This time of year can truly wreak havoc on your skin, what with the change of seasons and all.

I always notice my skin gets much drier and begins to get that awful “tight” feeling. In fact, this is the perfect time of year to start using richer moisturisers and more intense treatment products on your face.

I was sent a couple of samples of new facial masques from A’kin and decided to give one of them a road test last night. The A’kin Instant Radiance Facial Masque contains multi-fruit AHA and willow bark BHA, both of which are designed to encourage surface skin renewal. Basically, AHAs and BHAs are chemical exfoliants (not as bad as it sounds), which remove dead skin cells to reveal the firm, plump skin underneath.

I already use fairly strong AHAs on a daily basis in the form of my Neostrata cleanser and moisturiser, so was keen to give this one a go. After cleansing I applied a generous layer to the skin, neck and chest and left it to sit for 10 minutes while I did the vacuuming. If you’re new to the world of AHA and BHA you might feel some tingling when you use this product, which means it’s working its magic. (I didn’t because I think my skin is fairly accustomed to these ingredients.)

After 10 minutes, I washed it off and applied moisturiser over the top. My skin instantly felt far softer than it has in the past few weeks and this morning it sill has a nice “fresh” feeling.

A’kin’s Instant Radiance Facial Masque is available now for $29.95 from David Jones, health food stores and pharmacies.

By Caroline Warnes