Review: Nature Republic Real Nature Acai Berry Essence

Identifying Information Product name: Nature Republic Real Nature Acai Berry Essence, 50mL/1.69 fl. oz. Price: PhP 545.00 Description: "Whitening essence from nature"; Natural ingredients provide rich moisture and nourishment and prevent roughness and dryness of skin Product Origin: Korea Where I bought it: Nature Republic, Atrium, SM Megamall History: I bought this during the first week of August 2015 and I've been using it daily since then.
Physical Examination:

Let's divide the dorsum of my hand into left and right. The left side doesn't have any product on it. The right side has essence blended in. It looks brighter and more moisturized.

Sorry for the difference in lighting!
Left: the beginning of my purge. I got more pimples as the days went on. The lesion near my hairline has a hydrocolloid patch on it so the redness looks less than it really is. I didn't take pictures during the worst part of my purge because I was too sad to face a camera!
Right: No active pimples on my forehead. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation fading nicely.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-6, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Mica (Cl 77019)
Salient Features Positives:

• Has a mild, non-irritating berry scent
• Comes with a working pump that dispenses just the right amount of essence
• The contents of the bottle aren't exposed to air or dirt. 
• The pump has a cap so dirt can't get to its opening. The cap also protects it from getting accidentally pressed.
• Bottle is made of plastic so it is lightweight and less prone to breakage
• Moisturizing!
• Helps fade my hyperpigmented scars faster (especially my new post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from my recent purge secondary to topical acne medication use)
• It contains niacinamide (a form of Vitamin B3) which is known to reduce hyperpigmentation when applied topically.
• Works well under make-up
• Did not cause me to breakout 
• I didn't get any allergic reaction from using it.
• Affordable

Negatives:

• Upon first application, the essence can feel a little bit sticky on the skin. The stickiness does not linger for too long though; however, I find that doing the Korean skincare way of patting/tapping the skin makes this little bit of stickiness go away much faster. 

Impression/Rating: 10/10

Discussion: Towards the end of July I started using my topical acne medication (adapalene + benzoyl peroxide) regularly, i.e. daily. I didn't have any major pimples but I did have some clogged pores at that time. After about 2 weeks, I started purging! Pimples were popping out in my usual trouble areas: forehead, chin/jaw line and around my left nasolabial fold. It was terrible! 

Before my skin purged, I was already thinking of incorporating more products into my skincare regimen. I bought this essence along with a toner and emulsion from Nature Republic and started using them while I was purging. Umm, I have to admit, using new skincare products while I was already breaking out wasn't a wise idea because those new products could potentially worsen my breakout! But I felt desperate! I gave in to a moment of weakness! OTL I wanted to care for my skin, moisturize it and treat it like a baby while fighting acne. So use all those new products I did together with my acne medication! After more than a week of that awful purge, my skin started to calm down. I haven't had a huge, angry zit since, and all the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) I got from the big bad pimples are fading away quickly! Among the 3 new products I've started using, this essence is the one I've used day and night without fail. I don't give all the credit for fading my PIH to this essence because I'm certain my medication is also helping out, but this essence has definitely been a big help! Aside from helping my spots lighten quickly, it also moisturizes my skin and makes it feel better!

I am extremely happy and grateful that this product is working for my skin and that it didn't worsen my purge! I usually read reviews or watch YouTube videos before purchasing a product but I purchased this one (along with the other Nature Republic products) on a whim! I didn't even do a patch test or whatever; I just slathered the stuff on my face! Aaaahhh crazy I know! 

This essence contains niacinamide which is a form of Vitamin B3. According to an article in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, niacinamide is able to reduce hyperpigmentation when applied topically: "Topical niacinamide may be effective in decreasing epidermal hyperpigmentation and reducing pigmented spots as we age." It also goes on to say that "Studies have shown that niacinamide has the potential to act as an antioxidant, can improve epidermal barrier function, decrease skin hyperpigmentation, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, decrease redness/blotchiness, decrease skin yellowness (sallowness), and improve skin elasticity." 

I don't know the percentage of niacinamide in this essence but I'm guessing it's a good amount. If I were good at reading and understanding Hangul then I would've been able to make sense of the longer description written on the box! T___T Oh well. The important thing for me is it's working for my skin. :)

My current skincare regimen is this:
Day: mild facial wash >> toner >> essence >> make-up/emulsion (I skip emulsion when I'm using make-up)
Night: micellar water/oil cleanser (if I used make-up) >> mild facial wash >> toner >> topical acne medication (wait for 15 - 20 minutes for absorption) >> essence >> emulsion/cream >> eye cream

I will post reviews on the facial wash, toner and emulsion I'm using soon! :)

Prognosis: I love this Nature Republic Real Nature Acai Berry Essence! I've never been so loyal to a skincare product before but because of the good results this product has been giving me, I am motivated to use it twice daily. I'm actually looking at the bottle right now and thinking about how much of the content I've already used up. I'm talking myself out of buying a back-up as early as now! I mean, I've only used about 1/4 of the bottle... Aaah! I will definitely repurchase this essence!

Reminder: Even if this product has worked well for me, did not aggravate my acne or cause me to have any allergic reaction, the opposite could possibly happen to you. Please purchase at your own discretion. Don't be like me - do a patch test! ^_~

As always, for any questions or comments, post below! I will respond as quickly as I can! :)

Reference:
Levin, J., & Momin, S. B. (2010). How Much Do We Really Know About Our Favorite    Cosmeceutical Ingredients? The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 3(2), 22–41.