little white truths

I bought this kit for around $20 AUD from Priceline a few months ago because it was heavily discounted and I'd been wanting to try another microdermabrasion kit for a while.

Note, though, that when I got this one home and looked up how old it was, I found that it had been manufactured four years ago. While I did consider returning it, in the end I decided to see how I went because there was no written expiry date on the product (and manufacturers are apparently required to put expiry dates on products that expire within 30 months of manufacture) - and since there's a lot of talk in the online community at the moment re how old products are, I wanted to put this one to the test.

It's fine. That is, it does exactly what it says it will do and I've seen no sign that the active ingredients have deteriorated. While of course it's possible that a fresher kit may have been a little stronger, this one's so effective as is that I'm not sure I would want it to have any more punch. More on that below.

Olay claims/product details:

• Exfoliates to remove dull, dry skin
• Resurfaces to reveal brighter, softer skin
• Instantly diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Activates skin's surface regeneration for softer, smoother skin
• Features the exfoliating power of derma-crystals, which gently remove dull/dead skin and help stimulate surface cell regeneration
• Safe to use up to twice weekly
• RRP $49.95 AUD for both the 64g treatment and 57g serum, but do shop around

The way this works is that you apply the microdermabrasion treatment first (that's the stuff in the pot, above), and you gently massage it into the skin for around a minute.

After that you apply the peel (below), putting a thick layer down over the treatment and then massaging again for around a minute.

Verdict

This is a decent product and it absolutely works, but it won't be for everyone because it is quite potent and I know there are those who avoid manual exfoliants altogether because they can damage the skin. While I certainly tread very gently with a product like this, I go by how it feels - and if it doesn't feel too harsh on my dry, sensitive skin, then I'm generally ok with it.

There are two parts to this kit. The first is the manual exfoliant, an orange-coloured product that contains very fine crystals. What I like about it is that it's very oily and I think the oil 'softens the blow' of the crystals, plus it allows you to spread them around your face easily and also massage them in very gently so the product doesn't feel too harsh.

The second part of the kit is the peel, which is clear and like a serum in texture. I find this even more potent than the manual exfoliant and my face starts to go red not long after I've applied it. It doesn't go super red in a bad way (and my skin does calm down after I've washed it off), but you can certainly tell that it's doing something.

Once you cover the first product with the second, a faint white foam appears and the mix has a warming sensation. While it's not an uncomfortable sensation, you can definitely tell that something's happening and I do feel that the products are working.

After I've washed everything off, my skin feels very soft and smooth - but it doesn't feel stripped or raw. Yes I tread very gently with these products and I'm sure you could overdo them if you weren't careful, but I don't get the sense that they're doing too much and my skin never feels over-sensitised after I've used them. Instead it just looks brighter and smoother, plus it feels softer and I can tell that it's been resurfaced.

Do note that I would only ever use something like this once a week. The directions say you can use it twice weekly if you want to, but I personally think that would be too much. If you have tougher skin than mine (or if you're very oily), you may wish to use it more often. As always it comes down to personal choice.

Overall I think this is a good product that generally meets its claims and I'm enjoying using it. It's not expensive if you wait for specials, and I look forward to using it every weekend because it's so effective at removing dead skin. Sure, you won't like it if you don't like manual exfoliants - but it works for me and I would repurchase it.

Effective.