POSTED UNDER Cosmelan REVIEWS
The Only Thing That Worked for my Melasma
ORIGINAL POST
As a teenager, I had beautiful, clear, flawless...
kellyann84December 13, 2015
WORTH IT$300
As a teenager, I had beautiful, clear, flawless skin. I had my son when I was 19 and after giving birth, I started using the Depo Provera shot for birth control. A few months after my first shot, I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like dirt above my upper lip. I tried scrubbing it and it wouldn't come off. I thought maybe I had missed that spot when applying sunscreen. I wasn't too worried about it though because I figured it would go away. I didn't learn until years later, when I went to a dermatologist about a suspicious mole, that I had melasma. By then it had spread to my cheeks but it had come on so gradually that I didn't really even notice it. The dermatologist looked at me and said "Do you want to do anything about your melasma while you're here? "
That was the beginning of a 15 year battle with melasma. He started treating me with Triluma, which did nothing. Over the years, my melasma became severe. People would often stop me in the street and ask what was wrong with my face. Strangers would ask if I had suffered severe burns to my face or if I had a disease. (I can't for the life of me imagine asking someone something like that but people never hesitate to point out my condition).
Over the years, I have spent thousands of dollars trying anything and everything to treat my melasma. From hydroquinone to retin A to vitamin C to chemical peels to laser treatments....if it exists, I have tried it. Nothing ever worked.
Earlier this year, I started seeing reviews about Cosmelan and it looked promising. I found a website out of Portugal that was selling the kit for $300 and I thought "why not?".
I applied Cosmelan 1 on November 10, 2015. I applied 1/3 of the jar to my face, as I was intending to do the mask 2 more times due to the severity of my melasma. At first, I felt no sensitivity, had no redness, and had no peeling. I was so disappointed and I thought I had purchased a fake kit. On day 3, however, I started to peel. I followed the directions religiously and did Cosmelan 1 again 2 weeks later and again two weeks after that. The results were nothing short of miraculous, as you can see. I know that my melasma will come back as soon as I spend any amount of time in the sun, but I am at least happy for the time being and glad to know that there is a product out there that works, however temporarily.
That was the beginning of a 15 year battle with melasma. He started treating me with Triluma, which did nothing. Over the years, my melasma became severe. People would often stop me in the street and ask what was wrong with my face. Strangers would ask if I had suffered severe burns to my face or if I had a disease. (I can't for the life of me imagine asking someone something like that but people never hesitate to point out my condition).
Over the years, I have spent thousands of dollars trying anything and everything to treat my melasma. From hydroquinone to retin A to vitamin C to chemical peels to laser treatments....if it exists, I have tried it. Nothing ever worked.
Earlier this year, I started seeing reviews about Cosmelan and it looked promising. I found a website out of Portugal that was selling the kit for $300 and I thought "why not?".
I applied Cosmelan 1 on November 10, 2015. I applied 1/3 of the jar to my face, as I was intending to do the mask 2 more times due to the severity of my melasma. At first, I felt no sensitivity, had no redness, and had no peeling. I was so disappointed and I thought I had purchased a fake kit. On day 3, however, I started to peel. I followed the directions religiously and did Cosmelan 1 again 2 weeks later and again two weeks after that. The results were nothing short of miraculous, as you can see. I know that my melasma will come back as soon as I spend any amount of time in the sun, but I am at least happy for the time being and glad to know that there is a product out there that works, however temporarily.
Replies (34)
December 14, 2015
Hi Xiola, Did you buy it from Be and Care? you did it by your self? I bought a kit too and I'm exited. will wait for your answer. Thanks,
December 15, 2015
Yes, I bought it from Be and Care. They have an English version of their website.
December 15, 2015
And yes, I did it by myself. I also applied a 40% Mandelic Acid peel about 5 minutes before applying the Cosmelan 1 to help the mask penetrate better. I bought that from Makeup Artists Choice. Good luck!
December 17, 2015
Hi xiola, did you do the mandelic peel every time before the Cosmelan 1 (if I understand correctly, you did Cosmelan 1 3x every two weeks)? How did your skin react to the other two masks?
December 22, 2015
I didn't have the mandelic peel the first time I did the C1 mask. I ordered it afterwards and then I used it before the C1 mask the other 2 times I did it. My skin tolerated it very well. When I did the C1 mask the second two times my skin was sensitive because I was still applying C2 three times a day. Nothing unbearable though.
December 14, 2015
Wow...your photos show great results. I'm so tired of buying products that don't work. It's definitely worth it? Do you have the link where it was purchased?
December 15, 2015
Be and Care has an English website as well but I can't post a link. My phone is acting up. Im sorry.
