A pleasant surprise: The Body Shop Facial Washes

I enjoy The Body Shop mostly thanks to the gorgeous smell of their products. I was mostly buying body lotions, as they smell awesome and there was no risk of doing any charm to my skin. I was sceptical about their facial skincare products and wasn't even tempted to try it out, until I have run out of face masks from Poland. In UK the choice of masks is very poor, most of the stuff available in pharmacies, supermarkets and Avon is clay-kind of masks, which I don't really like. I prefer "sink in" type of masks, the ones you apply like cream and leave to absorb, no need to wash off, I like to use them overnight. The only place where I managed to find this type of masks (in reasonable prices, as I wasn't even looking among posh brands) was The Body Shop. I have bought two and since there was "3 for 2" offer I grabbed vitamin E facial wash. My newest Korean face foam from Mizon turned out to be rubbish and postage from Korea takes up to two weeks, so I really needed something to wash my face with until another order from Asia arrives. I didn't really expect much of this product, I just hoped it won't dry me out as badly as Mizon. Surprisingly TBS face wash turned out to be so nice I didn't have to make another order from Korea...

Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash

Product description: A gentle facial wash that lathers on the skin to leave it feeling clean, soft and refreshed.
INCI: Aqua, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil/Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance, Benzyl Benzoat, Hydroxycitronellal, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Geraniol, Tocopherol, Linalool, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, CI 17200/Red 33, CI 14700/Red 4

In the ingredients list we will find soybean oil, rich in B vitamins, vitamin E and K and Omega-6 fatty acids. Soybean has antioxidant and moisturising properties. There is also wheat germ oil, another source of vitamin E and antioxidants.

The facial wash has pale pink colour, creamy texture and Nivea creme-like scent. The tube is made of soft plastic and contains 100ml of product. It doesn't really leather much, but is a bit slippery, so it's easy to spread on face. It is indeed very mild, doesn't leave skin feeling dry and tight. In comparison to Korean face washes it's not very efficient, the tube lasted only for a bit over month.

But it's not only the mildness that got me into this foam. Primarily thanks to this product I discovered that my skin doesn't like alkaline products. On Snow White and Asian Pear blog I've read negative review of Mizon's foam, that was referring to it's high alkaline pH. Out of curiosity I've bought on e-Bay pH tester strips, which arrived after I've bought TBS wash... So when I was buying TBS wash I didn't know what pH level it has. When I tested both foams it turned out that my Vitamin E wash has slightly acidic pH 6. The immediate effects of using non-alkaline foam was lack of skin dryness and tightness and the long term use effects exceed my expectations - for the whole month during using TBS facial wash I didn't experience a single break out, only during my period one single spot has arrived. One! That's amazing! It's because our skin has naturally acidic pH, which helps to create protective barrier against harmful bacteria. If you use alkaline products, you lower your skin's pH level, weakening it's natural protection system. Thanks to acidic face wash your skin has better ability to protect itself from acne causing germs. I really wish I would have known about it before, it would save my skin so many breakouts...

Price: £8,50 in The Body Shop store.

Pros:
+ creamy texture
+ mildness
+ healthy for skin, slightly acidic pH
+ doesn't dry out skin

Cons:
- doesn't last very long, what makes it a bit expensive
- doesn't leather much

Pomegranate Softening Facial Wash

Product description: The Pomegranate range addresses the signs of ageing. This cleanser softly cleanses and refreshes skin.
INCI: Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Stearic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Coconut Acid, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Isethionate, Zea Mays Starch, Parfum, Bisabolol, Creatine, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, p-Anisic Acid, Punica Granatum Extract, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Geraniol, Ursolic Acid, CI 77891

This face wash contains moisturising Brazil nut oil, which thanks to high selenium content has anti-oxidant properties. There is of course pomegranate - both fruit extract and seed oil. Pomegranate is a powerful antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory and skin brightening properties. Wash contains also apple fruit extract, which is natural preservative and is rich in skin brightening vitamin C. SLS has been replaced with milder detergent - Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate.

