Hey guys! Long time no “read!”
I’ve been going through a bit lately, from school to future plans to personal situations, and on top of that I just haven’t been in much of a mood to write. To be honest? While I love writing, sometimes the act of writing itself is a bit heavy.
In order to get the creative juices flowing again, though, I decided to talk a little bit about some skincare products that I’ve tried over the past few months! This is going to be a bit of a sidetrack from my Skincare Drafts, as I’m still currently in the process of testing these things out. However, there are a few things that I’ve used in addition to my draft picks that have provided me with outcomes that are… interesting, to say the least.
Before we start, I wanted to give you a quick profile on my skin type:
Dry/combination: My skin is usually dry around the cheeks/chin area and oily in my T-zone (forehead and nose)
Sensitive skin: My whole body is somewhat sensitive to fragrances, especially those in lotions or face washes. Even washing my face with a strong cleanser causes my skin to break out into hives. I can manage with some light fragrances and some botanically derived fragrances, but overall, I try to stay away from them (unless they’re scented oils, but we’ll get into that another day)
Skin history: When I was younger, I had a history of eczema/dermatitis. While that’s gone now, my skin likes to surprise me occasionally with extreme dryness.
With all of this in mind, let’s go ahead and get started with the review!
Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask (16$)
I got this product during a spring sale that Target was hosting in March. Hearing about it from @starsabreep , a popular Black esthetician on Twitter, I thought that it would be a great way to enhance my skincare game. The masks seemed really multi-faceted; glycolic acid and pumpkin enzymes work together to remove dead skin while vitamin C and Manuka honey provide pigmentation-fighting properties and nourishment. Me, a skincare newbie, immediately saw honey (one of my favorite hydrating ingredients) and thought hey, this would be a great addition to my skincare routine!
Did I forget that glycolic acid was one of the stronger exfoliating acids (at least for my skin)? Yep.
Did I also fail to realize that this mask used a combination of glycolic acid and pumpkin enzymes to exfoliate? Yep.
But let’s continue.
I use a popular Paula’s Choice toner (I don’t have to link it because you know which one I’m talking about), but I stopped using it as much because I wanted a different form of exfoliating treatment that might be more gentle for my skin. I started with my usual pre-facial routine; I oil cleansed, followed that with a regular cleanser, used a little bit of toner just to re-moisten my skin, and then quickly removed any unwanted facial hair before my skin dried out. Then, after reading the instructions, I applied the mask, deciding that I would start out with a five-minute timer to see how my face reacted to the mask.
But did I think that I was going to almost ruin my skin’s moisture barrier? Nope.
Within the next thirty seconds, the extra-sensitive areas of my skin (part of my cheeks and my upper lip) began to burn. No big deal, I thought. I’ll just rinse it off of my upper lip and apply a moisturizing mask. So that’s what I did. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, especially considering that I just removed hair from that area. Maybe it was just a little extra sensitive today. And then… the rest of my face began to react. It wasn’t downright burning, because that would mean that I was having a serious reaction to what was going on. But my whole face felt warm and tingly. If you’re not aware, estheticians say that this is a typical reaction for products containing fruit enzymes. Because of this, I didn’t really pay much attention to the tingling and decided to wait for a full ten minutes before washing it off.
When it came off, though, I immediately knew that this product was not for me. While my face looked smoother, the warm feeling that I was experiencing while the mask was on persisted for long after I rinsed it off. On top of that, my face felt very dry and tight, which is not how your skin should feel after using any product, exfoliating or otherwise. This is when I started to recall that my skin didn’t really like glycolic acid. While pumpkin enzymes were the main feature of this mask, the glycolic acid definitely did not come to play, either. Thankfully, my toner of choice is pure aloe vera gel, so I applied a really thick layer before finishing with my moisturizer and facial oil.
Overall, I still think that this mask would be great for those looking for a deep exfoliating product. Enzymes are no joke, and while the media’s eyes are mainly on the AHAs and BHAs of the world, you might want to give this a shot. This may be something to use once a week when you want to spend the time to apply a mask and relax. However, sensitive skin owners beware: this is not the product for you. In my own personal case, I’ve never had much success with exfoliating treatments, so I honestly stay away from them when it comes to my face. On my body, though? I could definitely picture a product of this strength working wonders on those winter calluses or other rough patches of skin that are hard to exfoliate. Wouldn’t buy again, but if you fit the description, this would be a great product for you.
Final Verdict:
Shock Value: 5/5
Exfoliating Intensity: 4.5/5
Overall Opinion: Super powerful! Wouldn't buy again, but I'll definitely try the rest of this on rough (non-sensitive) areas on the body.