My first ever cushion! Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion Review

Some time ago the BB Creams market was hit by new type of product - BB cushion, a little sponge soaked in BB cream with specially designed applicator, hidden in handy compact. On the beginning I wasn't much interested in the idea, as I prefer to simply apply my make up with my fingers, also cushions are more expensive than the casual BB creams. Then I came across My Asian Skincare Story blog, also unofficially known as a "cushion blog" - thanks to reviews posted on this blog I finally decided to buy my first cushion.
I couldn't make my mind for a long time - there is so many cushions to choose from. My natural impulse would be to start off with something cheap, just to see if the whole "on the go" conception of the compact will suit me, but MASS blog was tempting me with middle range and higher end products. I was torn between three cushions: Iope Air Cushion - known as a "mother of BB cushions", so it just seems to be the right choice; VDL Beauty Metal Cushion - because MASS blog owner was recommending it as suitable for oily skin and Laneige Pore Control  - because if it there is "pore" in products name I automatically feel urge to have it ;) as you can see my "pore" obsession won and I bough Laneige cushion.

Product description: Matte version of Laneige BB cushion offering neat finish, without shine. Contains Pore Purifying Complex™, which purifies pores and helps to control secretion of sebum and Soft Focus Powder, which covers enlarged pores and uneven skin. Long-lasting make up without  turning dark or sticky feeling.

In the ingredients list we can find the Neem tree leaf extract, which has antibacterial properties, brightening arbutin and skin-normalising salicylic acid. The full list of ingredients you can find [here].

The cardboard box contains compact, leaflet and air tight packed additional refill for the compact. Single core of the cushion (refill) contains 15g of BB cream, so altogether we got 30g of foundation.
While unboxing my cushion I quickly understood what is that whole "cushion boom" about. The compact is just so damn pretty, so pretty I feel like buying another few and decor my house by just placing them here and there. Seriously, any room with this compact displayed gets +5 points to style.

In the compact I found the applicator sponge, all ready to use, settled on protective flap. Under the flap there is BB soaked-sponge, protected from drying out by special sticker.

The sponge seems very orange and rather dark, but the BB cream itself is very bright. There is four shades to choose from:  #13 True Beige, #14 Pink Beige, #21 Natural Beige, #23 Sand Beige. Usually I go for #21, but I've read that Laneige's cushions are quite dark, so I choose #13 in this case. It turned out that I made a good choice, it has nice light beige shade:

as you can see Laneige's #13 is darker than Missha's #13, but still brighter than Missha's #21. It also has different tone, not as grayish as Missha.

Now for the cushion itself. I must admit that I haven't read the description on the Laneige website before I bought the cushion, but I assumed that product offering pore control will be suitable for oily skin, since most oily skins have problems with enlarged pores. After checking the description for this review it turned out that my assumption was correct - product is designed for porous AND oily skin. But only in theory - in my opinion this product description is completely inaccurate.

First of all, this BB cream definitely isn't matte. Not even a little bit! It offers typical for BB creams dewy effect. I must say I'm not that surprised really, I already came across a few BB creams that were supposed to be matte, but they weren't. Normally I just apply a little bit of mattifying powder and life goes on, however with this product it's not that simple - Laneige doesn't like to be mattified. Any attempt to apply even a little bit of powder on top of Laneige ends up in an immediate cakey effect. In general this BB likes to roll up in wrinkles a little bit, but after any attempt of mattifying it my face seem to be consist of pores and wrinkles only. Yuck.

The other issue I got with this product is lasting or I should say a complete lack of lasting. It starts to cake after about 5 hours, after 8 hours what I got on my face is much closer to rice pudding or semolina than to a foundation. Moreover, it tends to slip off some places on my face and build up in others, creating spots and patches. The spots are not such a big deal, all you have to do is rub them with your finger to spread the foundation back again, but at work I don't have time to check myself in the mirror every 15 minutes, so I don't know for how long I've been looking like spotty cow in front of my customers and that annoys me to bit. First thing I thought that the fault of this foundation wearing so badly was my sunscreen - I already got one BB cream (Holika Holika) that is alright applied on bare skin, but turns into disaster applied on the top of the sunscreen, so the second time I skipped my sunscreen before the cushion. Unfortunately result was exactly the same. "What a dumb bitch I am" - I thought to myself, since I haven't done my microdermabrasion treatment for a long time, so my face was a dead skin cell cemetery, no wonder then that the foundation looks cakey. I've done my microdermabrasion and the next day applied my cushion with expectations raised. No luck again - although I do think it caked a little bit less, still my makeup was in unacceptable state after 8 hours. Oh well, I thought, maybe it's one of those BB's that can't be without primer. So on the day four, I applied it on the top of Innisfree No Sebum Primer (review coming soon) - cake, again! I blamed the Innsifree this time, in general this primer is a little bit weird, so I thought that it was the primer that spoiled my makeup this time. On the day 5 I used Laneige Skin Veil base, now this time it has to work... Nope. Cake and spots were laughing at me in the mirror. On the day 6 I finally admitted that I won't make friends with this cushion, no matter how hard I try.

