Desert Essence • Dessert Essence Blemish Touch Stick • Treatments

rated 4.2(111 reviews)

Average Rating.4.2
Would buy this product again.77%
Package Quality3.8
Price2.5
Ingredients

rated 5 of 5 gerrylee on 7/6/2008 7:04:00 AM more reviews by gerrylee

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

the best stuff! repurchase again and again. they sell it at the health food store but its imported from the US and cost sg$20. ridiculous. and you go through it so quickly too. the packaging isn't great but i can't think of any alternative way of applying this liquid. overall, for what it does, its definitely worth it. (always out of stock at my store!)

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rated 1 of 5 nogenrewriter on 7/3/2008 2:54:00 AM more reviews by nogenrewriter

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I was at a local Whole Foods and really wanted to get Nelson's Homeopathic acne gel but they no longer carried it and so i figured i would give this a shot. On open acne lesions, it stung a bit but i didn't mind because it really felt like it was getting "in there." i didn't use it 5-6x a day, but 2-3 because of time. i really wanted to like it, but it just didn't work for me at all. my biggest gripe, however, is that i went through a whole stick in less than two weeks. the stuff either gets stuck or gushes out all at once. it might be better to use a q-tip with it instead of rolling it directly on the face. it may have done something over time or if i had actually done the 5-6x a day as directed, but i saw absolutely no improvements and will try to get my hands on Nelson's.

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* smurfkitten on 6/28/2008 11:53:00 AM more reviews by smurfkitten

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this after reading the good reviews here on MUA. I usually have clear skin now but had one of those time-of-the-month breakouts and about five little super red zits seemed to emerge on my forehead overnight with no warning. Grr.
Recommended usage is 5-6 times a day… a lot! I managed maybe 3-4 times, because I didn’t want to put it over my make-up. It does work well under make-up, though.
After one day of use, there was a reduction in redness/inflammation, and while the pimples didn’t shrink, they didn’t grow any bigger. After the second day, they did shrink, and they were really easy to hide with concealer since they were almost entirely flat and not very red. After the third day, I was almost back to my normal clear self. I am definitely always going to keep this product around!!
There are two downsides… the first being the packaging… not too fond of roll-ons because sometimes too much product comes out… which brings me to the second downside… alcohol is very high up on the ingredients list, and I know that alcohol really dries out my skin, so I have to be very careful that this is applied to only the blemish and not the surrounding skin or I could end up with dry patches around the blemish – not good. But these two downsides aren’t enough to deter me from using this product, considering how well it worked for me. I definitely, definitely recommend it.

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rated 4 of 5 babiappl3 on 5/8/2008 2:22:00 AM more reviews by babiappl3

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

ii had actually purchased this a few months ago and left it in my drawer because i hadn't read the label that said apply 5 or 6 times a day so i assumed it just didn't really work. the smell was strong as well and it stung a little so i stopped using but recently i was looking up blemish solutions and saw that this had extremely high reviews so i decided to dig it back and use it again. i must say, although this isn't a miracle worker it is amazing at reducing redness. if i apply this enough all my blemishes will really reduce dramatically in size and redness. i'm already on my fourth stick of this. Which leads to the worst part of this product, i buy a stick for about 5.50 at trader joes and i can literally go through 2 sticks of these in less than month. Your supposed to apply this quite a few times during the day for it to work but the packaging often cause none to come out or so much that it drips all over and you end up wasting the product on an area that didn't even need any. Overall i will continue to buy this becaus it's amazing and i find it better than any acne spot treatment i've ever used but they really need to improve the packaging.

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rated 2 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* rupertlilly on 4/16/2008 11:27:00 AM more reviews by rupertlilly

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I waited a few weeks to write my review on this product so I could see if it would really live up to all the glowing claims. And I must say that YES it does. I use this product daily on my entire face and have been acne free ever since. My skin is 100% clear with no new breakouts and it cleared up the existing breakouts very quickly. This is my new HG and I am going to be buying it in bulk since I can only find it online. I encourage anyone who suffers from acne to give this product a try. My only complaint is the packaging – it comes in a roller ball applicator that can tend to drip. You also seem to go through the product rather quickly if you’re using for your entire face. But I’m not complaining, this stuff has helped me when I thought there was no hope for my skin.

