Supplements - what to buy and what to REALLY not buy

Following on from my previous post about diet changes (read here) there are certain supplements I now take that have definitely improved my health, improved my skin’s ability to cope with what I make it do (Roaccutane, retinols, peels, life).

I have never really believed in supplements, I was always of the philosophy that if you are deficient in something then your diet must be unhealthy.

I still believe this to a massive degree, e.g. vitamin C, iron, magnesium etc but there is no in harm in giving the body a hand in a helpful way especially if you are going through a time that puts physical stress or you have done something/going through something which alters the body in some way e.g. roaccutane, antibiotics, chemotherapy, colonic hydrotherapy, diet changes.

After my first colonic session, Jackie recommended various things to me to improve the health of the gut. It is important to say that colonic hydrotherapy does not “strip the gut of bacteria” or wash out everything. Quite the opposite, it simply removes all the crap (literally) and allows a clean and neutral environment in which you can introduce good helpful things without the unhelpful things getting in the way. Before I started looking into all things diet, I took a combined multivitamin and probiotic.

The problem with this as it turns out is that 1) the probiotic was not in the right form, the right bacterial count  or in the right carrier to actually do anything 2) multivitamins are pretty much pointless.

The issue with multivitamins is that your body processes it like a drug. Anything taken orally is already absorbed at a very low level because of the digestive process, add into this a foreign capsule shell and a load of chemically synthesised vitamins and the amount you absorb is negligible. Effectively you just pee it out.

So…I now take a probiotic with 7 or 8 different strains of gut bacteria with 30 billion bacterial count at expiry. The expiry bit is important as many probiotics will state they have significantly more than this but then do not state how stable the carrier is etc. Yes they are expensive but yes they make a massive difference AND MOST IMPORTANTLY  do not need to take them every day until the end of time unless you are on long term antibiotics. 30 days is enough to colonise the gut with enough bacteria for them to then continue to multiply by themselves (as long as you are eating well, minimal alcohol or medications etc).

The second thing she recommended was something to replace the multivitamin aspect. I now take either chlorella or spirulina ( you can get a huge pack for about £5 on ebay – I have linked some below). These provide all the vitamins and nutrients a normal healthy (ish) person will need on a daily basis. INCLUDING the buzz word of the moment “magnesium” – which everyone seems to herald as the miracle cure for everything. Both supplements are made from green leafy plants which have simply been dried and crushed. For this reason your body processes it from food, so not only does it contain everything you need, your body actually stands a chance of absorbing it. Interestingly they have more iron than beef, more potassium than bananas and more calcium than whole milk as well as protein, zinc AND Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, C, D, E, k AND all 8 essential amino acids that the body does not synthesize. Sold yet?

I also take hyaluronic acid capsules which helped immensely during my roaccutane treatment. I bought one bottle and could not see a massive difference, I then stopped taking them and within a week my flaky skin had upped its game and the dry-PVA-glue skin was back.

Vitamin D3 is a new one. I thought I would give it a go after Dr Sam Bunting recommended its use especially being on Roaccutane and avoiding the sun like the plague. Vitamin D is a tricky one as the levels set for appropriate levels are a cause for contention. In the UK where we see the sun for about 3 hours a year, pretty much EVERYONE will be vitamin D deficient compared to these levels yet only a small proportion will have symptoms of deficiency. This being said, I found myself in February feeling ill, sluggish, unmotivated. Whilst I have days like this sometimes, I am very much a bounce-off-the-walls-with-energy kinda girl, and this awful feeling had been going on for months.

A week into taking D3 and boom, I was back to having to jog on the spot in work to release the extra energy I had. A month later and I still feel that way (much to my nurse’s annoyance as she has to careful work around my jogging with the dirty instruments)

As I say, not everyone will need it, but I leave the house at 6:45 in my car, go to a leisure centre until its time to go to work, drive the 2 minutes from there to the hospital, work in a basement level in said hospital for 8 hours, then drive home. Whilst I am very active, little of this activity takes place outdoors, so my vitamin d levels were probably rock bottom despite my efforts to eat well.

Omega 3, 6 and 9. This was especially important during Roaccutane treatment as it hammers your liver risking change to fatty acids and triglycerides in the body. My good cholesterol levels were 3 times the level of a normal healthy person and were even slightly higher by the end of treatment. Now yes you can get these from eating fish, but my boyfriend hates fish so while I still eat it, it is not at a level that will provide enough.

