blemish Archives

First Impressions with SkinCeuticals

October 4, 2021

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m reviewing two products I received from SkinCeuticals. I know I included these in my empties posts, but I thought I would do a separate review. I received the Blemish + Age Defense Potent Treatment for Aging Skin and Phlorectin CF. I had heard of @skinceuticalsca before, but didn’t know a lot about the brand. Their mission is to “provide advanced skincare backed by science.” Thanks to @bnation_bicom and @skinceuticalsca I get to try these two products out.

Their products come in simple packaging which I don’t mind. While it’s fun to take pictures of pretty skincare bottles, I’d rather spend my money on effective products than pretty pink/blue/purple packaging.

SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense Potent Treatment for Aging Skin

Skin Type: Oily, Combination

Skin Concern: Acne, Aging

Blemish + Age Defense is an oil-free, targeted approach for aging and blemished-prone skin. This first-to-market acid blend uniquely combines 2% dioic acid with an optimal alpha- and beta-hydroxy acid formulation to reduce the formation of acne and clogged pores, while improving the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven skin tone.

Ingredients

Active: Salicylic Acid 1.5%.

Inactive: Alcohol Denat., Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycolic Acid, Diisopropyl Adipate, Octadecenedioic Acid, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10

Retails for $112 CAD on the SkinCeuticals.ca website

RATING: 4/5

I did notice that my skin looked better while using this and it didn’t make my skin too dry or too oily. Since my skin is already dry, I made sure to use a hydrating serum with it and I only used it on my problem areas instead of using on my whole face (to save product).

I used a couple of drops morning and night. I like that it doesn’t have a scent. When you first put it on, you can smell the Alcohol in it (that’s the ingredient that’s listed first), but the alcohol smell dissipates after applying it. Unlike some other acne care products, this treatment doesn’t feel as tacky as other products I’ve tried and I like that. It’s one of the few products I’ve tried that has salicylic acid that hasn’t made my face red and/or itchy after using it. I can’t say how well it works for anti-aging since I don’t have wrinkles or fine lines. Before using this product, I have had a bit of texture on my forehead, I don’t know if it was from products I was testing out or diet (or maybe a bit of both). While I used this product, my forehead cleared up.

Skinceuticals Phlorectin CF

Phloretin CF features a patented unique combination of 2% phloretin, 10% pure vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid), and 0.5% ferulic acid for enhanced protection against atmospheric skin aging – environmental stressor damage and premature signs of aging caused by free radicals from infrared radiation (IRA), UVA/UVB, and ozone pollution (O3). In addition to antioxidant protective benefits, Phloretin CF visibly enhances the appearance of discoloration, reduces fine lines and uneven skin tone.

Skin Type: Normal, Oily, Combination

Skin Concern: Discoloration, Acne, Aging

Ingredients: Aqua/water/eau, dipropylene glycol, alcohol denat., ascorbic acid, butylene glycol, triethyl citrate, phloretin, ferulic acid

Retails for $190 CAD on the Skinceuticals.ca website

RATING: 2/5

This product isn’t really geared towards my skin type since I have dry skin. I didn’t like the smell of this one. It smelled sweet like brown sugar. It also made my face feel tacky the whole day and I didn’t notice a huge difference in my skin either. Even if this was a more reasonable price (it’s $190 CAD for 30 mL), I wouldn’t purchase because of the scent.

I think I would consider using SkinCeuticals products when I’m a bit older since they are quite expensive. I might consider repurchasing the Blemish + Age Defense serum again.

Have you tried SkinCeuticals products? Did you think they were worth the high price?

Love,

*Products were sent to me for review. Ingredients and descriptions in Italics were taken from the SkinCeuticals.ca website.

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Review | COSRX Clear Fit Master Patches

February 16, 2018

Hi Everyone!

If you’ve read my review on the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches, you’ll know that I love them. When I heard that they came out with a new pimple patch that is thinner. They also claim that you can apply makeup on top, so I wanted to try it. I found a Canadian website called Chuusi.ca that sold them. They retail for $4.50 CAD, but unfortunately you can only buy one package at a time (on Chuusi).

Clear Fit Master Patch

In a package for the Acne Pimple Master Patches, you get 24 (10 small, 5 medium, 9 large). I tend to use the medium ones the most. The Clear Fit Master Patches come in a package of 18 and they are all the same size (the same size as the medium master patches- 10mm).

An ultra-thin hydrocolloid patch that conceals blemishes and absorbs impurities and oil. These patches are thinner and less visible than the Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches, making them perfect for use under makeup and during the daytime.

How to Use: After cleansing, dry the area around the acne, pimple, or blemish and apply patch to completely cover the spot. The patch goes on clear. When the patch becomes white, remove the patch and cleanse the area before applying a new patch.

I mostly bought the Clear Fit patches because I wanted to see how well they were disguised under makeup. If you want to know how well the patches work, go to my review on the Acne Pimple Master Patches. The clear fit patches are thinner and not as noticeable, but they don’t absorb as much as the Acne Pimple Master Patches. The Acne Pimple Master Patches are the same thickness for the whole patch and they also stick better. The Clear Fit ones are thin and then thicker in the centre.

