H&M Body Treats Exfoliating Shower Gel Macadamia Nut & Vanilla 300 ml Review

Ingredients:

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder, Fragrance, Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Phenoxyethanol, Styrene/acrylates copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylparaben, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- I didn't feel it did much exfoliating

- Could have cleaned a bit better, I felt sometimes I used another soap because I wanted to be clean clean, not soft clean



+ Smells just divine, I felt like I wanted to eat it everytime!

+ Very gentle feeling, doesn't make skin dry

+ Turns into soft foam

+ Cleans ok

+ Bottle is so cute to me, it has charm

+ A little goes a long way and I did want it to last long... and it did forever to get it empty, I tried to save it too much probably

* I have to say I was very sceptical of clothing store cosmetics so I was very surprised

* I was also surprised I liked the fragrance, I usually never do, and I liked it until the very last drop

* I admit I had this soap for probably two years until I finished and yeah, I'm not going to save anything ever like that again, but it did not get bad or different in smell or consistency

Price: 

3,95 € / 300 ml, bought it half price

Bought from: 

H&M

Buy again? 

Probably and all the other versions if they still would be available... sadly, limited stuff.

Worth the money? 

Yes and yes! Do not underestimate cheap things from clothing stores.

Nivea Daily Essentials Wash Off Effective Cleansing Gel 200 ml + Stay Clear Pyrifying Toner 200 ml Review

Ingredients:

Nivea Daily Essentials Wash Off Effective Cleansing Gel 

Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Carbomer, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Benzophenone- 4, Phenoxyethanol,Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum, CI 42090

Nivea Daily Essentials Stay Clear Pyrifying Toner 

Aqua, Alcohol Denat., PEG-8, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Glyceryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, ButylphenylMethylpropional, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Cleansing gel doesn't properly remove all the make-up and dirt like it promises and it was probably one reason I used to have more pimples: I didn't really like toners or double cleansing back in the day

- Toner doesn't clean as well as Neutrogena's Blackhead Eliminating Toner, I was shocked when I tested Neutrogena for the first time and the cotton pad got dark!

- The gel is difficult to wash off if I use too much - it just seems to slide all over my face

- Toner feels like a lost product a bit - it's not properly cleansing and not hydrating, what is it supposed to do?

- Ingredient lists aren't very appealing on their own: Alcohol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate...



+ Neither gel or toner don't seem to dry my skin at all

+ Especially the cleansing gel is very gentle

+ Affordable, almost always on sale, can get them everywhere

+ Big bottles and they seem to last forever as a little goes long way

+ Hardly any smell, very inoffensive products in every way

+ I like gel cleansers

+ Not long ingredient lists, not lots of ferments, plant extracts, or other exotic stuff

* Again, these two are products I've been buying, oh I don't know, for 7 years?!

* For their price point and gentleness, easy to get, almost always on sale... they are almost unbeatable

* Maybe they are a bit bland and not exciting products, very basic

Price: 

Between 4-7 € / 200 ml, usually I buy on sale

Bought from: 

Everywhere

Buy again? 

Yes, old habits die hard. Will probably buy them until something that makes my skin amazing will appear. 

Worth the money? 

Yes, absolutely.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Mattifying Lotion 50 ml + Tea Tree Night Lotion 30 ml Review

Ingredients:

Tea Tree Skin Mattifying:

Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyisobutene, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Laureth-4, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Trideceth-6, Citral, Citronellol, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Tocopherol

Tea Tree Night Lotion:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Propanediol, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Acrylamide/ Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Melaleuca Afternifolia Leaf Oil/ Melaleuca Afternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Phytosphingosine HCI, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesguioxane, Limonene, Citral, Citronellol, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Tocopherol

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Neither of the lotions really moisturize or hydrate

- Mattifying day lotion actually makes skin feel quite dry

- They can't be used on their own

- They cause a little tingling on the skin, I have thought that it's because of tea tree?

- Because of tingling, they can't be used after exfoliating or treatments, or it feels like they burn the skin for about 10 minutes

- They both cause massive pilling, horrible under makeup and uncomfortable so they need another cream on top of them to balance it



+ I think my skin likes tea tree: these lotions really do help with sebum and shine

+ They do make pores look smaller, it was more noticeable before when I didn't target the pores with so many products

+ They help with keeping my skin more clear as well, I think I started to have less blemishes when I incorporated these

+ They dry fast

+ They are very light

* The Night Lotion is definitely better and more moisturizing

* They smell of tea tree a bit, someone likes the smell, someone doesn't - I don't mind, better than grandma fragrance

* I have just ordered LJH's Tea Tree Essence that everyone has been raving about, I wonder if it replaces other tea tree products in my routine!

