It is hard for me to find a moisturizer that works well. Their thick creamy formulas may be wonderful for my combination dry skin, but that occlusive layer that keeps your skin hydrated can also trap impurities and oils in your pores, which can result in acne. I am particularly sensitive to comedogenic ingredients. I learned that the hard way. Oils are often the culprit. Coconut oil in particular is a major no-no for me, as it causes me to break out horribly.
For this reason my favourite moisturizers are usually of the gel kind. I love using the Cosrx Honey Overnight Mask as a daytime moisturizer in the warmer months, it is light, healing and non-comedogenic. In winter my skin gets pretty dry though, so I really need a heavier moisturizer then. After several failures, I decided to try this very affordable cream by A’Pieu that is meant to be particularly suitable for acne-prone skin.
Madecassoside?
What exactly is madecassoside? I’ve been hearing this word a lot in connection with skincare for acne-prone skin. It’s actually a component of centella asiatica, another one of those buzzwords in the acne world. Centella asiatica is known for its antioxidant properties and its ability to promote healing. Madecassoside, as I’ve mentioned, is one of its active components, and it separates itself for its anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it so great for acne-prone skin. It also stimulates the production of type III collagen, so it has anti-ageing properties as well.
Claims
As you can read on the packaging below in oddly translated English, this cream is meant to protect the skin from a harmful environment and helps to maintain healthy skin.
Packaging
Inside the box is a very simple metal tube that contains the cream. It looks like any regular ointment tube, it’s very clinical, there is nothing fancy at all about it. It contains 50ml of product, but it is available in a 120ml size too. Considering this tube cost me only about $9, bells and whistles aren’t to be expected. The tube is a pliable plastic, the product comes out easily when you press it.
Ingredients
Centella asiatica leaf water [40%], Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Niacinamide, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ethoxydiglycol, Panthenol, Centella asiatica Extract, Madecassoside [0.1%], Camellia sinensis Leaf Extract, Rubus savissimus [Raspberry] Leaf Extract, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hamamelis virginiana [Witch Hazel] Leaf Extract, Pinus densiflora [Japanese Red Pine] Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Citrus grandis [Grapefruit] Peel Oil, Citrus limon [Lemon] Peel Oil, Lavandula hybrida [Lavender] Oil, Pelargonium graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus nobilis [Mandarin Orange] Peel Oil, Juniperus mexicana [Cedarwood] Oil, Adenosine, Allantoin, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol.
Worth mentioning:
Centella asiatica leaf water: Centella Asiatica is rich in amino acids, beta carotene, fatty acids, and phytochemicals. It is known for promoting wound healing, it speeds up skin cell production and collagen synthesis. The collagen stimulation properties can be effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Niacinamide: helps in brightening a dull complexion and evens out discoloration. It can help repair the skin barrier, make your skin more hydrated and reduce the appearance of pores.
Madecassoside: see explanation above
Camellia sinensis leaf extract: This is an extract derived from green tea. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.
Witch hazel leaf extract: Rich in tannins, which means it has strong astringent properties. Helps reduce oil production, which makes it beneficial for acne-prone skin.
Adenosine: Helps to combat the appearance of fine line and wrinkles.
Allantoin: Promotes wound healing and helps soothe irritated skin.
CosDNA analysis [linked to cosdna]
Only one potential acne trigger, the same one that appears in nearly all skincare products, Butylene Glycol. It only scores a 1 and has never caused any issues for me. There are a few potential safety triggers, so do still check the list on CosDNA, but overall this is a a very clean ingredient list, which is also why I decided to try this cream.
The product
The cream has a very light-weight consistency, almost gel-like, it’s very easy to spread it out over the skin. When you put it on you will notice it creates a film on your skin, which is surprising considering the light texture of the cream. It’s dewy and slightly sticky, but sinks in quite fast. In the picture of my hands below, you will see the glowy coating on my skin. This might not be for everyone, but I don’t mind as it goes away pretty quickly. I usually use this in the am, as it actually works really well under make-up. In the evening I tend to go for even richer creams, as my skin is super dry at the moment.
Performance
After using this cream for a few weeks I am happy to say it didn’t cause any break-outs or irritation, it has passed the super sensitive skin test with flying colours. I have had no issues with dry patches whilst using this, and I find it to be very soothing. Does it prevent acne? Probably not really, I still have occasional acne flare-ups, random reactions or just hormones, but I do find this cream to be helpful in soothing active blemishes and healing wounds from picking. It doesn’t improve acne scarring, but for less than ten dollars, you can’t expect too much.
Overall this cream was definitely worth buying, and I will definitely buy it again. Finding a rich cream that causes no reactions is like finding a unicorn for me, so I’m happy to have found such a good cream that doesn’t break the bank.
Where to buy?
I bought this on Ebay, but it’s easy to find in a lot of big and smaller webshops, including Yesstyle, Sokoglam, Amazon..