Hello everyone, i am back with a brand new product review!
Remember how i shared with you guys on my previous post about a physical exfoliator (i.e. dermabrasion; The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion)?
So today, i will be sharing a little more on a chemical exfoliator which sits on the opposite end of the exfoliator spectrum.
Product i will be sharing here is:
- Alpha-H Liquid Gold (100ml / 3.38 fl oz)
Q. What is a chemical exfoliator? Why on earth would i put chemicals on my face?
A. Truth be told, i think that the word ‘chemical’ has been wrongly accused as a whole for some time now. Because everything you see in the market out there contains ‘chemical’! It is just a matter of which and what kind of chemicals, how is it being used and more importantly, what is its primary function in the ingredient recipe and why is it included. Therefore, chemicals in general, are needed in everything to serve its unique function. Harsher or dangerous chemicals on the other hand, that, is something to be wary and needed to be watched out for.
So to answer what a chemical exfoliator is, in short, it is an exfoliator that uses chemicals to softly and gently remove the dead skin cells via breaking of the bonds of the skin cells. To make a chemical exfoliator safe and effective enough to be used, accurate measurements and rigorous testings are taken and done before it is even sold on the shelves.
(to learn more about physical or chemical exfoliator, you may check out this page)
Q. Okay, so not just use a physical exfoliator – a scrub perhaps???
A. A physical exfoliator typically contains larger scrub particles that you can actually ‘feel’ as you are rolling it over your skin. A chemical exfoliator, however, goes on like any liquid item and disappears. The only ‘feel’ you get are the usual warming sensation or tingling sensation common when applying topical chemical exfoliants (AHA, BHA, fruit enzymes etc). A scrub is good to tackle dry flaking skin on the superficial skin layer and encourage newer/fresher skin to surface in a regular manner. It is also somewhat gentler on sensitive skin. A chemical exfoliator then, will tackle issues that goes beneath the superficial skin layer – it therefore stimulates/encourage the skin cells renewal to achieve various benefits: youthful complexion, smoother skin texture, reducing acne occurrence, to reducing signs of photo-aging.
In short, if i have an okay skin with occasional visible dry flaky skin and i just want to normalize and go back to a healthy skin turnover cycle, i will choose a facial scrub. If i have spots, post-acne marks, wrinkles, i will choose a chemical exfoliator – of course, after getting a second look and consultation. You do not want to make things worse than it is, or was.
Okay, now let’s look at the official blurb from the brand (I love this brand!):
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it so much so that i have already used up two bottles and am on to my third bottle now. There are no physical Alpha-H boutiques here in Singapore but their products are readily stocked and available at SG-based online retailer Luxola. Talking about Luxola, I got to say, their delivery and after-sales services are always on point! 🙂
Roaring view for [Alpha-H Liquid Gold]:
| Product’s packaging | : | Simple cylindrical bottle with a disc top cap for easy dispensing of product onto a cotton puff (recommended) |
| Product’s texture | : | Clear, watery liquid |
| Product’s scent | : | Clinical scent (take some getting used to) |
| Price point | : | SGD$56 (100ml) and SGD$78 (200ml) |
| Available at Luxola | ||
| Try-out period | : | 6 months (i used it on my face, neck & occasionally on the body) |
| Personal take | : | It truly lives up to its name – Liquid gold. This product is amazing! At first, i was pretty skeptical to its claim of giving the skin an ‘overnight facial’ to brighten and revitalize tired, ageing skin, and radically improve the appearance of the complexion. I mean, nothing is that fantastic. But after reading heaps of positive blogger’s review on its efficacy and magic, I caved. I remember the very first night i slather it on, it stings (but not as bad as the sensation caused by The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask). This slight stinging sensation lasted for approximately…2 mins(?) before it gradually goes away. During the slight stinging sensation, i went on to apply and massage my eye cream and lip balm (see? The slight stinging sensation wasn’t unpleasant at all). If you have read the directions, you’d noticed that it specifically instructed you NOT to pile on anything else after Liquid Gold. As for the exact reason why not, i cannot say for sure. What i can say for sure is that despite NOT having any toner/ serum/ essence/ oil/ lotion/ moisturizer/ night cream applied, you will still wake up with an okay skin. I did not notice any flaking skin, experienced any dryness nor spotted any oily sheen or dry patches. In fact, my skin appeared and felt ‘normal’. Now, after i proceeded to cleanse and towel-dry my face, my skin actually looked (slightly) brighter and felt significantly smoother! What i also noticed during the use of this Liquid Gold is that all the post-acne marks seemingly faded a lot quicker and thus concealed better under light makeup.
However, as awesome as this Liquid Gold is, it does not really prevent pimples. In my case, i will still get the occasional pimples from the poor diet and stress from….well, stressful events. Although it does a good job at keeping blackheads, dead skin cells and dullness at bay. In fact, if i know i have an important event the next day, i will definitely reach out to this Liquid Gold to prep my skin the night before! I will keep falling back to Liquid Gold until i discover the next, better, Liquid Gold – Liquid Rainbow maybe? |
| Will i recommend it? | : | Yes, you betcha! In my humble opinion, this Liquid Gold truly lives up to its name and claims – i just cannot attest to its “revitalizing aging skin” claim though. |
Yup! Above are my personal opinion and review of the cult product from Alpha-H. Hope you guys enjoyed it!
Now if you will excuse me, i need to go place an order for my backup piece now because…
*panicking* 😱😱😱
I TOTALLY FORGOT TO ORDER ONE WHEN I STARTED ON MY LAST BOTTLE!
Ryanraroar 