I’m going to blabbing on about salicylic acid quite a bit in this post so let’s just do a crash course for those of you who aren’t regular readers.

First up, you get two main types of acids in skin care – alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHA). AHA’s include dudes like glycolic and lactic acid, that do a good job of exfoliating the surface of your skin. As far as BHA goes, there’s only one and that’s salicylic acid. Aside from being able to exfoliate on the surface like his AHA cousins, he can also penetrate your pores and exfoliate them from the inside out. As an added bonus BHA also has soothing properties which makes it a top pick for anyone with spot-prone skin.

A great way to remember which does what it that AHA’s exfoliate ABOVE and BHA can exfoliate BELOW.

Got it? Let’s jump in!

Neutrogena’s popular blemish-busting products aren’t going anywhere but their collection is expanding to include five new ‘spot-proofing’ products. Their goal is to help clear pimples and prevent new breakouts but not over dry your skin.

The line up includes a daily wash, smoothing scrub, 2-in-1 wash-mask, toner, and oil-free moisturiser. I’ve given everything a bash and, as it turns out, I most like the daily wash. As it stands, Neutrogena’s Visibly Clear pink grapefruit facial wash is a product I’ve often tossed into my trolley in the past but new Visibly Clear spot-proofing daily wash (R109,95) has a formula that, I think, surpasses it.

Hoekom? It contains a lot more pore-exfoliating salicylic acid (BHA) and, instead of using sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), it relies on a gentler ‘soap’ called cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine. SLS-free products sometimes don’t foam up that well but this particular wash does and that’s great as I like my face washes foamy. It does a nice job of removing both make-up and daily grime.

Surprisingly I also really liked the toner. (Regular readers will know I despise most toners as so many of them are riddled with drying, sensitizing alcohol.) Visibly Clear spot proofing purifying toner (R109,95) is alcohol-free so its a great way to blitz any residual dirt after cleansing while getting an extra lick of salicylic acid (it’s main active along with gently exfoliating lactic acid) on your skin.

Now, as I’ve been talking about salicylic acid, it’s a good time to talk about Vichy Ideal Soleil Anti-Blemishes mattifyng corrective care SPF 30 (R265, Dis-Chem). As the name suggests, it’s specially formulated for peeps with spot prone skin AKA girl’s like me. Now that I’ve come off the pill my skin’s playing up by gushing grease and whipping out the odd monster blind pimple (usually right before a bestie’s wedding or when I have to appear on TV) I’m hitting the BHAs hard and being careful about what I put on my face.

For these reasons, I’m really, really enjoying Vichy’s anti-imperfections sunscreen as it’s specially formulated for acne-prone skin and contains, you guessed it, salicylic acid. But that’s not all. There’s also a lekker dose of niacinimide in the mix which does a good job of helping to inhibit the formation of pigmentation.

I’ve been wearing it when I run in the mornings and like that it doesn’t give my face a ghostly white cast and absorbs like a boss, drying to a matte-looking finish that actually helps control oil (thanks corn starch!) but doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry or tight. It’s actually got such a nice texture I could wear it like a daily moisturiser if I wanted to. If you’re looking for a good facial sunscreen and have oily-combo skin please know this is a top pick.

Lastly, did you know that Revlon shampoo and conditioner finally extends beyond Flex? The new line up is called ColorSilk and it’s been inspired by the brand’s best-selling hair dye. Apparently the women who love and adore the hair colour are obsessed with the conditioner included in the box and kept asking the brand to sell it separately and thus ColorSilk shampoo and conditioner (R65,95 each, Dis-Chem) was born.

Available in four variants (for blondes, brunettes, raven-haired chicas and red heads), each of the shampoos and conditioners are infused with a little pigment to help enhance your hair colour. As the blonde duo has a violet tint to it and I prefer to keep my hair warm toned, I gave the Gorgeous Brunette duo to my dark-haired flatmate to test.

Her report? Two thumbs up! She likes that the shampoo foams up nicely to leave your hair feeling clean but not stripped while the conditioner turns her colour-treated, ever so slightly dry hair into silk without weighing it down. Despite using it every day it hasn’t darkened her light brown hair. It’s just looks shiny and freshly coloured. Lastly, the price point is great!

See anything you’d like to try yourself?

Love, love

Leigh