So a few weeks ago during Acid Fortnight, I wrote about two acids I wanted to try in the hopes of fixing the dark marks on my face. In two posts, I talked about the wonders of mandelic acid and retinol, and vowed to share when I purchased them… But things didn’t go exactly to plan.
Despite my love of skincare and trying new products, I’m a very cautious buyer, especially when it comes to acids and ingredients I’ve heard of/ have trouble pronouncing. So before I took the plunge, I researched loads online and even went to the Deciem store TWICE. Yep, twice. On the first visit, I asked the sales assistant about which retinol would be best for me and she recommended the 2% in emulsion. However, on my second visit, after asking about which retinol I should get, I was shocked when the sales assistant recommended a completely different product. She said that using a more concentrated dose of vitamin C would be more effective at brightening my dark spots. So, upon her advice, I picked up this instead.
And that’s how I ended up with Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arbutin and not retinol. My first thoughts on this product (I’m still not 100% sure how to describe it) are not surprising to me given the fact I had read quite a lot about it after buying it. Firstly, though it’s supposed to be an acid, it has an oily texture. I don’t really know why it’s like this, but it’s formulated in a water-free stable solution.
The next thing I noticed about the product (as did my sister who is now sharing this with me) is that it increases the rate at which spots develop and heal. For example, when I used this for the first time, I had two spots starting to come through, but then by the next morning, they had already developed to whiteheads and then by the following day, they were already on their way down – crazy!
Other things I’ve noticed/experienced with this product is a very slight stinging like feeling on my cheeks a few hours after use. I’m not sure if this is because of the increased UV sensitivity or because it’s doing its thing.
I first started using this nightly as a mini replacement to my serum and toner that both finished unexpectedly. I now use this twice a day as instructed. In the morning I follow up with SPF as recommended.
Aside from the crazy spot turnover, I can’t say I’ve really noticed much of a change in my dark sports, but then again it is still early days.
Oh well, even though it is still early days (I’ve only been using this for about two weeks), I’ll try and be optimistic and remain positive about this product. I’ll be keeping you all updated.
alice
xo
