About a month ago, I attended a skincare forum hosted by Rohto Mentholatum. Rohto Mentholatum is a pharmaceutical company that deals in skincare products. The company has been around in Kenya for a long time and is the maker of Deep Heat, a muscle relief balm.
The Acnes range of products, however, is fairly new to the market. Now, I had seen posters of the product all over town but I had always dismissed them as being one of the other many products that saturated the skincare market in Kenya. As I have also mentioned in earlier posts, I am a sceptic and for good reason. I have had problem skin since puberty. For me, that first pimple at eleven years old heralded the start of a long and tumultuous journey with my skin and acne.
I had used product after product which only served to either aggravate my acne or simply do nothing to improve it. So, when I found a remedy in a mix of honey, cinnamon, lemon juice and turmeric, I stuck to it and I have been very adamant when it comes to change. I was also currently using black soap which was working fine for me.
The forum at iHub was hosted by former Miss Kenya, Charity Mwangi and her skin was flawless. She attributed it to a religious skincare regimen, all involving Acnes products. During the forum, the participants shared tips on skincare and their home remedies and we debunked a few myths concerning skin and hair care. At the end of the forum, we got a goodie bag with the Acnes Treatment set and shampoo.
To be honest, I had resolved to not try the Acnes products, but to give them to my sister (who incidentally is also just as much of a sceptic as I am) or to give it to my cousin. After a few weeks and reading some of the testimonials online, I decided to give the set a shot.
The treatment set comes with a face wash, a toner, a pimple sealing gel and acne scar fade cream. The ingredients in the products complement each other so it’s important to use them all together.
The creamy wash works by removing excess sebum, dirt, and oil. The active ingredients in the wash have names that are a little long to type, let alone pronounce but they work to cleanse, remove acnegenic bacteria, get rid of inflammation and nourish the skin.
The wash was very mild on my skin but it did a very good job of removing my makeup at the end of the day and generally cleaning my face. During the first week, I would watch out for any signs of irritation. If there had been any, I would have dropped the product immediately and gone back to the comfort of black soap. I was very pleased when my skin didn’t react to it.
The next step after you wash your face is to tone it. The toner is important in sealing your pores which had been opened when you were washing your face. The salicylic acid in it prevents breakouts and the sodium hyaluronate moisturizes your skin. Another ingredient was lactic acid which is important in brightening your skin. I was a little worried about the inclusion of methylparaben as one of the ingredients. However, I read online that in small and regulated amounts it is harmless and I consoled myself that it was only one paraben and that it wouldn’t have such dire effects on my health. I wish though, that an alternative can be used as a preservative other than a paraben.
After the toning, you can apply a moisturizer (I use a mix of avocado and coconut oil) or you can apply the sealing gel if you’re having a breakout. The gel unclogs your pores and helps to control excessive oil production. This was my favourite product of the three as it was very effective in drying out those pimples. It works very fast and within three days you can say goodbye to that annoying pimple.
When I started using Acnes, my skin wasn’t so bad. It was in a somewhat great place, with the breakouts few and far between so the products were mostly just a maintenance routine as opposed to getting rid of acne. I didn’t use the acne scar fade cream because once the pimples dried out, it didn’t leave any dark spots so I didn’t see the need for it.
Would I use these products again? Definitely. In my opinion, they worked very well for my skin and I would recommend them. Of course, good skin starts from within so drinking a lot of water and eating lots of fruit and vegetables will complement these products.
Also, check out
Skin Purging Vs. Breaking Out: What To Look Out For
Beauty: How To Take Care Of Acne Prone Skin
Skincare: How To Deal With Back Acne
Skincare: 7 Ways To Deal With Skin Breakouts
Beauty: Night Skincare Routine For Oily And Acne Prone Skin
How To Avoid Breakouts And Acne From Wearing A Face Mask
Skincare: Signs You Have Sensitive Skin And How To Care For It
