Pityrosporum Folliculitis/Malassezia folliculitis or simply known as Fungal Acne is a persistent acne-like condition that commonly responds poorly to traditional acne-treating methods. Unlike most cases of Acne where bacteria is the culprit, Fungi is the culprit of Fungal Acne (Hence the name!). There are certain classes & groups of ingredients that have been shown to promote and feed the growth of the Fungal Acne, Fungi such as fatty acids, oils, esters, polysorbates and fermented ingredients. Although I’ve tried the Mary & May by itself and it does a good job of keeping moisture in my skin overnight, I find putting the Illiyoon on top gives me the best results in terms of my hydration levels in the morning. The Isntree sleeping mask works very well too, I just find the Illiyoon to have the edge. And that might be partly down to the formula but partly down to actives drying out my skin so I need all the help I can get to keep moisture in my skin. It’s their original Ultra Repair Cream but with an anti-aging boost thanks to the addition of niacinamide and peptides. Again, not as moisturizing as the Illiyoon, but if your skin isn’t that dry it shouldn’t be an issue. I personally like this more than the original, especially for day use. Ceramides, often referred to as the "glue" between your skin cells, are another key ingredient in this formulation. They work tirelessly to strengthen the skin's protective moisture barrier, preventing moisture loss and maintaining optimal hydration levels. As a result, your skin feels remarkably smooth, firm, and supple, with the appearance of fine lines diminished.

You L, Cho JY. The regulatory role of Korean ginseng in skin cells. J Ginseng Res. 2021 May;45(3):363-370. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2020.08.004. Epub 2020 Sep 1. PMID: 34025129; PMCID: PMC8134839.

Reviews

All you need to do is massage the cream into your skin and the beads will dissolve, delivering the ceramides to your skin! Parabens are a large group of preservatives which are used to prevent bacteria growing in cosmetic formulations.

The old formula beads were not melting as they should. Now, they work nicely, my skin isn’t irritated anymore, and the application is much more pleasant now. The ceramide beads feel more effective for my skin;

Quick Summary

Moisturizers are one of my biggest concerns when it comes to triggering my breakout-prone skin. Fortunately, with this one, it did not break out my skin nor caused any negative reactions even without patch testing. My skin felt soft and plump and it has helped me with my dehydrated skin, that flaky dry feeling’s gone since I started using this one! But wait, it’s not full Winter yet so I’m going to save some of it during the coldest months! There was a time when I had dry patches on my nose due to whitehead extraction, and this cream was a lifesaver. I loaded this cream on the compromised area, and the dry patches disappeared the next day. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11193108, Hydroxypropyl bispalmitamide monoethanolamide” PubChem, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydroxypropyl-bispalmitamide-monoethanolamide. Accessed 22 March, 2023.

Kim, Ji Hye, Young-Su Yi, Mi-Yeon Kim, and Jae Youl Cho. “ Role of ginsenosides, the main active components of Panax ginseng, in inflammatory responses and diseases.” Journal of ginseng research 41, no. 4 (2017): 435-443. Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Stearic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Palmitic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Magnolia Biondii Flower Extract, Cholesterol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Lactobacillus/​Soybean Ferment Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dimethiconol, Mannitol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Silica, Arachidyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Acrylates/​Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Propanediol W ATER/AQUA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCEROL, CETEARYLOCTANOATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, STEARIC ACID, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, HEXADECANOIC ACID, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA, PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT, MAGNOLIA BIONDII FLOWER EXTRACT, CHOLESTEROL, PERILLA OCYMOIDES SEED EXTRACT, LACTOBACILLUS/SOYBEAN FERMENT EXTRACT, 1.2-HEXANEDIOL, C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE, C14-22 ALCOHOLS, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, DIMETHICONOL, MANNITOL, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SILICA, ARACHIDYL GLUCOSIDE, ARACHIDYL ALCOHOL, ACRYLATES/AMMONIUM METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POLYSORBATE 20, POLYACRYLATE-13, POLYISOBUTENE, PROPANEDIOLKim K. Effect of ginseng and ginsenosides on melanogenesis and their mechanism of action. J Ginseng Res. 2015 Jan;39(1):1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2014.10.006. Epub 2014 Nov 24. PMID: 25535470; PMCID: PMC4268563. As you might have read in my recent article on sleeping masks, slugging doesn’t work for me so finding a great last step is very important. A last step that dries down well, meaning it genuinely forms an occlusive film that doesn’t rub off easily (because I’m a sweaty, restless side sleeper) will therefore keep moisture in my skin better. The product contains Ceramide Skin ComplexTM, which is Illiyoon’s patented technology. It is a ceramide capsule exclusively developed by AmorePacific Corporation and Aestura, which successfully delivers active ingredients and helps your skin absorb them. For the same reasons they are popularly used, they are also commonly avoided. Anecdotally, many individuals have reported that Silicones cause/excerbate breakouts, irritation, cause a feeling of skin being unable to breathe, cause clumping of cosmetic products and find it difficult to wash off. As a result, those who find them problematic are avoiding them and increasingly, cosmetic companies are avoiding them as well. They help loosen up the dirt and grime from your skin and hair to allow for water to wash it away with ease.

Kim, Young Gon, Maho Sumiyoshi, Masahiro Sakanaka, and Yoshiyuki Kimura. “ Effects of ginseng saponins isolated from red ginseng on ultraviolet B-induced skin aging in hairless mice.” European journal of pharmacology602, no. 1 (2009): 148-156. Free: Animal-derived ingredients, mineral oil, artificial color, fragrance, Paraben, Triethanolamine, Imidazolidinyl Urea The PC also has a lighter, fluffier texture, but it’s even less moisturizing than the DE! If you have oily skin and no issues with TEWL then the PC could be a good fit, but it uses the SK-Influx blend at around 1% as well…so just know you’re not really getting a lot of ceramides in the formula. The Silicone-free label only includes the most common Silicone ingredients that have indentified been reported by individuals that could potentially cause issues.You can argue that this isn’t a flaw at all, but as someone who appreciates the usage experience (aka skintertainment factor), I can tell you that you won’t find it with the Illiyoon. It’s by no means unpleasant, but it’s definitely a utilitarian, no-fluff kinda product. I guess the ceramide beads are kinda interesting but they’re so tiny you might not even notice them. Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream compared Ginsenosides are believed to be the major biologically active components of ginseng, responsible for many of the benefits of ginseng for the skin. Ginseng, in skincare: