Yanwaili Anti-Blemish Refining and Moisturizing Essence

Hellooo~ San Francisco! (We'll I'm not really from there.)

I'm in such a good mood because of the product we will be reviewing today! As you know, I recently purchased a bunch of asian beauty products from Sasa.com.

Actually, all those things I ordered were brands I HAVEN'T USED before. Feelin' adventurous, heh. I ordered mostly Yanwaili products which I haven't even heard of until now. I previously did a Yanwaili Anti-Blemish Cream review. When I bought my purchases, I didn't even look at the reviews online, only on the ones posted at the product pages, but you know they come off as pretty biased, you know? Sasa.com gives some incentives to lucky reviewers who post glowing reviews of the things they bought.

But I won't be like that!

It's a shame though that I will only have positive reviews of this product! Hahah!

So what we have here is the Yanwaili Anti-Blemish Refining and Moisturizing Essence that I have inserted in my weekly skin care regimen! I've decided and arranged my regimen so as to make sure I can use this product for best results.

This is made in Taiwan, as Yanwaili is a famous drugstore brand in the country. Taiwan is a good place to get beauty products like My Beauty Diary masks, which is like a staple for Asian beauty bloggers. Even as far away as I am, I have tried those masks before.

This Yanwaili Anti-Blemish Essence is one of the 6-step regimen of the Anti-Blemish line. I've had the cream one and this, and by far this is my favoritestestest :) of all of them

You can click below for the ingredients list. Sorry if it got cut off a bit. You can read below about some good ingredients that I like:

1. Retinoic Acid - Retinoic acid is the active form of retinol, and actual retinoic acid creams are only available from a doctor or dermatologist. It’s prescribed for serious skin conditions like acne but is also used as a potent treatment for skin ageing... A fair warning: some people may be very sensitive to retinol. It can cause cells to peel off and skin to appear dry, red and flaky, However you’re more likely to get a reaction from using prescription retinoic acid than an over-the-counter product. (source)

2. Salicylic Acid -Salicylic acid is especially helpful in treating acne because of its ability to penetrate the follicle. It encourages the shedding of dead skin cells from within the follicle, helping keep the pores clear of cellular debris. In this way, it reduces the number of pore blockages and breakouts on the skin. (source)

3. Licorice Root - Used in various popular products like Godiva and Meladerm as it is a very well known melanin inhibitor, to help lighten the skin over time. And according to this source, certain compounds in licorice is useful for skin care. Glabridin was identified as a powerful skin whitening ingredient, glabrene as an anti-oxidant as strong as natural Vitamin E, and licochalcone as highly effective anti-acne ingredient which controls sebum production and wipes away bacteria. Licochalcone is also a mild sunscreen effective against the UVA & UVB rays of the sun.

Directions for use:
1. Use in the morning and at night after washing and toning face.
2. Apply a small amount evenly to face or only to areas that are affected with blemishes then follow with moisturizing face products.

What I do is only apply during WEEKEND NIGHTS once I'm done with washing my face, since it contains Retinoic Acid/Retinol, your face can become very sensitive to the sun's rays. I have another day cream and sunblock for the morning anyway, so I'm already okay for the morning routine.

Here are some pictures of how much I put into my face and neck:

Consistency:
Thick but watery, looks like a serum. Glides well on the skin, matte after 2-3 mins.

Smell:
When the Yanwaili cream is compared to this Yanwaili essence, I thought that the cream smelled yucky! This essence is much better than the cream.

Verdict:
I really, honest-to-goodness, love this product. It is thick but has a watery consistency when applied evenly to the face and it is very easily absorbed too! I love that my face becomes matte after about 2-3 minutes of spreading the essence, unlike others it would stay liquidy. You can tell that the essence seeped into the skin properly.

I know I didn't give its counterpart, the Yanwaili Cream a very glowing review, but this essence is at par with my thicker, creamier Pond's night cream (which I use WEEKDAY NIGHTS). It's a tinier bottle than the lotion or toner from this brand, but I love this so much that I am planning to repurchase! I can't be running out now that I love this product.

I therefore conclude that this is a good find from Sasa.com! :)

Thank you so much for reading !