skincare

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Sofina Beauté

by PJ on Friday, April 17, 2009

in _Japanese Brand Profile, -Kao, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics, skincare

(image from www.sofina.co.jp/beaute)

A few readers have requested that I highlight one of Sofina’s latest skincare ranges, Sofina Beauté. Here is a brief profile of the line, which I hope would be helpful for you.

Sofina Beauté was launch in January 2008. It is positioned as Sofina’s anti-aging skincare range for those in their 30s and 40s. (Meanwhile, Vital Rich is targeted at those in their 40s, and Grace Sofina is marketed towards those in their 50s and beyond.)

The main claim of the line is that the products are formulated to improve the penetration of the ingredients and to be able to reach the “core” of the skin. According the press release from Kao, some of the ingredients in the products are ginger extract, citron extract, and eucalyptus extract.

The range features a full lineup of basic skincare products, which include:

– four makeup removers (oil, cream, gel, and foam)
– two face washes (foaming and non-foaming)
– four toners (I being the least emollient and IV being the most emollient)
– one skin-firming serum
– four night-time moisturizers (three emulsions and one cream)
– four daytime moisturizers (two with SPF 24, PA+++ and two with SPF 50, PA+++)
– eye mask sheets

The prices of the products are similar to those of the existing Sofina skincare products. (The night-time emulsion is 3675 JPY (about 37 USD).)

I haven’t tried products from this range so I don’t really have any first-hand experience. One reason is the alcohol, which is a recurring issue with many Japanese skincare products. (You can see the ingredient lists of the night-time emulsion (II) and the makeup removal cream here and here. The emulsion has too much alcohol and my skin will certainly not be able to tolerate the product.) I have not had a chance to see all the ingredient lists so I don’t know precisely which other products also contain alcohol.

If you have had a chance to try products from Sofina Beauté, do please leave your comment and let us know what you think of them. Thank you very much!

Japanese Cosmetics Focus: Kanebo Freeplus

Skincare Genre Focus: Whitening Products

Can’t Live Without – RMK Cleansing Oil

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Skincare Review: Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15

by PJ on Tuesday, April 7, 2009

in -Clinique, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(image from www.clinique.com)

Launched in March in the UK, Clinique‘s Youth Surge SPF 15 is the brand’s new range of daytime moisturizers. Today I am reviewing the version for combination oily to oily skin.

The main moisturizing ingredients in this product are castor oil (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate), cetyl ethylhexanoate, butylene glycol, glyceryl stearate and glycerin. The anti-UVA/UVB ingredient is titanium dioxide.

It features antioxidants such as polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) root extract, algae extract, birch bark extract and linoleic acid. It also contains phytosphingosine, which can be a cell-communicating agent. (Please see this post for relevant links.)

The product contains no alcohol, parabens or fragrance.

One ingredient that might cause irritation is coleus barbatus (part of the mint family) extract.

As a moisturizer for combination and oily skin, it has a rich texture and feels quite emollient on the skin. It can initially leave a slight white cast on the skin, which is probably down to titanium dioxide, an active ingredient in this product.

Overall this is a competent facial moisturizer. It doesn’t leave the skin shiny but it can feel slightly filmy for those with oily skin. Even though this product is marketed for those with combination and oily skin, I think it will suit people with normal and slightly dry skin a lot more than those with oily skin. Those who are sensitive to chemical sunscreen ingredients might also want to consider this product as titanium dioxide is less likely to cause skin reaction.

Lancôme Génifique

Chanel Huilde Confort & Lotion Confort

Can’t Live Without – Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

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The Body Shop Tantalising Lip Butter for the Staying Alive Foundation

by PJ on Friday, April 3, 2009

in -The Body Shop, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(image from The Body Shop)

To support the global HIV and AIDS awareness campaign by the Staying Alive Foundation (founded by MTV), The Body Shop has launched Tantalising Lip Butter in the UK for the 2009 campaign.

The Staying Alive Foundation, established in 1998, funds youth-focused safe sex campaigns across the world. Have a look at the foundation’s official website to learn more about the foundation and the cause.

Tantalising Lip Butter contains Community Trade shea butter and Community Trade beeswax to moisturize the lips. It also contains vitamin E, which serves as an antioxidant. The lip butter has a smooth and emollient texture and it has a very fresh and sweet fruity scent.

The retail price of Tantalising Lip Butter is £5.00, with £3.98 of the sale going to the cause.

