EXUVIANCE®: Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel #Review #Exuviance #NeoStrata #SleepOnIt

My worst holiday horror story usually involves a cosmetic treatment failure. We all try to look our best when cameras will be shining upon us, so I try to make my skin look as beautiful as possible and because I’m adventurous when it comes to trying new beauty routines, this has bit me back…….and sometimes a little too hard.

Rudolph, having a glowing red nose is cute, I on the other hand, not so cute. I decided in 2010 to get rid of every clogged pore on my nose and face that year, thinking a dinner event in 3 days is more than enough time and a safe buffer to have. Well, at least the scabs stopped bleeding in 3 days! I looked like a hummingbird came at me and I lost the fight (hey, I’m sure there is a wild pecking Hummingbird in some Amazonian jungle or in Australia) 🙂  . I had pore sized scabs that looked like little dots, I almost added a glitter speck to each one of them hoping I looked festive but thank goodness for concealer that covered evidence of that horrid adventure.

I have learned my lesson and that is for a drastic positive change, don’t take drastic measures anywhere close to an event, holiday or where evidence like picture taking can result. I still want my skin and face to glow from beauty and not from a treatment failure because stress is an all year around occurrence but for me, it goes into overdrive come November. I’m trying to juggle a bird to then be thrown into Santa’s arms in early December to then forget everything jolly, and a week before December is over…….then comes New Year Eve! I’m baking, blogging, trying new make-up and looks, cleaning, decorating, sending cards that by this time I can’t stand anything with glitter on it. Thankfully, the Exuviance Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel is glitter free!

Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel, is a peel that is friendly to your face and takes the nerves and stress out of getting a peel that may peel more than intended. Exuviance, came up with NeoGlucosamine, a sugar molecule known as amino-sugars. This is a natural occurring molecule that is already abundantly found on our skin and N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine is the one that is found in greater numbers. I was already familiar with sugar based peels and masks, and I’ll take anything sugar that does not equate to the bathroom scale telling me to stop munching on cookies!

Retail Price Point: $51.00 via Exuviance /Neostrata for a 1.7 ounce jar, and you can also find the product at Ulta for $68.00, currently with a gift with purchase offer. Dermstore has the same $68.00 retail price point but I saw no perks added as a free gift or anything with purchase, just that it is free on the 5th purchase.

Ingredients (as listed on the website): Aqua (Water), Acetyl Glucosamine, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acetyl Tyrosinamide, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 14700 (Red 4).

Directions (as listed on the website): Remove cap. Depress top with even pressure on both sides of opening. Smooth one to two pumps of Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel on clean skin in an even layer without rubbing. Lightly tap any excess into skin. Wait 5-10 minutes while the product penetrates. Once product feels absorbed, follow with an Exuviance moisturizer such as Evening Restorative Complex.  Does it have to be washed off? No, this is a leave-on peel for all skin types.  How often is it used? It can be used daily after cleansing, before applying a cream (rub gently and let the product absorb for 5-10 minutes first).

Verdict:
I become less afraid the more I read about how this peel works. The main thing that draws me in, is that the peel is irritant free. No redness or adverse effects that increase the chances of a reaction with an acid based peel. This sugar is kind but still powerful. The non-acid peel provides cell rejuvenation by quickening the turn-over process, so your skin looks better quicker! You are left with skin that is glowing and radiant due to gentle exfoliation. This aids with diminishing any recent acne scars to fine lines and wrinkles. With continued use, the benefits increase and you will look better, which for me that always makes me feel better too!

