Before I begin with the review, let's talk a little about the brand - Alpha-H. It is an Australian award-winning skincare brand for women and men which have been in operation for more than twenty years and over this time, they have developed some amazing cult products, and these duo being two of them - the Liquid Gold. The company focused on producing products that really pack a punch. The packaging isn't fancy, they don't even try to tart the smell up with lots of different oils and fragrance - all they care about is that the product in the packaging be it in the bottle, tube or pump dispenser works.. on first use. Yes you read that, works on first use.
Allow me to start with the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask with Lavender first. First of all, exfoliation is a vital part of of any beauty routine, be it physical exfoliation or chemical exfoliation. I'm so used to physical exfoliation using facial scrubs in different size of beads. But I found the physical exfoliants used in most scrubs are not as effective as the chemical exfoliant as it often lead to open pores and torn skin. For some with sensitive skin, it tends to irritate due to the dermabrasion process. On the other hand, the chemical exfoliant tend to help the skin with concerns like dullness, marks, blackheads as well as dark spots and because of that, the Alpha-H Liquid Gold mask caught into my attention. It contains Glycolic Acid which is widely used in Alpha-H products.
I'm not going to talk about the packaging today, it's too common and I think you can see it from the photo above - a decent white minimalist tube, elegant and modern, which I like. Though for some people it is a boring packaging but it does stand out in my stash.
For a home-treatment facial mask, 15% of Glycolic Acid contains in this mask is pretty high and this is not a stuff that to be taken lightly. To put it in perspective, for those who used to their Liquid Gold with 5% Glycolic Acid concentration and seen the fabulous result overnight, when Alpha-H said this mask is to be taken weekly, they really mean it - weekly. Period.
The ingredients are as follows,
Aqua, Kaolin, Potassium Glycolate, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Glceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Ceteth-2, Propylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Miel, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.
On application, the mask has a medicinal lavender scent which is really calming and pleasant. I applied all over my face and spread it with my fingers. Once on, I immediately experienced a tingling sensation which isn't uncomfortable but it does reminds me that the thing is getting to work. The tingling fades after about 5 minutes, and as stated at the back of the tube, this mask is to be applied for maximum of 10 minutes. So I leave it on for sharply 10 minutes and then rinsed off with a damn lukewarm sponge to remove all the residues. Warning! If you do have an open wound or a freshly popped zit, think twice to use this mask - it will sting, like.. a lot! Or give a try to believe it. Hehe..
I just used this mask twice and the result was superb! My skin looks like I've just come home from a professional facial. Skin texture is more refined, pore size is reduced (the tremendous result I experienced so far), redness is reduced and skin appears plumper and healthy. This mask also contains Kaolin clay which helps to absorb excess oil and grime - bonus for oily skin type! I continue to see these result on my second use. This is seriously one of the most powerful and effective mask I've ever used. It does what it claims. Clap clap! The temptation with this mask is to use it more regularly than once a week as instructed given the results produced. Don't. Just don't. I haven't try but the strict instruction on the tube says it all, it might irritate your skin especially for those who are not used to Glycolic acid before. In fact, if you stubborn, this isn't doing any favor to your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, you can also benefit from this mask - but you may want to do some patch test first. The product is highly active and should only be used after gradual build up of chemical exfoliants to get your skin used to something this strength - something a sensitive skin is less likely to be able to handle. As with use of any AHA's products, it is extremely important to apply an SPF (at least 15 and reapply is necessary) as the skin will be more reactive to UVA and UVB - that may exposed the skin to sunburn. Ouch! You don't want that.
The mask cost me RM197 for 100 ml tube, at Luxola. Yes it's pretty pricey on the other side, but I really think it's totally worth it. In this, you get:
♥ a facial in a tube
♥ an exfoliant mask that does what it claims
♥ a relaxing at home treatment with lavender oils (best if you can create the spa ambiance at your home like lighting up the scented candles etc.)
♥ something that produce a quick salon result - at home.
