Skincare by Moonlight: February 2018

Hey! Due to planning my kids' birthday parties (why do they have to be so close together???) and working on longer, more researched blog posts, I realized belatedly that I didn't have anything planned for this week! Eeeeep! There are a bunch of products I am using right now that I think I like but I can't say yet if they will be getting a full review or not. So here goes! A wee roundup of products that I think I might like:

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Mild Cleansing Water

Sorry for the bubbles, this had just come out of the mail

This is my first ever cleansing water so I don't know if this is a really special product or if cleansing waters are just generally awesome. It wipes away my (non-waterproof) makeup with no effort at all, it doesn't sting my eyes, it barely smells like anything, and the bottle is gorgeous. I bought this on RoseRoseShop for about 14USD. The gorgeousness of the packaging in addition to the many loving reviews of Hanyul on instagram convinced me to purchase a bunch more products #enabled

Missha all-around Safe Block Total Moisture Sun Gel

Is this suncreen my cup of tea? Maybe.

At first I thought I didn't like this sunscreen but as I keep using it I've warmed up to it a little. It has a texture and finish similar to Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen, which is to say it is neither sheer nor dry in its finish. It does tend to creep into my eyes even when I am extra careful to keep it out of my eye area. But its advantages are almost enough to balance its flaws. Missha all-around Safe Block Total Moisture Sun Gel has a high protection rating (SPF 50+ PA+++) and large size bottle at 200mL. It is not drying and I think it will make a cosmetically elegant neck and shoulder area sunscreen for the summer time. The best part is the pump which dispenses exactly 1/4 tsp (I measured) so you don't need to worry about under-applying. I bought this on Jolse for about 18USD, which worked out to only 9 cents per millilitre!

O'Perla Royal Ginseng Moisture Lotion and O'Perla Royal Ginseng Moisture Skin

The pumps work really well and the bottles are a lovely pearlescent gold with shiny gold on the top

These were also purchased from RoseRoseShop because they were fabulously inexpensive at just under 6USD each. They smell nearly identical to each other and the scent is like a green tea themed candle or soap. They do not smell of ginseng at all, which depending on your tastes could be good or bad. The lotion is quite pleasant to use and it appears that my neck prefers emulsions layered with creams, because with cream alone my neck tends to get itchy. Well, during savagely dry weather anyway. As the winter ends my skin will become much more balanced.

The skin is... different. I had never used a product named "skin" before and I figured it would be similar to my Hada Labo Gokujyn Light Lotion. Instead it comes out from the pump with a thicker serum texture that smells like a green tea candle went on a vodka bender. On the skin it doesn't feel drying but it doesn't feel hydrating either. I haven't quite figured that one out ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Olivarrier Dual Moist Comfort Cream

So boring, so functional, so ... blue?

This is been my face saviour in the last few weeks. The weather here is cold, dry and windy, so much so that I am currently listening to it whine and howl just outside the window. I bought Olivarrier Dual Moist Comfort Cream at the same time with the Guerission 9 Complex Horse Oil Cream from Jolse. I immediately started on the Guerisson cream since I was having unbeatable face flakes. Suddenly, I was also dealing with unbeatable whiteheads. I still haven't figured out if it was the Guerisson that cause the breakout but I said a prayer and pulled out the Olivarrier instead. The breakouts healed, the face flakes got a bit better and I've been using this ever since. [UPDATE March 3, 2018: The whitehead breakout was caused by Eucerin Aquaphor and NOT by Guerisson 9 Complex Horse Oil Cream. As it turns out I have an ingredient sensitivity to lanolin]

Sorry for the quickie post and have a wonderful weekend!

February 23, 2018 1 comments

Scinic Honey All-In-One Ampoule was one of the first ever items on my AB wishlist. At the time I didn't know it was going to be a wishlist for Asian beauty products; I had been looking at DIY honey skincare and was not impressed with my kitchen concoctions. I wanted honey on my face but I didn't want just wash-off masks. I wanted all the benefits of honey but I wanted to be able to smooth it on and then move on with my day.

