I've had acne-prone, oily skin since middle school. After becoming more conscious of cosmetic ingredients, my acne isn't as severe now, but my skin still reacts badly to certain products. I always check ingredients when choosing skincare, and I noticed that products causing blemishes often contained silicone. I've always avoided pore-clogging ingredients, so I switched to silicone-free products. Sure enough, these work well for me without causing any issues!
I always use a brightening moisturizer, but almost all of them contain silicone. When I finally found silicone-free options, they were discontinued. I was hesitant about trying this one due to mixed reviews, but I had limited choices.
To my surprise, it's amazing! Despite my oily skin, it doesn't feel sticky or greasy at all. It adheres perfectly to my skin, which is impressive since even some toners can feel heavy on me. The tone-evening effect is subtle and natural. I'm baffled as to why this isn't more popular! After application, my skin feels soft and looks naturally flawless.
I can't speak to its effect on blemishes yet, but I'll update on that later.
I really hope products with such great ingredients don't get discontinued!
Update: No blemishes! As the weather gets warmer, it can feel a bit rich, so I mix in a little Sidmool Centella powder to adjust the consistency. Sometimes I lightly dust on some powder with a brush. The Sidmool Centella powder has great ingredients, so I can use it without worrying about pores or blemishes. Love it!
If you have skin lighter than shade 21 or want a more dramatic brightening effect, you might not be satisfied! However, if you prefer a natural look like me, you'll probably be happy with this product.
If you're prone to persistent minor blemishes like me, check all your cosmetics and even shampoos for silicone-free formulas! Avoid ingredients ending in '-cone', 'cyclohexasiloxane', 'cyclopentasiloxane', '-wax', and other cautionary ingredients. I've switched my toner, sunscreen, and brightening cream accordingly.
However, if a product works really well for you, you might not need to change it. I had been using a toner that really helped my acne-prone skin for years, but switched when I found it contained silicone. I wasn't satisfied with the new one, so I went back to the original. Sometimes it's best to use what works for your skin rather than focusing too much on ingredients.
Update: I tried switching back to a silicone-containing toner, but kept getting blemishes on my chin. When I switched again to a silicone-free toner, not only did the blemishes clear up, but my pores and blackheads improved too! This confirmed for me that acne-prone skin really does better with silicone-free products.
A tip for application: I don't like layering products that feel like they're sitting on top of my skin. If you apply your emulsion and then immediately follow with your brightening cream, you won't get that greasy, heavy feeling.
Try mixing with Centella powder to adjust the consistency!
