Tending to troubled skin

Hey, that's me!

I've been having some minor, but annoying, skin issues lately. It's just some breakouts, that I've attributed to seasonal change and probably a slight product overload. I've simplified my skincare routine a bit, in the sense that I'm now rotating my products throughout the week rather than just layering all of them on at once, haha. But I've also added a new item - which I know is really counter-intuitive if the goal is to make things less complicated. I think the addition of Innisfree's Bija cica balm has actually helped to improve my current issues, though.

Innisfree's Bija-line is aimed at treating, nourishing and protecting troubled skin. I first learned about this product through a review by Ammarah. I was really intrigued by the ingredient list. It contains Panthenol and Centella Asiatica (Pennywort), which has antioxidant and soothing properties. It's used in a lot of skin care and also in traditional medicine. The "star" ingredient, however, is bija or Torreya Nucifera seed oil. According to my Wikipedia-research, Bija (also known as kaya or Japanese nutmeg yew) is a corniferous tree native to Japan and South Korea's Jeju Island. Apparently they use to wood to make shogi and go boards, and the leaves and the seeds have ritual uses in Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Quite Interesting. Innisfree claims on their site that bija seed oil can help gently smooth skin and reinforce its natural defence system. Sounds good to me!

The balm has a smooth texture and it glides over the skin effortlessly when applied. I don't think it feels too heavy on the skin, but it's definitely very rich. Thankfully, the skinny nozzle on the tube makes it easy to squeeze out the right amount. I don't think it does much for redness, but I can feel the soothing effect almost immediately. I can see myself reaching for this a lot next winter! I do notice that my current foundation doesn't always apply that well over it. The moisturizing and nourishing effects are no joke, though, so I'm willing to put up with it. Plus I do notice that my blemishes disappear a bit faster since I've started using it. It's a bit on the pricier side, but I like it enough to purchase it again.