But let's back up a bit here. Why did I want honey on my face anyway? Well, honey has all kinds of skin-friendly benefits like being antimicrobial, assisting wound healing, and drawing water into the skin. One study stated that "clinical trials have shown that honey is an effective broad-spectrum antibacterial agent".[1] This same study went on to show how honey was used on induced wounds (on animals, not for the faint of heart) and also how honey was used on injured humans in hospital settings to assist with the healing of "skin wounds, skin and gastric ulcers, and burns". Of particular interest to me was the mention of "reduced scar formation" since acne scarring is a concern of mine.

Another study reported (behind a paywall): "Positive findings on honey in wound care have been reported from 17 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1965 participants, and 5 clinical trials of other forms involving 97 participants treated with honey. The effectiveness of honey in assisting wound healing has also been demonstrated in 16 trials on a total of 533 wounds on experimental animals. There is also a large amount of evidence in the form of case studies that have been reported. It has been shown to give good results on a very wide range of types of wound."[2]

Not behind at paywall (yay!) is another study saying "Some of the vitamins found in honey include ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin and riboflavin; while minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc are also present. [...] The other constituents of honey are amino acids, antibiotic-rich inhibine, proteins and phenol antioxidants. It also contains other bioactive substances such as phenolic constituents, flavonoids, organic acids, carotenoid-derived compounds, nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, amino acids and proteins." [3]

So hells to the yes honey honey - get on my face! And now like an infomercial announcer: But wait! There's more!!

Lesions treated with honey show less edema, infiltration of fewer granular and mononuclear cells, less necrosis, better wound contraction, improved epithelization and low glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan concentrations. Moreover, it reduces inflammation and exudation, promotes healing, diminishes scar size and stimulates tissue regeneration.[4]

In other words honey reduced swelling, decreased pus, decreased the death of normal cells, increased normal cell production, and increased the rate that those normal cells were able to close up the wound. All of the studies I perused came to similar conclusions. Honey is a medically useful substance for cleansing and healing open lesions as well as reducing visible scarring.

Since my skincare goals include both healing acne and its scarring, I really wanted to incorporate honey into my routine. But how? I needed something better than the honey in my pantry. Lucky for us all, the internet is an endless and bountiful resource. After reading the reviews on Holy Snails and on reddit I knew I needed this ampoule in my life. I mean just look at the ingredients:

Honey Extract, Glycerin, Water, Niacinamide, Royal Jelly Extract, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethanolamine, Caramel, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol.

Usagi Tsukino Sailor Moon - pinterest.com

My face when I realized I could have an affordable honey serum

Off I hopped to Jolse where I found this 250mL beauty for about 20 CAD. Twenty bucks for a cult favourite serum with fabulous ingredients, cute packaging, and loving reviews? Ha, my wallet never stood a chance.

In some ways this product was a gateway drug for me into kbeauty and AB. For months prior to this I had been reevaluating my skincare routine but the main thing that kept me from buying anything new was the cost. The serums and toners and anti-aging treatments available to me seemed like nothing more than expensive hype. Everything claimed to create miracles but we already know it's all bullsh*t. Vichy claims to be selling a pure retinol product after all :/

But, kbeauty is a different beast. The innovative formulations, competitive market, and passionate reviewers make it possible for ordinary consumers like me to get my hands on relatively inexpensive products that split the difference between skincare and cosmeceuticals. Sure, any company can make whatever claims they like but bloggers will come at them for the #receipts.

Here are the claims Scinic makes for their product:

Claim No.1 - Makes skin moist and soft with honey extract

Claim No.2 - Replaces the skin (hydrating toner), lotion (heavier hydrating toner), and essence (serum) in your routine by giving you an All-In-One product that let's you skip steps.

Let's see, shall we?

