but most of that didn't really interest me. The day serum has less salicylic acid but has mattifying and hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid. I've really come on board and introduced these serums into my daily routine and have seen a difference in my acne.

I recommend this range for anyone with acne or people below the age of 25 concerned about ageing
.

Sure Max Protection

I find a lot of deodorants irritate my skin but recently I've found the perfect remedy: dimethicone. Found in many skincare products and my under arms have been much less itchy with the added bonus of being an anti-perspiring and barely scented.

Plants and Fashion

An obvious pairing I swear.

Recently my favourite colour is khaki. I try and stay away from just buying clothes in one colour and try to get variation but I admit I've been buying rather a lot of khaki. This shirt is from Asos as I found it in the sale. The sale didn't have many other things I like but I am quite picky, Id rather buy very little then a lot that I don't wear or wear because I bought it even though I don't actually like it. The top was from topman, I decide Id go for this summery yellow as it thought It was a happy colour and went with a lot that I already own.

The plants are all from Tesco, ranging from £3 to £4 which is a bargain for succulents. It's nice to see succulents so available as I used to only be able to find them at Wilko and select garden centres. One tip with the aloe is to take out the baby plants and plant them in smaller plants else it will getter proper crowded. The smallest plant does not have a drain hole so I've been watering it really carefully. If you find you over water plants Id suggests you stay away from that one. Recently I've noticed they've changed the pots... which is rude.

Books

Stephen King: Finders keepers

I've read a couple Stephen King books before. His latest books are always easy to find at supermarket book sections so they're almost always an impulse buy, unregretfully. His books for me are always an easy read as they're interesting and unlike many books I find I can't often get the plot halfway through which makes them so exciting. Finders keepers is no exception. It's an immersive tale of a boy who finds a hidden stash of money and when the owner comes looking for it, it all kicks off. Really worth a read whether you're new to reading or not.

Caitlin Moran: Moranifesto

Caitlin Moran is funny and interesting and such a great writer. She writes for the Time's magazine but If you don't what to buy that then this will be a great read. It's a collection of all her brilliant articles from the last few years, ranging from funny to inspiring to serious to introspective to funny again. I couldn't read it faster. It covers topics such as life, politics, and popular culture. She,s someone I aspire to be and write like.

That's it for my June favourites. For July and august I'm sure to be basking in the sun (protected) and relaxing.

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.

My Favourite 5 Cleansers for February 2016

Here are my current 5 favourite cleanser that I've been using the most for the past few months.

How I cleanse

First I wet my face. Use about a tea spoon of water all over the face, you want to feel damp rather than wet to give slip when you use the cleanser. Apply cleanser to face and massage for a minute as this gives time for the active ingredients to work and get the blood flowing. Massage upwards along the cheek and jaw and in circles on the forehead and middle of the face to follow the muscles. I often use a muslin cloth in the evening but you can use a flannel or just water. Pat dry with a towel. Do this twice a day.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleanser

This is a good light cleanser, one I often use in the morning. It has a refreshing citrus scent and includes olive oil to leave skin balanced and hydrated but greasy or oily,  a great no nonsense cleanser with a pinch of glycolic acid. 

 

Id recormend this for any skin type. £8 but you can often find it half price.

Vichy Normaderm Deep cleansing purifying gel

Another light cleanser that I mostly use in the morning. I can't describe the scent, its not offensive or bad but its not my favourite. It contains salicylic and glycolic acid although it won't be anywhere as affective as a leave on product. Its a stronger cleanser but its not necessarily drying.

It recormend this for normal to oily. £11

Super Facialist By Una Brennan Anti Blemish Cleansing Wash

This is a great brand that feels and looks more expensive then it is. Its a great not drying and non irritating face wash. It contains both salicylic acid and vitamin B3. It leaves skin feeling clean and is wonderful and great for a relaxing facial massage, a cleanser I wouldn't want to take off. One of my favourite all time cleansers I couldn't recormend this more.

It recormend this for normal to oily. £8 and its more than worth it.

Dr. Organic Tea Tree Face Wash

Containing organic tea tree this is a great and affordable way to invest in organic skincare. Its one I use when I break out. It smells of tea tree and is gentle on the skin.

I recormend it for normal to oily skin. £7.

Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

Another wonderful smelling thick cleanser. I use it whenever my skin is dry or irritated and it very gentle and leaves the skin feeling perfectly moisturised. The cloth is a bit harsh the first time you use it but its leaves the skin feeling incredibly smooth. After the first use I knew that I was hooked. It does contain cocoa butter but in a cleanser its awful for acne although I find I do have to limit my use of it thought. 

Id recommend for dry skin. £6 but often half price in Superdrug, again: more than worth it.

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.

January Favourites

Here are some short reviews of what I've been using the most this month.

Stridex

Stridex is an american brand but easy to find on Amazon. I use the maximum version which contains 2% salicylic acid. I like this as they cost around £8 for 90 pads, they do the job and they don't contain alcohol (win), my only complaint is they do contain irritants which can be quite drying. I use these after cleansing and before a serum, cream or moisturiser.

