haum LCID salicylic acid 2%

this is the description from their tokopedia page (i translated it since it was in indonesian): salicylic acid serum 2% water based, to treat skin by cleansing it to the deepest pores. helps to fight acne, helps exfoliate the skin (replace the dead skin cells with new skin cells), fades spots on the skin, brightens dull skin, moisturizes and evens out skin texture.

how to use: use the serum after washing your face. spread it out using finger with circling motion and massage it on face area. use it twice a day, day and night for maximal result or once a day at night. using LCID must be accompanied by moisturizer and it's strongly advised to use sunscreen to keep skin moisture and protect the skin from direct sun exposure. 

ingredients list (from the box): water, polysorbate 20, salicylic acid, amylopectin, dextrin, hamamelis virginiana water, phenoxyethanol, xanthan gum, chlorphenesin, hydroxyethyl cellulosa, sodium benzoate, glycerin, pentylene glycol, alcohol, sodium hyaluronate, lactic acid, serine, sodium lactate, sorbitol, urea, tetrasodium EDTA, sodium chloride, allantoin.

the packaging: i have to say that this is the first time i find a local brand that sent a product without any plastic. they place the bottle in a cardboard box, quite a thick one. there's description as well as the ingredients list at the back of the box. though they put the sticker label to secure the box, there's no plastic bubble inside to secure the bottle. and to my surprised, the bottle is a glass bottle one. quite heavy too, but it arrived intact, safe and sound. the bottle is a dark brown glass bottle with a pump head. they covered the pump head with dark brown plastic cap. the pump works okay in a way (you'd find out why later).

the scent: it doesn't have any added scent, but if you sniff really hard, you can smell a bit foul scent, probably because of the ingredients. so i guess it'd be safe for sensitive skin.

after blending it

the product: it's a liquid type of serum. it might be slightly viscous than water, but it's still gliding easily like water. now, let's discuss the pump. the pump works well. it's just i don't think it's the right choice to dispense the product. if i push the pump too hard, the serum would squirt all over too much. i think a dropper would be a better choice, but it might be difficult and the chance of spilling might be increased moreover since they don't use any plastic bubble. but it's not overly annoying. i can still pump the right amount after several days. if this is your first acid, looking at the ingredient, it's quite gentle because aside from salicylic acid (the BHA that they used), it also has sodium hyaluronate, glycerin and urea which all are humectant and moisturizing agent, and also allantoin, which is soothing. so i don't think you should worry that it would irritate your skin. but if you're curious about the comparison with other BHA products, you should know that this one has the same concentration as paula choice's BHA (also 2% salicylic acid) but less than COSRX BHA power liquid (4% betaine salicylate).

progress picture

the result: since i've already used retinol, the power of all actives, i don't think i need to use this sparingly, so i just use this daily from the start. to give you clear picture of my routine, i use vitamin c daily in the morning, and i use the bha in the afternoon and retinol at night. all of them daily. of course i use other hydrating and moisturizing products to protect my skin barrier. i use the serum after toner and before any serums. this is watery, so i guess i can put it in watery essence/serum slot. for me, this serum doesn't irritate me at all even though i used it in combination with other actives. i have to say, so far, i don't see any effect in preventing acne. i still get acne here and there. i also don't see any effect in speeding up the acne recovery. using retinol is much stronger than this BHA, especially for cystic acne. however, it does help in reducing blackhead. i still need to extract it manually, but it's easier to extract it and it becomes less and less. if you're looking at the progress picture, it doesn't look like there's any progress, but the tip of my nose is a bit clearer.

i guess if you're looking for a local brand BHA, then this could be an option for you. it's gentle enough to be used even daily. price wise, it's still considered affordable. i have to say that you have to be patient to see the result though. i do wish i could use this more frequently on my husband though, since probably i could see the result clearly. anyway, looking at their products range and their instagram, you might confuse whether haum is intended for men only or not. well worry not, their products are not inclusive to men only, ladies could use them as well. you can get haum products from their website or marketplace (tokopedia).