You all know I love YOU Skincare. Amy never lets me down with her amazing products. I thought I would lump a couple products into a review. I just finished my second bottle of Clarifying Glow Serum so it feels right I should talk about it. I think this serum is one of the brands best sellers and a fan favorite. Details per YOU Skincare:
Our advanced serum is carefully formulated with results-driven active ingredients such as niacinamide, N-Acetyl Glucosamine, alpha arbutin, panthenol, and sodium lactate. It is full of nutrient rich botanicals such as Centella Asiatica, Willow Bark, Licorice Root, Bearberry, Mulberry, green tea, ginkgo, squalane, and sea buckthorn. These ingredients work synergistically to gently exfoliate, nourish, and visibly improving tone and clarity. With consistent use the serum will support our own skin’s ability to heal itself and reduce the appearance of irritation and blemishes. A must have multitasking serum for all skin types!
Best for: All skin types, especially acneic, dehydrated, and barrier-compromised skin.
Amy’s Tip: The Clarifying Glow Serum is best apply onto wet skin. You will only need 1 pump. Mist your face generously with our Skin Calming Mist or use 4 pumps of our Moisture Replenishing Essence or 2 sprays of our Skin Calming Mist then apply 1 pump of the Clarifying Glow Serum right on top. Keep massage until fully absorbed.
Ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Rosa Damscena (Rose) Flower hydrosol, Hydrocotyl (Centella Asiatica) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract), Niacinamide, Squalane, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Bellis Perennis (Daisy) Blossom Extract, N-Acetyl Glucosamine, Lactobacillus/lemon peel ferment extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Alpha Arbutin, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Rosa Canina (rosehip) Seed Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Chlorelleth-20, Glycerin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Extract, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Gluconolactone, Benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, Pelargonium graveolens oil, Cucumis sativus oil, Sclerotium Gum.
This serum has a thick almost glossy like texture to it. I agree it’s best applied on damp skin. Clarifying Glow Serum helps improve skins tone and clarity, gently exfoliates, reduces irritations and blemishes plus it helps the skin heal itself so it helps with barrier repair. It’s a multi-tasker. It has a golden orange color with no real scent I can discern. This serum has hydrators aloe, rose hydrosol, squalane, panthenol, sodium lactate (natural moisturizing factor) & glycerin plus several oils like sea buckthorn, rosehip & cucumber. Clarifying Glow Serum has several skin brighteners like licorice, alpha arbutin, daisy & bearberry plus antioxidants like green tea, ginkgo biloba, seabuckthorn, mulberry & rosehip. Willow bark is natural salicylic acid (Beta Hydroxy Acids) to keep pores clear and reduce inflammation while powerhouse niacinamide strengthens the skins barrier, reduces redness and pore size, regulates oil, minimizes lines/wrinkles and helps with pigmentation. Gotu kola and honeysuckle soothes with rose, cucumber and aloe. Gluconolactone is a PHA (Poly Hydroxy Acid) that gives light exfoliation while also providing antioxidant benefits. Glucosamine in skincare has been shown to accelerate wound healing, improve hydration and decrease wrinkles.
As you can see this serum is really multi-faceted. It’s clarifying, brightening, soothing and anti-inflammatory. It helps keep the skins moisture barrier happy and it has anti-aging benefits. There’s a reason why it’s so many people’s favorite YOU product and one of their bestsellers.
NJAAS Serum is a more recent addition to the YOU Skincare line. This serum has brighteners and soothers like the Clarifying Glow but it has lactic acid and some other differences. Details per YOU Skincare:
A powerful lightweight and fast absorbing serum. Packed full of botanicals (Aloe Vera, Turmeric, Chamomile, Centella, Oat Protein, Cucumber…) and brightening actives (Bearberry, Licorice, 5% Lactic Acid, Alpha Arbutin…). NJAAS, as the name implied, it’s Not Just Another Acid Serum (NJAAS), is very concentrated yet very gentle to exfoliates dead skin cells, clear pores, improves skin texture and tone, and provides a glowing complexion. Whereas our Clarifying Glow Serum is designed specifically for troubled skin, NJAAS is for all types of pigmentation especially sun-damaged. NJAAS is a second generation of Clarifying Glow Serum, which is more refine and more powerful providing faster results! An All-in-one serum even sensitive skin could handle! NJAAS functions as an acid serum but feels like a hydration serum. A must have multitasking serum that your skin will love!