The soft plastic tube has 100ml capacity. Wash has pearly colour and creamy consistency, although not as creamy as Vitamin E wash. It's not very clear on the picture but it leathers much better than Vitamin E wash and it's also more efficient. It has fruity smell, but not sweet and temping smell you would expect from Body Shop - it's smell of over ripe fruit, weird, but bearable. Pomegranate face wash is very mild, doesn't sting my eyes, there is no skin dryness and no tight feeling after use. Similarly to it's Vitamin E cousin it has good for skin, slightly acidic pH 6, thanks to which I haven't experienced any major break out. In general I don't believe in anti-ageing properties of product like face wash, because you wash them off and they have only short contact with the skin, although I have impression that my skin is firmer since I use this wash. But it may as well be some placebo effect ;)

Price: £11 - more expensive than Vitamin E wash, but lasts for longer, so the value would be similar.

Pros:
+ leathers up better than vitamin E
+ a little goes a long way, I use it twice a day from over two months and still got 1/5 of the tube
+ mild for skin and doesn't sting my eyes
+ doesn't dry out skin
+ slightly acidic pH 6

Cons:
- weird smell of over ripe fruit

Summary
I am pleased with both products and I'm sure I will re-purchasing them. I did enjoy my foamy Korean washes, but now since I know that my skin doesn't like high pH, I won't buy them without checking pH level first. Cat Catus from Snow White and Asian Pear blog together with other blogers has created on-line index of facial cleansers pH, which is very handy and worth having look at. Not everyone is sensitive to pH level, but I would recommend trying out products with different pH - it may turn out that one simple change in your skin care routine may make huge difference in your skin condition.

Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal Peeling Gel Review

Aritaum is Korean brand mostly known for make up products. However in May this year they released skincare line Bamboo Charcoal. Products caught my eye and as soon as I started to run out of my Lemon D-Toc Peeling Gel I ordered Aritaum's one.

Product description: Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal Peeling Gel removes old, dead skin cells with bamboo, charcoal & cellulose. Keeps clear skin tone with excellent skin turn over effect. Controls dead skin cells and has moisturising ingredients.
How to use: 1. Wash and dry your face 2. Apply proper amount & spread it to your face all over evenly except the eye & lip area 3. Massage until peels of dead skin cells come out from your skin, then rinse it off with warm water. 4 . It's good to use this product once or twice a week but the number can be adjusted depending on your skin condition. 

Why bamboo and charcoal?

• Bamboo contains silica, that improves skin health by helping the body absorb essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Bamboo extract also offers anti-irritant properties, soothing the skin when applied directly through lotions or creams. It also contains anti-oxidants, helping to minimise wrinkles and naturally boost youthful radiance.
• Charcoal has natural detoxifying properties, it draws bacteria, poisons, chemicals, dirt and other micro-particles to the surface of skin. Charcoal powder can adsorb thousands of times its own mass in harmful substances! It's widely used in skin cleansing and purifying products, mostly face masks.

Unpacked bottle

Product comes in 150ml plastic bottle with pump applicator. I must admit that pump is one of the main reasons I've bought this particular peeling gel - so far I was using gels in tubes, when pump is so much more handy! The bottle was wrapped in foil and the pump was protected with blocking clip.

Serial number and date of manufacture

The gel it self is grayish cream, with visible cellulose bits. There are two types of peeling gels - smooth ones like Ginevra Marvel Gel and cellulose ones, like this one. I find that the second type is more popular, from 4 peeling gels I tested so far, 3 of them had visible cellulose bits in it.
Product has lovely, fresh and floral scent.

As you can see on the pictures, after massaging into dry skin cellulose connect with impurities and dead skin cells and rubs of the skin. After washing it off with lukewarm water, skin is smoother and appears brighter. This peeling gel is effective, yet very gentle - I use it every day and it works well for me. Because of my acne I'm not allowed classic scrubs, as they irritate my skin quite badly. Once I had an every day face wash with scrubbing particles and after two weeks I had to stop using it. The cellulose is much more gentle, suitable for use even on sensitive skin.
The downside of it's mildness it that it may not be enough if you have very rough and dry skin. If you need a lot of exfoliation you may try using this every day and support it with scrub once or twice a week.