I prefer getting mine from vegan sources (flaxseed etc – which I also add to my porridge), see below

Heliocare care ultra capsules are my latest addition. Sun safety is obviously hugely important but with Roaccutane treatment your skin is extremely sensitised so while I am now careful in the sun and wear my high SPF’s etc, anything that can boost the body’s ability to protect and repair from UV damage is obviously a good thing.

What NOT to take

Separate tablets for every nutrient. Unless you have severe dietary restrictions then you really do not need as many nutrients as Instagram tells you you’re missing.

Your body cannot absorb collagen through tablet form, the molecule is too large, so don’t bother taking those .

Vitamin c to prevent a cold – absolutely no evidence for this, there is some anecdotal evidence that increasing vitamin c intake during illness might help speed up recovery but you are FAR better doing this through food than you are through supplements

Please DO NOT BUY COD LIVER OIL. The liver is the filtration system of the body. The sea is full of the rubbish that we have put in there, including the much feared mercury, so the liver will also be full of this. Concentrate this down a few hundred times to give the potency of a cod liver oil capsule and you’re doing far more harm than good. Krill oil is far better, you want the oil that has come from the flesh not the liver.

Perfectil. Biotin is the only proven supplement that will increase hair and nail growth/strength. This issue with this is that it makes ALL hair grow quicker and stronger. Your upper lip wax will be getting moved to weekly rather than monthly. That’s all I’m saying. If you don’t suffer with this, just buy plain Biotin rather than spending your life’s savings on Perfectil or branded ones. Whilst this is the only supplement that alone will help hair and nail growth, having the right amount of amino acids and fatty acids will also do the same job. You're covered there by the chlorella/spirulina and the omega oils

Food substitutions – just a quickie.

As I found I was intolerant to most sweeteners, but did not want to use sugar, I found this was the best to use. It takes the same as sugar, is not gritty, does not have an after taste like pure stevia, and causes no bloating.

Natvia All Natural Sweetener

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/291614360

Protein – my first blood test for Roaccutane showed my albumin was towards the lower end of the range, and having not scored low on a test my whole life, I wanted to fix this. I REFUSE to take the disgusting stuff they have in the gym and fitness shops. It is absolutely loaded with garbage – sweeteners, enzymes to break down the protein, flavouring etc etc so eventually I found this. I use the soy one, but they also do a hemp and a brown rice protein too in case anyone has soy allergies . Please note, these do not taste good, hence why I use sweetener. The plain soy is completely inoffensive, it just does not taste of anything. The cocoa brown rice one STAY FAR AWAY.

Pulsin Soy Protein Powder

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pulsin-soya-protein-1kg-60006973

I also now use almond milk in my cooking etc as I needed a dairy free alternative. Its also great to use in curries etc as well as in the obvious porridge. I have tried several that taste like actual soil but this one is great

Alpro Almond Roasted Unsweetened Fresh Milk Alternative

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/275067782

Supplement links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Udos-Choice-Super-8-Probiotics/dp/B0036E5KG6

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hyaluronic-Acid-Capsules-250mg-High-Strength-and-100-Pure-Supplement/112813220964?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vitamin-D3-5000IU-x-150-Caps-MAX-Strength-Bones-SAD-Immune-System-Lindens/322481059234?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/255431548

http://www.zestbeauty.com/heliocare-ultra-capsules-30-capsules.html

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suma-Bagged-Down-Organic-Linseed-golden-organic-1kg/182948960066?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Bloat be gone. My diet - past, present and future.

Another requested one

My diet is a topic I have tackled from both health and bloat/skinvanity perspectives.

Ever since I was a teenager, I have always had issues with my skin after eating chocolate. It would be like clockwork, 24-48 hours after said chocolate indulgence, *poof*, a mountain range of spots would appear around my mouth.

After being told by many GP’s that chocolate does not cause acne, I did my own research and found that in fact whilst dairy, and iodine found in dairy, does not cause acne, it certainly can trigger it or worsen it. At this point I cut out dairy almost entirely and ta da, I noticed a significant improvement in my skin. If I must have chocolate I try and have dark (as it’s the milk that is the problem not the cocoa) or, and this is the more likely option, enjoy all the chocolate and just accept I will have spots in a few days (I avoid this option if I have a big even in said upcoming days).

Funnily enough, years later, we are now being told by every “health coach” and nutritional “expert” out there that dairy is the devil when it comes to acne.

I have suffered from IBS since I was about 16 so bloating was nothing new to me, but this was about all the diet modifications I made until last year when a dose of norovirus left me....digestively challenged.