In my opinion, against the manufacturer statements, this cushion is definitely not suitable for oily skin and I got a feeling that on other skin type it could perform better. It looks nice for some time after application, the colour is just lovely. The coverage is just about right, evens out the skin tone and cover some imperfections and blackheads, but looks natural. It's buildable if we need more coverage and lightweight, you won't feel it on your face. The application itself is quick and easy, although some areas are tricky to reach, like the "corner" between your nose and cheek. It has high SPF 50 PA+++, but bear in mind that you don't apply enough of it to achieve true SPF50 protection, so separate sunscreen is advisable.

Price: £23-28 on e-Bay, I bought if for approx. £23 on Tester Korea.

Pros:
+ nice shade
+ coverage is perfect, evens out skin tone, but doesn't create mask-like effect and looks natural
+ gorgeous, pretty, fabulous packaging
+ easy and quick application
+ high SPF50 PA+++
+ compact is suitable for other Amore Pacific cushion refills, like Iope or Hera

Cons:
- rolls up in winkles
- doesn't last for long, gets cakey and patchy
- no promised by manufacturer sebum control
- against manufacturer description it's not matte
- any attempt to mattify it with powder makes it look very cakey and ugly

Summary
There is quite a lot of positive reviews about this product in the Internet and I don't think it's utterly useless, I think it's just nor for me. I regret buying it, mostly because it's not cheap, actually is the most expensive BB I've bought so far. Yes, it is pretty and handy, but I don't fancy paying double or triple the price of normal BB just for the pretty packaging. For comparison, one of my favourite BB - Tony Moly Dear Me Petite Cotton costs only £5 and lasts on my face for the whole day. I don't like wastage, so I'm not gonna throw the cushion away, I will use up the current refill for some quick go outs, when I will be able to get back home before it gets all cakey and patchy. But I won't attempt trying to use the second refill, so I have send it to someone else. We shall see how dry skinned person finds it :)

Spot emergency: Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot review

Mizon's Pink Spot is my mate for over a year now - I'm used to see it my bathroom so much now, that I still forget to review it. But finally, today is the day! ;)

Product description:  It works effectively while sleeping at night for soothing skin troubles. The patented formula of AHA, BHA, Calamine and Triclosan relieves acne and prevents it to develop.
How to use: Dip a cotton swab down to the bottom of the bottle and apply only to troubled spots.

Important ingredients:

• Calamine - is either a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) with about 0.5% ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) or a zinc carbonate compound. It's used to relieve pain, itching, and discomfort from minor skin irritations. Also used as a mild antiseptic to prevent infections that can be caused by scratching the affected area, and an astringent to dry weeping or oozing blisters and acne abscesses.
• Salicylic acid - organic acid originally obtained from willow bark. It's a key ingredient in many skin-care products for the treatment of various skin conditions, like acne, psoriasis, calluses, corns, ichthyosis, and, warts etc. It works by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed more readily, opening clogged pores and neutralising bacteria within, preventing pores from clogging up again by constricting pore diameter, and allowing room for new cell growth.
• Triclosan - an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
• Coptis japonica (Japanese goldthread) root extract - contains berberine, a plant alkaloid revered in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Berberine has various medicinal uses, as a supplement to support treatment of heart diseases, low bone density, diabetise. Used on skin it has anti-bacterial and anti-ageing properties.
• Bilberry (European blueberry) fruit/leaf extract - used in traditional European medicine, has many different healthcare uses. On skin it has anti-aging effects by stabilizing collagen structures. Recent research showed that Bilberry extract has promising anti-ulcer activity.
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract (also known as wild portulaca or pigweed) - has many benefits on skin: soothing effect, accelerating healing process, improving skin's elasticity. As a natural source of vitamins A, C and E and the co-enzyme Q10, is an excellent antioxidant, fighting premature ageing and protecting skin from enviromental damage.
• Cluster pine bark extract -   has anti-oxidant properties and ability to enhance the microcirculation by increasing capillary permeability. Supports healing processes, reduces scar formation.
• Ivy extract - It has emollient and itch-relieving properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and pain killing actions. It's alsoa circulatory compound and helps other ingredients to be absorbed by the skin.
• Sugar Maple Extract - contains naturally occurring Malic Acid (AHA) and is used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Sugar Cane Extract -  main source of glycolic acid (AHA), used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Orange Fruit extract - soothes sensitive, irritaed skin
• Lemon fruit extract - A natural source of Vitamin C and antioxidant bioflavonoids, protects skin against damage from reactive ozone, has anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Raspberry Fruit Extract - soothing and relaxing to inflamed skin. Excellent for sensitive skin and any irritation from acne, shaving or windburn. 
• Tea tree oil - essential oil with powerful antiseptic properties, widely used in acne treatments, aids in healing and soothing the skin.

