Glasgow Reviewed; Obagi Blue Radiance Peel at Transform

If you missed my experience at my consultation with the non-surgical team at Transform you can catch up on how it went here. After my chat I was super excited to actually give the Obagi Blue Radiance Peel a go as having read up on Obagi products in the past thanks to their amazing reviews to do with treating pigmentation, I knew that I was in for a treat. My skin has been really bothered with spots recently and the Blue Radiance Peel is designed to help with any post acne scarring by helping remove colourations ( alongside spots and wrinkles too!) The chemicals used essentially burn off the top layers of the skin to encourage the needed cell renewal to reveal brighter and clearer skin from below which is exactly what I was after. This is the most gentle of the peels on offer but still super effective thanks to the blends of acids it incorporates ( salicylic acid is the key component).

Before/During/Straight after/20 Mins After

As always I was made to feel super relaxed and at ease in the clinic and Marie was amazing at answering my questions and talking me through exactly what to expect with a peel like this. These peels can feel quite hot on the skin and as people experience pain in different ways it is really good to get a full run down of the possible things I might be aware of while it is all happening. I settled onto the bed and she used Obagi products to thoroughly cleanse my skin and then applied a protective barrier cream to my lips and eyebrows along with an eye protecting cover to get me ready for the first layer of peel to be applied. Going on for only 60 seconds, the first application is applied to the face and brings a rush of heat, nothing too wild at all but it is definitely there and as she had warned me the smell is very strong ( the chemicals ) so I wasn't taking in any massive deep breaths through my nose but the heat subsides really quickly and all I was left with was a little tickle in the back of my throat.

Cleansed skin on day of peel/ cleansed skin 7 days on from peel

The second application is then layered on and left for a good ten minutes, this also brings about a heat but is totally fine, It is a little hot, a little itchy and nearing the end of the ten minutes your face certainly feels tight but it is totally livable. Marie had patted the product all over my face and was talking about the 'frosting' she could see happening- she took a pic for me to show you and as you can see I am certainly going whiter in some areas which is all the bacteria being brought to the surface ( goodbye spots!) after the ten minutes were through she cleaned off any excess and applied a soothing balm and a tinted SPF 50 to take the edge of the initial redness for me heading home. I was shocked how quickly your face does return to normal considering how red it can be immediately after- the whole process is so quick you could be back at your desk in no time which makes it an ideal lunchtime treatment.

cleansed skin day before peel/ cleansed skin 7 days on

Immediately I could see that my skin was looking better already- a lot of my sore looking spots looked far less fierce and I had  a much brighter complexion.  I had my peel on a Thursday night and by Saturday I was experiencing the peeling effect I had been told about, only really in the sensitive areas of around my nose and chin. It is nothing major- kind of like having been sun-burnt, but I had been warned to try and leave it and not pick at it- IMPOSSIBLE to a picker like me! I relied on a bit of the La Roche Posay Effeclar H I had in my cabinet at this point and it certainly meant I could apply my make up without too much distracting peeling. It is a possible  after effect to be aware of however- I wouldn't go getting it done right before a big event! A couple more days of slight peeling happened but it remained in these areas and was manageable, in all I would allow for 7 days for any peeling to go away although mine was not properly noticeable after 3. After the week my peeling had completely gone and it was then I noticed how incredibly soft my skin was and looking far brighter.

7 days from peel with light layer of BB Cream on

I was really impressed with how the peel has helped my spotty skin and I am already looking at when I can book in for a follow up as they are usually recommended to have a few spread out and I can imagine the results after the first one will really build. It is a quick procedure that although smarts a little , is a really small price to pay for the clearer skin it brings. My skin looks really bright, the darker patches have improved massively and in the week since having the peel my clogged pores which were horrific have not been an issue at all which is exactly what I was hoping for. 

An Obagi Blue Radiance Peel will set you back £70 with discounts available on a package of three peels and can be booked with Transform on 0800 655 6406

A consultation with Transform

After learning loads about the non-surgical options on offer at the Glasgow Transform clinic at a recent event, I was excited to get along and chat more to the team to find out what they thought would be a good idea for my skin and current problem skin.

I booked a consultation with the lovely Fiona and was really happy with how the whole appointment went. I settled into the spacious and well equipped waiting room ( complete with fancy free coffee machine and biscuits to enjoy) and filled in my registration forms including a few questions important for the staff to understand what is best for your skin. Fiona took me through to one of the consultation rooms and went through a few further questions to really understand my current routine and lifestyle and get to grips with what it is I would like to achieve. She was really good at answering all my many questions and explaining why certain treatments might be a good option for me to consider. It was reassuring to me that nothing in the consultation session felt at all ‘ hard sell’ which is what I think I often fear from big clinics, but instead you really got the impression Fiona was keen for me to get the best from any treatment I was considering and really good at getting me to think of not just the short term but  possible long-term plan. 

Recently my skin has taken a turn for the spottier which has been really bothering me so it was reassuring to get to talk that through with Fiona and get her knowledgeable input on what is possibly happening to my skin. She then took me through to speak to one of the clinics qualified nurses to get her opinion on my current acne issues and for her to confirm that the route we were going down was the best idea.  We decided that one of the Obagi peels would be a good idea for my skin right now and I am super excited to give it a whirl. We got to watch the peel in action on the press night and I was amazed at how quick and painless it appeared to be and the Obagi products are something I have heard a lot about in the past so I have definitely got high hopes. The team also decided that using the Obagi Cleanziderm system alongside this was the best plan of attack and I am excited to get going with it. Only available through prescription, this system sounds like just what my skin is needing and after seeing the results one of the other staff at the clinic has had through using it- I am super excited to see if it can do the same for me.