It was at this point I decided that action need to be taken, and being one for  not doing things by halves, I booked to see a dietician and a colonic hydrotherapist.

The colonic was an enlightening experience. There was no pain, neither physically or mentally. My therapist (Jackie Turner, who I now see every 4-6 months, link below) was welcoming and knowledgeable. The process took around an hour for the first session as it required a history and explanation of the procedure. Said “procedure” involves body-temperature water entering the colon, and leaving the colon again with the rubbish your body cannot effectively get rid of itself. There is no “pump”, the water is in a tank near the ceiling, and enters the body through a pipe via gravity alone. 

Your body then ejects the water through its normal peristaltic action, so there is nothing being forced; it works naturally with the body.

To make some sense of the anatomy, your colon empties in the bottom left corner of your abdomen. It travels upwards towards your ribs, turns 90 degrees and twists to run horizontal to your diaphragm then turns again (in a more gentle manner this time) and runs down to join onto the small intestine.

You can in fact aid your own bloating by massaging in a circle from your right hip bone, up to your ribs, from right to left of your ribs and down to your left hip bone. This is the path of digestion in the large intestine

At the first session the water was only able to get halfway along the transverse colon, so a second session was needed, which took round 30-45 mins. In this session the water was much more quickly able to reach the first portion of the ascending colon. After these 2 sessions I felt light as air. There was some slight cramping and discomfort the afternoon after my second session but immediately the bloating disappeared and the pain under my left ribs vanished (this is where the descending colon twists and becomes the transverse colon, so if this area is blocked rib pain occurs, I thought it was just my bra digging in!)

At the same time, I had been researching solutions to me continuous bloating. Various things appear on Google including food intolerance testing.

This is where it got complicated. There seemed a million different companies offering various ways to tell you what foods you were “allergic” or intolerant to. The most common way was through a pin prick of blood which you drew at home and sent to a lab/placed on a strip which then changed colour. The blood is supposedly tested for levels of IgG (an antibody produced by the body in response to pretty much ANYTHING which isn’t itself).

According to NICE guidelines (the body that basically makes guidelines for anything medical – they are the rules we abide by as dentists and doctors), the only true detector of food allergy is IgA. This is the antibody produced in response to pollen in hayfever sufferers, bee stings, insect bites and to peanuts in those with a true peanut allergy. It leads to swelling, redness, watery eyes, runny nose etc. Yes you can test for this, but you could still be intolerant to a food without being allergic to it.

Therefore I disregarded any of the IgG testing method.

There is also something called “kinesiology” where a therapist places a food item on the body and pressing on a muscle. If the person is stressed by the food, the muscle will unlock (go weak) whereas if there is no stress involved, the muscle will remain locked (strong). Personally, if a blood test for IgG antibodies is deemed not a reliable method of intolerance testing, then I believe even less strongly in the ability of this method to truly detect a problem.

So....off to the dietician I went to be led on the FODMAP elimination diet. It is worth noting that while technically you could do this yourself, even with my science background it was difficult to get my head around. Similarly, nutritionists or nutritional therapists cannot introduce the FODMAP elimination diet as their professions (unlike dieticians) are not subject to any registration and so their level of education is not regulated.

The premise is, that certain carbohydrates stay in the digestive system long enough to start fermenting. This is great for the body as longer digestion = more calories burnt, more nutrients absorbed, feel full longer. However, this fermentation produces gases which lead to bloating.

FODMAP stands for the food groups which you have to eliminate.

Before seeing the dietician, the only pre made food I ate were cinnamon Quaker oats sachets and the “natural” pea snacks from Lidl so I thought I was going to get off pretty easy with not having much to eliminate. I was wrong. There were a plethora of fruits I had to eliminate, no gluten, no lactose. This was relatively easy compared to having to delete onions, garlic, nuts, soy and celery. Turns out they put this in EVERYTHING. Meatballs, sausages, lea and perrins, stock, gravy. It also means you pretty much cannot go out for food because even though they may cook something with no sauce (although frankly what’s the point of food without sauce when you’re paying for it!), they will probably have involved seasoning or stock at some point so it just wasn’t worth the effort or in fact embarrassment of being “that” customer.

