The sensitive-skin friendly pads we've all been waiting for: Meet the Real Cica Pad
by Carolina Malis
By now, everyone knows I'm not the biggest fan of warm weather, buuuut, I'm not gonna say I'm not a little excited about spring being right around the corner. This winter was hard peeps, extremely low temperatures not only got us crying our eyes out but also hydrated skin was a hard task to accomplish some days. My skin is super sensitive to weather, mood, hormones, harsh ingredientes, food… well, basically everything, and besides getting pimples or visible pores, one of the consequences of my sensitivity is redness and inflammation… all day… everyday… but thankfully I've learned the best way to fight it is keeping my skin hydrated and toned. For that reason a few months ago I started applying AT LEAST 3 layers of toner in the morning and at night in order to reach my goal and it totally changed the game.
But a few weeks ago a new product showed up in front of me and changed that routine a little bit. I'm talking about the Neogen Real Cica Pads. Now, we all know (and if you didn't then now you do!) Neogen has one of the best selections when talking pads: exfoliating, soothing, calming, toning or moisturizing, you will definitely find the one for you between what the brand has to offer, but I never got such great result in so little time as with these ones.
The Real Cica Pads are basically a daily multi-purpose pad that not only helps exfoliate in a super gentle way but also soothes and refines skin surface, providing hydration and helping your skin calm down, decreasing redness and sensitivity, AKA, a masterpiece.
Each jar contains 90 pads and yes, you can use them every single day - different from the Bio-Peel ones that you should use every 2-4 days.
Now, what's in these treasures that makes them so incredibly soothing and my current obsession? They're formulated with PHA (or Polyhydroxy acid) - a super effective skin exfoliator that's way less irritating than AHA's and BHA's, attracting moisture to skin to prevent over drying it while exfoliating and improving its overall tone - and blended with Centella Asiatica and Hyaluronic acid to restore and nourish your skin.
Now, let's talk the real talk. My cheeks and chin are pretty much always red as I've been dealing with Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation for a few months now. What I've learned so far is that -and this is what works specificaly for me - when redness or inflammation gets worst I need to keep my routine simple, short and super hydrating (picture lots of toner, oils and watery moisturizers). When I first put my hands on these pads, I tried them right after my toner and before my night-time oil. The next morning I really didn't see many changes, but hey, you need to give your skin a little time to process, right? It was not until the 3rd day that I woke up shocked to my very core. You know those days when you wake up, look at the mirror and your skin looks so good you start wondering if you forgot to remove your foundation the night before? Well, that was me, shocked in front of the mirror contemplating how smooth and even my skin looked like that morning. My makeup goes on easier and lasts longer, plus I don't get creased foundation so fast (I'm not gonna say I don't get it at all because I do but that's a conversation we're gonna have another day, stay tuned).
So far it's been around 3 weeks since I tried them for the first time and while I don't use them every single day (probably 3-4 days a week), they're definitely part of my routine and I plan to keep them in it. These are just so sensitive, irritated and acne-prone skin friendly, I wouldn't doubt it for a second before recommending it to my troubled skin fellas. Best thing? I got them as a gift directly brought to me from Korea, because at that time they were not available in the States yet, BUT that changed and now you can get them from Soko Glam! So you have no excuses to not give them a try now.