Aspect Illuminating Polish

Where I got it

Ever since listening to the AdoreBeauty IQ podcast, I got really interested in cosmeceutical skincare, or science-backed and highly effective skincare. I am in my mid-30a and I don’t want to waste my time, my skin health and money on products that are not going to deliver results in an effective and timely manner. I want to invest my money and not spend it on gimmicky products that contains all too much fragrance and concentrations that don’t work.

When my sister told me about Exquisite Skincare having an Easter sale (20% off all skincare from their website), I jumped on to have a look. Exquisite Skincare is a website off from Exquisite Laser Clinic in New Zealand and you can shop for the brands they carry online. Brands like Aspect. ASAP, Cosmedix, Skinceuticals, PCA skin care, etc. just to name a few I was interested. I picked up two items from Aspect – Illuminating Polish and the CC cream, both are newly launched products. The illuminating polish is $64.50 after 20% off it was down to $51.60 with free shipping on orders over $100.

What I got

This is the Aspect Illuminating Polish (220ml). A triple-action exfoliant that combines Ecoscrub, enzymes and AHA’s to gently polish, removing lifeless cells. Skin is left feeling instantly smoother and more radiant.

Key Ingredients and Benefits:

• Ecoscrub® | Gently polishes skin surface to remove lifeless cells.
• Lactic Acid | An AHA that helps to refine and exfoliate.
• Payaya Extract | A fruit enzyme, rich in antioxidants that moisturisers and smooths skin texture.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Glycerin, Polylactic Acid, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Citrus Paradisi (Pink Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Lactic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract*,
Arnica Montana Flower Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Hydroxide. *Certified Organic

How I find it

As you can tell from the name, it is an exfoliator, but I wasn’t sure if it was a chemical exfoliant or a physical exfoliant when I first saw the launch (photos on IG), but it turns out to be a triple-action exfoliator – AHA, enzymes and physical scrub. It is a combination of 3 forms of exfoliator, even thought AHA and enzymes are leaning more towards the chemical exfoliant, they are non-abrasive and there are more people who prefer to use a chemical exfoliant.

However, in my opinion, I do miss a physical scrub sometimes, especially when I have these pesky blackheads and sebum peeking up from my pores, they aren’t really blackheads yet, but they just stick out from the pores, white in colour but you can kind of pick them out with tweezers. Usually, a good scrub around the nose area gets rid of them, so from time to time, I use a gentle scrub without any plastic microbeads.

This one here, I use it after cleansing. I would use about a pea-sized portion on my damp hands, work it thin and then massage onto my damp face. The thick, sort of gel-base of this scrub acts as a buffer so that it is very gently on the skin. As you massage, it tends to thicken and then it is time to wash off.

Overall

This is such a gentle physical exfoliant on the skin,  you can mix it with a bit opf water to further dial it down, but the granules are ery small and are not sharp and abrasive. You can almost leave this on for a few minutes for the enzymes and AHAs to work before rinsing off too. I would probably using this 3 times a week depending if I were to use a stronger AHA mask or peel on my skin. I wouldn’t recommend using two types of exfoliant during your skincare routine. I try to stick to one type only except for my cleanser. Sometimes I have glycolic cleanser in the morning and I can still use a salicylic acid as part of my morning routine. At night, I either use a glycolic toner (Alpha-H Liquid Gold) or an AHA peel (Estee Lauder Instant Resurfacing Peel or Alpha-H Ultimate Perfecting mask), then I use a retinol product. I have been using acids and retinols for quite a while now and my skin can tolerate it, I also have quite resilient skin as well for acids, so I don’t get sensitivity. If you are quite new to acids and retinols, start slowly and work your way up.

Anyway, I would say this is the best product if you want to switch from physical to chemical exfoliant, or you want the best of both worlds. I understand that physical exfoliants can give a sense of satisfaction you get immediate results, but chemical exfoliants are a lot more gentle (despite the name acid) and they work deeper into pores (BHAs),