NEW & NOTEWORTHY #5

 

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Today we’re rounding up and reviewing four recent beauty launches that I think are the most interesting and deserve a little moment in the spotlight…

We'll start with the Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser* | £26.50. I had high hopes for this cleanser because I'm a big fan of the Avocado Ceramide serum from this brand. This is one of those thicker creamy-lathering style cleansers and it's formulated with ceramides (of course!) which help boost barrier function, keeping dryness and irritation at bay. There are also moisturising and soothing ingredients like avocado oil and oat extract. This formula utilises glycolipids, which are fast becoming one of my favourite classes of surfactants, because they cleanse the skin in a way that's ultra-gentle. We also have glycerin to draw hydration into the skin, a prebiotic (which could help keep the skin barrier happy and healthy) and antioxidant-rich plant extracts, helping to protect the skin against free radical damage. For me; these ingredients are nice to have, but for a cleanser (unless it's an exfoliating formula), I'm not as concerned about the ingredients as I am about how this works and feels on my skin. This cleanser is just 'ok' for me; whilst I love glycolipids, they're typically non-foaming, so there are other cleansing agents in here creating that rich lather. I wouldn't mind at all (though it's not my preferred kid of cleanser, there are definitely a few that I enjoy using) but this does leave my skin feeling that little bit tight and overly 'cleansed' after use. I would use this in the summer as an 'end of the day' cleanser to get sweat and sunscreen off my skin, but in general: this isn't a favourite for me and my skin.

Next, we have a clear 'hit' for me: the Dr Jart Ceramidin Skin Barrier Serum Toner* | £35.  Honestly, I've barely put this product down this autumn / winter! It's a true toner-serum hybrid and you can really feel that gel-like glycerin-rich quality when you apply this product, and I've been loving it as an extra layer of soothing hydration to protect my skin against the harsher, colder weather. This product is formulated with glycerin and hyaluronic acid (to boost water levels in the skin), ceramides (as the name might suggest!), hydrating panthenol (which also helps the skin to better retain moisture) and plant oils to add that extra bit of skin softness. This just makes my skin feel happy; it's softer, more hydrated, it's balanced and it has a great calming effect when my skin is feeling a bit irritated. If you don't have dry skin, you probably don't need this, but if you do: it's a great added skin booster and an extra layer of hydration which my face absolutely appreciates.

Moving on, I've also been testing out the Peach & Lily Copper Peptide Pro Firming Serum* | $49. Peach & Lily has really been impressing me lately with their line of gentle but interesting and effective active ingredients. The latest addition to their range is a copper peptides. Peptides are a brilliant class of well-ageing ingredients; the more I read about them, the more impressed I am. They're hydrating, could boost collagen production in the skin (which depletes as we age, reducing our skin's 'bounce back' ability) and specific peptides have unique added benefits; copper peptides have skin-healing and reparative properties. Peptides are also a really gentle option, so if you find that your skin doesn't tolerate strong actives like retinoids and pure Vitamin C; this could be a perfect alternative. Copper peptides are naturally blue in colour and I usually see them in opaque packaging to protect the product from light degradation, but perhaps this particular formula is extra stable. This also contains chicory root as an anti-inflammatory, squalane (to top up the skin's natural oils), mushroom extract (rich in Vitamin D to boost skin barrier function) and hyaluronic acid for that moisture boost. I I naturally compared this to Niod's Copper Amino Isolate, which was the first and still the most effective copper peptide formula I'd tried. Whilst I don't think this product is quite as transformative (Niod's version honestly feels like a 'good skin day' bottled), I did feel it left my skin looking and feeling healthy, hydrated and bouncy. If you have sensitive skin and you're looking for a well-ageing all-rounder: this could be the one for you. Plus it's still a bit cheaper that Niod's very high-end formula. 

Finally, let's talk about the Dr Sam Flawless Moisturiser Intense* | £32. If I had to try and summarise this product to a friend, I'd say 'imagine La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast, but as a moisturiser instead of a balm'. This is a substantial-feeling but non-greasy moisturiser formulated with glycerin, skin-softening apricot seed oil, panthenol, squalane, linoleic acid (great for both skin barrier health and to support reducing discolouration in the skin), ceramides and cholesterol (components of the lipid barrier), fermented ingredients and madecassoside (the active element of the soothing cica plant, which is also found in Cicaplast, hence the comparison). Despite how rich the ingredients sound and the fact that it's a more heavy-duty moisturiser, it's nothing shiny or suffocating, it just provides that soothing, healing environment and occludes the skin to trap hydration. This is something you can use daily or just when your skin needs it. I've enjoyed using it before bed, but I do have one negative to flag with this product; it can pill if you don't just apply it and leave it be i.e. I can't use an oil after this and - though it's a night cream for me anyway - I probably wouldn't recommend using this in the morning with sunscreen or under makeup (if you wear it). It's still worth it for me though when my skin just needs to heal or if I'm using a strong active and want to ensure my skin is happy afterwards.

Have you tried any of this batch of new skincare launches?

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Read more posts from this series here!