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Valentia Eternal Youth Scrub

April 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

OVERVIEW: A face scrub for sensitive skin. I am generally not a fan of using scrubs on facial skin for people over age 35 because the exfoliating agents are often just too rough on the aged skin and tend to tear more than buff away and smooth. But this is a nice gentle scrub similar to the Clinique 7 Day Scrub but with a bit more exfoliating action from gentle jojoba beads.

INGREDIENTS
Jojoba beads for the exfoliating grains â€“ this is probably my favorite part because it is so much gentler on the skin and can melt while scrubbing into a soothing oil, whereas a hard grain or pieces of walnut shells are often used in other scrubs can micro-tear skin.

Several vitamins that focus on making skin more even. Since it is on the skin for a shorter period of time and it leaves no residue, this is a nice feature but not a big selling point for me.

White and green teas, both of which are both anti-inflammatory and soothing to the skin.
To soothe the skin, ingredients include Aloe Vera, Olive Butter, Avocado Butter and Kukui Butter. Kukui was new to me: doing some research, it is used to intensely hydrate and moisture skin. Olive Oil on the skin has been used for years to soothe and fortify, and Avocado is a nice rich moisturizer that in oil form does not feel too heavy on the skin.

PACKAGING:
Sleek gold and black jar, it does not seem like it is full but it weighs in at the advertised weight specified. Ideally, I wish that it was in a tube for sanitary reasons, as I tend to get water in the jar during use and grab the product with my fingers.

APPLICATION
The scrub has a delicate scent of white and green tea. The texture is a whipped gel consistency, with visible exfoliating grains. There is an aroma that is more astringent than fragrant, it dissipates after use. Washes off cleanly.

RESULTS
Skin felt smooth and soft with no flaky skin residue, some dead skin was exfoliated without leaving flakes or patches and my skin was not raw or irritated after use. I especially liked the scrub on my neck. Also, I focused on the blackheads on my nose and it did visibly improve that problem. It reminds me of the general exfoliating feel to Cliniqueâ€™s 7 Day Scrub but somewhat stronger, although a preferable thing to me about the Valentia Scrub is it does not leave a residue like the Clinique. I have been using Retinol and Vitamin C Serums, this product is gentle enough not to irritate but does help remove the dead skin.

I would not use this daily, twice a week at most.

Valentia Eternal Youth Scrub

Product Review: Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum

March 30, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum is a light soothing serum for sensitive skin with great ingredients to support delicate skin.

I have been using a Retinol at night paired with applying a Vitamin C serum during the day skincare program lately, and both require a very hydrating moisturizer to combat the dryness associated with retinol and Vitamin C. If a good soothing moisturizer is not used in tandem these anti-aging products can make skin dry during use and even appear temporarily older and make wrinkles appear deeper.

Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum is a nice light moisturizer for the day with several ingredients to enhance the skin care regiment of someone with naturally sensitive skin or skin that is made sensitive by the use of various ingredients frequently found in anti-aging products.

Some research into the ingredients:

Evening Primrose Oil is wonderful as a vitamin supplement for women and is excellent as a topical ingredient to provide a light moisture layer without clogging skin
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) combats sallowness, wrinkling, blotchiness and the hyperpigmented spots in aging skin, especially in the thin skin of the eye area.
â€¢ Bearberry promotes melatonin which lightens brown spots and acne scars.

If you are not able to tolerate Retinol or Vitamin C, this serum is a viable way to address signs of aging like wrinkles, brown spots and moisture loss. If you can tolerate retinol, this is a great moisturizing serum to pair with them: it is lightweight and doesn’t clog skin, has great ingredients.

The serum also contains lavender and rosehip oil. Both are very good skincare ingredients but the scent is notable in this serum, as would be expected for a Royal Rose product. I prefer not to wear scented skincare but that is just a personal preference. It is not an offensive scent and both are base notes for many fragrances, so it is not a conflict with your chosen perfume scent if you chose to wear this during the day.

valentiarose

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review. If you have any questions about my experience with the product, leave it in the comment box below and I’ll answer!

Valentia Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum

March 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This past weekend was pretty rough on my skin – a hotel room with harsh forced air, the water in the hotel room shower left my skin pretty raw, and a lovely meal that had an unexpected amount of sodium, leaving my face puffy and dull. So when I got home, it was time to pull out the big skincare guns.

Valentia Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum is a total powerhouse when it comes to revitalizing skin. Lactic Acid (which is a potent AHA) works to increase circulation, gently exfoliate dead skin cells, and boost cell turnover so your complexion is left refreshed literally overnight. I woke up the next day with a youthful glow. A lot of lactic acid products can be irritating, but because of soothing ingredients like Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Oil, and Vitamin E, skin stays calm and supple.

Other fantastic ingredients include Seaweed to oxygenate the skin. I tend to be skeptical of products that say they bring oxygen to the skin, but there is no denying the oxygenated glow that comes with applying Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum. Several Ingredients including Licorice Extract work to fight hyper pigmentation to give skin a nice even tone, and Argan Oil contains Vitamin E to keep the skin plump and youthful.

After using it for a few days what really struck me is that my skin is just so soft. I have used lactic acid products before, even at home lactic acid peels, but my skin has never been as soft after use. I think the combination of ingredients is really perfect for producing this soft, supple feel to skin.

Another thing I really like is the texture of this serum. It’s a little watery, which is what a good serum should be. Thicker than an essence, but not as thick as a gel. It layers beautifully under sunscreen and absorbs fully, just leaving a lovely glow.

The very subtle scent is wonderful as well – just a very light, delicate citrus.

This is the second Valentia product I have tried and I am more convinced that this is a fantastic line!

Find Valentia Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum at Amazon.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review.

Product Review: Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask By Valentia

February 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This has been a particularly rough winter on my skin. While December and parts of January were so mild, when the weather turned really cold my skin became so raw and dry and I have had trouble getting it back to normal.

I was sent Valentia’s Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask for review and I really like it. The scent is lovely: light and fresh, with a hint of refreshing citrus green tea. The texture is fantastic, not sticky at all and in fact has a silky feel to it, perhaps due to the Silk Protein Amino Acids. It contains one of my favorite ingredients, Botanical Hyaluronic Acid, which soothes and plumps skin. It also contains green tea, Aloe Vera, and Organic Rosehip Seed Oil for soothing and nourishing the skin. It washes off cleanly and leaves skin ready for a good occlusive moisturizer to seal in all of the soothing and plumping ingredients the skin just soaked in.

The results were impressive. My raw skin was soothed and looked plump and radiant. When I smiled I had that youthful glow on my cheeks that everyone past the age of 23 is looking for, likely due to the high quality hyaluronic acid. It smoothed out the redness and dryness of some post-acne spots enough for me to cover them easily.

I also tried it on my hands, and that is the part that really blew me away: after going out without gloves on a particularly cold day, my hands still stayed moisturized and hydrated for a good 36 hours after using the mask on them for only about 15 minutes. I have started using facial masks regularly on my hands as well, as I try to take time as a relaxing 15-30 break, but something always pops into my head and I’m reaching for my iPad to write it down or check on something. If I put a mask on my hands as well, then not only am I forced to sit and relax, but my always dry hands look (and feel) better!

The mask reminds me of the type one gets as the hydration part of high-end spa facials, but instead of heading out for a pricey treatment you can relax and optimize your skin at home! This mask has become a relaxing part of my Sunday Night Beauty regime as a way to relax before the hectic week starts.

Valentia Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask