Having been acne-prone forever, I'm always hesitant to sub out any member of my carefully curated skincare routine. But with literally thousands of rave 47Skin reviews — many from my colleagues and closest girls — I was willing to temporarily ditch the usual suspects in exchange for invisible pores and fewer mood-killing blackheads.
For context, 47Skin currently has 12 products on its roster — as well as countless bundles to save you multiple orders and/or money. I should say that I'm always a little dubious when it comes to skincare gift sets. My thought process is as follows: Am I really going to love every product, or am I going to have leftovers destined for a lonely life at the back of my bathroom cabinet?
So, rather than signing up for the Complete Routine Bundle, I settled on the 3 Step Moisture Bundle, made up of the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Everyday Cleanser, the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum and a daily moisturiser.
.jpeg)
Like most, I have a few select brands I'm loyal to, evident in that I have used the same day cream for the last five years. But in a bid to prevent regular breakdowns over breakouts, I committed to using the trio in tandem for a month, as well as the Daily SPF 30 and the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum. So, cue my 47Skin reviews.
So, Monday morning and after popping in my contact lenses, I reached for the cream cleanser. On paper, it ticked a lot of boxes, claiming to hydrate while it cleanses, while the Silver Chitoderm kills 99.9% of blemish-causing bacteria. While I appreciated its fresh scent (not at all overpowering, with a hint of orange and eucalyptus), I wasn't hugely fond of the consistency.
Personally, I tend to opt for a gel cleanser — specifically something that immediately lathers on contact with water. This is a cream that disappears pretty quickly; however, my skin did feel refreshed without being tight. Using it again in the evening, I didn't find it was quite powerful enough to break down the day's makeup, so I resorted to using it as the second step in my double cleanse after a cleansing balm. Overall, she earned 3.75/5 stars.
You're probably doing it wrong.
Step Two: Daily SPF 30
While not included in the bundle, I can't skip a generous application of SPF each morning — even if only to quieten our beauty commerce writer, Shani Cohen's regular pleas ringing in my ears. Again, I'm all about consitency, tending to opt for a face suncream with a water-like consistency — something that spreads easily and isn't too thick. Previously recipients of my praise? Beauty of Joseon's Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics and the Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Defend Serum. However, I can confirm that I have a new favourite.
The anti-infrared radiation, UVA/UVB and pollution serum felt both lightweight and nourishing, neither drying out the top layer of my skin nor causing the (fairly light) makeup I layered on top to pill. Consistency-wise, I liked how it didn't run off my hands before I had a chance to rub it in, and it took a mere few seconds to sink in. Plus, it didn't leave a white or blue cast in its wake. A month into using it every day, I haven't noticed a massive uptick in the number of blemishes or textured bumps either.
Step Three: Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum
Ingredients:
Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Glyceryl, Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lactic Acid Chitosan, Limonene, Allantoin, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot), Fruit Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel, Oil, Citral, Linalool, Silver Chloride, Citronellol, Geraniol.
Clinical results:
All 47Skin products are undergone clinical trials with Princeton Consumer Research. Studies were carried out on 57 healthy volunteers. Nine induction patches applied over three weeks. 14-day rest period followed by challenge patches applied for 48 hours.
As a result, the brand it's skincare is:
- Dermatologically Tested
- Clinically Tested
- Kind to Skin
- Safe for Skin
- Dermatologist Approved
- Suitable for All Skin Types
- Suitable for All Skin Tones
- Midwife Approved
Bottle size:
30ml, 50ml, 100ml or 300ml.
Fighting off hormonal breakouts is an all too regular part of my month. As a result, I've tried countless niacinamide serums, retinols, and azelaic acids to try to give me the untextured skin of my dreams. Cut to the end: none of them work that well to curb the post-ovulation, pre-menstrual white heads that often grace my chin, cheeks and T-zone.
So, it would be fair to say I had low to no expectations for the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum — despite it being the brand's number one bestseller. The wonder ingredient 47Skin claims makes the most difference to the acne-prone? Silver Chitoderm, praised for clearing blemishes, fading stubborn marks and nourishing the top layers of the skin.
As recommended, I applied one pump to dry skin, straight after cleansing with the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Everyday Cleanser. Despite an overzealous applicator, which all too often decorates my bathroom mirror with product, it did serve up the perfect amount to cover my entire face, neck and décolletage.
Also, I've actually come to crave the smell, rushing to remove my makeup so I can coat my skin in a layer of the fresh, citrus scent. Consistency-wise, it's not a gel and it's not a cream, but rather a hybrid of the two. It doesn't run off the palm of my hand, but still spreads fairly effortlessly. Another plus: the drying time, my inpatient self only having to wait a moment or two before smoothing over my night cream. A request for 47skin to craft one of these to cram into my bathroom cupboard next, please.
Within a week, I was able to comment on how it had shrunk my spots — both blind and those with aggressive-looking whiteheads — overnight. And, after a full menstrual cycle, I can confirm my chin and cheeks weren't decorated with as many new additions as usual.
At the end of the month, I'm sold on the idea of a restock. Rather than drying out my skin to banish any breakouts and excess oil, like most other spot treatments I've tried, this kept my skin feeling supple and hydrated, while also working to rid me of spots and scarring. Yep, the red marks of breakouts past are at least 50% less noticeable, while a burn from my curling iron — mid-length hair girlies, you know the struggle — was also far less noticeable.
My only constructive pointer? Perhaps a plastic bottle, to spare my boyfriend's nerves in our tiled bathroom, and a slightly more exaggerated pump to give me more control during application, please.
Step Four: Anti-Blemish and Scar Repair Silver Mask
Despite my facialist's request to use a hydrating mask once a week, it's a step I regularly skip. Even when it comes to a sheet mask, I worry about it staining my silk pillowcase, or favour my LED face mask instead. However, if there's a product that can work to clear my skin in as little as 30 minutes, I'll give it a go.
The Silver Mask is actually silver, with a consistency a bit like PVA glue. While I didn't love the lack of an applicator — no brush or mini spatula is included — it's understandable when you realise quite how tacky it gets once out of the pot. As recommended, I applied the mask to clean, dry skin and left it to dry for 30 minutes before peeling it off.
Infused with lactic acid — an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), praised for its exfoliative and skin renewal properties — alongside silver chloride, it worked to calm redness almost immediately. Waking the next morning, I noticed that the two small whiteheads I had on my cheek were dramatically smaller in size.
In terms of peeling it off, it wasn't the easiest task — perhaps I wasn't applying enough? — so often resorted to rinsing it off instead. But that didn't bother me in the slightest. And, so I have actually reached for this multiple times over the last four weeks, usually the night before a day of filming in OfficeToks, where a from-within glow is appreciated.
47Skin Review: The Verdict
Overall, I'm seriously impressed and haven't been a victim of an overnight whitehead attack since swapping to my entirely 47Skin routine. While the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Everyday Cleanser leaves a little to be desired, in that it virtually disappears from the palm of my hand on contact with water, the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Serum is destined to be a mainstay in my nightly regimen for the foreseeable future. It effectively fights hormonal breakouts without drying out my skin — a side-effect of nearly every other spot treatment I've tried before. The same goes for the Daily SPF, which leaves behind a dewy glow that's still evident under my makeup.
The tacky consitency of the Anti-Blemish & Scar Repair Silver Mask makes it a little hard to spread, but it did what it promised and reduced the size and redness of any big breakouts within a few hours. Essentially, I might skip on a restock of the 3-Step Moisture Bundle, but I have already started spreading the word about my MVPs. And while I can’t comment on whether the routine would work for those with skin conditions such as rosacea and the like, for those with sensitive-acne-prone skin like mine, I highly recommend a splurge.
Keep pimples at bay with these soothing formulas.
