Editor Reviews

This serum is designed to reduce blackheads and blocked pores while making the skin appear smoother and clearer. It can be applied once a day, either in the morning or at night. The texture is a slightly sticky gel that spreads easily on the skin. When I use it regularly (typically at night), my skin becomes noticeably brighter and smoother. It’s like a progressive, at-home face peel—which, to be honest, is kind of Dr. Dennis Gross’s specialty. The ingredient list for this serum is extensive, and I couldn’t be happier because it’s packed with superstar components: - **Chemical exfoliants:** mandelic acid, salicylic acid (great for acne), glycolic acid, and lactic acid - **Soothing ingredients:** prickly pear extract, white willow bark extract, bisabolol (anti-inflammatory, from chamomile), cucumber extract, vitamin B5, and various antioxidants and humectants - **Antioxidants:** green tea extract, quercetin (anti-inflammatory), vitamin E, and extracts like rosemary, raspberry, bladderwrack, and vanilla—all of which also have soothing properties - **Moisturizers/humectants:** hyaluronic acid, urea, jojoba esters, and apple fruit extract - **Retinol:** the superstar ingredient for reducing acne and the only proven wrinkle reverser Chemical exfoliants are essential for any pore-targeting product, and Dr. Dennis Gross doesn’t disappoint, including four of the most well-researched and effective acids. To balance the exfoliation, the formula is packed with soothing and hydrating ingredients, ensuring it works effectively without side effects. The results? Incredible. Within a week, I noticed a major improvement in my skin. The blackheads that have taken up permanent residence on my nose became smaller, my entire face looked smoother, and I had a "just left the aesthetician’s office" glow. My neighbors probably think I’ve either won the lottery or I’m pregnant. The packaging is an opaque glass bottle, which is perfect for protecting light-sensitive ingredients. I have the 15 ml version, but a 30 ml bottle retails for around €76.80. It’s not cheap, but this is one of those products that makes the time you dedicate to your skincare routine feel genuinely worthwhile. And at this point in my life, time is a valuable commodity. I will definitely be repurchasing.

Glow Recipe has been quite popular in the last few years, hasn't it? I have tried some products from their Watermelon line, but since it was so trendy and widely discussed, I felt my reviews wouldn't add much to the conversation. The Avocado line, on the other hand, deserves more attention. The **Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask** is marketed as an overnight mask but can also be used as a day treatment (as long as you wear SPF). Essentially, it’s a heavy moisturizer, and I use it all over my face. As I’ve mentioned before, eye creams are glorified moisturizers—there’s nothing you can put on the eye area that you can’t use on the rest of your face. Any eye cream, serum, or treatment I get my hands on ends up being used all over. The texture is a firm paste that becomes fluid and easy to spread. On the skin, it feels thick but not greasy or overly occlusive. I find it great for when my skin is **dry and patchy**, but I can’t use it too many days in a row because it clogs my pores. As the name suggests, it contains **avocado oil**, which is fantastic for dry skin but can be comedogenic. Despite containing **retinol**, I don’t experience redness or sensitivity even with heavy use. This suggests the retinol percentage is quite low, which makes sense since it’s targeted for dry skin. The formula contains many beneficial ingredients, including: - **Shea butter & squalane** – moisturizing - **Aloe vera** – soothing - **Niacinamide** – an all-around powerhouse ingredient - **Hyaluronic acid** – hydrating - **Retinol** – one of the best anti-aging ingredients available - **Antioxidants** – to help protect and repair the skin The only downside is **parfum (fragrance)**, but it's listed far down the ingredients list. With so many soothing and skin-replenishing ingredients, I doubt it’s present at a high enough concentration to cause irritation. The packaging is beautiful but impractical. It comes in a **glass jar**, which isn’t ideal for a product containing **light-sensitive** ingredients like retinol. An **opaque squeeze tube** would be more appropriate to maintain formula stability. I’m not sure I would repurchase because my skin isn’t the target for this product and it’s a bit too occlusive for my liking. However, if you have naturally dry skin and struggle to incorporate retinol into your routine, this is an **excellent option**. If I’m totally honest, I always thought Glow Recipe was a bit overrated and gimmicky — but this product proves it has its place. **For what it’s meant to do, it’s well-formulated.** This is a winner.

