fitness

The skincare solution that works for dry, oily and combination skin. Really.

QV Skincare
Thanks to our brand partner, QV Skincare

Dry patches. Oily skin. Scaliness. Mamamia writers, Ally, Andi and Clare have experienced all three of these skin issues. Each with their own fair share of skin troubles, they set out on the ultimate skincare solution trial. Here’s how QV’s range changed their skincare routines in just seven days.

Ally Parker.

It’s a universal truth that the moment a woman shaves her legs, she is instantly transformed into a sleek, all-powerful dolphin. I don’t know about you but I tend to flip-flop between said majesty and the scale-happy Demogorgon in Stranger Things.

Thankfully a gal like me can turn to her bathroom cabinet, AKA, where I hoard varieties of ‘goo’, in times of need.

Usually, the skin on my body – particularly my legs – flits between normal and dry depending on the season so I need a lotion that pulls its weight.

Over the last week I’ve thrown QV’s Skin Lotion into the mix and I’ve got to say I’m impressed. Really. It’s non-greasy, quick drying and has five per cent glycerin to bolster my dermis.

What’s not to love? I shaved my legs three times this week – in the name of science – and was surprised to see the scale-factor drop each day.

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Summer is fast approaching. Image: iStock

Did I mention that my skin also likes to freak out occasionally? This bad boy is perfume, colour and lanolin-free – which helps avoid the Demogorgon comparison I mentioned earlier. What’s best is that after a light coat I’m good to hop into bed and dream about tomorrow’s breakfast.

The days of open-toe shoes (I will have you once again dear Birkenstocks) are fast approaching and with them, the regular shaving of legs. I don’t know about you but I’m prepared.

Andi McDermott.

My skin and I have some serious trouble seeing eye to eye. Dry patches, scaly skin and dermatitis are a few of the issues that are on constant rotation for me. While I have tried finding the products to give it what it needs, I feel like I’m locked in an uphill and never ending battle with it. I’m left feeling like my skin is not the best it could be.

Because of this, my skincare routine is comprised of what can be best described as a mish-mash of products. This ever changing rotation is not doing my skin any favours.

I took QV’s skin hydration test and what I found was that my skin was in even worse condition that I anticipated – I could actually see how dry and damaged it had become. Enter QV Gentle Wash and QV Skin Lotion, over the next seven days I was going to use these two products to rehydrate and protect my skin.

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The first use of both the QV Gentle Wash and QV Skin Lotion was not what I expected. The wash was light-weight, and left my skin feeling smooth and soft. Best of all, it didn’t aggravate any areas of my dermatitis. The QV Skin Lotion was also a nice surprise – it was non-greasy, absorbed easily and incredibly light.

"The wash was light-weight, and left my skin feeling smooth and soft." Image: iStock.

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By day three, there was a clear difference in my skin. There were no more scales, dry patches were lessening and my patches of sore, red aggravated skin had begun to calm down. By the end of my week with QV, I was left looking forward to my skincare routine. My skin was now smooth and soft, and full of moisture.

Clare Stephens.

I’ve had oily skin for as long as I can remember. Throughout the day I get really shiny, and I’ve never been able to control it. As a result, I’m prone to blackheads and pimples.

To make matters worse, winter has actually made some parts of my skin extremely dry. A combination of heaters and wind has dried out patches of my skin, particularly on the side of my nose and on my legs. At this point, I usually just accept that I don’t have the time to invest in a consistent skin care routine, and I’ll just have to wait out the blemishes.

So to actually take some time for myself and try QV was a very new experience. By taking the hydration test, I felt like what I was doing for my skin would actually be productive.

Immediately I could see my skin was damaged. My result was ‘dry’, and I knew it would be difficult to put moisture back into my skin without making it even more oily.

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"Throughout the day I get really shiny." Image: Giphy.

But I thought it was worth giving QV Gentle Wash a try for seven days.

The first time I used it, I have to say I was a little apprehensive. It's light, and I wondered how long it would take to see results.

But after using the product, my skin didn’t feel irritated like it usually does. QV was gentle enough to leave my skin feeling soft, with plenty of moisture. It wasn’t greasy (thank God), so I felt like I might actually get somewhere in terms of balancing the oily and dry parts of my skin.

By day four, I really noticed a difference. My dry skin was significantly less obvious, my skin felt hydrated but not oily, and I felt like there was more consistency in my skin. By day seven, I was seriously impressed. My skin looked healthier, and it felt better. I’ll definitely continue using QV – it’s the easiest skincare routine I’ve ever heard of.

How do you help your troubled skin?