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Where Nature & Science Meet Skincare, Haircare, Beauty & Wellness

Science of Beauty: Why Use Mandelic Acid for Acne to Anti-Aging

July 1, 2019 · 5 Comments

Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States.
No acne treatment overview would be complete without Mandelic Acid.


Retinol is still the gold standard for acne. But peeling acids are more common in acne and acne scar treatment. And Mandelic Acid is an ingredient worthy of your attention. It gets the results of a robust acid but with little to no skin irritation.

WHAT IS MANDELIC ACID?

Mandelic acid is a natural ingredient that comes from bitter almonds

Mandelic acid is a natural ingredient that is extracted from bitter almonds

Mandelic acid is a very gentle AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid).

Mandelic acid penetrates the skin slowly, making it suitable for even sensitive skin. While it is an “acid” it is very gentle and rarely causes skin irritation.

Mandelic acid is natural, clean, green, and skin-friendly.

It is useful in organic skin care product formulations.

HOW MANDELIC ACID WORKS: ACNE TO ANTI-AGING

Mandelic acid accelerates cell turnover by dissolving the tiny bonds that hold skin cells together. This microexfoliation accomplishes several skincare objectives.

ACNE

Mandelic acid is useful in acne treatment. Mandelic acid removes bacteria-trapping dead skin, which contributes to acne formation. Dead skin also dulls the complexion and makes fine lines look worse. Removing dead skin cells brightens skin. It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory. If you have adult acne, Mandelic acid is ideal to treat both acne and signs of skin aging. (1)

ANTI-AGING

Mandelic acid an appealing ingredient within anti-aging products. Mandelic acid is helpful for smoothing mesh-like pattern wrinkles. Mandelic acid promotes collagen production. More collagen increases skin’s elasticity and youthful appearance. Collagen counteracts sun damage by smoothing and refining the skin surface. Sun damage is the largest cause of visible signs of aging.

Mandelic acid reduces hyperpigmentation. It lightens acne scars, sun damage, and age spots.

MANDELIC ACID VS GLYCOLIC ACID

Both acids are highly effective at causing rapid cell turnover. Both reveal younger, smoother, brighter skin. Both acids dissolve the “glue” holding dead skin cells. Both remove dead skin cells without forceful scrubbing. Both Mandelic Acid and Glycolic Acid are ideal for skin unable to tolerate harsh exfoliants.

A difference between the acids is that Mandelic acid has a larger molecular structure than glycolic acid. Smaller molecular structures penetrate the skin faster and deeper.  (2) If the skin can tolerate glycolic, that’s great. But if the skin gets irritated by Glycolic acid, Mandelic acid is an ideal option. The larger molecular structure of Mandelic Acid gets the job done, albeit a tad slower. Mandelic is kinder to the skin. There is little to no irritation and redness with regular Mandelic Acid use. (3)


MANDELIC ACID TIPS FOR BEST USE

  • Skin using AHAs, including Mandelic Acid, is more sensitive to light. Always wear sunscreen
  • To avoid irritation, choose products with 10% or less Mandelic Acid concentrations

HYPERPIGMENTATION

Some hyperpigmentation fading ingredients work best on pink undertone skin. Mandelic Acid works on the hyperpigmentation of all skin tone types. Mandelic Acid inhibits melanin production in existing scars, age spots, and acne marks. (4) This reduces hyperpigmentation of all types on all skin tones.

Mandelic Acid: A Holy Grail Ingredient

Mandelic Acid earns our “Holy Grail Ingredient” rating. It reduces sun damage, acne, and hyperpigmentation. It gently exfoliates and improves skin texture. It works on all skin tones and textures, including mature and sensitive skin. It is natural and suitable for organic product formulations. A Style Chicks skincare superstar!

 



REFERENCES

  1. Debowska, Renata & Kaszuba, Aleksandra & Michalak, Iwona & Dzwiga‚owska, Agata & CieÅ›ciÅ„ska, Czanita & Jakimiuk, Elżbieta & ZieliÅ„ska, Joanna & Kaszuba, Andrzej. (2015). Evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of mandelic acid-containing cosmetic formulations for acne skin care. Dermatology Review. 4. 316-321. 10.5114/dr.2015.53419.
  2. Garg VK, Sinha S, Sarkar R. Glycolic acid peels versus salicylic-mandelic acid peels in active acne vulgaris and post-acne scarring and hyperpigmentation: A comparative study. Dermatol Surg 2009;35:59-65.
  3. Taylor MB. Summary of mandelic acid for the improvement of skin conditions. Cosmet Dermatol 1999;12:26-8
  4. Kessler E, Flanagan K, Chia C, Rogers C, Glaser DA. Comparison of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acid chemical peels in the treatment of mild to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris. Dermatol Surg 2008;34:45-50.

