SKINCARE SATURDAY: Sebamed Clear Face Mattifying Cream

So I have just recently moved back to Indonesia. While that is a story for another day, let me just tell you about Indonesian climate. Actually, let me Google it.

"Split by the equator, Indonesia has an almost entirely tropical climate, with the coastal plains averaging 28°C, the inland and mountain areas averaging 26°C, and the higher mountain regions, 23°C. The area's relative humidity is quite high, and ranges between 70 and 90 percent." - weatheronline.co.uk

You know what that means? That means it's humid as f*ck. As in hair frizzy, sweating mess, body odour thriving. And... OILY SKIN.

So my skin has always been normal-combination for as long as I can remember. And I have accepted that you know. I found a great skincare routine that actually cleared up my face of its plaguing acne and its brethren acne marks. My pores were not visible. MY PORES WERE NOT VISIBLE AT ALL. So imagine my surprise when I stepped off the plane and a couple of hours later I found moon craters on my skin.

As my once holy grail cleanser Herbalism by Lush no longer works on very oily skin, I had to turn to an actual foaming face wash. And since that dries out my skin, I have to find a new moisturiser. So I went hunting through the forest (Indonesia is a very populous country; everywhere is crowded) and I found this moisturiser called Clear Face Mattifying Cream by Sebamed.

And boy, am I underwhelmed.

 

MY SKIN PROPERTIES

Type: Combination to oily, acne prone

Concerns: Acne, acne scars, large pores, hyperpigmentation

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

Sebamed Clear Face Mattifying Cream

For oily skin and impurities

sebamed CLEAR FACE Mattifying Cream has been especially developed to meet the needs of oily and shiny skin. Used regularly, sebamed CLEAR FACE helps effectively to prevent skin impurities.

• A special skin care complex reduces the amount of sebum produced in oily areas of the face
• Horse chestnut reduces irritation and soothes the skin
• The skin is mattified reducing its oily shine
• Aloe vera and hyaluronic acid moisturize the skin
• The pH value 5.5 stabilizes the skin's biological acid mantle to offer natural protection against acne bacteria

High skin tolerability

Dermatologically tested

INGREDIENTS

Straight away I see some good things appearing in the ingredients list. Aqua, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice (aloe vera) and Sodium Hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) are all very good moisturising stuff. Not only that, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid is also known for their strength in healing the skin.

Other than that, caffeine is also found and it is said that it helps to revitalise the look of your skin, giving you that highlighter glow naturally. C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, and Allantonin are emollients, meaning they are good for softening the skin and are used on burned skin to help prevent it and/or healing the scar from the burn (personal experience).

Sodium Polyacrylate is a substance commonly used to absorb moisture several times its amount. However, they are completely safe and are not major irritant. Alongside it iare Panthenol and Propylene Glycol, a humectant used to keep your skin moisturised.

Niacimade is basically vitamin B3 while faex extract and biotin are vitamin B and they all help to prevent aging.

One of the main ingredients here is aesculus hippocastanum seed extract or, put simply, horse chestnut. Horse chestnut is an effective skin purifier and it is beneficial on acne prone skin. (Read more here.)

Ammonium glycyrhizate is licorice root, which is used to soothe skin and to help regulate its pH level. Zinc gluconate and its skin regeneration ability are helpful in reducing acne. Sodium Citrate or citric acid are also skin regenerating.

Of course there is Parfum/perfume and while it can irritate the skin, it is completely safe when used in a controlled amount. You also don't have to worry about Phenoxyethanol and Sodium Benzoate for while they are used for preservation, they are by no means toxic or harmful.

Phew, that was long. I feel smart.

REVIEW

Packaging is fairly simple. Just a simple clinical white. Cardboard box is nothing special. There is a little booklet inside that elaborates on the CLEAR FACE line so keep it if you want to but commitment-challenged me threw it away as soon as I was done reading it.

First impression, the moisturiser is creamy and thick and to be honest I did worry a little since creamy moisturiser has always been the bane of my existence. On my skin it feels cool, no tingles or whatnot. It absorbs fairly quickly but I would definitely recommend really massaging it into your skin. Not properly massaging it into your skin would result in a visible thin film over your skin and who wants that, right?

I got it for about Rp 260.000, which is about US$16 or AU$26. I would say it is a fairly cheap product for when I was in Australia, most moisturisers easily reach over $25. However, to an Indonesian standard, it is definitely expensive. And only for 50mL? Look elsewhere, dude.

What? You really thought I wouldn't make a movie reference? Hah

I had high hopes for this cream, just like I have high hopes for everything I put on my face. But just like most everything I put on my face, I can only rate this product a 3/5 star. First of all, this definitely does not mattify my skin. My skin is just as oily as ever. I knew it's the moisturiser because I had changed my cleanser afterwards and my skin is now more controlled in terms of its oiliness. I might give it a little more time because I have only used it for three weeks but if there is no improvement after a month, then I gotta let you go, Jack. 

As for its claim in softening the look of my skin, it does help considerably. My skin feels soft to touch and it definitely feels moisturised.

My pores, though. MY PORES. They are still huge. It did nothing to my moon craters and I still have to apply my YouTube-taught makeup skills to cover my huge ass pores. Thanks, Sebamed.

Pros

• Very moisturising on my dry areas
• Feels nice on skin
• Softens my skin
• Has a long list of very fairly safe and beneficial ingredients
• Has not broken me out
• Cheap if you're not using Rupiah as your currency

Cons

• Too moisturising on my oily area
• Does not help to control my sebum
• Why are my pores still huge, cream?
• Expensive if you're using Rupiah as your currency

Would I repurchase the product? No. In fact, I am going to wait until I go back to Australia and escape the humidity of this country.

Just in case you're stuck with the humidity though and this product has piqued your interest and you decide you want to spend your hard earned Rupiah on it, then you can buy it at your nearest major chemists. (I can't find them pages. Sorry, guys.)

Next up:

• Catch-up Sunday: ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip Tulle (update on its ~lasting power~, bitches)