I tried the peel and it is hard to train your brain to the idea that the Exuviance Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel can be used daily. Yes, it is that nice and I feel like Christmas came early for me. I had to also remind myself that this is the only peel I can do this with, don’t go applying that idea onto other peels (remember that brain!)! The peel is gentle and no need to wash it off. Yup, you read that right, this is a no-rinse needed peel. I applied the peel, let a few minutes lapse and then applied a gentle moisturizer to my skin. I like that this beauty treatment does not interrupt anything I have planned.  I don’t need to make excuses because it takes very little time to reap the benefits. The first indication this peel is working, was seeing smoother skin that felt soft to the touch. By day 3, I’m loving it because my skin appears clear both from clogged pores and any evidence that a pimple/blemish is trying to join in on the holiday festivities. By week 1, my skin is glowing but this a healthy glow, no redness or any adverse effects. Just healthy skin and I find no need to enhance my beauty routine with any highlighters or shimmering bronzers, or even blush. I just let my skin shine and do the talking on it’s own! Okay, I’m happy and the price is more than I would want to spend but then the skin care nightmares come back, and those are not pretty flash backs to remember. It took money and more experimenting to get my skin to bounce back and look less pecked at, so the price now becomes easier to spend on. New products that work, well they are rare these days and this peel costs as much as my foundation does, but I use less of it because of this peel. December has been the month that I have only used a concealer stick to cover areas around my eyebrow where I tried tweeze-ing out a hair that in the end won by staying, and I added a few red marks as evidence of the battle I had with it. That means Z-E-R-O concealer anywhere else! In December. The month that likes to munch at me with everything stress related and my face looks like I can handle it. Clear and smooth skin that glows radiant because of good care by Exuviance’s Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel, is a great way to welcome 2016!

 

End 2015 and Start 2016 with Gorgeous Skin at:

• On-line
• Product link to Exuviance’s Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Pinterest
• LinkedIN
• YouTube
• #Exuviance #NeoStrata #SleepOnIt

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Exuviance/Neostrata.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Adovia: Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask with Aloe Vera and Vitamin C #Review #Adovia

I have been using mud masks since High School and even found that they are a great way to use as an acne (overnight) spot treatment. I don’t wake-up with red and blown up blemishes and the mud aids in drying out the pimple or bringing it up to the surface. Nonetheless, the pimple will be dealt with and gone the following day. With time, I started getting better at differentiating what a clay base is and what mud is classified as, because I would get confused. You had muds with regions, locations, to even different claims but they all purified. I have found that Dead Sea mud, the mud tends to still be as effective as other mud based masks, but tends to give less of the side effects like over drying. I have parts of my skin that are considered sensitive and other normal to even oily in the t-zone area. It’s hard to apply a mask while you trying to avoid sections, but not with Dead Sea mud. Each company has its own blend, so trying them out has been interesting in seeing how well they perform.

Adovia Mineral Skin Care, is a company that carries everything from masks, creams to even soap bars derived from more kinder and natural ingredients. Their Purifying Mud Mask fits the line perfectly and I also like that they bottled the product in a squeeze bottle, so no jar to use that always makes me hurry up and try to scoop product out while racing for time (as air is the enemy) but making sure none falls on the jar’s rim or worse, on the counter.

Retail Price Point: $24.99 for a 5.1 fluid ounce bottle via Adovia’s website and $14.95 via Amazon.

Ingredients (as listed on the box):

Verdict:
I found that Adovia knows a lot about the products they make and this was seen by the indications/Directions listed. Most people apply masks, allow them to dry for 20 to 30 minutes, and then rinse. Muds work best when kept in a moist environment, whether this be a shower or sauna, to even a sink filled with hot water that is giving off steam. It keeps the ingredient in their active state and allows more of that “gentle pulling” and purifying of the skin’s surface to take place. This increases circulation and aids in promoting a better looking skin’s surface after treatment. This is why our face looks so smooth and has that beautiful natural glow after a mud mask treatment. I found that if I do the application in the shower, my results last longer. My skin remains in that improved state for about three days, so I got more out of the results by doing the “wet treatment”, and it also makes removal easier and less messy. I tried the Adovia Purifying Mud Mask for a period of one month and I used it once a week and did some spot treatments as needed. I am satisfied with the product’s consistency and it’s wet enough to make application a cinch but not so wet that I am chasing it. I even treated my chest area because bikini wearing season is here! No matter where applied, I got positive results that lasted. Less breakouts or skin issues and who doesn’t like flawless (or as closest as I can get) skin? I like getting maybe 1 pimple and then having clear skin. I also found that Adovia’s mask helped speed up the healing process and drying out period. If I got a “blinder”, those pimples that can’t make-up their mind about coming up all the way or going away, no problem as the mask’s influence made them decide really quickly. I found 75% just gave up the and left, while 25% would come up within 24 hours so I could pop (hey, I’m not walking around with a whitehead) and then they would dry out. Within three days, I had zero effects left behind from redness to swelling being totally gone. The mask also helps any marks or dark spots left behind from scabs.  Your scab will peel off quickly and no dark marks left behind!  The more religious you are about using it and by this I mean keeping on schedule (once or twice a week and staying faithful to the schedule), the less issues I had the following weeks. I skipped a week and by day 12, I could tell my skin was starting to get problematic again. I had no excuse other than time but I shower everyday, so I could have easily taken the bottle in with me. You are worth it, so stick to a schedule and you will be happy you added Adovia’s Purifying Mud Mask to your beauty routine.