Now, the problem with cellulose containing peels is that there is always a doubt if they actually cleanse skin on just roll on their own. To check it I always perform my "plate test":

1. I apply peeling gel on clean plate

2. I rub the gel for a minute or so in a clean glove, so it doesn't react with skin on my fingers

3. I check the results:

As you can see the gel didn't roll either on the plate or on the glove, what makes me think that it does really react with impurities in the skin.

Price: around £8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ handy pump applicator
+ a little goes a long way - I use it every day from two months and I hardly used 1/3 of the bottle
+ mild, even used every day doesn't irritate my skin
+ skins is brighter after use, pores appear smaller
+ nice scent

Cons:
- opaque bottle, we need to take the pump out to figure out how much we got left in it
- if you are looking for heavy duty exfoliation this may be to gentle, even used everyday


 Summary: I really enjoy using this product I would strongly recommend it :) however I'm not sure if I would buy it again, because I like testing new stuff so much ;)

The whole Aritaum Bamboo Charcoal line contains:

From left: mud pack, peeling gel, bubble gommage and cleansing foam. I think that gommage is especially worth attention, as a type of peeling gel suitable even for very sensitive skin with visible capillaries, as it doesn't contain any type of grains (even cellulose), but enzymes that renew skin.

Beware Mizon Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser...

I love my snail products, but unfortunately not all of them seem to be oh-so-good...

Product description from packaging:  This cleansing foam with snail's mucus filtrate and its ample and elastic bubble washes the skin cleanly.

In the ingredients, among the famous snail secretion filtrate we will also find:

• Gypsophila paniculata ("Baby's breath" - you know, that bunches of tiny white flower that florists add to bouquets to make the look fuller) root extract, which skin care benefits remain unknown to me
• Papaya fruit extract - source of vitamin A and Papain. Vitamin A acts as an anti-oxidant, while the papain breaks down inactive proteins and removes dead skin cells.
• Ivy extract - It has emollient and itch-relieving properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and pain killing actions. It's also circulatory compound and helps other ingredients to be absorbed by the skin.
• Arnica Montana flower extract - has antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and supports healing process.
• Wormwood Extract - a natural antiseptic and anti inflammatory oil said to help heal bites, cuts, sores, blisters and wounds. It also soothes damaged, red skin.
• Yarrow leaf extract - medicinal herb used topically to speed wound healing and improve other skin conditions such as rashes, abrasions, and calm inflamed skin. Contains i.a. salicylic acid that has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and flavonoidsthat are vital antioxidants protecting against cell-damaging free radicals.
• Gentian (Bitter Root, Bitterwort) - has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties
• Green Tea Leaf Extract - it's a powerful antioxidant, protecting skin cells from the damage caused by free radicals. It is also known to reduce skin swelling and help soothe and condition sensitive skin. 

Sounds great, but don't get too excited, because cleansing foam doesn't sit on our skin for long enough to let the plant extracts work properly :P

Full list of ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate. Myristic acid, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-14M, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Polysorbate 20, Polyquaternium-7, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract, Carica papaya, Ivy Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Ethanol, Camellia Sinensis, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

Ingredients analysis [HERE] 

As you can see on the pictures above, foam comes sealed with foil, there is no extra packaging to it. Under the cap tube is protected with a bit o tin foil. Tube has 60ml capacity.

 

The foam itself is a white, stringy cream with pearly shine to it. As all of the Korean cleansers I tested so far, it behaves like shaving cream - pearly cream with a bit of water and massage turns into rich, thick foam. Product has nice, soapy smell. A little goes a long way - a pea size is well enough to cover the whole face and neck in thick foam.

As for the performance there is nothing special about it. It cleans, leaving the skin squeaky clean, but that's about it. I don't mind squeeky clean, I actually enjoy this feeling as long as it doesn't strip my skin out of all moisture, but unfortunately this foam dries out my skin a little bit. When used on it's own it's bearable, but when used on skin previously cleansed with oil it makes my face really tight and dry. I read couple of other reviews about this product and Cat Cactus in her review said that this cleanser has very high alkaline pH, which is bad for skin. Here you can read her note about importance of using cleansers with right pH for your skin.

Price: from £4 on e-Bay.

