We’ve heard from the very beginning of Glow Recipe that you guys wanted to find a way to combat one of your most persistent skin issues: acne, blemishes and break outs. We also know first hand that finding products for acne-prone skin can be a real struggle, navigating between products that can often feel harsh and drying on skin, abrasive exfoliators, etc – we’ve waded through a sea of products promising results for breakout prone skin but ultimately curated only a fraction of these for Glow.

With our friends at Leegeehaam – a cosmetics line from one of Korea’s first dermatology clinics – we decided to take a step back to approach the problem. The Leegeehaam Tea Tree 90 Essence was already a cult product, thanks to its high concentration of naturally blemish-fighting tea tree in a completely scentless, weightless formula. But caring for acne and breakouts was more than just one product. It had to be a holistic routine starting from cleansing to exfoliating, treating to hydrating. After months of testing and perfecting formulas, the Leegeehaam Tea Tree Grow line was born, featuring a cleansing foam, BHA toner, essence, moisturizer and spot treatment, designed to work together for a smooth, blemish-free complexion.

We decided to put the routine to a test. We asked a group of woman of different skin types, ethnicities and with varying degrees of breakout & acne prone skin to use the Leegeehaam Tea Tree Grow line for a full 4 weeks, using the full routine day & night. We added in some additional blemish busting tips, including massaging in the cleanser for a full minute to truly deep cleanse and melt away grime, ditching the towel and patting in each skincare step for maximum absorption.

Here are the results from some of our testers:

Carmelle R.

“I have hormonal acne as a result of a pre-existing condition, and I realize that topical treatments won’t remedy the main culprit causing my acne. However, these topicals made it a lot easier to manage the external symptoms. The redness of the blemish is significantly reduced and the size of the blemishes are also notably smaller than before. My skin is super prone to post-inflammatory erythema (a.k.a. the red spot left behind after a pimple heals), and this product cuts the redness by 40-50%. For me, that’s huge.”

Allison N.

“My skin really liked these products and reacted well to them. So many acne lines dry me out and this line did a great job at treating the acne and preventing more pimples while still keeping my skin nourished.”

More testimonials from our tester panel after 4 weeks: 

“When I first got these products, I was a little skeptical about it. Only because it would replace my current skincare routine, and I am always hesitant about products that says that they can help with your acne. But after using it my skin has definitely improved tremendously. I used to have uneven texture because of my acne flare ups. But despite all that, this product made my skin smoother even after the acne aftermath.”  – Wunyan W.

“I will continue using this line even after the end of this trial, especially, the spot corrector, the essence and the moisturizing cream. Now, at the end of 4 weeks I am seeing a huge difference, not only in reduced blemishes, pigmentation, breakouts. But, there is an overall glow to my face which I have not seen before. My skintone is even than it has been in the past couple of years. Being a grad student, this line is very helpful, as this helped control those stress related breakouts as well. I really love this line and how it keeps my skin in check. The only thing is my skin leans to the drier side of the spectrum, and I live in AZ, so I will have to add a moisturizing and hydrating toner,cream or essence with these in my normal routine. My biggest love for this line is the fact that it actually controls the incidences of breakout rather than working on them after. That is a huge peace of mind knowing that I am using products that are proactive in keeping my skin clear.” – Shreya B. 

Across the board, 4 out of 5 people would recommend the Leegeehaam Tea Tree Grow routine to those with acne-prone skin. Participants experienced noticeably more hydrated skin with fewer blemishes and smoother skin texture. The ease of use, the lack of irritation, and the effectiveness made it possible for these testers to get real results. Time is essential with any skincare product but even more so when treating acne, and instead of becoming discouraged after a week or two, keep it consistent and you’ll see results long-term.

Wondering why it’s so effective?

The Grow Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam is formulated to with 30% Tea Tree Extract to decongest clogged pores and calm blemishes for a smooth, hydrated canvas. It ’s also got Centella Asiatica to strengthen skin and Willow Bark Extract to clarify pores and prevent breakouts without drying out your skin.

The Grow Tea Tree BHA 70 Toner delivers the power of BHA deep into the skin in a hydrating and gentle formula. It contains 70% Tea Tree Extract to visibly soothe and calm troubled skin while a blend of BHA and Willow Bark extract work overtime to gently exfoliate and remove impurities.

Instantly soothe red, irritated skin with the  Grow Tea Tree 95 Essence. It gives your skin a high dose of anti-inflammatory power with 95% Tea Tree Extract in a weightless, scentless formula that calms inflammation and visibly reduce blemishes as it intensely hydrates the skin.

Spot treatments are superstars at visibly shrinking blemishes, but unfortunately, a lot of them can be incredibly irritating. The Grow Tea Tree 70 Spot ditches the overly harsh ingredients and instead uses 70% Tea Tree extract to immediately (but gently!) reduce blemishes and soothe the skin.

Believe it or not, dry skin can also cause more breakouts as flakes and scales clog pores and trap oil. Meaning a moisturizer is an absolute necessity to keep skin pimple-free. Instead of using a hydrator that’s too heavy for your sensitive skin, the Grow Tea Tree 80 cream is a gel-cream hybrid with 80% Tea Tree that keeps skin supple and soothed without clogging your pores.

This innovative line is a whole new way to treat and care for breakout-prone skin. It has calming and clarifying formulas that use acne-fighting Tea Tree extract, exfoliating BHA’s, and soothing Centella Asiatica — ingredients that work together perfectly to deep clean pores, visibly reduce acne, and balance oil production without leaving skin feeling dry and irritated. It’s everything your skin needs to look it’s clearest, smoothest, glowiest ever.

Want to try the full routine? It’s now available as a kit here.