If you wear long-wearing makeup, you need grease (*in the form of a cleansing balm or cleansing oil*) to remove it quickly. Cleansing balms generally perform well at makeup removal—but not all are created equal. The **Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm** has a wax-like appearance but is **much softer** than it looks. With just a bit of pressure, it becomes pliable. It **melts upon contact with the skin**, with a texture similar to melted butter. It’s **easy to rub in and emulsifies completely** when rinsed with water. However, it **leaves a slight film** on the skin—not greasy, but more **rubbery**. Even after drying my face with a towel, I can still feel a bit of that residue. When it comes to **makeup removal**, this **balm performs exceptionally well**. It removes everything with minimal effort. Cleansing balms typically excel at dissolving stubborn makeup, and this one is no exception. Even though I prioritize performance over ingredients in cleansers (*since they stay on the skin for such a short time*), it’s still worth looking at the formula. ### Key Ingredients: - **Papaya enzymes** – Claimed to provide gentle exfoliation, but there’s little scientific evidence to support this - **Turmeric** – Antioxidant and known to soothe and brighten skin - **Moringa & sunflower oils** – Non-fragrant plant oils that act as **emollients** and hydrate the skin without causing irritation - **Ginger root oil** – Primarily added for fragrance, with little skincare benefit While **turmeric, moringa, and sunflower oil** are fantastic additions, **ginger root oil and the various fragrant extracts** could be **sensitizing** for some skin types. Comes in a jar, which means exposure to air and contaminants over time. Size is 100 ml and the price is around €38 - €45, depending on the retailer.

Nip & Fab is a brand that seems to have been created to appease my blackhead-ridden teen self. It has a strong focus on exfoliation, and they use marketing words like "fix" and "extreme"—right up my 15-year-old self’s alley. These are called cleansing pads, but I would consider them **more of an exfoliant than a cleanser**. I don't suggest using these to remove makeup, and neither does Nip + Fab, as the directions indicate applying this to already cleansed skin. I swipe one of these pads on freshly cleansed skin in the evening and can feel a very subtle **tingling sensation**, which is expected with glycolic acid. It's not painful nor uncomfortable, just a light tingle. The **pads themselves feel a bit rough**, likely intentional to enhance exfoliation. However, you shouldn’t press too hard—just a light swipe is sufficient; otherwise, it could be too harsh for the face. Right after application, my s**kin feels moisturized, with almost a "creamy" film left behind**. This was a pleasant surprise, as daily exfoliation can often strip the skin, but the hydrating ingredients support their "daily use" claim. The best part? The next day, my **skin looks radiant, plump**, and like I just had a facial. I was genuinely impressed by how visible and quick the results were. These pads aim to "retexture and brighten" the skin, and they deliver. They remind me of the Dr. Dennis Gross daily peels, but these are less intense and more affordable. **Ingredient-wise**, glycerin is second on the list, explaining the "creamy" film and the moisturized feeling after using a pad. The formula also includes hyaluronic acid for hydration. For exfoliation, there’s glycolic acid and lactic acid, which not only exfoliate but also provide hydration. Some ingredients could be omitted (like alcohol and various perfumes), but the quick, noticeable results make me willing to continue using these pads—at least until I experience an adverse reaction or sensitivity. Soothing ingredients like witch hazel, blue daisy, and vitamin B5 may help balance the potential irritants. The wastefulness of single-use items isn’t lost on Nip + Fab. The pads are made from 100% biodegradable fabric, and the exterior packaging is fully recyclable. This product cost me €18.95, but deals or sales can often lower that price. Each container holds 60 pads, so for me, it lasts around four months (using them every other day). All in all, this is a good product and probably the glycolic acid product that has delivered the most noticeable results for me.

This is the moisturizer with the highest SPF I tried from Paula's Choice. It's the most occlusive of the three sunscreens I've tried, which makes sense since it's meant for normal to dry skin. Even though it is the thickest and the closest to a traditional facial sunscreen, it's not heavy nor difficult to spread. It also has a light sunscreen scent. Performance-wise, I never felt the need to reapply the moisturizer throughout my outing (but then again, I never do with anything with an SPF of 30 or higher), and my skin always felt hydrated when I used it. On rare occasions, I felt my skin was a bit too greasy. **Lovely user experienc**e aside, it is a very **well-formulated cream**. There are a lot of famously great ingredients here: glycerin, niacinamide, shea butter, vitamin E. Apart from containing a lot of hydrating and emollient elements, this contains a decent amount of skin-soothing (allantoin, licorice extract, aloe vera, oat extract) and antioxidant ingredients. It's around 35-45€ per 60 ml. Paula's Choice isn't necessarily the most affordable brand, but for what you get, I find the price very much worth it.

This is Paula's Choice's sunscreen offer for combination and oily skin. It is tinted, and you can **notice the color on the skin** just a little bit but not to the point where it looks like makeup. It is enough to even out the complexion, and it worked well for me, but the coloring might be too obvious/look chalky over facial hair, so if you have a beard, beware. Even though there are not a lot of hydrating/emollient ingredients in this sunscreen, and it is in fact the least moisturizing of the sunscreens I tried from Paula's Choice, my skin did not feel dry when I used it. This was enough for me during the day, I didn't need to add another moisturizer. This sunscreen **focuses more on antioxidants than emollients**, in addition to a few skin-soothing ingredients that help defend against environmental stressors while keeping the skin calm and balanced. It works to counteract daily oxidative damage and reduce the risk of irritation from sun exposure. But the Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense also has the "lightest" and least impressive ingredients list of the brand's moisturizers, so it wouldn't be my first choice. Depending on where you buy it and active promotions, it's around 35-45€ per 60 ml.