So it's pretty much safe to say that my complexion is pretty meh. Granted that it has improved so, so, SO much ever since I took the plunge with skincare from The Ordinary, there are little acne scars that have followed me for years.
And with Hiruscar's Anti Acne Range promising to actively improve acne woes in just two days... I knew I had to give it a good go.
Behold... the bare faced selfie:
No makeup except concealer under the eyes, fill-in brows, and a swipe of mascara
I have a huge zit that I just popped right smack in the middle of my right cheek, and that red little spot is the remnants of its once rounded glory. It has been close to five days, and while the area has significantly flattened, the scar still remains. (Itchy fingers, once again.)
That spot right there will thus be our test subject — I'd love for it to go away soon!!!
But first, more about Hiruscar Anti-Acne. Being a dermatological skincare range that's specially formulated for acne prone skin, ingredients in its products include aloe vera to soothe annoying redness, as well as salicylic acid — the warrior component that helps actively fight acne.
(P.S. Salicylic acid is the HG that kept my skin relatively clear these days. I just finished up a bottle from The Ordinary, so this range came by just in time.)
There are three products in the range; a cleanser, a serum, and a spot gel.
Hiruscar Anti-Acne Pore Purifying Cleanser
$14.90
God, first impressions of this cleanser: it smells fresh. I do like my facial cleansers to come with some sort of minty scent, but a whiff of this fresh, fuss-free product does appeal to me as well. (Scents may sometimes irritate sensitive skin, so it's nice that Hiruscar thought of that aspect instead of piling on the artificial aromas that might trigger reactions.)
The product itself is very liquid-y and lightweight, so don't expect a fluffy mousse or viscous gel. Due to how fluid it is, the product spreads out fast, and doesn't require much effort for it to start foaming after being worked into the skin.
The product itself is very liquid-y and lightweight, so don't expect a fluffy mousse or viscous gel. Due to how fluid it is, the product spreads out fast, and doesn't require much effort for it to start foaming after being worked into the skin.
I love this lock function of the cap!
What I do like is that the formula is incredibly gentle. It doesn't tug or pull on your skin, nor leaves it feeling dehydrated after cleansing. My skin feels clean, with all that dirt and sebum removed, but still adequately moisturised.
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Hiruscar Anti-Acne Pore Purifying Serum
$39.90
Serums are possibly my second favourite products when it comes to skincare, with the first being sheet masks. Serums after sheet masks — a golden combination. This one by Hiruscar charmed me over with how gentle and lightweight it is; I personally don't quite like having heavy products piled up on my face.
The scent of this one is a tad too strong for my liking though. Upon application, I realised that the product actually smelt... spicy. Somewhat like ginger; which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was just a bizarre choice of scent for skincare products. I took a quick peek at the ingredients list, and my guess wasn't far — the serum does include onion bulb extract in it. Turns out that one active ingredient helps in preventing inflammation of acne scars, which reduces redness and in the long run help the scar fade away entirely.
The scent of this one is a tad too strong for my liking though. Upon application, I realised that the product actually smelt... spicy. Somewhat like ginger; which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was just a bizarre choice of scent for skincare products. I took a quick peek at the ingredients list, and my guess wasn't far — the serum does include onion bulb extract in it. Turns out that one active ingredient helps in preventing inflammation of acne scars, which reduces redness and in the long run help the scar fade away entirely.
Aaaaaand the one key feature that I really appreciate: the serum has pore-tightening effects! I only use toners that promise to tighten pores because as mentioned, my gaping pores are just... huge. The current one that I'm using is by Caolion, and while that one works beautifully, I'm looking forward to use this one in the long run just as much.
*
Hiruscar Anti-Acne Spot Gel
$19.90
We've now arrived at what Hiruscar deems as it's star product — the Spot Gel. It's all in a name really. The product is essentially a gel that's used for spot treatments of acne problems like blackheads, whiteheads and pimples. It has a more concentrated amount of salicylic acid to really dive deep to target problem areas, as well as Vitamin C to lighten acne scars and dark patches of skin.
The gel is clear and thicker than the previous two products, but it still gets absorbed into the skin quickly. Perfect for wearing under makeup~
My current concoction of these two power ingredients consist of the salicylic acid formula by The Ordinary, as well as Vitamin C derivative from Skin Inc. The Spot Gel is effectively a two-in-one product that'll I'll probably find much use out of in snoozy mornings, and it comes in a dainty tube perfect for travelling.
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Now as mentioned in the earlier portion of this entry, we'll be tracking the very obvious red spot on my cheek to see if it lightens after using the trio of products for TWO DAYS. Bold claim, but we'll nonetheless give it a fair test — all of my current skincare products remain the same, except for the ones that Hiruscar will be replacing.
Here's what my skin looked like when I applied the Spot Gel on Wednesday morning:
I probably don't even have to direct your attention to *that* spot anymore
And on Friday morning:
How drastic is the difference?! Most of the redness is gone — bear in mind I don't have a single swipe of base makeup on me at all — and that spot that we were trying to test? It does look so much lighter!!! The gel did take away the redness around the area and it doesn't look as jarring as before. I can easily cover that up with concealer, while healing it at the same time.
The serum might have been the one product that effectively got rid of all the annoying red splotchy patches on my face due to the onion bulb extract in it. I'm so impressed.
How drastic is the difference?! Most of the redness is gone — bear in mind I don't have a single swipe of base makeup on me at all — and that spot that we were trying to test? It does look so much lighter!!! The gel did take away the redness around the area and it doesn't look as jarring as before. I can easily cover that up with concealer, while healing it at the same time.
The serum might have been the one product that effectively got rid of all the annoying red splotchy patches on my face due to the onion bulb extract in it. I'm so impressed.
Should you want to try out the Spot Gel for yourself before committing to an actual purchase, simply sign up an account with Sample Store and you'll be able to redeem a sample size of the gel for yourself.
And after you're convinced, all you have to do is to pop by any Watsons or Guardian stores to get your hands on your very own set of Hiruscar Anti-Acne range.
This entry is bought to you by Sample Store, in collaboration with Hiruscar Anti-Acne.