Kevin Murphy: Body Mass

I recently picked up the Kevin Murphy Body Mass leave in hair treatment after hearing rave reviews from another fellow beauty addict.
I was really only intrigued about one aspect of this product; the “eyelash growth and thickening technology” they use in this treatment that supposedly promotes hair growth and hair thickness.
I was sold.

Let’s cut to the review:

First off the smell is amazing! I mean I wouldn’t expect anything less from a hair care company, but they really hit the nail on the head. It’s beautiful, light and fresh and easily lasts all day.
Not too strong, fruity or overpowering.

The product is a leave in treatment so I use it straight after shampoo & conditioner, applying it directly to the roots of my hair.

My hair is pretty dry but my roots can get oily quite quickly so this works wonders for me, as the spray in formula sets lightly, almost like a dry shampoo. It keeps my hair feeling soft, fresh and clean.

It instantly adds a light texture and thickness to the roots, perfect for me as my hair is quite thin and flat.

As for the hair growth aspect, well considering I’ve only been using this for just over a week, I really can’t say I have noticed any significant growth in my hair. But that’s on me being a little to optimistic, too quickly.

I will definitely continue using this through to see how much my hair continues to grow and keep you updated on the long term results of this product.

But so far so good!

Published: 05/2020

Ren: Ready Steady Glow

AHA’s are nothing new around here. And there’s good reason why. Not only can they deliver long term results, but the reason soo many people love them are because results are almost instant.

There are many types of acids that do wonders to the skin, and they all work differently at different strengths for many different concerns.
I’ve been a big fan of aha’s and bha’s since I first started dabbling in the world of skincare years ago.

Review:

The Ren Ready Steady Glow tonic, contains lactic acid (aha), willow bark extract (bha) and azelaic acid. Lactic acid is a personal favourite of mine as it’s one of the most gentle of the acids, and works for almost all skin types. They all work to exfoliate the upper layers of the skin without the need for using harsh and abrasive physical exfoliants.

This tonic is surprisingly gentle compared to other aha tonics I’ve tried, but still delivers incredible results.

I was pretty hesitant to try this due to it containing a pretty high amount of citrus essential oils and fragrance which only damage the skin and cause photosensitivity. To be honest these ingredients are pretty unnecessary and this could of done without.
Although I didn’t want to risk trying this due to these unnecessary ingredients, the many positive reviews had me hooked.

My skin is extremely sensitive and dry but I also suffer from hormonal breakouts. Any skincare products that contain essential oils (especially citrus), irritate my skin like nothing else!
Now I know this probably isn’t sounding to positive at this point but I had to put it out there. Fragrances and essential oils are just unnecessary and don’t have any positive impact on the skin.

Back to the positives:

This tonic was surprisingly soo incredibly gentle on my skin and didn’t cause any initial stinging or irritation.
I apply this at night as I don’t want to risk ‘cooking’ my skin during the day. I don’t believe it’s proven that aha’s have a difference in effect if you use it day or night, but I prefer to be on the cautious side. The next morning my skin was baby soft, plump, didn’t feel tight and most importantly I was glowing like nothing else.
Long term usage of aha’s can help with pigmentation issues, acne (dependant on the type of acid), acne scarring and overall texture of the skin.
When using an aha or bha (chemical exfoliants) its important not to use physical exfoliants (face scrubs etc) at the same time. This can cause too much exfoliation and do more damage than good.

Comparisons:

We all know the classic Pixi Glow tonic, which I actually used to love! And the newbie, The Ordinary: Glycolic Acid. Unfortunately my skin could not tolerate The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid at all and caused more irritation than it did positive results.

Overall, I found that the Ren: Ready Steady Glow is the best option of the three and delivers insane results with surprisingly very little to no irritation. Yes, it even outdoes Pixi, which although I loved it short term, it caused my skin to dry out and become quite sensitive long term.

