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Monday 10 September 2012

Review: Oxy Seaweed Power & Clearlight*

I mentioned to you last month that I was trying out the Oxy Seaweed Power range and I've been so happy with the results that I wanted to share them with you. A little background on my skin, which some of you may know already; I have somewhat combination skin (slightly oily t-zone, but normal to dry elsewhere) and when I hit 25 I developed adult acne. It almost crippled me, after having blemish free skin all through my teens. I was at a loss as to what to do and tried many, many different remedies. I still suffer from the odd breakout and have to be very careful about what I put on my skin, but I'd like to think it's under control now (it's certainly nowhere near as bad as it was). I was using Clarins Multi Active day and night creams before Oxy and using Differin Gel (Adapalene) prescribed by my doctor every night on my problem areas (I have switched all of these to Oxy for the past month). I have to admit that in the past I've found product ranges that target acne usually quite harsh for the skin and now that my skin isn't quite so bad, I've been happy to leave those products behind! I'm concentrating on using good skincare products that I know don't aggravate the problem alongside the prescribed acne gel. So I was a little unsure of how the Oxy range would work for me, but intrigued at the same time.

I was happy to hear that the Seaweed Power range has been developed to target spots yet care for the skin. Their research into harnessing the healing power of nature led to an anti-spot range containing naturally active seaweed, purified in the cold waters of the Atlantic and harvested from sustainable sources. Seaweed is full of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and trace elements and rich in antioxidant properties. This skin-friendly seaweed concentrate is at the heart of OXY’s unique formulations and has been rigorously researched to be scientifically proven in killing spot-causing bacteria, redness and excess oil production, whilst being gentle on skin. It is also free from parabens and SLS. The skin wash, exfoliant and balm all contain this seaweed formula, but the treatment gel and light device do not.
So firstly the Seaweed Power Fresh Skin Wash (£5.99); a refreshing, lightly fragrant, everyday wash with jojoba micro beads, to reduce spots, redness and blackheads. I've been using this in the morning on a damp face. I probably should have used it at night too, but to remove makeup I insist on using Lancome Baume Eclat and will not budge from that! I'm not sure how the face wash would perform removing makeup, but I can certainly agree that it's a refreshing cleanser every morning (and I've used it on nights when I've not been wearing makeup). I'm very critical of anything with a 'scrub' in it because I'm fussy about the texture (some are too harsh, some don't scrub enough, some are watery etc), however the micro beads in this don't bother me at all. They are mild and sparse enough to use daily and easy to wash off (the wash is also suitable for sensitive skin). There's no greasy or too tight feeling after using this wash and it's certainly something I would purchase again.
After cleansing, I've been using the Clearlight Light Device (£39.99). This was the item I was most intrigued by, because I've never tried anything similar before. A proven technology called blue light therapy has been used extensively for years by dermatologists for the successful treatment of spots, acne and blemishes. It has been scientifically proven that blue light at the specific wavelength of 415nm kills spot causing bacteria. OXY Clearlight harnesses the healing power of blue-light technology in a safe, convenient and hygienic device for home use. OXY Clearlight penetrates to the root of P. acnes, killing spot-causing bacteria and helping prevent spots from erupting. So on a cleansed face you use this battery operated device. As you can see from the images below, you press the button on and it makes a beep noise to start and the green light flashes throughout the 3 minute cycle and ends when the device beeps and switches itself off. You hold the device on the spot area, so to start with I generally had around three areas each morning and night to do this to. There's no harmful UV rays and no heat or discomfort or peeling.
Now I like this type of product that targets the actual spot, it gives me faith that I'm doing something specific to the problem! I'm not sure how effective it's been on it's own because I've been using it with the spot gel, so I'd like to combine my review here! I'll just add, my only gripe with the light device was the time it took. It's become second nature now, but when I was applying it three times every day/night that was an extra 9 minutes added to my routine each time, but worth it, if it's doing something good! The Emergency Spot Treatment Gel (£6.99) claims to reduce the size and redness of spots within 4 hours. You apply the gel to the slanted nozzle, then directly on the spot up to 6 times daily. I've tended to use it twice daily. I do feel a slight burn when using this, but felt that's to be expected as it's a concentrated spot treatment gel and I want to 'feel' like it's doing something. I like that it's handy to carry around for emergencies and I'd definitely purchase another one. In my first couple of days of using the Oxy products I had this almighty, red, sore, under the skin spot, right in the corner of my nose one night. Normally I'd freak and curse. This time though I was mega excited as I had a plethora of products to target this angry red dude and was determined to beat him (plus it gave me something meaty to write about here!).
I used the Clearlight and gel that night and awoke the next day astounded that I couldn't feel the pain of it, plus the redness and size of it had gone down. There was still a slight trace of it, so I applied both products again in the morning and a couple of hours later when I went to apply my makeup, the spot had completely disappeared. Honestly gone totally, no hint of it. I was jubilant as I had to go out that day and normally would have felt like poo with this wee bugger. Under normal circumstances I'd have had this spot for at least a week or two. Usually with those ones you can feel brewing under the skin, they take a couple of days to appear then last forever. Plus they're always massive aren't they? Aside from that spot, I've had some smaller ones, that have been quite dry or some that are just like bumps, not necessarily very red, but annoying nonetheless. I've just used the Clearlight and gel morning and night and the spots have disappeared within a day or two and none have developed into anything major.  I expected some sort of reduction in the redness and size, but to completely blitz the spot with no trace remaining in a day was astounding.

