Yesterday I used the very last drop of my first bottle of P50. There is a lot of hype surrounding this product, but as I had never used such high strength fruit acid on my skin, I was keen and nervous at the same time about trying it. The main issue that I wanted to address was pigmentation. Scarring from spots. Generally with liberal application of Decleor Prolagene gels scarring fades within four to six months depending of the type and size of spot I started with.
I bought mine from Liberty’s. They had P50, P50V and P50W set up in three humongous glass vases. As it was my first foray into the range, I decided to start with P50W which is for sensitive skin… but when I got home, I had the standard P50 (P50V is for mature skin). They all look the same, so I decided that I would bite the bullet and try it.
The packaging is not very exciting. It gives the impression of a functional rather than luxurious product. The cream slightly penalised plastic has a gold trim and teeeny tiny writing. Added to the fact that is does not come with a booklet, I really think it would benefit from having a bit more information to support it. I had done research on-line but the sales assistant who took my purchase, did not really know anything about the product apart from the fact that it was selling very well. P50 contains a cocktail of acids (lactic, citric, malic, phytic, salicylic,) vinegar, horseradish and onion extract and sulfur which regulate sebum production and exfoliate the skin.
The first thing that hits you when you open the jar is the smell. The smell is not pleasant. It stinks. It is really hard to describe the smell, which is very chemical and if you put your nose too close slightly eye watering… but you do get used to it!
This product is used at the toner stage and like a toner, it is a clear liquid. I made the mistake of putting it onto cotton wool and swiping it against my face. OUCH. This does not tingle, it stings. It gets better with use but the first couple of times, but the first use was a shock. The way that I had been applying it was not correct. I should have been applying it to cotton wool and then patting it on the skin not swiping it. That has helped significantly with the ouch factor. I also dampened the cotton wool before use, the first couple of weeks I used it which helped too The ouch became a tingle in about seven to ten days. I notice that areas where a spot was forming tingled more than other areas of the face. So for me I found that my forehead, chin and nose were generally tingle free but my cheeks where I tend to get spots was where I experienced the tingle.
I did not use this product everyday and generally I did not use it twice a day. I wanted to balance the activity of P50 with lots of hydrating products as I know that my skin responds to hydration. I started using Hydraluron eight weeks after using this product and at this stage I began to use it more frequently
So the results
Firstly, P50 became a barometer for my skin, it helped to alert me to areas of my skin where i was going to have issues, before they become a fully fledge spot. As a result If I used it in the morning, and there was a tingle, I would use on a cotton wool bud directly onto the area – like a spot treatment.
It fits into any routine. I used P50 under facial oils, serums, and moisturisers, and I do feel that it added to the efficacy of these products. I definitely used less serum/facial oil with P50.
During the three months that I have used this product I have not had a cystic spot. Not one. I have had white heads, but they did not stay on the skin for as long as previously and the scar that they left is not as dark.I have have not the sore, raw, angry blighters that I experienced previously. In the name of testing a product thoroughly, I did eat three pieces of cake in one day to see how quickly I would get a spot. It took two days and the spot lasted a day.
My scarring has reduced significantly. It has not gone all together… but it is significantly reduced. I am using much less concealer but it has not bleached or whitened my skin in any way. I am still darker around the perimeter of my face and lighter in the centre, but the skintone is much more even.
My face feels smoother. Some products promise a glass or porcelain texture. P50 has given me my skin but better. It feels like skin but more like the skin of my god-daughter (she is eighteen months)
This is a scary product, but I really like it. I like the effect that it has on my skin, and I like the speed with which it worked. I would say that you need to know and understand your skin before using this product. My sister who has very delicate skin (burns easily in the sun) found it WAAAAY to strong for her. Before you buy this product, you really need to know and understand your skin and think about what you want the product to do for you.
I am now converted to fruit acids as a regular part of my routine, and not just in my exfoliating masks.