Full list of ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol, Calamine, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Glycolic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Camphor, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylid Acid, Triclosan, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy Extract), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil. 

This product is fairly similar to Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot. They both contain salicylic acid and they are meant to be used in the same way: make sure the bottle is not shaken, so the powder is settled on the bottom. While dabbing cotton bud into the bottle, it gets first disinfected in the liquid, then it reaches the powder that settles on cotton. Even though you have to pull again through the liquid, the powder stays on the bud and it's ready for application.

The product comes in a blue cardboard box, sealed with "Original Mizon" holographic sticker. The bottle is made of frosted glass and contains 35ml of liquid/powder. It has a strong smell of herbs and alcohol. Cotton buds are not included.

Back of the box

When applied on spot, powder settles on skin, leaving a pale pink, powdery circle - that's why it's recommended to be used at nightime. I do sometimes use it during the day - when I'm not leaving the house, or even before work. Powder mark wipes away easily, if I put a make up on, it will just wipe off during make up application, so if I use it before work, I apply it on my skin minimum 15 mins before applying make up, so it has some time to work on skin. The powder doesn't stain, I've used it at bedtime multiple times and even though in the morning it's gone, there is no marks on my bedding.
During application product may sting a little, because of the alcohol. Fortunately this sensation last only a moment.

Now, does it work?
Yes! But only on certain type of spots.
Mizon's spot powder works topiary, so it won't work on nodules and cysts, that are sitting under the skin. For this kind of trouble acne patches are wroking magic. Spot powder is great to fight "classic spots" - pustules, red bumps with white/yellow top. It dries the spot out and reduces inflammation. It's also helpful when we squeeze - I always apply this powder on top of any squeezed spot, to disinfect the area. It helps to tone down redness and soreness, it takes about 2-3 nights to completely heal average pustule.
A little goes a long way - I use occasionally for about a year now and didn't even used up half of the bottle.

Price: from £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ helps reduce the inflammation
+ disinfects the area
+ soothes irritation after squeezing
+ a little goes a long way 
+ powder doesn't stain fabrics - if used overnight won't mark your bedding

Cons:
- takes about 2-3 nights to treat pustules
- not effective against under skin bumps
- may sting a moment after application

Summary: I like this product and I find it helpful in my acne treatment. It is not a miracle product, it won't magically clear you acne during one night, but it certainly helps to reduce inflammation.

Enlarged pores problem? Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam & Pore Control Peeling Toner.

A lot of people has problem with enlarged pores. If you are one of them I have a bad news and a good news for you. The bad news is, that the size of your pores is depending on your skin type and there is nothing you can do to change it permanently. For example my forehead has visible pores and no matter what I use, they always look like that - it's just the structure of my skin. The pores on my cheeks near nose are even more visible, BUT I manage to control the size of them. And here is the good news: pores appear bigger because of excessive sebum and waste in them = you can minimise appearance of them by properly cleansing. And here is where this Mizon's products come handy :)

Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam

 

 

Product description: Minty cooling foam containing kaolin and charcoal that effectively absorb excessive waste, sebum and dead skin cell in pores and help keep skin clean while killing bacteria. Shooting botanicals leave skin moisturised and smooth.

Mizon's 'Genuine product' sticker.

