Sorry if this post may not interest everyone, i.e. those who do not have sensitive skin, but I thought it was time I share my findings in the sensitive skincare world in the past six months of struggling with random rash and acne breakouts.
Again, thank you so much for your support at my Naruko blog sale where I had to get rid of some products that I’m allergic to.
I thought my skin was just sensitive to the usual baddies: strong chemicals, parabens, alcohol, and fragrance but I think I can’t tolerate a lot of natural/organic skincare as well. So my lineup of sensitive skincare belongs to the stripped down variety where there are fewer irritants than your average skincare product.
For those living in Japan, you can try Bioderma’s Sensibio range and it’s available at Matsumotokiyoshi, Loft, and Tomod’s.
From left to right: Sensibio Light Soothing Cream Sensitive Intolerant Skin Normal to Combination Skin; Sensibio Lotion Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin; Sensibio H2O Sensitive Skin Ultra-Mild Non-Rinse Cleanser Makeup Remover.
The price range is around 2900JPY and above though the small H2O cleanser is around 1500JPY for just 100ml but that finishes very quickly.
Let’s start with the good products: the cleanser is indeed a good non-irritating non-rinse makeup remover. There is no alcohol and the skin feels refreshed and clean after makeup has been wiped off but even this HG cleanser is no match for Majolica Majorca’s mascara.
The lotion has been great for my chest and back and it has never been so smooth. I’ve had minimal pimple break outs in these areas and I really think this lotion has something to do with it. Unfortunately, this lotion doesn’t work on my face and it kind of crept up on me. For a whole month, my skin felt fairly smooth and blemish-free but then I started getting bumps on my cheeks and forehead, areas which I don’t normally get any acne. I’m not sure if what I had were even pimples because they didn’t look like clogged pores nor were they inflamed. But after I stopped using this product for a few days, all the bumps disappeared.
The soothing cream which is supposed to be a light moisturizer was way too rich in autumn but didn’t have enough moisturizing power in winter. Overall it’s not a terrible product but it just didn’t work for me in terms of hydration.
Another brand that specializes in sensitive skin is Acseine which is a Japanese brand. It has a counter in Ginza’s Matsuya and a small section in Loft. I was glad they had a sample pack so I could sample their AD range which is completely free from nasty chemical additives and fragrance.
From left to right: Cleansing Oil, Facial Soap AD, Skin Control Lotion, AD Control Essence, Milky Gel AD (day moisturizer), Skin Protector AD (night cream).
I love their Skin Control Lotion AD and it was gentle enough for my face. I used this throughout my Vietnam trip and I will definitely repurchase this. Unfortunately, the rest of the range just didn’t suit me.
The Milky Gel and the Skin Protector were way too rich for me and just sat on the surface of my skin. Putting on makeup over this was just a nightmare and I was an oily mess in just a couple of hours. The AD Control Essence is meant to be a hydrating serum but I seriously doubt it penetrated my pores as it felt like it just stayed unabsorbed on my skin.
The cleansing oil worked fine but it is quite pricey at 3100JPY for a 120ml full-sized bottle. The facial soap had the usual soap effect which made my skin feel a bit tight after washing. Some people may like that feeling because it means all the dirt has been cleaned off so I wouldn’t rule this out completely. Sometimes I like to do this type of squeaky clean cleanse to get the crap off my face, sort of like “clarifying” your skin, you know?
From left to right: Physiogel Cream, Eucerin Aquaporin Active Moisturizing Cream Light, Sensibio Light Soothing Cream Sensitive Intolerant Skin Normal to Combination Skin, Hada Labo es Milk.
I’ve used the above four moisturizers for a few months now and my conclusion is that the Physiogel Cream, SGD42 (USD33) for 150ml has had the best effect on my skin. I actually saw this brand on Bubz Beauty’s blog and Youtube video and wanted to get the exact same lotion but I couldn’t find it so I settled for their basic cream which my mum’s friend raved about as a night moisturizer. I think it does the job and is not greasy but I’m well aware that it does just that, i.e. moisturize, and has no other added benefits.