Pros:

+ cheap

+ a little goes a long way

+ contains quite a few beneficial plant extracts - even though the foam is not on the skin for long enough to let them work properly, it's nice to know they are there

+ nice smell

Cons:

- dries out skin

- has pH bad for your skin

Summary: I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone. And I'm going to buy myself pH testing litmus papers, so no more harming my skin with alkaline foam cleansers!

Secret Key Snail + EGF Repairing Foam Cleanser

Today review of the foam that was my first Secret Key's product and started my love to the Snail+EGF series. Enjoy!

Product description: Snail foam cleanser for sensitive skin of snail mucus and EGF ingredient. Deeply cleans up sebum and waste without irritation. Excellent in restoring damaged skin and keeping moisture as it contains natural ingredients.

Main ingredients:

• Snail secretion filtrate - protects skin from infection, reduces inflammation, effective in treating acne and scarring, anti-wrinkle
• Human Oilgo Peptide-1 (EGF) - known as a "beauty factor" - eliminating scars and speckles by improving the texture and condition of the skin, anti-wrinkle by rejuvenating skin by stimulating cell proliferation
• Glycerin - Glycerin is a well known humectant in cosmetics and personal care products. Other functions that have been reported for Glycerin include, hair conditioning agent, oral care agent, skin conditioning agent - humectant, skin protectant and viscosity decreasing agents.
• Betaine - An amino acid also known as Trimethylglycine or glycine betaine. Primarily functions as a humectant and anti-irritant in cosmetic products. It's able to give superior hydration to the skin, without the residual stickiness often associated with glycerin based emulsions. When used in skin care products, it can temporarily decrease the depth of wrinkles, giving the face a much smoother appearance.

The product arrives in cardboard box, inside which we will find 100ml squeezy tube, secured with a bit of foil on the bottom. The whole packaging is nice and simple.
Similarly to other Korean foam face washes, this product has a consistency of thick, smooth cream, pearl white in colour. Cream glides easily on slightly wet skin and creates very rich foam. Considering the amount and thickness of foam it actually reminds me old fashioned shaving cream xD Product has a nice, floral scent, the same note that we can come across with other products from Secret Key's Snail + EGF range.

This foam cleans very well, removes all the make up, even mascara. Face feels refreshed and squeaky clean afterwards and all of that without any drying side effects - brilliant! Product is also super efficient, as you only need a pea size amount to clean the whole face and neck. I use it since beginning of May and still got at least 1/3 of the tube.

Price: from £6 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ rich foam
+ skin clean and refreshed, removes make up
+ doesn't dry out skin
+ a little goes a long way = good value for money
+ nice smell

Cons:
- completely opaque tube, so I can't see how much exactly I have used up

Summary: a good product for reasonable price. Highly recommended :)

Secret Key Lemon D-Toc Peeling Gel

My summer is all about the Secret Key. I have already reviewed for you some of Secret Key's Snail Products, now it's type for my favourite type of Korean product - peeling gel.

 

 

Product description (from the front of product): Fresh lemon leaves rich in vitamin C moisturise the sensitive or problem prone skin caused by external environment or imbalance between moisture and oil to keep it soft, supple, refreshed and healthy. Lemon D-toc peeling gel removes dead skin layer and helps skin turn over.

5 Free System: No paraben, no mineral oil, no Benzophenone, no Phenyoxyethanol, no artificial colour.

Main ingredients:

• Lemon extract -  a natural source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, protects skin against sun damage and works anti-inflammatory, recovers fatigue, brightens skin
• Centella (also known as Gotu Kola) - an effective anti-photoageing agent, mainly due to enhancement of collagen, which amount in skin decreases with age
• Hibiscus - has anti-oxidant properties, contains  flavonoids that are helping to maintain the skin's elasticity, contains acids that are one of the best natural peeling ingredients, also improves skin tone (rich in vitamin C)
• Aloe vera leaf extract - moisturiser and anti-irritant used for it's rejuvenating, healing and soothing properties
• Witch hazel extract - a strong astringent & antioxidant, has antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties, effective in acne treatments
• Chamomile - soothes skin

Product arrives without any extra packaging, just thermo-wrapped in foil. Tube is secured with a piece of foil as well. The tube has 120ml capacity.

How to use: apply certain amount on dry skin, then massage until it rolls up with the impurities from your skin, then wash off with warm water.

