Peels of Fun!!!

Exfoliation is pretty important to quickly remove acne marks, soften my skin, and speed up the removal of dark spots or splotches over my face.  I find because of all of these skin issues that I need multiple products meant for the different stages of my skin.  Also, I need to adjust my skincare for seasonally appropriate products.  My skin in the summer is far greasier than it is in the winter, when it is generally drier. I will not be using very emollient exfoliating products in the summer, while I will not use very drying products in the winter.   However, if my acne situation is BAD, I will blitzkrieg those suckers.  I like the scorched earth method.  Sorry.

While none of the products I have pictured above are “peels” – you don’t wash them off after a certain amount of time, they do the same thing: exfoliate large areas of skin, by loosening and lifting dead skin cells, allowing them to be washed away.  These exfoliating products, whether they come in gels, lotions, or creams, are more concentrated exfoliating products than scrubs, masks, and cleansers.  They use various acids to remove the top dead layer of skin revealing luminous, newer skin.

I wondered how I should list them, but I have decided to list from most intensive peeling/exfoliating action to the gentlest.  Also, if you find that you skin feels uncomfortable with these on for too long, you can essentially wash it off for the desired effect without irritation.

MD Forte Facial Lotion III, 2.0 oz for $71.00

The Facial Lotion III comes from the best brand for strong, but surprisingly not irritating glycolic acids, MD Forte.  While it’s not the cheapest line, it’s also not the most expensive, and actually comes in a bit cheaper than typical designer/boutique skincare brands.  The packaging is not the most attractive, but the no-frills products in this line simply work for the oiliest and most non-reactive skins.  MD Facial Lotion III contains the highest concentration of glycolic compound in the line – 30% –  and is suitable for people looking for significant skin correction.  The literature for this lotion says that it can be used under and over makeup – UM NO.  Do not use this under or over makeup.  I tried doing this and it just turned in to a weird texture on my face, plus I think it’s too aggressive to use to go out in daylight.  I would need to shellac my skin with thick white sunscreen.

The texture is watery as you apply it to your skin and it dries down to this weird light eggshell-like finish on the skin.  This bottle lasts FOREVER.  This is only the second bottle I have purchased and I have it for several years.  This is definitely more of a nighttime treatment.  No reason to let pesky UV rays penetrate your skin with this on.

I find this has a mild tingling effect that is NOT uncomfortable.  Sometimes I leave it on overnight for rapid retexturizing of my skin, and other times I use this as the first step in a more intensive treatment.  Glycolic acid is great for smoothing and degreasing skin, but it doesn’t actually penetrate oily pores, and I need that as well.  So, I leave it on only for an hour or so to quickly loosen the top dead layer of skin, and wash it off to use a second oil-penetrating treatment product to penetrate my pores, or an acne busting mask made with tons of natural actives.  I will then coat my skin in a gentle, natural oil elixir, or oil-based balm to soothe it.

MD Forte’s Face Lotion is best for non-sensitive, thicker-skinned, rougher textured, oily, acne-prone skin.  I wouldn’t use this if your skin irritates easily.

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Glycolic Acid (and) Ammonium Glycolate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Neostrata Gel Plus AHA, 3.4 oz for $42.00

Here is a surprise.  Neostrata’s Gel Plus AHA is actually more irritating and uncomfortable to use than the MD Forte Lotion III.   This is surprising because this gel only has 15% glycolic acid, while the MD Forte has a 30% glycolic acid concentration.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was because of the denatured alcohol in the Neostrata that made it not so pleasant to use.  Here’s a clue, when you are working with strong acids, YOU DON’T NEED DENATURED ALCOHOL.  This is gel formula that is best used on oily, acne-prone individuals who have super tough, non-resistant skin.  This achieves the same results as the MD Forte Facial Lotion, but I find it less comfortable to use, although I can use it in the exact same way.  Only the toughest, most non-resistant skin types should use this, if you don’t like stinging or the feeling of irritation.  I would not repurchase this.  I would definitely suggest this for men and women with severe sun damaged, thickened skin that needs rapid exfoliation and smoothing.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Alcohol Denat., Glycolic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium EDTA

B. Kamins Lactic -10, 1.0 oz for $40.00

Lactic acid is considered one of the more gentle exfoliating acids for individuals who can’t tolerate glycolic acids, and it is especially recommended for individuals who have darker pigmented skin.  Lactic acid, unlike glycolic acid, has a moisturizing effect that works well on drier skin types.  I often see lactic acid-based products suggested for individuals who are trying to rid themselves of hyperpigmentation marks in a gentle way without kicking up more hyperpigmentation that can result from irritated skin. 