I’ve been using the Ren: Ready Steady Glow about twice a week (nightly), for the last few months and I’m incredibly suprised at how well it’s continued to deliver consistent results without causing me any irritation.
My skin texture has improved massively and some of my acne scarring has reduced dramatically as well.
It’s a staple gentle and effective exfoliant for me but I still wish it didn’t contain fragrances or citrus oils.

Published: 05/2020

Retinol Chat: A-Passioni by Drunk Elephant

Retinol, where do I start.
I will keep this review as short and simple as possible as there is soo much information out there about the differences between Retinol’s and Retinoids.
Please watch Dr Dray on YouTube if you would like to educate yourself first as she is a certified dermatologist.

Typically when you buy Retinol, it’s over the counter and easily accessible to anyone. Strengths usually range from 0.1% - 2.0%.
The prescription strengths are Retinoids such as Adapalene and Tretinoin, and are typically prescribed at 0.1%.
It’s important to remember they are different but do deliver similar results and work in a similar way. Overall, Retinol and Retinoids do NOT actually exfoliate the skin, they increase the skins production of collagen. This intern helps speed up the skins process of healing and regeneration. This is a long term product not a quick fix.

I started off using the prescription strength Differin gel 0.1% which worked wonders for my consistent hormonal acne. Unfortunately I underestimated the strength of Vitamin A derivatives, and although I used a pea sized amount every second day, it was still too strong for my skin. After learning more from Dr Dray about how to use these products I ended up cutting down to once per week. This cut out the typical “purge” process and allowed my skin to slowly and consistently adapt.

I decided to trial a over the counter retinol to see how it would compare and if they were actually worth it. I purchased the mini size A-Passioni from Drunk Elephant. Be warned, this comes at a very hefty price.
I was intrigued by the ingredients, as they use a vegan retinol. The small tube comes at a percentage of 1.0% and doesn’t contain any fragrances, animal products, essential oils, drying alcohols, sls, or gluten.
It does contain some other powerful ingredients like vitamin F: a powerful anti inflammatory, jojoba oil, broccoli extract and avocado oil.

First of all I want to give a massive applause to Drunk Elephant on cutting out the unnecessary ingredients and packing it with natural vegan ingredients.

A-passioni is incredibly gentle and hydrating, it almost feels like a luxurious face serum. It’s bright yellow in colour but absorbs well into the skin and leaves a slight glow on application.
But don’t think this means you can start out using more than a pea sized amount, especially if you are new to retinol. This is extremely potent and strong, I use this in conjunction with Differin. I use Differin one night per week and A-Passioni one night per week, on a different day of course.
My skin is very sensitive and I find that using each once per week is enough for me and doesn’t cause my skin to over sensitise.
Retinol is not like other skin care products in that its not an instant fix or spot treatment.
Retinol works over time with consistent use to speed up the skins collagen production. I would personally give retinol a minimum of 3 months to decide weather or not you need a different product or percentage.

I want to quickly mention the differences in strengths between Differin and A-passioni.
My prescription strength retinoid is only 0.1%, A-passioni (retinol) is a whopping 1.0%. Don’t let this trick you into thinking A-passioni is the more potent of the two. These two are actually quite similar in strengths, in terms of how they work on my skin and that’s because Retinoids are a lot more potent than over the counter Retinols. There is a reason retinoids are by prescription only.

I’ve been using Differin for about a year, and A-passioni for about 2 months so far. I am incredibly impressed with how well A-passioni works in comparison to prescription strength retinoids.

This product is no joke, it’s simple, it’s hydrating, it’s insanely potent and it delivers results.

Overall, the price tag is 100% worth it for the quality of retinol you get. And considering I have been consistently using the 10ml tube for over 2 months, once per week, I have still barley made a dent in this tiny tube. This product will last you a very long time!

I will 100% be repurchasing A-passioni again as the formula is just too good and effective not to.
I am well hooked and very excited to have this as a stable in my skincare kit.

I recommend watching Dr Dray on YouTube before trying out any retinols and always wear an SPF.

Published: 05/2020

Osmosis

Osmosis

Ancient Cosmetics

Kotia