23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing find- Refining, Chemical exfoliation, February 21, 2011
This review is from: CONCHA NACAR BLEACH CREAM #3 Size: 2 OZ (Health and Beauty)
I'm trying to figure this stuff out. I can't find a whole lot online, so I'm checking out the ingredient list and going from there.
This review is for the bottle marked #3; Bleaching Cream.
First of all, it's not a bleach. Technically, hydroquinone is not a bleach either, it operates by shutting off excess melanin production where applied. That said, I have been looking for non-hydroquinone alternatives to treat birth-control induced melasma. Treat your acne, get dark spots instead. Go figure. Anyway:
The texture is sticky and gritty. I like this because I can gently exfoliate with it once or twice a week. Perfect for that.
I stir the jar with a toothpick, as the directions indicate, before use. I don't like the idea of contaminating it with my finger. I apply it evenly, which doesn't take much, massaging it in, then layering it a bit.
I leave it on for the recommended 60 minutes. I can say that my skin looks similar to after using a very mild glycolic acid; that is to say, the surface is refined. I think this is the honey working, along with the citric acid from the lemon juice (BTW, a mask of 50/50% lemon juice and honey is fantastic).
I like that this product contains bentonite, which is found in my very FAVORITE clay mask, Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. It's also found in a very expensive pre-mixed clay mask sold at Sephora. At any rate, it's very very good at drawing out impurities from the pores. The combination of bentonite, along with the citric acid from the lemon and refining properties of the honey, I believe is what makes this work as a spot-treatment as well. I read that this mask also contains papain (papaya), a fruit enzyme. So there's another hydroxy acid to help refine and encourage cell-turnover.
In conclusion, I believe this mask to consist of natural ingredients that are meant to both chemically and manually exfoliate, with honey and irish moss to sooth and keep it gentle. It's gentle but does the job, so I'd say it's a 1-2 times per week kind of mask. I recommend cleansing with the Grisi's Concha Nacar bar soap, steaming your face, then applying this mask while it's still wet. For $5, I can almost guarantee you'll love it.
NOTE: I read that people are having breakouts from this. That's because the ingredients cause more rapid cell turnover and renewal, which can cause an initial skin purge. With regular use, it will go away, and you'll be left with clearer skin than you had before. That stuff was going to come out at some point anyway; this is just drawing it out quicker.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works Great!, March 21, 2010
This review is from: CONCHA NACAR BLEACH CREAM #3 Size: 2 OZ (Health and Beauty)
I used this to help fade my acne scars. With the first two uses I noticed a difference. I didn't expect it to help so much on my acne. I am glad because I barely have breakouts now, and I know it has to be because of this. I do cleanse my face with neutrogena cream cleanser also. I use this mask at night and leave it on for 60 minutes then rinse off. The only reason I rated this 4 stars is because I may have used it about only 7 times(maybe once and sometimes twice a week) and I'm already out. It could be that I'm putting too much on my face I don't know. I just put it on to the point it is opaque where you can't see my skin. I do notice a difference in my pores also, seems to have shrunk a bit but it could just be me thinking it has.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It works well, January 18, 2011
This review is from: CONCHA NACAR BLEACH CREAM #3 Size: 2 OZ (Health and Beauty)
This bleaching cream works well, and it has a good price. It leaves some residue on the skin after cleaning up unless you use a facewash. I haven't experienced any irritation this far. Will buy again for sure.
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