* I'm glad I came upon tea tree products as I think my skin really likes them

Price: 

Tea Tree Skin Mattifying:

14.90 € / 50 ml

Tea Tree Night Lotion:

15.90 € / 30 ml

Bought from: 

The Body Shop stores, webstore, got as gifts...

Buy again? 

No to Mattifying Lotion, maybe to Night Lotion.

Worth the money? 

I think yes, quite expensive still, but both did improve my skin. I'm cringing a bit at the price of night lotion, even though it's the better one. So the price quality ratio is a real question here. That's why I'm hoping LJH Essence would work for me (50 ml for USD 15.50 including shipping). So maybe they are quite not worth the money they cost because I want to find alternatives.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser 50 ml + Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Moisturiser 50 ml Review

New packaging and name, Spot Proofing Oil Free Moisturiser. The formula hasn't changed.

Ingredients:

Visibly Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser

[PR-015105] Aqua, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate Cocamidopropyl PG- Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Dimethicone, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Propylene Glycerol Isostearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol

Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Moisturiser

[PR-015516] Aqua, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Dimethicone, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Propylene Glycol Isostearate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- The grapefruit moisturizer smells bad and too strong to me but I've been able to ignore it

- After any scrubs or other exfoliants (or sometimes sauna, even) they both cause intense tingling or burning that usually subsides in ten minutes - however, I learned from a couple of times not to use them after those treatments

- They are not moisturizing enough on their own or with other product for night for me anymore

- Their preservatives seem to be parabens?



+ I had worse skin acne wise back then and I was afraid of trying anything new, but I took the risk and bought the basic oil-free moisturiser and my skin got better within days

+ Even still, a week without these moisturisers affect my skin

+ They both absorb and dry fast, within 1-3 minutes

+ They feel moisturizing but leave a nice, even, soft matte-ish finish

+ They don't cause any pilling and look very good under make-up

+ Don't clog the pores

* The Grapefruit one feels a touch more moisturizing but otherwise they are pretty much the same to me

* Last winter was the first time I felt these moisturizers weren't enough alone for my aging skin

* Great for combination, oily and acne-prone skin, like what I used to have

* Even though they are not ideal products for me anymore, I can trust them not to break me out and I will probably always repurchase out of habit...

* I have probably been using these for closer to 6 years already, I wonder if they are as good as I make them out to be? Or I have gotten used to them and been too lazy to compare to other things?

Price: 

About 6,5 € / 50 ml

Bought from: 

Everywhere, basically.

Buy again? 

Yes

Worth the money? 

Absolutely, they are effective for acne-prone skin! The price-quality ratio works. However, for dry and aging skin they just are not moisturizing enough, even though for such light and non-clogging moisturizers they truly are packing a wonder.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Toner 200 ml Review

Ingredients:

[PR-013490] Aqua, Alcohol Denat., PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Glycerine, Salicylic Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Parfum.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- If used everyday, makes my skin dry

- Most of the product is water and alcohol denat

- If I have painful blemishes/irritated skin/have been picking my face (yes I'm sorry) this toner stings

- Doesn't help with blackheads/sebaceous filaments like it states in the name

- Sometimes makes my skin slightly red/irritated if I put it on already dry and irritated skin but I don't do it anymore



+ So, this toner has so many negatives... why do I still use it? First bottle I bought a long time ago to fight blackheads and oiliness and noticed that this alcohol bomb cleans skin so, so well!

+ Has salicylic acid (but probably not right pH to actually exfoliate?)

+ Has helped with oiliness, pores and overall condition of skin if not overused

+ Perfect cleaning toner to take to travels when it might be a challenge to take care of skin due to time or other limits

+ Has a short list of ingredients and not over ambitious use of plant extracts and yeasts and whatnot that leaves me guessing which one hates me

+ Cheap, lasts forever because can't be used everyday

* Everytime I use this toner I sight to myself that I have to find something less irritating but as effective but it's not easy to test new things

* It's also difficult to give up things you've been using a long time even though they might not be the perfect choice anymore

* Neutrogena as a brand seems to be quite cheap and reliable, at least I have never been disappointed in their products, then again in my country it's quite limited what you can get, compared to USA for example

Price: 

About 6 € / 200 ml

Bought from: 

Anywhere

Buy again? 

