WHAT TO EXPECT?
I knew exactly what I was expecting when I got this Swissvita Mandelic Acid Perfect Ratio Complex Serum from AllYoung.my (read my review on the website!). I expected it to brighten up my skin tone, smoothen out my skin texture and last but not least I expected it to sting. All these based on my previous experience with an AHA product which delivered all of the above. But is reality the same as my expectation? We shall find out soon!
p.s. AllYoung is having a Pre-Raya special discount right now on this serum! Find the details at the end of this post!
INGREDIENT LIST
(SkinCarisma)
Water, Mandelic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Citrate, *Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Sodium Lactate, *Glycolic Acid, *Tartaric Acid, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Escin, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, *Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Seed Oil, 2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Arbutin, Sodium Hyaluronate
Bolded are the good/star ingredients in the product whereas underlined are those flagged as 4 & above under 'Safety index' in by EWG. Safety index ranges from 1-9 and the lower the number means the less hazardous. Those with asterisk (*) are more likely to cause acne or irritate skin than those without.
You can read other product reviews containing the ingredients by clicking on them in the ingredient list above.
Note: This is free of paraben, sulphate and alcohol
YAS, THE GOOD ONES
Mandelic Acid is an anti-ageing ingredient together with Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid and Tartaric Acid. These are all a kind of AHA so they can also act as a pH buffer i.e. to help adjust our skin's acidity. Not just that, they also promote skin peeling (exfoliation) and re-growth which is why they are frequently used in anti-aging products.
Glycerin can help keep the skin hydrated and keep the overactive oil glands under control.
Beta-Glucan is a soluble fibre found in the cell walls of plants such as oat kernels and mushrooms. In many skincare products, Beta-Glucan is usually extracted from oat as it has a long history of safe use and is able to give fast, temporary relief of itching and pain associated with minor skin irritations. It has also been used frequently in skincare products to provide skin-smoothening effect and help wound healing.
Butylene Glycol, Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate are all powerful moisturisers. Hence this will work well for those of you with dry skin!
YAS, THE GOOD ONES (contd.)
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate is basically a salt made of Glycyrrhizic Acid and Ammonia. Glycyrrhizic Acid is a natural material isolated from licorice plants (learn about benefits of Licorice in skincare). This salt is commonly used in skincare products to reduce the appearance of dry or damaged skin as it can help reduce flaking and restore suppleness to the skin. It is also used to impart a flavor to skincare products (i.e. acting as a fragrance).
Centella Asiatica Extract is known for its skin-calming properties. Mainly found in shady and damp areas in many different parts of the world, Centella (a.k.a. tiger grass because wounded tigers were often seen rolling in it to heal their wounds) is a small plant that grows up to around six inches in height. Also called the “miracle elixirs of life”, researchers have found that Centella Asiatica Extract facilitates the healing of cuts and burns as it can promote collagen production and inhibit inflammation which results in scarring.
Arbutin is known for its properties in inhibiting dark spots and freckles and preventing skin ageing. It is a natural skin lightening/whitening agent, which works by slowly releasing hydroquinone through hydrolysis, which in turn blocks Tyrosinase activity and reduces the skin’s melanin (pigmentation) production.
Brightening: Arbutin, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
Promotes Wound Healing: Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate
Anti-Aging: Glycolic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid
Acne-Fighting: Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
NAH, THE BAD ONES
If you have any previous bad experience with Malic Acid or Glycolic Acid, which can make those with more/extremely sensitive skin turn red, itch, or burn, especially around the eyes, skip this.
Triethanolamine has a comedogenic rating of two, so it could potentially cause acne but I haven't had any issue with it so far after using it for two weeks now although my skin has become slightly sensitive due to hormonal changes.
I strongly encourage you to patch test before applying it all over your face. Just realised I never mention how to do a correct and reliable patch test here before. So, here you go! First, swab a small amount of the product on your wrist or behind your ear and wait around 1 day to see how your skin reacts. If your skin experiences any burning effect or faces any irritation, wash it off immediately. If the irritation doesn’t go away after washing, seek medical attention right away!
