Tisserand Tea Tree + Anti-Blemish Stick

When I was in my teens pretty much my main focus (and money) on beauty products was geared at spot treatment. These days my skin has thankfully traversed the landmine fields of puberty and I've learnt a lot more about diet and it's effect on my skin along the way. So currently my skin is pretty good! That being said, just when I least expect it a real corker of a zit will come along.

And, if like me you were warded off Tea Tree after hideous experiences of dry and flaky (but still angry, red and swollen) spots caused by the multitude of spot zapping products on the market back then, the thought of experiencing that again is quite an unpleasant one.

However this product really does go a long way in redeeming Tea Tree oil's reputation in my eyes. A horror story it is not! It's actually quite terrific!

The formula is actually a blend of Witch Hazel, Tea Tree and Kanuka Leaf Oil and is part way between a fluid and a gel. It dries quickly but does leave a slightly tacky residue which dries after a bit of time. I quite like the consistency as it means you can really cake it on for a targeted effect or blend it out a bit for a thinner wider spot fighting layer. 

For tackling spots it works really well on preventing them from becoming full blown bliters and is quite good at soothing really sore spots. I can't say it instantly zaps really bad spots that have already reached their peak but it does seem to help them calm down and does so without the horrendous drying effect that Tea Tree oil can often cause. If I've been bad and picked a spot this is the best stuff to use to whack on it to stop it becoming reinfected.

The smell is disgusting, no dodging around that one. It's got that typical 'earthy' 'dirty' smell of tea tree with a herby hint of the Witch Hazel. Quite astringent and acidic smelling. With a hint of underlying vomit-ish smell. Not pretty! My BF claims it makes his eyes tear, it doesn't for mine but maybe I'm used to it. And the smell lingers too. So I tend to keep this as a treatment that I use in the evening or on sundays. The benefits of the product luckily out way the bad smell.

I don't often apply make up over this, but on the few occasions I have, I haven't noticed it causing a nuisance to my foundation/BB cream application, so all is well there.

Also I like the wand but I don't actually use that directly on my face, I prefer to wipe the product off the wand onto a q-tip and apply that way so that any nasty spotty face-ness isn't being put into the tube. It's a handy little pocket sized product that fits nicely into the make up bag. A small but mighty product.

Aqua (Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Alcohol Denat., PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea-Tree) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Kunzea Ericoides (Kanuka) Leaf Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene*, Linalool*. *naturally occurring within essential oils. Contains only pure essential oil, not synthetic fragrances. Product and ingredients not tested on animals by or for tisserand aromatherapy.