Acid exfoliators.. where have you been all my life?!

I have spent many years of my life thinking my skin would only be really clean by using an abrasive exfoliator. Until only quite recently, I have realised that it has actually been doing my skin more harm then good. Whenever I used an exfoliator with beads/particles, my skin was nearly always left red and irritated. I don’t have particularly sensitive skin so I never really knew why that happened. It was also the reason that I had little bumps just under my skin, I would continue to use the exfoliator to try to get rid of these… a never ending cycle really! On top of that all that, scrubbing my skin made any existing blemishes more tender which nearly always lead to scarring as a result… great(!)

 A little while ago I just stopped using abrasive exfoliators altogether. I finally realised that more gentle, but effective, cleansers would make my skin feel clean and refreshed but never left feeling stripped or tight. Balm and oil cleansers removed with a muslin/flannel in the evening and cream or gel cleansers (some foaming cleansers.. not all!) in the morning are now my skincare routine essentials. It took me a while to get used to not literally scrubbing my face, years of habit I guess! I have to admit, I did recently buy the ‘indeed labs powdered exfoliator’ and even though this is a very gentle exfoliator I have noticed my old skincare concerns starting to appear again.

 Nowadays I choose to exfoliate my skin by using liquid products which contain AHA’s (glycolic and lactic acids) and BHA’s (salicylic acid). If you have read my post on Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold (containing glycolic acid) you will know how much this has transformed my skin. I still continue to use it every other night and definitely notice a difference if I don’t use it for a while. Everyone who reads Caroline Hiron’s blog will know how much she raves about acid exfoliators.. and she is never wrong! They really are the most effective way of brightening and smoothing skin by sweeping away dead skin cells. As some acid exfoliators can be quite potent, your skin may feel quite tingly but should never feel burnt. Therefore, if you do have sensitive skin then I would suggest using mild versions of BHA’s to begin with.  It’s also really important to hydrate the skin after use as well as using an SPF on top during the day (this should be done anyway!). Below are some products that I have used and/or would recommend;

 

Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold (obviously!) - £31 for 100ml/£45 for 200ml

Clearasil daily clear superfruit refreshing pads (I like to press these pads on my skin as opposed to swipe it across my face.. they are a bit scratchy!) - £3

Clinique’s mild clarifying lotion (a very gentle but effective exfoliator, keeps the skin balanced) - £16.50

Biologique Recherché's Lotion P50 - £52 (the ultimate acid exfoliator! Quite hard to get hold of, but you can order it through BR’s UK website)

 Nip+Fab's glycolic fix night pads extreme - £15 (currently on offer ar Boots for half the price)

Pixi's glow tonic (an afforardble but highly rated product) - £18

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner  (to be used once or twice a week) - £25

First aid beauty's facial radiance pads (can be used daily) -  £22 for 60 pads 

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant - £18

I hope you found this post helpful! As always I would love to read your thoughts and comments! :) 

Xoxo 

Mini review: Clearasil Refreshing Superfruit Pads

I first heard about these pads from the skincare guru that is Caroline Hirons and soon started to see other skincare bloggers use them too. I haven’t used a Clearasil product in a few years, I always associated them with only catering for teenage/spotty/oily skin types so I thought it would just be too harsh and overly drying for my skin. However, I saw them on eBay for £2.50 (including delivery) and quickly snapped them up!

 

The product is described as ‘gentle exfoliating pads help prevent blemishes for radiant skin day after day.  Containing a blend of raspberry & cranberry extracts, known for their antioxidant properties and Vitamin B3.  These exfoliating pads are infused with a refreshing fragrance you will enjoy using every day’. The formula also has 1% salicylic acid included.

 

The pads come in a tub and are pre-soaked with an exfoliating ‘waffle’ like texture. There is a quite a strong fruity scent which some may be put off by but I personally don’t find it offensive. They are suitable to use morning and evening but I only really tend to use them in the morning after cleansing as they feel refreshing on the skin. They do a good job of gently treating any current blemishes (with the help of the salicylic acid) and keeps the skin in a nicely balanced and smooth too. I don’t find these pads to be drying, instead my skin feels quite soft and plump after use. There’s a slightly sticky feeling at first but this soon goes away and gives a really nice base for layering your moisturiser on top. My only gripe is that the texture of the pad is quite rough so it feels scratchy.  I therefore dab the pad on my skin on rather than swipe it across my face. I like to hold down the pad on any blemishes to let it really soak in.

 

Overall, I am impressed with this product by Clearasil, it’s great to see an effective formula at a budget price making it amazing value for money. If you are new to acid exfoliating/toning, I would really recommend them and they are gentle too so would suit most skin types.

As always, please feel free to leave any comments of questions!

XoXo