I picked up the B-Kamins Lactic – 10 as a gentle peeling product I could rotate in with my stronger glycolic acids.  Of course, sometimes I can go overboard, so the first time I used this I was using a glycolic acid heavy skincare routine.  OUCH.  Even gentler acids need to be used with care, and this is actually quite strong for a gentle acid, which I appreciated, so I scaled down.  When used this with the appropriate skincare regimen, I found that this product moderately exfoliated my skin, while penetrating my pores because of the salicylic acid it contained.  It also did not dry out my skin and left a bit of moisture behind, which was surprising.  This is likely due to the proprietary maple isolate.

The one quirk this product has is the delivery mechanism.  The peel solution emerges from a woven nylon fabric pad that you press into the skin area by area.  It can be a little labor intensive.  On the otherhand, it makes over application very difficult.  This is not a slap and go lotion.  This is a press, press, press solution.  I think it takes me about a minute to move around my skin.  Obviously, your skin should be recently washed when you use this otherwise the top could become grimey. 

The product literature says this is for sensitive skinned individuals.  However, I think it may be too strong an active for truly sensitive, irritable skin types.  This is definitely a good peeling lotion for those with normal – dry skin.  My skin does experience mild tingling from this product, and my skin is less irritation prone than most.  However, this product does not dry out my skin and does leave a moisturized feel.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Acer Saccharum (Maple Isolate/Isolat D’érable), PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Octoxynol-12, Polysorbate 20, Panthenol, Zinc PCA, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid.

Neostrata Bionic Lotion, 3.4 oz for $38.00

Now, if you are looking for a exfoliating lotion you can use on sensitive dry skin, or irritated and dried out oily skin, then THIS is what I suggest.  Neostrata’s Bionic Lotion is a moisturizing lotion that gently exfoliates the skin while adding non-greasy moisture to the skin.  This lotion uses special moisture binding 12% gluconolactone and 3% lactobionic acid, along with vitamin e to create softened, smoothed comfortable skin. 

The product literature says that this can be used on skin that is sensitive, dry to very dry, and even skin with eczema. It can also be used as a post-procedure treatment on very sensitized skin.  I use this in the fall, winter, and spring when I go nuts with drying agents and my skin is tight, dry and sensitive, but my skin is feeling especially acneic.  However, I would feel a little more wary of using this in the hot, humid summer on my very acne-prone, massive oil producing pores that break out if I don’t wash my skin multiple times a day to deslick.  But for you dry, sensitive skinned folks, this is a great ACTIVE gentle.  Just as gentle as REN’s glyco-lactic Radiance Renewal Mask, but with actual “actives” that do something “noticeable” to your skin.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Gluconolactone, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lactobionic Acid, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sorbitan Stearate, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate, Arginine, Sodium Bisulfite, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Sulfite, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Laureth-7, Ammonium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethoxydiglycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin

Glycolic Acid + Salicylic Acid Facial Cleansers

I love glycolic cleansers.   They are amazing on oily skin.  I tried SO many glycolic acid cleansers trying to find the best one.  MD Forte Cleanser II and III are still my absolute favorite glycolic acid cleansers (reviewed here) because they leave my skin perfectly degreased, smooth and matte, but not tight.  However, I still prefer my cleansers to have salicylic acid, a pore-penetrating and purifying ingredient.  I have super oily, acne-prone pores and salicylic acid is a necessity.  Finding a glycolic acid AND salicylic acid cleanser that is not excessively drying is VERY difficult.   The three below are my favorites at various price points.

