Anti-acne supplements from Clarins, Mario Badescu & Sothys - would they help?

As a continuation to my last post, here are some reviews I have of anti-blemish formula to help you with your pore-clogging skin.

Clockwise from most left: Sothys Purifying Serum, Mario Badescu Anti Acne Serum, Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil and Clarins Blemish Control.

As you can see in this picture, this bottle is empty. I've used it until the last drop and I loved this product because it works. It comes in a liquid-y texture and 3 drops of it over your entire face will help ensure purified skin.

However, the thing about this product is that it comes in a really small 15ml bottle and costs a good RM208. I used this more than a year ago and am surprised to find that I still keep the bottle, apt to be highlighted in this post. It works well but to be fair, I didn't have that many pimples the way I did recently.

As most products for blemished skin, I don't believe that it works alone and you would also need to be disciplined in ensuring that you at least scrub your face twice to three times a week and put on a clay/purifying mask once to twice a week.

Now, this one by Mario Badescu was an experiment purchase. I have seen it at the Sephora Malaysia stores and it did initially catch my attention... that is, until I decided to buy something else for my troubled skin. However, as fate has it, a friend in Singapore informed some of us of a 30% sale and she had provided that wonderful opportunity for me to buy this, cheap (thank you, darling!)

The Anti Acne Serum comes in a gel form. At first it reminded me of Dermalogica's Overnight Clearing Gel I used ages ago. However, this one is thicker and its instruction clearly said that you only need a thin layer. I was, after all, in my experimental mode and applied a little thicker than I probably should, and my hands went all sticky and yucky after the application. Lucky for me that I wasn't going out and I applied it before my clay mask as my weekly facial treatment at home.

I have to say that I haven't really been using this that regularly because those times that I do use, I may have not seen any real visible effects. Except for the times I use under my clay mask, I don't think it helps much in reducing the depth of existing pimples. In fact, I am not sure if it actually makes me oil more. I mean, I may have over-stimulated my sebaceous glands with this product, perhaps? And probably it doesn't work so well if you incorporate it into your normal skincare regimen but slather that layer of foundation which will eventually clog your pores anyway especially when you get exposed to the heat and sweat.

Therefore, I believe that this product only works well when combined with other products as a more intense treatment like before putting on my mask. My skin felt totally purified after I wash off the mask.

Now this must be a star product for banishing pimples because the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil not only treats pimples but it hydrates skin as well. Hence, while your regular anti-acne skincare dries up your skin, this particular serum balances everything.

I must admit that when I first used this in my early twenties, I hated it. Okay, I love the smell but I hated everything else then... I thought this oil is a scam and it doesn't really work because it is, well, oily! However, recently during a facial, the beauty therapist gave me a creative way to use it - instead of applying it on your face as a serum before your usual moisturiser, why not mix it up with your toner. And she was brilliant! Because after only one use, I could see my skin plumped and hydrated, and feels so soft to the touch. I love it!

This 30ml bottle costs RM155 and I feel so blessed to have made that purchase.

Since using it for the past 1 week, I could see a marked difference to the way my skin behaves and it is on its way to recovery. I don't see new pimples popping up but I do note that the current impurities are making its way to the skin surface, making it so easy for me to remove them. I love how it smells and I love that it could make a big difference to any toner I use, be it the purifying one or the whitening/hydrating one - any toner you use, your skin feels purified and loved :)

But if you're looking for an anti-acne product for you to apply only on the affected area then this would be more suitable, I think.

Again, I don't think it works remotely and you would need to also incorporate a good cleansing habit and that weekly at-home treatment.

The Clarins Blemish Control is pretty small in size that you can easily put it into your handbag and apply any time under or over moisturiser or makeup. It is light, quite cooling and helps soothe inflamed skin. It does control existing blemishes but it doesn't work like magic either.

I had used a spot concealer from Clarins more than a decade ago and I think that worked like magic. However, I don't think they carry that product anymore and it is ashamed that something like that is off the market. So, I guess, what we have left are products that are gentle to our skin and probably need much longer time to work than we hope.

The product comes in a pair and cost RM79.

When I wrote about my priceless find with Ole Henriksen, I got some comments that the range dries up users' skin. The thing is, with any anti-acne or skincare suited for blemished-prone skin is that you must surely have anticipated this result... that they do make your skin dry. And I say, that they must work then because that's what they need to do - to make your skin less oily since that is the source of the problem most of the time. And your acne needs to dry up in order for it to be easily extracted or removed from the skin. So, of course they would make your skin appear drier than usual.

Therefore, you have to learn to balance up the skin, ie. use a hydrating serum before your usual moisturiser because hydration is equally important to rid off impurities from skin. And you wouldn't want to make your skin too dry that it will produce more oil making your skin even more stressed.

With that in mind, I think I have found my 'balancer' in the form of Clarins Lotus Oil. I don't have to layer too many products on my skin to make it hydrated because I use it with my toner. If I find that I have a too many acne waiting to pop, I would layer on the Mario Badescu Anti Acne Serum before my moisturiser or if I don't want that sticky feeling, I would just use the Blemish Control stick as an additional form of treatment.

What do you think? Would you like to add any thoughts to how people can remedy the appearance of acne? I know a lot of my friends are currently plagued by adult acne and any additional tips would help immensely.