After two months of YÜLI Cell Perfecto PM and summer break, a classmate said to me, “Your skin is so much better.” (August 2013)
After three months, I had gone three weeks without foundation. (September 2013)
After five months, there was no question I was purchasing my second bottle. (December 2013)
After a year, I was pouring out the last drops of my second bottle and was so happy with how much this serum has healed my skin. (July 2014)
Rewinding backwards, my skin had gone from extreme pimply mess to scarred mess after finally realizing straight coconut oil, with all of its beautiful nourishing and anti-bacterial properties, was just not my friend (January 2013). Fabiana (Beauty Idealist) gave this the holy grail sticker after seeing icepick scars rehabilitate into normal tissue–cue the start of a steady, two-bottle long, I’ll-see-you-every-night affair.
Cell Perfecto PM + three months = three weeks without foundation. In the hot, humid summers of Taiwan and Baltimore my makeup routine consisted only of my eye makeup routine despite all tomato-face tendencies. Plus a new cheek makeup routine–I had previously sworn off any blush or bronzer because my acne scars were rosy enough, but at this point, my scars had faded to the point where I was comfortable adding in a healthy flush à la Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Suntouched.
During this sweaty time, a face mist + three drops of Cell Perfecto PM was enough to moisturize my face at night. To be fair, given hormonal fluctuations, varied diet, varied stress (hey multiple midterms and finals), and varied products, I plopped back on the foundation weeks later in the name of hide-and-seek with the pimples.
 |
| Left to right: after 0 months of use – 10 months of use. |
Cell Perfecto PM + five months = second bottle, purchased, done. While I was of course nowhere near airbrushed, perfectly Photoshopped, model skin, I was so satisfied with the results of my first bottle that it was a no-brainer for me to continue into a second bottle. While my deeper scars were still a bit deep and newer pimples had cropped up, whatever pimples I had five months ago were long gone and the rosy scars had lightened to a plushy pink. For some reason (probably starting with h and ending with -oliday eating), my right cheek was mad flush but it’s definitely not CPP’s fault–this never has aggravated my acne.
With colder weather (negative degrees in Baltimore! A revelation for this California girl!), a face mist + three drops were no longer enough to moisturize overnight–I typically layered another oil over it (usually M.E. Skin Fuel) or a cream moisturizer over/under (couldn’t decide, usually Graydon Green Cream) to make sure I wasn’t waking up feeling like I had worn a clay mask overnight.
 |
| Left to right: after 0 months of use – 10 months of use. |
Cell Perfecto PM + ~a year = satisfaction. I am so happy with how far my skin has come in a year. While still my skin is nowhere near close to perfect (please read Marcella’s beautiful post on this topic), instead of my mom staring at my skin and shaking her head, “Wow Jade…what did you do to your skin…”, she’s been giving me the nod, “Your skin is so much better.” (#ChineseMumsBeBlunt)
While in January my left cheek kind of looked like a little shark went omnomnom’ing through my skin, now, it looks more like a little mouse did a bit of gentle gnawing here and there, and then a bit of hyper fang in others. So yes, still have pitted scars, but while before the texture of my scarred left cheek was actually seriously uneven, now you can tell the difference between pitted scar and healed/normal cheek. Some pitted scars have filled up, others need a bit more time and love.
Looking at my right cheek, there are literally scars from month 5 that I cannot find present day. There is also a very red scar from month 5 that is normal skin color now with just one little scar dot reminding me: don’t pick it. Just don’t.
As far as redness goes, there are a lot of things that can contribute to it (temperature, diet, stress), but it was hitting 100 degrees on a daily basis this past summer and I was the least rosy I’ve been since the epic breakout (and it’s just been getting better and better since).