Bear in mind that you don't need much for one application. So a little goes a long way - for a weekly treatment, this could last about 6 month, in my humble opinion. And once I finished it, I'll definitely repurchase because I don't think I could find any substitute in the market (at least in Malaysia) that could deliver an excellent result. Totally recommended.
Next, I'm going to talk about the most raved concentrated skincare; Alpha-H cult product - the Alpha-H Liquid Gold. First of all, what the heck is Liquid Gold? And how do I use it? So here are some things that Liquid Gold is not:
- a cleanser, toner or moisturizer
- an acid that is going to burn your face off
- difficult to use
- a load of hype/a product that will just end up sitting on your bathroom shelve gathering dust due to lack of results.
Here are the ingredients list:
Aqua, Alcohol Denat, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Alpha-H claims,
The bridge between the beauty counter and invasive procedures, Liquid Gold is an award-winning revolutionary resurfacing treatment that uses a state of the art, low pH delivery system to effectively diminish wrinkles, pigmentation and sun damage. Praised by the beauty elite, our best selling 'cult' product works like an ‘overnight facial’ to brighten and revitalise tired, ageing skin, and radically improve the appearance of the complexion. Clinical studies show that in just 20 minutes, Liquid Gold increases moisture levels in the skin, improves wrinkle depth and reduces skin roughness.
One of the best things about this product is that it is suitable for pretty much every skin type; mature skin, sun damaged, prematurely ageing, acne scarred skin - even to the sensitive skin! But if you do have sensitive skin, it is recommended that you apply the product to a cotton pad dampened with a small amount of water before applying to your skin to begin with the solution as it slightly diluted and your skin can become accustomed to it - there should be a slight tingling sensation for a moment, but fret not! That shows the product is working and nothing to be feared (in fact you will probably come to love that tingling sensation as most do, myself included). If you have more thickened or oily skin (like mine), it should be fine to apply Liquid Gold using a dry cotton pad.
The product should be used at night after cleansing with a non-foaming cleanser, 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days and at least one night before/after any other Glycolic or AHA type treatment. A bottle of 100 ml Liquid Gold should last for about 3-4 months, making it great value for such a highly concentrated and results driven product. To reap the full benefits from this product, refrain from using any serums or moisturizers on the night you use the Liquid Gold - I often call it, 'my Liquid Gold night', to allow the product to go to work, eating up the glue and loosening those dead skin cells uninterrupted. So this is perfect for those lazy girl nights, fuss-free, one step facial as toner, exfoliator, serum and moisturizer with one simple wipe, leave it on and get the salon result by the morning. Simple.
So how long will it take to see the results? Well, it depends on the current health of your skin and how many of those dead skin layers you have to shift, but most people will see a result within 2 weeks and definitely within a month - many will also notice an immediate brightening, smoothing and mattifying effect as the product wipes away the already loosened surface dirt and dead cells.
My experience with the duo so far, it has been a great experience! I had them during my 'Liquid Gold night' when my skin a little bit angry - minor breakouts, excessive oily and lot of redness. I cleansed my face with Cetaphil facial cleanser, then I applied the Liquid Gold mask for 10 minutes, rinsed off, leave it touch dry and straight away I applied the Liquid Gold solution. In 20 minutes I noticed my skin moisturized itself, plumped and healthy. The redness seems reduced, the breakout soothed, leaving it matte finished. I woke up with a new healthy skin again. I can call these power duo, a miracle couple!
The Alpha-H Liquid Gold cost me RM151 for 100 ml bottle and I won't be repurchased temporarily, as I still have 3 new bottles nicely boxed, bought and gifted for free with minimum purchase during Luxola promotion last week. Yay! I'm a kind of obsess with the Alpha- H now and I have jotted down 3 more products in my wishlist for next purchase:-
♥ Alpha-H Micro Cleanse Exfoliator
♥ Alpha-H Protection Plus Daily SPF 50+
♥ Alpha-H Triple Action Cleanser
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