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!

Spot emergency: Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot review

Mizon's Pink Spot is my mate for over a year now - I'm used to see it my bathroom so much now, that I still forget to review it. But finally, today is the day! ;)

Product description:  It works effectively while sleeping at night for soothing skin troubles. The patented formula of AHA, BHA, Calamine and Triclosan relieves acne and prevents it to develop.
How to use: Dip a cotton swab down to the bottom of the bottle and apply only to troubled spots.

Important ingredients:

• Calamine - is either a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) with about 0.5% ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) or a zinc carbonate compound. It's used to relieve pain, itching, and discomfort from minor skin irritations. Also used as a mild antiseptic to prevent infections that can be caused by scratching the affected area, and an astringent to dry weeping or oozing blisters and acne abscesses.
• Salicylic acid - organic acid originally obtained from willow bark. It's a key ingredient in many skin-care products for the treatment of various skin conditions, like acne, psoriasis, calluses, corns, ichthyosis, and, warts etc. It works by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed more readily, opening clogged pores and neutralising bacteria within, preventing pores from clogging up again by constricting pore diameter, and allowing room for new cell growth.
• Triclosan - an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
• Coptis japonica (Japanese goldthread) root extract - contains berberine, a plant alkaloid revered in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Berberine has various medicinal uses, as a supplement to support treatment of heart diseases, low bone density, diabetise. Used on skin it has anti-bacterial and anti-ageing properties.
• Bilberry (European blueberry) fruit/leaf extract - used in traditional European medicine, has many different healthcare uses. On skin it has anti-aging effects by stabilizing collagen structures. Recent research showed that Bilberry extract has promising anti-ulcer activity.
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract (also known as wild portulaca or pigweed) - has many benefits on skin: soothing effect, accelerating healing process, improving skin's elasticity. As a natural source of vitamins A, C and E and the co-enzyme Q10, is an excellent antioxidant, fighting premature ageing and protecting skin from enviromental damage.
• Cluster pine bark extract -   has anti-oxidant properties and ability to enhance the microcirculation by increasing capillary permeability. Supports healing processes, reduces scar formation.
• Ivy extract - It has emollient and itch-relieving properties, as well as anti-inflammatory and pain killing actions. It's alsoa circulatory compound and helps other ingredients to be absorbed by the skin.
• Sugar Maple Extract - contains naturally occurring Malic Acid (AHA) and is used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Sugar Cane Extract -  main source of glycolic acid (AHA), used to promote smoother, younger looking and more clear skin by increasing the rate of cell renewal.
• Orange Fruit extract - soothes sensitive, irritaed skin
• Lemon fruit extract - A natural source of Vitamin C and antioxidant bioflavonoids, protects skin against damage from reactive ozone, has anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Raspberry Fruit Extract - soothing and relaxing to inflamed skin. Excellent for sensitive skin and any irritation from acne, shaving or windburn. 
• Tea tree oil - essential oil with powerful antiseptic properties, widely used in acne treatments, aids in healing and soothing the skin.

Full list of ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol, Calamine, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Glycolic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Camphor, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylid Acid, Triclosan, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy Extract), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil. 

This product is fairly similar to Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot. They both contain salicylic acid and they are meant to be used in the same way: make sure the bottle is not shaken, so the powder is settled on the bottom. While dabbing cotton bud into the bottle, it gets first disinfected in the liquid, then it reaches the powder that settles on cotton. Even though you have to pull again through the liquid, the powder stays on the bud and it's ready for application.

The product comes in a blue cardboard box, sealed with "Original Mizon" holographic sticker. The bottle is made of frosted glass and contains 35ml of liquid/powder. It has a strong smell of herbs and alcohol. Cotton buds are not included.

Back of the box

When applied on spot, powder settles on skin, leaving a pale pink, powdery circle - that's why it's recommended to be used at nightime. I do sometimes use it during the day - when I'm not leaving the house, or even before work. Powder mark wipes away easily, if I put a make up on, it will just wipe off during make up application, so if I use it before work, I apply it on my skin minimum 15 mins before applying make up, so it has some time to work on skin. The powder doesn't stain, I've used it at bedtime multiple times and even though in the morning it's gone, there is no marks on my bedding.
During application product may sting a little, because of the alcohol. Fortunately this sensation last only a moment.

