Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel

Hello everyone! Please stay dry because it's raining hard again and it's quite easy to get the flu.

Anyways, you might have noticed that I haven't been posting a lot of facial products these last few months and I wanted to tell you why. My skin is definitely rebelling right now because I have been breaking out for more than 2 months now. I can't seem to find out the culprit and I am trying to remove the products I use one by one to check if that's causing all these problems. I have also not been applying makeup except for undereye concealer and lipstick because I don't want to aggregate the condition of my skin. The only constant thing I apply on my skin are my basic skincare which are my cleanser, toner and treatment gel.

I have bought the Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel at Healthy Options more than 2 months ago to try and test if it will work better than the oil control lotion I tried before from this line. I have read reviews that this is the main treatment from the line and that it works great so I went ahead and got it since it's really affordable at Php300+ only. And I'm really in need of a treatment fix for my skin. I have been using this 2x a day for 2 months now and here's my thoughts on this product.

 *photo credit from the Alba Botanica website*

HIGHLIGHTS:
100% Vegetarian. 
No: Animal Testing, Artificial Colors, Artificial Fragrances, Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Myreth Sulfate

INGREDIENTS:

Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2.0 % 

Other Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, SD Alcohol 40-B, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract (1), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Rhizome/Root, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil (2), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil (2), Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil (2), Citral, Limonene, Linalool (1) Certified Organic Ingredient; (2) Natural Fragrance

MY REVIEW

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

- This is an all natural product and Salicylic Acid usually works for my skin.

- It did not cause any allergic reaction to my sensitive skin.

- Very affordable. Just around P300 and it will definitely last you months because you will only need a small amount at a time.

- It comes in a squeeze tube with a pointed tip so controlling the amount of product that will be dispensed is easy.

- No strong scent.

- Spreads easily and dries up fast and clear so it can be used just prior to makeup application.

- Cruelty free, vegan product.

- Available locally in all Healthy Options store.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- Makes my skin dry up and therefore makes it oilier. Although this is a common effect of acne treatment so it's not a big deal for me. I just wanted to share it as a headsup.

- Doesn't do anything. My skin's condition looks and feels the same with or without this in my skin care routine.

- This will definitely not work for active acne because even my pimples can't be treated by this.


OVER-ALL RATING: 1/5

I think this is just a waste of money. It doesn't do anything because it did not treat my existing pimples and it doesn't prevent new ones from appearing.I'm giving up on this. I have been using this 2x a day for 2 months now because I want to give it time to work on me but I guess I need to look for another acne treatment soon before my skin gets worse. I am now starting to have cystic acne again so that's a bad sign.


Can you guys suggest anything? I am eyeing MyChelle products right now because I have been reading a lot of good stuff about them. But they are so expensive here in the Philippines and I am worried that they won't work for me again. If you have trusted acne products do share them with me. Thank you!


Hugs,

Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acne Dote Oil Control Lotion

Hello! First of all, I want to say keep safe to all of you who are gonna go on a trip this long weekend for the All Soul's Day. I might be going to Nueva Ecija (like always) tomorrow with my family because that's where our love ones are buried. SO yeah, I'm not sure if this is gonna be my last post or I will post again tonight for a Halloween makeup look. This will depend if I like the result of my makeup haha :)

Okay, now, let's go to the review! 

BRAND: Alba Botanica
LINE: Natural Acne Dote
TYPE: Oil Control Lotion (Maximum Strength)

NET WT: 57g / 2oz
PRICE: Php359

 INGREDIENTS:

This comes in a white tube. I actually liked the packaging because you can easily control the amount of product you will dispense and also this is very hygienic :)

I got this last October 2 and I have been using this twice a day ever since :)

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS:

- As I've said, I liked the hygienic packaging. I hate dipping my fingers in the product.

- This is an anti-acne, oil-free/mattifying and moisturizer in one. If I can save time by using only one product instead of 3, then I am happy.

- This contains 2% Salicylic Acid that is said to be naturally derived from Willow Bark Extract to combat acne. We all know that the less chemicals we use the better.

- It didn't aggravate my acne-prone skin. I also didn't experienced any itching or allergic reactions.

- This is a very light moisturizer and perfect for oily skin. This gives enough moisture for me coz anything heavier will cause my skin to over produce oil.

- It absorbs very quickly so you can apply makeup right after. I just need to wait for a minute or two and it will be totally absorbed :)

- Very easy to blend/spread on the skin  so you just need a pea size amount of product to be used all over the face and neck. I think this will last me months.

- This does not have unnecessary ingredients that causes irritations like:

- This is 100% vegetarian and cruelty free. It has a Leaping Bunny logo too to prove their cruelty free status.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- Others might hate the medical scent of this moisturizer. It has a very strong salicylic acid smell.I don't mind coz I'm used to it already from the many years I've used SA to treat my skin.

-  This did not prevent any future breakouts nor treat the existing ones. I still get pimples on my forehead because I get oily there the most and I was hoping this would work in that area, but sadly, I still have bumps until now (1 month of use). I guess you will need an additional product for spot treatment to clear your skin.

- It is not good if you have very dry skin. The skin around my nose became drier with this moisturizer. I also can't use this on thin skin like around the eyes and mouth because it will sting.

- This does not mattify the skin as the label suggested. I still get so oily at the end of the day. The mattifying effect will only last for less than 4-5 hours and never long term.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

 I bought this for acne solutions but this disappointed me in that aspect. I then moved on to the mattifying claim, but that disappointed me too. Now, why am I giving this a 4 if I got disappointed? It's because this works great as an oil-free moisturizer that doesn't aggravate my skin. It is quite hard to find good moisturizers for acne prone oily skin so I am definitely happy in that regard. PLUS, this came from a brand that is natural and cruelty free which makes me happy.

WILL I REPURCHASE? Probably not in the near future. I am the type of person that loves trying new products so I will probably end up getting another one haha :)


Thanks for dropping by! Have a nice long weekend :)