MGC Derma CBD Skincare Review

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CBD seems to be the in thing right now, there's so many articles going around about how beneficial it can be for your health. But what actually is it? There's so many misconceptions about CBD aka Cannabidol, so here's a few facts:

• Is it from cannabis or hemp? Yes, it's one of many cannabinoid compounds that form the cannabis plant. Cannabis and hemp are basically the same plant except that Hemp has much higher levels of CBD, whereas Cannabis has higher levels of THC.
• Will it get you high? No! The part of cannabis that is psychoactive is called THC.
• Is it illegal? No! In the UK, CBD is legal. THC however, is illegal.
•  CBD is a brilliant anti-inflammatory and can be used to treat a number of things, including epilepsy, anxiety and chronic pain. 
• CBD has been available in the UK as a food supplement for a while but has been re-classified as a medicine. Cannabis has more recently been classified as a medicine in the UK as can be prescribed by certain specialist doctors.

So how does CBD benefit our skin? Cannabinoids are responsible for the production of lipids which in turn have benefits for the skin. CBD prompts your skin to repair and rejuvenate itself. CBD also helps neutralise free radicals caused by UV light which damage skin. One last way in which CBD benefits our skin is by helping increase absorption levels so anything else put on our skin, sinks in better! Clever right?

Here's where MGC Derma come in! They're the cosmetic side of MGC Pharmaceuticals who are an Australian company leading the way in CBD research and development. All their products are designed with a holistic approach in mind.

I've been lucky enough to try three MGC Derma products out over the last few weeks. Here's my thoughts on them.

CBD and Hyaluronic Cleansing Milk - This cleanser is for all skin types and costs £38 for 150ml. It's soap free and is designed to cleanse skin and leave it soft and hydrated. It contains Grape Seed oil which is great for acne prone skin, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, CBD to firm and Vitamin C to brighten skin. I've mainly been using this in a morning as I've found it to be incredibly gentle. It's a beautiful rich, thick cream consistency. It rinses off easily and leaves my skin feeling clean and hydrated.

CBD and Hyaluronic Facial pH Balance Toner - This toner is designed for those with oily skin and costs £38 for 150ml. Having the skin at an optimal pH level ensures that the Hyaluronic Acid is absorbed efficiently. 

Now I got a bit of a shock when I first used this toner as it's a foam! Not what I was expecting as all. You need the smallest amount of product, a little goes a long way. I've found it applies best by squirting it into my hand rather than on a cotton pad. The toner has a lovely almost silky feel which makes it really pleasant to apply. I found it to be incredibly hydrating. After using, my skin looks plumped and fresh. I've been liking using this in the morning because of this. I think this bottle will last ages as it's a big bottle and you only need a small amount. So it's fairly good value for money!

CBD Stem Cells and Hyaluronic Serum - this is for all skin types and costs £80 for 50ml. This serum is designed to hydrate and protect skin. It contains some amazing ingredients including hyaluronic acid, apple stem cells, Vitamins C & E and anti-aging heroes, Peptides. Now I've not used this enough to comment on the long term benefits but what I can say is that this is the most hydrating serum I've ever used and I don't say that lightly! It's quite a thick cream texture but it just melts into skin so easily. Skin looks so youthful after using it - it's amazing. I have quite visible pores on my cheeks and they disappear because it plumps my skin so much.

One thing that I wasn't too keen on was the fragrance. All three products have the same scent. It's a pleasant, fresh smell but I found it to be too strong. I can be pretty sensitive to certain fragrances (they can give me migraines) so I was a bit worried when first trying them out. Luckily the fragrance doesn't linger so there were no issues. 

I love the packaging for all three products, it's chunky and solid. The pumps mean it's easy to dispense the right amount of product, so none goes to waste. Due to the consistencies of the products they make a hilarious squelching sound when the product comes out. Makes me laugh every time! I'm such a child.

