About a month and a half ago I went through a very stressful period in my life and, like I usually do, broke out like crazy with hormonal acne. Naturally it left some scarring and I was desperate to get rid of it for summer. A friend of mine had a similar problem and went to a spa to have a mild acid peel done to help re-tone her skin and it worked like a charm! I don’t know about you, but the thought of putting something on my face that stays there for 20 minutes all the while it feels like it’s burning doesn’t appeal to me. But I really wanted to clear up my skin again. After a little research here is what I found:
Bliss Spa That’s Incredi-‘peel’!
“Targets fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and imperfections. Retexurizes and soothes all skin types. Creates and ‘overnight facial’ effect with time-release technology in just one step.”
Ingredients: Water, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate, Glycerin, Witch Hazel, Bitter Orange Flower Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Licorice Root Extract, Calendula Flower Extract, Xantan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Lauryl Metacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexlglycerin, Benzoic Acid.
That list of ingredients scared the bajeezus out of me when I first looked at it. Here’s the low down:
Accroding to the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database (www.ewg.org/skindeep) this product scores quite low on the toxicology and environmental impact spectrum. A number of the ingredients have use restrictions in place to keep them at safe levels. Others, the majority of the ingredients actually, have been researched to be safe for use in cosmetic products. Phenoxyethanol, sodium hydroxide, tocopheryl acetate, benzoic acid, and the glycollic acid scored the highest due to their skin irritation properties (but that’s kind of the point in a product like this). Everything else scored either a 1 or a 0 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most dangerous (butylene glycol and ethyhexiglycerin scored a 1, the remaining nine ingredients scored a 0). Although I am continuing to keep the products I use as natural as possible, I decided to give this one a try.
The box comes with 30 individually wrapped facial wipes which, although I cringe a little at the individualized wrapping, I understand the need for. These would not have the same effect if they dried out at all. Every night after washing my face I used one of these all over my face. Some days it tingled a little, other days I really didn’t notice much. You are supposed to use them every day for a month to get the most benefit from them and I stuck with that for the most part. I now have four left in my box and I have to say I’m impressed. I have truly noticed an improvement and my before picture proves that the acne scarring on my chin and the fine lines on my forehead have decreased dramatically. I feel like I can go out with just sunscreen on my face again. I definitely won’t be using this product often, but I will be repurchasing it for sure. It’ll be a great pick me up for my skin once or twice a year.
Word to the wise: as stated on the box, this product will make your skin very photosensitive so suncreen while using this product is an absolute must! Also, the instructions on the box warn against using this product if you are using Acutane or retinoids or have rosacea, eczema or open cuts on your skin.
Conscious Living: Mind, Body, and Heart 