Two New!

Another 'two new' post, focusing on two skincare items-yey skincare-my fave topic!

So first up the Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser.  Don't be surprised if you see this in my next empties post as I am already half way though this, but you know, I like to give it a thorough test run.

I was really really skeptical about using this as the main ingredient is SLS (the foaming agent in shampoos) and I have been reading some stuff about how SLS can be an irritant etc etc and I was worried.

Unneccessaily so as my skin has been fine with this cleanser.  Marketed as a cleanser for dull, congested skin, this glycolic based cleanser (and I will start to rave about glycolic acid in a moment, stick with me) is the perfect morning cleanser-light, non drying, dampen face, apply cleanser, little massage and remove.  No muslin/flannel required.  Despite the 'foaming' part of the name it doesn't actually foam so won't strip your skin.

The bottle actaully says to use this 2-3 times a week (or 1-2 times for dry skin) but I use it every day in the morning without any issues at all. 

Next up is a re-addition to my skincare routine and something I don't think I will ever ever be without.  This product changed my life.  I rave about this product to any one who will listen and I freaking love it.  It's the Alpha H Liquid Gold (and that's the supersize version, hell yes).

You can see how life changing this really was in my post here.  This is one of the most viewed blogpost I have ever written. 

I have spoken about Glycolic Acid before a lot on my blog.  But here's the juice.

Glycolic acid is a natural ingredient derived from sugar cane, though it is now often made synthetically. It falls into the set of ingredients called AHA's, or alpha hydroxy acids. There are five ingredients that fall into the AHA category; glycolic (sugar cane), lactic (milk), citric (oranges and lemons), malic (apples and pears) and tartaric acids (grapes).

Glycolic acid is probably the most common alpha hydroxy acid and has the reputation of being one of the safest forms of alpha hydroxy acid.
 
Glycolic Acid is an exfoliator. It safely removes the outer layer of dead skin cells on the surface your skin, bring fresh new skin to the surface. This is beneficial for those who are looking for ingredients that help with anti-aging. Glycolic acid can also help lighten discoloration of the skin, such as sun spots, age spots or acne scarring and help those with acne-prone and blackhead-prone skin.  If you use glycolic acid though it is highly recommended that you use additional SPF as your skin will be more sensitive to UVA/UVB rays.

The Alpha H Liquid Gold has to be used in a specific way for the best results.  You use it in the evening after you have cleansed/double cleansed your face.  You then apply the Liquid Gold to a cotton pad (just like a toner) and sweep it over your face.  And that's it.  You don't apply anything on top of it, you leave it to work overnight.  It feels like any normal toner in terms of consistency but you are more than likely to feel a tingle on the skin-this is totally normal and it will go within 30 seconds.  You can use it every second day but no more frequently than that.  If you suffer from cystic spots I highly highly recommend this-I changed nothing else in my routine (still wore make up as normal) and this made such a difference.  If ever my skin is breaking out now I whip this out and use it until it's back behaving again.

This isn't just an acne treatment though, it can help fade old acne scars and pigmentation and help with fine lines by encouraging cell renewal.

I hope this post is useful-I know it's long but I really think it is worth explaining properly the benefits of the Liquid Gold because it really did make me a lot more confident in myself and in my skin.