Claim No.1 is certainly true! It really does make your skin moist and soft. Yay to Scinic for keeping expectations low and thus passing with flying colours!! Claim No.2 on the other hand... I mean I guess it depends what you want from your routine. Do you just want soothing hydration? Great, this is the product for you. Do you also want the awesome benefits that honey can deliver? Then step right up! However, if you have skincare goals like reducing hyperpigmentation, fine lines, deeper wrinkles, acne, pore size, and all those other things that plague our faces, well then, this won't cut it. What it will do is keep your skin happy while you use your preferred actives to combat various skin texture issues.

Scinic Honey All In One Ampoule swatched onto my hand

After about one minute the ampoule is nicely absorbed into the skin of my hand

My personal experience with the Scinic Honey All In One Ampoule has been entirely positive. Especially after I decanted it into a refillable squeezie tube intended for airline travel. Then I no longer had to deal with the fuss of a giant jar just asking to be spilled all over my counter tops. The spatula is awesome and I use it for tons of other skincare, but lets be real here. Do you want to dip into a jar every time you use a product or would you rather just squeeze a little out and move on with your routine? You already know what I chose (｡◕‿‿◕｡)

This ampoule (or serum, if you prefer) soothes, moisturizes and supports my skin through all the actives I throw at it. I generally use way too much of it at any given time because I am a chronic skincare slather-er. This works for me because I also don't usually wear makeup or worry too much about cosmetically elegant finishes. It is sticky when left alone but this can be remedied by the application of a moisturizer or cream over top. The need for layers both under and over the ampoule somewhat invalidates the "all-in-one" claim though. Anyway, I don't expect miracles from what is essentially a moisturizing serum with some nice extracts in it. What I do expect is soothing redness and reducing flakiness though increased water content in my skin.

Let's look at how that increased water content happens. First off, Scinic claims that this ampoule contains 90% honey extract. The quality of extracts vary wildly since an extract can be anything from pure, medical-grade honey to one drop of bee vomit in a vat of solvent. For kindness' sake, we'll assume that this is a fairly high grade extract of purified honey. That leaves 10% for the entire rest of the ingredients list. The next two ingredients are glycerin and water which you will recognize as being the primary ingredients in most sheetmasks. Glycerin plus water is a winning combination for hydration, and for me it is really nice to see those two after the honey extract even though they are likely the main contributors to this serum's ability to hydrate. Chances are high that 98% of the Scinic ampoule are made up of those first 3 ingredients, leaving only 2% for everything else. Niacinamide, royal jelly extract, and propolis extract come next and while I am pleased to see them at this party, they aren't the star. I'm not even going to analyse the rest of the ingredient list because the quantities of everything else border on insignificant.

Not insignificant however is the way this ampoule banishes irritation! Just before Christmas of 2017, my young son got a sudden and unusually fierce diaper rash. This was a larger problem than it may seem because we no longer keep any diaper cremes in the house since my son is nearly finished with diapers. His bum was bright red and had several patches of raw skin with what looked like open sores. How did he go from perfectly normal to utterly horrible in a matter of hours?? There is no answer to that question to be found here but I can tell you how I helped him. After carefully and thoroughly cleaning the area, I applied a liberal amount of Scinic Honey All In One Ampoule all over his bum, upper legs, and lower back. I took the time to gently pat it in until it looked absorbed and then let him wander diaper-free until I was sure his skin was dry. The very next day all of the redness was gone and the open sores were no longer open, they were simply pink, raised patches of healing skin. Fast forward a few days and it was like nothing had ever happened. To me, that means the honey in this ampoule is both a great quality extract and able to make good on the claims made in the studies I quoted earlier.

Last on my list of things to cover is the discussion about the scent. There were a few great reviewers who absolutely raved about how this smells like amazing fresh honey. I like the scent too, but um... I live in a honey producing region of the world and I can tell you that no, no it does not smell like real honey. What it does smell like is fresh-made, farmer's market style honey soap. To the lovely individuals who think the Scinic Honey All-In-One Ampoule smells like delicious honey; please get in contact. No seriously, get in contact. I will personally send you fresh honey collected from apiaries near my home. I promise.