**************************EDIT****************
This product has stopped working and has done nothing to help with blemishes.

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rated 5 of 5 ktb2780 on 3/31/2008 10:57:00 AM more reviews by ktb2780

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Wow. After 5-6 days of use (2-3X per day), I have NO ACTIVE/NEW acne. I haven't been able to say that in almost a YEAR. I haven't had a smooth, non-painful/inflammed face for a YEAR. Now, I do.

It is either this miracle tube of stuff, or also the Apple Cider Vinegar I've used as a toner when I started using this last week. I've used apple cider before (last year) and did not notice these results so I'd have to say it IS the blemish stick, mostly, doing this.

I am going to buy two or three more right now - I use a lot since it leaks a little when I put it on. If they ever discontinue this I will cry. I am noting the ingredients so if I had to I could buy them individually and try to make it myself.

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* dascha on 3/28/2008 8:00:00 AM more reviews by dascha

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I'm 37 and my big-time breakout days are over, but I bought this when, four days prior to a wedding party, I had an enflamed clogged pore on my forehead, a couple of whiteheads on my cheeks, and something growing underneath the skin of my chin, hard and hurting. Yuck!! I usually use Neutrogena spot check gel, but the smell and the chemicals were bothering me and I wanted something "natural." And yet I'd tried the Burt's Bees stuff and I found it seriously lacking. So I got this because I knew Tea Tree Oil was really great for healing facial crud. I put it on my spots several times a day and -- I SWEAR -- in a couple of days everything was GONE. The big incipient zit on my chin never emerged and the bumps everywhere else are smoothed out, with no redness. The best part is, it didn't burn my skin off to do this. No flakes! And the smell is very pleasant. So now I'm about to go to the wedding and I feel confident. This stuff saved me. Tea Tree oil rules. I'll never go back to the chemical stuff again. eta: At the wedding someone went out of their way to tell me I had "great skin." Yay, Desert Essence!

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rated 5 of 5 ThinkPink2683 on 1/30/2008 10:22:00 AM more reviews by ThinkPink2683

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I love this product. Small pimples go away nearly overnight. If I have a bad one I apply the liquid every couple of hours, and they are generally gone (or nearly) in 24 hours. It dries up the problem without drying out my skin. As long as I have the stick on hand to roll on I'm so much less tempted to pop those suckers and scar up my face. I personally love the smell of tea-tree oil, but this is mixed with the scent of witch hazel and other botanical smells so it isn't too strong at all. I've never used a blemish treatment that burn my skin AND got rid of pimples overnight.

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rated 1 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* plumeriapassion on 1/27/2008 6:59:00 PM more reviews by plumeriapassion

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Smells awful and doesn't affect my pimples in any way. They just grow as usual, larger and larger!

I'd recommend using 100% undiluted tea tree oil if you have severe acne. I'm doing that now and it seems to work wayy better.

Also, by applying it with a Q-tip, you don't have liquid running around on your face.

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rated 4 of 5 Kelly610 on 1/14/2008 11:53:00 AM more reviews by Kelly610

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Wow. I am so glad I came across these reviews for this product or I probably wouldn't have known it existed. Like many of those that are acne-prone, I've tried SO many products...and some of them actually aggravated my condition further! I was ready to just give up. I bought this shortly after I read the great reviews and now I get to write my own great review on it because it has contolled my breakouts to a minimum which is rare for me. I apply it over the areas that I am most prone to breakouts both morning and night and I have seen quite an improvement. All I have currently is one 'active' bump and the rest is scarring from previous ones. At night, I also apply 2.5 BP to the stubborn ones and I think the mixture of tea tree oil and BP has been a great way to zap them overnight. I also use Olay Regenerist Daily Exfoliating Cleanser and I think that helps to shed dead skin cells for more clarity. I have found this regimin to actually work and be much more affordable than the 'high-end' product lines I have tried at Sephora (they've all gone back to the store).