This gel has a smooth texture, without visible cellulose bits like in Skin Food's Pineapple peeling gel, but it's also not as jelly-like as Ginvera Marvel Gel.

To check if product is really taking of impurities from my skin, not just rolling by itself I did a little experiment with clean plate and rubber glove:

I've squeezed a little bit of product on the clean plate...

...and massaged product into the plate for good couple of minutes.

As you can see gel didn't roll up on the plate - which proves for me that it indeed reacts with my skin impurities and dead skin cells.

The product is very efficient, as I use it every day from over 2 months and still have good 1/3 of the tube. You can also use it to remove you make up, but I like to use it in the morning, when my face is only a bit oily, to make sure it targets my pores. After use pores are minimised, face brightened and feeling fresh. In long term of regular use I can see improvement in my skin clarity - my nose used to be covered in blackheads, now they re-appear only on the nostrils.
Products has a bit chemical lemon scent, but it's not unpleasant and doesn't bother me at all.

Price: £6.66 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ very efficient and generous capacity - good value for money
+ minimises pores
+ helps to fight blackheads
+ refreshes and brightens up skin

Cons:
- a bit chemical scent

Summary: I am very pleased with this product, from all the peeling gels I used so far, this is definitely the best value for money - it offers twice the capacity of Ginvera Marvel Gel for half the price. There is still few brands I want to try after I use up this one, but so far this is my favourite :)

Enlarged pores problem? Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam & Pore Control Peeling Toner.

A lot of people has problem with enlarged pores. If you are one of them I have a bad news and a good news for you. The bad news is, that the size of your pores is depending on your skin type and there is nothing you can do to change it permanently. For example my forehead has visible pores and no matter what I use, they always look like that - it's just the structure of my skin. The pores on my cheeks near nose are even more visible, BUT I manage to control the size of them. And here is the good news: pores appear bigger because of excessive sebum and waste in them = you can minimise appearance of them by properly cleansing. And here is where this Mizon's products come handy :)

Mizon Pore Refine Deep Cleansing Foam

 

 

Product description: Minty cooling foam containing kaolin and charcoal that effectively absorb excessive waste, sebum and dead skin cell in pores and help keep skin clean while killing bacteria. Shooting botanicals leave skin moisturised and smooth.

Mizon's 'Genuine product' sticker.

The foam has fresh and minty smell, a little bit like a toothpaste :P It has thick and creamy consistency, a little amount easily leathers up in nice, thick foam. As you can see on the pictures, it contains tiny little particles (I suppose it's charcoal related?), but you can hardly feel them, so this is not exfoliating product. It leaves skin refreshed and squeaky clean. As for the cooling effect - I delicately stings skin, but tings not in a painful harsh way, but in a nice refreshing way.

Price: £5-6 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way
+ cleanse very well, leaves face squeaky clean
+ refreshing feeling
+ nice scent
+ leathers up well into thick foam
+ cheap

Cons:
- can be a little drying/harsh for sensitive skin

I was using this product before I started to double cleanse with oil. It's good to remove all the make up - I'm a hardcore and used it on my eyes as well (takes off mascara), but be careful with that as it stings if it gets into an eye. I don't plan to repurchase so far, as since I use double cleansing I choose more mild foam (oil does the "dirty job"), but I bear in mind this foam as a really good one. If you don't double cleanse and want just one good cleansing product - this is a good choice. It does minimise pores a little, however effect is MUCH better if used with toner.
  It contains Lauric Acid and Pottasium Hydroxide that may be recognised as a potential irritants/acne triggers, however I didn't notice any influence on my acne or irritation while using this product.
  Ingerdients: Aqua, myristic acid, kaolin acid, lauric acid, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, cocamidopropyl betaine, hydroxyethylcellulose, charcoal powder, sodium hyaluronate, beta glucan, vaccinum myrtillus fruit/leaf extract, saccharium officinarum (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica limonium (lemon) fruit extract, amica  Montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, achillea millefolium extract, gentian lutea root extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, gypsophila paniculata root extract, hedera helix (ivy) extract, hydrolyzed extension, collagen, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone, fragrance
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

Pore Control Peeling Toner

 

Product description: Specialised formula removes makeup residue and calms skin after cleansing, while balancing skin pH. It keeps skin oil free and fresh all day long.