I tried one under makeup and it just emphasized the patch more. I tried several different ways to conceal the patch: a cream concealer from the Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review), Maybelline Fit Me concealer and a powder foundation. I tried using a brush, my finger and a sponge. I thought the sponge would work the best because you dab at it instead of moving concealer around the patch, but it didn’t make much of a difference. For the powder foundation, it didn’t do anything, it just made the patch look cloudy.

RATING: 4.5/5

I was disappointed that the clear fit patches don’t work under makeup. Unless you plan to wear pimple patches out of the house, I think the Acne Pimple Master Patches are better than the Clear Fit ones because they absorb more and you get more in each package (although the small patches can be a bit useless).

Have you tried acne patches?

Love,

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Review | The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick

January 16, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I read that tea tree products are good for acne-prone skin, so I thought I’d try the products from The Body Shop since they always have those specials (buy 2 or 3 and get 1 or 2 free). I decided to try something small just in case my skin reacted to the tea tree oil, so I got the Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick.

I use the stick when I feel a pimple coming or after it’s already popped up. The spot treatment works the same way as the Kate Somerville EradiKate. It dries out the blemish without drying out the surrounding skin. I think I like it better than the EradiKate because it can’t be too good for your face to always put sulfur on it whenever you have a breakout.

Our Tea Tree Targeted Gel is designed for on-the-go targeted care. Enriched with organic Community Trade tea tree oil, our blemish stick is ideal for blemished skin. With a handbag-friendly wand-applicator, this quick drying gel can be applied directly onto skin, to see you through any skin emergency, mess-free.
- A handbag essential
- Ideal for blemished skin
- Soothes and instantly cools targeted area without over-drying skin
- Gives clearer-looking skin
I’ve been using it whenever I get hormonal acne…you know, the kind that hurts, but it doesn’t have a whitehead. I used it on three pimples (two on my chin and one under my nose) that I got recently and it reduced the size of all of them, and dried two of the pimples out and brought the whitehead to the surface. All three of the pimples were quite painful, and after using the blemish stick, the pain went away. The one under my nose hurts if I accidentally touch it, but now at least it doesn’t hurt when I move my face.

Even though it says “handbag essential,” I don’t think I’d ever use it on the go because it has a very strong smell. It’s a bit medicinal (not sure what tea tree oil actually smells like) and reminds me of Chinese herbal medicine, although it does beat the sulfur smell from the EradiKate.

After seeing how well the blemish stick performed, I’m definitely interested in trying out the other tea tree oil products that The Body Shop sells: toner, cleansers, etc. I know that the blemish stick is probably more potent since it’s a spot treatment, but maybe the toners and cleansers can help to prevent breakouts.

RATING: 4/5

It’s a bit expensive for a small tube, but it works really well for me. Also, I wish it came packaged differently. Maybe a squeeze bottle or something similar to the EradiKate bottle so that I can use a clean q-tip each time I use it. It can’t be too hygienic to use the sponge tip applicator on a pimple and then put it back into the container.

Check out my review for The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution

What products do you use for acne?

Love,
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Review | COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches

January 17, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I recently found the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches on Amazon and read some reviews about how good they are, so I thought I’d give them a try. I also picked up the Clear Fit Patches which is a thinner version. The Acne Pimple Master Patches were $6.65 CAD (free shipping) on Amazon.ca for 24 patches (3 different sizes). To be honest, I would prefer if they sold it by size. I don’t really use the small ones that often.

The thin clear hydrocolloid patch feels similar to a hydrogel sheet mask in texture, adhering your skin strongly. It’ll stay on through showering and washing! It treats breakouts by eliminating infection and bacteria, which is what causes them in the first place. It’s able to breakdown debris from blackheads and absorb gunk from whiteheads overnight, so you won’t experience a harsh dry patch from using this. It even helps flatten and heal cystic acne faster!

I had an underground pimple, you know, the ones that hurt but haven’t reached the surface yet, so I put a small-sized patch on the spot after I washed my face and went to bed. When I woke up, I noticed the patch had turned cloudy (it starts off a bit translucent). I peeled it off and it was no longer an underground pimple. The pimple had come to the surface and the patch had absorbed some of the pus. It left a small hole where the pimple had been, but it healed within a few days (less healing time than if I had aggravated it by squeezing it out).

To my surprise, the patches stick really well (make sure the area is clean and dry before putting it on). I read that people sleep with the patches on and I wondered how they would stay, but once you place it on, you can barely feel it and they stay in place.

RATING: 5/5

I give these a 5/5 because they are amazing and actually suck up all the liquid from your pimple. I will definitely be buying these again!

Check out my This or That posts comparing the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches to other acne patches:

COSRX vs. Rael | COSRX vs. Nexcare

I’ve also tried out the COSRX Clear Fit Patches, click here to read my review.

Have you tried acne patches? What’s your fave brand?

Love,

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