FAB Ultra Repair Cream

When stridex makes be dry I have this to turn to. Its a thick moisturiser although I find it doesn't break me out as it does contain Shea or cocoa butter. I find its a great cream to keep on hand when my skin is dry or irritated. I use this as a night cream as it doesn't contain SPF, although I believe there is a version that does.

Dr. Organic Tea Tree Face Wash

This is a good SLS free cleanser. Great for acne and any skin type and I would recormend this for sensitive skin. I use this in my night-time cleanse with a muslin cloth.

Eucerin Even Brighter Day Cream

My favourite day cream at the moment. If you have seen the review then check it out:

http://obsessedwithskin.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/goodbye-hyperpigmentation.html

La Roche-Posay

The great thing about french brands is they offer good value for well tested products. La Roche-Posay is no exception. I think the main thing you'll notice if you upgrade your skincare routine from supermarket brands to mid-range pharmacy brands is, other than the price, all over face treatments (as appose to spot treatments) and alcohol free toners.

Effeclar Duo [+]

One thing about french bands are the confusing names. It takes a while to get used to each name for each range for each brand. Effeclar is La Roche-Posay's answer to acne. Effecalr Duo is a full face treatment (in the UK, its a spot treatment in the US). This is something you don't really find in cheaper brands, but there is a spot treatment if you feel you need it, and I feel it really makes a difference from blemishes and larger acne to scarring. Although I don't feel this will clear moderate acne unless another cream is used along side like Benzyl Peroxide.

Serozinc

Again weird name, its a spray toner or spray onto cotton pad if you don't like being sprayed in the face. As I mentioned earlier: alcohol free, which means you can probably apply as much as you want without drying your skin. I think this complements effeclar duo, but if I could only pick one, it would be effeclar duo. 

A Few Things From: The Body Shop

I went into the Body Shop as I do quite often and picked up a couple items. Here are some quick reviews.

Tea Tree Toner

I'm I fan of toners, I think even the simplest skincare routine should include a toner. What is often overlook especially in cheaper ranges is leave on products and I think a toner offers a light weight leave on.


I like the tea tree toner from The Body Shop because although it contains alcohol, its not much, not enough to feel it when you use it. I think its a good price as it's 400ml for £5.50. This places it well between cheap alcohol filled toners and the alcohol free toners like lush's' tea tree toner.

One thing that's sets it apart from other toners is the mattifying powder it contains for which you have to shake up to use.

I don't think this product alone is going to give you clear skin, but it sure will help. If your looking for a lighter alternative to benzyl peroxide this would be a good consideration but won't be as affective.

Blackhead Remover

If you've not seen one of these before it might look like a surgical instrument buts its not that scary. Buy placing pressure around a blackhead it pushes them out like squeezing with you fingers never could. If you don't believe me then check out all the videos on youtube.

That aside, I've used blackhead removers in the past three times the price, this being £4, and there really is not difference. I like this one because it has a square handle meaning it doesn't roll around.

Its easier to push out larger blackheads but once you get a good technique your be extracting like there's no tomorrow. It works best after steaming or placing a hot cloth on your face. I like to do it after I've cleansed my face using hot water till I can feel the ends of the blackheads poking out.

Acids on the Cheap

If you're new to the concept, acids may sound scary but they're not. The right kind of acid can do great for your kind and they are a much better exfoliant than sand or plastic beads.

Glycolic acid

This is a great ingredient for acne and acne scaring. It smooths out complexation and can make you look more radiant. The main problem with budget skincare is that it can contain smaller amounts of glycolic acid and the amount often isn't specified. Also many cheaper products contain alcohol.

B. Revealed: Glycolic Cleansing Peel £7.99

Despite the name this product is neither much of a peel or great a cleansing. Despite that I still really like this product. It recommends using it for 3 minutes 2-3 evenings a week although I use it more as a mask every other night for about 10 minutes. I find that's enough to prevent a breakout the next day. Don't worry about using it too much as its a small dose of glycolic acid. I would go on how your skins feels, if it irritates your skin use it less. I would recommend this.

Naturally Radiant: Glycolic Overnight Peel £5.99

Again this is not much of a peel. As you can probably see this comes in a small 30ml tube. I bought this in the home that it meant it had good ingredients and lots of glycolic acid. I was a bit disappointed to find it contain alcohol can be drying. With constant and continued use I'm sure this will fade marks but I feel if you just spent more money you'd get a longer lasting more effective product. So I don't really recommend this.

Salicylic acid

This is a great ingredient for acne and is a must have to any acne skincare routine. Its the best acid for acne as it gets deep into the pores. Can be more irritating in cheaper products.

Deep Action: Pore Cleansing Pads x 40 £2.68

First of all don't use these to cleanse with. Much like wipes it doesn't properly emulsify and remove oil like a cleanser and water. I use these in the toning stage and these are greater for acne. I guarantee your will see at least a reduction. The down side is the amount of alcohol which will the skin and make it irritated easier. Always use a moisturiser after this. I would recommend this.