But hey, as long as it doesn’t irritate my skin, I’m happy. I even bought a lotion version for more humid weather and I don’t think I can live without this moisturizer. It’s not sold in Japan so I stocked up in Singapore and I’ll probably try and buy some more when I go to New York next month.
The Eucerin moisturizer actually had fragrance which surprised me. This one worked well for me for two weeks and then snuck up on me like the Bioderma Sensibio Lotion — little bumps appeared on my cheeks and my skin just generally felt rough to the touch, like there was a strange invisible residue or something. So I used the rest of the cream on my arms and legs.
The Hada Labo es Milk (review on the whole es range here) has been great for my eye area but it’s too rich for my oily skin. I think it works fine at night but I prefer using my Jason Natural Vitamin E Oil that not only deeply moisturizes my skin but seems to help heal the various bumps and scars on my forehead and cheeks which have pretty much recovered from my previous breakouts.
I would like to add that I brought back the Clinique Anti-Blemish Clearing Moisturizer into my regime for the past month and I apply it only to my T-zone before the Vitamin E Oil — so far so good and my skin has seen much fewer clogged pores and I will stick to this routine for now.
I hope you found my post useful in some way if you have sensitive skin. Just a piece of advice: try to introduce one new product to your skin at a time so you can determine if it could cause you any reaction. It also took me all this while to admit that I simply cannot use “fancy/fun” skincare anymore and I really feel okay (I just spend more on makeup now — lol!)
Do you have any sensitive skin products to recommend?
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I was intrigued by bloggers murmuring about Steam Cream being the bomb, e.g. Lisa Eldridge loves it and blogged about it here, so I had to check it out.
I won’t go into detail about the special steaming process they use to make this cream which makes its gorgeous creamy whipped texture (you can read about it here instead).
What really attracted me to this cream is that it is said to sink into your skin deeply and moisturizes without being greasy. And it also claims it is suitable for sensitive skin and as a facial moisturizer. For the list of ingredients, you can read it here. The bulk of the cream is made of almond oil, cocoa butter, and a slew of essential oils, and do note it has some parabens right at the end.
Now I have tried this cream all over my body and face and my conclusion isn’t very different from other bloggers’: it smells wonderful (if you love lavender); it is very moisturizing but not suitable for oily skin types if used on the face; it makes a lovely gift because of the packaging; best as a hand cream — you could use it on your body but I think with such a small tub at the price tag of 1,500JPY (USD19), I’m hesitant to squander it all on my limbs (I need quite a lot of body lotion).
Some folks might find it unhygenic to dip their fingers into the tub and I do see that as a downside as well but I always make sure I wash my hands before I do that.
The small size is great for travelling and that’s also when you need the grunt of a good moisturizer. Or I can envision this as a multitasking option if you are on the plane and need to moisturize your face and hands quickly. The lavender scent could be quite relaxing and soothing as you nap on the plane, too.
I have tried this as a facial moisturizer for a few days and it’s too rich as a day moisturizer for oily/combination skin types, but I could use this as a night moisturizer in winter. If you have dry skin, I think it could work for you. I also have sensitive skin but I didn’t break out from this at all, despite its richness.
Why did I buy this? Well, I was experimenting with different products for sensitive skin and steam cream seemed like a viable option at the time. By the way, I’ve got a huge post on sensitive skincare products coming up soon!
I’m not sure if I would re-purchase this but I would definitely buy it for others as it’s such a cute affordable present that would make any girly girl happy. I mean, who doesn’t need some hand cream once in a while?
Have you tried Steam Cream? Do you like it?
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I hope that got some attention because it’s a literal translation of today’s review — 氷こんにゃくこんにゃくスポンジ ( which says ice konjac sponge) but the “ice” part is just a metaphor as the sponge is rock solid when it is dry but it is indeed made of konjac, a Japanese potato that is often made into jelly for desserts or noodles that are seen as a low-calorie diet-friendly food product.
Known for its fibrous content, it’s no wonder that it can be woven into a sponge. Here is how it looks semi-dry…
I don’t have a picture of the sponge in its rock-hard solid state but it looks like a very rough hard sponge not unlike those for scrubbing tough stains on pots and pans. I’ve to say Nic Nic from bangbangsheshoots got me thinking about a more serious cleansing routine in her post on the foam net, muslin cloth, and a basic wash sponge.
