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Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Serum
I’ve long made peace with my pores. But because I have oily/combination skin, I’m prone to breakouts. On top of that, I have rosacea, which makes my skin turn red and break out due to several reasons such as stress. So I’m always on the lookout for exfoliating treatments to manage my oily skin and pores without aggravating sensitivity.
And when it comes to exfoliation for oily skin, salicylic acid is the holy grail. It dissolves dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and penetrates better into pores compared to other exfoliants like glycolic acid. That’s why it’s so effective in cleaning up congested skin, treating and preventing acne, and improving the look of pores.
Most salicylic acid products on the market are either too strong for my skin or take forever to do something about my skin concerns. That is until I tried Caudalie’s salicylic acid serum. I’ve been happy with every single Caudalie product I’ve tried. And this one did not disappoint either. And I decided to let you guys in on this serum as it has been in my skincare routine for quite some time now.
Read on for my review of Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Serum.
What It Has
Caudalie Vinopure Pore Minimizing Serum is a salicylic acid serum. In case you’re completely new to the ingredient, salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid. What makes it special is that it’s an oil-soluble ingredient. This makes it work better for people with oily skin. As a clean and natural brand, the salicylic acid in the product is 100% natural.
Caudalie doesn’t disclose the concentration of salicylic acid in this product. So I emailed them and asked about it. They said, “it has less than 2% of salicylic acid”. This is pretty vague of course and personally, I don’t like undisclosed percentages. But my judgment is based on my experience and I can say that it has enough to help with my skin concerns.
The serum also has niacinamide, which helps minimize the appearance of pores too. And of course, it contains Caudalie’s signature ingredient grape polyphenols. These are antioxidants to help protect the skin from environmental stressors.
What It Does
As a daily exfoliating serum, it helps clear up blackheads from the skin and prevents clogged pores. It also reduces acne and softens the look of enlarged pores.
My personal reason for using it is my stress and period breakouts. These are unpredictable and super stubborn. So I need something that works fast. That’s why I love this serum. It calms acne and redness from acne overnight. That way, I don’t have to fight the urge to pick my skin. It completely gets rid of redness and from the first use, I can see my acne calming down and fading.
I take my daily skincare routine very seriously and I barely take any breaks. And if I, for some reason, skip it for a few days, I immediately start seeing blackheads, especially on my chin. When I use this serum, I notice that it helps smooth my skin and gets rid of blackheads in just a couple of days. So, whenever I skip my skincare, this is the serum I use to jumpstart my routine.
Who It Is For
This is for anyone looking for an effective salicylic acid treatment serum. If you have oily skin, combination skin, or acne-prone skin and you’re dealing with blackheads and inflamed acne, this is going to work amazingly well for you. And as long as you don’t overdo it, you can use this even if you have sensitive skin. As I mentioned before, I have rosacea and this serum did not irritate my skin.
How It Feels
Right after you apply the serum, your skin feels a tiny bit tight at first. The gel texture blankets the skin at first as if you’ve applied a peel-off face mask. But the feeling goes away rather quickly. The most important thing to know here is that this is a treatment serum. So unlike other serums with a lotion-like texture, Caudalie Vinopure Salicylic Acid Serum has a gel texture. So the primary focus here is fast absorption and fast action and not necessarily a glowy, dewy after-feel.
How It Absorbs
Because of its gel texture, Caudalie Salicylic Acid serum absorbs very fast and disappears into the skin. There is no residual greasy or any other type of feel on the skin. The serum has basically a matte finish. Additionally, the runny texture is pretty rich and half a pump is enough for your entire face. So don’t overuse it because a little goes a long way.
How It Smells
The serum has a strong minty scent. The scent itself is not bad but it’s actually a bit overpowering at first. And it makes you squint your eyes as if you’re sucking on a peppermint candy. Here’s what I do to avoid it. Normally, when I use a serum from a pump bottle, I squeeze it out and apply it directly to my skin. But with this one, I squeeze out a pea-sized amount into my fingers and let the gel air, so to speak, for a few seconds. Then I spread it all over my face. When you do this, the scent of the serum smells fresh and less bothering.
How It Layers
The gel serum is as light as they come. So it layers well with other serums and creams too. It doesn’t pill. I tried it with several other skincare products. One time, I tried applying a thick night cream over it and it worked well. Another time, I used a lotion serum on top of it and then sealed it in with a moisturizer and it still did not pill. In sum, you can squeeze it in pretty much anywhere in your skincare routine. However, I mentioned that this is a treatment serum. For that reason, I’d suggest layering this with as few products as possible to get the most benefits. And instead of using it in your morning routine, use it in your evening routine.
The Verdict
I love that with this serum, I can exfoliate my sensitive skin and manage my excess oil and congestion at the same time. I don’t have to modify my whole skincare just to fit a salicylic acid product into my routine. This serum works gently on my skin and removes blackheads fast. And with long-term use, it makes your pores look smaller and your complexion clearer.
And I can definitely say that, if you have oily or combination skin or you’re dealing with blackheads and blemishes, Caudalie’s Salicylic Acid Serum is going to give you smoother, healthier skin.