The staff and surroundings at Transform are really good at making you feel totally at ease and relaxed which is essential when having any kind of treatment so I was really pleased with how it went. I think I still have that old-fashioned notion that stepping into any surgical clinic is going to mean I leave covered in blue pen with lots of suggested ‘tweaks’ I could make to look better but it really isn’t like that all! I left feeling relieved to have gone over what was bothering me about my skin and feeling happy that I was going down the right route to start to fix it.

Their free consultations are detailed and in-depth but can still be done to fit around busy schedules and with clinics all over the UK there are lots of options of places to visit, call 0800 655 6406 to book in. 

Clearing up my skin with SK:N

Apologies for the break, a really busy few weeks combined with my skin turning into a raging spotty mess left me feeling not into blogging. It is amazing just how much your skin knocks your confidence and mood and this recent occurrence really left me feeling flat. I had very little skin problems in my teens which I feel super fortunate about, when I hit my 20's however it decided it was time to make up for it and a few changes in the pill and hormones had it in a right mess. It has never helped that I am a classic picker, oh yes- the skins worse nightmare. Pre-blogging and BCH ( before Caroline Hirons- obvs) I did the textbook approach of using the strongest, most foaming, and most irritating amount of products I could get my hands on to try and clear it up which I know now just has the opposite effect and gets the skin panic producing more oil! My skin eventually settled back down and aside from my pigmentation I didn't suffer too badly aside from the odd hormonal pimple, that is until now! I developed a nasty staph infection on my face which was the start of my recent woes, and deeply unattractive to look at ( crusting anyone?!) and it seems to have left in its wake a bout of possible acne. Now it could just be my skin going back through that 7-8 year cycle and changing, my hormones are possibly all over the shop or it could be from something my face isn't liking but it has been causing me all sorts of problems. From deep cystic lumps to sudden pustules out of nowhere and a heck of a lot of scarring being left over ( once a picker always a picker) I have been at my wits end trying to apply all the skin care knowledge I have to try and turn the situation around with out creating long term damage.

A while back I had been sent a range of the SK:N products to give a whirl but at the time the infection was just appearing on my face and they had to go right on the back burner while I calmed the initial situation down. I have since then being using a few of their products to try and both help the spots and also hydrate and moisturise the face and found they have been a big help so I had to share. I know about SK:N from their clinics and the great range of treatments they offer, but I had no idea they have their own line of products on offer too. With 5 ranges available covering corrective, repair and protect, anti-ageing and anti-blemish, they have definitely got your needs covered. I like the slick, clinical looking packaging, I love that the site lists all ingredients along with product information ( including instructions) and I like the actual product packaging as well- clean, functional and decent sizes. 

For the spot tackling side I have been incorporating the products containing ingredients like salycilic, glycolic and malic acid to help dissolve the oil and debris that was clogging my pores. The Glycolic Cleanser is a joy to use and the combination of active ingredients has been amazing on gently exfoliating the dead skin cells that have been causing me  problems and leaving my skin feeling really clean without over stripping it. It has a clip top lid, comes in a 200ml bottle and I find applying the thin liquid to the face and letting it do its work for a few minutes before gently removing works best and I have been loving using this as a post gym cleanser in the AM to keep my skin free of sweat and build up.

I have tried a combination of these Anti- Blemish products over the last couple of months and been similarly impressed. A couple of times a week I have incorporated the magic ingredients of Glycolic and Vitamin A in the Pore Refining Lotion which have again been helping to remove the dead skin cells that were causing my troubles and help slow down the over production of more. I have been using this in the PM after a balm cleanser and being sure to only use a really small amount. It is important not to overdo it when using ingredients like these as you can easily aggravate the skin even more making the spots worse but with gentle use of this I was definitely noticing less spots occurring. In the AM I have been moving between the Blemish Control Lotion and the Maintenance Serum depending on how inflamed my spots were and they have been fab at keeping my oily skin at bay and work really well under my make up.

To make sure my skin was staying hydrated at the same time as these stronger products I was using a couple of the anti-ageing range too which  has been really lovely to use. With the other products having exfoliating properties it was important to make sure my SPF game was strong so I picked up the Moisturising Cream with SPF 30 to make sure I was protected. This bad boy is oil free which is music to my skin clogging ears and rich in antioxidants which should be working away to keep wrinkles at bay as well as helping my skin say soft and clear. If I was being nit picky I would love this in a tube form as jars always get my hygiene shackles up  but it has performed really well and not clogged my skin like other SPFs often do.  For my hols in August I am definitely going to look into their SPF 50 product which is only £19 and is also tinted so could be perfect for my next SPF adventure!

With ageing being on my radar generally I was excited to try out the Age Delaying cream for Younger Skin which I love! Stacked with the important anti-oxidant vitamins C and E alongside some vitamin A for cell turnover and shea butter hydrating the skin, this leaves my skin feeling amazingly plump after applying it at night time.

Over all I am super impressed by the ranges and the quality mix of ingredients they have put together. for the prices. I like their no nonsense approach to just tackling various skin problems head on and they have certainly been a huge help in getting my skin back on track and back to being much clearer and even again. I am hoping to get into the Glasgow SK:N clinic soon so will report back if their treatments live up to the results from the products.

Have a fab weekend everyone!