Maybe?

Worth the money? 

Well, it doesn't do what it says it does, but it's not a waste of money either. I have repurchased it several times so it must kinda be or I'm an idiot! 

The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% 30ml Review

Ingredients:


Aqua (Water), Coco Caprylate/caprate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglycerol-3 Polyricinoleate, Glycerin, Hexamethyldisiloxane, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Pills to hell and back no matter how or how little I apply

- Definitely impossible to use during the day, even if you put only a little and pat it in: it will pill, if not now, then later with makeup; so only possible to use during night

- Still I'm not quite on the clear if this cream causes little bumps, it could be Advanced Retinoid on my chin area, but everything also can be hormonal, however nothing goes into "safe list" unless I'm 100% sure it's safe

- Silicones...



+ Doesn't irritate skin at all, just like putting normal cream

+ Spreads evenly to skin, nice and easy (but why does it start to pill immediately when it dries?)

+ Don't have to build tolerance to it, it feels so mild it's possible to use it almost every day... er, night

+ Strangely, I noticed after a little while of use that my milia (? not sure what it is, a skin colored spot on my cheek I've had a while) halved in size! Not even AHA had helped those! Now it's down to 1/3 or 1/4 in size

+ I think I have to credit this product some of the new brightness/glow I have, not sure how much because I do play with AHA, Advanced Retinoid and Niacinamide as well, but I feel like they all contribute to slightly different things

* I chose MAP as my first vitamin c products because I wanted something that wouldn't irritate and would be stable

* The Ordinary has just introduced more strong antioxidant products: it's very difficult to tell, if I should just move to those instead of vitamin c derivates

* I'm suspicious of Coco Caprylate/caprate and Coconut Alkanes, it seems like Tonymoly Sun Oil had coconut oil and that one gave me little bumps as well: however they were mostly on my cheeks but I don't know if it makes difference. Also nothing else I'm using has coconut things

* This product convinced me that antioxidant products are useful and you never know the results, YMMV is so true even though I hate that acronym, as I haven't noticed that many people would have liked The Ordinary's MAP and here I am, thinking about buying it again!

* I'm open to searching other MAP formulas in case they work for me even better! However I have less free time to think about skincare during winter

Price: 

9,60 €

Bought from: 

The Ordinary website

Buy again? 

Very much on the verge of maybe and yes, I would like to test other vitamin c products (stronger), but it is always a hassle with new things, it takes time and patience to make sure they work for my skin. If my new chin bumps go away after I run out of this product, I think I might not repurchase, or repurchase after a while to see if the same happens again.

Worth the money? 

Yes, I think so. It delivers what it promises plus it's the first product so far that gets rid of maybe-milia-or-some-other-bumps!

Korean Skincare Sample Reviews Part 3 Feat Tonymoly

This time I didn't have that much luck with the samples. Might be a while when I dare to try more. Still, I'm happy I discovered I probably can't use saccharomyces because I had been eyeing so many fermented products. Also I don't think I will be buying any hand/body creams from abroad without testing samples, I had been considering them too. I don't mind fragrance, I love shopping for perfumes and using them, I'm just very sensitive to certain smells.

TONYMOLY Panda's Dream White Hand Cream

Ingredients:

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Beeswax, Cyclohexasiloxane, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyacrylate-13, Chlorphenesin, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Honey Extract, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol, Polyglutamic Acid, Citric Acid

* Tried 1 sample, threw the rest to trash

* Smells so cheap, strong, perfume like, sickly sweet!

* Had to wash my hands almost immediately as the smell made me gag, also felt some tingling on my skin, but the smell wouldn't go away! It lingers like glue

* Horrible, avoid


TONYMOLY Bio EX Multi-Cell Energy

Ingredients:

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Silica, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, PEG-32, Beheneth-25, Panthenol, Sucrose Polystearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Adenosine, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phospholipids, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Arginine, Phytosterols, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol.


* Tried 1 sample

* Quite disgusting, sweet smell, but not strong

* Moisturized quite well! Almost felt like no moisturizer was necessary

* Light milky gel consistency, spreads well

* Skin looked surprisingly smooth and bright

* No immediate irritation, less redness than what I usually experience when touching my face?

