SKII Facial Treatment Essence | Full Review

Skincare product review disclaimer: Skincare products will work differently for each individual since skin type/sensitivity will vary from person to person. The degree of efficacy & adverse reactions caused by one product can be very different from one individual to another. I post these reviews to share my personal experience in hopes it will provide more information for those trying to determine if the product is right/wrong for them before they spend money to purchase it for themselves.
My skin type: combination (oily T-zone) during the summer, and dry during the colder months. Sensitive skin prone to allergic reactions.

Ah, this SK-II facial treatment essence is so expensive but I personally cannot live without it. I have been using this holy 'pitera' water for a year and a half (since October 2014) and it is the one skincare product that I truly cannot remove from my skincare routine.

I heard about the SK-II essence many years ago but talked myself out of purchasing for quite some time because of the high price tag. I ended up finally purchasing this during one of Sephora's 20% off sales and my only regret is that I didn't start incorporating this in my regimen earlier.

I was quite skeptical in the beginning as this stuff looks and feels just like regular water. I questioned why I was paying to apply this expensive water on my face; but lo and behold, I started to see skin improvements after 3 weeks of faithfully using this AM and PM.  There have been multiple times where I have gone days without using the essence, but my skin becomes noticeably more sallow if I miss a day or two of use.

I shake out 4-5 drops into my palm and dip 3 fingers into the essence and gently pat it into my skin starting from my most problematic areas on my cheek, moving up to my under eye area, around toward my forehead/T-zone, down my nose, then finally use the remains around the perimeter of my face. The 2.5 ounce bottle lasts me a little over 4 months when used this way in the AM and PM every single day.

Below is my list of pros/cons of this pricey SK-II FTE.

PROs:

• Keeps skin well balanced and prevents breakouts
• I used to have at least one pimple on my face at all times; it seemed like when one pimple cleared another would pop up on my face in a different spot. Ever since starting to use the SKII essence, I very rarely get a pimple or any breakouts.

• Improves skin texture
• Completely resolved dry, flaky patches I used to have on cheeks/around nose
• Skin appears more supple
• Unevenness improved

• Gives a more radiant complexion
• Reduces redness 
• Brings out a natural "glow-from-within" radiance

• Reduces pore size
• Effectively reduces the pore size on my cheeks/forehead; I have larger pores on my nose which are only slightly smaller but still quite noticeable

• Absorbs quickly
• I put a few drops into the palm of my hand, dip 3 fingers into the essence and gently pat all over my face

• Gentle & well tolerated by my sensitive skin
• Does not burn or sting when applied
• I've had an allergic reaction to many skin care products. Thankfully, my skin has reacted very well to this essence

• Non-greasy & does not leave any residue
• Literally feels like splashing water on your face 

• A little goes a long way
• Only 4-5 drops per use is sufficient for the entire face

CONs:

• High price tag
• $99 for 2.5 ounces or largest 11 ounce bottle is $290

• Odd smell
• Upon initial application it kind of smells like saliva or fermented beans... but luckily the smell is not strong and dissipates very quickly

• Doesn't make a significant difference on existing wrinkle lines
• I haven't noticed much change in the slight wrinkle lines I have under/around my eyes 
• Then again, this product has never made any claims about improving wrinkles

• Doesn't help much with the few deeper ice-pick acne scars
• My ice-pick scars have slightly improved and appear a bit less deep over time, but I'm not sure if I can attribute this to the use of the essence as it hasn't been a quick or significant improvement.  

PHOTOS:

I purchased the Pitera Essence Set value set to try out the facial treatment essence.

The set sells for $99 ($130 value) which is the same price as the 2.5 oz bottle of the FTE alone.

It's currently out of stock @ Sephora, but you can still buy this set online @ Nordstrom.

front and back of the box the set came in

1 oz Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, 2.54 oz Facial Treatment Essence
(also came with the SK-II sheet mask which I have saved for future use)

Facial Treatment Essence comes in a frosted glass bottle

Yes, this stuff is extremely pricey but thankfully a little bit goes a long way. The significant benefit it provides for my skin justifies the high price tag and I personally feel the splurge is very worth it for me.  There is no doubt this will continue to be a staple in my skincare regimen for years to come.

I would recommend this facial treatment essence to anyone who is looking to improve the texture and radiance of their skin. If you're looking for something to help with wrinkles and eliminating deeper acne scars, then you will need a separate product as the SKII essence doesn't do much for those skin problems.

Share your experience with SKII products in the comments!