Beauty

As a beauty writer by trade, I try a lot of skincare. My bathroom is stocked with too many cleansers to count, enough masks to last me a lifetime, and creams that would entice even the strictest of skincare followers. The last thing I need to add to my routine is more of the same-old, same-old; I want products that are nothing like what I’m already using. All this to say, something has to be really innovative and unique to catch my attention right now.Enter: Exuviance. I’ve seen this brand roaming Ulta for years, but their recent rebrand (so shelfie-worthy) and a whole host of intriguing products drew me to them as of late. And after hopping on a call to receive a customized skincare routine from one of their in-house experts, I’m reporting back on why the experience was so formative, their most enticing products, and how they’ve made their way into my (quite extensive, TBH) routine.

A personalized skincare consultation was the step I never knew I needed.
Hopping on a call to go over my skincare routine and what I want to change about my skin was beyond exciting. I could talk about my flaws for hours, and lately, clogged pores on my nose and chin have been the #1 problem in my life. After finally listening to my dermatologist for a full eight months, my cystic acne is basically at bay (other than some serious maskne). But my pores are as clogged as ever, to the point that getting a facial a month ago, the esthetician literally said, “Is your nose always like this?” I shuddered in shame and am terrified to return.
I relayed this information to David, the amazing Exuviance Product Expert that I worked with on my routine, and right then and there, he came up with an ideal routine tailored to me, including my beloved tretinoin gel that helps me keep my acne in control. He created a full morning and night routine, complete with once and twice-a-week chemical exfoliation to even out my skin tone, unclog pores, and keep my skin bright and clear. Exuviance focuses on a routine that includes products that rejuvenate the skin (such as their peels that I was so excited to try), followed by preventative anti-aging steps, namely sunscreen. These two components are essential for healthy, glowy skin. 

Source: @exuviance

Then, David went in-depth on each of the products, the best tips and tricks to using them, and the order in which I should apply them every day. He gave me different tricks to getting the most out of the products, like using their famous Radiance Serum as a spot treatment, which felt so tailored to my skincare needs and the products I was using. I basically had a skincare expert at the ready to answer any questions and give me recommendations based on what I needed, which even as a beauty writer, I’ve never done before! He even referred to himself as my “beauty lifeline,” which is all I could ever ask for.

Whether beauty products are your hobby or you just don’t want to invest in a whole routine from one brand, it might not always be feasible to entirely morph your regimen to be one brand only. Most of us like variety and giving new products a try here and there. So one of the best parts of my experience talking to David was that he said that once I’d tried the products he suggested, we could come back together and develop a long-time routine based on what I liked and the rest of the products in my routine from other brands. I’m always going to try new things, and he sensed that was the case, which made the experience even better. 
Once this was over, David and I said our goodbyes, and he wrote up everything I’d need to know and sent it to my email so I wouldn’t forget any steps or tips he gave (but of course, I took extensive notes on our call). The products arrived a few days later, and I got started testing. 

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Source: @exuviance

Trying the Routine
Before: 

I obviously started this out with a full skincare routine in motion, but David recommended I pause all of my other products to see how my skin responded to this new routine. I started right after Thanksgiving, so I was dealing with some pretty tough breakouts, especially along my jawline from stress, hormones, and wearing my mask. Basically, these products had a pretty tough job to start with! 
The two products I focused on the most were their most innovative products: the Performance Peel AP25 and the Pure Retinol Correcting Peel. I’ve tried skincare peels before, but nothing like these. The Performance Peel AP25 is one of the hero products in the line and contains a 25% blend of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) and comes in a two-step form. I used this product on Sunday and Thursday nights, and I woke up with the glowiest skin I’ve had in a long time. I immediately noticed that my acne scars looked better than the night before, and I had much less redness than I do with other peels I’ve tried. The neutralizer really helps to calm the skin and keep it hydrated and soft even after you’ve used such a high concentration of acid. 

The Pure Retinol Correcting Peel is one of the most genius products I’ve tried, maybe ever.
It is so unique, and I’ve never seen something like it on the market. We all know the magic of retinol—it’s amazing for anti-aging, skin resurfacing, and reducing acne. This product, however, offers it in the form of a weekly peel pad, which I used on Wednesdays (David recommended focusing on my peels on Self-Care Sunday and Wine Wednesday, which I loved but was also easy to remember!). It’s formulated with a high-strength level of 0.3% pure retinol, the highest concentration retinol you can find without seeing a dermatologist, which is why it’s best used only once a week. Because it’s such a high amount, I did notice my skin peeling a bit the next day, but it was nothing a nice face wash and my daily exfoliating SkinRise Morning Glow pad couldn’t fix. I already use a medium-dose Retin-A a few times a week for my acne, so this was a great addition to my routine to bump it up once a week. 
Because I was using so many acids, I also really focused on moisturizing and protecting my skin. The Daily Corrector SPF 30 is my ideal daily sunscreen: it’s moisturizing enough for my combo skin that I didn’t need to use a moisturizer before, it sunk in easily without a white cast, and it kept my skin feeling moisturized all day long. SPF is essential for protecting against early signs of aging caused by the sun as well, so I love how easy this product is to add to my daily routine. Exuviance’s line is full of active ingredients that really make an impact on your skin, but that means you have to be extra diligent about preventing sun damage during the day, and this makes remembering to apply every day super easy. 

The Glow After My Night Routine 😍

After trying the routine, my skin looks significantly glowier, and I feel so much more confident in the texture of my skin. I notice a huge change in how my skin feels to the touch; it feels soft and supple, and I definitely have these products to thank for that. However, like I said, I love trying beauty products, so my next plan of action is working with David to come up with a way to incorporate the products I loved into my routine while adding back in some of my other favorites. 

