So I'm finally back with part two of my review of the Sunday Riley products I've tried, my first post was on the Luna Sleeping Oil and it's still a firm product of mine. I mentioned in that post that I managed to get my hands on two products because I purchased the Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit from Sephora which is priced at $85.
So the duo pack is marketed as 'a transformational power product duo that combines lactic acid and trans-retinol ester to exfoliate and brighten the skin.' I've spoken about all the great benefits of the trans-retinol ester so now it's time to talk about lactic acid for the skin.
Lactic acid is used as an exfoliant in skin care and often known as an AHA. It works by breaking down the bonds that hold the dead skin together, which allows the skin to shed that skin naturally. Sunday Riley explains that 'Good Genes is an All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment exfoliates and moisturises the skin while smoothing the appearance of fine lines.'
Out of the acids, you can use for your face, Lactic is the best for those who have sensitive skin as it's gentler than say glycolic acid. Lactic acid is a humectant, making it more hydrating than other acids which are great because I feel like dry skin is one of the bugbears of using acids.
Lactic acid is great for:
- improving the texture and tone of skin
- fading pigmentation and evening out the colour of skin
- reducing fine lines
- stimulating collagen production
The packaging instructs you to use Luna first and then Good Genes after, and although I had trouble getting my head round it (as do so many people) but I did find that it worked really well. I did half way through switch it up and use this before Luna and I found it wasn't as effective, so I do wonder how this product works! Logic is that, oil that goes last as it's harder for a product on top to penetrate through it and therefore give your skin any benefits, but these two must work together in some scientific way that defies logic. I love the smell of this! It smells a bit like lemons, it's quite fresh and citrus like but not in an overbearing way. I have no idea what's in it that makes it smell like that but it's divine. I would use this in the evenings and as stated above after applying Luna. So I'd wait about 10-15mins to let Luna sink in and then pop this on top. Good Genes gets absorbed quite easily too I didn't have to wait too long for it to dry.
Results wise I wasn't too impressed with Good Genes, where I thought I would see results quite quickly from it I just didn't find that this was the case. I didn't notice a difference in my pigmentation or scarring either. However, what I did find it great for was breakouts, whenever I had those horrid huge under the skin spots or spots with a nasty head on it, I would pop this on it and it instantly soothed the breakout. However at that price tag, I can be buying it to just use as a spot treatment! Good Genes is supposed to show results quite quickly but I just didn't think it worked for me and I'm not sure if that's because prior to starting, GG I had been using Paula's Choice 8% Glycolic acid or because my skin is quite resilient. Either way I didn't get the expected results.
Overall Good Genes was just 'meh' for me but I do think it's a great pairing with Luna. However, I'm just not convinced it's that great that it's worth the splurge, for me personally I think Luna gave me better results and so it's that product I'll be repurchasing. My other issue with this is the low % and the price tag, The Ordinary sell a 10% lactic acid (I haven't looked into it properly though) and I just feel that with this product you're paying for loads more than just the one ingredient you really need. I'd give this a miss and take a look into the one from The Ordinary. Personally, I will look into the Drunk Elephant Glycolic night serum as I think my skin needs something stronger.
Have you had any success with Sunday Riley Good Genes? Share your thoughts!
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