I was going to start with something about my skincare journey but then I remembered I didn't have one until......now.
All my life, I've always suffered from acne. Fortunately for me, it never quite affected my confidence because I concluded there was nothing I could do about it until I took a trader's advice in the market one day and got hooked on a tiny bottle of liquid called Lotion Willi (if I could still find it, I'm certain I would still be using it now).
The real story is the soaring confidence that was the result of beautiful, bright, clear skin.
I grew out of my acne and discovered makeup which was my cover for the days when the acne would show up. But I'm in my late thirties now and even though they say you should start taking care of your skin in your twenties or even teens, it is better late than never right?
Anyway, today is about my first experience using an acid (the first day someone described it to me like that, I was in shock) but that is exactly what it is - acid. It has been discovered that some kinds of acids are actually not hazardous to the skin when used in small doses but can actually help to combat certain skin conditions.
Salicylic acid has been the most popular for decades and also the most counterfeited. But now, science has advanced to give us a lot more options. I'm not the expert but you can check out this article for introductory info on acids which are the active ingredients in serums which in turn, are the carriers.
Ok, enough about the science, I really want to show you the very first acid/serum product I've used on my face and I bought it more because I love the brand than I believed that it would work (there I said it for the world to read)
If you've read my blog long enough you already know that I'm a super fan of the Arami brand from its inception. I've used several products of theirs but as the bad blogger that I am, I've only reviewed the Glow Oil & Lumi Oil and the Ivory Butter in Mint.
Anyway, before I digress again, this post really is about the Arami HLR Drops.
What Arami says it is
A lightweight serum packed with arbutin which is proven to effectively brighten dark spots and other skin discolourations, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, two powerhouse ingredients which deliver rejuvenating hydration to the skin, licorice to treat post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and skin soothing rosewater and aloe. A potent combination for improving the signs of photoaging and restoring brilliant, bouncy and even-looking skin.
Considering the fact that my skincare concerns range from my face being darker than my body, acne, blackheads, dark spots, in-grown hairs and general unevenness, I decided to give this product a shot. Thankfully, the time I purchased this was also the time I experienced a turnaround in my general skincare so I've been pretty consistent with this.
My Experience with Arami HLR Drops
I've been using it for close to a month now and definitely noticed some things and you bet this post is for me to share them with you.
First, I'll share how I used it the first week and I used it subsequently.
Week 1
I was so excited to finally get my hands on the serum I used 10 drops twice daily right after cleansing my face and with no moisturiser. Yes, yes, yes! I didn't read the directions and I hadn't read any articles about serums.
At the end of the week, I noticed I was having severe breakouts and it definitely didn't help that my cycle was around the corner. So I'll never know if it was an overdose of the serum, no moisture on my face or my period.
I went back to the drawing board anyway, read how to use the product from the site and a couple of articles on serums.
Week 2 till present
- I started using 4/5 drops twice daily and sometimes once a day
- I went back to moisturising my face after the application
- I was more gentle with patting into my skin (the excitement has worn off and I think my skin started feeling the love too)
The result?
I went to work last week after my leave and several days of working from home and my colleagues said 'My skin is glowing'. Considering the last time they saw me, they had complained that my face was dark, this was a dancing moment for me.
I also noticed that the acne wounds on my face healed faster than before - one-minute acne, the next minute, just a slight appearance of what was there before. I read Hyaluronic acid speeds wound healing so I know it's one of the benefits of the serum.
I can't remember the last time I wrote a post as long as this but I've loved every minute of this review for the Arami HLR Drops. I obviously love the packaging (as you probably can tell from all the pictures) and while I wasted a lot of the product in the first week and will need to repurchase it soon, I can definitely recommend to people especially those starting out in skincare as it is a combined serum with Alpha arbutin (combats hyperpigmentation), Hyaluronic acid (for supple, hydrated skin) and Niacinamide (helps retain skin firmness and soothe redness and swelling associated with acne).
Have you used the HLR Drops before? What was the first acid/serum you ever used?
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