Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

What is it?

'Sun damage that won't go away? Wrinkles keeping you up at night? Don't get mad, get powerful.'

or in other words - an overnight retinol anti-ageing treatment.

Who is it for?

'Acne, Anti-Ageing, Breakouts, Brown Spots, Wrinkles'      

Anyone looking for a proven anti-ageing treatment.

What’s in it?

(What isn't in it!?!! --->)

Aqua, Dimethicone (silicone slip agent), Glycerin (skin-repairing ingredient), Butylene Glycol (slip agent/penetration enhancer), Isononyl Isononanoate (emollient), Castor Isostearate Succinate (skin conditioning agent), Glyceryl Stearate (emulsifier), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (thickener), Dimethicone Crosspolymer (silicone thickener/texture enhancer), PEG-33 (binding agent), Polysorbate 20 (emulsifier), Behenyl Alcohol (fatty alcohol thickener), Retinol (cell-communicating ingredient), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (vitamin C/antioxidant), Ceramide 2 (skin-repairing ingredient), Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (cell-communicating ingredient), Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (cell-communicating ingredient), Sodium Hyaluronate (skin-repairing ingredient), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (antioxidant plant extract/anti-irritant), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (antioxidant plant extract/anti-irritant), Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernal Extract (antioxidant plant extract/anti-irritant), Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Root Extract (antioxidant plant extract/anti-irritant), Salix Alba (Willow) Root Extract (antioxidant plant extract/anti-irritant), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols (antioxidants/skin-conditioning agent), Lecithin (cell-communicating ingredient), Allantoin (anti-irritant), Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E/antioxidant), Hydrolized Soy Protein (antioxidant), sorbitan Laurate (emulsifier), Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester (anti-irritant), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Hydroxyethylcellulose (thickener), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Tribehenin (emollient), Caprylyl Glycol (skin-conditioning agent), Ethylhexylglycerin (skin conditioning agent), Pentylene Glycol (slip agent), PEG-100 Stearate (thickener), PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides (emollient), PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer (film-forming agent), PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol (fatty acid-based thickener), PEG-8 Dimethicone (sillicon-based skin-conditioning agent), PEG-14 (thickener), Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate (binding agent), Polymethylsilsesquioxane (sillicone-based opacyfying agent), Magnesium Aluminum Silicate (slip agent), Arachidyl Glycoside (emulsifier), Sclerotium Gum (thickener), Arachidyl Alcohol (thickener), Benzoic Acid (preservative), Sodium Carbomer (gel based thickener), Phenoxyethanol (preservative).

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Silicones (I don't mind silicones at all but I know some of you do)

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Man made, vegan as far as I can see.

Tested on animals/sold in China?

No/No

What's not in it?

Fragrance

Mineral oil (odd considering the brand champions it, but also sensible considering this ingredient needs to penetrate and it won't do that if it's in a mineral oil base)

Parabens

How do you use it?

'Apply a pea-sized amount after cleansing and toning, and then follow with your Paula's Choice serum and/or nighttime moisturizer. When first using the Clinical 1% Retinol, start with no more than three evenings per week, then gradually increase frequency to every other night and, finally, every evening as tolerated (measure how your skin responds). Avoid the lips, direct contact with the eye, and corners of the eyes. You may apply up to the orbital bone of the eye area.'

Good, sensible instructions except for the 'follow with PC serum and/or moisturiser'. You could perfectly well follow this with a serum or moisturiser from one of Paula's competition - just try and avoid using one that contains a lot of retinol/vitamin A!

What’s good about it?

This is a good product. If you read the website you'd think it was the second coming of Jesus (can't blame them for that - it IS their brand after all) - but nonetheless, it is indeed a good product. 

It is not, as they claim, the strongest retinol on the market without prescription, brands like Skinceutcals have been doing 1% retinol treatments for years.

This moisturises nicely, gives me no 'burn' or irritated feeling and is fragrance-free, which I know will please a lot of you!

Results for me were good, no peeling or redness at all, but then my skin may be more acclimatised to retinols than yours, so always take heed from the tips on the website.

If you aren't using vitamin A products at the moment, and you are in your 20's or have acne scarring, try this.

If you aren't using vitamin A products at the moment and you are the other side of 30, you need to get with the programme because your face will fall off by the time you're 70. 