Honestly, I just wanted to get something similar to the orange sponge she featured on her post because she said it was travel-friendly and does the job. I went to my local Tomods down the hill from my apartment and found a white sponge that looked like it had the same texture, but I really had no idea I bought a konjac sponge — what a lovely surprise!
The packet says bright/glowing ball which is the brand of this konjac sponge and says this is gentle enough for babies and for washing the face, and that it is 100% plant-based.
The instructions are really simple — dip the sponge into warm water, wait for 3 minutes (actually it takes only less than a minute for me), and it’s ready to be used. For the care directions, it is advised to hang the sponge outside after use so it can dry naturally and it should return to its original rock hard state.
I’m just guessing that being so dry and hard would prevent mould and bacteria from festering — I could be wrong but the “caution” part of the instructions says that if the sponge is not completely dry, “black spots” will grow.
Now time for the effectiveness of this konjac sponge: I love it. I only use it in the morning and is more gentle than the Clarisonic (which I only use once a day at night). It solves my problem of getting rid of excess oil and other crap that accumulates on my skin overnight in a gentle way. The angular shape of this sponge allows it to get into crevices the Clarisonic cannot reach, e.g. the curves between my brows.
I use an extremely light hand and the Hada Labo es Foaming Facial Wash provides enough cushion for this extremely soft exfoliating ritual. I then just follow up with a generous douse of the Hada Labo es Milk which I also use on my eye area.
This routine has helped more clogged pores from happening and my skin feels really smooth. Overall, my skin is alright considering the fact that it’s the time of the month.
My skin is at a strange place right now — it’s very sensitive from the horrible breakout I suffered on my wedding day and all the Naruko, Clinique, Kiehl’s, Jurlique, Eucerin, CerVe products I had been using on my skin leave a burning sensation. It’s really horrible so I decided to stick to very basic skincare products from Hada Labo es range (except the cleansing liquid: I’m using Mutenka Cleansing Oil now) which is formulated for sensitive skin.
My skin has calmed down a lot but with the lack of hydrating grunt from my “stronger” products in this autumn weather, my “oily-dry” skin has been acting up — more clogged pores; oilier complexion, so I decided to focus on cleansing to ride this yucky period out. I think a month of this should do the trick and I’ll slowly introduce my beloved brightening and anti-aging serums back into my regime.
As a last note, I found a website in English that explains the benefits of konjac sponges here if you would like to read more about konjac sponges.
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Hello my curious beauty junkies, have I got a bit of a strange one for you today…Ever since my apple cider vinegar discovery, I’ve been more open to trying non-traditional types of skincare.
Today’s “discovery” is 紫根, shikon, or purple gromwell, which is a purple herb/flower. Apparently there was a boom earlier this year in Japan as women boiled up a bunch of shikon in a pot and used it as a lotion to heal scars and improve skin tone.
A friend’s Japanese boyfriend knew about this boom so he bought some for her and she’s been using this healing elixir on her face for several months. I’d noticed her skin looked much smoother than before and she gushed how this simple tonic helped her get rid of acne scars — I must say I was impressed because she has been looking great this year.
I was intrigued and nearly bought a packet of shikon to boil in my kitchen but I was a bit hesitant because I wasn’t sure which was a reliable source online (though I think in Japan, it’s likely to be authentic than not) and made up my mind to do more research. But alas, the lazy monster got the better of me because there was a lot more information in Japanese for commercial uses than in English.
But one day, I spotted the kanji for shikon on a bottle of lotion at my local drugstore…
At 1500JPY a pop, I bought it in a flash. The ingredients list looked fairly short and the herb was listed in second place, except there was ethanol as the last ingredient (there are 15 in all) so I thought there was no harm in trying it out. There was also hyaluronic acid so that was a bonus for me.
After three months, I am happy to report that the acne scars on my back are fading from my earlier days of “rampage”. The scars were there since early this year and I was frustrated with them and I’m not sure if it is time or this purple herb, but my back does look better overall.