To be honest, since I was always applying this at night in the near dark, I never noticed the sediments until looking at other people’s reviews and then one morning when I sleepily and accidentally reached for this instead of M.E. Skin Fuel, I was like whoa hello. Don’t be alarmed–the sediments (which I didn’t feel at all in my first bottle and barely felt in my second) are time released into the serum to maintain the potency over time.
 |
| Top: quick healing in 2010 – 2011, pre-green Bottom: slower healing from nasty breakout, August – October 2012, post-green and pre-CPP |
The question must be asked: could my skin have healed just as fast without Cell Perfecto PM? Looking back at a less-severe breakout in 2010 before I had gone green, my skin took about year to heal from breakouts, to very red post-acne marks, to pink post-acne marks. So I know my skin does have pretty good regenerative powers.
But after my nasty breakout, the difference spanning three months without Cell Perfecto PM was definitely less than the difference spanning three months using Cell Perfecto PM (looking back, the Dr. Alkaitis regimen also put me in a good place acne-wise and scar-wise before I started using Cell Perfecto PM).
A final word: this is not a product with overnight results (as evidenced by my use of two bottles and I would totally go for a third). Cell Perfecto PM helped take my damaged skin to an exponentially better place in terms of red scars and physical scars over time. So, depending on your initial skin condition, patience may be required.
Have you tried this product? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what do you use to heal post-acne marks?
Ingredients: Bioregenerating Botanical Infusion (Botanical Glycosides, Sea Minerals Complex), S. chinensis (Jojoba) oil*, M. integrifolia (Macadamia) oil*, O. ficus-indica (Indian Fig) seed oil*, C. inophyllum (Tamanu) oil*, H. rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) oil*, A. uva-ursi (Bearberry) extract*, H. italicum (Helichrysum)* extract, G. glabra (Liquorice) extract*, C. asiatica (Gotu Kola) extract*, Renew Minerals Complex (Methysulfonylmethane (MSM)* Derived from Pine Lignin, Phytosterols derived from Flax), A. linearis (Rooibos) extract*, B. carterii (Frankincense) extract*, D. carota (Carrot) seed extract^^, G. lucidum (Reishi) extract*, L-arginine, L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), L-Gluconic Acid (Derived from Kombucha Tea Ferment)
* Organic
^^ Wildcrafted
Disclaimer: I’ve purchased this product myself from YÜLI Skincare–twice. Nowadays, it’s also available on Spirit Beauty Lounge. I am not being compensated in any way for my words. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Photos have not been retouched in any sort of way and were all taken with a Canon PowerShot SD 1100 on a macro setting in order to capture more detail. The only editing I have done is cropping and collaging in order to save space. Let this also be sort of a PSA to listen to your skin and be kind to it. It took a long time for me to heal my skin and I never want to put my skin in such a state again.
Additional Sources:
Davis, Erica C., and Valerie D. Callender. “Postinflammatory Hyperpigmentation A Review Of The Epidemiology, Clinical Features, And Treatment Options In Skin Of Color.” Journal Of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology 3.7 (2010): 20-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Dweck, A. C., and T. Meadows. “Tamanu (Calophyllum Inophyllum ) – The African, Asian, Polynesian And Pacific Panacea.” International Journal Of Cosmetic Science 24.6 (2002): 341-348. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Greene, M.d. Richard S., Ph.d. Donald T. Downing, M.d. Peter E. Pochi, and M.d. John S. Strauss. “Anatomical Variation In The Amount And Composition Of Human Skin Surface Lipid.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology 54.3 (1970): 240-47. Web.
Kozarski, Maja S., Anita S. Klaus, and Miomir P. Nikšić. “Extract From Wild Strain Of Mushroom Ganoderma Lucidum As Natural Antioxidant.” Matica Srpska Proceedings For Natural Sciences / Zbornik Matice Srpske Za Prirodne Nauke 121.(2011): 289-297. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Maguire, L. S., et al. “Fatty Acid Profile, Tocopherol, Squalene And Phytosterol Content Of Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Hazelnuts And The Macadamia Nut.” International Journal Of Food Sciences & Nutrition 55.3 (2004): 171-178. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
Maramaldi, Giada, et al. “Anti-Inflammaging And Antiglycation Activity Of A Novel Botanical Ingredient From African Biodiversity (Centevita).” Clinical, Cosmetic & Investigational Dermatology 7.(2014): 1-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Sharma, Richa1, and Namrita1, namrita.lall@up.ac.za Lall. “Antibacterial, Antioxidant Activities And Cytotoxicity Of Plants Against Propionibacterium Acnes.” South African Journal Of Science 110.11/12 (2014): 58-65. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Upadhyay, N.k., R. Kumar, S.k. Mandotra, R.n. Meena, M.s. Siddiqui, R.c. Sawhney, and A. Gupta. “Safety and Healing Efficacy of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides L.) Seed Oil on Burn Wounds in Rats.” Food and Chemical Toxicology 47.6 (2009): 1146-153. Web.
Viegas, Daniel Antunes, Ana Palmeira-De-Oliveira, Lígia Salgueiro, José Martinez-De-Oliveira, and Rita Palmeira-De-Oliveira. “Helichrysum Italicum: From Traditional Use to Scientific Data.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 151.1 (2014): 54-65. Web.
Wertz, P. W. “Human Synthetic Sebum Formulation And Stability Under Conditions Of Use And Storage.” International Journal Of Cosmetic Science 31.1 (2009): 21-25. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
Wille, J J, and A. Kydonieus. “Palmitoleic Acid Isomer (C16:1delta6) in Human Skin Sebum Is Effective against Gram-positive Bacteria.” Skin Pharmacology and Physiology 16.3 (2003): 176-87. Web.
Tweet
I loved this post and thank you so much for sharing your skin update in pictures with us! As always, you make Yüli sound like a brand I must try, which I will in due future. The results are great though! Healing scars and marks is not something that happens in a month, and my skin has actually had a real good week! No blemishes, no redness, close to faded hyperpigmentation scars. Then I had a rebound to some sweets whilst studying, and I can feel some spots growing. Sigh…
To get back to scar healing, I've finally had the chance to try Odacité's Pa+G oil and I really like it! I finally understand what you meant with a little goes a long way. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to, but I just applied it directly onto my skin as a serum. The packaging said to mix it with a moisturiser? What would you recommend?
find me on 9outoften.com
Oh wow! It seems like Cell Perfecto PM took the redness, scars AND pimples down?? Thank you for documenting this, it is so useful for me!
Stellar thorough review Jade! Cell Perfecto is definitely working its magic on your scars and acne. This is next on my Yuli wishlist. Currently using and loving Liquid Courage for preventing breakouts, but I have some hyper-pigmentation I'd like to clear up. I'm also guilty of using coconut oil as my sole moisturizer for far too long before face-palming when discovering that it caused most of my breakouts (skin instantly started to heal after ridding it from my face routine). xx
Great review and such a great result, so glad it worked so well for you! x
Hello! I am one of the ones who troubled you with when this will be posted and I am so glad to have waited for the most informative review. The results are amazing even compared to your skin repairing itself, it just seems to accelerate it so much. It also looks like your skin generally looks brighter, more smoothed and toned in the pictures too!
This sounds lovely, thanks for sharing your skin journey! As a fellow acne struggler, I am always on the hunt for the best products and YÜLI has definitely impressed. Their ingredients and formulations are so beautiful! I'd love to try more from them.
This is the best review i see for this product!! I bought this serum 3 weeks ago, and i search for a review.. unfortunately your not publish yet, but tonight i'm really happy to read this. I have my tracking number now and can't wait to receive this serum!! I have scar on my chin because of my hormonal acne.. 🙁 Good job Jane, thanks a lot for sharing your detail experience! Jut
Amazing progress pics Jade, 10 months is a long time so naturally there would be some healing anyway but I think it looks as if the product definitely helped you a lot, Yuli are on my list to try but I am very much enamoured with my Antonia Burrell serum for scars and preventing breakouts however there is always room in a bloggers life for another serum, ha ha! 🙂
*sold*
The results look amazing! I'm so happy for you & know the feeling of relief you must feel when everyday you skin gets a little better.
