Happy July from Cosmetic Connection!

After two gruelling weeks of testing Murad salon AHA/BHA products, I am pleased to bring you the results this week. Maybe "pleased" isn't the right word...

Why was the testing gruelling, you may ask? If you could see my face, you would know why. Not even when I was a teenager with the typical teenage breakouts have I seen my skin is such turmoil! I think my pimples had pimples!

First, a little background on the brand. Murad is one of the many AHA/BHA (alpha and beta hydroxy acid) lines on the market. It was created by Dr. Howard Murad, dermatologist, who designed the line to help people with dry skin, acne, age spots, skin discolorations, etc. Murad products are typically sold in salons and spas, and they have a moderate to high concentration of acids. AHAs and BHAs work to exfoliate dead skin, keep pores clear, reverse sun damage, soften wrinkles, and help control acne and oily skin. Quite an assortment of benefits, but the trick is finding the right combination of products and ingredients that work for your skin. I am offering these reviews of the Murad products I tried knowing full well that Murad may be the right fit for someone else, but they were definitely wrong for me!

AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
Of the three cleansers Murad has to choose from, this one is recommended for normal, combination, oily, and acne prone skin. It has tiny exfoliating beads that gently scrub your skin in addition to lightly exfoliating with the AHAs and BHAs. For the most part, my skin tolerated this cleanser, but only once a day. It is lightly foaming and can feel a bit drying if you are sensitive to the drying effects of a lathering product.

Refreshing Skin Cleanser
This choice is also an option for normal, combination, oily, and acne prone skin. It is a basic foaming cleanser that contains some plant extracts and a small amount of glycolic acid (AHA). Again, this cleanser is okay, but it can be quite drying if you are sensitive to the drying ingredients in foaming cleansers.

Advanced Combination Skin Formula
Normally, the second step after cleansing is one of the two Murad toners (hydrating or clarifying), but I did not have access to either. The next step is the Advanced Performance Skincare Treatment product, which comes in either serum or cream form. The most commonly available treatments is the combination skin version - it is sold in most of the Murad travel and sample kits. It contains both glycolic acid (AHA) to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and salicylic acid (BHA) to hopefully keep pores clear and help prevent breakouts. This was not the case for me, since I had a dramatic increase in breakouts for the entire duration of using the products. If you do suffer from breakouts and find that benzoyl peroxide treatments like Clearasil don't help, a serum like this containing salicylic acid can work for some people.

Skin Perfecting Lotion
This moisturizer step is where the number of AHA and BHA products you are putting on your face gets a little out of control. This lightweight, oil-free lotion is designed for normal, combination, or sensitive skin, and would be great if it didn't also have AHAs and BHAs. This many layers of acid, no matter how gentle they are, can become rather irritating to your skin, and I experienced that first hand. If this was a plain moisturizer, or if you used it alone without the other treatments and serums, it would be a perfect oil-free lotion.

Murasun Daily Sunblock with Antioxidants SPF 15
Since AHAs and BHAs can really sensitize your skin and make it more vulnerable to sun damage, it's more important than ever to protect your skin with a good sunscreen. This lotion is actually a physical block (titanium dioxide), which makes it great for sensitive skin that can't tolerate chemical or synthetic sunscreens. I did like this sunblock and its broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection benefits.

Murasun Daily Sunscreen with Antioxidants SPF 15
The sunscreen version is very similar to the sunblock, except that its main ingredients (octyl methoxycinnamate, oxybenzone, and octyl salicylate) are chemical rather than physical sunscreens. It also has broad spectrum protection and SPF 15.

Murasome Eye Complex SPF 8
Of all the eye creams I've tried, this one is pretty basic. The lightweight cream absorbs quickly and doesn't interfere with makeup, but for the sun protection benefits, I like Avon's Anew Perfect Eye Care Cream with SPF 15 better.

All in all, my experience with Murad was disappointing at best, and I couldn't wait to stop using the products to give my skin a break. I have been off the products for a few days now and already my skin is looking much better. The pimples are slowly disappearing, and the redness and overall irritation is almost gone. Again, for some people, these products may work wonders, but I wasn't one of those people!

The Makeup Diva is in! If you are looking forward to summer but your feet aren't quite ready, don't miss this week's Ask The Makeup Diva column. Miss Diva makes giving yourself an at-home pedicure easy.

For those of you with oily skin, you're going to love this month's new Feature, Makeup for Oily Skin. Our hard working Panelist, Alissa, test-drove a wide range of foundations and powders to bring you this list of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don't miss it!