Now, does it work?
Yes! But only on certain type of spots.
Mizon's spot powder works topiary, so it won't work on nodules and cysts, that are sitting under the skin. For this kind of trouble acne patches are wroking magic. Spot powder is great to fight "classic spots" - pustules, red bumps with white/yellow top. It dries the spot out and reduces inflammation. It's also helpful when we squeeze - I always apply this powder on top of any squeezed spot, to disinfect the area. It helps to tone down redness and soreness, it takes about 2-3 nights to completely heal average pustule.
A little goes a long way - I use occasionally for about a year now and didn't even used up half of the bottle.

Price: from £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ helps reduce the inflammation
+ disinfects the area
+ soothes irritation after squeezing
+ a little goes a long way 
+ powder doesn't stain fabrics - if used overnight won't mark your bedding

Cons:
- takes about 2-3 nights to treat pustules
- not effective against under skin bumps
- may sting a moment after application

Summary: I like this product and I find it helpful in my acne treatment. It is not a miracle product, it won't magically clear you acne during one night, but it certainly helps to reduce inflammation.

Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream & Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule

Snail secretion is known from it's regenerating properties. The story is that people working on snail farms discovered that any scratches or wounds on their hands were healing quicker when they were handling snails and then it ended up in cosmetics. I already reviewed my very first snail product - Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream, now I would like to follow it with reviews of two other Mizon's snail cosmetics.

The whole Mizon's snail line.

Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream

Product description: The original snail mucus takes care of your all kind of skin problems in all in one skin care system on your first skin care step. It repairs tired and ageing skin, leaving it refreshed. It also the first protector of your naked skin.

The product comes in brown glass jar with capacity 75ml.

From the whole line, the All in One Repair Cream has the highest snail secretion content - 92%.
The cream is basically unscented and has kind of jelly-cream consistency. It is not sticky, but it kind of stretches, follows the finger a little bit:

It's the first skin care routine step, so it's very lightweight - absorbs in skin quickly and completely. After use skin is well moisturised, smooth and matte. For oily skin it may do the AM job on it's own, specially under some moisturising BB Cream, but for more thirsty skin it has to be followed with other moisturising product. A little goes a long way - the jar lasted for approx. three month of everyday use.

This cream is a great companion of Snail Recovery Gel. Gel provides more moisture and locks it into skin. For my oily skin this duo worked well, but I had to be careful with amount of gel I used - too much would make my skin feel a little bit heavy. If the right amounts were used creams worked well - didn't make my skin more oily. It also worked well for my acne - helped the skin to heal quicker. The only downside of the duo was that skin was shiny.

Price: from £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ very lightweight
+ absorbs quickly and completely
+ matte finish
+ a little goes a long way
+ skin is nice and smooth after use

Cons:
 - may be not moisturising enough used on it's own (but it's supposed to be used with other products, so it's not a real con).
- Recovery Gel on top of All in One is more shiny than on it's own

Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, hydrogenate vegetable oil, dimethicone, triethanolamine, carbomer, butylene glycol, PEG/ppg-17/6 copolymer, polyacrylate-13, polyisobutene, polysorbate 20, sodium polyacrylate, caprylyl glyocol, ethylhexyglycerin, tropolone, adenosine, sodium hyaluronate, portulaca oleracea extract, betula platyphylla japonica juice, amica Montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, achillea milefolium extract, gentian lutea root extract, alcohol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, centella asiatica extract, copper tripeptide-1, human oligopeptide-1, propylene glycol, rubus idaeus (raspberry) fruit xtract, beta-glucan, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, disodium edta
Ingredients analysis [HERE] 

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule

Product description: High content of snail secretion filtrate and EGF* help skin regeneration and improve skin elasticity while moisturising skin.

*Epidermal Growth Factor -  an age-prevention ingredient that supports cell renewal and wound repair by stimulating cells to produce collagen.

The full size product is a 30ml glass bottle with pipette applicator. I was using set of ten sample sachets. One sachets lasts for two applications.

The product has consistency of very runny gel. It's clear and unscented. It has second biggest content of snail mucus in the line - 80%. During application there is some slimy feeling to it - it absorbs quite well and laves skin a little bit sticky, but this fades away when topped with another product.