My skin took a turn for the worst in November after two years of okay skin, now I basically have cystic acne again along my jaw raising up my cheeks. The annoying part is new ones pop up in identical places to old ones, doubling the scar and I just just know they will leave a ice-pick style scar too if they ever leave.
I definitely can't afford this right now, but hells yes you can bet I'll be buying it! xxx
Such a thorough and helpful review for those who might be looking to try this! I love Cell Perfecto, glad to see it's worked so well for you too! x
Wow the results are amazing!! I really want to try something from Yuli, maybe one of their cleansers 🙂
What a thoughtful review! It was your blog many months ago that inspired me to try Cell Perfecto, and I am finally finishing up my second bottle. It has helped soothe & heal my acne prone skin in a tremendous way. I had tried many oils & serums in my (occasionally desperate) journey but none had the staying power of Cell Perfecto. It is not a magic bullet – I still got a breakout here and there – but it really sped up healing, toned down the severity & improved the overall clarity of my complexion. It encouraged me to feel that my skin wasn't a lost cause, it just needed time & care from all angles, topically & otherwise. I can finally muster the courage to go without foundation – which is huge (security blanket since my teens). Thank you for initially introducing this serum to me & I am so happy to see you've had such a great experience as well!
Wow, the results are amazing. To be honest eventhough I love green beauty, skincare in general makes me feel like everything just is 'good' for skin but to see the literal results from Cell Perfecto, wow!
Hi Jade! I am soo happy for you, I'm on my 2nd bottle of Cell Perfecto, and like you I've never looked back. Cell Perfecto takes awhile to work, but it really does. I do realize now when I use non-green products, my skin instantly has some sort of reaction and I really have to work hard at healing it again. It's really frustrating to have clear skin, and then you do something and the resulting spots take forever to go away (which's why I'm now starting to make the slow switch to clean makeup as well! Do you have suggestions?). Cell Perfecto PM really cuts that time down by half! It's a stellar product I recommend to everyone.
http://charmystique.com/
I feel you dear, my skin has recently started to break out along the jaw and the neck which is strange and I've never had acne on my neck before. It's incredibly painful and annoying. I would say try to change your pillowcase often and keep you hair away from your face. That really helped me! I read on Caroline Hirons' blog that silk pillowcases help, so I'm on the hunt for a good quality one now. And yes please do get CPP when you can, it's really amazing!
http://charmystique.com/
Thank you Weng Yee! I do really hope you try YÜLI soon–I am Amazingy does stock them in Europe 😉 Yay for good skin week! Yep, I've been on a great skin kick and tonight I just had dairy…we'll see how that goes…
Oh I'm so excited you're trying Pa + G now! With that one, while you may not see physical scars heal (Cell Perfecto perks), you may see red marks diminish within a month (Pa + G perks). I personally liked mixing 2-3 drops with a cream moisturizer (Kahina's Night Cream) or an oil (Marula Oil) so that my entire face could get benefits and because I typically need more moisture/love mixing over layering. Applying it alone is great too–probably more concentrated that way (sometimes I just applied it to my cheeks if I felt my forehead and chin/jaw were fine). It's totally customizable, totally up to you 🙂
I'm so glad it is useful for you, Denise! Since I was using of course other products (but no other brightening products) while using Cell Perfecto, I can't say exactly that CPP definitely took my pimples down, but it definitely didn't cause any extra pimples. Over time, I gradually learned how to listen to my skin better and found products that were less likely to cause breakouts 🙂
Thank you Ashtynne!! I hope you try CPP soon 🙂 Oh I love Liquid Courage as well! So sorry to hear you had the same reaction to coconut oil 🙁 But I'm glad that your skin also instantly started to heal after abstaining from it! Exactly what my skin did too.
Thank you Tania!! xx
Thank you Julie! Oh I'm so excited for you to try Cell Perfecto! I hope it works well for you! xx
Hi Julie! I'm so glad it was worth the wait–had started drafting this last summer but was stalled until recently for various reasons. Thank you for your kind words–the camera on macro is a harsh judge–in real life, it looks even better! 😀
Thanks Megan! Sing it, sister~
Thanks Ana! I definitely agree–I like to think that my skin and the serum were able to hold hands through the process and get through it faster. Always room for another serum 😉 Will have to check out the Antonia Burrell serum!