Best for: All skin types, especially sun-damaged, congested and dehydrated skin.
Amy’s Tip: As with any acid products (chemical exfoliants) please start out slow. Start once a week then slowly move to twice a week. When skin is used to the serum, use every other night for best result. For most skin types only 2x a week is needed.
Ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Water, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi (Bearberry) Leaf Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Hydrocotyl (Centella Asiatica) Extract, Water, Lactic Acid, Beta Glucan, Glycerin, Panthenol, Propanediol, Alpha Arbutin, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, L-Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Levulinate, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Glutonate.
This serum has a thinner texture. It has the same brighteners like bearberry, licorice and alpha arbutin but adds in L-ascorbic acid & ethyl ascorbic acid. NJAAS also has willow bark, aloe and gotu kola like Clarifying Glow but that’s about where the similarities stop. NJAAS is more hydrating with more soothing/anti-inflammatory ingredients. NJAAS has turmeric water, chamomile, cucumber fruit extract, beta glucan, propanediol, oat protein & sodium hyaluronate. It’s got 5% lactic acid which is a low dose. Overall that makes this serum perfect for those who want a gentle exfoliating serum suitable for sensitive skin. Clarifying Glow is perfect for problem skin while NJAAS is more for all around exfoliating/pigmentation issues. I personally prefer NJAAS over Clarifying Glow because I don’t have problem skin. I appreciate and like Clarifying Glow because it also has barrier repair agents and antioxidants but NJAAS is really more my cup of tea.
Lactic acid is a more gentle AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). It has a larger molecule than glycolic so it doesn’t cause as many irritation side effects that glycolic acid does. Lactic acid helps moisturize the skin, evens the skin tone and fades brown spots plus it helps stimulate collagen renewal in addition to gentle exfoliation. Lactic acid is also a (NMF) Natural Moisturizing Factor so it’s found naturally in the skin. Lower doses of lactic acid has actually been found to be hydrating to the skin versus exfoliating as with the higher percentages. So more people with sensitive skin can use lactic acid exfoliators like this with little irritation. I think Amy has done a good job coming up with two products that should work for both problem and sensitive skin without being too harsh. I love the soothing balance of this serum as well. NJAAS is perfect if you’re looking for a gentle exfoliation serum and I was able to use it daily no problem (not everyone can so go slow at first). It gave me a nice happy glow.
YOU finally came out with a mist. The Skin Calming Mist is exactly what it says.
The Skin Calming Mist contains the properties and benefits of an essence but deliver it in a weightless mist. Our formula is pack full of probiotics, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. The Skin Calming Mist provides a cool, soothing step before your actives serums giving your skin a boost of hydration. The refreshing mist is fast absorbed leaves skin feeling calm, soften, hydrated and revitalized. Skin appears plumper and more luminous!
Best for: All skin types, especially fussy and dehydrated skin.
Amy’s Tips: The Skin Calming Mist is excellent to use right after cleansing to dampen skin before applying our Clarifying Glow Serum or sandwiching in between serums. Skin will feel balance and happily hydrated!
Ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Saccharomyces Ferment, Saccharomyces/Agave Americana Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Agave Tequiliana Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Aqua (Water), Panthenol, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium sorbate, Sodium Anisate, Citric Acid.
I loved this mist. It’s got soothing aloe & panthenol, hydrating glycerin and sodium lactate with antioxidant powerhouse green tea. It’s got probiotics from yeast extract plus fermented agave. Fermented agave has anti-inflammatory and healing benefits. So it’s hydrating, calming, soothing and repairing. Plus it’s said it can help increase collagen synthesis. The scent of this mist is not strong just the natural scent which I love. It’s hydrating and a great addition to the essence and the YOU Skincare line. This is perfect before the Clarifying Glow Serum and I like it before a facial oil to help it absorb better. I find the mist hydrating and calming overall. Don’t forget you can save 10%on your YOU Skincare order with code ‘thebeautyendeavor’.
*Mist & Clarifying Glow was gifted (though I bought a bottle of Clarifying Glow on my own as well). All thoughts are my own