Firstly, I owe my readers a huge apology. I’ve been MIA for so long I think my small blogging community must think I lost my fingertips. I caught the Cause of This Pandemic (C-19) and it all just kind of spiralled after that but I’m a lot better now and hopefully I can be the queen of consistency I’ve vowed to become. Today’s post is focusing on which Dermalogica serum I find best for treating acne spots and scars as well as providing a bright, smooth and even complexion (fighting hyperpigmentation). I need to give a few disclaimers before I continue. Number one is that I am taking an oral contraceptive. While the pill has helped me with the large cystic acne, I was still getting quite a few hormonal breakouts and scars (at any time of the month) around my chin and jawline. Number two is that I’ll only ever review a skincare product after 3-6 months of using it, usually 6 months. This is because I feel that I can only give an honest review once my skin has had a proper opportunity to settle into a new product/regiment change. Number three is that while I enjoy both the serums that I’m writing about today, I really believe you only need one.
#1) The Retinol Clearing Oil
The Retinol Clearing Oil is an oil serum that has retinol and salicylic acid (a fave). The description on the website is that it “clears skin overnight” and helps with anti-ageing. I’m actually not mad at those claims, I believe in this product. I got a few samples in March this year and I was really impressed. So impressed that a few weeks later, I bought my first bottle. It retails for R1 550.00 and while that’s a little pricey, I definitely think it’s worth it. My first bottle lasted about 3 months and I bought my second bottle in July. After seven months using this product, it’s safe to say I don’t think I’ll be replacing it with something else for a while. My skin is noticeably more beautiful. The acne scarring around my jaw is gone, I haven’t gotten a spot at all in months. I’m inclined to give a lot of credit to this product because as I mentioned, being on the pill didn’t eradicate the chin spots completely and for some reason, when I did heavy work outs, the spots got worse. I haven’t complained about my skin in months and it has been consistently glowing and healthy. I’d give this product a solid 9/10.
#2) Age Bright Clearing Serum
My first love in the active clearing range. I’ve had a really good run with this product. It’s got powerhouse ingredients such as Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid and it promises a brighter, more even skin tone. I started using this product sometime during 2019, I honestly don’t remember the month but I remember being very excited when it launched because I’d just finished using their vitamin C serum and I wasn’t all that impressed. So when this launched, promising brighter and even skin tone, I bought it almost immediately. It retails for R1 300.00 and it treated me well from a complexion perspective. It didn’t do a lot for my spots and ultimately when I tried the Retinol serum, I found that it fared much better for me than the Age Bright.
In conclusion, the two serums have different ingredients/purposes but I’ve found that overall, the Retinol serum is better because it achieves what the Age Bright promises and much more. I only use these products at night, but sometimes I used to take the small Age Bright container (they don’t sell it at that size, it came in a Gift box) and keep it in my handbag for daytime spot application. I don’t need to do that anymore because I don’t get spots. I’m happy with the Retinol Serum and honestly, I no longer have a pressing need for the Age Bright. I’d still rate it a 7/10 for the complexion and glow but I won’t be buying it again any time soon.
Let me know which one you’re keen to try in the comments section! xx
