Reviewing Results

Acting Deputy Editor Leonie Helm tries out the new AlumierMD skincare range and at-home chemical peel to tackle winter skin

The yearly plague of winter skin is upon us, and it can feel like a continuous battle of dry skin, claggy makeup and dull skin tone. As someone who suffers with acne, the dilemma of wanting to hydrate my skin throughout winter, but not overload it with heavy moisturisers and oils, is a big one. It can sometimes feel like I have to make the difficult decision between having hydrated skin and spots, or dehydrated skin and less spots, which can leave me feeling pretty dejected. I struggle to find the time for in-clinic treatments and despite finding overthe-counter products that have made some difference to the external appearance of my skin, I have struggled to find anything with long-term effects. As a novice with medicalgrade skincare, I was excited to try the new AlumierMD products to see if they could make a more significant and long-lasting difference to my dry, yet acne-prone skin, with products that I can easily fit in to my busy schedule!

What is medical-grade skincare?

These are products which are prescribed by medical aesthetic practitioners as they generally contain higher concentrations of active ingredients than over-thecounter products to target specific skin concerns. AlumierMD recently launched three new medical-grade products to help combat winter skin and encourage an external glowing look, while improving the appearance of concerns like breakout and acne-prone skin, dry skin and rosacea. Their products use 'clean science' meaning they're free from chemical preservatives, making them suitable for all skin tones and types.

The products

The first new product I tried is the Enzymatic Peel, an at-home micro peel and a dual acid skin resurfacing treatment to enhance skin texture and tone with ingredients like lactic acid – an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which helps to remove dead cells and restore radiance and hydration. It also contains a simple yet effective dose of 0.45% salicylic acid which targets open pores and helps reduce breakouts.

The Let It Glow holiday kit The HydraRich moisturiser

The next product is the Aqua Infusion Mask, which is oil free, great for acne-prone skin, and contains hyaluronic acid (HA) which can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, hydrating the deep layers of the skin. Both these products come in the AlumierMD Let It Glow holiday kit. Lastly, I tried the HydraRich postbiotic moisturiser, containing squalene and post-glutamic acid which claim to protect the skin from pollution, cold weather and support the microbiome, a community of trillions of cells including bacteria, viruses and fungi that, if imbalanced, can trigger various different skin conditions.

The treatment

Before

Having never done any type of chemical peel, it was important that I had consultation to discuss my skin concerns, how to use the products, and how they would affect my skin. My AlumierMD skin expert recommended double cleansing the skin to start, once to remove makeup and any other impurities, and then again to make sure everything has gone, then I applied a thin layer of the Enzymatic Peel to my face and neck. She recommended leaving it on for one to three minutes for sensitive skin, three to seven minutes for normal skin and up to 10 minutes for resilient skin. I went for five minutes for the first time, and later increased this to seven minutes for the following two treatments, which I did a week and two weeks later. The mask goes on like a thin gel and feels slightly tingly, but don’t worry, that means it’s working! I washed it off with lukewarm water and patted my skin dry to avoid irritation. As these are medical-grade and stronger than products I have used before, I was careful not to leave it on for longer than recommended to avoid any inflammation on my skin. I followed with a thick layer of the Aqua Infusion Mask, which you can leave on for 10-15 minutes before washing off with warm water and patting dry. I then applied the AlumierMD Acne Balancing Serum which contains salicylic acid and finished off with one to two pumps of the HydraRich moisturiser.

After Leonie’s skin prior to the treatment and her post-treatment glow immediately after

The results

As a chemical peel novice, what attracted me to this regime was not only the ability to easily fit it into my schedule, but also the lack of recovery time that can present with some deeper in-clinic peels. Apart from a small amount of initial redness, which went within 10 minutes, I was really impressed with how my skin looked immediately after the peel and the mask. There was an obvious glow and my skin looked and felt hydrated and my skin tone looked visibly more even. I also tried the regime before going out, and I found my makeup went on smoothly and stayed looking natural and hydrated all evening. The immediate post-treatment glow lasted for the duration of the day and the even skin tone lasted until my next treatment exactly a week later. After three weeks of using the Let It Glow kit and the HydraRich moisturiser along with my existing skincare regime, I have noticed an improvement to the hydration, tone and brightness of my skin. I still get breakouts, but the spots seem to go from angry and painful to flat and less red faster than before, and the overall tone of my skin is brighter. The HydraRich moisturiser hydrates my skin enough that I don’t need to lather on heavy moisturisers to combat the winter weather, which can only be a good thing for acneprone skin! I’m looking forward to seeing more results the longer I continue the regime!