The other benefits of this herb is that it is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory and it’s no wonder that soaps, creams, and lotions are infused with shikon (some products are available at Rakuten).
The only downside to this lotion is that it stains my bathroom sink (it can also be used as a natural dye). I tried using a cotton pad to apply this on my skin but the cotton pad would just soak everything up and wouldn’t transfer much to my skin, so I just use my fingers (which means lots of dribbling involved). However, a bit of hard scrubbing would remove any tell-tale signs of purple.
With such great results, I decided to try the gel moisturizer companion to the lotion…
It’s so purple…I was wondering if it would stain my top if I slathered it on my back but it didn’t.
Unfortunately, I’m not in love with the moisturizer because it breaks me out. I tried it several times and each time I had new pimples pop up in the areas I put it on so I have since stopped using this.
It puzzled me because I think the ingredients list looks very short (even shorter than the lotion) and has a basic mix of shikon essence (two types), aloe vera, ethanol and parabens. There are a couple of ingredients I don’t understand so it could be those that are irritating my skin.
The perk of buying a ready made lotion from a store is that you don’t have to worry about the lotion going bad since there are preservatives in the concoction. On the other hand, making your own is probably purer (and maybe more effective?) but harder to store (you can only keep it in the fridge for a few days) since there are no preservatives unless you add your own alcohol which I think unleashes more problems to your skin. Though I think I should just give the herb in its natural form a go just to satisfy my curiosity.
Have you heard of shikon, or purple gromwell, as a beauty treatment?
Happy Friday to my fellow beauty junkies….Thank you so much for participating in our 3rd Anniversary Giveaway — the results will be out soon so sit tight!
Today I just want to announce that two new sunscreens are available at the Beauty Box Store: Hada Labo UV Moist Cream SPF 30 PA+++ and UV Moist Emulsion SPF30 PA+++.
The best thing about these sunscreens is that they are free of irritating additives — no fragrance, no mineral oil, no ethanol and the added bonus is their signature hyaluronic acid formula (a mix of three types of hyaluronic acid!) for keeping skin hydrated. They are both chemical sunscreens.
The Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion SPF50 PA+++ has been my go-to sunscreen all summer and its milky consistency sits well under my makeup, in fact I use this as my primer, especially since Tokyo summer is terribly humid and I try to put as few products on my face as possible. The SPF factor is 50— WOW! I also spread this on my neck, behind my ears, chest and back and my skin has not broken out from using this sunscreen.
On it’s own, it does leave a sheen on the face but I think this is due to the fact that this sunscreen has no ethanol which has a drying effect on the skin (and causes aging in the long run!). I think that’s the trade-off when you use a non-irritating sunscreen for face.
For those who follow this blog closely, you would know that I really dislike products that have a lot of ethanol (or listed within the top five ingredients of a product) so I was happy to have found this sunscreen.
I once used a Japanese drugstore sunscreen which had ethanol as the second ingredient on its list and spread it all over my face and hands during a picnic by the river under the sun. At the end of the day, my skin looked so dry and felt tight! My hands especially suddenly had deeper creases and lines — never again!
The Hada Labo UV Moist Cream has SPF 32 PA+++ acts as a moisturizer, makeup base, and sunscreen — this is richer than the emulsion and I think this is more suitable for dryer skin types and for colder weather. I tried this on in the thick of Japanese summer and it’s not quite suitable for my oily skin. I’m a bit hesitant to skip my moisturizer and go straight to this sunscreen but I think it’s possible seeing that it’s touted as an “all-in-one”. I would probably go back to this in winter when my skin needs more hydration.
Here is a swatch of the sunscreens so you can look at their consistency. On top is the Hada Labo UV Moist Cream and the bottom is the UV Moist Emulsion.
Both products pair well with the Hada Labo BB Moist Cream and Emulsion line, too.
The links to these products sold at the Beauty Box store are here:
Hada Labo UV Moist Cream SPF30 PA+++
Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion SPF50 PA+++
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Remember I was battling breakouts earlier this year? I was experimenting with loads of products in the hope of finding those that wouldn’t cause skin irritation and have since been always on the look out for additive-free skincare.
