Once upon a time, the very helpful ladies at Ayla recommended that I try a luxurious cream for my misbehaving skin. Its name is 37 extreme actives.
It was love at first use, for this cream is beautiful and touted in the land as nothing short of miraculous. It is supercharged with 50+ active ingredients. It is known to replace a moisturizer, eye cream, and serum. Its use offers myriad benefits, the likes of which repair wrinkles, brown spots, redness, and sun damage, while providing skin with powerful antioxidants, collagen boosters, barrier fortifiers, and moisturizers. My skin practically inhales it, yet it has no scent. This sort of magick is normally reserved for the elite, yet Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas generously offers it to all in the kingdom.
Alas! As with all fairytale romances, there came a moment of shadow. Ingredients of questionable repute clouded an otherwise stellar list. While some noble ladies pooh pooh such folly, others prefer to be more discerning.
Fortunately, a knight in shining armor by the name of Dara, Ayla Beauty’s founder, came to the rescue to assuage my fears. She assured me that each ingredient is chosen strategically with emphasis on its efficacy, safety, and function in the formula. Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas is a self-described chemical-phobe who researches meticulously before adding anything to her products. (Indeed, her bio is most impressive!) Though perhaps not ideal (and what romance is?), I discovered that in love, nobody is perfect.
And that is how my cream and I came to live happily ever after.
The full list of ingredients, as well as their function, can be found here.
There are two versions of 37 Extreme Actives: the basic level of moisture and Extra Rich.
*affiliate links in post
Love the format of this post. Haha I need to look into this product. Thanks for the info!
—Grace
Thank you so much, Grace. I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. xo
See . . . Fairy Tales DO come true!
XOXOXO
Yes, Dvora! If only we could skip to the happy ending sometimes 😉 XOXO
Thanks, Sarita! We love this post! So glad you found a match with 37EA.
This story would not be complete without you Dara, Nora, and Lin!! Thanks for all your wise and balanced advice. XO
I absolutely love the whimsy of this blog entry- bravo, woman! So cute! This cream sounds awesome, and your pics are to die for. I love that you were able to speak to the maker as well and address your concerns- what a great thing! This is going on my ever expanding wish list. Great post! Keep ’em coming! :0) – Kathryne
LOL! Thanks, Kathryne. It was fun to write and a nice departure from a straight-up review. I’m glad you liked it. The ladies at Ayla Beauty are amazingly helpful and will give tailor-made recommendations based on your specific skin needs. A rare find! Hope you have some discoveries that you love too. XO
Gorgeous post Sarita! You always come up with the most magical products, thank you for introducing it xx
Thank you, Liz. I’m so happy that you found this useful and “magical.” What fun would life be without a bit of magic in it? XO
Love the whimsical feel and writing of this post, Sarita! And thank you for sharing a product I’d never heard of until now! Happy weekend =) xx
Hi Sarita, I am new to green, organic skin care products and your blog has provided great insight as I venture into this new realm. Thank you so much! I was wondering if you can suggest a cleanser for combination/oily, acne prone skin. I’m not sure whether to just try out products and see which one suits me better (there’s so many products out there that all sounds so good!) or should I go consult a green store in my area.
Hi Kay! I’m sure it can be overwhelming to start fresh, but it’s well worth the effort. What type of cleansing do you prefer: creamy, sudsy, oil-based? Do you like double-cleansing (one step to remove makeup, another step to wash off any residue)? Are you sensitive to any ingredients or fragrances? Once I know your preferences, we can go from there.
I prefer sudsy, foaming cleansers. I have never tried cream or oil based cleansers. For the most part, especially during the summer, I have pretty oily skin and it is quite sensitive. It would get reddish just from washing it with water. Lately, my skin has been breaking out and I would get red blotches on my cheeks (probably from the sun. I read your blog about natural sunscreens and am going to get one soon!). I don’t wear makeup. Sometimes, I use concealer to cover up blemishes. Thank you so much for taking out time to help me!
Truth is, the women at Ayla Beauty are extremely helpful at recommending the exact products to suit your skin type. For gentle cleansers that are sudsy without using chemicals, I highly recommend Sally B’s Skin Yummies or Cecilia Wong Skin Care. Both cleansers do a great job of cleaning the skin without causing me breakouts or leaving residual dirt that still needs to be cleared up. That said, sudsy cleansers may also aggravate your skin which sounds pretty sensitive too. Sometimes when we overstrip the skin by cleansing too harshly, it has to overcompensate by producing more oil or growing irritated. YULI cleanser is a very gentle one that you may really love. While it doesn’t get really foamy, it does clean the skin and use a highly bio-dynamic list of ingredients to do the job. Please let me know if I can help further and do tell me what you end up getting. XO
This cream looks fabulous! Thanks for sharing.. I’m putting it on my wishlist!
amber-allnaturallybeautiful.blogspot.ca
Thanks for reading and commenting, Amber. Let me know if you try it!