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rated 5 of 5 SummersGC on 1/13/2008 9:44:00 PM more reviews by SummersGC

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

My mom used this product after the local herbalist recommanded this product for her bikini bumps after shaving. My mom used this product for a month, and her bikini line cleared up perfectly.

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rated 2 of 5 orangemississippi on 12/26/2007 9:44:00 PM more reviews by orangemississippi

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I haven't had any major acne since I began using this, and that is amazing for me. It does not make your skin perfect instantly, but drastically shortens the life of your zits before they get huge.

So I have really gross acne scars on my cheeks and forehead that make my skin look awful regardless of how many actual zits are on my face. So it took me a while to realize how much this is actually working. But now I consider it to be the best thing I've ever used on my skin.

It isn't terribly expensive, but there isn't very much either. But I'm ok with that, because I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on some huge product that doesn't work.
Thanks to all of you who wrote reviews, because without you I would never have known about this product. I love this website!


EDIT: this has way irritating ingredients in it-alcohol (2nd INGREDIENT!!), multiple fragrances. i'll only use this when my acne gets really awful & i'll try to use it up. will not repurchase. decreasing rating from 5 to 2.

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rated 5 of 5 kims3142 on 12/24/2007 9:25:00 AM more reviews by kims3142

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have very oily skin with some cystic acne that is prone to dry flaking skin. I am currently using their Jojoba oil to combat dryness and it is working wonderfully. After my great experience with the oil I decided to give the Blemish Touch Stick a go and was even more excited about it after I read the reviews here. I have tried tea tree oil about a decade ago, but didn't really notice a big difference. It was one of those Body Shop diluted numbers. I also read that using undiluted tea tree oil can burn your skin with adverse efeects. As I know myself, I tend to over use things in time of desperation, like when I get a pimple and load up on BP. So I decided this slightly diluted version was better for me than the full strength so I would not burn myself by using too much of a good thing. Well, I am very impressed. This completely reduced the size of the cystic acne as well as reduced the pain. I get those under the skin, deep, painful and tender things and sometimes, they don't go away or come to a head for up to two weeks. I got one last week and it was a doozy, about a centimeter in diameter, but now it is completely flat. I'm always left with red marks after a pimple heals, but this one didn't even come to a head. It just got smaller and smaller until it was gone. I used it A LOT. After coming home from work, I would wash all my makeup off and apply the roller ball about twenty or twenty five times until bed time. The next morning, I could really see the difference. This process took about three days. Normally something of this size and tenderness would have taken about a week to come to a head and I would steam my face and than squeeze the little sucker out. And then wait another two days or so for the scab to heal . This was so much better. I don't mind the drippy roller ball because I like a lot of medication on my pimples! Very afforable and smell is not so bad. It does dry out your skin a bit, but the jojoba oil helps with that. You must try this, I have tried all the infomercial stuff-Proactiv, Murad, Pat Wexler-as well as AHA, BHA, BP, Sulfur, but this is the only spot treatment that works. It stops the breakout in its tracks!

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rated 5 of 5 hollyjackson on 12/20/2007 8:50:00 PM more reviews by hollyjackson

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Wow i put this product on two zits that popped up in the morning and than put my make up on and went along for the day and those bumps went way down. B.P has never worked as good. Sulfur used to work very good on me but i think my skin started to tolerate it and this blemish stick along with 100% tea tree oil and tea tree oil with Awapui face wash. Love love tea tree oil. Just hope my skin doesn't start to tolerate it. Try this stuff out though. Works Fantastic!!!!

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rated 5 of 5 danerly on 12/10/2007 1:31:00 AM more reviews by danerly

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I really like this blemish stick. It dries zits right up without drying out your skin. Whenever I have used this on a blemish, within a day or two, the blemish has shrunk down to almost nothing. Some people might not like the smell of this product -- it is a bit strong and may smell a bit medicinal. However, I sort of like it. It has a strong herbal scent.

