Etude House Darling Cream Review

Snail creams are a fad in Korea last year and until now. Almost all Korean cosmetics brand have their own snail cream line. From the most expensive It's Skin PRESTIGE d' escargot to the more affordable Tony Moly Intense Repair Live Snail cream and Etude House Darling Snail Healing cream. To learn more on how snail creams work click HERE.  I believe that most of them claim to repair damaged skin caused by sun and stress, prevent wrinkles, heal acne and erase dark spots. As for me, I tried the the Etude House Darling Cream because it is the only one available here in Cebu. We do not have Tony Moly and It's Skin here. 

I have been using this cream for almost 3 months now and I am about to finish my first jar. But before I discuss the effects of the product on my skin here is a background of my skin type:

Skin Type: normal to combination

Additional information: I get breakouts when my period is about to start and after it ends, I easily get post acne hyper-pigmentation. I have some blemishes on my cheeks and temporal area. 

Product information:

Nourishing facial specially formulated to regenerate and protect skin cells damaged by stress and environment. This product is void of artificial dyes, paraben and alcohol.

Usage: Dispense onto toner pad and use the pad to wipe facial surface.

This product has a spatula that comes with it. I use it to get a good amount of product for my whole face then apply and spread using my hands. I did not buy some toner pads. I do not even know if the Etude House near me carry them.

Consistency: thick and sticky. You have spread it on your face continuously until all areas are covered.

Scent: mild peachy smell. It does not irritate my sensitive nose.

Price: Php 1,198 for 50 ml

Thoughts: This cream moisturizes and hydrates my skin very well. Since I started using it, I have been getting less pimples even though I sleep very late. I also did not get as many pimples, before and after my period. I have observed when I have a new acne it heals faster and becomes flat the next day. I also noticed that my pores are getting smaller and my skin smoother. As for the post-acne hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and temporal area, this did not erase them completely but they have become lighter than before. I guess it really takes time before blemishes get erased completely. Despite of that, I really like this product for what it does on my skin. I will continue to use this as my night cream until I find something better.

PROS: Can be used by people with various skin types, very moisturizing, helps heal new pimples

CONS: A little expensive, not recommended if your sole purpose is to erase dark spots

Will I buy again? Yes

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion Review

Hi everyone!

This would be my first post and product review and I decided to make a review on The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion. I have used this product for 1 month and a half so I am sure that I would be able to share my experiences and the effect of this on my skin.

Skin Type: normal to combination

Additional information: I get breakouts when my period is about to start and after it ends, I easily get post acne hyper-pigmentation

Product Information:

• Best if you want to: Moisturize with a light, mattifying lotion that hydrates skin and controls oil while helping to clear and prevent blemishes.
  
• How it works:
  • Lemon tea tree and Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya contain properties that help fight blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.
  • Tamanu oil from Madagascar has a soothing effect and helps to calm irritation and redness.
  • Contains powders help mattify the skin and control shine. 

Ingredients:  Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Polyisobutene, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Laureth-4, Citral, Leptospermum Petersonii (Lemon Tea Tree) Oil, Tocopherol.

SOURCE: The Body Shop website

Consistency: clear, gel like and watery

Scent: Grassy medicated strong smell which irritates my nose

Price: Php 765 or $17 for 50 ml

The reason why I bought this was to replaced my Vitacreme B12 night cream which I purchased online. I want to switch to something that is easily accessible so that it would not be a pain to wait when I run out of product. I also considered that tea tree oil helps heal acne scars faster. I want to get rid of my hyper-pigmentation so I did not hesitate to try this. Sadly, this product is not the one for me. There were new pimples coming out everyday when I used this and this did not help heal and soothe existing acne and blemishes on my face. I also felt that my skin became dry and rough as I was using this. Although, I know that this is a mattifying lotion, I expected it to work for me because we have humid tropical climate here in the Philippines. After I realized that I had more pimples coming out than usual, I immediately stopped using this and looked for another product.

PROS: good for people with oily skin

CONS: does not live to its claims of healing and soothing blemishes and existing acne scars

            not recommended for those have normal to dry skin

Will I buy again? No

Currently I am using Etude House's Darling Snail Healing Cream and my skin loves it. I am going to do a review on that soon. Thanks for reading everyone! :)