December 15, 2015
Thanks for answering. I'm afraid the use it by myself w/o a doctor. I'm afraid of messing up my face! Was it, basically, just like doing a chemical peel? Did it have good directions? Is it totally worth it?
December 15, 2015
The directions are pretty clear and simple. You can google what skin phototype you are so you know how long to leave the mask on. I can't imagine that you could mess your face up with this. You might want to do a patch test first if you are worried about it. I didn't do one though. I have spent so much time, money, and effort over the years trying to clear my face of melasma and this is the only thing that has ever worked for me so in my opinion, it was totally worth it.
December 15, 2015
Your skin is beautiful! Can you share the site you purchased the Cosmelan from?
December 15, 2015
I purchased my kit from Be and Care. They have both a Spanish and an English website.
December 15, 2015
I just re-read my review and see how you could have interpreted it that way. I meant to say that there was no sensitivity for the first few days. Once I started peeling, it started to hurt. At times it was downright painful. Sorry I wasn't clear about that.
December 21, 2015
can you please give me more details about what you used and how you used it. I have the more horrible skin if i could rip it off my face i would. I wear a make up "mask" when I go out in public. I figured its better to look like i have bad make up skills than to be labelled a monster, p-lease please help me. Call me if it is easier i am in melbourne.
December 21, 2015
It makes me sad to know you're living like this. Have you consulted w/ a doctor about your skin?
December 29, 2015
I know exactly how you feel. While I feel petty for letting my appearance bother me, it really does a number on your self esteem when you have people commenting negatively on your appearance.
I bought the Cosmelan kit from Be and Care.com. the first day, I washed and dried my face and applied 1/3 of the Cosmelan1 jar to my face and left it on as a mask for ten hours. Some people put Saran Wrap over top of the mask to try to keep it from drying and cracking throughout the day but I didn't do that.
After ten hours, I washed my face with soap and water, dried it, and put Cosmelan 2 on my face. For the next two weeks, I applied Cosmelan 2 three times a day, followed by Cerave moisturizer (it was more hydrating than the Hydravital Factor K cream that came with the Cosmelan kit). 14 days after I did the firs Cosmelan 1 mask, I did the same thing again. However, this time, before applying the C1 mask, I applied a 40% mandelic acid peel that I purchased from makeup artists choice.com. I let the mandelic peel dry and then I applied 1/3 of the C1 jar, left it on for ten hours, washed it off, etc. After another 14 days, I did a mandelic peel, followed by the final 1/3 of the Cosmelan 1 jar. Throughout it all, I continued to apply Cosmelan 2 three times per day. At the end of the six weeks, I started using the Cosmelan 2 once per day upon waking in the morning.It goes without saying that I constantly use a physical sunscreen, as I am trying to prolong my results as long as possible. It will be a lifelong battle, but at least there is some hope. Good luck to you and try to remember that looks aren't everything....something that it can be hard to remember, especially when browsing realself!!
I bought the Cosmelan kit from Be and Care.com. the first day, I washed and dried my face and applied 1/3 of the Cosmelan1 jar to my face and left it on as a mask for ten hours. Some people put Saran Wrap over top of the mask to try to keep it from drying and cracking throughout the day but I didn't do that.
After ten hours, I washed my face with soap and water, dried it, and put Cosmelan 2 on my face. For the next two weeks, I applied Cosmelan 2 three times a day, followed by Cerave moisturizer (it was more hydrating than the Hydravital Factor K cream that came with the Cosmelan kit). 14 days after I did the firs Cosmelan 1 mask, I did the same thing again. However, this time, before applying the C1 mask, I applied a 40% mandelic acid peel that I purchased from makeup artists choice.com. I let the mandelic peel dry and then I applied 1/3 of the C1 jar, left it on for ten hours, washed it off, etc. After another 14 days, I did a mandelic peel, followed by the final 1/3 of the Cosmelan 1 jar. Throughout it all, I continued to apply Cosmelan 2 three times per day. At the end of the six weeks, I started using the Cosmelan 2 once per day upon waking in the morning.It goes without saying that I constantly use a physical sunscreen, as I am trying to prolong my results as long as possible. It will be a lifelong battle, but at least there is some hope. Good luck to you and try to remember that looks aren't everything....something that it can be hard to remember, especially when browsing realself!!
UPDATED FROM kellyann84
2 months post
One month update
kellyann84January 14, 2016
As melasma is a lifelong condition, I thought I would post an update for those wondering whether they can expect Cosmelan results to last after the treatment is completed. The left pictures are the before, the right pictures are one month after I stopped using Cosmelan 2.
As you can see, my skin is very pale at the moment, but you can see my melasma returning. I use Cereve 50spf physical sunscreen every day and I am maniacal about it. I do everything possible to stay out of the Sun but isn't always possible. Despite my attempts to keep the melasma at bay, it is still there, but it looks better than it did before I used Cosmelan.