DDF Brightening Cleanser, 8.5 oz for $38.00

DDF Brightening Cleanser is one of my staples and I have purchased it three times.  You can feel it purifying your face whenever you use it.  It has glycolic acid, salicylic acid, malic acid, glycyrrhiza glabra root extract (brightening ingredient) and a vitamin c derivative (another brightening ingredient).  It exfoliates old skin cells, clears out pores,  evens out uneven skintone, whether it’s hyperpigmentation from a blemish, or the incidental uneven tan.  This gives a refreshing clean feeling to the skin, but it can also be a bit drying.  I know if I use this I have to scale back everything else I do.  You can feel the cleansing power in it.  Because of this, I do not use it every day.  I save this for extra oily days and the summer.  I do not like to regularly use this in the winter, although I do use it occasionally in the winter when I want to get an extra deep clean. 

It also doubles as a targeted body cleanser for problematic parts of the body that may experience excess overpigmentation like knees, elbows, or if you suffer from buttne or bacne (oh, how sophisticated of me, but did I really want to use the word buttocks?).  If you do use this on knees, elbows, arms, or legs to lighten scarring, or brown spots, just make sure to double up on the moisture after.  This is really drying and skin that is NOT oily, and those body parts are already extra dry to begin with.

As far as recommendations go, I only suggest those with non-sensitive oily skin to use this product.  This is a great product for those with older, rougher skintypes that have suffered sun damage and need the brightening and exfoliative action of this cleanser, or anyone with oily, acne-prone skin.

Ingredients: Water, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Glycolic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Prunus Persica (Peach) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance.

Topix “Glycolix” Gly-Sal 10-2 Cleanser, 6.7 oz for $19.50

I discovered Topix “Glycolix” Gly-Sal 10-2 Cleanser because I wanted a cheaper alternative to DDF’s Brightening Cleanser.  Hello?!  Have you seen how expensive that bottle is?  That’s $38.00!  This is nearly half the price!  But I also wanted something with more salicylic acid.  Unlike the DDF Brightening Cleanser, which does not tell you how much glycolic acid, or salicylic acid, it has the Topix “Glycolix” Gly-Sal 10-2 Cleanser makes it very obvious: 10% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid.  However, I find it a teeny bit more drying than the DDF Brightening Cleanser.  This is a must during the summer, but I can also use it year round as long as I am not aggressive with other products in my regimen.  It lacks brightening ingredients to handle post acne marks but the pore declogging aspect is worth it.   The antioxidant green tea and Zinc PCA increase the skin conditioning.  I have purchased this product many times.  I have purchased the 5-2 version once, but I decided there was no reason to go down in actives when for some reason the 5-2 version didn’t feel that much less drying as the 10-2 version.  

I can only really recommend this for oily, acne-prone skintypes that aren’t sensitive.  Your skin should be fairly non-reactive to glycolic acids.  

Ingredients: Salicylic Acid 2%, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green Tea) Extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Glycolic Acid, Linolemidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polysorbate-20, Purified Water, Red #40 (CI-16035), Sodium C12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Triethanolamine, Yellow #5 (CI-19140), Zinc PCA

B.Kamins Acne Wash, 8.0 oz for $34.00

I purchased this in the summer of 2012.  If you read some of my posts over the summer, then you know that I was experiencing really bad acne breakouts that just did not want to stop.  I was throwing everything at it.  Blitzing my skin meant that my usual oily skin cleansers became too drying and painful.  But I could not just switch on to a moisturizing product because my pores were still too greasy even if my skin was superficially dry and irritated.  I selected this cleanser specifically because B.Kamins focuses on sensitive oily, acne-prone skin.  My skin was both at this point. 

