Let's talk skin, shall we? I was not blessed with great skin. My skin has been a constant source of frustration for me most of my life. I'll always remember someone once told me I was a pretty girl despite my skin. I guess that was meant to be a compliment. My adolescent years were plagued by acne (as if being an awkward, shy teenager with blunt cut bangs wasn't hard enough). After a decade of benzoyl bleached pillow cases, I finally turned to Accutane my senior year of college. Two rounds later and my skin was perfect. Poreless, flawless, gorgeous. I thought my skin woes were finally over. 21 years old with perfect skin! Bam! Then I decided to go to law school. And oh yes, the acne came back along with a wrinkle or two. At this point I guess I had "adult acne" (I'm not really sure the point at which it becomes adult, but I figure it must be post-graduate). I tried everything, diets, colonics (so bad, please don't judge me), dermatologists, lasers, microdermabrasion, every product at Sephora, facials (the bad kind where they stab you with needles and then pour acid on your open wounds), etc. etc. etc. you get my point. I've done it all.
And then one day I was googling around for more information about chemical peels and I discovered Makeup Artist's Choice (aka "MUAC"). Here is where the angels start singing guys. Lahhhhhhhhh!!!
My god, these products are good. I know they don't look like much. I'm as much of a sucker for attractive, sassy packaging as any hearty consumer. But it's what's on the inside that counts, right? I know I could go on and on swearing by these products, but perhaps a picture might be more persuasive. I apologize for the difference in lighting between the before and after, but I hadn't anticipated sharing the before picture with anybody. Everrr. Because it's embarrassing.
Not bad, huh? The results weren't overnight, but since I started using MUAC products regularly, my acne is mostly gone. I sometimes get a spot or two, but nothing cystic, nothing painful. I still have some scarring that you can see in the after picture, but the scars are fading. People tell me I have great skin now. I almost laugh every time I hear it because, seriously, meee? It's miraculous. Here's what I used:
1. Gly-Luronic Serum
This is my fave! A serum made with glycolic and hyaluronic acid, it provides amazing daily exfoliation without any peeling. Whenever I skip this product for a few days my skin gets really dry, so I know this is the guy is a rockstar exfoliator. I used to use scrubs, but this is less irritating for my skin. It makes me glowy and it's helped fade some of my acne scars. A sample is only $8.00, 1 oz is $26.00 and 2 oz is $46.00.
Regular exfoliation is key to a bright complexion and preventing breakouts. If you don't exfoliate, dead, old skin cells may accumulate on the surface of your skin, clogging your pores and leaving your skin looking dull. I prefer chemical exfoliants to physical exfoliants (such as a sugar scrub) because I have sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, chemical exfoliants such as AHAs are a great alternative to scrubs.
2. Mandelic Acid Peel
This stuff is AMAZING. I've been using this once a week for six months. Mandelic acid is an AHA derived from almonds. It is gentle enough to where you should experience little to no peeling. It's great for helping with acne breakouts and reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines. Confession: I used to be a bit of a botox junkie. I started young. As in 24. Horrible, I know. Another colossal waste of money. I quit a while ago, and my weekly mandelic peels have helped keep my wrinkles from getting deeper. I have one on my forehead that I tend to fixate on, and after a mandelic peel I don't notice it for a few days. Lurrrve. One bottle of this stuff will last you 6 months and it's super affordable. A sample size is $4.50. Yes, that's right, four fitty. That will last you a couple of peels so you can take a gander and see if it's for you. Should you become hooked (which I will wager you will) a 1 oz bottle is $16.95 and a 2 oz bottle is $31.95. I can't really remember how much I used to pay for lunchtime glycolics at the med spa but I think it was always $50-$100 per peel. Think of the savings!
When I try and get my friends to buy this product they sometimes balk because, after all, it is an acid peel. You could potentially drip it on your eyeball if you aren't careful. But if you follow the instructions and are careful, you'll be fine. I've used this peel upwards of 30 times by now and have yet to experience any mishaps.
3. Phytocell Renewal Serum
This is a recent addition to my regime and I. Am. Hooked. I just ordered another bottle last week even though I feel a twinge of guilt for doing so since I'm not working right now. This one is a bit pricier than the others at $46.40 per ounce (you can try a sample for $4.75). It has Swiss Apple stem cells in it. That sounds fancy, but I'm not going to pretend to know the first thing about fruit stems cells. Supposedly they have anti-aging and rejuvenating properties. All I know is I like this stuff, it makes my skin look really good. Bright and pretty and glowy. I highly recommend trying this if you are of a certain age.
To be clear, I am not affiliated with MUAC in any way or being compensated for this review. I just want to spread the word and hopefully save somebody out there years of expensive frustration. Also, I'm no dermatologist, so follow his or her advice foremost. As with any skincare products, be careful and do a patch test to make sure you aren't allergic. Follow the instructions. And most importantly, wear sunscreen after using any kind of peel or acid. If you have any questions or need any other product recommendations, the customer service team at MUAC will give you great recommendations. Also, use code ddtwenty for 20% off. If you have any experience with MUAC products or give any of these a try, please let me know what you think.
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