Medik8 Titanium Dermaroller: A First Glance.

I did it. I have been lusting over Medik8's 'Titanium Dermaroller' for what feels like a year (and mentioning it in a couple of wishlists), and I finally pushed the boat out and purchased one.
What actually did it was an article by Dr Sam Bunting (my skincare guru and the only person I will look to for advice), 'The Secret to Bare-Faced Chic or ‘Bien Dans Sa Peau’', where she mentioned Dermarollers in a positive light, and then I just had to get hold of one.

This is more of a 'first-impressions' post, but will be doing a proper review in a couple of months, once I get enough use out of it.

For those who don't know what one of these scary-looking instruments is, here we go. Dermarollers are basically mini paint-rollers, which tiny needles attached. You roll the dermaroller over a area of skin, and the reaction of the skin is that "this stimulation causes the skin underneath, to use your own collagen to fill and soften wrinkles and scars. It has similar results to Laser Treatment, Chemical Peels and Dermabrasion, but it is considerably less invasive, zero downtime and carries only a fraction of the cost" (quote taken from Dermacare here) It is used to reduce acne scarring (including indented ones), wrinkles, lines, cellulite, stretch marks, even out pigmentation and enhance absorption of skincare products.
Personally, I was interested in evening out my pigmentation, reducing my acne scars and reducing some fine lines that have appeared on my forehead! I am still using a retinoid to prevent any further breakouts, so I was also interested to see how I would get on using both the retinoid and the dermaroller together!

I bought mine from I bought my dermaroller from dermacaredirect.co.uk, which is a Medik8 official stockist. They also do a great little bundle which includes both the dermaroller (whatever size) and the Sterilizing Solution (a must-have!) for only £54, which I thought was a great price, considering the Dermaroller by itself costs £50 and the Sterilizing solution is £12 everywhere else I've looked!

I have used this twice so far - not going to say anything yet apart from OUCH!!! - and I'm really keen so see if this improves my skin texture at all!

I'll keep you posted!

November skincare wishlist.

I haven't done a wishlist in a long time, because there hasn't been really anything in a while that I've thought 'wow, I totally need that in my life', and one thing on here has already appeared in a wishlist I did back in early 2012, so it's been a bit pointless doing one. Until now, because I've found something else to lust over as well!

The product I've been wanting for probably about a year is something called a dermaroller, specifically the Medik8 'Titanium Dermaroller', which is, in crude terms, like a lint-roller but with very fine needles on it. It's aimed at reducing wrinkles, cellulite, hyperpigmentation and scars since it helps promote collagen synthesis, and also improves penetration of skincare products, such as retinoids.
I honestly don't know why I haven't bought it yet, because it's continuously in my thoughts. I actually think I might be in love with the idea of owning one. It's £40 from Feel Unique (link above), which I think is a very good price, heck it's what I'd be happy to pay for just a jar of cream! You do have to replace it every few months(the needles get bent and cause more damage than good), which I suppose is like having a Clarisonic and replacing the brush head every 3 months.
It has been hard to find a lot of written reviews regarding this product, but I have heard a lot of people talk about the benefits of dermarollers, and that's enough to make me want one!

The other thing on my mental skincare wishlist is the iSkin 'i-ntelligent Microdermabraison System'. I normally use Retin-A, which peels my skin away thus improving acne and the redness and scarring left behind. However, I just can't step away from the physical exfoliator (I use this No7 one at the moment) for use when the Retin-A symptoms have ceased.
For £29.99, this microdermabraison kit seems like a total bargain, and includes the necessary equipment to get started. I have had a casual look at the prices of microdermabraison sessions at salons and spas, and they are quite expensive, especially as you would need to go back a few times to get significant results. The additional costs related to this kit is replacing the head and the 'Crystal Microdermabraison Creme'
I have read the reviews for it, unfortunately there aren't many, but mostly everyone who has bought this product seems to absolutely love it, and speaks about reduced lines, reduced pores and more radiant skin. It's got a 5 out of 5 on Makeup Alley, so it must be very good!
My skin is quite good at the moment, with few spots appearing (god bless acne medication), so I'm seriously considering this kit to even out my complexion and get rid of some scarring and hyperpigmentation left behind by my acne.

Has anyone used any of these two products? If you have leave me a comment with your thoughts, it'll help make up my mind about which I should get! Which will probably be both, my poor wallet...

Skincare Wishlist: July

I haven't done one of these in months. However, since breaking up from university just over a month ago, I have been doing on average 30 hour weeks at my normally part-time job, so when I get paid on Friday I'll feel super-rich! This post should be titled 'What Catt intends to spend her money on', instead of 'Skincare Wishlist'! But then again, the former isn't quite so catchy!
So here is a list of products that after some research, I would very much like to purchase...


L-RLiquid Gold with Glycolic Acid, Alpha H £31 and Liquid Gold Smoothing and Perfecting Mask, Alpha H £46.