Thank you Annabel! I'm so sorry to hear about the cystic acne 🙁 Last fall I also got a strange bout of acne along my jaw and neck which I think arose with stress for me–it gradually died down after several weeks–since then I've tried to be mindful and manage my stress with yoga, meditation, and herbs.
I definitely agree with you!! And I've also heard about silk pillowcases–and they not only just great for acne–I've heard they're also easy on the hair (less hair breakage and such). On my list too!
Thank you Allie! Glad to hear it's a favorite of yours too xx
Thank you Amber! Yes!!!! I love their Halcyon cleanser–twice purchased, definite fave. Hope you try it soon! x
Thank you Marley! That is so wonderful to hear–I'm so glad to hear you also had a great experience with this serum! I too sometimes felt my skin was a lost cause and was never going to get better–and now looking back two years, I can't believe how much it has healed. And I agree–it's not a magic cure-all–I break out occasionally and if I look really closely in the mirror, I can see my skin isn't a perfectly smooth slate, but it's miles better than it was before. *high-fives
Thank you Gina! Haha, I definitely get the same feeling–it feels good to use healthy ingredients and to see results too 🙂
Hi lovely!! Thank you! Keep going forward, girl! So happy to hear it works so well for you too. I love clean makeup too!! My go-to foundation is mineral foundation by Alima Pure or W3ll People–I've tried to make friends with cream foundation, but whenever I switched back to minerals, the little breakouts on my cheeks disappeared. I love Kjaer Weis blushes and their mascara is the only mascara that doesn't smudge on me. Ilia Beauty makes tons of gorgeous lippies.
I think our skin types are pretty similar, I should probably give minerals a try too! Could it be that cream's are too heavy for us? I'm wondering which green mascara to try, I have very thick and heavy lashes for an Asian but they point downwards. So most importantly the mascara needs to be able to hold the curl too! I'll check the brands you mentioned out, thanks dear!
YULI seems like such a magical line. On my student budget I have only been able to afford some of their samples and I don't know if it's good or bad because what I have tried has only made me want to purchase their full sized things even more!
It's possible creams are too heavy 🙁 I think it's the coconut oil in the KW foundation, because W3ll People's cream foundation (coconut oil-less) goes wonderfully over my dark circles and T-zone of redness. Yes!!! My lashes are exactly the same–they are quite long, but no one can tell, because they just go straight downwards! Some mascaras can give me somewhat of a hold (rms beauty defining mascara–though it's a bit smudgy)–but I'm still on the lookout for an even better one. Hope you give them out a try! xx
That's exactly how I started getting into their line–I bought a sample of Panacea, then a full size of Panacea, and it just kept rolling down the hill. On the plus side, they do last months and comparing side-by-side ingredients and prices with other brands, they can be comparable (mostly on the elixir side). Hope you will be able to try more!
Hi lovely! I'm so sorry it took me this long to comment on your amazing review. The flu knocked me out entirely and I was just a mess. But, like I said before – your skin looks so healthy and GOOD in your pics with regular use of Cell Perfecto PM! I know how hard us acne-prone and acne-scarred women struggle with the way our skin looks and it's the ultimate triumph when an Asian mom says your skin looks good, hehe. 🙂 I know I nearly fistpumped the air when my mom declared my skin looked good. The funny thing is, I almost bought Cell Perfecto PM, but then I realized I had amazing results with using skinnyskinny organics' facial serum ($76) in healing my breakouts. I was really surprised because that serum isn't really marketed as a skin brightener, but my skin loved it! So if you're in a market for a solid facial serum for acne-prone people, I recommend that one too. 🙂 P.S. I don't know which cleanser you're using right now but I found my skin so much healthier and less breakout-prone when I used Laurel's Oily/Combination Cleanser. I love it! It's definitely something I'm re-purchasing.