At the beginning of summer, Hada Labo came out with their new es range for sensitive skin. It promises no parabens, mineral oil, fragrance, alcohol and coloring. When I saw that they had a trial kit, I grabbed it.
The products in the kit are indeed gentle and non-irritating on the skin:
+ Facial foaming wash, 80ml
+ Lotion (or toner), 30ml
+ Cleansing liquid, 30ml
+ Moisturizing Milk, 30ml
I road-tested them in really humid and hot weather so I’m not sure how they would perform in colder, dryer climes but since there is an absence of alcohol in the products, I don’t think they would be very drying at all.
I like all the products and would say the facial foaming cleanser and cleansing liquid are my faves in the range, with the moisturizer in third place and the lotion in last place.
Hada Labo es Foaming Facial Wash (click here to buy)
The foaming facial wash pumps out ready-made foam and I could tell it was really gentle because my eyes did not sting at all especially when I used my Clarisonic. I like to swipe the Clarisonic all over my face for the full minute before it stops vibrating, and with all my other facial washes, my eyes would sting from the foam sneaking under my closed lids. However, if you want a deep cleansing experience, this wouldn’t be so suitable, but if you are looking for a non-stripping cleanser, this is a good option.
Hada Labo es Cleansing Liquid (click here to buy)
The cleansing liquid is made in the vein of a cleansing oil but I think Hada Labo refrained from calling it an oil because it doesn’t feel oily. The consistency is more like a thick lotion without the stickiness. It removes all my makeup sufficiently and I was happy with it. Although for my Majorlica Majorca mascara, I had to leave it on for at least a few minutes for it to completely remove it. But if I was pressed for time, I just used a separate dual-phase eye makeup remover. But the Hada Labo cleansing liquid could remove my Lancome mascara fine.
Hada Labo es Moisturizing Milk (click here to buy)
The moisturizing milk is great for night-time only as it’s on the heavy side for my oily combination skin. For sleeping in air-conditioning, this moisturizer was great for hydrating my skin and didn’t cause any breakouts at all. I also tried it as a day moisturizer and my face got way too oily. The reason why I think it’s on the thick side because I do feel a slight film on my skin in the morning when I wash my face, quite similar to when I use a sleeping mask gel.
Hada Labo es Lotion (click here to buy)
I put the es lotion in fourth position because I personally prefer very thick moisturizing lotions before I go onto the moisturizing step. This is very watery and it does suit extremely humid weather when you need minimal hydration and especially if you are layering on products before putting on makeup.
I know how hard it is to get good quality skincare for sensitive skin so I’m selling this trial kit at the Beauty Box Store, plus the full-sized versions, too (facial foaming wash; lotion; cleansing liquid; moisturizing milk).
If you want to have a chance to win this Hada Labo es trial kit, you can join my 3rd Anniversary/Birthday Giveaway (which expires end of Aug).
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Hey my lovelies, thanks for the great response to Part I of this post. I think Asian skincare/cosmetics lovers (like me) have an endless fascination with Japanese drugstore brands.
Let’s continue with the reviews, shall we?
Kose Sekkisei Facial Soap
I really wanted to like this product but it was too heavily fragranced to make me feel at ease. It was also extremely drying and from an aesthetics point of view, a piece of navy blue soap with dried foam marks is not the prettiest sight to see daily. After this short foray into facial soap, I decided I still prefer liquid or powder cleansers for the face.
Shiseido Inicio Body Creator EX
I was very hopeful that this product would help my KP (read here for what KP is) when I watched one of Fuzkittie‘s videos (she said it completely banished her KP) , i.e. goosebump-like spots on the back of my arms that are clogged hair follicles. I did see an improvement to my right arm but my left arm has remained the same so I’m not sure if it was really due to this product that the bumps decreased. It also feels extremely cooling when you apply it so my guess is that it has a lot of alcohol in it which I dislike. Despite having reservations, I really did give this a fair go of two months (I used it almost everyday), but alas, into the bin it went.
Revlon Top Speed Jaded C-28, Canmake Colorful Nails 105A & 9021, and Integrate Base Coat.
