Mad Hippie skincare has always piqued my interest. But I’ve been using a prescription retinol cream called Tretinoin for a few years. So, I’ve steered clear of over-the-counter face creams and serums for a while.
But I’ve decided to take a break from Tretinoin and pursue more natural alternatives. I finally decided to give Mad Hippie a try. I’ve tested out 5 of their products:
Now, anytime I talk skincare, it’s always going to be in the context of acne-prone skin…
Because I have acne-prone skin.
I’ve gone through periods of time where my breakouts were really bad. There have also been periods of time when my skin’s been clear. But the fact is, I have acne-prone skin and I’m always working to avoid or heal breakouts.
Please note that I do not believe any skincare product will cure acne.
While there are topical and environmental elements that cause breakouts, true chronic acne stems from internal issues. This includes stress and hormone imbalance, gut health, food sensitivities and the like. I’m not a doctor. I’ve just seen this in my own research and personal acne experience.
Even tretinoin, which is the gold standard topical acne treatment, never stopped my breakouts. It heals pimples and red spots fast so there’s less build-up of blemishes. But my skin still broke out regularly until I figured out what was going on internally.
All that said, we can absolutely take care of our skin topically while we heal acne from the inside out. Clean, conscious skincare is a great way to do that. So, I’m excited to be trying out Mad Hippie!
Mad Hippie skincare is a clean beauty line.
Clean beauty is so important to me. Opting for prescription Tretinoin was a last resort. But in all other cases, I look for clean, natural, non-toxic products. And I often use the EWG Healthy Living App to verify safety.
So, Mad Hippie skincare is a clean beauty brand. They built the company on the notion that “natural skincare can be every bit as effective as traditional”. They say, “Parabens, synthetic fragrance, dyes, petrochemicals, PEGs, SLS and other nasty additives aren’t necessities. In fact, they have no place in the products we, and those we love, put on our bodies.”
This all sounds great and makes me eager to give Mad Hippie skincare products a try.
However, there are many natural, non-toxic products that my skin hasn’t reacted well to. In fact, I tend to be very minimalist in my skincare routine. I don’t like mainstream products that have harmful chemicals. And at the same time, many natural products also irritate my skin.
I was very curious to see how my skin would respond to Mad Hippie. Watch the video for a complete rundown of my experience testing out these 5 products.
Spoiler Alert: Mad Hippie skincare products have been very gentle on my skin.
In fact, they’re exceptionally soothing and calming. I’m always so excited to find a skincare line that’s safe, effective and non-irritating. The last product line I reviewed, Amazon Aware, is great in these ways, too. It’s currently my go-to beauty brand for face cleanser and face moisturizer.
OK, so let’s dive into each of the 5 Mad Hippie skincare products I tested out.
Vitamin C Serum
Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum is a powerful mix of antioxidants. It’s meant to help improve the overall appearance of your skin – including a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles and skin discoloration.
It’s made with a stable form of vitamin C and is accompanied by Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid. That’s double the antioxidant protection. Other powerful ingredients in this serum are Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring substance that can help increase the plumped-up look of the skin – and Konjac Root Powder – which helps to soften and smooth the skin while forming a thin protective barrier.
This serum is perfect for acne prone skin because the ingredients are soothing and non-irritating. It’s intended for morning application, after you wash your face and before your moisturizer and make up. You may also apply it a second time at night if you’re not already using another serum.
Vitamin C Serum is great for daytime use because it’s full of antioxidants.
Vitamin A Serum
Mad Hippie Vitamin A Serum contains a new form of vitamin A that is significantly more bioavailable than retinol. Other key ingredients include vegan sourced ceramides & sodium hyaluronate, oat beta glucan and aloe vera.
The Vitamin A Serum is jam packed with goodness for your skin and is said to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and discoloration. It helps to reveal more youthful looking skin. It also hydrates, soothes, nourishes and protects.
This serum is best after nighttime cleansing. Just apply a drop of serum into your hand and massage into the skin. A few minutes after the serum dries, you can apply your nighttime moisturizer.
AHA Exfoliating Peel
This AHA Exfoliating Peel is a brightening alpha hydroxy acid-based serum. It’s meant to help you shed dull skin and reduce the appearance of skin discoloration, blemishes and age spots, while smoothing texture & wrinkles. This exfoliating peel is full of antioxidants thanks to ingredients like goji berry and Apple stem cells. Other impressive ingredients include Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid and Gigawhite. (Gigawhite is a blend of organic alpine plants that are extremely effective for evening skin tone.)
The AHA Exfoliating Peel is an alternative to the Vitamin A Serum. You don’t want to layer these products. But you can use them on alternating nights before bed. Like the Vitamin A, nighttime is best for this serum.
With the exfoliating peel, you’re going to apply a small amount to your face and neck after cleansing. You can follow with a moisturizer once it dries – usually in 5-10 minutes. Keep it on overnight and then wash your face in the morning before you start your day.
Hydrating Nutrient Mist
This mist is full of antioxidants and hydrating ingredients to help you moisturize and minimize the appearance of skin discoloration. It’s meant for use on the face, arms, neck and chest.
Mad Hippie’s Hydrating Nutrient Mist is comprised of an impressive ingredients list including Gingko Biloba, Vitamin C, Green Tea, White Pine Bark and Pomegranate Seed Extract. All of these ingredients help your skin look and feel its best.
This mist is best applied immediately after cleansing while your skin is still damp. However, it can be reapplied throughout the day as needed.
Mad Hippie’s Hydrating Nutrient Mist works great as a toner and to reduce redness and irritation. It also works to reduce the appearance of undereye discoloration thanks to the ingredient Hesperidin.
Eye Cream
The Eye Cream combines peptides and antioxidants to care for the delicate skin under our eyes. Among the impressive list of natural ingredients are Vitamin C and Pomegranate.
This eye cream is best applied to under-eye skin by massaging in an upward, circular motion. Avoid tugging or pulling on the skin and make sure it absorbs completely.
Overall, I really like the Mad Hippie skincare products I’ve tested out!
They’re all so gentle on my sensitive skin and so far they’re doing a great job of nourishing and protecting my skin while I manage my acne without tretinoin.
If you have acne prone skin – remember, healing acne is an inside job. But topical skincare products can help heal breakouts faster and prevent some of the surface issues that only make acne worse. It’s only been a few weeks, so I don’t know if these Mad Hippie skincare products will replace the power of Tretinoin. Tretinoin is certainly a great acne management medicine, as long as you’re aware of and comfortable with the side effects.
If you don’t have acne-prone skin, from what I can tell so far, these are probably some of the best skincare products on the market. We’ll see how they do managing breakouts in the longer term, because those kinds of results take a little time to kick in. But in terms of soothing, brightening and overall improving the appearance of skin, they’re pretty impressive products.
I would absolutely recommend checking out Mad Hippie skincare. I think this line is particularly good for women in their 30s and 40s who are starting to really think about maintaining bright, smooth, youthful looking skin as they mature through their prime.
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