I'm Back! Review of Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Facial Peel

Thanks for hanging in there with me guys, with the help of some beautiful flowers, antibiotics and my trusty Dimetapp, I'm feeling much better!

Given that I'm returning to the outside world, it was time to call on a heavy-hitter in the skin department, the Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads. This isn't a daily product, or even a weekly one for me (sensitive skin) but the best thing when I need a really deep chemical exfoliation, after a week of heavy makeup, sunscreen or I just want to feel as fresh as I can be. 

In a nutshell

Pros: A deep, deep clean

Cons: Can be harsh, don't overuse it!

Price:  $124 for 30 uses

Purpose: Exfoliant

Packaging: Two white pots, or the smaller package, two compartments

Re- Purchase? Yes., I use them so sparingly that the price is justified. 

Firstly, yes they're expensive. I originally bought the 10 use only to see how I went, but I will be going back to buy the 30 when I run out. I use these so sparingly, (once per week at most, sometimes once per fortnight) that an initial splurge is justified, but these are not your daily peel. 

Another reason they're not your daily peel if you're in your 20s is the strength, I spoke in length about chemical exfoliation in this post, but basically, this product is designed for either mature skin, or very acned skin. For that reason, if you're down the more mild end of the spectrum (ie, younger and just a few spots) you don't need to go hard on this product. 

The package boasts 40 anti aging ingredients, they're not wrong. Basically, everything you want to strip your skin down and start it refreshing itself is in here, Acids, Retinols (the strongest and only medically proven anti-ager) all the good stuff. As I said, strong this is the closest you'll get to a proper facial peel at home. If you get any dryness or flaking you're overusing the Retinols, and you need to ease off. 

They come in great packaging, either two jars that sit on top of eachother, or the smaller size travel types, which has two compartments. Easy peasy, start with the first side, use the first side, then they say to wait 2 minutes before using the second one. I usually do the first, then brush my teeth, moisturise my arms and legs, then go back in for the second. 

Nice little cotton pad, nothing fancy, unfold it, swipe it all over your face neck and chest, then flip it and do the same. Keep going until it feels dry. Due to the strength of the product, I completly avoid my eyes and delicate areas, and focus more on areas I might have spots, or be prone to breaking out (jawline, nose and chin for me)

I do not obey the package, which says not to clean off. I've done this once, and my skin felt very brittle and dry. Instead I spritz my face, although this is probably reducing the efficacy of the peel, it's plenty for my young, sensitive skin. I would suggest doing this, at least when you first start, to see how your skin goes.

Even though I'm clearing off after, my skin still looks amazing soft, glowy and refreshed the next morning, a must the night before a big-do (although not if you've never used them before! too risky!)

Also, I tend not to follow up with serious anti-aging products, my skin frankly doesn't need a proper chemical peel once a week, it would just be excessive. If I'm having a very shocking skin day, I might use a serum with Retinols as well, but then a soothing moisturiser, but generally I use a nourishing serum, with lots of vitamin C, as my skin is primed and ready to soak up all the goodness. 

Overall, A really really good exfoliation, it's pricy, but if you use sparingly, I think a worthwhile investment. 

Product Review- Puretopia Purify and Revive Deep Cleansing Clay Mask ( plus my facemask routine)

Back to real life and regular posting, this time with a face-mask review of the Puretopia Purify and Revive Deep Cleansing Clay Mask (what a mouthful!). Down the bottom I'll also run through my general routine with masks, when I use them, why I use them etc. I really like a mask, as a way to press the re-start button on my skin a bit. Clay is great for drawing out any toxins or impurities, and making your skin receptive to whatever you put on next. Clay masks are a bit harsh in their effectiveness, so for that reason I only do one once per week, and not on the same day as an acid cleanse. 

In a nutshell

Pros: Good ingredients, ethical company, terrific price

Cons: A little harsh on the skin. 

Price:  $14.99 for 125 ml

Purpose: Clay mask, for use once per week. 

Packaging: Functional, easy to use, easy to travel with. More hygenic than a pot style mask. 

Re- Purchase? Yes, although I may also look for a less harsh one. 

Review

The good thing about clay masks, is that the active ingredient (clay) is dirt cheap to produce. So you don't have to shell out much, for a decent product like this one. 

I really liked what I saw on the packaging, Sulfate and Paraben free, and with some terrific ingredients: Niacinamide which is killer for fighting spots (Which is why I grabbed this mask for my Spotty Skin SOS), Rosehip which is a terrific antioxidant to even out skintone and treat any scars or marks, and Shea which is a deep moisturiser plus Kaolin Clay which is the standard for clay mask clay . All up, the specs looked good. 

I was also pleased with the tube packaging- although it might be easier to control how much you get out of a tub, I don't love digging around in the same pot with my fingers each time. It doesn't seem hygenic as a tube where the first time you touch the product, you're using it. That said, if this was a more expensive product, I'd worry that the last scerricks could be wasted in the tube. Overall, for a cheapie, like the tube.

It's a softer, think moisturiser type consistency, which is a bit different to other masks I've used. Plus it's white, which is quite good if you're trying not to stain your washcloths. 

While it may come out of the tube looking soft and gentle, this is quite a strong mask. You will get a tingle when you apply it, so I would suggest carefully avoiding your eye area, and not using it on sensitive skin.

After a few seconds, it will dry to a more subdued white mask. I've now realised the only times my face appears on this blog is under a mask, sorry 'bout that.