Overall, I rate the Scinic Honey All In One Ampoule as a five out of five:

5/5 - I like this product a lot! I will be repurchasing it for the foreseeable future

To see how I evaluate the products I use click here.

Sources:

[1] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2011/526901/citations/

[2] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1534734605286014

[3] https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/honey-and-its-anti-inflammatory-anti-bacterial-and-anti-oxidant-2327-5146.1000132.pdf

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758027/

I am not affiliated in any way with any brands and these products were purchased by me with my own money. I am reviewing them because I feel strongly that more reviews of more products leads to better information for everyone.

February 16, 2018 No comments

3 bottles of The Ordinary's Lactic Acid 10% + HA

I'm trippin' on (lactic) acid!

I think that right now is a pretty good time for me to review this product because I am currently making headway into my third bottle. I have been using The Ordinary's 10% Lactic Acid Serum consistently since late October, 2017. There are some other products the Ordinary makes that I have been using as well so reviews should be forthcoming. [UPDATE May 13, 2018: I finished the third bottle of lactic acid, but did not open more. This is partly due to suffering overexfoliation at the hand of another product from The Ordinary, but mainly because I started using tretinoin. Tretinoin is the fully active version of retinol and it does not joke around. In order to use it safely I temporarily dropped all other acids out of my routine, and have been reintroducing them gradually. Lactic acid and other AHAs are not a priority for me at this time because we are heading into summer. AHAs cause increased photo-sensitivity and so does tretinion. I have opted to instead use BHAs and vitamin C as my other actives at this time.]

In the last several months have been trying an absolute tonne of new skincare products and I know that it is very hard to gauge results when there is so much going onto my face. Here's the thing though; of everything I have been using this product is the one I never want to skip. In fact, I thought it would be a good idea (why, why?) to leave this behind while travelling to visit family over the Christmas holidays, and boy did I ever regret it. Within 3 days of no longer using my lovely lactic acid I could see changes and not for the better.

My skin loves chemical exfoliation and does not love, or even like, physical exfoliation. Daily, often twice daily, application of The Ordinary's Lactic Acid 10% + HA keeps my skin baby soft, purges closed comedones from my face in the form of grits during oil cleansing, reduces the amount and duration of breakouts, and oddly enough keeps my skin from being too thirsty. I don't want to get into it here but lactic acid is a hydrophilic molecule - meaning that it pulls water towards itself - and so it shouldn't actually surprise me that an acid doesn't dry out my skin. Still, I grew up in the age of Clearasil 'moisturizers' leaving skin tight and flaking so I guess my expectations were low. For a quick and fun look into how skincare acids can work for you visit this excellent blog.

Lactic Acid is pretty nice and non-irritating to me, however I do not have sensitive skin overall. My experience is that this particular acid feels soothing during application as well as during the wait time I give it to work in. The only time I experience any tingling or stinging is if I have dry flaky patches from insufficiently moisturizing creams (Benton, I'm looking at you) during cold winter weather. It does sting on open acne sores, but I consider that a bonus? I mean, it doesn't really hurt much or for very long and it is only on the exact spot that a whitehead has decided to burst. The way I see it; that jerk had it coming.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA viewed in dropper

A slightly pink liquid as viewed through the dropper

I do have some quibbles with The Ordinary over product consistency. The first bottle I ordered had a serum-like texture with a lot of slip and easy spreadability. The second bottle (and the third) were ordered about a month after the first and have a completely different texture. This time the lactic acid is less like a serum and more like a toner. If you have ever used Hada Labo Gokujyun Light Lotion, then you'll know what I mean when I say it is like water but with a slippery feel. It still spreads smoothly across my skin but I am using it up way faster than I was before. The serum-texture lactic acid was better in my opinion because I felt that I could place it on my skin more precisely. With the new, watery texture I am using an entire dropper-full each time in order to get the amount I need on my face, neck and upper chest. Maybe other people will enjoy the liquid texture more since it allows you to spread it more thinly. Me, I need that sweet, sweet acid all up in here.

