My skin is generally troubled with acne and enlarged pores and I have spent literally years trying to find something that works, to no avail. In the last year or so I pretty much gave up on skin care and was pretty lackluster in cleansing and moisturizing my skin. I guess the point was, why should I care if nothing really works? The only thing that I use religiously is sunscreen. I put it on every day, regardless of weather or my activities.
In my search for a new and better sunscreen I came across a few blogs regarding Korean cosmetics. Apparently, Korean women have a very elaborate skin care routine which results in amazing and clear skin. This is actually a topic for a separate post!
Long story short, I was convinced to completely revamp my almost non-existent skin care routine and purchase a whole bunch of Korean products to be used on top of each other in the evening and daytime. Among those products was Naruko Tea Tree Oil Out Balancing Serum.
To be honest, when I bought the serum I did not realize that it was made by a Taiwanese company. But no worries, apparently Taiwanese cosmetic companies are quite famous in Asia and utilize latest research in skin care, the same as Korea. Naruko was founded by Niuer, a Taiwanese beauty expert, who is extremely popular there.
Here is the product description from Naruko website:
As you can see, serums are used after your basic cleansing and toning steps. It is an extra step that is usually omitted from a normal Western routine, but is considered very important in Korea. Serum is a much more concentrated product than a typical moisturizer and contains a lot more active ingredients. Serums are intended to be used prior to a moisturizer as a way to prepare your skin to further steps in your routine. Serums target different skin problems and should be chosen according to your skin needs.
This particular serum is intended to keep your oil balance under control. Its consistency is very watery and light and it goes on the skin very smoothly. It has a strong herbal smell and produces a slightly cooling sensation when it touches the skin. It dries almost immediately leaving the slightest layer on the skin which I am assuming absorbs the excess oil. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and can honestly say that it definitely controls oil production during the day. My skin still breaks out, but not so much and it does not look very shiny. I am not sure whether it's the combination of all the new products I am using or this product in particular, but my skin looks healthier and smoother.
I actually want to see how my skin feels after a couple of months of using it. I am super excited to have better skin for the summer, so I don't have to wear so much make-up.
OVERALL: Highly recommended. Makes skin less oily during the day.
Ingredients (from Naruko USA website):
Purified Water (Aqua), Phytoferulin® Extract [Kalanchoe Spathulata Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Alpine Skullcap (Scutellaria Alpina) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Masterwort (Peucedanum Ostruthium) Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Alps Wormwood (Artemisia Umbelliformis) Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Alpine Willowherb (Epilobium Fleischeri) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamolmilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract], Snow Fungus (Tremella Fuciformis) Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Witch Hazel (Hammamelis Virginiana) Extract, Gluconolactone, Glycolic Acid, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Vitamine B3 (Niacinaminde), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Panthenol, Saccharide Isomerate, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Menthyl Lactate, Menthol, Ethyl Alcohol, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Sorbeth-60 Tetraoleate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Dimethicone, Sclerotium Gum, Piroctone Olamine, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Essential Oils of Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia), Orange (Citrus Nobilis), Spearmint (Mentha Viridis), Lemon (Citrus Limonum), Lime (Citrus Aurantifolia), Peppermint (Mentha Piperita), Grapefruit (Citrus Paradise), Niaouli (Melaleuca Viridiflora)