Wow what a thorough review! Such a good idea to take pictures at regular intervals as means of encouragement and to really see the difference these serums can make. Good job, Jade, and congratulations on the improvement 🙂 I'm just now almost done with my first bottle, and struggling with the decision if I should repurchase or not, because even though CPM doesn't aggravate my existing acne, it does little to stop new ones from cropping up. From that perspective, I've had much better success with Liquid Courage (and even Modern Alchemist). Curious to know if you've tried these two serums or not, and if you have, would you still repurchase CPM? I've tried almost all Yuli serums (except Mr. Incredible), and feel like my skin improves equally from other serums as well.
My 2 cents if I may: from what I researched on the line, CPPM is for treating only the damage left behind by acne and not the acne itself. I was even told that it's best for my current very prone to acne skin to calm down first before using Cell Perfecto so I would get the full benefits since it isn't meant to be/marketed as a blemish serum. For me, ME Skin Fuel as a serum worked really well with Pure Mask for acne and I just started on Cell Perfecto (noticing the brighter skin already)
Wow I am amazed at the before and after. You're so thorough with tracking the improvements too. I feel so many products talk about how good for your skin it is, and this one you REALLY do see! I have been using Cell Perfecto PM since November and my skin already feels lighter, on account of some scars being "lifted". Can not recommend this product enough!
Hi lovely!! No worries at all–I'm just coming back from being knocked out by the flu. Thank you so much!! It really is the ultimate triumph when you get the nod from the Asian mum. Ooh I'm so glad you had great results with the skinnyskinny serum–is it the one for oily/congested skin? The ingredients look DELICIOUS (black cumin, pumpkin, and those herbs!). I'll definitely put it on my list 🙂
I've been using YÜLI's Halcyon cleanser (which harmonizes really well with my breakouts, i.e. usually keeps them away) and Oskia's Renaissance Gel (which doesn't aggravate my skin)–I was iffy about the Laurel Cleanser because I was confused about how to rinse off a coconut oil-based cleanser with water, but I loved the smell and since you love it so much, maybe I'll give it another chance 🙂 xx
Thanks Karina for jumping in–I absolutely agree. While Cell Perfecto PM never aggravated my acne, I think my other serums (like M.E. Skin Fuel at the time and Liquid Courage now) do more of the heavy-lifting when it comes to fighting acne. My two-punch came in the form of CPP at night, and then M.E. Skin Fuel or another serum in the morning. By good fortune and the generosity of a Insta-friend, I am actually on bottle #3 right now and am actually very grateful and happy for it–there are some pitted scars on one of my cheeks I still want to tackle 🙂
Thank you Seema! In the beginning, I wasn't tracking for the serum/a future post, but to attempt to see what things in my life aggravated or improved my acne, and to see if my acne was improving at all. I absolutely agree with you–you really do see results! So happy to hear you've had great results with this too!!
I hope your skin loves it!!
Wow so many comments. I just wanted to add.. I used it for the first month and thought "meh". I could have sworn that I saw no difference but then on Valentines my LDR guy flew out to surprise me and the first thing he said was "whoa your skin looks great!" before proceeding to wonder if I did fraxal. I think taking pictures really helps because seeing the small progress day to day sometimes you don't see the changes over time.
(half of the comments are me replying 😛 though I am terribly grateful at the outpour of response!) That's seriously awesome!! Yes. I initially took the pictures for myself to see if progress was being made, because sometimes going day-by-day makes progress seem slow even when there's magic happening in the background 🙂
Hi! Thank you for writing such a detailed post with pictures too! Your skin improved immensely and looks great! I have a LOT of acne scars remaining with me for 10 years…several boxcar, icepick types all over my cheeks (kind of like yours but 5x more!) and is a faded reddish brown color. But I tried numerous treatments, e.g. countless fraxel lasers, light therapy, peels, spectra, etc.etc. and feel like my face won't react now to topical facial serums. I even tried hydroquinone bleaching cream to fade the redness but has faded to red/brown tint (a little better but no longer improving). Do you think this would work for skin as weathered as mine (i'm 31)? I feel like I'm scarred for life… 🙁