Slight exaggeration, but you get my point. Vitamin A takes your face to the gym. It needs the exercise. Embrace it. Even if you do it while lying on the sofa watching Corrie.

What’s not so good about it?

It's not that it's 'not good', but that ingredient list tells you everything you need to know about most US brands. They take a 'throw everything at it and something will work approach' - it's like a buffet in an all-you-can-eat-restaurant. Offer everything, there will be something for everyone. Or in this case, offer everything, something will give results. 

That being said, retinol/proper anti-ageing creams will always be more complicated formulas than most natural ones. Which is fine by me. You get to a certain age, if you really want results, you need to embrace the chemical. Sorry but it's true. I'm all for natural and organic cleansers and moisturisers, but nothing is more anti-ageing than proper clinical vitamin A. You don't get that from bloody rosehips IMO. This retinol actually works.

Where to use in your routine?

After toning, before serum and/or moisturiser.

Similar products? (Similar, not same)

Skinceuticals 1% Retinol

Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid + Retinol Brightening Solution 

Brand Website - very good:

www.paulaschoice.co.uk

Incidentally, everything I hate about bad websites (too numerous to mention) is the exact opposite of the website for Paula's Choice. It has ingredients, explanations, great product information and good advice. If I was marking websites, hers is hard to beat. Cult Beauty is another one that comes to mind for a retailer, but brand-wise, this is the dog's gonads.

Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment is £51.50 for 30ml and only available online at said website..

Bio-essence Hydra Tri-Action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask

What is it?
'An overnight sleeping mask designed to rehydrate and firm.'
or:
an absolute must-have for anyone with dehydration i.e. most of us.

What's in it?

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Silicones

Fragrance

Methylisothiazolinone (MI)

MI is the new 'paraben'. Not scientifically, just to give you an idea of the recent press. The EU and the FDA both say it is 100% safe for cosmetic use. Allergies are reportedly higher with MI than other preservatives. However, it is the last ingredient on the list meaning the % will be very low. If you had an issue with MI you would probably already know about it and be unable to use most shampoos, body washes and body lotions. (But you guys always want me to give you as much info as possible so there we are...  :)

Also - this product is extremely water-heavy and therefore requires a really good preservative....

What's not in it?

Everything else.

Mineral oil

Parabens

Shea

Essential oils

Tested on animals?

No

Who is it for?

Everyone, but especially dehydrated or dry skins. This would also be fine for dehydrated acne skins (most acne sufferers are demonically dehydrated). Like I said: everyone.

How do you use it?
You can either:

• apply as a mask for overnight use
• apply as a moisturiser during the day - put this on over your toner and under a heavier moisturiser or spf or on its own for those of you with angry acne
• apply as a thicker mask for overnight with a double whammy - see below
• would be amazing for flying
• would also be brilliant for those nurses, teachers, doctors that work in really drying environments...

What's good/not so good about it?

OK so I am in love with this mask. My lifestyle, including medication (ugh), continuous travel, the weather.. pick something... means that I am dehydrated a lot of the time. You can use the best products in the world (I do) and suffer from dehydration - it's a skin condition based on lifestyle and surroundings, not a skin type based on your genes. 

I always use this as a double whammy - I take everything off - makeup-wise - when I get home from the school run or around 6ish depending on my day. I then do my evening routine. On the nights that I use this, I apply a thin layer, leave it to do its thing, then before bed, give a quick spritz of something to 'reactive' it, if you will, then apply another layer. 

It works beautifully. The nano technology that this uses is what you pay a fortune for in the creams that cost hundreds, not tens of pounds. I wake up with soft, rehydrated skin. 

When you apply this it literally bursts open, leaving droplets of water (hyaluronic acid) on the surface of the skin, that you then pat in. This is a wipe and then pat product, not a rubbing in product. 

I always describe dehydrated skin as a sponge that is being held underwater with the top exposed. The top immediately dries out. This in essence, fills the holes on the surface level of your dehydrated sponge with hyaluronic acid - something capable of holding 1000 times its own weight in water. 

Similar products?

The most obvious is The Body Shop Bouncy Sleeping Mask which although similar, is not quite as easy to use.

Origins Overnight Drink Up is another dedicated nighttime product, but to my mind this is superior. 

The longest named product in the world is available from CultBeauty.co.uk priced £29 for 80ml.

Also: someone left a comment recently doubting my opinion because I have 'hardly ever used any of the product in the pictures so how could I possibly tell what its like?'.
I, like nearly all bloggers, try and take pictures of everything that I plan to trial when they are new - before I use them, otherwise the product wouldn't look as nice! It doesn't always happen, sometimes I rip things open and crack on - but in most cases, just like with lipsticks, palettes etc, the picture comes first, then the trial....

*is exhausted and thinks that some people will never be happy*

Sunday Riley Good Genes

What is it?

'A brightening, multitasking, radiance treatment and mask.'

'Naturally brightens and improves radiance, texture and circulation.'

It's an AHA exfoliant.

Who is it for?

Ideally for someone concerned with the texture of their skin or pigmentation and scarring issues.

What’s in it?

Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave) Leaf, Cypripedium Pebescens (Orchid), Opuntial Tuna (Prickly Pear) Fruit, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract & Saccaromyces Cerevisiae (Yeast), Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract, Lactic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Coconut Oil), Butylene Glycol, Squalene, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Stearic Acid Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) extract , PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-75 Meadowsol, Lemongrass Extract, Arnica Extract, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Steareth-20, DMDM Hydantoin

What's not in it?

parabens

mineral oil

sulfates

phthalates

shea butter

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

40% lactic acid so no good for really sensitive skins

PEGs

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Man made/natural/vegan

Tested on animals/sold in territories that advocate testing?

No/No

How does it smell?

Fresh, citrus-y

How does it feel on the skin?/Absorption rate?

Like a lotion, absorbs easily

How do you use it?/Where to use in your routine?

Daily as a serum or when required as a treatment mask. I would suggest using it in the evenings under an oil or a moisturiser. And yes you can use it after exfoliating acid toners. Maybe not P50, but certainly the milder ones.

I've seen a few reviews recently of people from people that are using it AM and PM as a serum. Personally, I think that's overkill and you may be opening yourself up to milia and broken capillaries. I'd keep an eye on your skin to ensure it isn't over-exfoliated. And make sure you are adding moisturiser/oils afterwards. 

How long before you should see results?

If you are new to acids you will see results in a day or two. If your skin is acclimatised to acids it may take a few more days, but it generally works quickly.

How long did I test it for?

A few months

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?

£85.00 for 30ml - hard to say but it should last around 2 months if using a few evenings a week (from my experience). 

What’s good about it?

Good Genes gets all the praise because the effect is almost immediate. It contains 40% unneutralised lactic acid which gives it a very low PH. As lactic acid works on the surface of the skin - more topical than its counterparts, the irritation risk is less than with other acids such as glycolic and salicylic. 

I prefer to use it in the evenings simply because it is so effective at resurfacing that I find my makeup can have a tendency to go patchy if I use it during the day. 

It is purposely used in a soothing, calming base to counteract any potential irritation from the strength of the lactic acid, and this seems to work well.

What’s not so good about it?

The high % of lactic acid could be too much for some skins. 

Works well with?

You can mix it with Sunday's Ceramic Slip cleanser for a 'Flash Facial'. Sunday Riley recommend using this over Luna, but I have always done it the other way around. Good Genes first, then Luna. 

What’s the website like?

It's being revamped as of 25.03.16 and thus unavailable.

Similar products?

Obagi ExfoDerm Forte

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Glycolic Night Serum

Cosmedix Purity Clean

Sunday Riley Good Genes is £85.00 from CultBeauty.co.uk and $105.00 from Sephora.com

Not a sponsored post, links may be affiliates.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask

After yesterday's (and last week's) video, this latest product from The Body Shop's Nutriganics range was among the most-requested for a follow-up review. I thought I would do this first as I've just written a post for TBS on night time tips and it's fresh in my head!*

What is it?
The Bouncy Sleep Mask is literally that, a mask designed to be slept in aimed at restoring a smooth, fresh appearance on the skin.

What's in it?
Aqua/Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Polysorbate 20 , Diheptyl Succinate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Caffeine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Linalool, Citronellol, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Limonene, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum

Possible acne/sensitivity triggers/anything I am always asked about? 
Fragrance
Silicone

What's not in it?
Parabens
Mineral oil

Who is it for?
All skin types, particularly those that are dry or dehydrated.

How do you use it?
Apply on top of your serum in the evening - or apply directly to the skin after toning and use on its own.