It comes with a glass dropper that draws up only this much of serum at one go.
ONLY THREE FIFTH
When I first saw the bottle, I was shocked by how much larger it was than I expected it to be. That also means that the dropper of this bottle of serum is much longer than any dropper I've seen. With the length, it needs a slightly larger rubber bulb (the top part) in order for it to suck up enough liquid to fill itself. But the size of this rubber bulb is just the same size as any other shorter droppers'. Maximally, the dropper can only draw the serum up to three fifth of its whole length.
Follow me:
DESIGN FLAW OR PREVENTION?
Personally, I don't see it as a design flaw. Maybe Swissvita is just trying to prevent us from overusing the serum by controlling the amount we take out each time.This prevents someone who tends to overuse products (like me LOL) from drawing out too much of the acid and consequently putting on so much more than my skin actually needs. Bear in mind that overusing acids can lead to over-exfoliation which can have a traumatic effect on our skin!
Look how watery it is!
HOW TO USE
This Mandelic Acid Serum comes with a dropper. All you need to do is use the dropper to pick up some serum, then drop one drop each on your forehead and both cheeks. After that, just use your cleaned finger pads to gently spread it out and pat it in. I've been using this day and night for three weeks now after my toner and before my moisturiser. According to the instructions, you are recommended to use this only 2-3days per week and a stinging sensation is normal.
PLEASE WEAR SUNBLOCK
However, Swissvita never mentioned anything about wearing a suncream during the day. If you have read around and know enough about AHA, you would know that AHA sensitises the skin towards the sun, so it's always recommended to wear sunscreen during the day to avoid being burnt. Although it's not mentioned, I would strongly recommend you to wear it especially if you're going to be under the sun for some time.
WHAT DID I FEEL?
I was genuinely surprised by the lack of stinging sensation when I first started using it. I think it was because my skin has gotten used to the AHA I've used before and the concentration of AHA in this serum isn't as high. But I still see a result from using this serum. My skin has maintained the glow and looks radiant despite me burning the midnight oil almost every day in the last three weeks. Nothing wears you down quicker than sleeping less than 25 hours a week!
IT LITERALLY SAVED MY SKIN
With this, I managed to keep my skin from turning dull (which can instantly make me look 10 years older). That's because it exfoliates the dead skin cells and helps the new ones surface faster. The serum itself has a slightly acidic smell that's immediately detectable when you spin the top open. However, it goes on the skin almost unnoticeable leaving a semi-sticky finish (controllable with amount used) and a youthful glow.
WHAT DO I THINK?
So far, this Swissvita Mandelic Acid Perfect Ratio Complex Serum has done what it says it will. Most importantly, it revitalise my skin and prevent it from becoming dull during my audit firm's peak period where I'm heavily sleep-deprived. You know something is working when your colleagues comment on your glowy skin when you know yourself that you have not been sleeping enough to deserve that skin condition!
Get it NOW:
Normal Price - RM115 for ONE
If you buy during this Pre-Raya Season you can get two for only RM125 (first at RM115, then the second at RM10). That means each one of them is only RM62.50! That's a crazy deal my friend! If you think two of this is too much, you can grab the Swissvita Acne Solution Skin Balancing Serum (RM135) or the Swissvita Micrite 3D All Use Skin Serum (RM150) and top up another RM10 to get this. You can thank me later!
Here's the link to the discount:
Huge Discount - RM125 for TWO
Thank you for reading, see you in the next post!
I post new contents on skincare every Tuesday and Friday. Follow me on Bloglovin' so you won't miss it when my next review is up!
The product was sent to me for review purposes. The review is 100% my personal opinion of the product after personally trying it out. Please make sure you consult whoever is selling you the product and ask for samples if you can! Read my disclaimer here.
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