First of all I must say that I absolutely LOVE the sleek square bottle design. It's not well visible on the photo, but bottle is coloured in gradient green (darker on the bottom and lighter on the top), and the silver "Pore" word is holographic. It has such a elegant and modern look! The only downside is the size of the bottle - I consider 80ml as quite small for a toner. Gets used up much quicker than foam.

Mizon's 'genuine product' sticker.

The toner has a very handy pump dispenser, which reaches right to the bottom of the bottle, so we can easily use it the the end. I was using six pumps of product on a cotton pad to tone my face. Toner has citrusy smell with a hint of alcohol, but in general smell is quite subtle and not bothering.
When I was using just western products, the toner was qualifying for me as a cleansing product and astringent. I noticed that Asian toners are more on the skincare side, but some of them are still more cleansing (the containing alcohol ones) and some of them are more moisturising and caring. This one is more on the astringent side, which is fair enough as it's supposed to control pores.
The toner gives refreshing feel to the skin. When used on it's own slightly minimise pores and has a bit of moisturising touch to the skin. When used with foam it has great impact on my pores on the cheeks (the ones on the forehead don't react to anything...).

Price: £8-9 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ elegant packaging
+ refreshing feel
+ has impact on pore size

Cons:
- I didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual
- small capacity - for that price we can get at least 100ml, or even 210ml like Mizon's Witchhazel toner. I think we are paying for the pretty bottle here :]

It contains Alcohol and Salicylic Acid that may be irritating for some skins. For my skin alcohol is almost neutral and my skin loves Salicylic Acid.

Ingredients: Aqua, alcohol, glycerin, sodium lactate, peg-60 hydrogenated castor oil, glycolic acid, salicylic acid , theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) extract, copper tripeptide-1, collagen, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower/ leaf extract, carica papaya ( papaya) fruit extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, disodium edta, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexyl glycerin, tropolone , fragrance 
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

In general this two are a great products for pore control. I ordered foam first and then toner and I noticed that used together they have much better influence on pore size. However, as I said on the beginning of my post we can not change our pore size permanently, so the effect won't last after you stop using the products. I also didn't notice any extra sebum control, my skin was as oily as usual while using this products. Unfortunately used together they have a bit more drying effect on the skin than used separately, so if you want to give them a go, make sure you have some good moisturiser handy.

The whole Mizon's Pore Line.

The line contains also Pore Refine Silky Smooth Essence and Pore Tightening Lotion.
Note: On many websites the recommended order of use is Foam > Toner > Essence > Lotion, however Essence contains silicons and sun screen, so I would recommend using it last. If you put silicone first, the ingredients from Lotion won't be able to reach the skin.

Tony Moly Clean Dew Apple Mint Cleansing Oil

Hello ^^
Today I would like to introduce you to a cleansing oil. I heard about oil cleansing before and it's supposed to be really good, however I was very resistant to the idea. I have an oily, acne prone skin and I just couldn't believe that putting oil on my face will do any good. Then I read that oil cleansing is really good to cleanse skin off from silicons and because I started introducing silicone-based primers to my every day skincare routine (and I am using silicone containing  BB cream every day as well), I've finally  decided to give a cleansing oil a go. And I loved it!

Product description: Contains pure green complex to remain moisturised skin for hours without dryness after cleansing. Moisturising apple mint removes dead skin and impurities clearly. Refreshing type of cleansing oil. Paraben, phenoxy ethanol, benzophenone, sulfate surfactant, tar color free.

The product comes 150ml plastic bottle with pump. I must say I really love the simple yet elegant design of the bottle, also the pump is super handy, as oil is quite runny and of course greasy.

How to use step by step:

From left: lip gloss, lipstick, eye liner, eye shadow, waterproof eye liner, mascara, BB cream.

1. Dispense some amount of oil onto your palms (for me two pumps are just the right amount) and start massaging your dry face.

Make up starts to melt with oil, only waterproof eye liner and mascara are a bit resistant.

2. Wet your fingers and keep massaging your skin. With a little bit of water oil starts to emulsify and becomes a bit foamy. This is the most important step as it takes the most of make up and impurities away.