What's good/not so good about it?
The texture. The texture is actually the answer to both of these questions. If you saw yesterday's video you'll have seen that the texture is akin to a memory foam mattress. 
When you first try it you may think 'WHAT THE DARNTOOT'IN BLAZES IS THIS ALL ABOUT?'  'Hhm that's weird.' 

Alas, fair reader, do not be put off. Persevere. It comes with a scoop, but God Only Knows *literally pauses to YouTube Beach Boys* what I did with THAT. You need to start working with it as soon as you pick it up as it will immediately start to soften. The consistency is a liquid/soft gel/cream Yes, I know. I'm not helping. Clear as mud.

It's hard to grab hold of, annoying even. But once you get the knack it's actually a bonus, as you only use a tad. AND - this is a 90ml tub so will last you yonks. These masks are actually a very affordable way of using a 'night cream' over your more expensive serums. They come in bigger sizes, and are infinitely more affordable than usual night creams (if hydration is your main concern).

If you're a product junkie, this is similar to Origins Drink Up Mask or the Dr Jart sleep-in masks.
If you have no bloody idea what I'm talking about, you apply this before bed, go to sleep, and wake up with hydrated, soft skin. Tis true. It does what it says on the pot.


Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask is £22.00 and available now at thebodyshop.co.uk 






*The Body Shop did not ask me to write/pay me for this review

Sunday Riley Luna - World Exclusive

What is it?

'Next generation retinoid oil reduces pore size, improves appearance of damaged skin, and helps fight wrinkles.' 

Aka a nighttime vitamin A treatment oil.

Who is it for?

Anyone looking to address the visible signs of ageing.

What's in it?

Persea Gratissima (Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Organic, Cold Pressed Concord Grape) Seed Oil, Rubus Fruticosus (Cold Pressed Blackberry) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Cold Pressed Chia) Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide (and) Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) oil, Anthemis nobilis (English Chamomile) oil, Eriocephalus punctualatus (Cape Chamomile) oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Blood Orange) oil, Cananga Odorata Flower (Ylang Ylang) Oil, Vetivera zizanoides (Vetiver) oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (and) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, CI 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2).

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Dimethyl Isosorbide - a solvent

Essential oils - 7 of them. 8 if you include the Blue Tansy, of which the allergen content has not been listed on the packaging as per EU regulations)

Dyes - I 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2)

Natural? Organic? Man-made? Vegan?

Man-made. Despite the preferred PR story, this product should not claim to be 'natural', even more so, 'organic'. 

Dimethyl Isosorbide is a synthetic solvent. It works brilliantly as a solvent, but it's not organic. And CI 61565 (Green 6), CI 60725 (Violet 2) are synthetic colours.

Tested on animals/sold in China?

No/No

What's not in it?

Water

Parabens

Mineral oil

How do you use it?

Apply a couple of drops in the evening after cleansing and toning and massage in.

What’s good about it?

For people looking to get into a vitamin A product this is a good place to start. Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate is the trans-retinol ester of all retinoic acid. A cousin, if you will, as opposed to a sibling. It can be used at higher %s without causing significant irritation. The large amount of carrier oils make it a gentler option than some over the counter retinoids. 

Vitamin A is the best anti-ageing ingredient on the market, proven and accepted by the FDA. For more info on vitamin A you can read this cheat sheet. Blue Tansy Oil is a welcome addition and is soothing and calming, with known anti-inflammatory properties.

What’s not so good about it?
Although the Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate is undoubtedly a great anti-ageing ingredient, this contains a large amount of carrier oils that whilst being suitably calming, are also among the most inexpensive of the plant oils available. Expense has been spared along the line, despite the high price tag.
Luna also contains seven - 7 - essential oils. Considering this is a product designed by its very nature to cause irritation to the skin, including that many essential oils in the formula is ill-advised. Paula Begoun will have a coronary. 
Clearly the numerous previous complaints about the smell of Juno and Artemis have been taken to heart - maybe to an extreme? 
And although the 'Blue Tansy Oil' is a great name, the blue colouring is synthetic, not floral.

Similar products?

SkinCeuticals Retinols in 0.3/0.5/1%

Paula's Choice 1% Retinol
Both fragrance free and in tube dispensers.

Exchange rate – does it punish the UK?

Inevitably. It's $105.00 (about £65.00 equivalent) and £85.00 in the UK, so yes.

Available from Sephora.com and CultBeauty.com