This is a gentle skin cleanser that contains buffered glycolic acid, lactic acid and 2% salicylic acid, along with skin conditioners, allantoin and panthenol, with B.Kamins proprietary moisturizing B Maple Complex to soothe sensitive skin and prevent it from overdrying.  This stuff is amazing.  I was able to integrate this into my skincare routine and not experience any drying or irritation.  I was amazed at how my skin felt AFTER I used this cleanser.  It felt purified but gently moisturized.  This product left my skin feeling silky-smooth and pampered.  It kind of felt like matte “BUTTA.”  Yes, I felt up my face for a while.  The only other product that left my skin feeling like that was the Astara Blue Flame Purifying Treatment, which was weird.   It may have been the Maple Complex within the cleanser that provided that soft, matte “butta” feeling to my skin, in combination with the allantoin and the panthenol. 

This stuff is amazing for normally greasy skin, that has been irritated and dried out by retinoids.  Because it is so expensive, I showed restraint during the summer and I still have over half the bottle left.  This is a great colder weather face wash for normal to oily skintypes that are acne-prone but still have sensitive skin.  I can use this year round, but I prefer to save it for extra sensitive skin days that require pore purification and gentle, minimal mattifying moisture. 

Ingredients: 2% salicylic acid, Aqua/Water/Eau, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Acer Saccharum (Maple Isolate / Isolat D’érable), Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Panthenol, Allantoin, Mentha Piperita.

DRUGSTORE BUDGET BUY

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser, 5.1 oz SRP

If these glycolic acid + salicylic acid cleansers are out of your budget, or seem like they may be too aggressive for your skin, then I suggest picking up the drugstore budget buy: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti Blemish Cleanser.  I used this cleanser for several years before I moved on to MD Forte, DDF, and my Glycolix cleansers for more aggressive exfoliation and purification.

Neutrogena’s acne care line is one of the best drugstore lines for mild acne that requires a little bit more oomph, than gentler lines like Aveeno’s, or Yes to Inc.’s acne lines.   I consider Neutrogena’s acne line to be a consistent middle of the road drugstore brand in the way it handles acne.  With Aveeno best for more sensitive skin types and Stridex and Oxy being more aggressively drying.  However, for the most post, the overwhelming majority of acne care products in drugstores are fungible, with the difference coming down to packaging and marketing.

Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (0.5%), Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycol Distearate, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polyquaternium 11, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

Cleansing Oils

I started buying cleansing oils because I had read that they were necessary to remove Japanese sunscreens.    If you are as oily and acne-prone as I am, you don’t take any chances.  A few weeks after I had purchased my first Japanese sunscreen, I started using cleansing oils.  I have used many cleansing oils, but there are two I keep coming back to: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil.

1. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, 6.7 oz for $26.00

This has a nice thick(ish) consistency and it it leaves no oily residue on the skin.  I like the ingredient list and it is relatively inexpensive compared to other cleansing oils.  I must have purchased this over half a dozen times.  It takes away most makeup, although stubborn long-wearing lipsticks (Cover Girl Lip Perfection) and mascaras do require a second cleansing product, or three.  In general, though I never just rely on this alone to get a deep wash.  This is just a first step to remove makeup and sunscreens, while my second cleanser usually has salicylic acid or glycolic acid, to penetrates my pores, usually MD Forte III Cleanser, or Glycolix Gly/Sal 10-2 Cleanser (10% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid).  If my skin is feeling sensitive and reactive, I will use Rodial’s Glamtox Cleansing Balm, instead of my DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil.  However, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil will not dry you out and has a teeny bit of a conditioning base to it, probably because of the olive oil.  DHC is a major Japanese company that started selling in the US via catalogue orders, but you can now find this product sold in tons of different official e-tailer businesses. 

Ingredients: olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, pentylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil

2. Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil, 8.5 oz for SRP

Color me crazy but I like this oil cleanser a bit more than DHC’s.  What knocks it down is the fact that it has mineral oil.  Now, I will usually avoid anything with mineral oil but I make occasional exceptions.  This is one of them.  This stuff takes of sunscreens and makeup quickly, does not leave an oil residue, and I find it just a bit more drying than DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil, which I actually prefer.  While I trust DHC’s ingredient list more, Kose’s Softymo keeps me committing skincare sacrilege because it is just that good.  It has never broken me out and it provides a deep clean.  I actually think it is better at removing resistant makeup than DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil.  Remember, though, that I always DOUBLE CLEANSE because of my super oily, acne-prone skin.  Kose’s Softymo is a Japanese brand that has never been marketed for the western markets, which is why all of it’s branding is in Japanese.  But you can find this sold by tons of different mom and pop businesses that cater to providing hard to find asian skin care products.  I generally see this sold for a little less than half the retail price of DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil, but shipping and handling kicks up the price.