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* rainbodragon on 11/28/2007 12:00:00 PM more reviews by rainbodragon

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I dont really like the roller ball design, sometimes its hard to get it started, and you have to make sure you are holding the container upside down which is annoying. That said, once its on, it works great. It shrunk up the godzitta I had on my cheek by half overnight. The moisturizer I was using clogged my pores so I used this all over my cheeks and the next morning they were much clearer and my pores had shrunk back down. Even my SO who HATES all my skin care stuff (says it stinks) used it on a pimple and and it shrunk overnight and she said it wasnt painful anymore. If she can be convinced, it must be great. Give it a try.

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rated 5 of 5 cnazario on 11/16/2007 1:50:00 PM more reviews by cnazario

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I don't do a lot of reviews but I just had to say something about this product. I was desperate for a product to control my breakouts which I was especially prone to a week before my period. I'd been using a Neutrogena blemish cream since I was teenager but noticed it just wasn't effective anymore and was very drying. I saw this product in the health food store and decided to give it a try. Like other reviewers I was amazed at how well it worked. It helps heal pimples and prevent scarring while also helping to prevent future breakouts. My husband hates the smell (kind of herbal medicinal) but it's actually grown on me. I use it daily especially in the T-zone. I also wanted to add that it is also excellent on bug bites. I live in Hawaii where mosquitos can be a problem and putting this on the bites helps them to stop itchiing and heals them faster. I kind of like the roller ball applicator but it can leak if not kept in an upright position. I keep the one in my purse in a small plastic baggy.

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rated 5 of 5 gemhorse16 on 11/11/2007 1:25:00 PM more reviews by gemhorse16

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have been on MUA for awhile now and have yet to find a product worth reviewing...until now! I had actually first tried this product about 4 or 5 years ago and I honestly can't remember why I stopped (maybe the smell?). I decided to give it a try again a few months ago when I saw all the great reviews here and am so glad I did. The smell is a bit off-putting, but my nose eventually got used to it. Anyway, this product is amazing. The directions say to use it 5-6 times daily. Personally, I think it varies per person b/c I only use it 2x/day and get great results; I carry the product everywhere I go and put the product on the pimple itself and on areas that are prone to break-outs. I used to consistently have at least 1 monster pimple around my chin and cheek area. After using this for a couple of months my skin is pimple-free; even my husband has noticed the difference (he said my skin has been glowing!)and now as his own blemish stick. The product does sting a little when I put it directly on a pimple, but I'm willing to put up w/ a little pain to get great results. I'm just finishing up my first container and will definitely be buying another at my local Trader Joe's (this is also available online); you can't beat the price! FYI, my skin is oily/combo, mostly oily on the T-zone and tends to get a tad drier in the winter. I'm using this blemish stick in conjunction with Laventine's Olive Forte cleansing oil (also fabulous!) and Neutrogena's Healthy Skin moisturizer with SPF 45. I love this stuff! Go out and buy it...it really works!

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rated 4 of 5 akk23 on 10/30/2007 12:23:00 PM more reviews by akk23

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

OK this stuff rocks! I have tried just about every spot treatment out there and this actually does what it claims! I get the occasional "under the skin, mean, takes forever to go away, blemish" and this will make it disappear.
I read reviews here and thought I'd try it out. I was so shocked when I applied it to a new bump that I could feel forming and in 2 days it was gone! I mean no where to be seen...completely gone! In the past it would take more than a week for it to go away with a spot treatment of BP or SA.
I gave it a four because of the smell (my husband was like ewwww) and as others have mentioned it leaks a bit. I found that if you just take the roller part off and dip a q-tip in there its even more affective. Also the skin around the blemish got a bit flaky but is nothing a little extra moisturizer won't fix. I have already purchased a back-up because I have never found anything that actually makes the blemish go away and quick! If you apply it as soon as you feel a blemish coming on it stops it from fully forming! Its worth a try!

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* asaksa on 10/26/2007 4:42:00 PM more reviews by asaksa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

Tea Tree Oil is so great for my skin! This blemish stick is no exception. I put it on the blemish and it's pretty much healing or gone in a day.

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