Where I got it
I was sent these from Arture for trial and review of their product. This is available from the Arture website for $124.99. Arture is a brand based in New Zealand and all of their products are cruelty-free and 100% natural ingredients.
What I got
This is the Arture Resurfacing Microdermabrasion Cream (50g). Arture Resurfacing Microdermabrasion Cream replicates dermatologist’s microdermabrasion treatment by removing dead skin cells, stimulates collagen production and skin regeneration. The microcrystals in the cream absorb dead skin cells while natural botanicals and vitamins nourish your skin underneath. Visibly improve the appearance of acne, fine lines, pores, spots, scars and stretch marks. There are no plastic beads in this exfoliator, they are 100% natural crystals that are found in nature.
Ingredients: Water, Alumina, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE , Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Flower Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract , Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Ros, Canina Fruit Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid.
Arture Resurfacing Microdermabrasion Cream
Quick research on some of the ingredients in this cream here, I know some of you are wary of ingredients in your skincare lately I’ve been more cautious too. So the first ingredient that pops up was Alumina, which is aluminium oxide which is probably there for the abrasive texture (can be milled very finely so it’s not harsh on the skin). There are 2 types of alcohol which some people absolutely avoid – Cetearyl and Benzyl alcohol which is both regarded as good ingredients in the Paula’s Choice Ingredient dictionary. The first one is a fatty alcohol used as an emollient, the latter is an organic alcohol that occurs naturally in some fruits. Both of these will not topically dry out your skin.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate was also another one that stood out and got me wondering. It is a gentle surfactant made from rapeseed aka canola oil. It is a skin-conditioning agent and an emulsifier. Dehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative and Tocopheryl Acetate is an antioxidant ingredient. Most of the other ingredients are either glycerin or glyceryl, oils and extracts, nothing that raises alarm bells.
Arture Resurfacing Microdermabrasion Cream
How I find it
After cleansing, I gently remove any excess water off my face and use the spatula that comes with the cream to scoop out a small amount and I work it loose between my fingertips first, then I massage it over my damp skin. You want to make sure your skin is not really wet, just a little damp. Otherwise, I would just mix the cream with a little bit of water and then massage all over the face.
Using super gentle circular motions, I work this cream all over my face focusing on my nose, sides of my nose and around my jaw and chin area where I have enlarged pores and bumps. You are supposed to work this until the cream dries up slightly and starts to fall off from your face. I find that if you use too much product, it takes forever to get it to the point of drying and falling off.
Once it starts to fall off, you can wash it off with warm water. However, I do recommend you to just wash it off once you feel the exfoliation is enough. Personally, I started feeling a little tingling around the sides of my nose and I didn’t massage until it starts to dry out.
Washing it off takes a little bit of time and just running water will do, no need for a washcloth. Make sure all the micro-crystals are gone and then pat dry your skin. Clean the skin off with a toner on a cotton pad to remove any residue, then follow with the rest of your skincare.
Overall
After using this cream, my skin feels super smooth and soft. The micro-crystals in the cream provides a really good manual exfoliation to rid the skin of dead skin cells and clears the pores. I did notice that some blackheads around the sides of my nose have come out slightly and I just use a pore extractor to softly scrap them out.
My skin usually tolerated quite well with acids and active ingredients and I have not done manual exfoliation for quite some time (at least 3 months?). This exfoliation cream did not cause redness, but it did cause a bit of sensitivity around my eye and temple area for the first 2 times I used it. I would suggest that if you want to use this, make sure you use a tiny little amount mixed with some water first and don’t get too close to the eye area and where you are prone to sensitivity. For me, in the future, I will use a little bit more water and just focus on my t-zone area and not go into my cheeks.
I would probably this once a week or once every 2 weeks to get a good clean out of my blackheads. The satisfaction you get from this manual exfoliation is really amazing, but if you prefer a more gentle exfoliation, I would say go for your AHA and BHA peels and creams.
Just a quick recap of this cream, it does not have added fragrance, added colourants, it is 100% natural ingredients and is not tested on animals. It contains alumia for exfoliation and contains plenty of seed oils and extracts to condition the skin and moisturise the skin.