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Adult Acne, Science of Beauty, Science of Skincare
Tagged: Acne Scars, Holy Grail Skincare, How to Use Mandelic Acid for Acne, How to Use Mandelic Acid for Anti-aging, Mandelic Acid, Skincare Anti-Aging

What to expect from a Vitamin C and Retinol Skincare Program

January 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The first time one spots fine lines, crows feet, brown spots, or eleven lines on their face, one is probably only in their late twenties, but it feels like the start of a slippery slope into looking like a full-fledged card-carrying AARP member on their way to get a free senior coffee. To combat signs of aging, dermatologists recommend a combination of Vitamin C serum and Retinol. Considering starting a Vitamin C/Retinol topical skin care program? Find out exactly what to expect and when from this topical anti-aging power couple, as found in Lordsbury Retinol+C Moisturizer.

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer contains both 2.5% pure Retinol and 20% Vitamin C Serum

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer contains both 2.5% pure Retinol and 20% Vitamin C Serum

AGING IS SNEAKY: WHY RETINOL AND VITAMIN C ARE THE FIRST LINES OF DEFENSE

Aging skin sneaks up on you. Your skin may seem dull, less dewy or vibrant, but not old, just… lackluster. This aging starts in our late twenties when collagen starts to decrease, and by 40, aging typically exhibits in increased uneven pigmentation, dark spots, redness, broken capillaries, along with the usual aging suspects of wrinkles, crinkles and sagging.

It’s easy to focus on the wrinkles and sagging, but the discoloration, dullness and cumulative sun damage effects are far more aging to the overall facial appearance. According to an article in the December 2006 Clinical Interventions in Aging Journal, “solar UV radiation unquestionably is the single major factor responsible for skin aging” (Clin Interv Aging. 2006 Dec; 1(4): 327–348).

Fortunately, both Vitamin C and Retinol excel at both building more collagen and undoing sun damage, its’ resulting discoloration, and skin texture changes, as well as restoring a youthful glow regardless of age. While there is a slew of anti-aging remedies and products out there, this sun damage reversal ability is one of the chief reasons that dermatologists will recommend a Vitamin C and Retinol combination.

CHOOSING YOUR TOPICALS

The temptation in anti-aging skin care is to panic and use too much too soon, attempting peels, scrubs, and topical treatments all at once, leading to dry, irritated skin. But the tried and true combination that addresses the broadest scope of anti-aging issues is Retinol and Vitamin C. We like Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer because it’s an all-in-one product that combines a 2.5% pure Retinol with 20% Vitamin C serum plus Hyaluronic Acid for deeper penetration, plus a host of moisturizers to buffer the powerful active ingredients.

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer provides gentle but effective Retinol plus Vitamin C in an all-in-one product

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer provides gentle but effective Retinol plus Vitamin C in an all-in-one product

ABOUT VITAMIN C: HOW IT REVERSES SKIN AGING

Vitamin C is needed for collagen production. Collagen is the scaffolding of the skin, keeping it supported and firm. We produce less collagen as we age, and we also lose collagen, which is tantamount to pulling bricks out of a wall – it eventually causes sagging and deterioration. But these missing “bricks” in the skin can be patched with Vitamin C application to produce more collagen. Because the skin makes less collagen as it ages, it’s helpful to apply Vitamin C topically to have it present at the cellular level where skin makes collagen, as Vitamin C is involved in all three collagen production processes. Vitamin C also fights free radicals which age the skin via oxidation and exposure to pollutants. Vitamin C fades away discoloration without bleaching it, just returning the skin to its’ natural tone.

Vitamin C can build collagen even around the delicate eye area

ABOUT RETINOL: HOW IT REVERSES SKIN AGING

Retinol helps retain existing collagen by preventing collagen breakdown and stimulate new collagen production. It is a great pairing with topical Vitamin C that provides the production process tools while Retinol gives the skin “orders” to make more collagen. It also increases skin thickness which makes it less prone to wrinkle and appear more even in tone. It breaks up discoloration and scars, which makes it easier for Vitamin C to fade it away. And it sloughs away dead skin cells and encourages new, younger skin to take its’ place. It shrinks pores, which tend to enlarge with age, and purges blackheads.

