I've tried my fair share of skin lightening products - serums, moisturisers, scrubs - all in a bid to try and lighten the stubborn red marks left behind on my face after a horribly bad breakout.
Sadly, maybe my skin has a mind of its own, but I hardly had any luck with the products that I've tried, that is, until I encountered Jyunka.
Imported from Japan, Jyunka, which means 'pure radiance' in Japanese, is a paraben-free solution whose star ingredient is L-Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as Vitamin C.
Vitamin C, an antioxidant which combats free radicals in the body, has been long recognised to possess anti-ageing and skin revitalising properties. It has been shown to stimulate the production of collagen and add a glow to the skin, leaving it firmer and plumper, while reducing the traces of pigmentation./p>
However, Vitamin C is also known to be a highly volatile ingredient which oxidises rapidly when exposed to air, light and heat, rendering it highly ineffective.
Luckily, the good people at Jyunka have come up with a technology that manages to preserve Vitamin C's potency. Under this technology, L-ascorbic acid is packaged into ultra-fine particles which can deliver the vitamin to the skin effectively, layer by layer.<,p>
I first tried the product one night before going to bed. As I pumped a bit of the the solution out of its 20ml bottle, I was surprised. Unlike most other Vitamin C products, Jyunka comes in an oil emulsion.
The emulsion enveloped my face with a warm sensation the moment I applied it on my cheeks and forehead. According to a Jyunka spokesperson, the feeling is supposed to be from the high concentration of the Vitamin C-rich ultra fine particles.
When I woke up the next morning, I found that my post-acne pigmentation marks were noticeably lighter - an effect I never got to achieve with the other skin lightening products I used before. My once-angry pores also looked a lot smoother and refined. I also liked how rested my skin looked.
After a week of using Jyunka, my skin took on a life on its own. The dullness problem that I had been battling with since my varsity days had miraculously diminished - my skin didn't look sallow and fatigued, but instead, it looked like it glowed from within.
As much as I liked the product, I felt that it didn't absorb very well into my skin. After smoothing on the emulsion there were times where I had to sit around the house for a good 15 minutes before I couldn't feel the slickness of the product on my face.
Bewarned though, while Jyunka works well, it comes at a hefty price tag. A 20ml bottle retails at $322. There is a special introductory price of $248. The bottle can be kept for three years unopened and one year after opening.
Jyunka is available at HelioAsia and leading beauty salons.
