You know what the most annoying thing about acne is? It’s never just one pimple by itself, nope, they come in swarms, and you need to fend them all off at once. So how do we help calm these pimples, or better, prevent them from popping up? By using a product like the LJH Tea Tree 90 essence.
- What is it
- A lightweight serum containing 90% tea tree extract and other plant extracts to help soothe your acne-prone skin
- How I use it
- Use the dropper to dispense a generous amount, and apply after toner but before heavier serums and oils
- Best suited for
- Oily and/or acne-prone skin
- Ingredients
- CosDNA analysis
- Size & Price
- $27.98 for 1.7oz
- Where to buy
- Amazon
Disclaimer: I actually don’t have acne-prone skin, but once I started using Curology, my skin started purging and started breaking out. At that point I had no anti-acne products in my skincare rotation except for my sad tube of Clean & Clear salicylic acid gel, and that gel just irritated my skin even more. I needed something to calm my acne and my irritated skin, and I needed it fast.
The serum is clear and almost water like. It dries to a matte finish with no stickiness.
I took the leap with the LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence, and boy am I glad I did. I loved that it’s super lightweight and it doesn’t contain any irritants like parabens, alcohol, or mineral oil. Instead it contains 90% tea tree extract, which is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Unlike tea tree oil, which can irritate the skin at higher %, the LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence is soothing and provides enough hydration for oily skin types.
#Skincaretip: If you have troubled skin, look for tea tree extract in the ingredients, it’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial!
Within a week of using this essence twice a day, my skin stopped purging and the acne slowly went away. While it wasn’t an overnight miracle, it did a great job of gently clearing my skin and preventing future breakouts. This is a nice change from most anti-acne treatments I’ve tried, which relies on more irritating ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Lastly, let’s talk a bit about the packaging. It comes in a lovely frosted glass bottle with a dropper, which seems nice at first, until you reach the last bit of the serum. Then it becomes impossible to get out with the dropper, and you have to pour it out, and that’s always a disaster.
Ok, so I exaggerate, it’s just slightly annoying, and in the grand scheme of things this is a very minor flaw. Overall this serum delivers on its promise to calm acne and troubled skin, so it gets a thumbs up from me!
Final Verdict
- Packaging7.5/10
- Ingredients8/10
- Texture/Application9.5/10
- Performance8.5/10
- Price7.5/10
I can see why people rave about this product, because with consistent use, it works. Your skin won't be further irritated, and it provides a light layer of hydration. I stopped using it after my skin returned to normal, but it's nice to have in my skincare rotation, just in case. I would definitely recommend this if you have troubled or acne-prone skin!
Hope you found this review helpful, and let me know what products you recommend for acne and troubled skin!
Thanks for the recommendation! I used to have acne prone skin and these days I don’t get clusters, but I get the occasional stubborn pimple :( I’ve always tackled it with a combo of benzoyl and salicylic which is terrible though it works. I am looking for ways to make my skin healthier, so a natural treatment like this one looks good!
No problem Liv! This is definitely more of a preventive product than a treatment for acne that’s already there, but I think The Body Shop and Naruko both have tea tree products that help treat acne, which should be more gentle than the benzoyl + salicyclic combo!
Love your ratings system I find that really useful! I only have the LJH Tea Tree facial mist but really want to try the serum – I’m using the honey one atm and it’s so great for the colder weather. Your photos are beautiful too – so light and airy! Definitely going to be checking out more of your Kbeauty thoughts – I’m half Korean myself so love coming across blogs that talk about Korean skincare :)
http://www.barelytherebeauty.com
xx
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! The LJH serum was great for the summer, but my skin definitely needs something heavier for the winter. The honey serum sounds lovely, is that by LJH as well or a different brand?
So glad you like my pictures, and I’ll definitely be posting more Korean/Asian skincare posts in the future! :)
What a brilliant product! As you said, when I get a pimple it’s never just one! It’s a swarm. I’ve always found pure tea tree oil so strong, and drying. I’m not a huge fan of droppers, but the product sounds so good I think it can be forgiven! I’d love to give this a try, fingers crossed I can get it in the UK!
Thank you Katy! Tea tree oil can be really strong, plus I know some people find the smell off-putting.
You can also try eBay, there are always Korean sellers on there that ship worldwide!
i don’t really have a lot of pimples but when i have a pimple or two, they will always appear around the area of my nose or my chin. i was about to say that tea tree oil might not work for me because i once used tea tree oil and it irritated the crap outta my skin and then i read that you specified about how this is lighter and safer. it’s a good thing that this does not contain salicylic acid too because dang, salicylic acid caused my skin to flake away.
fortunately, i don’t have crazy big pimple breakout on my nose anymore like how it used to (i’m not sure why, probably due to exfoliation or age) but this could have been useful for me back then! i wonder if it’s possible to use this on blemishes as well hm… because i have blemishes more than acne now :P
Yep, tea tree oil can be really strong, so using too much of it will definitely hurt more than help.
When you say blemishes, do you mean like acne scars? If so, this serum isn’t going to do much at all. You’ll have better luck trying vitamin c, niacinamide, or an AHA like mandelic acid or glycolic acid to help skin cell turnover.
I love the idea of using something natural like tea extract to fight acne and keep your skin fresh! I don’t have acne but do break out once in a while and it’s nice to find new products like these!
I find natural ingredients are usually gentler, and the last thing we want to do is irritate our face more when we already have acne ??
What an informative post! I really love your style of presentation as well. I’ve added this product to my list of faves I need to try!
Thank you so much for your comment Mayra! Do let me know how you like it if you try it out! ?
Jenny, great review and what an informative post! Luckily I no longer have acne prone skin (one of the benefits that comes with getting older :) ) but I’m always interested in learning about new products in hopes I could help someone along the way! Thank you for sharing this post!
~ Cat L.
http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Thank you so much Cat! The crazy thing is I actually never broke out when I was younger, only after I started using prescription retinol ?
One thing I love about blogging and social media is how much we can learn from each other! Always happy to share my experiences, and am glad that people find them helpful! ??