I tried to use the ampule in as many combinations as possible, so:
- with All in One Cream - skin is a bit shiny, but well moisturised without heaviness, a little bit sticky but in pleasant way; the application of ampoule is much smoother and efficient on the top of All in One, than on bare skin
- with Snail Recovery Gel Cream - gel reduces the sticky feeling of ampule, skin is well moisturised; skin is very shiny, but not much oilier than usual; skin feel smooth, nourished and elastic; have to be careful with BB Cream - to heavy one on top of this two products will make skin oily
- with All in One Cream and Snail Recovery Gel Cream - skin very well moisturised, but shiny; for oily skin it may be too much for AM use; for PM use very pleasant combination - skin feels smooth and elastic in the morning.

Used on it's own ampule gives nice moisture boost to the skin and it's quite lightweight - it could be easily used with any cream. It also works on it's own, just under BB Cream - but only for not very thirsty skin.

Price: from £8 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ nice moisture boost for skin
+ quite lightweight
+ can be used with any cream

Cons:
- a little bit sticky (however it goes away when topped with another product) 
- the whole line used together makes skin very shiny

Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, sodium, hyaluronate, butylene glycol, glycerin, alcohol, panthenol, glycereth-26, carbomer, triethanolamine, trehalose, copper tripeptide-1, human oligopeptide-1, palmitoyl pentaopeptide-4, cornus officinalis fruit extract, nelumbo  nucifera flower extract, caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin, tropolone, sodium polyacrylate, adenosine, coptis japonica extract, disodium edta
Ingredients analysis [HERE]

In general I think that Mizon's Snail Line is worth trying. Each product is interesting on it's own, but I think it's really worth to try them together to feel that "snail power" :D You can easily buy samples of All in One Cream and Ampule on e-Bay (sets of 10 for approx. £3) and the Recovery Gel is cheap enough in full size version (from £3) to give it a go.

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.

Mizon Pore Tightening 90% Witchhazel Toner

Hello :)
Looking for a miracle for my terrible pores I came across this toner. Something in neat look of the bottle with catching eye huge 90% on label made me wanting it badly and I couldn't find any reviews so... I just simply decided to give it a go and bought it :)

Description: The formula contains 90% Witchhazeln extract, effective for tightening pores. Removes any skin wastes residue in pores and controls excessive sebum. Keeps skin oil free and fresh all day long.

Before buy I made a little research about Witchhazel. It's a strong astringent & antioxidant, has antibacterial & antiinflammatory properties, effective in acne treatments. Toner also contains extracts from:
carrots - helps skin to regenerate, moisturises and refreshes skin
Chinese tea leaves - astringent & antioxidant
papaya fruit - antioxidant & substances helpful in acne treatments
ivy - helps to control sebum, reduces inflammations, strenghtens collagen fibres
licorice - antibacterial and anti allergy properties, controls sebum, moisturise, helps to reduce inflammation
willow bark - contains salicylic acid, anti inflammatory properties

Sounds good, huh?

Product comes in clear plastic bottle, with generous capacity of 210ml. It doesn't have any extra packaging, just comes thermo-wraped in foil. It has Mizon's hologram sticker, which is confirmation that product is genuine. Under plastic cap product is sealed:

As you can see the toner itself is clear, water-like liquid. It has nice, fresh, citrus smell - for me it smells like lemon flavoured mineral water :) What I liked most about this product is that it doesn't dry out my skin - after face wash my skin often feels tight and dry, and some toners are making this feeling worse. This one actually reduces it :)

Now the most important: does it tighten pores? ......................... Yes!

After use skin is nicely refreshed and pores are tighten. It is not some spectacular effect - having huge pores through most of my life I don't suddenly expect one toner to solve the problem - but it is noticeable, especially on my cheeks, close to nose, where they're biggest.

As for acne fighting properties it's hard for me to tell, as I have moderate acne from years and recently I stopped taking antibiotics what made my breakouts worse than ever. Certainly it doesn't solve the problem, but it also doesn't make it worse, which is fair enough, as it doesn't promise anything acne-wise on label.

For the sebum control - I haven't notice any difference. 

Price: £7-12  on e-Bay.

Pros:

+ tighten pores
+ doesn't dry out skin
+ nice, fresh smell
+ large capacity

Cons:
- doesn't control sebum as promised

Overall I recommend this product, it's very nice daily toner. I wish Mizon would create whole Witchhazel line, maybe it could help with my acne...