Ingredients: oryza sativa (rice) bran oil, mineral oil, sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, triethyl hexanoine, cyclomethicone, orange oil, tocopherol, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, glycerin, polyglyceryl-2 diisostearate, trilaureth-4 phosphate, water, phenoxyethanol

I have tried a lot of other cleansing oils, though, as I have said before.  Way back when, the gold standard was Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils.  So, I hopped on that bandwagon to check it out.   I purchased Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O.    I hated using this product.  It left a filmy residue on my skin and clouded my vision quite often.  This was a lot of money down the drain for me because I FORCED myself to use this as I had purchased the JUMBO size.   I, also, tried Kose’s Sekkisei’s Perfect Cleansing Oil and did not like it.  It was very runny, thin and it also seemed to leave a filmy residue on my skin, as well as not being as good at removing makeup.  Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil had a scent I did not partcularily like, and it felt thin and not very cleansing.  It, also, left residue.  Origin’s Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil seemed like it could be a winner, but it was thin, runny, and did not remove sunscreen and makeup residue the way I would have liked, and I did not like the scent.   MAC’s Cleanse Off Oil had a nice thickish consistency compared to the others I mentioned above, and it actually did a better job of removing most makeup, but it did not leave my skin as deeply cleansed as the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or the Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil. 

An honorable mention goes to Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil, which is cheap and effective at removing makeup in a pinch.  I always have a bottle on hand.  I do not trust it enough to use to remove japanese sunscreens.

While I like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil, I will continue to check out other similarly priced oil cleansers to see if something out there is better, quality and value wise.

MD Forte Cleansers (II and III)

MD Forte Cleansers: Level I, II, III

By far the best cleanser I have come across for my oily, acne prone skin is the MD Forte Cleansers in Level II and III.  I keep coming back to this product and I have easily gone through over a half a dozen bottles since I first discovered it some years ago.  I rotate this product with other cleansers depending on my skin needs.

It has a high concentration of glycolic acid, yet it is not drying on my skin.  I have used other glycolic acid cleansers that had a far more drying affect.

From the brand literature, the:

“Glycolic Compound is a complex, pH-balanced mixture of glycolic acid, ammonium glycolate, purified water, and higher-molecular-weight oligomers of glycolic acid, with an approximate activity level of 60%, and is designated on product labels as the ingredients “glycolic acid” and “ammonium glycolate.”

Level II contains 15% glycolic acid compound, while Level III contains 20%.  I used the Level III when my skin was far more resistant and could handle a high concentration, along with all the other active ingredients I used, to handle me acne.  I now use the Level II because my skin is more sensitive to all the “actives” I use.  But once I get my acne under control again, I will go back up to the Level III.

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Glycolic (and) Ammonium Glycolate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

This cuts through the grease of my skin and leaves it baby soft and smooth.  It helps to exfoliate the rough patches that I get when I go over board on the retinoids too without overdrying.  Unless, of course, it’s cracked from zealous use of acids and retinoids, then, yes, avoid this cleanser, please.

It comes out as a white pearly cream but rinses cleanly off.  You only need about a nickel size, but since I tend to over use product, a quarter-size won’t dry you out either.

What it lacks is all in the packaging, which is cheap and unnattractive.  It is a plastic container with a rounded twist off cap, which actually covers the smaller black twist off cap that is sometimes exposed when you use a little too much force in twisting the pale beige rounded cover.

This comes at around $28.00 for an 8 oz. bottle.   It lacks slick packaging, marketing, and questionable fancy ingredients, but it works very well.  If you are new to glycolic acids, I suggest you start out with Level I and work your way up.