TO STABILISE AND PREVENT ACNE: BLISSOMA SMOOTH A+ CORRECTING SERUM
$36, available on charisnaturals.com
Lots of natural treatments tend to use tea tree oil in their acne products, but this one from organic brand Blissoma uses rose instead, so it’s great for those who may be allergic to the former. The refreshing herbal scent from this mustard-coloured serum comes from the inclusion of coriander, goldenrod, fennel and yarrow to cleanse and calm pores. There’s also skin brightening niacinamide in the formula.
Within a day or two of using this serum, the redness in my skin was reduced and the pimples on my face looked less “angry”, slowly decreasing in size. After a week, my skin had stabilised and the acne was almost all gone.
If you’ve got oily skin, this non-greasy serum may very well replace your moisturiser, but if you’ve got anything from combination to dry skin like me, then use this with a moisturiser on top.
HYDRATE, TREAT & SOOTHE: ETUDE HOUSE AC CLINIC MASK
$3.90, available at all Etude House stores
For those suffering from adult acne, many treatments can easily dehydrate the skin if it’s not properly taken care of during the process. Which is why this Etude House mask is great for many – it soothes reddish skin and acne without drying out the skin.
After using this for 15 minutes, my skin looked brighter, more even-toned and my spots looked less “red”. I applied an acne-fighting serum and a lightweight moisturiser on top of this before going to bed. In the morning, my skin looked clearer and was less oily in the T-zone.
You can also use this when you feel the onset of a breakout, or bring it with you on your next holiday as a beauty SOS item when acne treatment solutions aren’t always immediately available.
TARGET SPOTS: OXY ANTI-BACTERIAL ACNE PATCH
$6.50 for 26 pieces, available at all leading personal care stores
This is for the random, pesky spot that shows up without warning. Stick one of Oxy’s Anti-Bacterial Acne Patch on at night and it’ll help to draw out the pus and impurities from the zit.
It works best on “ripe” pimples, ones that have already been drawn to a head, as I found when I tested it overnight. By the next morning, the patch had helped to flatten the pimple, making it easier to conceal.
Photography: Vernon Wong; Art direction: Michelle Tham; Styling: Hong Xinying; Hair and makeup: Dollei Seah, Lydia Thong and Vicky Lee of Makeup Entourage (9111 1919), using Lancome; Model: Lee Soon Young/Nu Models; Dress: COS
Want to know how to get rid of “blind” pimples? Here are 4 best tips on how to do it, fast, and how to properly conceal acne without aggravating it.