Ingerdients: Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Water, Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Trehalose, Glycerin, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylylglycol, Ethylhexyglycerin, Tropolone, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Pinus Densiflora Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Canca Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Gypsophla Paniculata Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil. 


From '90%' range there are also two other toners available: Bulgarian Rose for soft, radiant skin and soothing Chamomile for sensitive skin.

Mizon Multi Function Formula Snail Recovery Gel Cream

It's time to review "the classic" - a skincare product, that probably everyone interested in Korean cosmetics has tested. It was my first Korean skincare product and it's influence on my skin trigged my interest in Korean cosmetics.

The phenomenon of Mizon's gel is snail secretion filtrate (74%), which has shooting and regenerating properties and can help skin heal. It also contains hialuronic acid, well known for it's moisturising properties and adenosine, which helps to keep skin elasticity. This gel-cream is recommended for people with various skin concerns; irritation, pigmentation, acne. I realise that putting something coming from snail on your face may gross you, but trust me, there is nothing disgusting or snaily about gel's consistency or smell. And it contains snail secretion filtrate, which means that secretion is processed (so it's not like someone squeezes the snail straight into the tube xD).

Product is a pink squeezy tube with 45ml capacity. It comes in pink cardboard box, sealed with Mizon's "genuine product" sticker. Capacity may seem quite small, however a little goes a long way - the amount shown on picture is well enough for the whole face, so one tube easily lasts for two months of everyday use.
The product is much closer to gel, than cream. It's whitish and semi-transparent with gel-like, light texture. It absorbs into skin a bit longer than some creams, but quick enough to not be annoying. It absorbs completely, doesn't leave sticky film on skin.

I used up two tubes of this product and on the beginning I was absolutely delighted, BUT after some time and when I started to test other Korean products I felt that Mizon's gel is missing something. But first I will focus on it's good sides.

It moisturises quite well, however we may feel some lack of moisture - putting two layers of the product helps and doesn't feel too heavy, which is good. The biggest pro of this gel is that it covers any dry patches very well. Currently I am using the second tube of the product and it's hard to tell if it helped with my acne, as I just started antibiotics treatment, but in general my skin condition improved very much and I think it's partly thanks to Mizon. After-spot redness is disappearing quicker and I'm sure it's thanks to this gel, as I haven't been using any other anti-acne, anti-scar or brightening products (now I just started Skin Food Tomato Whitening Serum). I certainly can recommend this product to anyone with acne-prone skin, oily, combination or normal complexion.

Now as it comes to cons of the product. Mizon's gel is supposed to be used with the whole line of products as the last step of skincare. It means, that other products from the line (the ones that we would put before the gel) are supposed to absorb and moisturise the skin, when the gel is supposed to stay on the top and protect the skin. The gel doesn't leave the feeling of film on the skin, however after some time of using it I started to feel that may skin is smooth and good looking on the outside, but underneath still feels a bit dehydrated. So for long term Mizon's gel is not good to be used as the only moisturising product, we need something else to support it. The gel contains silicon, so it's best to use it as a last step of skin care (the way it's supposed to be used). For people sensitive to silicon the good news is that silicone in Mizon's gel is Cyclopentasiloxane, kind of light silicone that evaporates from the skin.
Another downside, that causes my main issue with the product is that it leaves skin really shiny. So even if I decide to have make up free day I cannot bear leaving the house without at least a little dab of mattifying powder on my nose. The gel doesn't make me more oily, just more shiny...

Summing up: Mizon's gel is definitely worth trying, I think it's a great product to start the adventure with Korean cosmetics. It is also worth trying the rest of the line (reviews yet to come), like very popular All-in-one cream, which samples can be easily bought on e-Bay. But it's not perfect, so after using two tubes I am moving on to try some other snail gels :)

Price: from £4 on e-Bay.

The whole Mizon's Snail line.

Ingredients: Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol., Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Bis-ped-18 Methyl Etherl Dimetyl Silane, Polysorbate 10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Glycolsyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolustate, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone/vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethulcellusole, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylexylglyceriunm Sodium Polycarylate, Centellia Sinensis leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Jucie, Tropolone, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Panthenol, Olea Europea (Olive) fruit oil, Heliantus Annus Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Denosine, disodium Edta.