This month I'm hoping to get my acne cleared up completely, but I know that this is going to leave some redness, uneven texture, enlarged pores and possibly even scars. In the meantime, I still have to deal with the pesky spots and pimples, and am trying to find products which will help!
I have heard so much about this brand in regards to their dedication to acne-prone skins and the after-effects of acne, and these products in particular really excite me, since the first tackles enlarged pores (tick), and produces a more clearer and a more even skintone, whilst the latter exfoliates, freshens, clarifies, brightens the skin. All wonderful, and I have seen some before and after photographs on a particular blog which definitely shows improvement in skin texture after using a whole array of Alpha-H products. Her skin looks so radiant and glowing. And for that and all the reasons listed, these products must be mine soon!





Masque Crème aux Résines Tropicales, Sisley £60 (from John Lewis, with a 10% off offer).

I have been itching to try Sisley's skincare range, ever since I posted a post similar to this one with the Sisley 'All Day, All Year' face cream. I still haven't bought this product due to it's extortionate price (a poor university student can't really justify £199, sorry). The price of this product is quite high as well, it is only £60, but it's only a 60ml tube. But that doesn't stop every part of my body yearning to get my hands on it!
This facial mask aims to mattify the skin, eliminate excess sebum, minimise the untimely appearance of blemishes and blackheads and tighten skin pores. These are all my problems areas, so that is why this mask is so appealing!
It contains all sorts of fancy ingredients, including: tropical resins (to help balance and purify), plantain (which purifies and softens), zinc (which also purifies and regulates sebum production), and rosemary (which tones and stimulates the skin).
What I like about this mask is that you can use it as a regular mask (put on face, wash off face), but you can also leave it on overnight!
WANTSIE!

Blemish and Age Defense Serum, SkinCeuticals £75.

I hear so many fantastic things about SkinCeuticals all the time, and it's a wonder why I haven't bought anything from them yet! I need to get my backside into gear.
I pulled the following quote from the SkinCeuticals website, since it makes it easier for you to understand why I need this in my life!

'Clinical studies on products from the Blemish + Age range showed significant improvements in inflammatory and non-inflammatory blemishes, fine lines, and uneven skin tone, while displaying exceptional tolerance and lack of side effects. Blemish + Age Defense is a highly tolerable, efficient treatment for aging, blemish-prone skin.'
Need I say more?! Considering I am a blemish-prone person and am super freaked out about ageing whilst sometimes suffering from intolerant skin, I think I definitely need this in my beauty routine!

betaCleanse, Medik8 £22.

I know well of the Medik8, since I have been eyeing up their Dermaroller ever since I posted about it earlier this year (it's still on my wishlist).
I know their a brand that focus on scientific research (much like SkinCeuticals) regarding dermatological treatments, and I have a great deal of respect for something that's founded on research and clinical trials etc.
And since I am struggling with acne, I have been eyeing up this beauty. Containing powerful and well known anti-acne ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide and tea-tree, I am expecting great things from this product! Also, the product is paraben-free, SLS-free, and perfume-free.

Medik8 'Dermaroller'.

It's another =technologically-advanced gadgety thing in this month's wishlist!
January's wishlist (very luckily) came true (see here), but this time I don't think I'll want to wait for someone to buy me this, it is in my sights and I am getting it, whether that means I can't afford to eat for a month or not!

This menacing looking thing in the picture above is a dermaroller, and is used to 'microneedle' the face.
Basically it is a roller with tiny little needles on it. You roll it over an area of skin several times (click on this to see the application procedure in more detail), and the tiny little needles wound the skin, thus stimulating the production of collagen and elastin from the fibroblasts, thus gradually reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
The little 'tunnels' the needles create also allow for deeper penetration of topical skincare products and increase blood flow to the skin.
It doesn't just work on facial wrinkles...it also works on;
- Pigmentation
- Eye wrinkles
- Cellulite
- Scars
There is a Medik8 dermaroller on ilovebeautyproducts.com for £40, so it is definitely affordable and very much definitely in my sights. There are more expensive ones, but it is just a paint roller with tiny needles on, you don't need to pay the earth for one if you can get one for that good a price!

There are two versions of the Medik8 dermaroller. The first is one with a 0.2mm set of needles and the second is one with a 0.3mm set of needles.
Starting off with the 0.2mm dermaroller is recommended for the beginner to micro-needling or have sensitive, thin and delicate skin, so this is the one I would need to get in the first instance.
The 0.3mm dermaroller is recommeneded 'if your skin is comparatively thick and resistant to pain or if you are not new to microneedle rollers and would like to obtain more spectacular results than with Personal Medik8 Titanium Dermaroller 0.2mm'.
However, after a few months with the 0.2mm dermaroller I possibly would need to move up to the 0.3mm dermaroller in order to achieve more 'spectacular' results.
There are other larger needle sizes available, but you have to consult your dermatologist/doctor for those (sad face), and the 0.2mm and 0.3mm are the only ones available for home use.
I read a review in the Daily Express (Monday 30th January 2012), and the woman (Alice Smellie) who reviewed it said that it hurt, and that she had to do it with gritted teeth. It also left her skin quite raw and inflamed. However, Alice said that her skin looked 'instantly luminous' and that it produces 'great results'.
Veronique Bataille (a consultant dermatologist) says that this is one area of skincare where there is proof of it's efficacy. And scientific proof of anything to do with skincare makes me happy.

So, I don't know when I'm going to get it, but the more I think about it, the more I want it. So no doubt it won't be too long before it finds it's way into my eager hands...