I really love the Revlon light blue-green shade but the manicure only lasted two days before chipping — and mind you, that included base and top coat. The Canmake nude sparkly colours are very pretty in person and it lasted about four days before chipping which is not too bad considering it’s such a cheap product. But you know, I’ve had OPI manicures done at a nail salon and it chipped the same day! I’m open to getting to know brands that have good quality polish – do drop me a note in the comments section.
Geruma Black & White Bath Salts
Thanks to a great post on bath salts that make you sweat by Nic Nic from bangbangsheshoots, I am now in love with these Geruma bath salts. I’m not sure if I feel any significant differences between the various types of bath salts under this brand but they all have the same effect — tons of sweating and I always feel tired after a bath and I sleep very soundly. I hope that this will help me sweat out the toxins, clear clogged pores, and decrease water retention.
Pictured above is another one I tried and it was awesome as well. They look different, e.g. the black salts made my bath water dark grey and the white ones made it milky, while this one was also cloudy but not as much as the white ones, but they all smell the same — a subtle scent of sulphur which is reminiscent of real onsens (hot springs) in Japan. They also fizz and pop when you add hot water — fun!
Bihada Plus Rose Champagne
This smelled nice and sweet but I didn’t sweat much with these bath salts and they made the water a bit slimy which was strange for me. I much prefer the Geruma ones.
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus & Lash Bone Black Fiber In
I finally gave Majolica Majorca mascara another shot after swearing off them for a few years. When I first arrived in Japan, I bought a Majolica Majorca mascara and it was so clumpy it drove me crazy! My Lancome mascara just could not hold up in this heat and humidity and I feel naked without mascara so I decided to change it up a little. I thought perhaps to reduce the clumpiness I should use a mascara base and it worked! But it is so hard to remove this masacara which leads me to my next product…
Mandom Beauty Cleansing Express Eyemakeup Remover
This is not a bad choice for removing stubborn mascara but it’s still not super powerful. I shake the dual action formula, soak a cotton pad with it, and then press it gently on my closed eyes for a few seconds. I do need to swipe a few more times to get all the mascara off but it’s way better than a usual makeup remover and I can keep my lashes intact.
Majolica Marjorca Jeweling Eyes GR791
I always love how creative Majolica Marjorca combines colours for their eyeshadow palettes but there is a lot of fallout but at the cheap price of 1,500JPY I can’t complain. I tend to reach for this palette when I’m super casual and wearing something blue or green. The turquoise shade blends well with the dark olive shadow and after oxidizing, it becomes more grey-green. Definitely not for folks who hate products that oxidize.
Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner (Black), Heroine Make Liquid Eyeliner, Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Eyeliner
I bought the Dolly Wink eyeliner three months ago and I LOVE it. I’m not very good at putting on eyeliner so the stiff pointed brush is practically foolproof. Prior to that, I was using the Heroine Make one and I think it’s too soft for me but I still use it once in a while in a bid to finish it up. Lastly, the MM one is quite a disappointment. I like the dark brown shade which suits me very well but the “automatic” part of the liner, which is a twist mechanism to get more eyeliner to ooze out and it’s always way too much but if you don’t twist it, there won’t be enough product to line your eyes. I have to dab it with a tissue to make it just right but I’m definitely switching to a brown shade by Dolly Wink soon.
Majolica Majorca Jeweling Pencil (White & Black)
Michelle Phan is a big fan of highlighting the inner corners of her eyes with a white eye pencil which I thought is such a refreshing way to do your eyes so I bought one to test it out. I like it enough but I realized I could use the lighter shades in my eyeshadow palettes to do the same job so I tend to forget about this eye pencil. The black one is pretty good for lining eyes if you don’t like liquid liners — it’s soft even after you sharpen it but I have to say that I’m not the best expert on eyeliners. I must add that if you want to do a “wing” at the outer tip of your eyes, then a liquid liner would be much better than a pencil one.
Whooooooo, that was a mouthful. Thanks for going through my reviews and I’m in Taipei as you’re reading this. Will be back to report on my beauty finds in Taiwan.