* Next morning, I had about 10 new small whiteheads, a couple of them turned into big painful pimples, it took over two weeks (!!) for my skin to heal and look "normal" again, and a lot of pampering as for the first couple of days, the pimples wouldn't go away and new ones popped up in hours...

* I'm guessing my skin can't tolerate saccharomyces? What about galactomyces, then? I don't think I got reaction of Cosrx Galactomyces essence samples


LUKE Charcoal Nose Cleansing Strips

Ingredients:

Charcoal, vitamin E, Aloe Vera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, etc


* Tried 1

* Couldn't find full ingredients

* I know strips are not good for your skin but I just had to try once since they were free and just sitting there in the sample pile...

* Easy to put to nose, good instructions

* Too small strip, didn't cover all the problem areas (yes I might have a huge potato nose...)

* Dries fast and immediately starts pulling skin, couldn't keep it the recommended time

* Extracted maybe only one or two blackheads (or sebaceous filaments)

* Pores did look smaller and finer after

* But my skin felt so dry and irritated otherwise that it didn't matter that pores looked smaller

* The rest of the strips? To trash they go

TONYMOLY Banana Hand Milk

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butylene Glycol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Milk Protein Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate,Phenoxyethanol, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985).


* Shares the same off-putting banana yoghurt smell as the banana sleeping pack

* As the pack, the smell fades soon

* Even though it's called milk (I would have thought something more in liquid form) it looked and felt like regular cream

* Actually absorbs and moisturizes quite nicely

* Didn't irritate or tingle like panda hand cream

* However, I have decided that there's no way I will rub anything that smells like sweet fake banana on my face or hands again because skincare isn't about trying to hold your breath for several minutes... to trash they go, too



TONYMOLY Make HD Silk Argan Oil

Ingredients:

Argan oil, etc

* Tried 1 sample

* Couldn't find full ingredients

* There should be more hair care samples as well, this is the only one I have received!

* Well, felt like oil but the sample was so small I was able to rub it only a small part of my hair

* Did make hair feel somewhat softer but it wasn't really rough to begin with

* Absorbed really nicely and quickly, didn't leave hair sticky at all!

* However, the smell of this sample was so, so weirdly sweet and strong, like not bad but just weird for oil product

* Will not purchase based on this sample

Missha Near Skin Madecanol Cream 50 ml Review

Ingredients:

Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Water, Dimethicone, Caprylic, Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Polyacrylate-13, Madecassoside, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Polyisobutene, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green. Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Leaves skin quite sticky

- Doesn't seem to absorb well, more like stays on top

- I use this cream in place of sleeping packs/night creams and in the morning it feels a bit... slippery, slimy when I touch my forehead, different feeling from using The Body Shop's Bouncy Sleeping Mask (not a big problem, just weird)

- Doesn't provide any immediate effects (yeah I know I'm always after those) like brightening it promises

- For a day cream bad choice, so sticky and doesn't work with make-up (maybe if I would put this only to my cheeks that are dryer and where I don't usually put foundation?)

- Leaves skin somewhat shiny as well, not greasy

- The product didn't have a foil between the cap and tube (even though the cap has the sharp part that is meant to break the foil in pharmacy products)

- EDIT: Even though the metallic tube looks cool and keeps the product fresh, when you actually have to squeeze it (when it's ending) the sharp edges rip



+ Has no smell whatsoever, like... completely nothing (Benton's products are unfragranced but share the same stuffy smell, Missha cream is truly just nothing)

+ Doesn't irritate, tingle, feels like... nothing, really

+ Moisturises surprisingly well on its own, but still it's not quite there, like it's ok but I always add something else unless my skin is acting up (like rash)

+ So, I have noticed, this cream is great for soothing the skin and is a very safe option after actives (aloe gels don't feel soothing to me)

+ I did notice when I got it and used for a couple of nights (or a week?) my skin felt like it was more in balance, it felt more comfortable during the day with lighter moisturizer and make-up

* I am now almost half-way with this cream and thought that I'm going to already review it as I don't think my opinion will change

* Madecanol Cream is really inoffensive, safe, working product, no matter my current skin condition I can always trust it not to annoy my skin further

* I would be interested in trying Missha's Near Skin Ceramide Cream as well, and other products from the lineup

* I rather like the look of the tube, how it mimics dermatology cosmetics and looks like I bought it from the pharmacy, also how it asks you to write the date you opened it on the tube is a great reminder

* I think the tube can last up to 3-4 months if used only during nights, however I think I'll be done in 2,5 because I like slathering it on too much as no one will see me during nights and because I just like it

* Also the consistency of the cream is quite thick when it comes from the tube, it does melt on the skin after that but initially you always end up squeezing too much

* EDIT: Added a couple of photos as it seems like surprisingly many people are interested in this Madecanol Cream and photos are probably more useful to you than my rambling!

