3 WORDS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR GLOWING SKIN.

We all know that I’m on a tight budget but health, beauty & well-being is part of my goals. To be honest I was excited at the thought of this challenge & started researching vitamins, minerals foods & products that could improve my skin & hair (I’ve always had fast-growing nails). 

I tried Pure Virgin Coconut Oil as a treatment on my hair as I had heard so many positive things about it, but I cannot say that I share the joy. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that it really dried out my hair (which sounds complexing as it’s an oil), obviously not at first but it didn’t take long for me to notice the difference. Sorry coconut oil fans, I cannot personally recommend this oil for my 4c hair, but I can recommend using it on your brows and underarms before you lather up to shave (smooth as a baby’s bottom and stops that annoying prickly day two itch feeling) and for that reason, it’s on my recommended list.

At least if you don’t agree, there are 101 other things you can do with it.

My skin and routine were obliterated during lockdown, as the days passed I was finding the first scene of ‘The Dark Crystal (the original)’ increasingly relatable, you know the scene where the Emperor crumbles to dust in the bed. Need I say more? 

It was at this point that I discovered Mario Badescu at Beauty Bay, I am a fan of Beauty Bay, excellent range and customer service but somehow I managed to miss the Mario Badescu brand. I am unsure how that happened.

With my goals in mind, I was Originally looking for a solution to my annoying strawberry legs, then a stumbled upon these three fame worthy ingredients.   

So strawberry legs have a medical name: Keratosis Pilaris. I am no dermatologist hence the links but the most common advice found were:

– Avoid dry skin: Look for lotions with retinol and other substances that come from vitamin A.

 – Avoid harsh chemicals*: Look for less harsh laundry products, shower gels and hair removing products.

 – Stop shaving: It encourages in-growing hair, dries the skin and makes Keratosis pilaris worse. Waxing or laser treatments are better options.

 – Exfoliant: Because the hair follicles get trapped beneath the skin exfoliation is important. *Strangely chemical exfoliation is the best method as manual damages the skin further, so I am assuming that chemical exfoliation products are not regarded as harsh. 

 – Clothing: Avoid tight clothing and remove sweaty clothes ASAP.

 – Avoid using hot water: No more hot steamy showers or baths. Turning down the water temperature will save you a few pounds on gas. Two birds, one stone.

When it comes to trending skin care and ‘Keratosis Pilaris‘ the same names kept coming up: Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid and Glycolic Acid.

Here’s a quick outline of what they can do for strawberry legs:

Salicylic Acid – As well as being extremely anti-inflammatory, it also unclogs pores including oils and removes dead skin. 

Lactic Acid – Renews and brightens skin and improves texture of skin. 

Glycolic Acid – anti-ageing properties, boost hydration, preventative against ingrown hairs, Pore clearing and reduction and brightens skin. 

So there I am on Amazon searching for products with one of these main ingredients – preferable a bodywash and lotion. They have a vast range of products with prices between £5.50 & £115.

Eventually, I decided on AHA Botanical Body Soap by Mario Badescu and after nearly 9 weeks of daily use (I use it on my problem areas my legs, bum and backs of arms), I am a huge loyal fan.  To be honest it was the price that made me take some time to purchase this product, but I was able to justify because it lasts so long. Over nine weeks and I am only just on my fourth bottle. This is definitely without a doubt a secret gem, difference noticed in a week.

Six weeks later I purchased a Salicylic Scrub Soap by Revitale on Amazon, after reading through the Q&As and the infinity reviews and I thought it was worth a try. The AHA Botanical Body Soap by Mario Badescu is still regularly used and is working well but it did not address the old scars and bumps. Salicylic Acid soap should help with this, it’s been two weeks and I have used this product four times. It does work but I would start off using it once or twice a week and gradually increase only if need be.

I must admit the bumps are starting to even out which is brilliant, the impression I got from the reviews is you have to take your time. It’s one of those ‘Rome was not built in a day’ situations. I plan on only using once a week, I felt a very slight tingle on the side of my knee after my last use so clearly I have some level of sensitivity. Revitale has a range of exfoliating soaps if you have tried any let me know what you think. 

As for the lotion, there were so many and they were pricey. Maybe next month I’ll treat myself but until then I’ll stick to my old fave.