Connect with Adovia Mineral Skin Care and their skincare products at:

• On-line
• Amazon
• Facebook
• #Adovia

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Adovia.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

EXUVIANCE® : Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish Review #Exuviance

Exuviance, is a company that I have heard of but never had been able to try their products. I am always game in trying a new anti-aging product and must admit that exfoliating really changed my skin, so the Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish was exactly what I am always looking for.

As a kid, we would always reserve the uneaten portions of a papaya that we would use to make fruit salads with and smoothies. The papaya’s flesh that was close to the skin would be wrapped in saran wrap and then left in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes, then quickly applied to the skin. We would look like sea creatures but I always loved how my skin felt after. I seriously thought this little beauty regimen was just something you did and as much as I loved how my skin felt afterwards, I just stopped doing it after I got married. No one else eats papaya here and it’s a large fruit so my papaya facial went the way of the Dodo! I still do egg white facials but I must admit they are not the same.

Exuviance took what was a proven ingredient and amped it up into making a professional product that is effective and brilliant. No worries if your home is a papaya free-zone anymore! The enzymes in papaya help dissolve the “yuck stuff” your pores are filled with. It’s done in a gentle manner but with the other ingredients that Exuviance added, like the Glycolic Acid and the fine crystals, that you are guaranteed to resurface gorgeous skin. It’s also faster than the old fashion way mentioned above. It would take me 30 minutes to get some results and let’s be honest, we did not consume papaya daily, so this was a weekend regimen at best. With Exuviance no limitations and the product can be used once to twice a week and takes a simple two minutes from start to finish.  One minute if you have sensitive skin.

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Not your everyday Scrub:
This product like listed on their site is a polish for your skin and not your everyday scrub. You are using fine grains to gently exfoliate and brighten your skin, not at all like I would describe a scrub that originates from fruit pits or even plastic micro-beads. The texture from the Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish felt what I would describe like fine sand. The kind of sand you use for decorative purposes not the type you dump in a play box! It’s not only great for skincare but safer for the environment.  Exuviance calls the base “Professional Grade Crystals” and I do agree there is a huge difference in how this product feels and works from a drug-store brand.

Ingredients (as listed on the website):
Aqua (Water), Glycolic Acid, Alumina, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Isononyl Isononanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Lactobionic Acid, Papain, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, PEG-75 Stearate, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Carbomer, Algin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum (Fragrance), CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 14700 (Red 4).

Retail Price Point: 2.6 oz bottle for $72.00 via their website or you can visit your local Ulta on-line or in-store to check out the entire line.

Final Verdict:

I always think brand oriented events are cool and wish I could attend them but then back out.  This time even though Exuviance did not require I attend, I did visit the Glendora, CA Ulta and finally made it to such event.  I wish I had not and it’s because I fell in love with the brand.  The Exuviance crew was attentive and left my skin feeling and looking gorgeous.  Everyone was buying products and I am the first to pass judgement on a price point because the product has to justify it, and not only in flashy packaging.  I had a head start with the Exuviance Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish in achieving better looking skin before the 4/18 event at Ulta, but when paired with the Collagen Triple Boost serum and all the other products in Exuviance’s anti-aging line……ooh-la-la.  I know now why some companies are highly regarded for their entire product lines and Exuviance is one I put up there.  By week one, I had used the product only twice and saw the difference in texture.  My skin was not just smooth to the touch but smooth when it came to how the surface looked.  By week two, I know now why people chase after products that shrink your pores and I admit it, it looks good.  My clear pores helped give that smaller pore appearance and this again leaves you with an ultra-smooth surface.  Make-up, creams, anything you apply glides on and performs better when you start with better looking skin!  I use less foundation and skip on any concealer use, to the point that if I don’t need or use the concealer soon, I am okay with letting go of it 🙂 .  You will be happy with the results and I warn you, you will get addicted to better looking skin and Exuviance’s products.  I can’t wait to try more!

Satisfy your skin’s need and visit Exuviance products at:

• On-line
• Product link to Exuviance’s Triple Microdermabrasion Face Polish
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Pinterest
• LinkedIN
• YouTube
• #Exuviance

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Exuviance.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Aria Starr Beauty: Super Retinol Advanced Anti-Aging Serum; 2.5% Retinol #Review #AriaStarrBeauty

Read the fashion magazines to the beauty newsletters,, and everyone is always pushing a retinol product with a very huge price tag. Not all vitamin A products are created equal but that does not mean that retinol product is not going to cost an arm and a leg. One thing I learned, is that Vitamin A should not be as costly and it’s effectiveness will come from what the formulation yields. You then get into the source and potency of the product and that is where I come to see if the bottle has what it says it does. The skin does not lie! 🙂

Aria Starr Beauty is a young company, which originates in Corona, California and with only a few products currently on the market. They offer Argan oil, a Vitamin C serum and the Super Retinol serum they kindly sent me to try out. The company name’s is the same as the founder, and they provide their beauty aids currently only via the Amazon’s Marketplace and other sites. Getting noticed is hard in the beauty world, so I don’t always discount if a company has little social media traffic or even a limited selection. Everything starts somewhere and some start small but as long as you do it right, I prefer to know I can count on a brand for this product versus just having a large selection of beauty items that do not work…..we all have sort of been there at one time or another!

I’m always on a retinol product as it is, and currently the OTC brands are only allowed to distribute a maximum of 2.5% without a prescription. This also means you get a softer potency that is sometimes better because delicate areas like your eyes can’t tolerate higher doses. You would need a script for retinol, which contains Tretinoin and comes in both topical and even pill form (i.e. Accutane). I don’t feel I’m there yet when it comes to my skin’s needs both in appearance and let’s admit it, in cost. I stick to 2.5% retinol for now until the time the fine lines start fighting back harder.

Aria Starr Super Retinol is labeled as a advanced anti-aging serum. You get a combination of main ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E and Organic Aloe. I like that the product comes in a glass colored bottle to avoid oxidation caused by light, plus it’s a gorgeous cobalt blue in color. Aria Starr took one step further and opted for a pump action top versus the glass droppers you see with some products, so again protecting the potency of the retinol by limiting oxygen/air from diluting it’s contents. I also like pump tops because I think they are more sanitary. You don’t have to worry if you need to rest a dropper’s top on the counter and picking up whatever to not only affect your skin, but the contents of the product, and it’s future applications. I’m just not into spreading germs with my beauty routine!

Ingredients (as listed on Amazon): Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe, Botanical Hyaluronic Acid, Witch Hazel, Pentylene Glycol, Phospholipids, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Carrageenan Gum, Organic Jojoba Oil, Triticum Vulgare, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Organic Green Tea, Wildcrafted Resina Propoli, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin

Retail Price Point: $16.95 for a 2.0 fluid ounce bottle. The label has a printed on expiration date, which I like. It makes the consumer aware of manufacture date (11/17/2014) and expiration date (11/16/2016). Aria Starr’s products are manufactured in the USA and lot/batch numbers are also recorded on the label.  Covered by a 1-year Satisfaction Guarantee.

Results:
As I stated I use retinol, so I am passed the “sensitive period” where peeling and/or redness may occur. Aria Starr’s serum is the same potency as the brand I was currently using, so I simply just jumped from one brand to another. I used the product for 3.5 weeks to see if the serum continued with my skin’s upkeep and if I saw any improvements or worse, any fine lines coming back. I used the product twice a day but in the A.M., I tend to go lighter with application and always follow-up with a SPF moisturizer. The serum does have retinol present, as my past achievements of ditching fine lines continued. I did not have any adverse reactions and this serum seems to leave a little more of a moisture barrier and this may be because of the additional beneficial properties added (i.e. vitamin oils and enriching oils).

Verdict:
You can’t beat the price point for a product where 1 to 2 pumps is needed. I still have more than 1/2 left because I needed 1 pump at night and a 1/2 a pump in the day.  A little goes a long way with serums and especially retinol infused ones.  I did not see any diminished gains that I had previously achieved and the product does work well with my skin.  No break-outs, blemishes, or anything negative I could attribute to the serum.  The product also absorbs quickly and gave me zero issues when used under make-up.

 

Connect with Aria Starr on:

• Amazon
• On-line (website under construction)
• Google+
• YouTube
• #retinol #AriaStarrBeauty

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Aria Starr Beauty.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.