Price: 

14.20 USD / 50 ml

Bought from: 

Ebay seller ibuybeauti

Buy again? 

Good question! I mean, it's been everything that I bought it for, works fine, but it's not dazzling, exciting, beautiful miracle thing. I feel conflicted! Maybe. A safe option is always good to have.

Worth the money? 

For me, in the end, yes. For other people? If you don't need soothing, don't have problems with skin's moisture barrier, don't like sticky, want to use this during a day, or if you have a very oily skin... this cream will most likely not work for you. Also there are lots of options for soothing creams in this price range.

Konjac Sponges Review / Comparisons

Thoughts:


- You have to keep the sponge in a dry place and not touch it with dirty hands

- I feel like no matter how I try to handle it well it will grow bacteria immediately I have gotten it wet for the first time... I hope it's just my paranoia!

- I'm not sure if it properly dries between the times I've used it (if you use it everyday, it won't)

- I don't want to travel with it because it will not dry in humid places, I'm afraid it collects dirt, it has to be in a minigrip bag while travelling to new places and then it just stays wet for even longer periods of time!

- I read somewhere that cheap sponges, or any sponges for that matter, can be fakes that are not actually konjac plant and can include fake color to make it better looking.

- Sometimes it's annoying to wait until the sponge gets wet and soft enough to use. EDIT: This seemed to be problem only with my first sponges, the ones I've bought later on do not take that long.

- After the first weeks of use the sponge is not so soft anymore. EDIT: Yes, this is still true, but some sponges just get radically less soft and some only little.

- Some articles say that konjac sponge can clean make up etc without any cleanser used at all (not before, after, during) and that's just bs!



+ Very, very gentle.

+ I used to use face scrubs (Neutrogena) before but after buying my first konjac sponge I just didn't have a need for them anymore.

+ You can control how hard you push the sponge or where you want to use it.

+ Leaves skin so soft!

+ Lasts 3 months if used almost every day (after that it started to give me pimples but I believe now it's because I didn't boil or otherwise sanitize it often enough)

+ I don't use konjac sponge everyday anymore because I have found acids, but still I feel I have to use it at least 1-2 times a week to make my skin stay happy, so I think physical exfoliating is important too.

+ Using konjac sponge in the evening made a huge difference to my skin in the beginning, it was so much clearer (well... still is but it has become the new normal for me)

* This is a little different review as I just have bought random konjac sponges! EDIT: Will add some notes about the sponges I've used.  After a while and using several of them, I finally start to notice that they can have surprising differences and I also have my own preferences. I still love konjac sponges and notice a difference if I use it or not. It is such an amazing easy fix to go towards better skin (for me).

* I think it's better to get rid of the sponge after 2,5 months of daily/almost daily use, just to be sure, or use it for the body. EDIT: Some sponges seem to last very well despite boiling and active use, I've used Etude House Natural Konjac Face Cleansing Puff for 4 months I think! They will not disintegrate, they just are not as soft or pleasant to use or start to smell faster after boiling. I still have a bunch of old konjacs I use for my body... they just are not willing to die. Really makes me wonder what kind of sponges I am purchasing, are they not konjac plant at all?

* Using konjac sponge in sauna just makes the most perfect, soft, clean, glowing skin!

* Boiling the sponge to sanitize it is recommended, I have done it not so often and only for a couple of minutes as I'm afraid the sponge will disintegrate. EDIT: The konjacs seem to be fine even if left boiling for 10-15 minutes (oops). They will not break down, they just take very long to dry after the operation and are maybe a bit harder and difficult to wet for the first use.

* I don't use konjac sponge with any cleanser, just on its own after them.

Price: 

5-10 €

Bought from: 

Supermarket, cruise ship, online...

Buy again? 

Yes!

Worth the money? 

Definitely, considering how long you can use the sponge if you take care of it. After you've decided it's not soft/good enough for face anymore, you can use it for your body.

