I’m sure your skincare routine is Bomb dot com, but even it’s unparallel to getting a facial. A skin care treatment that is a must at least once a month, its main purpose is to rejuvenate your skin. Understandably, life gets busy and things get in the way of such essentials. Luckily, Sorbet Salon has got you covered with Sorbet First Thursdays where you can get groomed and glam after hours.

Expanding their empire and opening new salons across South Africa, Sorbet will be honing in on skincare. From treatments to products, they are bringing the innovation to you – their guest. They are making sure that they are your one-stop shop for all your skin concerns.

One of the products that they have brought on board is Exuviance – an anti-ageing skincare line that is putting Glycolic Acid to work. Now, do not be thrown off by the term anti-ageing and think you may be too young for it. If you are already 20+, now is in fact the best time to yield the “you don’t look that old” results in your 50s. But, I digress. Exuviance is also great on acne-prone skin – and I just happen to be proof of that. 

Having an epidermis that could turn on me in a season, my skin started breaking out at the beginning of this year and just wouldn’t let. I finally decided to get the help of professionals. Cue in Sorbet and Exuviance, which came to my rescue at the perfect time.

Towards the end of April, and at my wit’s end, I (finally) went for an Exuviance Balancing Peel Treatment. And let me tell you – what a treat. A number of products were used on me including, but not limited to, the Exuviance:

• Glycolic Polish
• Professional Clarifying Peel Booster
• Revitalizing-Plus Peel
• Bionic Oxygen Infusion
• Sheer Refining Fluid

Exuviance Balancing Peel Treatment

Tailored to suit the needs of your skin, my treatment started with a cleansing – two in fact. This was done to remove any products and impurities on my skin to further assess the epidermis without any filters. 

My skin problem is one that continues to plague many of us well over puberty – acne. Adult acne, to be specific, has been a struggle of mine for as long as I can remember. That plus oily skin and pores the size of potholes, well, let’s just say it has been quite the journey. 

Glycolic Polish

Once my beautician, Thulie Magigidiwa, was done cleaning my face, she then went in with the Exuviance Glycolic Polish. It is an exfoliator that contains 10% Glycolic Acid plus 2% Bionic Acid, combined with professional-grade alumina crystals. It smoothed my skin by removing the dead cells right at the top to clarify and clear impurities from my pores. At this point, my skin feels bare. Almost like someone can see right through to the bone.

An exfoliator is a must in any skincare routine. It is suggested that it be used two to three times a week on a wet face to get rid of dead skin cells and any pollutants on your skin. This one felt good on my skin as it wasn’t abrasive at all. I must say, the two very important ingredients in the Exuviance Glycolic Polish are the Glycolic and Bionic Acid, which combat acne and plump up the skin, respectively. Do I have my eyes set on it? Without a doubt! Is it available for purchase to the public at Sorbet? Absolutely! 

Clarifying Peel Booster

Feeling brand new and fresh from my polish, Thulie then went in with the Exuviance Professional Clarifying Peel Booster. It can be used alone, but to maximize results and get the most out of the treatment, it is paired with the Revitalizing-Plus Peel.

Applied with a fan brush and allowed to sit on the skin for two minutes, it mainly clarifies and decongests the skin. It also contains mandelic acid giving it antibacterial properties and helping unclog your pores, control sebum production and reduce inflammation.

Revitalizing-Plus Peel

Following the booster is the Exuviance Revitalizing-Plus Peel. Now, she is the superstar of the show – the Beyoncé if you will. She is why we are all here today. With 30% Glycolic acid, it:

• Further removes dead skin cells
• Brightens the skin
• Reduces hyperpigmentation
• Reduces skin breakouts
• Promotes collagen and elastin 
• Anti-ageing 

My skin felt her presence immediately as it reacted with a slight tingle. The Revitalizing-Plus Peel penetrates the skin to fix the problem that is within the dermis. Remember, everything that you see on the surface of your skin was already bubbling under. The breakouts are just a result of the underlying problem.

Bionic Oxygen Infusion

Once the headliner performed its tingling act, Thulie proceeded to breathe new life into my skin with the Exuviance Bionic Oxygen Infusion. It is a masque that foams on your skin as it fills it with pure oxygen. What makes it unique is that it reacts to your skin according to where it needs hydration the most. So, where you are most dehydrated, it takes longer to absorb as compared to where you are hydrated, where it gets absorbed quicker.

When Thulie told me this and I looked at how the masque was reacting on my skin and it made complete sense. My forehead and cheeks are (still) the thirstiest parts of my face. It also has anti-ageing properties as it supports the natural production of cellular energy and optimises collagen levels.

Sheer Refining Fluid

To round it all off and put a proverbial pretty bow on it, the Exuviance Sheer Refining Fluid was massaged on my face. To say I lapped it up would be an understate (see above about the dry state of my skin). In addition to hydrating your skin, it also reduces the appearance of pores and contains SPF 40. Do keep in mind, though, that it is highly recommended that you use a dedicated SPF instead of relying on the one in your moisturiser.

The Exuviance Balancing Peel Treatment, from Sorbet, is an all rounder treatment that you can do to balance your skin. This makes it great for either skin type as it works to counter your specific skin problem.

I left the salon feeling clean and refreshed with renewed skin. Polished, peeled and primed for the Gods, darling. I couldn’t wait to see the real results weeks post-facial. 

Three weeks and some change later, and the results are prominent. My skin has fewer breakouts and has retained its polished look. I did have a slight flake and it’s still incredibly thirsty. For this, Thulie recommended the Exuviance Sheer Refining Fluid for optimal moisturisation. She also advised that the treatment works best over time when you schedule your second appointment, two weeks after your first and then four weeks thereafter. With each appointment, your treatment will be tailormade to meet your skin where it is and treat it from there. 

Sorbet is skincare proud. Visit your nearest salon to find out which other treatments they have that will be especially suited for you. 

In the meantime, I am long overdue for my second visit. Need to call Sorbet Salon Mandela Square and book my second session with Thulie ASAP.