A'pieu Madecassoside Cica Gel Review and Related Products

Today, I’ll share with you some products that have transformed my skin so much in the past month. They haven't just helped; they've transformed my skin to an extent that is so overwhelming for me, who has been suffering with acne and pigmentation for almost 7 years. I used to have a red face full of acne scars, and it just looked terrible.

Key Ingredients for Acne-Prone Skin

Before actually jumping into the products, there is something I want to share with you first. It is the main ingredient of them all. As you may know, there are many ingredients that are proven to be good for acne-prone skin, such as tea tree, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, zinc, etc. They are good for spot treatment of acnes during a breakout, but they lack healing properties to help clear up the skin afterward. The ingredient that I want to talk about is not for treating acne but for calming active acnes and healing the skin at the same time.

Innisfree Bija Cica Balm: A First Look

This is a fairly new addition to Innisfree’s Bija line, designed for trouble skin types (especially acne-prone skin). This line previously had the Bija (something) gel, but it did so little for my skin. So, when looking at this Bija Cica balm, I was very skeptical, but BAM! The product contained 90% organic ingredients, Centella Asiatica Essence 4X, D-Panthenol, and Bija oil. As explained by Innisfree, the Centella Asiatica Essence 4X includes madecassoside, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid, all deriving from the Centella Asiatica plant. They have strong properties for soothing and healing irritated skin, providing special care for trouble skin.

The product is packed in a simple white 40ml tube. Its texture is a little bit thicker than a gel type, but it’s still easy to apply all over my face and absorbs very quickly without leaving any shine or greasy feel. I’m using it twice a day in both my morning and evening routine, just before moisturizers, for about 2 weeks (before using it together with A'pieu cream). It layers well below my makeup as well. It helps strengthen my skin barrier, which stops my skin from being irritated and prevents redness from active acnes. It also soothes active acnes, preventing them from becoming red or swollen, especially if I try to pop them (a bad habit, I know, but can’t help it).

A'pieu Madecassoside Cream: A Moisturizing Solution

This is also a new product from A'pieu, released back in late 2016 from their new line of ingredient-focused skincare (I guess, lol). It’s a moisturizer packed with Centella Asiatica leaf water and madecassoside that claims to strengthen skin barriers and protect the skin from external factors. This product has many good healing and moisturizing ingredients, including 40% Centella Asiatica leaf water, 0.1% madecassoside, niacinamide, panthenol, green tea extracts, etc.

At first, I thought it was some type of spot treatment due to its thin tube packaging. Its texture is more watery than the Innisfree Cica Balm above, and it also absorbs quickly into the skin. It doesn’t make me feel heavy or my pores clogged at all. This product helps to moisturize and strengthen skin barriers, as well as offering additional benefits like soothing, brightening, and anti-aging.

I used it alone without the Innisfree Bija Cica Balm for 2 weeks (twice a day), then I started using both of them together. I noticed that when using it alone, its effect showed slower than the Innisfree balm (alone), but the results were still great. Using both products together now, I don’t breakout as much as before, and if I do, the breakout is not as serious or alarming as usual.

A'pieu Madecassoside Cica Gel: A Closer Look

A'pieu has recently released the Madecassoside Cica Gel, which is packed in a jar, and it is said to have 70% of Centella Asiatica leaf water and 0.5% of madecassoside, which is much higher than the tube version.

Upon first application, the cica gel feels really refreshing and soothing. It glides on the skin nicely and leaves a silky smooth protective film. The protective film does feel a little tacky, so I always try to apply just a very thin layer. After a while, my skin would start to feel clammy and a bit uncomfortable, like I can actually feel the product just sitting there. Because of the silky, silicone-like fake soft skin feeling, I would find myself constantly touching my face. Granted, my skin did also feel hydrated and plump, but with continued use for 2 months, I kept noticing more and more visible clogging in my skin, not just in the usual T-zone - my whole face, including my jawline, neck, chest, and shoulders, felt a lot more textured with lots of tiny little clogged bumps.

