Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion

Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion Review

(Note : this review is based on my personal experience, I wrote it just for sharing, I did not get paid or having other motives)

My skin condition was : combination-oily-dehydrated, acne-prone, rough, big pores, blemished, sensitives (itchy and redness), dull, uneven skin tone.

          First I would like to tell u about my experience, hope u don’t mind to read it or else u can just skip it. Mind my English, It is bad and I realize it… I used to write in Indonesian but I want to share with everybody, not just those from my country since it is review about foreign brand from Korea.

         Finally, I write this review after been using this product up until now, starting from Nov 2011. I’d been struggling  with acne dissaster  on my face and neck for more than 6 months before I started using this product. My face was easily prone and there were bumps every where on my face and neck. Every time new bumps appeared, I applied acne treatment gel but every after one down, the others always came as the replacement, and this situation continued until my face and half of my neck were filled by acne scars and blemishes. I got that situation because of trying cosmetic products that didn’t suit for my skin and also because of environmental stress. I have sensitive skin, easily experience redness, and breakouts if I use wrong products. I tried product that claimed to be non comedogenic but the fact those are clogging my pores, Grrh… (sorry just got emotional every time I remember it)

         I’d tried many products for acne-oily skin treatment but those only made it worse. In my past, 2 years ago, I experienced almost the same disaster, and I went to beauty clinic, consulted a doctor, did some painful chemical peeling for acne treatment, used medical cream based on recipe and it worked to cure my acne. But I didn’t want to do it again coz I noticed those treatment made my skin become more sensitive especially to the sun exposure.

          One day I dropped by on my friend’s workplace. She’s running some beauty-slimming theraphy clinic. I heard one of her patient said that she had been experiencing bad breakouts and she came to the doctor but didn’t work well until she tried brand named Skinfood. Few days later I googled Skinfood and browsed the official web. I read about the Parsley and mandarin line and I read several reviews about the product that mentioned the same problem as me.  The line is for troubled skin (yes, I was definitely in big trouble, thought this would suit me well).

            On the middle November 2011 I went to Galaxy Mall Surabaya and saw Skinfood shop there. The SA examined my skin and said that I had a combination-oily skin, very oily in the T-zone, jaw and chin area but bit dry on the cheeks and also sensitive skin. She suggested me to buy Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion for a start to help me cure my breakouts. Why not tea tree? She said that Tea tree line would be drying for me coz tea tree only for those with super oily skin. I asked why she suggest emulsion for me and she said that for a skin condition like mine, the emulsion was suited best coz it is lightweight, easy absorbed and wouldn’t clog pores. I could’nt use the cream version coz I was in the bad  acne condition and I have to careful not to put heavy or creamy product on my face. She also suggested me Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Gel as the cleanser and to use medicated acne cleaning soap that can be bought in the drugstore if I didn’t kinda feel sure to try skinfood facial foam.  About the toner, the SA didn’t suggest me to use toner so I didn’t buy one.

            For a girl who mostly buy skin care under Rp. 100.000 (about $ 11), this is bit too expensive for me but it came with 160 ml glass bottle, sure a lot of amount it was and the SA told me that It could last about 6 month. Well, sounds worth the price since it is not categorized as premium brand. (lately I know that I can buy it a lot cheaper almost half the counter price if I buy via online shop)

Ok, enough with my story now get into the product. Sorry for the blurry pic here, I took these with a notebook web cam. U can visit the site for a better description of the product in http://eng.theskinfood.com/Product/product_detail.asp?productid=1753

Packaging : In a 160 ml clear glass bottle with ingredients list on the label. U can see the amount of the product inside.

           I first tried to use it on the night. After cleansing my face with Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Gel and then wash my face with Stiefel Acne Aid facial soap bar (I’ll also review the Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Gel later) after that I use the Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion by spread it in a generous amount all over my face and neck (well, the bumps were also in my neck). 

Night order : Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Gel --> Stiefel Acne Aid facial soap bar --> Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion --> Acne Spot lotion (only applied to the spots my big acne bumps)

After 1 month application, I rarely used my acne lotion since I didn’t have big bumps anymore.

Texture : White-Orangey lightweight lotion, non sticky, watery, easy absorbed, bit strong citrusy-herbal-alcohol smell (also parsley smell maybe)

           When I woke up in the morning, I noticed my redness decrease. I felt that it soothed and calmed my skin and also some of my little zits dried. This emulsion is also keep my skin hydrated and my skin become more supple after few days use.