Cutting a long story short, you cut these out for 4-8 weeks (depending how long it takes for the symptoms to go), then you introduce the big 3 (onions, garlic, leek) individually then the food groups. Turns out I am intolerant to:

sweet potato (a massive bummer as I was having this every day)

broccoli - only if eaten every day or in combination with other trigger foods such as sweet potato 

gluten (I can live without it and will take the hit if it’s a home-made cake)

sweet corn and corn cakes (which I thought would be better for me than rice cakes, turns out not!)

lactose (I sort of assumed this from the acne reactions), especially in cheese and cream forms

apples and dried fruit or in fact anything high in fructose

beans and peas – although fortunately hummus in small amounts is fine

sweetener other than sucralose, stevia and erythritol. I can also have aspartame but won’t because of the negative effects it has

As a by product of this FODMAP elimination diet, which technically is only designed for reducing symptoms of IBS, I lost 2 kilos, and my skin completely settled down. I did not have a single new spot the whole time I was on the diet and any bumps or scars I had completely calmed down.

Here is a before and after. I managed to dig out the same clothing in an effort to try and keep the 2 images as similar as possible. Bear in mind, there are no filters, no fake tan, no posing, no lighting modifications because I am not an Instagram model, I am a real person and I want you to see the difference in reality, not from one pose to another.

I have written a shorter post on the supplements I use/food group substitutes I use so stay tuned for that

Link to colonic hydrotherapist:
http://gardenofhealth.co.uk/

And dietician: http://www.ckennynutrition.co.uk/

The Ordinary product review. Nothing ordinary about it.

I genuinely believe this is the best range I have ever tried. The carrier systems and feel of the products may not be the most sophisticated but I love them as:

 1) you know what concentration the active ingredients in (which quite frankly is the only bit of the product I care about)

2) the active ingredients are in a stable form – you can find plenty of products on the high street with active ingredients such as vitamin c (cough Aldi cough), but as soon as you mix them with water the ingredient is no longer active and effective

3) the packaging is appropriate for the product i.e. dark glass for vitamin c products to avoid UV oxidation AND mostly recyclable due to the use of glass vs plastic

4) they are mega affordable so if you skin does not agree with a certain ingredient you have only lost a fiver

I have tried A LOT of products from the range so will do a quick rundown of my favourites, and some that I have used but may not be repurchasing

Product	Pros - Why I liked it	Cons
Hyaluronic acid and B5 serum	Cheapest way to get good quality hyaluronic acid into the skin	It is a bit sticky. This is not a problem if you only layer a moisturiser over, but I have found if you layer it over niacinamide or use a vitamin c powder mixed with the moisturiser it will causing some pilling
Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%  Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution	Pleasant to use, no stinging, no grittiness so good to apply makeup over. Dark bottle to avoid oxidation	I did not really see any results from either of these products so swapped to a higher concentration
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F	Feels lovely to apply.	Oil base so this was donated to my mum who has a drier and non acne prone skin
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%	Great for resurfacing and brightening	Doesn’t feel great to apply, gritty. This does go after 5/10 mins as it absorbs and warms to the skin, but you would probably want a primer if applying foundation over
100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder	This is my current form of vitamin C. You can make it as potent or diluted as you like. Minimal tingling. No gritty feeling.	I find it works better mixed with a moisturiser vs a serum as sometimes it does not dissolve fully in a serum and leaves white patches on the skin. The problem completely disappeared when I mixed with moisturiser.
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion	Lovely product. Lovely lightweight serum, did not cause any peeling or irritation. I did not even need to use a moisturiser over this	None I prefer this formulation to the Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane	Great product, you skin feels like silk in the morning.	This caused absolutely no irritation or breakouts on my skin however I had to switch to oil free products for my comedones, so this got moved to use on my neck only. My neck cannot seem to tolerate the higher strength retinols that I use on my face, so this is perfect
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution	This may well be my favourite product from the range. The concentration of the acids is great and is the highest performing mask of this kind that I have tried. Glass skin ahoy	It burns and tingles. Beware if a first-time user of acids. Start with leaving it on for just 2 minutes and work up slowly. When you’re mad like me, you can even run your foreo over it at the end of the 10 mins to activate it further
2% Salicylic acid serum	2% is the percentage you need for it to have a true pore cleaning effect, so this is perfect	I prefer my la roche posay effaclar duo as it provides the triple spot fighting whammy with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and niacinamide so I stick with this to avoid having to apply 10 different products
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil	Lovely texture, absorbs quite quickly but can also be layered to do a massage or for a healing boost. I had a burn from a product (too strong a retinol) on my neck and this was the only thing that solved it and stopped it being sore and itchy. If you do not have any pore blockage issues this would be great to use on the face too	Doesn’t smell great, which actually is fine by me because I do not want added fragrance in my products.
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA	Lovely simple moisturiser. No oil, no fragrance. Great for cuticles and nails too (tip from Mr Truaxe himself)	None
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%	Great concentration of the actives. The added zinc is also great for my acne prone skin. No irritation	If you layer this under hyaluronic acid, make sure you only use a small amount of the niacinamide otherwise the hyaluronic can leave little white patches, however these disappear as soon as you layer over a moisturiser.
Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG	If you are at all prone to puffiness – going through a break up, massive Chinese food binge – slap this on the night before and again in the morning and it’ll disappear. The other wonderful benefit of this product is it can be mixed into other things. For example, when I’m on a real summer kick, after dry body brushing my legs (which I do daily) I mix a good squirt of the caffeine solution into my body cream and slather on for some skin firming action	This is drying (it’s kind of the point of the product) so I apply this onto clean, dry skin, let it absorb for a couple of minutes while I brush my teeth etc then layer my eye cream or moisturiser over the top
Lactic Acid 10% + HA	Lovely texture, easily absorbed, good resurfacing	For some reason this worsened my acne. I am lactose intolerant but that is a digestive thing so shouldn’t have affected the skin but either way, I stopped using this and donated.

