Every month, or even every week, we get inundated with a flurry of products from makeup to skincare. Sometimes it’s a hit, other times a miss. And though I’m used to sticking to my holy grails on most days, I don’t shy away from trying new things that claim to work wonders for the skin. That’s why I was so excited to review SK-II’s famed PITERA™ Essence (or Facial Treatment Essence) that claims to work for every skin type.
Now, I’m definitely no stranger to this iconic product, I’m familiar with their campaigns and especially loved it when they partnered up with James Corden & Chloe Moretz to create the highly entertaining Bare Skin Chat series featuring the PITERA™ Essence too.
Besides that, I’ve also tried the PITERA™ Essence a few years ago, though without feeling the full benefits of the product as I was pretty inconsistent with my routine in the past. When SK-II sent a new bottle over for review though, I knew I had to give this product a second chance.
Otherwise known as one of the few essentials you should have on your vanity table, you could say that the PITERA™ Essence is somewhat the crème de la crème of skincare. With that knowledge, I was determined to make sure that my routine was simple and consistent for the whole week — so here goes, a proper test this time, without introducing any new skincare products into my routine except the PITERA™ Essence.
TRIED AND TESTED
While there’s usually no right or wrong way of applying your skincare products, to ensure the best results, I went ahead with the SK-II’s recommended steps — in this case, either using a cotton pad or with your bare hands to apply the essence.
But before diving into the different ways of application, it’s also important to note that you’re applying an essence, so that should come after cleansing and toning!
For me, I used the essence right after cleansing and toning my skin, be it day or night.
PATTING IT ON WITH YOUR HANDS
Commonly known as one of the best ways to apply the SK-II PITERA™ Essence, a majority of beauty aficionados swear by applying the product with their (clean) bare hands with SK-II’s iconic “Pat Pat” move — seen on their own Limited Edition Mickey Mouse bottles that were launched earlier this year for Chinese New Year. All you need is to shake out a dime-sized amount of the essence in your palm, and slather it generously on your face and neck.
Everyone has their preference on how to use the PITERA™ Essence, but in my opinion, I preferred applying it with my hands because I feel like my skin’s absorbing more of the product compared to when I use a cotton pad. Not to mention, it also has a very refreshing finish — leaving my skin fresh and prepped for the next step in my skincare routine.
APPLYING IT ON A COTTON PAD
Just to be fair, I also tried using it with the cotton pad method – soaking a soft cotton pad with the PITERA™ Essence before dabbing it on my skin. With this method, I felt that the essence absorbed slightly faster than patting it onto my skin, and it still did a great job at hydrating, moisturising and prepping my skin for my next step.
Pro-tip – you can also soak a few cotton pads with the essence and use it as a mask too. The only setback is that you’d probably be done with your bottle of PITERA™ Essence in no time, so I wouldn’t recommend using it as a mask on a daily basis.
BEFORE AND AFTER
After putting the Facial Treatment Essence to the test for a week, I’ve noticed a slight difference in my skin’s texture, as well as my complexion. Prior to using the PITERA™ Essence, I was having a small breakout around my cheek area and my skin was visibly dull from the lack of sleep I’ve been getting recently. Not to mention, I had a few tiny bumps that look like whiteheads on my skin, which were caused by keratin trapped beneath my skin’s surface.
Then came the essence. I actually started using the Facial Treatment Essence as part of my morning routine and incorporated it in my night routine as well, because I wanted to see visible results from using it in such a short period of time.
I was a bit uncertain about how it would fare because I have fairly sensitive skin but thankfully, and evidently, it worked well for me.
In comparison to the results from day 1 to day 6, the essence helped to clear my blemishes and the tiny bumps that were on my skin. The texture of my skin became a lot smoother and it also strengthened the barrier of my skin too – my skin feels a lot stronger and healthier now. On top of that, the essence also visibly restored my skin’s radiance and reduced the size of my pores — I can now go barefaced without having to worry about always reaching out for my foundation or concealer to whenever I’m in front of the camera.
A NOTE ON SIDE EFFECTS
Much like every other new product that you introduce into your skincare routine, it’s also important to take note of the ingredients that are used in this essence. Although SK-II’s PITERA™ Essence is suitable for all skin types, it does contain natural ingredients, so a small percentage of users may still experience side effects. Therefore, do a patch test before fully incorporating it into your routine and discuss all the ingredients with your dermatologist before using the skincare product.
IS IT WORTH IT?
First and foremost, I love anything that reduces the size of my pores and calms my skin. And SK-II’s PITERA™ Essence checked all of these boxes — which brings about my next point — is it worth it? Definitely.
In my opinion, investing in a bottle of skincare every once in a while is worth it, especially if it genuinely works well and gives visible results — which is what you can expect from this iconic product, whether you have dry, oily, or even combination skin. Sure, it’s a luxury beauty product with a matching high-end price point, but good skin, at times, will come with a price tag — which is definitely worth splurging on in this case.
WHERE TO BUY IT
Interested to try out the PITERA™ Essence for yourself? Check out the SK-II website to find out more.
The SK-II PITERA™ Essence retails at $108 (75ml), $220 (160ml), and $289 (230ml).
This was made in collaboration with SK-II. All reviews and opinions are my own.
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