Hey gals and guys, hope your week has gotten off to a superb start!
If you’ve read some of our recent posts, you may already know that I’m suffering from the terrible tretinoin flakies again. Much to my dismay, after accidentally getting a higher strength, I’m having to go through the whole adjustment phase… AGAIN.
Even if you’re not having any flaking or peeling issues, the drier fall weather is here, so it’s time to rethink your routine. You should definitely make sure you have a good exfoliant so you can keep dull skin at bay.
So anyway, after trying several Jan Marini products that worked well, I was pleased (and relieved…lol!) to have the opportunity to try the brand’s Clean Zyme Cleanser and Skin Zyme Mask duo. Since these are exfoliating products, they gave me high hopes of addressing my peeling skin!
The two products are meant to be used together, with the key ingredient in both being papain, a proteolytic enzyme from papaya. As I went through the initial flakey stage when I first started using tretinoin a couple years ago, I had excellent results with papain-based products, so couldn’t wait to get this stuff on my face!
The thing that attracted me the most to the Jan Marini duo is that the products can remove dead skin cells without harming sensitive or irritated tissues, making them a perfect choice for my hypersensitive skin. So, how does the system work?
Clean Zyme is to be applied instead of your regular cleanser, and left on for a minute or two. Remove with a wet cloth, then blot dry. Follow up with a thin layer of Skin Zyme, and leave on for up to 20 minutes. Then apply a small amount of Clean Zyme again, massage gently to emulsify, then remove with a washcloth. Splash with lukewarm water 10 to 15 times, blot dry, and continue with your normal skincare routine.
Clean Zyme is housed in a convenient squeeze bottle, so it’s super easy to dispense, even with wet hands. The formula is a greenish color with a fresh, natural scent. It’s pleasant to use, and it doesn’t get overly foamy, so my skin doesn’t get dried out.
Skin Zyme is packaged in a sleek, attractive jar, and the consistency is thick, yet easy to spread. It has a very light, barely noticeable natural scent, and I didn’t notice any stickiness. I felt a very slight burning sensation, not nearly as much as I expected- especially since everything burns right now…lol! I was surprised at how tolerable this mask was, and even feared it may not actually work.
But, after I rinsed everything off, most of my flakes were gone, with no more redness or irritation than I had to begin with (from the tretinoin irritation). With my skin being rid of most of the peeling, my serum and moisturizer seemed to absorb, and perform, much better.
With Skin Zyme mask on my face
The only negative is that it’s a two-step process, so it’s a teeny-tiny bit more involved than a simple enzyme powder, but the powders don’t seem to be as effective for me. Something to keep in mind is that both products are available separately, so I like that if I run out of one of them first, I don’t have to repurchase both.
I must say that I’m quite happy with the effectiveness of the Jan Marini Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme duo- these are products that I’ll still be able to use even when my tretinoin irritation subsides. If you’d like a gentle, effective exfoliant based on a natural ingredient, definitely check these out at JanMarini.com!