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Skincare Review: Lancôme Génifique

by PJ on Thursday, April 2, 2009

in -Lancôme, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(image from www.lancome.co.uk)

Lancôme‘s Génifique is the brand’s latest anti-aging product. The media attention to it surrounds Lancôme’s references to studies of genomics (the study of genes) and proteomics (the study of proteins).

According to Lancôme, various proteins and genes were studied and the proteins that are related to the appearance of youthful skin were identified. The formula of Génefique is claimed to stimulate the activity of genes and the production of proteins that are associated with youthful skin.

One ingredient in question is salicyloyl phytosphingosine, which combines the benefits of salicylic acid and phytosphingosine. One paper published in International Journal of Cosmetic Science in 2007 (see abstract here) suggests that salicyloyl phytosphingosine is shown to reduce wrinkle depth and improve skin texture. Also, according to Paula Begoun, phytosphingosine may be a cell-communicating agent. (For more about cell-communicating agent, see this article by Paula Begoun.)

It is a very lightweight watery serum which is faintly scented. It is used after cleansing and toning and before any moisturizer.

Génifique has a relatively short ingredient list. It is essentially salicyloyl phytosphingosine that the product is about, and it doesn’t come with a host of gimmicks. (Nearly all the other ingredients are fairly standard ones often found in other skincare products.)

However, one major drawback of Génifique is the amount of alcohol it has. It is fourth on the ingredient list (after glycerine and before dimethicone), and it is somewhat easily detected by smell (which is usually not a good sign). Unfortunately, this can negate the possible skin-friendly benefits of this product, as alcohol (especially with such an amount) can be drying or irritating for the skin as well as causing free-radical damage. Those who can’t tolerate products with alcohol are most likely to find Génifique unusable.

If alcohol were left out of this product or kept to the absolute minimum, this could be a good product suitable for nearly all skin types. I would be interested to see if Lancôme will extend Génifique into a range of products and to look through the ingredients in each product.

Other skincare reviews:

Crème de la Mer

Elizabeth Arden Intervene

Rodial Glamotox

Amatokin

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Product Review: Nude Skincare

by PJ on Sunday, March 29, 2009

in skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(Nude Skincare Age Defence Moisturiser)
(images from www.nudeskincare.com)

In December 2008, I reviewed three of Nude Skincare‘s products. Today, I will be talking about three other items from the line.

– Age Defence Moisturiser (above)

The product has a light cream texture and should suit most skin types, except for very oily or very dry skin. Some of its moisturizing ingredients are sesame oil, shea butter, and sunflower oil. It contains antioxidants such as arginine and lingoberry seed oil.

It has the right consistency for my Type 4 skin (dehydrated oily skin), but, after the product sinks in, it leaves my skin a little tight. I am not sure if this tightness might appeal to those who want a temporary firming action from a moisturizer, but, for me, I would sometimes apply a small amount of my usual moisturizer (currently Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream) to ease the tightness.

– Moisture Balance

With a very light serum-like gel texture, this product is formulated for those with oily skin. Some of the main moisturizing ingredients are glycerine, jojoba seed oil, and algae extract.

One ingredient that makes this product potentially suitable for oily skin is kaolin, which has absorbent properties. (It is a typical main ingredient in deep-cleansing masks. This product has a very small amount of it.) However, if your oily skin is the kind that is dehydrated underneath, this product might not be right for you as kaolin may dry out the skin.

For me, this product is not moisturizing enough for my oily-dry skin, and I marginally prefer Age Defence Moisturizer to this.

As I mentioned in my previous Nude Skincare review, the air-tight opaque bottle with a pump dispenser is probably the best type of packaging for a moisturizer, as some of the beneficial ingredients can lose their efficacy when they are exposed to light and air.

– Nude Lips

This lip balm contains shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil. It should ideally be a good lip moisturizer with these occlusive ingredients (and with vitamin E), but I find that the application is somewhat inefficient. The product is very solid, and I have to swirl my finger on the product for quite a while to get only a little bit of the product onto my finger. I think this lip balm, without changing its formula, can potentially work a lot better in a stick form.

Other skincare reviews:

Elizabeth Arden Intervene

Chanel Huile Confort & Lotion Confort

SUQQU Lip Essence Cream

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Chanel Huile Confort & Lotion Confort

by PJ on Tuesday, March 24, 2009

in -Chanel, skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning

Last month, a reader asked me whether I could talk about products from the slightly revamped Chanel skincare line. (It is mainly the cleansing and toning products that were revamped.) I happened to have got two 12ml trial samples at my local Chanel counter a few months ago, so I had a chance to try out the products. Today I will share my thoughts on them.

The new Chanel cleansing and toning lineup has three sub-ranges: Confort (for dehydrated and sensitive skin), Douceur (for normal-to-combination skin) and Pureté (for combination-to-oily skin). The two products I tried are both from the Confort range.

– Huile Confort Silky Cleansing Oil

This is a typical cleansing oil that is used on dry skin with dry hands to remove all the makeup at once. It makes sense to me that the cleansing oil is in the Confort range. Cleansing oils should suit all skin types but they can be particularly good for those with sensitive and reactive skin, since there is generally less massaging and tugging involved in the application as opposed to using a cleansing gel/milk.

The texture of the oil is relatively light, and it is quite easy to manoeuvre on the face. However, it doesn’t emulsify very well and leaves the face rather filmy and greasy. A face wash is a must in getting all the oily residue off the face. Overall it doesn’t work nearly as well as a few of the other products I have tried, including RMK’s Cleansing Oil, which is among my favorite cleansing oils.

– Lotion Confort Silky Soothing Toner

This alcohol-free toner has an emollient feel on the skin, but it does not feel filmy. It conditions the skin well and doesn’t irritate my skin. Some of the moisturizing ingredients are sodium PCA, alpha glucan oligosaccharide, hydrogenated castor oil and butylene glycol.

This toner should suit most skin types but I think some people with oilier skin types might find to be too emollient. Overall this product works a lot better for me than Huile Confort, but I still prefer Lancôme’s Tonique Douceur, which is less emollient and more calming. I am not considering picking up the full-size product at the moment, but it can be a reasonable backup for me if my preferred toners are discontinued.

Foundation Face-Off: Chanel vs. SUQQU

Chanel Irréelle Blush in Tea Rose

Chanel Ombre D’Eau Eyeshadow in Bay

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Skincare Review: Elizabeth Arden Intervene Radiance Serum & Night Cream

by PJ on Saturday, March 14, 2009

in -Elizabeth Arden, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others

(Elizabeth Arden
Intervene Timefighting Radiance Serum)
(images from Elizabeth Arden)

Elizabeth Arden‘s Intervene is the brand’s range for addressing the first signs of aging and is targeted at those in the thirties and late twenties. I personally don’t believe in the concept of anti-aging (or other similar terms), and, for me, skincare products are either well or not-so-well formulated when it comes to contributing to the well-being of the skin. The criteria for well-formulated skincare products are virtually the same whether we are 20 or 80, and this is how I approach all my skincare reviews. Today I will be reviewing two new items from the Intervene range.

The Timefighting Radiance Serum can be used day and/or night underneath a moisturizer. It has a relatively light texture and has a very good slip.

One thing that makes this product stand out from most of the skincare products that I have reviewed is the array of antioxidants that this product contains, such as red clover extract, linoleic acid (an emollient that has antioxidant properties), ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate, tocopherol (vitamin E), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). Also, it features a few anti-irritants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

This product is alcohol-free.

It leaves the skin very smooth and silky, mostly due to the various silicones. Used in the daytime, it can help prime the skin for makeup application. (It can be used underneath the moisturizer, as intended, or, specifically for a smooth foundation application, it can be used as a primer directly underneath the foundation.)

If you are looking for a skincare product with antioxidants, this product can be a very good choice.

(Elizabeth Arden
Intervene Stress Recovery Night Cream)

The Stress Recovery Night Cream is currently the only night-time facial moisturizer in the Intervene range. (The other two have SPF 15.) Some of the main moisturizing ingredients in this product are glycerine, glyceryl stearate, butylene glycol (humectant), hydrogenated polyisobutene, and cetyl alcohol (fatty acid).

The product doesn’t feature as many antioxidants as the serum, but it still has red clover extract, tocopherol (vitamin E) and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E).

This product is also alcohol-free.

The texture of the cream is light enough for most skin types and it moisturizes the skin well, leaving the skin soft and conditioned. If you have oily skin, it can be slightly too rich for you. However, the good spreadability of the product means you can easily apply as little as you want. (Alternatively, you can try the serum reviewed above as a very lightweight moisturizer.)

Overall, both products are well-formulated and they have the consistency that should appeal to most skin types. (But the Night Cream, with its jar packaging, will not retain the efficacy of antioxidants as well as the Serum.) They should also work fine for some sensitive skin types, but do note that both products have fragrance.

