Those of you who know me will know that for most of my later teenage life I've been struggling with acne. Even as an adult (albeit a relatively young one), I've never been the girl with smooth, problem-free, oh-I-didn't-airbrush-this-photo-I-just-look-like-that skin. In part this is due to various external factors (yeah, yeah, blame everything else but me for my own crappy skin) - the weather I grew up with (you try having nice korean-actress clog-free skin in a place where you sweat even in your sleep!), the fact that I fly long distances pretty often (and that my skin has trouble adjusting to new climates), and the fact that as a grad student attempting to have good grades, a social life, and a regularly updated blog, sometimes I skimp on proper nutrition and sleep, which of course can wreck havoc on my skin. Right now, I'm dealing with clogged pores, blackheads, and some stray pimples here and there. So if a product promises to clear my skin, you bet I'm going to be sooo tempted to try it.
Enter Cellnique Paramedical Skin Action Sebum Gel. Cellnique is a company specializing in skincare, and they produce a whole range of serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers for various skin types. The Skin Action Sebum Gel is particularly targeted at problem skin, and it's one of the best sellers from Cellnique. It promises to clear out blackheads and whiteheads, reduce oil secretion, and generally keep congested skin clear. It's billed as a serum, which means it's used after your cleanser and toner, but before your moisturizer, sunscreen, or masque. It seems to get pretty good customer reviews on Cellnique's own site for the product,
HERE. You can check out the company's main website and see their other skincare products
HERE.
Ooh. Another skincare product? For my clog-prone skin? You've got my attention.
The product itself is very nicely and practically packaged. It comes in a white bottle, with a pump dispenser. I personally favour pump dispensers for facial products because I hate sticking my fingers into a tub...I always feel like I'm contaminating the product that way. The pump is easy to use, and allows you to squeeze out as much or as little as you want.
The Skin Action Sebum Gel has a light texture, which I really like. It's a gel, and it has a pretty nice consistency - it's not too thick or too watery, and it applies well. It also has a nice minty smell, and it tingles as it goes on. I personally didn't mind the tingly sensation, but this is a matter of personal preference - I know of friends who like the tingly feel as it convinces them the product is working, while others with hyper-sensitive skin don't like the tingling sensation. This is about the amount I used everyday, on my nose and my chin:
So how did the product itself work? I tried it on two areas of my face that were experiencing clogs and blackheads, and I used it everyday for 2 weeks. Here are the unedited results, in super-close-up photos, and in full macro mode:
Here, I used it in a spot on my face that was particularly clogged (I know the photos look really gross, but this is like 23423532x magnification...don't judge me!) with small bumps, blackheads and a couple of small-ish pimples. It didn't clear out the blackheads, but it helped reduce the swelling of the small bumps and the pimples. As you can see, in the "before" picture there are numerous small tiny bumps all over the area, but they're all gone in the "after" picture.
And in here, I used it on my nose - which mostly suffers from blackheds. I was actually really skeptical that this product could help blackheads, because in my experience, most products don't do anything for my blackheads, which seem to have roots all the way to my bones or something. Pore strips don't do anything, scrubs don't do anything, masks don't do anything, and those random cleansers with this-or-that acid don't do anything either. So when I used this on my nose, I was thinking, "Ah well, I'll just use it for a couple of weeks, and mention that there wasn't a difference for my blackheads, just like any other product", but it did make some difference. It didn't make them all disappear (if it did I would have been REALLY surprised), but it lessened the severity of the blackheads. As you can see, they're smaller, and less deeply embedded.
This was after a 2 week trial. Originally I had wanted to do a one-month trial, but I figured since I was seeing results in 2 weeks, I may as well just do a post. I liked this product, and I think it worked for me. It didn't further irritate my skin, and it helped with my pimples and swelling. And I didn't actually use a lot of product on those areas (remember that pea-sized amount in the photo I showed?), so I'm actually pretty impressed.
If you liked what you just read and want to give the Skin Action Sebum Gel a try, Cellnique has offered the first 50 readers of this review a 3ml sample of their product! Just email your full name and shipping address to fbfreesample@cellnique.com with the subject musicalhouses.blogspot.com. Please allow around 4-6 weeks for delivery. It's valid for a week and ends 31 March, so hurry!
If you're looking into buying a full sized bottle for yourself, it can be bought directly from the Cellnique website
HERE. You can check out the company's take a look at their other skincare products
HERE.
Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana ) Extract, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Menthol, Poly(Oxy-1,2-Ethanediyl),α-(Donyl Phenyl)-ω-Hydroxy, Sodium Hydroxide, Peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil, Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Potassium Azelaoyl Diglycinate, Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Leaf Oil, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea.
This product was sent to me for review purposes. I am not affiliated with the company, nor do I benefit from the links posted. This review is my complete and honest opinion after an unbiased trial of the product.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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