I had a breakout of around 4 spots on my cheek prior to using the Oxy range and although I didn't start out specifically targeting this area (the spots have gone but I'm left with dark marks), I'm now using the Clearlight on this to see if I can get rid of it.  I've only been using it for a few days and it is a tricky one as they really aren't raised, it's just marks I'm left with, so I'm keen to see if it can do anything to help.  *As of last night I realised the dark marks are diminishing, it's only the small marks where the spots were that remain and the surrounding area is back to it's normal colour.*  I don't really have any other spots currently as my skin has really cleared up over the past month, so I've found myself using the Clearlight less and less each week.

After using the Clearlight and before using the gel, I've been applying the Seaweed Power Deep Calm Balm (£5.99) which is an oil-free moisturiser. It harnesses the power of natural seaweed to keep skin soft and hydrated, whilst helping to prevent oily skin, spots and blackheads. I didn't expect to like this, as I was happy using my Clarins moisturisers prior to this and I also prefer to have a separate day and night cream, but have been applying this both morning and night. In the first few days my skin, especially around the chin felt very dry (probably just from changing my routine) and the balm texture of this felt like bliss. It's most definitely a balm and feels very soothing, which isn't something I'd expect from an acne range. The scent is soft, but I have to say I dislike that it tends to gravitate towards my lips throughout the night or morning and when I'm licking my lips I can taste something (which isn't very nice). The moisturiser works really well with the other products in the range and I'm amazed at the almost velvet like texture it leaves on my skin. There's no greasy film, shine or intense dryness, it's got a lovely finish and is great for wearing under makeup. I've definitely been using less powder (actually considering none some days) and I'm sure it's down to this moisturiser.
The final product in the range is the Seaweed Power Clear Pore Exfoliant (£5.99) which should be used a couple of times each week in place of the face-wash. It harnesses the power of natural seaweed to cleanse deep into your pores. It cuts through grease and oil, removing dead skin, clearing spots, blackheads and oily skin. This is the only product that I didn't like. It's not to say it didn't work to combat spots alongside the other products but it just didn't work for me. I found the texture far too runny, to the point that when I was applying it (usually in the shower), my hand was filled with gel when I only intended to use a small amount, You can even see that in the swatches below, I never intended to pour out an entire palm of product! It's very watery, so it's difficult (once you have your desired amount) to apply to the face as it just runs off it. I found it very scratchy on the skin and although I like a scrub to feel like it's actually scrubbing, this felt too harsh, especially as the base gel tends to disappear and you're left with the scratchy beads. I gave up applying it to the face after the first few tries and instead have been using it as a body scrub across my shoulders, chest, knees and elbows and my elbows have never felt better! I was suffering from dry skin there, but this had cleared that up, so it's come in handy for something at least! It's the only product reviewed here that I wouldn't repurchase though.
Overall my skin has looked and felt so much better since trying the Oxy range. There's been a massive improvement in the redness of my skin (it's gone totally actually) and I've found myself using less makeup each day and even contemplating going without a base on a couple of occasions. I was doubtful that an acne-targeted range could perform wonders for my skin whilst being gentle, but this one has. All too often brands target the spots and assume that the rest of the face is an oily mess that should be stripped too and I know personally that it's not just oily skinned girls and boys that suffer from breakouts. I usually end up in some sort of dry, flaky mess after changing to spot-treatment products and this hasn't been the case with the Seaweed range. I'm not saying I'll never suffer from another spot again, but surely with time this can only help my skin by targeting the problem deep down and I'm confident that I can blitz any persistent spots that force their way through.  You can find the Oxy range in most chemists, prices start at £5.99.  Does anything here tickle your fancy or have you tried the range?

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for such an in depth blog of each product. Have just purchased the Oxy range plus clearlight to see if it can do anything for my adult acne as much as I love my Clarins it's no good for spots :-)

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  2. Thank you, hope you like the products. I can safely say the Clearlight works wonders, after the battery ran out and it took around 5 days for two huge spots on my chin to disappear!! They were exactly like the one I described in my review and that disappeared in a day with the Clearlight and Oxy gel. Thankfully picked up another battery now, so will never be without in future!!

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