The foam has fresh and minty smell, a little bit like a toothpaste :P It has thick and creamy consistency, a little amount easily leathers up in nice, thick foam. As you can see on the pictures, it contains tiny little particles (I suppose it's charcoal related?), but you can hardly feel them, so this is not exfoliating product. It leaves skin refreshed and squeaky clean. As for the cooling effect - I delicately stings skin, but tings not in a painful harsh way, but in a nice refreshing way.

Price: £5-6 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way
+ cleanse very well, leaves face squeaky clean
+ refreshing feeling
+ nice scent
+ leathers up well into thick foam
+ cheap

Cons:
- can be a little drying/harsh for sensitive skin

I was using this product before I started to double cleanse with oil. It's good to remove all the make up - I'm a hardcore and used it on my eyes as well (takes off mascara), but be careful with that as it stings if it gets into an eye. I don't plan to repurchase so far, as since I use double cleansing I choose more mild foam (oil does the "dirty job"), but I bear in mind this foam as a really good one. If you don't double cleanse and want just one good cleansing product - this is a good choice. It does minimise pores a little, however effect is MUCH better if used with toner.
  It contains Lauric Acid and Pottasium Hydroxide that may be recognised as a potential irritants/acne triggers, however I didn't notice any influence on my acne or irritation while using this product.
  Ingerdients: Aqua, myristic acid, kaolin acid, lauric acid, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, cocamidopropyl betaine, hydroxyethylcellulose, charcoal powder, sodium hyaluronate, beta glucan, vaccinum myrtillus fruit/leaf extract, saccharium officinarum (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica limonium (lemon) fruit extract, amica  Montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, achillea millefolium extract, gentian lutea root extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, gypsophila paniculata root extract, hedera helix (ivy) extract, hydrolyzed extension, collagen, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone, fragrance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

Pore Control Peeling Toner

 

Product description: Specialised formula removes makeup residue and calms skin after cleansing, while balancing skin pH. It keeps skin oil free and fresh all day long.

First of all I must say that I absolutely LOVE the sleek square bottle design. It's not well visible on the photo, but bottle is coloured in gradient green (darker on the bottom and lighter on the top), and the silver "Pore" word is holographic. It has such a elegant and modern look! The only downside is the size of the bottle - I consider 80ml as quite small for a toner. Gets used up much quicker than foam.

Mizon's 'genuine product' sticker.

The toner has a very handy pump dispenser, which reaches right to the bottom of the bottle, so we can easily use it the the end. I was using six pumps of product on a cotton pad to tone my face. Toner has citrusy smell with a hint of alcohol, but in general smell is quite subtle and not bothering.
When I was using just western products, the toner was qualifying for me as a cleansing product and astringent. I noticed that Asian toners are more on the skincare side, but some of them are still more cleansing (the containing alcohol ones) and some of them are more moisturising and caring. This one is more on the astringent side, which is fair enough as it's supposed to control pores.
The toner gives refreshing feel to the skin. When used on it's own slightly minimise pores and has a bit of moisturising touch to the skin. When used with foam it has great impact on my pores on the cheeks (the ones on the forehead don't react to anything...).

Price: £8-9 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ elegant packaging
+ refreshing feel
+ has impact on pore size

Cons:
- I didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual
- small capacity - for that price we can get at least 100ml, or even 210ml like Mizon's Witchhazel toner. I think we are paying for the pretty bottle here :]

It contains Alcohol and Salicylic Acid that may be irritating for some skins. For my skin alcohol is almost neutral and my skin loves Salicylic Acid.

Ingredients: Aqua, alcohol, glycerin, sodium lactate, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, glycolic acid, salicylic acid , theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) extract, copper tripeptide-1, collagen, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower/ leaf extract, carica papaya ( papaya) fruit extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone , fragrance 
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

In general this two are a great products for pore control. I ordered foam first and then toner and I noticed that used together they have much better influence on pore size. However, as I said on the beginning of my post we can not change our pore size permanently, so the effect won't last after you stop using the products. I also didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual while using this products. Unfortunately used together they have a bit more drying effect on the skin than used separately, so if you want to give them a go, make sure you have some good moisturiser handy.

The whole Mizon's Pore Line.

The line contains also Pore Refine Silky Smooth Essence and Pore Tightening Lotion.
Note: On many websites the recommended order of use is Foam > Toner > Essence > Lotion, however Essence contains silicons and sun screen, so I would recommend using it last. If you put silicone first, the ingredients from Lotion won't be able to reach the skin.