All in all, I've found these to be lovely products to use. If your looking to introduce CBD into your skincare routine, then have a look at MGC Derma!

47 Skin Silver Chitosan Serum Review

I've been testing out the Silver Chitosan Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair serum from 47 Skin for a few weeks now so thought I give you a quick review.

So who are 47 Skin? They're a new British skincare founded in 2017 and they came about as a result of an accidental scientific break through! Whilst conducting another experiment, a scientist mixed an atom of silver with Chitosan (a naturally occurring substance) which created an antibacterial formula that has some other amazing properties.

Now I've heard of silver being used in plasters to aid healing and in PJ's designed to be worn in hospital to help stop the wearer contracting MRSA, so I was really intrigued to hear how this applied to skincare.

So what does it do? It helps reduce inflammation, breakouts / acne, signs of aging and is also helps the regeneration of skin cells. Sounds great doesn't it? Now here's the really clever bit - the silver bonds with the Chitosan to produce a polymer film so you get a layer of protective silver one atom thick. Chitosan works on skin in a similar way to collagen by plumping it and creating a surface for new cells to grow.

47 Skin have brought out 4 versions of serum - Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair - which I've been using, Age Defence, For Him and the original Regenerative serum. All include the all important patented silver Chitosan formula. All are designed to regenerative surface skin cells, promote healing, help reverse environmental damage to skin, help soften the appearances of scars and create a protective barrier in the skin.

On to the serum itself... It comes in a glass bottle with a pump, I've found one pump to be the perfect amount to cover my face and neck. I was surprised at the consistency, it's quite a thin, runny emulsion. This makes it incredibly light and easily absorbed. Skin literally drinks it up which means it works well being used in the AM under makeup, as well as PM. I've not had any issues of pilling which is always a bonus! There's no residue or tackiness left behind after use. Fragrance wise it smells gorgeous! Light and fruity, thanks to a few essential oils.

So how well does it perform? Well for initial effects it works well to hydrate and plump skin. I've not seen a reduction in my acne but as it's hormonal, I didn't expect to. I have however seen improvement with my acne pigmentation scarring. As my acne is cystic, it's usually deep under my skin and rarely comes to a head. But it always leaves bright red marks which last far longer than the spot itself. They're a huge bug bear of mine as they're hard to cover, even with makeup! I've had one really stubborn mark on my chin for weeks now and it's vastly improved since using this serum - I'm very impressed! Anything that will improve my acne scars is a winner in my book! I'm excited to see the longer term effects of using this serum, especially on my acne scars! 

September Empties

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Use of the affiliate links is hugely appreciated and is a great way to support my blog. I love knowing my review's are being put to good use!*

Another month gone by and another load of empties for me to talk about! Starting off this month is...

Verso Hydrating Serum with Niacinamide* - sample. This is a nice light serum that definitely left my skin looking plumped and hydrated. I wouldn't buy this however just because I prefer A.Florence Hydration Booster serum instead.

Corsx Acne Pimple Master Patch* - these are fabulous little things! You stick one on a spot and it draws out all the yucky stuff overnight! Gross but amazing. They flatten spots really well. I like to use these on alternate nights with Kate Somerville Eradikate treatment. Eradikate is a bit strong to use every night so these help balance it out! I've already re-purchased them.

ReVive Intensite Complete Eye Serum - This little bottle has lasted me ages! I got it in March as part of a Space NK GWP. It's a lovely light serum, easily absorbed and pretty illuminating. As lovely as it is, I won't be repurchasing as it's out of my price range at £220!!

Murad AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cleanser* - This is such a fab cleanser. It feels slightly gritty but is incredibly fine. I'd say it's got a decent amount of acids in it as skin feels very soft and smooth after use. I've already got another tube the same size that came free with a magazine, which I bought especially to get the cleanser. 