In summary, my must haves are the aha bha peel, the caffeine solution, vitamin c powder and niacinamide. For beginners, I would definitely get the hyaluronic acid serum and the retinoids.

Toner, or To - no thanks

The age of toners for the face seem to have hit a boom with the release of Clinique’s 3 step programme. Usually at this point, I would begin to slate marketing and social popularity for the nonsense of these systems, but at this time, even dermatologists were recommending nothing but the Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise routine, as serums hadn’t been created.

If you wanted results you would go to their clinic for peels and lifts.

In this day and age, those style cleansers are complete nonsense. What is it you think your toner is doing for you? What do you want it to do?

As I discussed in my cleansing post, if you are not removing your make up or rubbish from the day effectively with your cleanser, there is no hope for you. No amount of wiping your face with cotton wool soaked in alcohol will change this.

In my opinion, the only valid ingredient in a toner is an acid.

This is the point where people become scared, but acids are a true godsend.

Imagine an old garden bench with flaking paint. Would you paint over the top without sanding it down? If you would then you need a trip to DIY school.

Acids resurface the skin by breaking down the bonds between skin cells, allowing them to be lifted from the surface of the skin.

There are many different acids available on the high street and the difference between them, is molecule size. Molecule size determines how far into the skin the acid can penetrate.

To get maximum results you want a range of sizes to act on all the outer layers of the skin.

You can begin this process through your toner.

I will list below some of the toners used by people I’ve spoken to about this. I will break down why they are, mostly, pointless.

Product	Relevant Ingredients	Why it’s useless
Vichy Purete Thermale Perfecting Toner	Aqua,PEG-8,Glycerin,PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,Disodium EDTA,Copper Sulfate,Myrtrimonium Bromide,Parfum	Look at the ingredients, it is basically water, oil and perfume. With some glycerin which, yes, will attract and retain water in the skin, but this ingredient will likely also be in your moisturiser and EDTA which may bind certain “impurities” such as chlorine, but that’s about it. VERDICT: POINTLESS
Darphin Refreshing Toner	Water, Pentylene Glycol, (Banana) Flower Extract, (Fig) Fruit Extract,Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol,Sodium Pca, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Sodium Citrate,Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance,Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Limonene, Citronellol	Again, water is the main ingredient. The selling point of this product is the banana and fig flower extracts. Why? Who knows. Oh, and added fragrance even though it has these flower extracts. Literally nothing useful in here and its £23 a bottle! VERDICT: POINTLESS and EXPENSIVE
Lancôme Tonique Confort	Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane,Yeast Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cyclodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,Triethanolamine, Mel (Honey), Mannitol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer,Disodium Succinate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein,	So…water, yes, it’s the main ingredient in most things. Glycerin, as mentioned with the Vichy, this will draw moisture to the skin, but you would do this so much better with serums or moisturisers. Same with the sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid). Again, castor oil, a nightmare for anyone with any risk of clogged pores, and honey which I suppose has an antibacterial element but not in this concentration. Again, this is £23 VERDICT: POINTLESS and EXPENSIVE
Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner	Aqua, Sorbitol, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Distillate, 2 Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben.	Firstly, sorbitol will give the product that nice cooling effect on the skin, but at the sacrifice of drying it the hell out. Next: Parabens, parabens and more parabens. This is supposed to be soothing yet is rammed with these? It also has a foaming agent (Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate). VERDICT: JUST NO.
On the other end of the spectrum are the “clarifying toners” which are even worse, as they target people with problematic skin. The above ones are useless, yes, but they are targeted at people with slightly dry or normal skin, so adding such a product at least would do no harm (except to your wallet) except for the simple version
Eucerin Dermo purifyer Toner	Aqua, Alcohol Denat, Butylene Glycol, Poloxamer 124, Lactic Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum,	Second ingredient, alcohol. Because apparently acne prone skin, which is, by definition, extremely sensitive to any disturbances of the outer layer, needs something to IRRITATE THE HELL OUT OF IT. Not. Similarly for the added perfume. Lactic acid, this is about the only helpful ingredient here but will be counteracted by all the drying factors. They have added castor oil to try and counteract this. Castor oil. In a product for oily skin. Wonderful VERDICT: RUN
Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris, for Combo or Oily Skin	Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Oleth-20, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Parfum/Fragrance, Sodium Citrate, Panthenol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Glucose, Crataegus Monogina Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Zinc Sulfate, Sorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Silica, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Yellow 5, Blue 1	Aloe, points for this as it is indeed calming, but is it necessary? Will it help with oil? No. Next, at least with the other products the fragrance as at the end of the list, this one is right up there. This one also has colourings just for fun. As well as lovely parabens and witch hazel to ensure your skin is irritated to the max. It does have some retinyl palmitate but so low down the list it will have little to no benefit. Especially considering you are about to follow with a serum and/or moisturiser which will dilute it further. VERDICT: I’LL STOP NOW