Retinol also uniquely retains the healthy glow or luminosity of youth that no other product or active ingredient can truly emulate or effect. If you have ever seen an older person without wrinkles or sagging, but their skin does not glow, you know they are maintaining their skin in some unnatural (surgical, laser or injectable) fashion. That glow is what gives older skin a natural young look.

Vitamin C and Retinol both accomplish different parts of many of the same tasks, making them a great team.

Just one pump of Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer treats the face and throat with a potent combination of Retinol, Vitamin C and a bunch of natural, effective moisturizers

TIMEFRAME: WHEN CAN I EXPECT RESULTS?

Results can be seen between a week to three months, depending on the type of aging concerned. The return of skin radiance happens fairly quickly, whereas reversing deep wrinkles and sagging requires collagen production which can take a few months of daily Retinol and Vitamin C use to start to visibly show.

A key factor in how long it takes for Retinol and Vitamin C to improve skin is how well you tolerate the flaking, redness, and dryness that occurs with many retinol and even some Vitamin C products. Many people can only tolerate every other day Retinol use. This will delay results. A Retinol we like is Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer because it contains 2.5% pure retinol, 20% Vitamin C serum and a host of natural moisturizers that serve as a gentle buffer so effective that it can be used twice a day with zero skin irritation, even around the delicate eye area, and even for those with very sensitive skin, like myself.

LUMINOSITY: ONE TO TWO WEEKS

This famous elusive Retinol glow appears just after a major skin sloughing. And it is fabulous.

SMOOTH AND EVEN SKIN: TWO WEEKS TO TWO MONTHS

Within the first week or two, the combination of Vitamin C and Retinol leads to rapid dead skin turnover, which makes skin look and feels soft and smooth, like after exfoliating. Wrinkles appear smaller and less deep because the light reflects better off of smooth skin than dead skin cells, but wrinkles are not actually improved at this stage, they are just attractively “buffed”. Prescription retinol is highly effective in dead skin sloughing but tends to have several weeks of itchy peeling to suffer through. Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer also has rapid dead skin turnover, but without tell-tale peeling or redness often seen in prescription retinol.

REDUCED PORES AND REDUCED BLACKHEADS: ONE TO THREE WEEKS

A particularly satisfying part of Vitamin C/Retinol use is watching pores shrink down to nothing and blackheads mass exit your face, even the stubborn ones around your nose. This pore-shrinking is surprisingly youthifying, as it’s something that unknowingly makes one look older.

ACNE: WEEKS THREE AND FOUR

Vitamin C tackles acne quickly. Retinol removes the dead skin cells and sebum congesting pores. There is a brief period a few weeks into retinol use that the pores purge with a temporary major breakout, then skin remains largely clear after that period. Cystic acne takes longer to clear but daily Vitamin C use is excellent for shrinking the inflammation out of cystic acne.

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer treats even adult cystic acne with Retinol and Vitamin C, plus reduces inflammation with Wildcrafted Green Tea and Aloe Vera

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer treats even adult cystic acne with Retinol and Vitamin C while reducing redness and inflammation with Wildcrafted Green Tea and Aloe Vera. Plus, it fades brown spots, uneven tone and discoloration caused by years of sun damage and even fades old acne scars

DISCOLORATION FROM PHOTOAGING (SUN DAMAGE): 2 to 6 MONTHS

This is one of Retinols and Vitamin C’s best tricks, reversing years of sun damage. How fast you see results depend on how much damage you have, but even severe sun damage can be vastly improved within three to six months. Vitamin C builds collagen and fades discoloration, improving sun damaged skin’s texture and even tone. According to the same article cited above, Retinol is the most effective treatment reversing skin damage, generally within three to six months, but most users won’t tolerate the burning, scaling, itching, peeling and general dermatitis issues associated with retinoid therapy. This is where buffering your retinol with moisturizers, such as those found in the all-in-one Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer, becomes crucial to assure regular, consistent use.

CONCLUSION

Few treatments can hold a candle to what daily use of Retinol and Vitamin C can do for the skin in terms of reversing sun damage and restoring the skin. The key to making this program work for you is finding a Retinol and Vitamin C that you can use consistently each day without excess irritation or redness. Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer provides 2.5% pure Retinol with 20% Vitamin C serum in a high moisturizing cream base that contains many natural moisturizing agents so that you can tolerate daily use. In fact, you can use it twice a day without irritation. Once you see the wonderful youthful luminosity that Retinol can give your skin, you won’t want to stop, so Lordsbury gives the ability for daily use without any irritation, just soft, smooth, increasingly younger and better skin.