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Hello gorgeous gals, I’m having a great week and my mind is full of wedding prep — I’ve had a two-year engagement so I thought I would be so over it by now but I’m surprisingly excited like it just happened yesterday. I’m all about being prepared and organized so even though I have two more months, I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.
But I did have time to think about the drugstore buys I made since late spring/ early summer. I have been slowly accumulating all these product photos (I tend to snap a picture of them just before I test-drive them) and I’ve got enough to fill two long posts. So here we go!
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moist Mist
Can I just say I love this facial mist! I use it to set my makeup if I’m wearing a powder finish which is what I do on the weekends. On the weekdays, I tend to work out on most days so my skin tends to be very damp after my shower which is before I put on my makeup, thus I only use a bb cream without setting it with powder. So this spray gives an even and wide spritz, so I don’t have to spray too many times to blanket my whole face. When I use this over the Clinique BB Cream, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, and Estee Lauder Vita-Mineral Nutritious Loose Powder combo, I get this glowy look which I’m crazy about.
Soooo, I stopped using Silk Naturals’ Strawberry Spritz (pictured above) although it smells great. Since I use acne products with salicylic acid, this spritz causes my skin to turn bright red and my face looks like it has red streaks after applying this – not a good look!!!!
Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion SPF PA+++
I would give this sunscreen four out of five stars because it doesn’t break me out and its milky texture sinks in quickly and acts as a primer for base makeup. It has no alcohol and it’s hard to find a sunscreen in Japan that has no alcohol. I dislike alcohol in sunscreens because it is so drying and ages your skin — I’m not adverse to alcohol in products but it should be much further down the ingredients list but for most Japanese sunscreens, alcohol is the second or third item from the top.
The reason why I wouldn’t give this Hada Labo sunscreen five stars is that it does make my skin quite oily halfway through the day and I have to blot to avoid looking like a grease ball. But you know, I would rather have this problem than have fine lines and acne due to lots of alcohol. And my skin hasn’t broken out after using this for over two months. I have also spread this on my neck and chest and upper back area when I need to go out in the sun. I would highly recommend this to those who are sensitive to huge amounts of alcohol.
Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moist Essence EX
I have mixed feelings about this product — but mostly good, for you Hada Labo fans out there. It’s great in spring when the air is semi-dry in Tokyo. I can put this on under my Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturizer and pile on a sunscreen before my makeup and I would look and feel fine. But once the humidity set in, it felt way too rich and I’m keeping this for autumn. I think hyaluronic serums are the bomb for those who have dry but acne-prone skin — you need hydration without oil or cream.
Mutenka Body Soap
I am obsessed with Mutenka products so I wanted to try their whole range, including their body wash. I think it cleans very well but I don’t really like the stripping feeling it gives. I think if you are looking for an additive-free body wash (free of parabens, mineral oil, fragrance, colouring), this would be suitable for you. But I like to smell nice after a shower so I’m sticking to The Body Shop’s Earthlovers Shower Gels for now.
Mutenka Shampoo & Treatment Conditioner (Shiny)
The shampoo really helped to clear up my back and chest acne — I didn’t use it to wash those areas but I think my skin gets sensitive to heavily fragranced shampoos and rich formula conditioners so for the two months that my chest and back were healing, this shampoo helped me to cut down on contact with irritating ingredients. But I don’t think it washes as well as other shampoos like Nudy Aura or Nature’s Gate and I tend to get a greasy scalp the next day. The conditioner label says サラサラ which means shiny so it’s for normal hair (for dry hair, it says しっとりwhich means moist). It moisturizes okay actually and I would recommend it to those with sensitive skin or scalp. However, the downside again is the lack of any scent so it might bother you if you want to have sweet-smelling tresses (like me).
Mandom Barrier Repair Ready To Mask
I thought this sounded so intriguing that it was a pre-mask treatment — yowzers, one more step?! Actually, it’s quite the contrary. You put this cream on after washing your face and before a sheet mask. You don’t need a lotion or moisturizer so it’s perfect for tired souls who can’t be bothered with so many creams/lotions. The cream is fairly thick but doesn’t leave the skin overly oily. Again, this is definitely a cold weather product because it worked fine for me in spring and I loved the fuss-free regime, but once summer came, it was just too rich. So this is shelved for autumn.