Exfoliating 2-3 times a week helped a bit, but I’d rather not have the problem occur in the first place. As soon as I decided to stop using the cica gel and stuck with more simple, lightweight hydration and exfoliation, my skin started clearing up, so I’m pretty sure something in this cica gel is not working well for me at all. Now, if you look at the ingredients list, there isn’t anything there that is scientifically proven to clog pores. However, many people, including myself, have clear personal experience of pore clogging due to a mix of silicones, oils, and other hydrating/moisturizing ingredients, especially when combined. It really does end up being too much when a product contains so much. Less is definitely more, and I need to trust my choices after reading ingredients and stick to them rather than being so easily influenced by staff to make purchases when they don’t know my skin issues as well as I do.

To think, I only went in to buy the A'pieu Madecassoside Ampoule, which is an excellent product, but then gave into a clever but detrimental up-sell. Will I Repurchase? No, absolutely not.

A'pieu Madecassoside Cream: In-Depth Review

This is a full product review of the A'pieu Madecassoside Cream. This facial moisturizer is a watery gel that is jam-packed full of healing and hydrating ingredients. But is it worth the hype? I’ve used one full tube of this cream and I’m ready to review it for you.

It sounds like this cream is going to be great for those with compromised skin barriers. By this, I mean people who have very dry or dehydrated skin, or maybe have some skin damage due to skin conditions, sun damage, or going too hard with strong skincare ingredients (I’ve definitely been there before).

Key Ingredients Breakdown:

• Centella Asiatica (leaf water and extract): Helps soothe compromised skin and revitalizes the skin’s protective barrier. It can help soothe inflamed and reddened skin.
• Madecassoside: An active ingredient derived from Centella Asiatica that has a soothing, anti-redness effect. It can help make the skin feel smoother and reduce itchiness.
• Glycerin: Attracts water to the skin, helping to plump up and rehydrate it.
• Urea: Often used in skincare for eczema and psoriasis, it helps treat extremely dry and rough skin. It is a humectant, like glycerin, attracting water to the skin.

I used the A'pieu Madecassoside Cream when I was going through a period of very dry skin, which was triggered by over-using an air heater. I slathered this cream on during the day, and used it until the tube ran out to be able to review it properly. While my skin was very dry and dehydrated, it felt soft and soothing on my skin. Although it is a cream, it has a watery, gel-like texture (due to the 40% Centella Asiatica leaf water) which is quite pleasant. When I used it during this period of dry skin, my skin absorbed it all, and I felt like I needed a second layer of cream.

After a couple more days, I noticed that my skin’s condition wasn’t improving (despite no longer using the heater), so I had to slather on some CeraVe Moisturising Cream (the one in the tub), which contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid. This A'pieu cream was soothing, and it definitely didn’t irritate my already compromised skin, but it didn’t exactly heal the problem. My skin’s scaliness, itchiness, and dryness cleared up after about a week, which I think was due to the CeraVe, but I do think this helped in bringing hydration into my skin.

I continued to use this cream for a further month and a half (until the tube finished). When I was using it on healthy, balanced skin (when the dryness had cleared up), I noticed that my skin didn’t absorb all the cream like before. In fact, it left my combination skin feeling quite moisturized (and a bit shiny). This isn’t something that bothers me in particular, as I prefer my skin to be dewy rather than matte. Overall, I think the A'pieu Madecassoside Cream is a nice, soothing cream. If you’re looking for a day cream that is gentle without being too heavy and oily, this is a good one for you! I definitely recommend this cream for those who have compromised skin barriers or who need a good boost of hydration from their day-time moisturizer.

Although this is a nice cream, it’s not revolutionary in my opinion. It didn’t fix my dry skin problems; I need more from a ‘skin improvement’ cream, and I think those with eczema and psoriasis will too. I’m not sure if I’ll repurchase right now, but I could see myself using it as my day cream in the future as it’s gentle and inoffensive, and I like how moisturized my skin feels when using this.

Detailed Ingredient Analysis of A'pieu Madecassoside Cica Gel

"A'PIEU - Madecassoside Cica Gel" is a well-rounded moisturizing product. This moisturizer uses a good combination of humectants and emollients. Both types of ingredients are essential for improving skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy.

