At the launch of Murad’s two new exfoliators, it was our first time to come face to face with a no-holds-barred, brutally frank skin analyzer whose all-seeing eye was like that of your critical mom and your no-filter titas—combined.

The Murad Youth Cam, the skincare brand’s high-tech camera, takes an uncomfortably in-depth look at your skin’s current condition. Uncomfortable, because all your skin sins are laid out before you in vivid detail—each fine line, wrinkle, sun spot and enlarged pore is shown you.

Fortunately, the Youth Cam is a benevolent confessor; it offers absolution and a chance to undo your skin’s unsavory past.

The Youth Cam is stationed at Rustan’s Murad counters, and we urge you to check it out while there is still time to repent.

A common problem among Asian women living in tropical countries is enlarged pores compounded by oily skin. Enlarged pores are welcoming crevices for dirt and bacteria, which then form annoying pimple parties that are hard to police.

One of Murad’s latest solutions to help you refine pores is its Skin Smoothing Polish, a bi-weekly exfoliating treatment that gently but deeply cleans and relieves clogged pores. The scrub is enriched with antioxidants like pomegranate seed extract to prevent free-radical damage, and essential fatty acids and starflower and sunflower seed oils to help skin retain moisture.

Witch hazel and cinnamon extract help tighten pores while balancing oil production.

For those prone to breakouts, Murad’s Transforming Powder, a dual-action cleanser and exfoliator, contains salicylic acid and pumpkin seed extract, which work in tandem to encourage cell turnover while keeping pores clear.

The Transforming Powder is a unique formulation. It is loose powder that comes in a tube, and you shake out the powder and mix it with water to form a light, foaming cleanser that treats acne-stressed skin as it cleans and exfoliates.

The rationale behind the powder delivery system is that the texture of the powder provides mechanical exfoliation while the ingredients are responsible for the chemical side of scrubbing. This allows those with blemished skin to exfoliate their skin minus the abrasive experience that can make breakouts worse.

One product line

Murad is also one of the few brands that address acne and anti-aging in one product line. When we were teenagers, we were told that acne was a rite of passage that would go away as we age, but the sad reality is that for some, acne is inescapable.

Adult acne may even be worse, cropping up whenever your hormones go awry or when you are stressed (and what adult is not stressed?).

The brand manages to bridge the gap between acne treatment and anti-aging. Most anti-aging products are designed to combat dryness; their rich and heavy formulations make them instantly incompatible with oily, acne-riddled skin, so you’re left with the hard choice of treating acne but allowing wrinkles to creep up on your face, or treating fine lines and wrinkles, but risking added pimples.

Murad’s anti-aging adult acne line uniquely blends the two issues in a regimen that treats both simultaneously.

Skin Smoothing Polish and Transforming Powder are priced at P1,450 and are available in Murad counters at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.