REVIEW: AXIS-Y Climate Inspired Skin Care
Hey guys! When I was first introduced to AXIS-Y Climate Inspired Skin Care, what immediately drew me in was the idea of acknowledging that climate has an effect on our skin. Living in the climate that I personally do - one with extremely dry and cold winters and quite humid and hot summers - I am well versed in just how much climate effects my skin and how specifically I have to adjust my skin care to climate. All of this to say that I was very interested in trying out the AXIS-Y products and I got the opportunity to try out three products specifically chosen for my skin type. This was particularly good timing because a combination of 2020 burnout and consistent mask wearing definitely put my skin into a place where it needed these types of products.
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The ethos behind AXIS-Y really does seem to be routed in personalized skin care and choosing products that will suit both your skin type and climate. I personally very much appreciate brands that focus on having a variety of products for different concerns and marketing them appropriately rather than brands that want to focus on broad appeal and market to everyone. For me, personally, I've found that when I choose products that are specifically marketed to my skin - based on age, skin type, specific needs, and particular skin struggles - that's when I see the most marked results.
So, now let's talk about the three products that I've been testing out, shall we?
AXIS-Y Sunday Morning Refreshing Cleansing Foam*
Set at pH 5.5 to cleanse the skin of dirt, excess oils, and other impurities deep in the pores without stripping the skin. With its special patent skincare technology, Aquaxyl, this cleansing foam keeps the skin moisturized and balanced.
I feel like if there's one area of skin care that I am personally really, really well versed in, it's cleansing because finding an effective cleansing routine and the types of cleansers that work for my skin has been a real journey for me - and has shown the most significant results, honestly. It's only been in the past couple of years that I've realized that not all foaming cleansers are created equal and that foaming cleansers from Korea and Japan are formulated distinctly differently from the western cleansers that I've used in the past that have stripped my skin and damaged my moisture barrier.
This cleanser is not only formulated without the harsh stripping ingredients, it's also formulated with soothing, repairing and barrier strengthening ingredients that help to keep skin balanced and healthy. For me, the absolute most important thing when looking for a cleanser is finding that balance between effective cleansing and maintaining balance.
The texture of this cleanser is quite rich, as I've come to expect with this types of formulas, and works up into a really creamy foam. I think that once you become familiar with the texture of these types of nourishing foam cleansers, you really can tell the difference between them and the scary ones. For me, the cleansing ritual is really important (it's a brain thing) and I find that I really enjoy using this cleanser. Once rinsed, this definitely leaves my skin feeling really nourished and even bouncy and hydrated, but also effectively cleansed. There is absolutely not stripped or tight feeling when I use this cleanser, but I also don't find that I have any left behind residue or anything like that. Like I said, really good balance of effectiveness and balance.
Honestly, I'm overall very, very impressed with this cleanser. I love that it includes all of those soothing and repairing ingredients in the formula while also really effectively cleansing my skin. Will definitely continue using this one and recommend it to people looking to try out a new cleansing option.
AXIS-Y Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule*
An artichoke ampoule that delivers rich antioxidants, nutrients, and hydration to heal damaged, irritated skin barriers. Phytonutrients defend against bacteria and pollutants to prevent future breakouts and irritation.
Of the three products I tried out here, this is the one that definitely took the longest for me to really decide how I felt about it - but I suspect that's because it wasn't what I expected it to be. I think that I was expecting this to fall into the sort of hydrating serum type of category, but that really isn't what this product is and I do think that what this product does is best seen over time with consistent use. Interestingly, I feel like this serum takes a real holistic approach to maintaining a healthy skin barrier in a way that felt very unique to other products that I've personally used in the past. I may be a bit of a broken record here, but I've dealt with the effects of a compromised moisture barrier and because of that am really, really mindful of caring for it now and maintaining balance to my skin.
I feel like this product has a huge focus on ingredients that soothe irritation and fight inflammation, with very good reason. It's also formulated to be very, very gentle and appropriate for even very sensitive skin types, which again is for very good reason. Maintaining and fixing a compromised moisture barrier is really important and is what really needs to happen before you start tackling other skin issues. I've been using this pretty much daily and I feel like it's been really effective at soothing and balancing my skin, but I think it's important with this product that you don't expect immediate results. There is definitely some initial soothing, but I think that ultimately this is a product that shows more long term effects than immediate ones. For me, personally, I've definitely seen in a difference in the behavior of my skin and its reaction to harsh weather since I've been using this and it's definitely helping to maintain that balance and protection.
I think that this is a really, really great product that really acts as a building block in a skin care routine - it isn't necessarily going to have visible results but it really acts on a fundamental level for maintaining skin health. Two thumbs up, I really like this product.
AXIS-Y Mugwort Pore Clarifying Wash Off Pack*
With a base of 61% Mugwort extract, this wash off pack clears the pores of impurities, soothes inflamed and irritated skin, and gently exfoliates dead skin to reveal a bright and healthy complexion.
I'm such a lover of masks as both a skin care step and an act of self care, but doing the kinds of masks that promise to be pore clarifying in the winter can be a little bit dicey if your skin leans dry during the colder months like mine, so I was really curious to try this one out. Again, when it comes to the formula of this mask, you can really see that the ingredients they included in this mask are not only intended to have that pore clarifying effect, but also to maintain a healthy skin barrier and soothe any irritation and inflammation that you might be experiencing. Interestingly, this product was strongly inspired by COVID19 fighting efforts in South Korea, with a focus not only on at home self care but also on fighting the breakouts that people have been experiencing as a result of consistent face mask wear.
Now, in having tried this out several times, I definitely want to preface this by saying that this mask is a completely different animal than a clay mask, which is the type of mask I usually associate with pore clarifying, and I think that's definitely something to keep in mind. This is a beautiful mask, absolutely delightful to use. It has little... bits in it - I'm not actually sure what those are? - so I would recommend applying a thin layer using a paddle brush to get a nice even application and then removing the mask with a wash cloth to make sure you fully remove it.
I really, really enjoy how this leaves my skin feeling - refreshed and really deeply cleansed without any of the drying or irritating feelings that can often come with pore clarifying masks. Having spent several months taking less care of my skin than usual combined with consistent mask wearing actually really put my skin into a good place to test this because I've got some clogged pores and have been getting more small breakouts than usual. I actually found that the first time I used this, there was a little bit of a purge a couple of days later (small, quick to disappear pimples around my lower cheeks and jaw, which I associate with being a purge rather than a negative reaction to a product) and then with use about once a week since then I haven't had any issues.
Like I said, I don't think this behaves like a clay mask at all. The results aren't quite as immediate but it also doesn't have those drying and stripping effects. This is definitely the kind of pore clarifying mask that I think a lot of people will love, even if its quite different than what you're used to.
I have to say, I'm overwhelmingly impressed with all three of these products. The cleanser is basically exactly what I was expecting and hoping it would be, while the ampoule and the mask are distinctly unique products that really managed to impress me the longer I tested them out. I think that the most impressive thing to me about AXIS-Y overall is that it's a very thoughtful and measured type of brand - it has a distinct ethos and creates really beautiful skin care products within that framework. Personally, there are definitely a few more products from the brand that I'm very interested in trying, but I would also definitely recommend all three of these.
AXIS-Y Climate Inspired Skin Care is available online at their website and they do ship to several international locations from Korea, including Canada and the US. Definitely check them out!
Thanks for reading!
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