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3PSEQX/

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer contains 2.5% Pure Retinol, 20% Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba, Wildcrafted Green Tea, Shea Butter and many other Retinol enhancing ingredients

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer contains 2.5% Pure Retinol, 20% Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba, Wildcrafted Green Tea, Shea Butter and many other Retinol-enhancing ingredients

Style Chicks received compensation for our time and effort as Brand Ambassadors of Lordsbury. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Anti-Aging, Beauty, Skincare
Tagged: Anti-Aging, Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer, Retinol, Skincare Anti-Aging, Vitamin C Serum

I Max 45% Trichloroacetic Acid Serum-Deep Chemical Peel

July 2, 2016 · 4 Comments

I Max 45% Trichloroacetic Acid Serum-Deep Chemical Peel

I Max 45% Trichloroacetic Acid Serum-Deep Chemical Peel

The I-Max TCA Peel is a VERY potent serum.

Make SURE to read all the instructions before use; this is strong enough to damage skin if not applied carefully and according to the directions. Also, allow plenty of time to heal as the skin will go through a sloughing process for several days. But when correctly used, this serum can treat scars, moles, warts, skin tags, deep over pigmentation, and general aging issues on face and body.

NEVER APPLY THIS FULL STRENGTH in the hopes of getting fast results, it can thin out the skin too much. For context, the undiluted strength of the serum is strong enough to remove a wart or skin tag. Full, undiluted strength is too much for an area of skin that is delicate enough to wrinkle.

Despite all these cautions, TCA can be a very effective means of fading dark spots, wrinkles and make the skin appear more even in texture and tone. If your skin has dark spots and deep scars that have not responded to lower strength peels or dermabrasion, TCA can effectively address these deeper-level skin issues. What I like about the I-Max TCA is there are no excessive irritants to the skin because it uses natural preservatives instead of chemical ones. This is done with a natural Vitamin “charge” that can be seen when opening the bottle; there is a fizzy reaction when some of the carbonated charge is released.

HOW TO USE THIS SERUM

1. PATCH TEST 24-28 hours before use. Even if you normally don’t do a test patch, do a test patch with this serum to have a sense of your tolerance and to see how much it does for a small application.
2. Read all the directions.
3. Wash skin thoroughly.
4. Dilute this serum in distilled water at a minimum of a 1:3 ratio. For first time users or those with known sensitive skin, 1:4 or even 1:5. I plan on a 1:5 ratio for a while until I build a tolerance. There are plenty of treatments in this bottle, err on the side of caution for the first use. DO NOT APPLY THIS SERUM DIRECTLY TO THE SKIN.
5. Apply the mixture gingerly with a fan brush, cotton swab or pad, avoid delicate skin around the eye area and under the nostrils, and near the corners of the mouth. Also, avoid any broken or inflamed skin.
6. Focus on problem areas such as dark brown spots, deep wrinkles, and scars. The serum can be used on loose skin on the face and neck.
7. This peel is to be left on for only a few minutes, 3-4 minutes the first time and never more than ten minutes on subsequent treatments. It will feel like a burning sensation at first. If it does not subside after 30 seconds, rinse it off.
8. To rinse off the serum, do not use anything harsh on the skin and do not scrub.
9. Apply an emollient moisturizer. I like the i-Max stem cell cream and the i-Max Post Chemical Peel-Soothing, and Moisturizing Cream has been great with any of the i-Max peel.
10. NO PICKING THE PEELING SKIN: After the redness subsides, there will be several days of skin peeling. Do not pick or rub at this skin or you will risk infection and scarring. This peeling and flaking give the appearance of a simple sunburn, but it is deeper than sunburn type of peeling and should be kept clean and left alone to heal. If you are doing this peel before a special occasion, leave enough time for your skin to recover and look optimal, at least 10-14 days before the special event to see the full and best effect. My peeling did NOT conceal with either a liquid or powder foundation, so plan your peel recovery timing accordingly.
11. Wear a sunscreen, especially while your skin is recovering.

CONCLUSION: A powerful peel that when used correctly, can accomplish far more than many at-home dermabrasion and peel products. Skin texture issues such as scarring, pitting from acne, and brown spots that do not respond to other topical treatments can be addressed. A stubborn brown spot I have on my temple that did not respond to Vitamin C, Retinol or other peels has started to lighten with this TCA peel. Good value.

I received this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Beauty, Skincare
Tagged: Skin, Skincare Anti-Aging, TCA

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