Skincare has always been a huge interest of mine – particularly because I don’t have perfect skin. I work hard to take care of it because when my skin looks good, I feel good. Sure, a little makeup always helps, but feeling great in your own skin is a different type of confidence. I am always excited to try new products because I like to rotate products and brands so my skin doesn’t get used to anything. What makes this skincare review so special is that I talked to Alchimie Forever’s CEO, Ada Polla, and she personally picked out this selection of products for me. Ada is a total girlboss (Harvard and Georgetown grad, award winning entrepreneur, and her list of accolades goes on). Being supportive of women who pour their hearts into their brands is so important to me!
My skin is sensitive so I was happy to hear that Alchimie Forever is dedicated to provide lasting results for all skin types, but sensitive skin in particular. Alchimie Forever is a Swiss-based company that was created by the Polla family. It’s not everyday that you hear about a family being the brains behind a skincare brand! Personally, I feel that a brand is much more trustworthy this way. I tested these products twice a day for the past 3 weeks and wanted to share my honest opinions here. I was hoping to share before and after photos but I’m out of town and I don’t have all my SD cards with me. I’ll update when I can!
Purifying Facial Cleanser: First off, I have to give a shout out to the packaging. It looks like a basic bottle of face wash but the top twists open or close. I’m definitely a neat freak so I like that this keeps it clean. If you’re packing this into an overnight bag, for instance, it won’t accidentally leak onto all of your clothes. The gel cleanser has a delicious smell. Heavy fragrances can be irritating to me but this one is gentle and smells fresh, rather than artificial. My main gripe with cleansers is that they often leave my skin feeling tight and itchy afterwards. Anything that feels more gentle seems to not cleanse the skin well enough. While I do need to follow up with serum and moisturizer after using this or else it can feel uncomfortable, it’s the right degree of powerful to take off whatever makeup and dirt didn’t come off with my makeup remover. Since it has a smooth texture, I use a gentle facial brush with this sometimes.
Gentle Cream Cleanser: Next up is another facial cleanser and as the name suggests, it’s a more gentle option. You can use this without water and tissue off, or you can use it like a normal cleanser with water. I prefer to use it with water and in the mornings, when my skin doesn’t need as much cleansing power. This is definitely soothing and the milky consistency and very faint scent is a treat for irritated skin. A few weeks ago, when I got a microdermabrasion treatment, this was gentle enough on my skin when it felt sensitive. I would recommend using a makeup remover still, or at least a toner afterwards, to ensure every trace of makeup has been removed.
Daily Defense Cream: Sunscreen every single day is something my mom taught me years ago. I’m very diligent about wearing sunscreen on my face and neck, no matter what the weather is. My inkling is that people in the Pacific Northwest slack on this skincare step because we’re not in a sunny climate year round. The problem with that is there are plenty of harmful UV rays still coming through the clouds and your unprotected skin is prone to wrinkles and sun spots. This is lightweight and doesn’t make me feel greasy. This seems to be a common misconception but the age of greasy sunscreen is definitely over. This has a light blueberry scent and is really pleasant! Not a problem underneath face makeup at all. Also, for everyone out there who appreciates the little details in terms of packaging, the pump on this is a good one. The kind that doesn’t make the product squirt out across the room and lets you control the amount of product that comes out. Thumbs up from me!
Pigment Lightening Serum: As mentioned before, I was hoping to share before and after photos but please take my word that this is really working its magic! I am always dealing with dark spots as an aftermath from blemishes. A few weeks ago, when I tried microdermabrasion (review here) I thought that would drastically help with dark spots. I was wrong. It made my skin feel nice, but a few weeks of using this serum twice a day before moisturizer is what made a difference. The spots faded drastically! This is going to be a staple in my skincare routine whenever I have hyperpigmentation. Though it’s on the pricy side, it’s cheaper and easier than a procedure done at the doctor’s office. Love this product!
Let me know if you have any questions about any of these products! I am truly impressed by them and will continue to use them. As usual, I try to keep the product mix on a rotation so it will be interesting to test out new products in conjunction with some of these. Great skin isn’t always about products of course, but it really can make a difference.
A huge thanks to Ada and her team for sending me these products for review. All opinions are my own.