The Products I Loved and Will Buy Over and Over Again

Performance Peel AP25

For all the reasons I mentioned above, this is a new must-have. It’s the first peel I’ve ever tried that seems to do something without seriously irritating my skin and causing redness. I’ll never go back to those now that I’ve tried this! After only a few weeks, my skin feels the softest and looks the clearest it has in a loooong time.

Pure Retinol Correcting Peel

This was the product I was most excited to try, and it didn’t disappoint. I like that you only use it once a week at night, but I noticed a difference just after using it twice. This comes with enough for six weeks, so I can’t wait to see how my skin texture and tone improves.

Obviously, I am wearing makeup in this picture, but I was shook at how good my skin looked. I’m wearing quite a matte foundation with a lot of powder, but you can’t see any dry patches or bumps on my face really at all, except for a few acne spots that were going away. My skin looks and feels so smooth, and I’m thanking the two peels for this!

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SkinRise Morning Glow Gentle Exfoliator

The first time I tried this I knew I had to keep using it. This product is cooling and relaxing to apply, but it makes my skin look glowy, hydrated, and supple, which I especially love in the mornings. I also love using it after Ive used the peels because it exfoliates away any dead or flaking skin. I never want to be without this product in my routine—ever.

Radiance Serum

David explained that this is their “TikTok Hero Product” after it went viral on TikTok when a makeup artist shared it as part of her routine. I personally love the glow it gives me.

Daily Corrector with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35

A good SPF is hard to come by. They can be greasy, cause a white cast all over your face, and make your makeup melt away in just a few hours if they’re not made right. I was so glad that this was made for oily and acne-prone skin in mind, but I was worried it would dry down to a matte finish; oh, the contrary! It gives the most gorgeous glow to my skin and makes whatever makeup I’m wearing look 10 times better. I almost want to keep using this as a primer!

All-Out Revitalizing Eye Mask

Wearing these eye masks in the morning while I’m sipping my coffee before work is a little blissful moment a few days a week, something I usually would only save for the evenings. But I love how these make my under eyes look plump and bright, even after I’ve gotten little-to-no sleep the night before.

Want to win your own Exuviance consultation and skincare regimen? Leave a comment below sharing your favorite way to practice self-care and you’ll be entered to win.

Two winners will be chosen. Giveaway ends January 3, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET. Click here for the complete list of rules.

This post is sponsored by Exuviance, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. More

Raise your hand if you think that acne scars and dark spots—AKA hyperpigmentation—are harder to treat than that pesky pimple. Since my high school years, I’ve read article after article that touted the perfect acne scar and dark spot treatments (that would accommodate my sensitive skin, of course). I made sure to make room in my budget for what I hoped would be the holy grail to treating my scars and dark spots, but they still claimed residence on my skin. Beginning in mid-March of this year, another pesky, bright-red acne scar developed under my chin after a several week-long battle with an unwanted pimple. I used the extra time at home to experiment with new products, such as a niacinamide serum and retinol, to treat my newfound acne scar. Instead of fading the scar, these products made matters worse. Red splotches developed all over my cheeks, which I took as a sign to stop experimenting. 

The cream that’s like magic
Once June rolled around, I decided to find new solutions to treat the then three month-old acne scar, so I reached for a sample I had of Dr. Jart+’s Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment. This color-correcting cream is seriously magic thanks to its hero ingredient, centella asiatica, an active ingredient anecdotally known for its calming properties. While it didn’t make the scar disappear, it hid the redness temporarily. Before applying my concealer, I swept this green-tinted cream on my red scar, ensuring that the color corrector blended seamlessly into my skin. The cream can also be applied to red spots and dark spots solo. I personally love to swipe a bit of this cream on my problem spots as the last step of my nighttime skin care routine. By morning, the spots are not as red as they were the day before, but this effect is only temporary. If you’re a tosser and turner though, I would not recommend putting this cream on at night as it can turn your pillow green.
One tub of this cream can last a long time. At $18 a tub, it’s a great value, given that it will last for several months. I graduated from my sample to a 0.5 ounce tub in August, and I’m not even close to being empty. Since discovering this scar-covering cream, I regularly use it as a base for my makeup or as a nighttime spot treatment. Now, my worries about my scars showing are a thing of the past.

The scar-fading serum of my dreams
Besides the color-correcting cream being the closest thing I’ve found to magic, it wasn’t until I got my hands on Topicals’ Faded gel serum in August that my under-the-chin acne scar went away for good. The Topicals line was developed by founders who had skin considered less than perfect according to what was shown in movies and on TV, so I had a good feeling that Faded would be the remedy for all my scars and dark spots. After I consistently applied the gel on my face for two nights, it was gone! Even after the scar went away, I made sure to apply the gel at the recommended rate of 2-3 times a week. However, my skin did develop some pimples on my forehead and cheeks. These were expected, given that the packaging warned of skin purging, which is a result of irritation caused by the acids in the serum’s formula. I do think that $36 for this serum is relatively pricey, but every penny is worth it. Acne scars can take weeks or months to fade away, but in my experience, this serum got to the heart of the problem in a matter of days. Just like the color correcting cream, this serum can last for months, making the investment all the more worth your buck. 

Getting rid of the scars acne makes is far more challenging than popping that pimple. However, with Dr. Jart+’s Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment and Topicals’ Faded serum, I feel in control of my skin and am empowered with the confidence that I can achieve a clear, glowing complexion.  More