Holy Tony Moly

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away...Apparently that applies for your dermatologist as well.  I got a wonderful surprise in Memebox's My Cute Wishlist 4.  Tony Moly Appletox.

I heard good things about the Tonymoly Appletox cream and was anxious to try it out.  I wanted to give it a longer treatment than most beauty blogs do and actually spend a week using the product to see how it worked with my current skincare routine and observe any long term benefits or problems it might cause.  Though I am rather artsy fartsy, I have always been a scientist at heart.

Initial examination:

It comes in a jar shaped like a shiny, red apple.  It's also about the size of an actual apple.  I was expecting the amount of product inside to be tiny, but no... this thing is full and better yet, the majority of the jar is actually used to house the cream instead of just being pretty, but ultimately useless packaging.   

The “cream” is actually semi-transluscent and has a consistency like honey.  Its texture is smooth and gel-like, almost similar to thinned out jam.  It smells like fresh cut apples- and not a chemical version of apples, like, for real for real, legit apples.

Instructions:

After washing face, apply a thin, even layer to skin.  Pat away excess cream to help absorption.  Wait at least 5 minutes before applying make up or other face products.

Results:

I applied the cream at night.  My rationale was, “If I apply this at night and it ruins my face, I'll have the whole day to try to fix it with my other masks and creams”.   

Day 1 

I have a very greasy, comedone-ridden face, so I applied just a dab of it to my face.  Good thing too.  A little goes a long way with this stuff.  I applied it right after washing my face and you know what happened?  It moisturized my skin.  Big whoop. 

But the next mornin' let me tell ya... My complexion was glowing.  My skin was smooth, supple and radiant.  My pores were minimized and the little, “I'm going to be a zit in about 2 days” specks I had on my cheeks had come to a head.  With my morning face wash, they were scrubbed away.

Day 2

Once again, I applied the cream at night.  I wasn't so worried about the results or what it might do to my face this time, so it was all good.  When I woke the next day, my skin was smooth, the red spots were gone and the places where I had little mini-zits working their way to the surface were flaking and peeling.

Day 3

I tried using the cream in the morning and at night.  I mean, you can never have too much of a good thing.  My skin felt moist.  My make up glided on.  I had that healthy glow thing going.

Day 4

Day three was a mistake.  My skin was flaking and peeling kind of badly.  What was worse, it was sore and red in spots.  I'm pretty sure the fruit extracts they add to this cream were giving me a mild chemical peel when I used them, so using them twice in one day might have been a mistake.  I'll take a break from it for today.

Day 5

I let my skin rest today as well.  It's still peeling.

Day 6

I forgot to apply it today.  I can see the spots where I usually get whitehead and blackheads starting to raise up like the world's most ill-conceived skin-themed version of jiffy pop- unfortunately, whatever's under my skin isn't going to be pleasant.

Day 7

Hello cystic acne, my constant companion.  I applied the cream today in the evening.  I hope it works as well as it did before.  I really, really do.

Day 8

Already the zits are calming down, some of the smaller ones have come to a head, the deeper ones have started to be less painful.

Day 9

My face is still kind of rough, but it's hydrated and the zits are starting to either slough off or come to a head.

Day 10

I am once again mostly zit free.  I noticed something else too... my dark spots and acne scars have faded a fair bit.  That's a bonus.  I'm going to see if this stuff works just as well on my backne.  It would be great if I could clear up those breakouts for the summer. 

Recommendations:

I would totally recommend this cream.  It smooths your skin, soothes your acne, and helps to clear up your dark marks.  Furthermore, it smells great and doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy.  The added bonus is the price tag.  You can find it online ranging from $5- $20 dollars, depending on where you go.   

Memebox and eBay are your price leaders.  Memebox has it on special for $5, but with shipping, it comes to about $13.  eBay had some listings of $12 with free shipping.  Grab yourself an apple...or 5.  I stocked up.

My final recommendation for those of you who try this product, use only a little bit of it.  You really only need to poke it with one finger and you have enough for your entire face.  It does have fruit extracts and honey in it.  They have a mild peeling effect.  Don't use it if you're allergic.  If your skin gets irritated because you've used it too often, take a break, but not too long of a break because whatever skin problems you were having before will come back with a vengeance.