Following up from my August skin saga, my maskne has calmed down significantly, but I’m still suffering from small bumps on my forehead due to clogged pores and whiteheads. The hyperpigmentation left from my previous breakout also hasn’t shown any sign of fading.
To achieve a fall-ready glow, I’m resuming my weekly clay masking routine to eradicate the pesky whiteheads and bumps on my forehead.
This is my first time using the brands AXIS – Y and heimish, both veteran names in the Korean skin care community. The Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum is one of AXIS – Y’s bestsellers, so I’m excited to see if it can live up to its popularity. Meanwhile, heimish is better known for cleansers and eye care products, like the Marine Care Eye Cream, Bulgarian Rose Water Hydrogel Eye Patch and All Clean Green Foam. Although heimish’s All Clean Pink Clay Purifying Wash Off Mask is a new product, I’ve been meaning to find another calamine-based clay mask to replace the now-discontinued Skin&Lab version that I loved so much.
AXIS – Y
Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum
What is it? This vegan-friendly serum is packed with 5% niacinamide along with EWG green-graded botanical ingredients to fade hyperpigmentation and improve uneven skin tone and moisture retention. Plant-based squalane delivers extra nourishing benefits, rice bran extract provides antioxidants to skin, and papaya fruit extract speeds up its healing. Calendula officinalis flower extract also leaves a skin-soothing touch.
In detail:
The serum boasts a water-gel-like consistency with a calming herbal scent.
Its texture is lightweight and refreshing on skin, leaving a dewy look that dries to a moisturized finish. Although the packaging isn’t particularly fancy, it’s well-designed and easy to use – the dispenser pump comes with a lid so the tube can stand on its own, allowing the product inside to gravitate towards the dispenser.
Currently, I use the serum twice daily after the double toner step in my skin care routine. I love how cooling and refreshing it feels, which is perfect for waking up my skin in the morning and soothing it post-shower in the evening.
heimish
All Clean Pink Clay Purifying Wash Off Mask
What is it? A gentle yet effective clay mask fitted with 7% calamine to soothe irritated skin, and zinc oxide to regulate oil and sebum levels while getting rid of impurities in pores. Suitable for normal and dry skin, the mask’s gentle exfoliating effects and calming formula leave skin feeling refreshed and smooth.
In detail:
The clay mask comes in a convenient squeeze tube decorated with a soft pink marble ink print that matches the color of the product.
Its gentle floral fragrance – which I gather is from the multiple floral extracts used in the mask – reminded me of roses. The texture spread like butter and was incredibly cooling on skin, thanks to the witch hazel extract-infused formula.
I used the mask one to two times weekly. Though the packaging doesn’t indicate how long to leave the mask on, I left it on for 20 minutes based on my past experience, and the mask thoroughly dried in that time. In comparison to other wash-off masks I’ve tried before, heimish’s version was one of the quickest and easiest to rinse off, and it left my face refreshed, clean and soft.
The Verdict
Eczema skin tends to be prone to hyperpigmentation, so it can take months for pigmentation to fade on my skin whenever I get a stubborn pimple. Less than two weeks after incorporating AXIS – Y’s Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum into my skin care routine, my stubborn maskne scars showed significant signs of fading.
As a self-proclaimed clay mask addict, heimish’s All Clean Pink Clay Purifying Wash Off Mask has undoubtedly won my heart. I love the mask’s scent and texture, and how clean it made my skin feels after use. The brand recommends the mask for normal to dry skin types, but I think it can also be suitable for those with combination and oily skin.
Both products have earned their places at the top of my skin care shelves for acne care and prevention. In the course of one month, I saw visible improvements in whiteheads and hyperpigmentation on my skin. If you have similar skin concerns, I recommend giving this duo a try. Not only do I have less maskne and bumps on my skin, I also noticed my pimples healed faster and were less pigmented after I started using the Dark Spot Corrector Glow Serum. In my opinion, this serum can replace spot treatments to treat less severe acne.
AXIS – Y’s bestselling serum in particular has lived up to its hype, so I’m planning to add the brand’s Mugwort Pore Clarifying Wash Off Pack and Daily Purifying Treatment Toner into my next YesStyle haul!