So now you know what NOT to look for and now list my favourites. 

They are all acid based bar one.

Acids are great and not something to be feared. Here is a quick breakdown so you know what you are looking for

The only really helpful Beta Hydroxy acid in terms of skin care is salicylic acid. The difference between the 2 being that alpha hydroxy’s are water soluble and beta hydroxys are oil soluble. This means that beta hydroxy acids (BHA’s) are able to penetrate into the hair follicle (otherwise known as the “pore” and clear out the sticky cells which are stuck inside said pore.

Therefore, unless you do not suffer from clogged pores at all (perhaps you are supermodel and thus could give me some of your money?) then a combination of AHA’s and BHA’s in their various forms is what you are looking for.

Product	Relevant Ingredients	Why I love it
NIP + FAB GLYCOLIC FIX EXTREME NIGHT PADS https://www.lookfantastic.com/nip-fab-glycolic-fix-extreme-night-pads-60-pads/11457541.html	Aqua (Water/Eau), Glycolic Acid, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Mandelic Acid, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Limonene, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Benzoate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citral, Linalool.	I prefer these over the daily ones as 5% glycolic is not an “extreme” amount regardless of what the packaging says. I feel you are better off using these every other night then a lesser amount daily. There are also a combination of acids – both beta and alpha Bad points – alcohol and fragrance. However even on my extremely reactive skin they do not cause a problem. I think because they are in such a low percentage and buffered by the hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
PIXI Glow Peel Pads https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/pixi-glow-peel-pads.html The solution also comes in nottle form so you can use your own cotton wool PIXI Glow tonic http://www.marksandspencer.com/glow-tonic-250ml/p/p22424632	Water, Glycolic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glycerin, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Polysorbate 20, SD Alcohol 40-B, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arginine, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride.	Again, this contains a range of acids – glycolic acid at a whopping 20% which means results will be speedy. However there is aloe and glycerine to counteract, and the benefit of no added fragrance as well as some retinol in there for added youth boosting! Yes there is alcohol but again, I do not find these irritating.
DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE Alpha Beta Peel Extra Strength Formula https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/dr-dennis-gross-skincare-alpha-beta-peel-extra-strength-formula.html	Purified Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycolic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Copper PCA, Zinc PCA, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Benzoate	These are strong enough to need 2 pads, one to peel, one to neutralise A mixture of 5 different acids Annoyingly, they do contain fragrance, however, if you are using these, you mean business because they are STRONG so a little fragrance will do no harm
La Roche-Posay Serozinc Spray https://www.escentual.com/la-roche-posay/larocheposay141/	Water, Zinc chloride, zinc sulphate	Zinc chloride is an astringent which means it is great for use when you are hot and sweaty and the pores are liable for bacteria to penetrate the pores, it is also good at reducing oil. Zinc sulphate is great for healing I use this on holiday and after the gym following the shower on the body, although it could be used on the face. It has been one of the few things that helped my body acne. Great for men as it comes in a spray bottle and helps with spots caused by sweat, hair removal etc.