• Humectants: Panthenol, glycerin, and caprylyl glycol help increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from deeper layers of the skin.
• Emollients: Helianthus annuus seed oil unsaponifiables, caprylyl glycol, octyldodecanol, and pentylene glycol help decrease water evaporation from the skin, keeping it hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and reduce feelings of tightness and dryness.

Ingredient Callouts:

• Niacinamide (3.60% - 5.40%): A perfect active in a moisturizer as it helps calm inflammation, supports the skin barrier, regulates oil production, reduces acne and clogged pores, improves skin tone, prevents pigmentation marks, and fights photodamage.
• Adenosine (0.15% - 0.55%): A chemical naturally present in our skin cells. Topical application can reduce dynamic wrinkles.
• Centella Asiatica Actives (asiaticoside 0.15% - 0.60% and madecassoside 0.40% - 1.00%): These actives help strengthen and restore the skin barrier, decrease inflammation, neutralize free radicals, and reduce scarring, even in low concentrations.
• Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) (1.10% - 1.60%): Helps strengthen the skin barrier, improve hydration, and reduce inflammation.

This product contains ingredients that could be beneficial, but their concentrations are too low in this formulation: vitamin E and allantoin.

Irritation Risk:

This moisturizer contains actives that can be irritating. The overall irritancy of this moisturizer is assessed as low.

A'pieu Madecassoside 4 Step Kit: A Comprehensive Review

When I was still living in Korea, I visited the A'pieu store in Seomyeon Underground to get some pimple patches and a Madecassoside Ampoule recommended by one of my favorite YouTubers, Liah Yoo. A staff member pointed me toward a set that included the Madecassoside Ampoule and Madecassoside Cica Gel, along with 5 sample strips of the Madecassoside 4 Step Kit (Step 1: Madecassoside Fluid, Step 2: Madecassoside Cica Gel, Step 3: Madecassoside Cream, Step 4: Madecassoside Cica Balm). In total, I got 2 full-size products and 20 samples for 22,500 KRW (roughly just under £15).

I will review the two full-sized products in a later post once they are almost finished. For today’s post, I will focus my review on the Madecassoside 4 Step Kit.

Textures and Experiences:

• Step 1: Madecassoside Fluid (Toner)
  • Texture: Thin, light, and slippery but not too runny.
  • Additional Thoughts: When using the gel alone, it feels less heavy than when using it with the entire kit. Skin feels smooth, hydrated, and plump. It still has a silicone feeling but not too much. It’s slightly tacky and does not completely absorb, which I personally feel could clog my pores if I use too much.
• Step 2: Madecassoside Cica Gel
  • Texture: Feels refreshing, light, and smooth. A little clammy feeling. It leaves that silky-soft silicone feeling on the skin. Could be a nice texture for the summer if you like that fake silky-smooth silicone feeling.
  • Additional Thoughts: My skin looks instantly brighter and healthier, probably due to the Niacinamide. My forehead looks quite shiny, and cheeks look oily after a few hours of layering all the steps. I’m sure this is way too heavy to use all together on my skin type. Layering could be good for winter or very dry skin types. I also noticed I kept touching my skin more than usual because it felt so clogged, making me want to extract. I ended up washing my face at night to get rid of the feeling.
• Step 3: Madecassoside Cream
  • Texture: Not too thick or thin, but definitely thicker than the cica gel. Although the texture seems thicker than the cica gel, in my opinion, once you work it into the skin, it feels much lighter, like a viscous light cream, and is less clammy than the cica gel.
  • Additional Thoughts: The cream felt quite cooling, soothing, and smoothing on the skin upon application. However, when using the cream only (at night), I noticed it leaves an occlusive film on the skin and does not completely absorb.
• Step 4: Madecassoside Cica Balm
  • Texture: Thick balm texture with a smooth yet slightly tacky residue, quite like most multi-purpose balms.
  • Additional Thoughts: It’s a soothing and protective barrier, good for spot treating specific areas as an occlusive sealant layer. I ended up using the balm on my heels after moisturizing them to lock in moisture. It doesn’t contain lanolin.