Even the waterproof eyeliner doesn't stand a chance against emulsified oil! :)

3. Rinse of with warm water.

Clean! ^^

4. Clean your face with your favourite cleansing foam/gel.
Note: because the oil does all the heavy duty cleaning you can go for some really mild foam.

I absolutely love performance of this product. It cleans well, but doesn't dry out skin. I was afraid how my oily skin will react treated with OIL, but I haven't experience any breakouts. After cleansing my face is instantly brightened and pores are minimised (remember: well cleaned pores = smaller pores!). Skin is moisturised and smooth in touch. The lovely apple scent with a subtle hint of mint is just a cherry on the top.

Price: just over £7 on e-Bay.  This is actually the cheapest Korean cleansing oil I managed to find ^^

Pros:
+ cleanse well
+ refreshes and brightens up face
+ doesn't dry out the skin
+ lovely scent
+ cheap

Cons:
NONE!

It's another Tony Moly product (among the Petite Me Cotton BB Cream) that goes onto my favourites list. Highly recommended to anyone ^^

Skin Food Pineapple Morning Peeling Gel

Hello!^^
Today I would like to review for you Skin Food's peeling gel. The Asian peeling gels differs from well known in Europe scrubs. They don't contain any scrubbing grains, they are either completely smooth like Ginvera Marvel Gel or contain cellulose like this one.

Product description: This deep peeling gel containing cellulose particles and AHA from apple effectively exfoliates dry skin and eliminates sebum in pores. Pineapple, aloe, and purslane extracts make skin clear and blemish-free.
How to use: After washing and towel-drying, massage onto face in a circular motion, and rinse with warm water.

Because it doesn't contain scrubbing grains you may wonder how it actually works. As you massage product into your skin the moisture texture of it starts to dry out and the cellulose bits are starting to roll up on your face with all the impurities from your skin. You can imagine that your face is a sheet of paper, impurities are pencil marks and peeling gel is an eraser.

Peeling gel before massaging.

Peeling gel after massaging into skin - cellulose rolled up with impurities and dead skin cells.

Because this product contains cellulose you may think that it doesn't really collect anything from your skin and just rolls up on it's own. To check that out I've done a little experiment.

I've put some gel onto clean plate and start rubbing it in clean, rubber glove.

After a good minute of rubbing into a plate gel haven't roll up.

I think this proves that somehow gel reacts with sebum and skin impurities.
I can also confirm that it works by observing my skin - after each use my skin is a little brighter and the pores are tighten. After a two weeks of constant use I can also see that my blackheads are much smaller or gone, however you have to use it regularly to see that effect. I wanted to hit hard my blackheads, so I use it AM & PM - it is gentle enough for twice a day use.
I actually owe this gel from May last year, I was using it constantly for two weeks. Then I stopped when I had a massive break out on my face (it wasn't fault of the product, I just stopped taking my acne antibiotic and my acne came back twice as bad as it was before the antibiotics) and just probably forgot about it, lol. I came back to using it last week, I am using it constantly for two weeks now, and I am in the middle of the tube, which means it last much longer than Ginvera Marvel Gel, which I reviewed earlier on.

Price: £6-8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ nice, fresh scent
+ minimise pores
+ fights blackheads
+ gentle for use even twice a day
+ good value: not too pricey and goes a long way

Cons:
- because it's very gentle it may take a good couple of uses to smooth out some dry patches


Overall I really like this product and I would re-purchase if I wouldn't want to try couple of other peeling gels. If you never tried this type of peeling gel before I definitely recommend you to give it a go :)

Caution: If you have an acne prone skin you may experience breakout after some time of regular use. I figured out that it must be some impurities from depths of the skin coming out - I experienced breakout after week of twice a day use, stopped using for couple of days until spots healed and then come back to use once a day - my skin looks great! Scars faded a little bit and some of the under skin bumps smoothen out. So if you experience some breakout don't give up completely on this product :)

Ingredients: Water, Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Panthenol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Triethanol amine, Allantoin, Ananas sativus, Pyrus malus, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Milk Acid, Tartaric acid, Glycolic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, CI 19140, Parfum