My skin saviour: Avène CLEANANCE K

I rarely feel compelled to write rave reviews on skincare products,
though today I must give credit where credit is due.

It's rare to come across a skincare product that meets all criteria for an A rate; one that is comparable to high-end skin treatments but without the hefty price tag, with top-notch ingredients that actually WORK. For me, the Avène Cleanance K lotion is one of them.

Note: I want to stress that this is my personal experience with the product. Not everyone is going to get the miracle results that I did, so please keep an open mind while reading this review; unless you share the same skin problems that I used to have, in which case you might find it pretty helpful ;)
So, what was my skin like? In short- oily and prone to blemishes by nature, and yet dehydrated, with awful dry patches that any foundation would accentuate them even more, making my face look just nasty. I tried every trick in the book to get rid of those dry patches, including rich moisturisers and hydrating masks, strong face scrubs and exfoliating pads- nothing seemed to work...

That all changed when I started watching DermTV, the Youtube channel by dr Schultz who is a famous dermatologist from New York (thank you Dimitra for the suggestion!). He always goes on and on about how beneficial glycolic acid can be on nearly every skin type, and rightfully so.

Here's a little wiki info on glycolic acid: it belongs to the α-hydroxy acids family (AHAs), and it's a chemical exfoliator which "loosens" the glue that holds the dead skin cells clinged the surface of the skin. It thus improves the appearance and texture of the skin, while it can also reduce wrinkles, acne scarring and hyperpigmentation. It was first used during in-office treatments by dermatologists, though now one can find over-the-counter skincare products that contain glycolic acid (with a lower percentage that should make the product safe to use at home).

So, determined that I was to find an inexpensive skincare product that contained glycolic acid (ahhh, if only I could currently afford the all-so-famous Alpha-H Liquid Gold!),
I came across the Avène Cleanance K lotion (€10,90) that was exactly what I was after: it's a moisturiser/treatment that is meant to be applied on cleansed skin every night, in order to let glycolic acid do its magic. It also contains lactic acid and salicylic acid, as well as a few silicones (to be honest, I don't really mind silicones in skincare or makeup products anymore). Moisture-wise, it's richer than your normal creams targeted to oily skin, but that means it can treat oily skin that has been dehydrated.

But what about its results?
After a week of using the Cleanance K lotion, I noticed a massive difference in my skin's quality: the dry patches were diminished to a minimum, my pores were noticeably smaller, and the overall texture of my skin was way more smooth than before. AND I also experienced less acne breakouts! Who would have thought that one single skincare product could meet all of the above skin concerns, without costing the earth?

To conclude, if I could sum up my experience with the Cleanance K lotion, it would be this: I'm officially one or two steps closer to flawless skin! It's not the first time I've been utterly amazed by Avène; kudos to them for producing excellent products with a reasonable price tag :)

So, have you tried any products containing glycolic acid?
What's your experience with the Avène Cleanance range?

Evi xx