Lioele AC Control Trouble Patch Review

For some reason I tend to forget about my essentials when doing reviews. Lioele's Trouble Patch is one of the products, which I HAVE TO have and if I reach half of packaging I start panicking and immediately order it no matter how long until pay day it is. Pretty bad, huh? xD

Product description: Lioele's A.C. Control Trouble Patches help to relieve and care for troubled skin. It contains Salicylic Acid & Tea Tree Oil to help disinfect the area as well as reduce redness and assists with healing. If you feel a pimple arising, place a sticker patch directly onto the area. For best results, place onto the spot directly and leave for 8-12 hours (overnight while sleeping) then remove and continue with regular skin care routine.

Directions of use.

I came across this product accidentally, browsing some e-Bay stores with Korean cosmetics. I've tried many things to help my acne, but never heard of acne patches before, so ordered one sheet as a sample. Full size product contains five sheets of patches, each sheet has 12 patches.

The patches themselves are made of clear PU film, with one side sticky. They stick very very well - I already used up three full size packs (180 patches! 0o) and it happened to me only once that the patch didn't stick very well - when I put it next to my mouth corner on a day time, so every time I smiled or opened my mouth the patch was affected and started to peel off after few hours. During the nigh time they stick wonderfully. A few times I had forgot that I have any patch on and washed my face with the patch on - it still didn't peel off! But don't worry, even though they stick wonderfully they are easy to remove - it sometimes tricky to be able to catch the edge (a little bit like when you loose sellotape end!), but once you catch it, the patch pull out easily enough to not be painful.
Because they are made of film they are slightly shiny, what makes them visible, however I found that visibility depends on where we stick them. On "harder" base, like chin or forehead they are more noticeable, when they are on soft skin like cheeks they kinda blend better. I don't know why xD

Now the performance: for me this patches work absolutely wonders BUT they have to be used in the right way:
1. They work best on the spots that didn't "pop out" yet, the ones without white/yellow top. My biggest skin problems are nodules and cysts - painful form of acne forming under the skin, and these help to make them go away quicker.
2. The sooner you put it on the better they will work - I can usually feel nodule or cyst forming under my skin before it even discolour/bump surface of the skin. Just some part of my face would be sore to touch or mimics. These patches used early enough can even prevent the nodule/cyst from forming! :)
3. The longer you keep them on, the better they work - if for some reason you can't keep the patch on at least 8 hours it won't work as good. 8 hours is a minimum! Don't worry, they won't cause inflammation or anything like that - few times I kept them on longer than 12 hours and they did a good job.
Depending on the size/kind of spot it can takes me from 1 to 3 patches to heal the spot. 

I love this product and wouldn't be without it. It magic lays in Salicylic Acid - my skin seems to react well to it acne-wise. What I love most is that this stuff doesn't dry out skin - I got a very good medical cream for acne, but it dries out quite  badly and creates dry patches on my face, which are pain when it comes to make up. With this product I don't have dried out skin anymore - however if you want to use it in a day time you need to know that this patches don't go with make up very well. Because they are made out of PU material, the make up just don't stay on top of them, it impossible to put anything on top of them. And a foundation/corrector will form a circle around the patch. So if you can't be without the make up, it's better to use this patches at night time.

Price: you can buy single sheet as a trial for £1.80 or full pack of five sheets for £5.40 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ sticks well
+ clear - not very visible
+ used early enough prevent spot from fully forming
+ helps heal spots quicker
+ quite cheap

Cons:
- don't work with make up

I would strongly recommend this product to all acne sufferers, especially those with nodular acne.
Have you ever tried acne patches before? What are yours favourite brands of them? :)

Ingredients: Acrylates Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Water, Alcohol Denat., Salicylic Acid, Water/Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., / Vitis Vinifefa (Grape) Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Polysorbate 80, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Etude House AC Clinic Intense Trial Kit

Hello :)
I wasn't here for a while, so here you go: a well deserved, quite large review.

I came across quite few good reviews of anti-acne products from Etude Huse's AC Clinic, but couldn't decide which one exactly I should go for. Fortunatelly I came across this handy Trial Set - five samples of product for approx. £5, which according to seller should last for four weeks.

 Set contains: cleansing foam, toner, lotion, two spot products and a few cotton buds for application.

I am going to review products in the order they should be used.


AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Poduct description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid, Triclosan* and Sandalwood Oil, Acne Foam Cleanser removes acne causing germs to keep your skin clean all day. AC Clinic line is formulated without  acne-inducing ingredients to promote clear skin.

*Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.

The trial version is a 30ml tube, protected with foil. The full size product contains 150ml.

The foam itself looks and smells like my dad's old fashioned  shaving cream ;)

 It's a thick, pearlised-white cream, which turns into rich foam when spread on wet skin. A little goes a long way - pea size of product is enough to clean the whole face. It has very characteristic, medicine-like herbal scent - I personally don't find it unpleasent, but I know some people might.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way - when other products ran out, this one seems to be never ending ;)
+ leaves skin nicely fresh and squeeky-clean

Cons:
- dries skin up a little bit
- I haven't notice any improvment on my acne

Ingredients: WATER, GLYCERIN, STEARIC ACID, MYRISTIC ACID, PEG-32, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, LAURIC ACID, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, HYDRATED SILICA, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, SALICYLIC ACID, PEG-90M, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM BENZOATE, FRAGRANCE 

AC Clinic Daily Toner

 Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, AC Clinic delivers trouble care. Skin toner removes pore clogging residues. 

That's a strong stuff. Contains alcohol, which I can smell quite strongly among the herbal scent known from foam. I definetly wouldn't recommend this product to people with sensitive skin.

Pros:
+ cleans well, what we can see on a cotton pad...

Cons:
- dries up skin :(
- doesn't last for long - from all the samples, this one get used up quickest

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERETH-26, SALICYLID ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (CHORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMONIUM GLYCRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, PEG-60, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, CELLULOSE GUM, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE 
 
AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress extract, AC Clinic Gel Lotion clarifies and soothes troubled skin while maintain oil/moisture balance without aggravation.

AC Lotion is a lightweight moisturiser, white-ish, almost transparent. It has characteristic for this line herbal scent with a hint of alcohol (alcohol in a moisturiser?! Whyyyyy??!!). The application is annoying, because the bottle is hard and I can't squeeze the product out and shaking it out is also not very effective, so I ended up getting it out from the bottle with cotton bud.

The sample is 25ml, full size product 150ml.

Pros:
- absorbs quickly
- very lightweight, doesn't make skin oily
- moisturises a bit, but...

Cons:
- ...but not enough to make it the only mosturiser in my skin care routine, especially after drying foam and toner
- annoying application - what's interesting it doesn't improve in full size version, as it's glass bottle with casual cap and no pump or any other kind of applicator attached.

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE


AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot

Product description: Contains Salicylate acid, Retinispora, Chaga Mushroom, Houttuynia. Two level concentrate spot care with pink powder and water. Treats sensitive skin for clearer look. Non-artificial color, Non-comedogenic.

The product is a cloudy  liquid containing pink powder, which stays on the bottom of the bottle. Important: don't shake the bottle! It should be applied on spots with cotton bud, which is meant to go through the liquid before reaching the treating powder, to make sure application is hygienic. It leaves pink marks on the skin, so it's recomended to use during the night.

The sample contains 5ml, full size product is 15ml. The full size product is not available on it's own, but in a little kit with sample size Pink Powder Water, as the products are supposed to be used together.

Pros:
+ dries up quickly, so doesn't stain bedding
+ helps treating acne

Cons:
- because of pink marks I can't use it during the day
- doesn't last for long

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE

AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Water

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, Powder solution alleviates trouble swelling on contact to minimize damage.

The name of product may be confusing, as it's white not pink... It's also a cloudy liquid which splits into two layers just like the Pink Powder Spot, however in that case we have to shake the product before use. It is kind of a day version of Pink Spot Powder, as it not so visible on the skin:

However as it dries up it can leave white residue on a skin, which is annoying and hard to cover with make up.

The sample contains 5ml of Water, full size product is 45ml and it is availabe on it's own.

Pros:
+ not so visible on the skin as Pink Powder Spot

Cons:
- doesn't work as well as the Pink Spot
- sometimes leaves white residue on skin, which is hard to cover with make up.


Summary

Unfortunatelly I haven't notice much of improvement on my skin while using these products. I am a bit dissapointed, as usually my skin responds well to Salicylic Acid. Actually the only product from the Trial Kit which clearly worked was Pink Powder Spot, but I am not going for the full size version anyway. As it comes to efficiency, the only products that lasted four weeks were foam and lotion.