Active Line Beauty Cleansing Konjac Sponge Bamboo Charcoal

Size comparison between the bamboo charcoal sponge and some no-name one from supermarket.

* Active Line Beauty's sponge was dry in the package, well-protected with plastic and cardboard.

* I really enjoyed using this sponge: good size, very soft in the beginning. I would buy it again if I ever see it somewhere. Cost me 5 €.

* Lasted maybe 3 months, got noticeably harder towards the end, wouldn't get properly wet anymore.

* The small white konjac sponge in the last picture I used prior to bamboo charcoal one. It was some supermarket find that was more expensive (7-10 €?), smaller and also got harder faster. I think it was ok (as in it works), I used it for 2-3 months, would not repurchase. It was one of those I had to keep in water for a longer time until it was wet enough to be used.

Etude House My Beauty Tool Natural Konjac Face Cleansing Puff

* Etude House's Konjac Puff comes in plastic, already wet. I don't know why they do this, seems to be a thing with Korean sponges. As if I don't have time to put a sponge in a water bowl or what? Does it keep it fresh? What is the moisture, does it have some preservatives? I try to rinse it extremely well before I use it. It's nice of them to include the directions in English too even though it's not really rocket science how to use a sponge.

* EH's sponge is good size. And very, very soft. After the first week or two it loses some of the extra softness but is still soft. And stays soft for months. I've used a sponge for 4 months and it's still usable! But it has lost the jellyness and will probably soon be too hard.

* I think EH's sponge is also quite light, porous, jelly-like. Pleasant to use. Would repurchase. Costs only about 3 USD!

Missha Natural Soft Jelly Cleansing Puff White Clay

* Missha's White Clay Cleansing Puff also comes in plastic, already wet. I think the packaging is cool and neutral! Even though I myself like princess style packaging as well. I think the 10% means the white clay content? Would be nice to have some text in English.

* The sponge seems weirdly stiff, dense even straight out of the package. Especially compared to Etude House one. It is still soft, but not the same way. I do have to say I prefer EH. Maybe it's because of the clay? I've used the sponge only for a week now so can't say if the clay helps anything.

* Size is ok. Costs about 4,50 USD. I don't think I will repurchase in the future.

Pirkka Sun Cream Aurinkovoide Sensitive SPF 20 UVA + UVB 200 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Hydrogenated Dimer Dilinoleyl/Dimethylcarbonate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylene Brassylate, Heliotropine, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- SPF 20 is not the highest protection but good enough for me

- The product has UVB and UVA protection but it doesn't say the level of UVA protection, probably not very high either

- I think it's caused me small bumps on my arms and neck, but with good cleaning and having days when I don't put the sunscreen, they go away and don't get worse

- It is annoying to wait sometimes for the sunscreen to dry, especially if I'm in a hurry and I have to touch things with damp hands



+ Cheap

+ Easy to spread, creamy

+ Doesn't leave skin sticky, feels only a little "damp" for ten to fifteen minutes

+ Doesn't make my skin feel dry (no alcohol), almost feels moisturizing

+ Waterproof

+ Doesn't leave a white cast (chemical sunscreen)

+ Works well protecting against sunburn, I didn't burn or get any redness when using this in +30 C sun and being out all day (I did reapply but only every 4 hrs or so), however I'm not very prone to burning, just tanning, and I barely even tanned during my trip

* The bottle (200 ml) lasted me a whole summer, so about 3 months, including all the trips to more sunny countries where I applied it more generously and more often (maybe according to some people I don't use enough, but summer's been so cold, that I have been wearing long sleeves etc)

* I haven't dared to use it on my face and probably will never take that risk

* Smells like grandma's lotion, fake flowery, not really good or bad in my opinion, even though it lingers

* Good things about this sunscreen out weight the bad ones, like the bumps 

* Maybe the reason I can use this chemical sunscreen is, that it's only SPF 20 (not so much active ingredients) and no alcohol, and of course that I use it only for body

Price: 

About 6 € / 200 ml

Bought from: 

Citymarket

Buy again? 

Maybe, I mean, I already did repurchase but I would be open to try something else when the current bottle ends.

Worth the money? 

Yes, this was probably the cheapest one I was able to find without alcohol. It's not unpleasant to use and is also waterproof. I read somewhere that for protecting from sun, these inexpensive options are just as good as luxury ones. The bottle lasts a long time too. Good for everyday use.