I checked it out on their website and this is what they have to say about the change in texture:

Our formulations are updated from time to time as part of our commitment to innovation. As such, the ingredient list shown here may vary from the box of the product depending on time and region of purchase. Lactic Acid has a natural odour that some people find unpleasant. This formula was updated in October 2017 to use a grade of lactic acid that has no odour per customer feedback. Additionally, this update removed the use of carrageenan, a seaweed-based viscosity-enhancer, also due to feedback from customers. These changes improve the sensory aspects of the formula but do not impact efficacy.

So there you have it, they made it thinner in texture purposely and not due to batch inconsistencies which frankly, I was worried about. I mean, the stuff is so damn cheap! And their CEO is so damn strange..

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA on my hand

A very runny texture sometimes makes it harder to apply

Something I haven't yet mentioned is that the "HA" in the name of the product refers to hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is not a chemical exfoliant despite having 'acid' in its name. Instead, it is a substance found naturally in your skin that holds onto water molecules and maintains skin hydration. I use other skincare products containing hyaluronic acid so I do not look to my chemical exfoliant to provide any hydration even though its nice to see it in there.

Lactic Acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA from now on) that was originally derived from milk. These days there are synthetic ways of producing it and I believe (but am not sure) that this is how The Ordinary sources the lactic acid they use in this formulation as well as the other acids on their menu. Their description of Lactic Acid 10% + HA:

Lactic Acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid that exfoliates the skin. This 10% formulation offers mild exfoliation and is supported with a purified Tasmanian pepperberry known to reduce signs of inflammation and sensitivity that is often associated with exfoliation. A milder 5% formula is available here. This formula contains a studied Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative to help reduce irritation associated with acid use. This derivative is of plant origin and varies in colour seasonally and this colour variation may be apparent in the formula from time to time. Contraindications: Lactic Acid should not be used on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. Please refer to additional sun protection note and other warnings in provided Directions. This pH of this formula is approximately 3.8. Lactic Acid has a pKa of 3.8 and pKa is the most important aspect to consider in formulating with acids. pKa implies acid availability. When pKa is close to pH, there is an ideal balance between salt and acidity, maximizing effectiveness of the acid and reducing irritation. Higher pH numbers in such a case would increase salt which counter-intuitively would make the formula even more irritating than if the formula was more acidic. Note: While Lactic Acid can result in quick visible benefits, we generally suggest indirect forms of skin exfoliation in favour of direct forms such as this formula due to potential inflammation and sensitivity associated with acids. Please refer to NIOD's Non-Acid Acid Precursor for such a reference.

I mean, yeah, you should definitely wear sunscreen and I do appreciate the explanation about the pH and the importance of pKa. That information tells me that The Ordinary sees the intelligence and passion skincare lovers have about the things they choose to put on their faces. BUT. That plug for NIOD's Long-Name-Not-An-Acid is just that. A product plug. In my opinion, The Ordinary exists as a marketing tool to get us looking into Deciem's other (more expensive) brands. I know that I personally would never have looked at their other lines if not for my curiosity about The Ordinary. That said, I am really happy that I can get effective skincare for cheap. Rant over - now let's get back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Overall, I am really satisfied with the effectiveness of The Ordinary's Lactic Acid 10% + HA. The price for 30mL is 6.70 CAD and it lasts about a month if you slather in on twice daily as I generally do. There are definitely better lactic acid serums out there but not at this price point. Maybe one day when I am rolling in cash (heh, not likely) I will try some of them out. For the foreseeable future I will be purchasing from The Ordinary.

My Rating:

4/5 - I like it. I would strongly consider purchasing it again or even gifting it to a loved one

To see how I rate products click here.

I am not affiliated in any way with any brands and these products were purchased by me with my own money. I am reviewing them because I feel strongly that more reviews of more products leads to better information for everyone.

February 03, 2018 2 comments

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