#KoreanSkincareSeries: Oh my Acne battle - Part 1 | Sheet Mask & Blemish Cream

"Acne" - oh how I dislike the word!

Facts about Acne: It's estimated to affect 9.4% of the global population. 95% of all people will experience acne at some point in their lives.

Infact, in the US alone,  nearly 50 million Americans suffers from acne. 95% of acne sufferers believe that there is a cure for acne and only 4% actually know that acne can never be cured but can be treated effectively!

After years of being a part of that 96% believers, I've finally well realized and proven myself that it's more realistic to be part of that 4% group instead.

Having spent so much time, finance, and efforts on harsh acne products and dermatology procedures, wishfully thinking that something will work eventually, I finally understood & convinced myself of this saying by Sun Tzu:

"if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss....

if you know yourself but not your opponent, you may win or may lose...

if you know neither yourself and your enemy, you will always endanger yourself..."

This perfectly describe the battle with acne.. LOL

It made me  realize that I need to understand my acne and what I am doing to my skin so I can treat it.

And my answer: "Right products and consistent skincare routine."

Finding the right products was a long and painful journey. And the feeling of giving up makes it so hard to be consistent with good skincare routine - thinking that nothing is working anyway!

My skin history:

(Age 15-17)

I first had my early battle with acne since junior high to college freshman years. They were just small red bumps on my cheeks that came and went away. I never really took the time and effort to treat them because they weren't at a point of being troublesome for me.

(Age 17-19)

Then I moved to Italy and had clear skin for 2 years until I started  dating my now-husband boyfriend..(oops)

(Age 20-Present)

My adult acne begun at age 20 and suffered for a year, thanks to birth control pills I had my clearest stage of skin for 3 years, and ofcourse after stopping it, hormonal acne started bursting, which commenced my "real" battle with it.

And thankfully, although not completely curing it (as I initially thought was possible), my acne concern I could say is atleast controlled/tamed. There are days when I don't see any on my face and days when they all decide to just come out then be gone again..(but sometimes persist to stay.. ugghh!)

But, with the right products(mostly Korean skincare products) and consistency, I can do this!

So among the many skincare products I use, today I'll be talking about my favorite sheet mask and blemish cream.

1.) MEDIHEAL TEA TREE CARE SOLUTION MASK

Sheet masking is so fun and skin beneficial! I enjoy it so much that I sheet mask almost every night! And MediHeal Tea Tree mask is so helpful on taming my stubborn acne.

Its main ingredient is Tea Tree Leaf Oil(Melaleuca) an anti-oxidant, formulated with pine needle and portulaca oleracea extracts. These ingredients are great in controlling sebum secretion and soothing dry & irritated skin. It is so cool and refreshing on the face. The mask itself is very soft, very thin and very well soaked in essence. I like how it has section cuts on both the left & the right side and at the bottom, making it easier to place it on the face perfectly without so much bubble or gaps.

I leave it on for 15-20 minutes and after removing it, I pat the remaining essence on my face for more absorption and let it dry.

This mask helps to calm any current acne I have and aids in healing them more quickly. It tames my facial sebum as well and as a bonus, it makes my skin smooth without being greasy!

I bought my first set from Japantown in SF California. I've been regularly buying it from AMAZON.COM for $12.19 for a pack of 10 sheet masks.(Not bad!)

2.) COSRX CENTELLA BLEMISH CREAM

After my MediHeal sheet mask, I apply this cream very thinly on my face and dab more of it on the areas where I have acne.

Its main ingredient is Centella Asiatica, known for being a natural anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial; also known for its effectiveness in fading scars and treating damaged skin. Combined with tea tree oil = it is the answer for every acne prone skin!

Along with the MediHeal sheet mask, I use this cream every night after cleansing my face before bedtime.

I make sure to only apply a thin layer of it because an excessive amount leaves a white cast on the face.

It calms my face's redness and helps heal & dry my current acne faster.

I also believe that it helps minimize my scarring.

I used to buy it from MEMEBOX.COM(USA) but now regularly buying it from AMAZON.COM.

Tip: I wouldn't recommend using it in the morning because it doesn't blend well with other moisturizer and/or make up.

So, that sums up two of my most important weapons for acne! haha.

I use them right after using the products featured on my previous post about Innisfree Clay Mask & Klairs Vitamin C Drop - which you may want to read as well if you haven't done so yet. Just head to the home page and scroll down to the end; or click the tab Skincare & Korean Obsession).

Thanks again for reading and til next time!
Stay tuned to more upcoming posts under the #KoreanSkincareSeries!

Much love, Christie