Followers

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Like it rough?!

It's hard, fast, leaves you gasping and feeling a little bit vulnerable. 


Yes, I'm talking about No.7 Total Renewal Microdermabrasion exfoliator


I was looking for a new face exfoliator to add to my routine as my Clarins Gentle Refining exfoliator just wasn't cutting the mustard, so I scoured the web to find a new one and reviews pointed me towards this bad boy.


According to Boots, this exfoliator works against fine lines, evens out skin tone and leaves skin softer, silky to touch and more refined after 4 uses. It contains aluminium oxide crystals which are also used in professional micro-dermabrasion session.






Ok, it looks innocuous enough. Simple packaging, anti-ageing premise. The exfoliator itself looks creamy with very small grains and not too frighting. But be warned.....This is a wolf in sheep's clothing.  


I should have taken heed of the unusually long winded instructions.  The two page instruction leaflet went straight in the bin, as I flippantly scrubbed it into my freshly cleansed skin. In hindsight I probably ought to have read them, but hey, where's the fun in that?


The exfoliator spreads well and feels gentle on your skin. I was impressed by the fact that the grains are so plentiful, they don't all disappear under your fingers as you rub it over your face. The  aluminum oxide crystals are incredibly fine and are easy to get into the awkward nooks and crannys for a seriously deep clean.


I massaged it in for a couple of minutes, and then washed it off with a cloth. It left no residue and came off cleanly without leaving a mass of grains all over your face.  By this time my skin was very pink, and starting to look a more than a bit cross.  I slathered on some rich night cream in a vain attempt to calm it down and went to bed.


I woke up in the morning to beautifully soft skin. Beautifully soft, bright red skin.


Over the course of the day my soft, beetroot face became oilier and oilier.  My normally dry as a bone skin suddenly decided to have a sebum-fest of epic proportions. 


That evening, I raided my rather large skin care collection (hoard) for anything I could find which would help balance it and calm it down.  Two days later the greasy face is starting to subside and I have to admit my skin feels absolutely fantastic.  It's soft, glowy, my pores are looking smaller and the redness has diminished to manageable levels.


So where does that leave me? Is the smooth, younger and healthy looking skin worth the red, oily disaster of the last few days? My answer is yes, probably! 


I am sure that I probably was a little over-enthusiastic with the length of time I massaged the exfoliator in. Next time I'll limit to a minute only and I don't think my skin could manage it being used more than once per week. But, I'm going to throw red-faced caution to the wind and keep going with it. 


I'll keep you updated, if I have any skin left after the next time I use it, I might even post a picture.


Wish me luck!