Avoskin is one of the most favorable Indonesian skincare brands. They have a series named Your Skin Bae, which consists of nine kinds of serum and five kinds of toner. They are all different in the active ingredients being used, hence having different skin treatment purposes. On this occasion, I would like to review the one with Azeclair 10% + Kombucha 3% + Niacinamide 2.5% Vaccine Serum. I have pampered my skin with a whole bottle before. This is my second purchase, which is emptying soon as well. So, do you wonder why I seem to love this serum so much? keep reading! You’ll find the answer below.
Product in A Nutshell
Claims:
- Brightens skin
- Reduces the look of blemishes
- Reduces pigmentation concern including dark spots
- Smoothes skin texture
- Minimizes pore appearance
- Treats post acne
- Effective antioxidant
Key ingredients:
Azeclair 10%, Kombucha 3%, Niacinamide 2.5%
Price tag: IDR 149000 (30 ml)
Use period: more than 5 months
Full Review
OURSKINPAL SCORECARD
1. Packaging: 4/5
I could say that they use very basic and common packaging for serum product, nothing is impressive. It comes with a glass bottle and a pipette cap. I have no trouble during application.
They print the brand name and essential information directly on both the glass and the box, minimizing the use of printed plastic labels. However, the box is a bit unnecessarily bigger than I think it should be. It covers the bottle from the tip of the cap upward too much. This is inconsistent with what they put on the box stating about green and clean beauty because the more bulky your product, the more space you need for transportation, thus contributing to the carbon footprint of delivering the product, not to mention the waste from the box, which surely goes straight to the landfill.
2. Ingredients: 4.7/5
I love the simplicity of this formulation. It only contains essential and purposeful ingredients. No colorant, no fragrance. Plain, but works just fine! However, it does not mean products with fragrance and colorants are bad. No. I believe what has already passed and been certified by a regulatory body is safe for consumers. It’s only a matter of personal preference.
Azeclair™ is actually the brand name of Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate from Corum. It is a glycated derivative of Azelaic Acid that functions as an anti-acne, sebum-regulating agent, and skin-brightening agent.
If you have acne and an oily skin type, the extra sebum you have is prone to lipid oxidation, which attracts pro-inflammatory cytokines that subsequently exacerbate the acne. More specifically, peroxidated squalene is formed, which induces upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. Here, Azeclair™ acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by downregulating IL-6 and IL-8, which are members of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Hence, it alleviates the inflammation in acne.
Azeclair™reduces sebum production through two pathways, which are inhibition of 5- reductase and reduction of lipid droplets in sebocytes. 5- reductase is responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a potent up-regulator of sebaceous gland activity, thus promoting sebum production. Obviously, hindering the work of 5-reductase will decrease sebum production.
Skin brightening is also one of the Azeclair™ benefits. It inhibits the tyrosinase enzyme, which reduces melanin production. Hence, skin looks brighter and lightens dark spots.
It is interesting why they use the derivative of azelaic acid instead of the precursor itself. In fact, azelaic acid is already clinically proven for skin issues such as melanoma. So, why use lesser efficacy? My best guest is first; they want easier raw material handling, resulting in an elegant product. Azelaic acid is neither soluble in water nor oil. It really is a headache if we encounter this kind of compound. Not to mention they want it as a clear serum. So, the shortcut is to use potassium azeloyl diglycinate, which happily blends with water and is also okay if mixed with oil. Second, regulations forbid In Indonesia, azelaic acid is classified as a prescription drug. So should you need them in any case, you must have a doctor’s prescription to purchase them.
Their second star ingredient is kombucha. Did you know that kombucha is the fermentation of sugary tea with bacteria and yeast? The tea used is usually green tea or black tea, and sucrose is being used as the carbon source for the microorganisms. Acidic bacteria, commonly in the genera Acetobacter, are needed during fermentation. Together with yeast (Saccharomyces being the most popular of all), they form a thick biofilm called SCOBY (Symbiotic Community of Bacteria and Yeast).
Saccharomyces/xylinum/black tea ferment mentioned in the ingredient list is the Kombucha they use. Kombucha has a rich antioxidant content, so it is beneficial for protecting skin from free radicals. The black tea used in traditional kombucha preparation has anti-ageing activity. The anti-ageing effect is due to the content of flavonoids. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that flavones may increase collagen synthesis, support DNA repair, protect against UVB radiation, and increase skin elasticity. Moreover, kombucha has been proven to have antimicrobial activity, which might be a reason why it is good at fighting acne.
The last claimed active ingredient is niacinamide. Niacinamide, also known as Vitamin B3, is undoubtedly famous in many skin lightening products. It inhibits melanosome (intracellular organelle containing melanin) transfer from melanocyte to keratinocyte. Thus prevent skin pigmentation from happening.
3. Application: 4.5/5
It has a thick viscosity but is easy to spread on the skin. I think this serum is a bit sticky and thus feels heavy on the skin. However, it moisturises the skin well; even after overnight use, it still stays on top of the skin when I wash my face in the morning. My best guess is that it is because of the glycerin. Glycerin is in the top three ingredients on the list, and it has the properties of being a bit sticky and having a good moisturising effect on the superficial layer.
After several months of usage, I notice that my skin has an even tone and is lighter. My skin also looks smoother. Yet the moisturising power is just so, and my big skin pores minimise slowly (but are still big in my opinion). I can’t comment on how it affects the post-acne scar or the acne itself as mentioned in their claims because, luckily, I didn’t have any acne at all during the use.
PROS
- Brighten skin
- Moisturize skin
- Smooth skin texture
CONS
- Sticky
- Expensive