Give yourself 10-15 minutes to go and relax You'll most likely find me watching Please Like Me or The Dreamhouse on iView. 

After the ten minutes, I use two goes of a hot washcloth to clean this mask off. The first go around I pick up all the physical traces of the mask, then I go in again to make sure it's all gone.

I've noticed that I'm a bit pink once this mask has come off, which I put down to the strong Niacinamide.I haven't had any ongoing irritation from this mask though, so I just take precautions (not using on sensitive skin, and only once per week). 

Overall, a great price for a good performer. I've found that my skin improves after using the mask, and using it regularly helps to keep blemishes away, although I'm still cautious about not over-using it, given the tingly feeling and my skin's sensitivities. 

And now.... My Face Mask Routine

I do Facemask Thursday as I like to think I'm clearing out work-week-gunk and getting my skin excited for the weekend, plus on Thursdays I don't usually have much on, compared to Friday nights. I figure, if I've gone to all the effort of a mask, I'm not going to put makeup back on my poor face. 

On a Thursday I will

1. Cleanse and remove makeup

2. Apply the mask to clean skin, wait requisite time etc

3. Remove the mask

4. Cleanse again 

5. Apply serums then moisturisers etc

I do this because my skin can be quite sensitive, so while I like the effectiveness of a mask, I don't want it lingering on past the ten minutes. Plus the mask prepares my skin nicely to suck up all the goodness from whichever serum I apply next. 

So that's all from me about masks- if nothing else, they make a nice afternoon/evening of pampering, and an excuse to put your feet up for 10 minutes and relax. 

Skin SOS- Spotty/Agitated Skin

No matter how good your routine is, you're going to encounter times when your skin has a tantrum*, and you're left dealing with the results. 

In my case, when I realised that the Mario Badescu moisturiser wasn't working for me, my skin was looking a little worse for the wear. It's good to have a plan in these kind of situations, particularly as you don't want to cause more damage with over-eager application of product (have done it, not pretty). 

I started with my Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Balm to remove the makeup on my face and around my eyes- I needed to go in with something gentle on my eyes, because I'd be avoiding them when I was using the stronger products. I made sure I got the face-washers nice and hot while I was cleaning the balm off, to open up my pores and get the skin ready for some treatment. 

Then I moved on to a product that belongs to my boyfriend - I saw it in the shower and pinched it for a good clean. It's a Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Scrub (ignore the Chinese writing, he bought it while he was traveling in Malaysia, but the same product is available in Australia) 

 I massaged the product into my skin using wet fingertips, then used very hot facewashers to rinse off and get a bit of a steam going. The steam was helpful in preparing my face for stage 2, the mask.

I was drawn to this for the large amount of Salicylic Acid, which is a power ingredient for fighting acne. While the large amount of SA in this scrub means I wouldn't use it every day (my skin is quite sensitive) I think it's a great one to grab in case of emergency. 

Once my double-cleanse was finished, I applied a mask from Puretopia. Again this has a power-punch of blemish fighting ingredients, including clay to draw impurities out, and Niciamide (aka Vitamin B3)  to treat spots and prevent them from leaving red marks. 

Optional: feel self indulgent and sorry for self, decide to debut face on blog covered in white clay.

After about 25 minutes I pulled out my friend steaming-facecloth (honestly I just like to pretend I'm having a spa at home) and removed the mask gently, rinsing out and re-applying the facecloth a couple of times. 

If I'd had one or two particularly nasty spots, I would have dipped a cotton bud in this miracle stuff from Malin + Goetz. Just the tiniest drop on the face of a pimple will completely dry that beast out overnight. Magic. 

Finally, I returned to a more normal routine to finish off. I know I can be guilty of overreacting to a breakout, and completely drying the *&^% out of my skin. Which is not all that useful, your skin freaks out, gets redder and angrier and starts manufacturing more oil. Instead, I used the targeted products at the start, then finished by nourishing my skin, so it would start to repair itself. 

I used the REN Rose O12 Moisture Defence Oil as my serum. This product is unbelievable and I feel bad saying that because honestly, it's very pricy. So, firstly, try and get a sample first before your commit. I squeezed every last drop from my sample, it was love. 

It's the most wonderfully hydrating product, with no parabens, sulfates, mineral oils or synthetic fragrances. So, essentially I was giving my skin a big drink, without adding to the crazy reaction going on. Also, even though it's got no synthetic fragrances, it has such a large amount of rose (which is full of antioxidants) that it smells like heaven. 

I cannot speak highly enough of this product. Big gushing review coming up. Moving on. 

For my final layer, I'm back to my standard tried-and-true nightime skincare, 5 in 1 Restore Cream from  First Aid Beauty.

I'm so impressed with this product, no muss, no fuss, no nasties, just really good ingredients (Niacinamide, antioxidants) and it's priced really reasonably online. 

Massage the moisturiser on in nice slow circles, take off your headband and you're all done.
This isn't a long term solution, but it's a good SOS, and I promise you, within an hour, my skin was calmer, softer, and starting to return to its old self.

The fact that I'd taken my glasses off and had a glass of wine probably aided my assessment.


*Note that this is an SOS routine for spotty skin, if you have an allergic reaction these products will make your skin even more angry and inflamed. Before you do anything, have a good look at your skin to make sure it's not an allergic reaction- be very aware of skin that is red and angry, tight and uncomfortable, hot or covered in spots which are all the same or similar size, and have popped up everywhere overnight (compared to acne which will be concentrated in certain areas, and more slowly develop).