I would still recommend Cosmelan to anyone suffering from melasma, but youneedto have realistic expectations and know that it is only a temporary fix for a lifelong battle.
As you can see, my skin is very pale at the moment, but you can see my melasma returning. I use Cereve 50spf physical sunscreen every day and I am maniacal about it. I do everything possible to stay out of the Sun but isn't always possible. Despite my attempts to keep the melasma at bay, it is still there, but it looks better than it did before I used Cosmelan.
I would still recommend Cosmelan to anyone suffering from melasma, but youneedto have realistic expectations and know that it is only a temporary fix for a lifelong battle.
Replies (21)
January 22, 2016
Lovely Results!! I too purchased Cosmelan back in September 2015, from Be and Care also, I got it for Sun damage and Acne mark removal, but it made my spots worse . The problem was from the Cosmelan 2, they recommend you use it 2 or 3 times a Day and I used it Once in the Morning and once at Night and I had to stop, because my Skin was crying for help it was so Raw no matter how much I Moisturize and used Sun protection, it damaged my Skin even more and I quit using it and had an intense recovery from that. So my question to you is how often did you apply the Cosmelan 2 ?? because I can't imagine anyone applying as many times Manufacturers suggests, it will be quite harsh on the skin.
January 22, 2016
I actually did apply the Cosmelan 2 three times a day. It stung like hell and I did break out for awhile because my skin was so traumatized from everything I was putting on it but the breakouts only lasted a few weeks. I didn't have any major reactions to the Cosmelan 2. Just break outs, redness, dryness, and stinging. For me, the pain was worth the results I was seeing but I certainly understand why not everyone would feel that way. I continued to apply it three times a day until the jar ran out. Unfortunately, my melasma is already starting to resurface despite the fact that I constantly wear a string physical sunscreen and despite the fact that it is cold and cloudy in the winter where I live. It will be a lifelong battle but I am happy for the brief respite that Cosmelab gave me.
January 26, 2016
OH okay!! I want to give it another try, it was quite warm and sunny at the time. So now since it's cold and gets dark outside very early, I will give it another go. But I'm going to do it only twice a day. I also believe I was applying too much product as well, so I'm only going apply a pea size this time. Thanks so much for your response.
February 12, 2016
Hi, I also managed to put it 3xday, although it was quite an effort. I mostly used micellar water for sensitive skin to cleanse my face. Applying C2 would burn significantly for at least 5 min, the same when hydrating afterwards. And people kept asking me whether I had been in the sun. It got annoying at some point ;(. I wasn't so red normally, but when exercising I would turn beetroot red very soon, probably because the skin is so thin and all the capillaries are close to the surface. Anyway, I am only on my third month (C2 2xday now, still stinging, but much less) and so far I think it's totally worth the effort.
February 12, 2016
Hi, may I ask why did you stop Cosmelan 2 so early? You have probably seen that the manufacturer recommends using it for 6 to 9 months (1x day) and especially through the first sunny season. Are you considering restarting it?
March 24, 2016
Your skin looks great! I hope to do a Cosmelan treatment myself but cant take time off work. What is the recovery like? Is the peeling significant like after a medium depth peel? Or is more like flaking?
March 24, 2016
Thank you. I can't speak for how you might react but, for me, there wasn't any downtime like you might have with a TCA peel or something like that. I didn't really peel a lot. It was more like getting a sunburn and being really red and flaky (little flakes like when you have dry skin). There wasn't really any downtime for me but a few people did ask why my face was so red. Your skin will probably burn too much for a while to be comfortable putting on makeup but I rarely wear makeup anyway. Hope this is helpful.
April 16, 2016
Did you get the Cosmelan with Hydroquinone or without?
April 16, 2016
sfinx,
Did you use the Cosmelan with Hydroquinone or without?
Did you use the Cosmelan with Hydroquinone or without?
April 19, 2016
Did you have issues applying the cosmelan 2 cream? I can apply a very thin layer or it beads up and rolls off my skin.
April 19, 2016
I didn't have that problem but I can imagine that if you got a batch that dried out too much it might do that. It is kind of a strange consistency but I was able to massage it into my skin without a problem. Sorry I'm not more help.
June 15, 2016
Without. Regarding your other question, I didn't put a very thin layer of Cosmelan 2, but neither was I rubbing it on like a lotion. For the quantity, now that I am applying it once a day, a jar lasts me 3 months or a little bit less. It was burning the first months, but just for a couple of minutes and nothing I couldn't stand.
Wow your results are great! It really didn't hurt? That is amazing, I assumed it would.