My skin:
Concerned my skin has suffered from excessive sun damage over the years, I haven’t been using many actives recently. After a few reactions, I have mainly used hyaluronic based serum and sunscreen in an effort to calm my skin down. Another skin issue I deal with is congestion on my forehead and intense darkness around the eyes. When Beaute Pacifique, Danish skincare brand beloved by Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark and Jennifer Hawkins, delivered a bounty of products to my desk I thought it could be an opportune moment to overhaul my skincare.
The advice:
Following a self-assessment of my skin (dry, sensitive, sun damaged) and a squiz at my very unflattering selfie, the Beaute Pacifique consultants suggested a regimen. Firstly, I needed to follow an all important cleansing regime. This included using micellar water in the morning and a cream cleanser at night, used twice if wearing makeup. As a fan of double cleansing with dry skin, I am always nervous cream cleansers won’t remove every skerrick of makeup. So I stuck to the cream cleanser in the morning and my usual double cleansing at night.
The other suggestion that surprised me was using the Defy Damage Skin Repair Serum during the day. The serum contains several oil soluble Vitamin A’s along with water soluble Ursolic Acid. Traditionally Vitamin A has been recommended for night time only use as it can become unstable when exposed to sunlight. Newer formulations have nixed this problem by encapsulating retinol in polymers but many dermatologists recommend using it as a night time only treatment – stem cells in the epidermis reproduce primarily at night and as retinol accelerates this skin function it makes sense to use it as a night time treatment. I myself know my skin and know that a vitamin A treatment twice a day would be way too much. I stuck to using it only at night and used my normal hyaluronic acid serum during the day under sunscreen.
The Experience:
Because of my sensitive skin, I am generally wary of fragranced products. Beaute Pacifique is a range I might ordinarily steer clear of as they are FRAGRANCED. It is a fresh but pungent scent, that for the most part doesn’t linger on the skin. However, it may not be suitable for people with very sensitive noses. Something I was impressed by with Beaute Pacifique was how comprehensive their range is. The range contains nine cleansers, 10 moisturisers along with several serums and eye creams. Some consumers might find this overwhelming but for a clinician brand I think the comprehensive range is an asset – why limit your clients? I would suggest however that they consider a fragrance free line for sensitive noses!
The Range:
Favourite Beaute Pacifique Product
My favourite products without a doubt were the Vitamin A night cream and serum. I have always struggled with incorporating Vitamin A into my regimen, my skin is easily overstimulated and prone to dryness. I planned to use the serum and moisturiser every second night. However, the first night I felt no irritation and my skin was brighter and smoother the next morning with smaller pores. Like an over eager Icarus, I immediately flew too close to the sun, ramping up my usage to every day, and was immediately punished. Daily Vitamin A use resulted in redness, irritation spots and peeling. But after stepping back to every-second-day I found consistent use of the Vitamin A creams left my skin smooth, even toned and notably nourished. The Vitamin A formula has won multiple awards internationally – the serum and cream are undoubtedly heroes of the range.
The other product that was a unexpected love was their micellar water. Some micellar waters leave an astringent or oily feeling on the skin but this cleansing and moisturising product was totally refreshing. While I won’t be switching out my cleansing oil at night time, the micellar product makes a great quickie morning cleanse.
Results:
Comparing my before picture to my after I noticed a definite brightening of the complexion and a diminishment of redness. The congestion that was very noticeable on my forehead in the before picture has completely cleared. I attribute this largely to the Vitamin A products I have introduced to my regimen. Vitamin A is a cure for all manner of ills, because it accelerates skin cell production and encouraging fibroblast production. This makes a Vitamin A a fantastic treatment for anything from fine lines, active acne, acne scarring and sun induced hyper-pigmentation. But Vitamin A molecules are notoriously unstable and individuals with sensitive skin often find them irritating. In summary, they can cause more problems than they solve.
Finding a stable and nourishing formula can be a challenge which is why I am so pleased to have made the Defy Damage Skin Repair Serum and Creme Metamorphique Vitamin A creams acquaintance. At the moment using Vitamin A every second day is keeping my skin happy, healthy and fresh looking. A girl cant ask for more.
Top Picks:
One-Step Cleansing and Moisturising Water, $50 – An easy breezy cleansing that leaves skin feeling balanced and refreshed.
Defy Damage Skin Repair Serum, $80 – a nourishing and potent Vitamin A serum that hydrates the skin whilst stimulating cellular turnover.
Creme Metamorphique Vitamin A Anti-Wrinkle Cream – A highly concentrated and luxurious Vitamin A night cream. Available in a 50ml jar $103, or a 115ml tube for $159.