You can look at the steps involved in using this pre-mask cream. Strictly for sheet mask junkies (like me).
To be continued….
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As promised, I am sharing more on my new skincare routine. Besides using apple cider vinegar regularly, I have taken to using a sheet mask before bed almost daily for a month. About once or twice a week, I would use Clinique’s Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask which is a clay mask to rid my skin of clogged pores, but on other days, I will put on a brightening or hydrating sheet mask.
I have heard so much about Japanese women using sheet masks as a part of their daily skincare routine that I decided I had to try it. The second reason was that although I have an oily T-zone, I was also battling dry flaky skin on the rest of my face. Unfortunately, a rich moisturizer would make me too oily especially in the daytime so I tried layering different serums and light lotions but I think this caused my skin to freak out.
Here are the sheet masks I have been trying…
Kracie Moisturizing Facial Mask Extra Rich
25 ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance or colouring
I LOVE THIS! Seriously, it is so moisturizing but completely oil-free due to the hyaluronic acid. It’s perfect for my “parched” oily skin (oily skin tends to overproduce oil because it’s actually dry) and my skin doesn’t feel that oily in the morning.
Mandom Barrier Repair Facial Mask HA
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, and mineral oil
I love this as well but this has slightly less essence. I like it so much that I will sell it on my store soon. It still does an excellent job and the results are the same to me and the plus point is that this product has no parabens.
Kose Clearturn Hyaluronic Acid Mask
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, alcohol and mineral oil
I’ve never actually tried this product even though I sell it in my store (I tried the coenzyme Q10 and collagen) and I’m glad to confirm it works well on my sensitive skin. Seriously, anything with hyaluronic acid in a sheet mask will do wonders to pallid, sallow skin. I can actually tell a difference right after I use it and the morning after. Ditto with the Kracie and Mandom Barrier Repair masks.
Raffine Perfect One Deep Treatment Mask
25ml of essence per sheet; contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, baker’s yeast, pomegranate & chamomile; slight fragrance
I also sell this in my store and this is indeed a luxurious deep treatment mask. Even after wearing it for 40 minutes, this still had essence on the mask. It is generously infused with essence that will brighten your complexion immediately. My skin feels softer the morning after but since this is pricier than drug store brands, I will use this once a week or once a fortnight.
Aqualabel Reset Whitening Mask
18ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
Of all the masks I tried, I really didn’t like this one. My face felt tight after using it so I didn’t even want to try it again. Enough said.
Bihada Ichizoku Whitening Mask
27ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
I didn’t find this “transforming” at all and it left my skin slightly tight after I took it off. I did more research on this and the brand is based on a TV anime series on Tokyo TV which frankly doesn’t give me much confidence in this brand. The reason why I tried it because it is in all the drug stores and ranked quite well on Cosme.
SKII Facial Treatment Mask
I used to slather the Facial Treatment Essence on my face when I was working at a women’s magazine yonks ago — on hindsight it was a waste because I was in my mid-twenties and young skin just defies anything from aging to pollution to fried food. My skin looked brighter after using it but it wasn’t enough to justify an on-going crack addiction to SKII. But recently, I’ve been desperate (and I have two weddings this year) and turning 33 soon, so I thought I should treat myself to the grand dame of all sheet masks and this is by far the best of all I have tried. The mask is full of essence (strangely I couldn’t find an amount stated on the packaging) and the mask itself is very sturdy and thick compared to all the above brands. My skin feels moisturized and looks clearer and brighter after wards — it’s the best but you gotta pay top dollar for it. Definitely a once a week or once a fortnight habit.
I hope you enjoyed my sheet mask marathon experience/review. I am a convert now because my skin has improved visibly — I will definitely put on a mask daily or every other day to maintain my skin. Perhaps my complexion is a little schizophrenic — oily but dry, acne-prone and sensitive — and therefore needs more love and care so I would seriously recommend a sheet mask treatment as often as humanly possible if you have the same issues as me.
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