First of all, I know I’m MIA but these are a few rough months for me because I’m just too busy with other things to be able to post regularly on the blog. But, at least some of the most important things I try I want to write on my blog.

In my quest to find good affordable products to deal with my acne prone skin, I decided to try a line form the Polish brand Ziaja. I didn’t get the deep cleansing peeling paste from the line because it wasn’t available in the online store where I placed my order, but I have the other products from the Manuka Tree line. I chose these products because I looked at the formulas and they seemed very appealing, plus the products are very affordable. But let me tell you what I got.

Ziaja Manuka Tree Normalizing Cleansing Gel

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Zinc Coceth Sulfate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Allantoin, Lactobionic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Leptospermum Scoparium Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Citric Acid.

The key ingredients in this cleansing gel are allantoin, lactobionic acid, manuka leaves extract, provitamin B5 (panthenol) and zinc coceth sulfate. These are ingredients suitable for acne prone skin as well as ingredients that soothe and soften the skin. The formula is vegan and cruelty free.

The cleansing gel comes in a plastic bottle with a pump that contains 200 ml. I got the gel on sale together with the toner for just about 5 euros, but I saw the cleansing gel sold in its own for about 3 euros in several online stores.

The gel feels very gentle on the skin and it doesn’t make it feel too dry, which is something that I appreciate when it comes to products for acne skin.

Ziaja Manuka Tree Astringent Face Toner

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, Zinc Gluconate, Lactobionic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Leptospermum Scoparium Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum (Fragrance), Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Citral.

The key ingredients are lactobionic acid, manuka leaves extract, provitamin B5 (D-panthenol), zinc coceth sulfate and mandelic acid. Again, these are all ingredients that are great for acne prone skin, like the lactic acid, the zinc and the mandelic acid. I appreciate that there is no alcohol in this and I don’t mind the fragrance because it’s very subtle. The formula is vegan and cruelty free.

The face toner comes in a plastic bottle with a spritzer and it contains 200 ml. Like I said, I got the face toner as a deal with the cleanser, but it’s sold for only around 3 euros on its own.

Although it says that it’s an astringent face toner, I find that it doesn’t irritate the skin, it just feels refreshing and soothing, and I like the effects it has on the skin.

Ziaja Manuka Tree Normalizing Day Cream SPF 10

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (nano), Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha (Bark) Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propylene Glycol, Leptospermum Scoparium Leaf Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Mica, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol, Sodium Hydroxide.

The main ingredients are manuka leaves extract, oleanolic acid, zinc coceth sulfate and laminaria ochroleuca (algae). I’m impressed that there is something like algae extract in such an affordable product and the other ingredients are also not half bad as well. The formula is vegan and cruelty free.

The day cream comes in a plastic tube that contains 50 ml. I got the face cream on sale with the night cream for only about 6 euros, but the face cream is sold on its own for about 4 euros in several online shops. There is only SPF 10 in this, but it’s still nice that it’s in there. I find that the face cream provides a mattifying effect while still maintaining that natural glow of the skin, it prevents blackheads (I noticed that I still have do deal with those on my nose), it evens out the skin tone and it appears to reduce the appearance of large pores, so it can also act like a primer.

Ziaja Manuka Tree Exfoliating Night Cream

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Mandelic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Zinc Gluconate, Leptospermum Scoparium Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol, Triethanolamine.

The main ingredients are manuka leaves extract, zinc coceth sulfate and mandelic acid. The formula is also vegan and cruelty free.

The night cream comes in a plastic tube that contains 50 ml. Like I said, I got the night cream in a deal with the day cream for about 6 euros, but the night cream is sold on its own for around 4 euros in several online shops. I find that the night cream evens out the skin tone, it reduces redness and it also helps with acne lesions.

Now, let’s talk about how I used the products in my daily skin care routine for the last month or so. First of all, I like the green packaging on all products, the fact that the cleansing gel comes with a pump and the face toner has a spritzer so it can be applied directly on the face.

I use the cleansing gel only in the evening because I like just to wash my face with water in the morning. Usually, I need 2 pump, because I like to obtain some foam in there so that I have something to work with when I massage it into the skin.

The face toner is something that I also use only in the evening because it’s like I’m double cleansing and soothing the skin at the same time. I tried applying the toner on the skin with my hands but I find that it doesn’t work as good as applying it with a cotton pad. I like to press it lightly on the skin, especially for areas where I have problems.

The day face cream feels nice and hydrating without being sticky or oily. I like how it makes my skin look because I thing it really helps with the large pores.

The night cream also feels very nice and not at all sticky, while it still feels hydrating.

My overall opinion is that while the products are very nice and I got them on an exceptional deal for just about 11 euros, they are not miracle workers. it’s odd because while my skin looks better, I still get some large inflammations out of nowhere that turn into pimples and I have to deal with them for a week. I don’t know why, maybe it’s a me thing, maybe it’s stress or maybe it’s my health situation, I just don’t know.

But, considering the formula of these products, how they make my skin feel and the very low price, for now, I will place an order to repurchase them all because I like them enough. Ziaja products are available in Romania in DM stores and in several online shops, so they are really not hard to obtains. Also, they have a very diverse range and I’m curious to try other products from them as well.