Other skincare reviews:

Crème de la Mer

Själ

Nude Skincare

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Skincare Review: Själ Mineral Källa & Kura Intuitif

by PJ on Friday, February 20, 2009

in skincare, skincare - cleansing/toning, skincare - moisturizing/others

(images from www.sjalskincare.com)

Själ is a high-end skincare line featuring a concise range of products, with a cleanser, toner, a serum, two facial moisturizers, and an eye cream. (“Själ” is a Swedish word meaning soul.) Today I am reviewing the Mineral Källa Energy Tonic and Kura Intuitif Cellular Repair Cream from the range.

– Mineral Källa Energy Tonic (above)

Currently the only toner from Själ, Mineral Källa comes with a spray dispenser. Some of the key ingredients are rice bran extract and ginseng extract.

The product contains benzyl alcohol. When it is towards the top of the ingredient list, it can irritate the skin. But, as it is second to last on the ingredient list of this product, it is very unlikely to cause skin irritation.

Overall the toner sinks in fairly easily, but, compared with one of my favorite toners, Lancôme’s Tonique Doucer, I feel that Mineral Källa is slightly less calming.

The product does not contain parabens.

– Kura Intuitif Cellular Repair Cream

It is the more emollient one of the two facial moisturizers from Själ. Some of the moisturizing agents are squalane, borage seed oil, glycerin, grape seed oil, and a small amount of shea butter and mango butter. It is alcohol free.

Even though the product is targeted at those with dry or very dry skin, the texture is not overly dense or balmy.

One thing worth noting is that both products contain a small amount of gold and silver. Even though it is one of Själ’s main selling points, there are some potential issues with these ingredients. Gold could be a skin irritant and there is no research showing that it has benefits when applied topically on the skin. Also, while silver does have disinfecting properties, it should not stay on the skin for a prolonged period of time. (Information from Paula Begoun.)

I think the two products would have been better formulated had these two ingredients been left out. The Energy Tonic would have suited most skin types and the Cellular Repair Cream, with its soft and smooth texture, would have suited those with normal or dry skin.

Redefining Skin Types

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Skincare News in Brief: Bulgari and Issey Miyake

by PJ on Wednesday, February 11, 2009

in -Bulgari, skincare

– The Bulgari skincare line, which was launched in 2007, will be launched in the US soon. It will be available in 12 Neiman Marcus stores in March and in Bergdorf Goodman in April. (Please have a look at the article at WWD for more information.)

– Issey Miyake has ventured into the skincare market by launching La Crème de L’Eau, which was formulated by Shiseido Laboratory. It will be launched in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. It will contain a 50ml jar and a 10ml travel-sized jar. (Please see this WWD article for more information.)

Bring It Back (Sooner)!! Bulgari Skincare

Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert

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Can’t Live Without: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

by PJ on Thursday, February 5, 2009

in _Can't Live Without, -Elizabeth Arden, bodycare, bodycare - handcare, skincare, skincare - moisturizing/others, stash focus

(This is an update of a previous post, after which I launched the “Can’t Live Without” series.)

Some of you might have read about the heavy snowfall in the UK this week. (It is the heaviest in the last two decades.) With the low temperatures and the drying indoor heating (and all the contact with water from washing my hands), my nail cuticles can be very dry and sometimes even a little sore.

Two years ago I got a 5ml sample of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream at the counter. I tried it on my cuticles and it worked very well (even better than the L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream I had been using). Later on, a friend of mine was traveling to the US and asked me if I would like her to pick up something. Knowing that it was much cheaper in the US (16 USD in the US and 19 GBP here at the time), I asked her to buy it for me. Even though I do use other items occasionally, I always come back to this when I need some serious moisture.

As most of you know, it is a dense semi-transparent orange-colored gel-cream. (I have tried using it as a lip balm. It works fine, but the smell is a little overpowering.) It contains moisturizing agents like petrolatum, mineral oil, castor seed oil, and corn oil. (I like the fact that it does not contain fragrant plant oils, such as lemon oil or orange peel oil, as they can irritate the skin.)

I am suspecting that one of the reasons that it works well to soothe sore cuticles is that it contains salicylic acid, which is an anti-irritant. (Apart from salicylic acid, petrolatum is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.)

Because of the dense texture, I only use it before bedtime, on top of my Garnier hand cream. (I don’t feel that I need to use it more often than this.) Out of all the products I have used on my cuticles, I think this one works the best to keep them moisturized and protected.

The Eight Hour Cream can work as a multi-purposed product, but, I think, even if I just use it as a cuticle cream, it is worth the purchase (well…if I can get it from the US…). Plus, a 50ml tube will last a very long time…

My Beauty Weakness: Cute Cuticle Oils

Can’t Live Without: Dove Body Silk

Can’t Live Without: Starbucks Napkins

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