A few months ago, Murad launched a trio of exfoliators to suit every preference; AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser which is part of the Age Reform range, Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser and Exfoliator from the Blemish Prone range and Skin Smoothing Polish from Pore Reform. There really is something for everyone, although I’ll warn you that they’re all manual exfoliators, so if you’re not a fan of a gentle facial scrubbing then you might not be a fan of these.
I’ll start off with the one I’ve discussed previously, which is the AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser. I quite liked this to start off with, but the more I used it, the more it grew on me, to the point where, when my skin was particularly tricky nearer the end of last year, I was using this 3-4 times a week as it really helped smooth and even my bumpy, rough skin. It’s an exfoliator that contains a lovely collection of acids to chemically exfoliate, alongside a very gentle, sand-like scrub that takes care of the manual element. I like to apply this, leave it on for a few minutes whilst I brush my teeth, then wash off and carry on as normal, which makes for a great and quick treatment that leaves skin noticeably smoother and brighter. It’s £34 here – link.
My least favourite of the three is the Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser and Exfoliator as I find it the least suited to my skin type. It’s a powder-style exfoliator that you use by adding a little water to make a past, which then performs as both a cleanser and exfoliator. It’s the most gentle of the three as it’s not really scrubby at all, but it definitely still exfoliates well. The reason it isn’t really doing it for me is because I find it quite drying – it leaves my skin feeling quite tight after use – but I think it would be well suited to very oily and/or heavily congested skin types, just make sure to follow with something lovely and hydrating afterwards. It’s £25 here – link.
The final exfoliator is the Skin Smoothing Polish, which I was expecting to like the least as I think, out of all three of them, this one sounded like the most traditional with nothing special to offer. Having said that, I actually really like it and I use it during my weekly facial, as for a manual exfoliator, it gets the balance just right. It’s a very thick formula with gentle scrubby bits that polishes skin gently and effectively without leaving it feeling dry or tight. Because it’s so thick, it doesn’t move over the skin very easily, meaning you have to put a bit of effort into it which probably sounds like a bad thing, but for this particular type of product it feels like the formula is clinging to all things nasty, congested and unwelcome on the skin and grabbing it as it moves around, so skin really does look clearer, fresher and brighter; it’s a powerful exfoliator that’s just the right side of gentle and it’s £27 here – link.
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