little white truths

If you follow this blog, you may know that Skinstitut is one of the brands I've really focused on testing this year (along with Antipodes) and I'm now getting to the end of my stores.

Indeed, after slowly buying a good chunk of the range every time Adore Beauty had a decent promotion running, I've now only got two products left that haven't been opened and three that have but haven't yet been reviewed. This is one of them.

In brief, although Skinstitut has been rather hit-and-miss for me - some products I've enjoyed while others have done very little for me - this particular product is easily my favourite to date and it's so far the only one that I might repurchase. 

Since I so rarely repurchase skincare because I love trying new things, that means something.

Skinstitut claims/product details:

• Reveal a smoother and brighter complexion 
• A low-intensity, granule-free exfoliating mask that helps hydrate, soften and refresh skin while remaining gentle for sensitive skin types
• Perfect for use after clinical dermal treatments such as chemical peels and microdermabrasion, this soothing exfoliator removes impurities, dry skin and dead skin cells to reveal softer and brighter skin
• Infused with a blend of moisturising papaya extract, chamomile, passionfruit oil, grape seed oil and niacinamide, the gentle formulation is suitable for all skin types - especially dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin
• To use: apply to clean skin for five to fifteen minutes, or leave on for longer for ultra dry skin, then remove to reveal a new complexion
• RRP $45 AUD for 75ml, but do shop around (I paid $30 AUD for mine, before applying a discount code - so about $25 after that)

Verdict

This is a great little product and I'm really enjoying it. Sure, it's not the most amazingly effective peel that I've ever used, but I love that it's gentle so I can use it a few times a week if I want to without upsetting my skin.

It's a thin, smooth product that sits somewhere between a gel and a light cream in texture. It's a silky product and I enjoy applying it to my face because it feels nice and cooling on the skin. It also smells nice and I wasn't surprised to discover that it contains passionfruit oil because that's what I can smell. Yum.

I must have been using this for around six months now and I've applied it at least once a week since then, often twice. I would likely have used it more than this except that I have too many masks on the go so I need to show love to them all!

I tend to use most masks in the evening because I have more time for them then, but this one is good for morning because it gently resurfaces and refreshes my face, making it a good product to prep the skin before makeup application or if I'm heading out for the day and want to look my best.

It feels soothing when applied and then tingles my skin as it starts to work. I wouldn't say that it stings like some peels can do, but there's a definite tingling sensation that tells me the product is working. Indeed, I believe that it's eating away at dead skin because that's how it feels - as lovely as that sounds ; )

I usually leave it on for at least fifteen minutes (often more), and after washing it off, my skin looks brighter and feels smoother, plus it feels hydrated while also feeling gently resurfaced. It's the kind of product that softly does its job without causing any discomfort or irritation - or at least it hasn't for me.

On the claims: yes this reveals a smoother and brighter complexion; yes it hydrates, softens and refreshes the skin; yes I agree that it's gentle and it hasn't irritated my (mildly) sensitive skin; yes I agree that it's soothing and exfoliating at the same time; and yes I agree that it suits my dry, dehydrated skin.

Overall this is a lovely product and I recommend it. It doesn't cost the earth and it does exactly what it says it will do. While it's not the peel to end all peels, it's the kind of gentle resurfacing product that I can use frequently and in all seasons - no matter how dry or irritated my skin is over winter - and for this reason I may well repurchase it.

A great little product.