HARU HARU Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner

 Bought the HARU HARU Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner  last year because of the hype and the stunning packaging but didn't consistently use it because when I opened the bottle, it was 1. Fragranced 2. Stung my eyes.

Thus it sat on my desk until I found my skin to be dehydrated since it was my only hydrating toner on hand.

HARU HARU did release an unscented version but I had dehydrated skin an this giant 150ml bottle so I decided to use it up. Here are my thoughts:

The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Trio

 During my previous purchases at The Face Shop of a toner and serum, I got this set as a gift with purchase. I didn't end up using it until my face needed heavy soothing, but I've used it enough for review. This set came in a resealable pack, which was already discarded.

The kit is composed of three items:

1. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Foaming Cleanser

2. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Facial Toner

3. Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Moisturizer

And here are my thoughts about it.

The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Mild Toner

 Ended up buying some stuff from the Face Shop at full price because it was the only place I could buy from. Kind of sad I wasn't able to buy it online, but desperate times!

Originally bought for between Php 750-850 at a physical store, as suggested by a salesperson because I wanted something moisturizing I could layer, and something for sensitive skin. Which, this was.

Product dispensed as a clear liquid that works best by splashing into the hand and patting on. This bottle contained an undisclosed amount of niacnamide, glycerine and some hyaluronic acid. I used one to three "skins" twice a day without any trouble or skin irritation. At that use, one bottle lasted four months so it wasn't bad.

I've tossed the bottle but I think it wa around 150-200 ml? 

I'm a terrible blogger. Haha. I think if I didn't have other things to try, I'd buy this again.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion

Is more actually better? Hada Labo's Gokujyun Premium Lotion boasts five different sizes of hyaluronic acid in a gold bottle. But is it worth a gold medal?

A lot of women seem to think so, especially now that hyaluronic acid has become such a trendy commodity. I however, think differently...

VMV: ReReview: Superskin 3 Toner and Moisturizer.

If you backtrack my blog through the years, you'll see that I've been a fan of their products... but not their prices. Such that though it pained my heart, I stopped buying since it hurt my wallet.

However, during one of their sales ages ago, I decided to buy again during one my bad face days....

And some things change, some things stay the same.

Review: Neutrogena Hydro Boost

This may be an older product, but I haven't been able to try it until recently. I've been using it for a month and I think I'm ready to review it. I have no idea what the price is. Sorry for the bad pictures....

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser (left), Clear Lotion (middle) and Essence (right)

Mouse Cleanser Ingredients
Glycerin, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, Olea europaea (olive) leaf extract


Essence Ingredients
Sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone


Ingredients list taken from thefilipinodoctor.com



Clear Lotion Ingredients

Aqua, dipropylene glycol, glycereth-26, butylene glycol, glycerol, dexpanthenol, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, tween 20, citric acid, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, parfum, sodium hyaluronate, Canarium album Raeusch, copper gluconate

Ingredients list taken from cosdna.com

Alcohol in Toners?

Most people would say that you should not use any toner (or face product) that has alcohol in it, and I agree. This is because of it's drying, inflammatory and oil stimulating properties. Thus, for most people, alcohol-free toners are the way to go. And it should rightly be.


However, alcohol-free toners are rare among low-end products in the Philippines. A good, cheap replacement may be a green tea or apple cider vinegar toner. Short shelf life for the first and the smell for the second are drawbacks to these two options. Witch hazel may also be an alternative, but be sure that there is no alcohol in the distilling process or the ingredients list.



On the other hand, I'm not much bothered by the alcohol content in a toner. I live in Metro Manila, Philippines: There is a lot of pollution over here and oftentimes even a double cleansing (oil and water) may not be able to take everything off at the end of the day. I also prefer not to wash my face in public. No other toner works as well in removing all that gunk as well as an alcohol-based one on-the-go or after face washing (You cannot use your toner as a replacement for your cleanser).



It may not be the healthiest solution, but I can live with it (for now). Thus, at the moment, any product that has alcohol content is not necessarily a turn off for me. Call it hypocrisy, recklessness, youthful folly. Maybe I'll be better (or richer) when I'm a bit more grown up. I've seen that some toners are effective, even with their alcohol content. Some faces are also capable of bearing the alcohol. I think I'm one of them. Here's hoping for the best.



I know I will probably regret this in the future.


:(

Review: The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

Since I have less than a quarter left, I think it's time to review this tea tree toner. This is a picture of how much toner I have left after shaking process:

I love tea tree oil and I've been buying some version of the oil itself since high school. But let's see how the toner fares.

This toner smells like tea tree oil and doesn't seem to have any fragrance, so I bet there's a significant enough amount of oil in there. There is also witch hazel extract, which is also good for the skin. However, it also contains something they label "lemon tree oil" which is NOT tea tree oil. I don't know what skin benefits this may have, maybe as a deterrent to insects? Don't let it fool you! In addition, this product contains castor oil so you might have to be careful. This product contains alcohol, but I've already said that I don't mind alcohol in my toners.

What makes this product different is that it contains a significant amount of corn starch. I love the act of shaking the toner because I enjoy "interactive stuff" (because I am a child). Now, corn starch is great for mattefying, being a powder. However, it's a cheap enough ingredient that I'm not happy it takes a significant portion of the product (3rd in the ingredients list). Because it's a starch, you also run the risk of sbacteria feeding on it. While the tea tree oil may negate it, I wouldn't recommend putting it near any area that is prone to stinking up or that is acne prone. While I didn't break out with this product, and it was a mild enough toner, it wasn't really helpful for clearing out my skin.

Will I repurchase this product again? No. Not for the price, and not for something with corn starch.

Though being a tea tree toner, this may be better for someone who is preventing break outs and not for someone with acne prone skin.


Pros
-contains tea tree oil
-contains witch hazel
-mild
-you shake it ^^

Cons
-contains cornstarch
-contains castor oil
-contains alcohol (con for others, but not for me, see my opinion about alcohol in toners)
-expensive (650 for 250 ml)

Review: Eskinol Dermaclear-C Facial Cleanser

So I've finished this bottle and am off to get a new, bigger bottle as soon as I can.

I've been using this for a while as my on the go toner (since it's a small bottle) and when I am on a break-out streak (aside from my "go natural" stint). There is a smaller and a larger size available, but I bought the 75 ml one. This toner really gets all the dirt out. It's harsh on the skin -it's alcohol based- so I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin types. I use this once a day at most, since it is a strong toner. Don't forget to moisturize after!

It's also very cheap, so you don't feel bad about using a lot of product at once: I like to drown the cotton when I use this toner. I also tend to clean the back of my neck more when I use this compared with other toners(TMI). The smell reminds me of hand sanitizer, in the days before they added scents to them.



Pros
-Cheap
-Deep cleaning
-Contains Salicylic acid
-Portable

Cons
-Alcohol-based = Harsh on skin (the only drawback, but a dealbreaker for most normal people, I like the clean feeling... see my opinion about alcohol in toners)

Buy again? Yes!



I'm not sure, but I think the packaging has changed. Though it say's "Facial Cleanser," this thing is a toner. I have no idea why it's called a cleanser...