The Magic of Mandelic Acid: A Skin Cleanser by Vivant Skincare

THIS STUFF!!!! Soooooo good. Honestly. Ob-freaking-sessed, and I swear that it's not because of the adorable little letter these guys sent me with their fabulous 3-in-1 mandelic wash. Check this out!

If you can't read this- and you probs can't, unless you have magical eyes, Vivant basically flattered the eff out of me, talking about how they love the name of my blog.. which is hilarious, because I am so in desperate need of a new name.. something better than "BEAUTY REVIEWS FOR YOU," guys. Any suggestions, comment PLEASE!!

Here's some really cool stuff about Vivant Skincare- The founder, Dr. James Fulton, is the developer of Retin-A... you know, Retin-A? RETINOL!!?!?  When I heard this, I was super stoked (like, can I get your autograph?!) and obviously had high expectations for this cleanser. They did not fail to impress.

Also, Vivant Skincare isn't a new line or anything- rather, they've been formulating skincare products for over 20 years. They're more geared towards treating acne-prone and hyperpigmented skin, but even the person with the most perfect skin ever seems to love their products. 

Vivant Skincare sent me this bottle of their mandelic acid 3-in-1 wash. Here are their claims for this product:

" This powerful yet gentle antioxidant wash has mandelic acid derived from almonds, green tea extract, grape seed, kiwi fruit and honey extracts.  Mandelic is ideal for adult acne because of it's anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. On blotchy skin it "lifts" skin discolorations and dark spots, while also having the benefical side effect of rejuvenating fine lines by helping to generate new collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. A powerful yet gentler form of Alpha Hydroxy Acid, mandelic is also ideal for treating sensitive Black, Hispanic, and Asian skin that becomes irritated by harsh benzoyl peroxide products.
Helps ingrown hairs and can also be used as a shampoo on scalp to control dandruff and acne."
 
I have to admit, I was a little confused as far as how to use this product at first. I meannnn, there are sooo many different exfoliators out there.. scrubs, peels, enzymes, etc. Now, I have a regular cleanser with mandelic acid right in it!? What's a girl to do? I meannnnnn, do I continue using my regular exfoliator, cut down, or eliminate it altogether while I use this? I emailed "S" from Vivant about these exact concerns. Here's what she said:

"Our Mandelic 3 in 1 Wash would be part of a skin care regimen that would replace glycolic peels and any gentle exfoliators. Mandelic wash and Mandelic toner twice a day, then a corrector such as Derm A Renew (for sensitive skin) or Mandelic 8% serum. AND ALWAYS Day Treatment Lotion or another sun screen. The issue with glycolic peels is they are irritating and can cause inflammation.  Also many washes,or products for that matter, do not have key active ingredients that will effect much change on your skin. Vitamin A propionate, very important and actually the basis of our line, has a short chain that will penetrate skin and work to regulate cells accountable for the deterioration and aging of skin. Mandelic acid has a carbon chain a bit longer, ergo gentler, but also effective in flushing out impacted pores and gently lifting discoloration. The main thing to look for in skincare is 
1. effective key ingredients and 2. formulations that keep those key ingredients stable." 

Holy informative! So, to sum it up for you ADHD folk.. this mandelic cleanser can replace any peels and exfoliators, assuming that you also use their mandelic toner and serum. She also stressed the importance of using a treatment lotion after cleansing with this product. This makes complete sense, since the mandelic acid is exfoliaitng and making the skin more susceptible to sun damage (like any exfoliating does, don't think mandelic acid is super bad or anything, guys!)

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty of this product.. since I keep raving about how awesome it is, but haven't told ya anything about it yet. First of all, super foamy. Really, really lathers. I love this, since I'm one of those weirdos that feels like you need a good lather in order to have clean.. skin, hair, etc. Anyway, this also means that you need sooooooo little of this product. So little. It smells nice and light, clean and refreshing. Also, did you see where "S" mentioned the kiwi extract in this product? I've never seen kiwi in a face cleanser before. The Vivant folk tells me that it is a great antioxidant, potentially more rad than green tea, and that's saying a lot. There's also honey in it, which is exciting, as honey is soothing and moisturizing- my guess is that this helps to balance out the exfoliating and deep cleansing properties of the mandelic acid.

Now.. the instructions for this cleanser state to begin using it every other day, then slowly increase. "S" would probably frown at me here, but I have currently been using it every other day (once a day) and using my gentle exfoliating scrub on the alternate days. However, this is mostly because I like to switch things up. I have experienced zero irritation from Vivant's mandelic wash. Perhaps this is because my poor skin is constantly trying out new products and scrubs and peels and has now given up and is desensitized.. or perhaps its because this product is magic. I go for the latter.

After using the product, my face felt super clean and.. NOT DRY!! Like many gel based cleansers that tend to strip away the good stuff on the skin, my skin felt just wonderful after using this stuff. Like I said, I'm sure we can at least partially thank the honey for that.

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN!!!

I can only really, reallllyyyy hope that these guys, ahem, need me to review more of their stuff.. I mean, because, ahem, I meannnn, I would really like to do the whole regimen together and see what the results were like.. I meannnn, right!? AHEM.

You can get this gorgeous, magical, fairy-like, 3-in-1 cleanser at amazon for $31 for 8 oz... did I mention that it lasts forever? A GREAT DEAL. I want this in my medicine cabinet for always.