Review: Mizon Acence AC Care Solution Mark-X Blemish After Cream

Another Mizon product I got in a recent RoseRoseShop haul included this little item: the Acence AC Care Solution Mark-X Blemish After Cream.  The Acence line addresses acne concerns (I'm guessing "AC" = Acne Control") and this cream is designed to be used after a spot has erupted to promote healing.

I like how the product has its main ingredient, 12% propolis, very clearly labelled because so many brands list their ingredients but not the actual concentration.  Propolis is a bee-produced resin that's been used historically for its anti-bacterial/viral/fungal/inflammatory properties.  I personally take propolis supplements every day to keep my immune system running and hay fever at bay.  This is the first skincare product I've ever used with propolis as the main active ingredient and I'm pretty impressed.

The ingredients list might be alarming at first because it includes sulfur, which rates a 3/5 as an acne trigger on CosDNA & a 4/5 irritant, but I've found this cream to be strangely hydrating rather than drying/irritating (more on that later). 

The plastic tube is opaque with a screw-on cap and is highly squeezable, perfect for getting all the precious cream out.  I don't love how there's a slight groove surrounding the end where product dispenses because the cream collects there and makes me feel the area could become less sanitary over time as my finger swipes around there repeatedly.  (I make an effort to clean it with tissue every so often so that it doesn't accumulate.)

I have to try hard to detect the sulfur odor because the majority of what I smell from this paste-like cream is sweet.  The lemon extract does a great job disguising the bad fragrances and I enjoy using it every day.  I also find it surprisingly easy to spread this yellow-white cream around my face, even over layered products, without it balling up or sliding everywhere, unable to absorb.  The quick absorption means I can incorporate it at multiple possible steps of my skincare routine.  I generally apply skincare items from thinnest to thickest texture but this acne cream mixes well wherever I insert it into my routine.

As to performance, I had my doubts in the beginning but now, after 3 months of almost daily usage, I've found the best way to use this cream for my skin.  Instead of applying over newly burgeoning spots, it's most effective on the erupted ones (the type I'd slap a hydrocolloid patch onto overnight and drain).  This is marketed as an "After Cream" for a reason but I couldn't help trying it out on new breakouts just to see if there would be an effect.  My conclusion:  If there is any effect on newly forming pimples, it's only for small ones and doesn't impede the larger ones at all.  The cream clearly shines best on broken skin.

Overnight it can reduce the painfulness of an erupted cystic spot without drying it out, despite the sulfur ingredient.  In fact, it almost feels like a moisturizing cream when I first apply it to my face, melting instantly as I barely rub it in.  The height of the pimple seems to level out much quicker with each night I use this product and the resulting hyperpigmentation fades significantly faster.  I have extremely stubborn dark spots that usually require months to fade completely so I am always up for using any whitening products that can promote an even complexion.  This is not a miracle cream that eradicates the darker pigmented aftermath of breakouts, but it's easier to hide the healing acne with concealer/make-up because they're less 3-D and lighter in shade faster than usual.  I may not have perfect skin, but I can sure fake it more easily now!

My smallest breakouts (~2-3 mm large) can smooth out within a night or two of using this product (as opposed to a week without any help).  On my forehead I've some older breakouts that are still obviously dark, though healed, and some newer ones that are already much lighter in comparison simply because I added this cream to my nightly routine.  My larger blemishes (>5 mm) are unfortunately more stubborn and last long enough I can't easily compare/quantify the amount of improvement I'm getting.  (For example, taking 4 months to fade vs 3 months isn't immediately obvious, right?)  However, the clear success with the smaller breakouts mean I still faithfully apply it to the larger spots whenever I can remember because I'm probably still receiving benefit, even if it isn't as dramatic.

I usually apply this cream after a light moisturizer but before I apply my final heaviest one.  I can also place a hydrocolloidal patch over it whenever necessary and the patch performs just as well without interference from this cream.  A bit goes a long way and after 3 months of use I estimate I have about 25% left over.  All in all I'm glad I took a chance on this product and will definitely be repurchasing it!

Summary

• Packaging:     4/5 (squeezable tube; so-so opening)
• Smell:             4/5 (lovely lemon scent; can't really make out the sulfur!)
• Performance:  4/5 (flattens/lightens small broken blemishes; not drying)
• Value/Price:    5/5 ($5-6 + shipping/tracking fee for 30ml on Roseroseshop)
• Recommend? Yes (for erupted/small spots, not so much new/large ones)
• Repurchase? Yes (already did!)