          I knew that I can’t use two way cake since I was in the acne troubled skin condition but just can’t leave the horrible parts of my face exposed to the world! Yes before I go to work, after using Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion I put on two way cake to cover my acne and blemished and I always carry my Silky Girl Lightening two way cake every where and tap it in my face whenever the coverage start to fade away. I knew that acne skin should use loose powder in light coverage that won’t clog pores and avoid foundation, compact and two way cake but I was just didn't do that.

My morning ritual was :

Skinfood Wildberry Milk Cleansing Gel --> Stiefel Acne Aid Facial Soap Bar --> Skinfood Parsley and Mandarin Emulsion --> Two Way Cake  

           In opinion of a sensitive girl like me who doesn’t like perfume in skin care, this emulsion is really does have  strong smell that bother me actually. When u use the emulsion, do avoid eyes area. Sometimes I use too generous amount of it on my chin include my eye brows area (since I also had few little zits there) and then when my face sweats at night the emulsion that I’ve rubbed above my eye brows run down hurting my eyes or in the morning there’re more dirt on my eyes than usual. I’ve said when u use it, do avoid eyes area!

After 1 month usage, I noticed it helps reducing the number of my acne, calming and soothing my redness, and controlling my sebum and bit freshen up my face. I seldom use my acne spot lotion anymore since after 1 month usage I didn’t have big bumps anymore, only a few little to medium zits.

          After 2 month usage, it does help me cure my troubled skin. My face became more resistant to environmental stress, did not easy to get acne, itchy or redness anymore. It also refined my skin texture become smoother and suppler, keep my skin hydrated and bit lightened up. Well, I’m pretty happy with the result, I can prove to my mom that I can cure my troubled skin without having to go to dermatologist or beauty clinic since back then she suggested me to go back to the N*****a beauty clinic. Yiiipppiiiieeee! :)

              It does help my skin to be ‘stronger’ which means reducing it sensitivity to redness and acne. After dealing with acne, I must deal with post acne blemishes that left all over my chin, cheeks, jaw, and neck. This emulsion did little bit lighten up my blemishes but just a bit. I have waited for 1 month (third month of using it) wishing it would help me to decrease the appearance of my blemishes but I only saw a little improvement. I was eyeing for some lightening product but my rational mind told me “Hey, Ur skin just healed from terrible acne, remember? U should give it some time before u put new lightening product on it”. Well, I tried to be patient then. I still can cover my imperfections by using bb cream (I used Silky Girl Magic BB Cream which I have already reviewed).

 I open the back label to see the Ingredients list on english


Ingredients :

Water, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Petroselinum Sativum (Parsley) Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Cholesterol, Ceramide 3, Disodium Edta, Triethanolamine, Acrylates / C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Taraxacum Platycarpum Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Menthol, Phenoxyethanol, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben, Cl 15985, Cl 19140, Cl 42090, Parfum.

It use 320 mg Parsley Extract and 320 mg Mandarin Orange Fruit Extract as the active ingredients.

Skinfood is proudly mention their brand as organic natural cosmetic but when I look into the ingredients, it sure does contain natural ingredients but the product itself not 100% natural. Well, can’t hope more within their price range, right?

Pros :

- Lightweight, Non sticky, easy absorbed

- Keep my skin hydrated, smoother and suppler

- Did great job to cure my acne troubled skin

- Soothes and Calms my skin

- Refine my skin texture

- Worth the price, 1 bottle goes a long way, cheaper if u buy it via online shop

- Nice packaging in a glass bottle, I like glass container better than plastic

- Contain lot of natural ingredients

- Did not clog my pores

- Control my sebum and decrease my white heads

Cons :

- Strong unpleasant smell

- Did not help enough to reduce the appearance of my post acne blemishes

- Contain alcohol and perfume

Who may like it :

- Oily-combination skin like me

Who may not like it :

- People with dry skin and super sensitive skin

- Who don’t tolerate alcohol and perfume in skin care

- Who don’t like the strong smell of it

Repurchase? Yes, It is a product that pretty useful to handle my skin trouble, definitely a thing that I should stock up at home. Really worth the price. Well, I’ll keep this opinion until I find some better and the real organic one at affordable price of course.

I’ve been using it until now (the date of this review made), but now I don’t use it every day since I also use skin lightening product. It’s still almost 1/3 of the bottle, guess I’ll buy for a stock when it’s almost ran out.

Hope this review can help.

(Note : U may have different skin condition from mine, even if u feel like facing the same acne problem, I suggest to buy the sample version if available or test some little amount on some part of ur face to see the effect of this product on u before u decide to use it all over ur face.)