All 4 products leave a silky-smooth, slightly oily residue on the skin. The problem I have is that I can’t get past the fake soft, fuzzy feeling that this gives, as it can get clammy and too much for my combination, acne-prone skin. After using the full kit once, I decided to separate the rest of the samples and use them differently. Either way, the silicone mixed with oil and other moisturizing ingredients feeling bothered me, and although I didn’t get any full-on breakouts in general, I did definitely get lots of tiny bumpy closed comedones from using these products.

Will I repurchase? I’m glad I got these as samples and I will not repurchase any of these in full size. I am in the middle of testing out the full size of the cica gel as well as the ampoule, which wasn’t included in this kit. I’ll say in advance that the ampoule is the only product that’s worth it for me in this line so far, but I’ll give more details later. After using this kit, I was tempted to not even use the full size of the cica gel, but I don’t want to waste it, so I will see what happens if I use a smaller amount each time.

A'pieu Madecassoside Line: Hype vs. Reality

When A'pieu released this Madecassoside line last year, it was all the hype. With ingredients like Centella Asiatica taking over the Asian beauty community, everyone was excited for sensitive skin-targeted products like the Skin1004 Centella Ampoule and more. However, Madecassoside is another type of Centella, lesser known; and A'pieu was among the first to widely market it for its entire range of products.

The product comes out as a white, thick consistency cream. After spreading it out, it leaves a slight sheen on the skin and kind of sits weirdly on top of the skin. I realized that I kept feeling like ‘something’ was on my skin when I applied this, and it just felt heavy and sticky. The product can be greasy and a little sticky, leaving me to feel uncomfortable. However, I do realize it’s a really good product for sensitive skin and has a ton of good ingredients. I’d say this is not meant for me and it’s probably more suited for those with sensitive, dry skin who live in cold weather. If you have oily skin and live in humid weather, you might want to stay away from this.

User Reviews and Experiences

Photo Reviews

• Trendfashionhunter (Oily/Sensitive): "A staple product for reactive and acne-prone skin. Applied during maskne outbreaks and irritations, it provided relief and repair. The texture isn't as light as I'd like, but it's part of the product and necessary for its function. 80"
• BlankCanvasMakeup (Dry/Resilient): "A pleasantly thick balm that calms and soothes irritated skin overnight. Blemishes and skin irritations are greatly reduced after one to two uses. I keep mine in my fridge for an extra cooling effect. I can't think of anything negative. 20"
• theglowartist (Oily/Sensitive): "My favorite moisturizer!! Perfect for oily-sensitive girls like me! Gives an appropriate amount of moisture to my skin without leaving it greasy or oily! None!! 20"
• LouiseY (Oily/Resilient): "This is a thick gel moisturizer that has been perfect for my oily skin! It dries down to a nice matte finish that doesn’t feel greasy or tacky. It doesn’t feel heavy on the face either, even in humid, tropical weather. However, I do prefer to use it... The super thick texture makes it hard to spread without tugging at my skin too much - because of that I may not repurchase. It's been a great experience though! It has a certain smell while it’s in the jar but once it’s on your face, it’s unnoticeable.... 20"
• soph (Oily/Sensitive): "Absolutely love this. It’s SO soothing - I love how it calms down the redness on my cheeks and my chin. You only need a little bit since it spreads easily and a little bit goes a long way. Great occlusive :) Absolutely nothing. 10"
• JJustSkinThings (Oily/Sensitive): "Such a great product and I totally recommend this for all skin types! I’ve got pretty hormonal acne that gets super irritated during that time of the month and occasionally in the summer heat. Great for calming down inflamed skin. As my skin is oily... Just a tad sticky! But okay to use at night 😄 10"
• hellococo (Dry/Sensitive): "I like the gel consistency as it is easily to apply. It has 3 soothing ingredients namely madecassoside, centella leaf water, and allantoin. It wears fine both day and night. It is hydrating, and it did not irritate or break me out! Though it doesn't feel heavy, It feels sticky on my face and it takes a while to sink into the skin if ever. Not ideal if your hair is down and sitting close to a fan."

tags: #a #pieu #madecassoside #cica #gel