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask - I got this mini pot in the Caroline Hirons x Space NK beauty box collaboration. It was my first Tata Harper product! I got two uses out of the pot. The first use left me underwhelmed. I don't think I applied enough product. I was being stingy as it's a small pot. Whereas the second use, I slathered it all on. Loved it!! It left my skin super soft and smooth. Will I buy full sized? Maybe. As much as I loved it, I think there's other comparable masks for a cheaper price. But we'll see. It was lovely!

Malin + Goetz Vitamin b5 Body Moisturiser - Didn't like this. It had a funny musty scent and was slightly separated in the packet. It left my skin soft though.

Boots Ingredients Sheet Face Mask Safflower & Peony* - I've had this sat in my stash for ages, so thought I'd best use it up. Only had it on a couple of minutes before it started to sting my eye area! Apart from that it was nice enough. Wouldn't buy again though. 

Clark's Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream - sample. I've had a sample of this cream before and absolutely adore it. It has the most amazing Jasmine scent that I could sniff all day! It's a lovely cream, rich but light. I'll definitely buy it at some point!

Bliss That's Incredi-peel Glycolic Resurfacing pad and Triple Oxygen Energising Vitamin C Day cream - These were part of a triple set (I've still got the face mask to finish). The acid pad was ok, fairly strong but felt a bit greasy / oily. I wasn't impressed with the cream, it had a funny scent and wasn't anything special.

Benefit Roller Lash mascara - I love this mascara and would buy again. It's one of the few mascaras that doesn't smudge or flake on me. It lengthens, thickens and curls lashes brilliantly. I'm only not re-purchasing straight away as I've got a Benefit They're Real mascara (which I also love) to use instead. 

Algenist Genius Liquid Collagen serum* - sample. I opened this as I got a mini bottle of the same serum in a recent GWP. I loved the sound of it and was very excited to try it. Sadly I hated it! It's a gel texture but strangely thick and heavy. It felt smothering on my skin. It also had a very strong fragrance, not unpleasant but far to strong for my liking. Definitely won't be opening the mini bottle! One to sell on eBay!

Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex - sample. I absolutely loved this eye cream! It was a lovely rich texture that absorbed well. It has a tell Retinol scent which I always think is a good sign! This sample lasted two weeks with me using it most nights so I gave it a good test. So would I buy it? Yes at some point once I use up some other open eye creams. Or I'll see if I can get another couple of samples! I bought this as part of the Pick n Mix Samples offer at Feel Unique. If you've not heard of it before, it's fab! You get to pick 5 samples a month from a large selection. You only pay £3.95 postage which you then get sent as a voucher to use that month at Feel Unique (not on Pick n Mix). It's a great way to test out new products and some of the samples are decent sized. 

Sjo Happy Honey Mask - sample pot. The absolute babe @beyondthedressingtable aka Michelle kindly sent me a mini pot of this wonderful mask because she knew how much I wanted to try it. How lovely, right?! If you don't already, give her a follow! Well all the hype surrounding this mask is definitely warranted. It's a lovely thick almost sticky paste that is really cooling when applied. It's best applied with a brush due to the consistency. You do get a spatula brush with a full sized pot which is great! It's got little gritty pieces in it which gently exfoliate skin when you rinse the mask off. I left it on for about 15-20 minutes. After rinsing my skin looks calmed and hydrated. I'll be buying a full sized pot of this in the future. 

Elizabeth Arden Grand Entrance mascara* - This is one of my favourite mascaras. I've been bought it by my mother in law, as part of a Christmas set the last two years. It's really good - lengthens, separates, curls and adds volume. No flaking either until the end, then I know it's time for the bin as it's dried out too much! I'll definitely buy this in the future or hopefully get it for Christmas again! lol

Ouai Rose Hair and Body Oil - I got this as part of a GWP a while ago. It's not something I would have usually bought to be honest with it being an oil. I've found them to be too heavy and make my hair look lank. Luckily this one was different! It smells lovely (rose) and really helped tame the frizz of my hair without making it look greasy. Really nice!

And that's it for this months empties! Did you spot any favourites?