New skin, new me.
Those following me for the past few years may know that I've tried a huge range of skincare ranging from high end products all the way to drugstore. I've tried local goodies, homemade remedies and even reached out to the korean market. But because of my sensitive, acne prone and hyperpigmented skin, whenever I find a new range that works... my skin eventually becomes used to the products within a few months and we're back to square one. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few exceptions (e.g. Go to Skincare and Garnier lemon range that worked really well), but I've never been able to get rid of the small bumps under my skin on my forehead. Also, given the build up in my skincare draw I'm yet to make another purchase.
Over the past few months, a new line started to fill up my instagram news feed and my curiousity was building. I saw plenty of before and after shots but it looked too good to be true. As fate had it, in that month, one of my Bellaboxes came and tadaaa inside was a sample of the Control+ Gel. Shortly after using this sample, I began to use the entire skincare range. I'll admit that I was sceptical as nothing has ever worked on the teeny tiny bumps on my forehead. This leads me to today and this review :).
There are five products I've tried over the past few months. These include:
- CLEANSE - Gentle Foaming Wash
- CONTROL/ CONTROL+ -Control Gel +/ Control Gel
- HYDRATE - Lite Moisturiser
- REMOVE - Spot Treatment
Before I get into my review, let's talk a bit about the brand and also what it claims:
Ebony:
The face behind Real-U is a beautiful woman called Ebony (Director of Skincare and Product Development). Ebony has been in the industry for over 20 years and has a broad range of experience from intimate exclusive salon environments all the way to Paris runways. She's got a wealth of knowledge about skincare, but more importantly she loves what she does and hearing about the success stories these products have brought to the many teenagers and adults around the world.
Real-U Products:
- Our unique patented hypo-allergenic formula allows your skin to calm down.
- No irritating nasties like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
- Giving you the confidence of comfortable, calm and controlled skin.
- In simply 3 easy steps!
Now let's get into the review:
1. Cleanse - Gentle Foaming Wash $15
What Real-U says: real-u CLEANSE Gentle Foaming Wash is the perfect way to effectively clean problem skin without removing all the skin’s natural oils or over-drying your skin. real-u CLEANSE Gentle Foaming Wash with soothing aloe vera leaves your skin feeling clean, nourished and revitalised, and it’s pH BALANCED.
My thoughts:
I can't even begin to describe my love for this face wash. Typically, when I'm using products designed for cleansing acne-prone skin, they tend to strip my skin of it's moisture. Often my face will feel tight and uncomfortable. This cleanser does exactly the opposite. It is a clear gel that foams into a gentle lather, and it leaves my skin feeling super soft and supple. I'm usually lazy at night and dread the process of removing my makeup - but I honesty don't mind it anymore. I've been using this product for the past few months and have noticed that it removes oil build up, dirt and any light makeup (use a makeup remover for heavier makeup). I also love the fact that it is pH balanced as this means that my sensitive skin isn't irritated. I will note there is a "face wash" scent to this product (fresh but nothing too offensive).
2. Control Gel Serum $40 (100ml) and Control + Gel $50 (100ml)
What Real-U says:
real-u CONTROL+ Face Gel is specially formulated for oily skin and acne-prone problem skin conditions. real-u CONTROL+ Face Gel contains no harmful chemicals and is hypo-allergenic. NO Benzoyl Peroxide. NO Salicylic Acid.
My Thoughts:
The Control + Gel was the first product that I used as I got it as a sample in my Bellabox. The Control+ Gel is for those who need more help controlling their acne, whereas the Control Gel is for all others. I started off using the Control+ Gel and now that my skin has improved, I'm on the gentle version. Firstly, the fact that it contains no Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid had me skeptical. Aren't these the two chemicals best to fight acne?? On the flip note, I was very keen to start using this gel as my skin reacts badly to Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid has no impact on me. After a few weeks... all I can says is GET. ON. IT. I absolutely love this gel. I use it after the Gentle Foaming Wash as my acne treatment. It's a milky liquid texture that absorbs right into the skin. It doesn't leave any greasy feel or residue on the face and a little goes a long way so use it sparingly. I will note that it has a chemically smell, but again nothing that lingers.
3. Lite Moisturiser $20
What Real-U Say:
real-u HYDRATE Lite Moisturiser is the perfect way to keep problem skin properly hydrated without clogging your pores. real-u HYDRATE Lite Moisturiser is a non-greasy lotion that’s easily absorbed into your skin. With anti-oxidants for problem skin, it REBALANCES your skin. REPLENISHES essential skin nutrients.
My Thoughts:
LOVE. I know I keep saying I love each product, but I honestly am obsessed with this moisturiser. It again is a milky gel to liquid consistency (similar to the Control Gel), that absorbs right into the skin. Once applied, it leaves my face feeling really soft and supple. It doesn't cause any greasy feeling (I have combo skin, oily on the T-zone) and it doesn't irritate at all. I honestly don't know the magical ingredient in this, but it really is improving the texture of my skin and bringing back its vibrancy. When I apply it at night, I wake up to baby soft skin. The dry and flaky patches on my cheeks have also cleared up.
4. Remove Spot Treatment $28
What Real-U Say:
real-u REMOVE Spot Treatment is a better way to deal with those annoying spots
* NO Benzoyl Peroxide
* NO Salicylic Acid
* NO Benzoyl Peroxide
* NO Salicylic Acid
My Thoughts:
To be honest, I haven't had to use this product too much. Perhaps because of the effectiveness of the other three? I have had to use it once on one giant pimple and it took about 3 days for that bugger to disappear. Not bad. Similar to the other products in the range, this is a liquid texture that takes a tiny bit more time to absorb into the skin. I use it for targeted treatment, so this little miracle worker will definitely be around for a while. I've even got my sister hooked :).
Overall:
I definitely recommend the Real-U range. The little tiny bumps kind of there but the number of them have definitely decreased... I'd say about 30% remain. I also find that the frequency and number of pimples I tend to get has dropped as well. Because I have such sensitive, acne-prone and hyper pigmented skin, it's rare that I don't break out and react - this hasn't happened with the Real-U range. Woo!
I'm going to point out that so my skin doesn't get used to this range (as I'm loving the results so far) every second night I use my Lancome Visionnaire Serum in place of the Control Gel and Moisturiser. By doing so, I've continued to used these products for months with the same results. I have found that my skin now-a-day (particular on my dry cheeks) is a lot softer and tends to be a bit more oily (nothing bad). Having dealt with very oily and very dry skin, I much prefer this.
Get. On. It. ;).
Love Cindy
aka Skindzmakeup
