At a Glance: Its Skin Power 10 Formula LI Effector

My "At a Glance" series will include short snippets and blurbs on products that I'm introduced to / or interested in! This series will follow my pre-trial thoughts on the product and why as to I'm interested in it. These aren't reviews! Think of these posts as a tour of my wishlist and my  justification as to why I should be getting it haha :) 

Hey hi hello!
I hope y'all are doing well and are enjoying your day :)

Today I want to talk about serums. Well, a specific line of serums. I'm sure all of you recognize Its Skin's Power 10 Line- as it offers a buttload of serums that are specially catered to an individual's skin care concerns. Personally, I've been using their VB Effector for almost a year now, and I go through weird phases of its effectiveness with my skin. The VB serum is directed for people suffering from an imbalance of oil/sebum so it seems like it'd be the perfect product for my skin. Some days I really take time out of my day to question whether it has helped with my skin's condition, but on others, I try and convince myself that it has helped... Either way, my bottle is almost empty which means I'm in need of another.

While proof reading this post, I've realized that it definitely doesn't fall under it being a "snippet" or "blurb" haha.. it might as well be a full blown essay. Y'all are warned!

(EDIT/SHORT REVIEW: I've been using this since the end of May and while I haven't been applying this stuff twice every single day- I've noticed a dramatic decrease in my past acne scarring and any redness I've been suffering from. From the end of May until now, my skin care routine has consisted of a gentle acne cleanser which contains a bit of salicylic acid. I've also occasionally been using a relatively strong salicylic/glycolic acid based toner which also aids in the process of exfoliating dead skin; thus any scarring I had. While I have been using other products to help with my scarring, I truly believe in this serum's capabilities in decreasing any pigmentation spots. I normally use this serum after applying a generic toner (recently being Etude House's Wonder Pore Freshner). If my skin is feeling dry that day then I will use a full dropper's worth of product- as the serum itself is quite thick and oily. On days where my skin is feeling more hydrated, I only use a maximum of 3 drops. If you are looking for a lengthier review of this product I would highly recommend visiting this review written by SampleHime; who also includes pictures of how this product has changed her skin. If you are wondering about the type of skin I have- I typically have combination skin leaning towards the oilier end. I suffer from large pores, sensitivity, and am quite acne prone. This serum did not irritate my skin at all and I would definitely repurchase it. I purchased this product here for $10-11.) 


Continuation of At a Glance:
This time around though, I decided to give the other serums of the Power 10 line a look. I've tried the whitening WH Effector before which didn't wow me at all, and while the VC Effector sounded promising, it was the LI Effector that drew me in! The reason being is that it claims to have a brightening effect on reddened skin, and reddened skin is probably my worst skincare enemy.

From Momomango: The It's Skin Power 10 Formula LI Effector is a whitening serum enriched with Licorice extract for effective brightening properties. This serum is best used for skin imperfections such as skin spots, freckles and sun-burnt or reddened skin caused by UV rays. The natural plant Licorice is a good catalyst for skin metabolism and it helps reduce production of melanin. It also provides soothing effects to calm and repair irritated and damaged skin. This is best used on dull skin types. 30 ml.

Hyperpigmentation and past acne scarring are probably the two things I suffer most from these days. My skin is at this awkward post-acne stage where active acne isn't present, but the remnants of those nasty cystic suckers are stuck behind :(

The serum's main feature ingredient that does the brightening is its licorice extract which is interesting for me because of how I've never been a fan of licorice itself. After reading up on some details of the extract I can say that I'm really looking forward to testing this out. Here are some benefits of licorice extract on our skin:

Licorice extract is found in many skin-lightening products because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-carcinogenic properties. What does this mean?

Antioxidant:  works to reduce free-radical damage and environmental stress on the skin. The antioxidant property seems to have the ability to reduce or prevent some amount of the oxidation damage that destroys and depletes the skin's function and structure while also preventing some of the degenerative effects in skin caused by sun exposure.

 When shopping for products that contain antioxidants, be wary of the packaging that they come in! Antioxidants deteriorate when repeatedly exposed to oxygen and sunlight. So, make sure it's stored in an opaque container with either a small opening for dispensing, or a tight twisting cap. 

Anti-inflammatory: does not cause any inflammatory properties such as redness, swelling, and other hot/potentially painful reactions. In other words, it has the soothing and calming features to aid in counteracting these skincare troubles!

PS- acne is an inflammatory skin disorder- so everything you do to make it go away must reduce or eliminate inflammation!

Antiviral: effective against viruses. Antiviral properties are able to reduce pain and prevent a potential skin virus from multiplying.

Virus vs bacteria - what's the diff? A bacterium is a living organism that is unicellular while a virus isn't a cell and isn't "living". Bacteria is able to be destroyed completely, but viruses can only be slowed down reproduction-wise. 

Antimicrobial: capable of destroying or inhibiting the growth of disease-causing microorganisms. Antimicrobial differs from antibacterial in the sense that antimicrobial products prevent the growth of a wider range or bacteria; it's more likely to be seen in prescription strength medications. Antimicrobial agents have been able to prevent the spreading of bacteria that can survive both inside and on the surface of our bodies. Some of these bacterium can contribute to developmental diseases like the dreaded inflammatory acne.

 Microbial vs bacterial - what's the diff? While both have properties that are able to destroy bacteria, antibacterial products must constantly be reapplied or reused in order to get rid of any persisting strains of bacteria, while antimicrobial agents are able to kill and prevent their spreading!

Anti-carcinogenic: reduces the occurrence of cancers, reduces the severity of cancers that do occur, and acts against the cancers that do occur. This is the only point that has me.. a little hesitant I suppose. Not in the sense that it'd be considered a "bad" feature of the serum, but because I'm not sure how effective this serum will actually be in aiding cancer-ridden skin cells. It's strange, that's a def. given.. !

ANYWAYS, I've already purchased this product from Beauty net Korea / F2PLUS1 so either an update or review will follow this post in the next few weeks. Look out for that if this serum interests you as much as it interests me!

Thanks for reading! And I apologize for this post being so long.. heh. Until next time!

xo, Catherine