Review: Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore TonerNotice: Any email I received from 14th September 2014 and onwards, I have yet to reply... I will try to reply asap though it may take some time... Deeply apologize for the extremely late response guys! :x

Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner

Description: A sebum control toner enriched with volcanic cluster and green complex, from pure jeju island, that have strong sebum absorptive power to keep skin grease-free. It uses Innisfree's unique Sebum control technology™ to purify the pores and controls the sebum production.

Claims To Do:
- Sebum Control
- Removes impurities and sebum in pores
- Tightens up pores

[4-FREE Formula]:
- NO Paraben
- NO Artificial Colorings
- NO Mineral Oil
- NO Animal Ingredients

Directions: Soak a cotton pad with the toner and gently wipe it all over your face after washing. Make sure to shake it well before use because it contains powder (as seen in the picture below).

Before shake.

After shake.

[Usage Order] Cleanser - Toner - Lotion - Essence

Net Weight: 250ml

Price: ₩18000 (est. SGD$22) / Retail price in Innisfree SG: SGD$30.

Packaging:

The bottle of toner is packed in a rectangular paper box made of recycled materials.

The bottle itself is made of plastic and comes with an aluminum screw-off cap.

The opening of the bottle is well-sealed with a stopper and the toner can be poured out effortlessly from the small opening.

Consistency and Color:

After shaking the bottle, the toner (being poured out) remains clear even though it contained powder. It has a watery texture, neither drying nor oily, and it does not leave skin feeling sticky after absorption.

Scent:
It has a floral scent, which smells really nice. However, I find it's a tad overpowering...

Oil-Control:
The oil control ability of this toner is low-average in my view. For optimum oil-control results, I advise to use together with the rest of Jeju Volcanic products.

Moisture Test:

Before the application of the toner, my skin moisture level was 32.8%.

After application of the toner, my skin moisture level increased to 44.3%.

So there was an increase in my skin moisture.

Therefore, I concluded that this toner isn't drying instead, it hydrates the skin.

Likes:
- the "recycle" concept (save the Earth!)
- not drying; moisturizing instead
- purifies and clarifies skin
- sebum control
- non-oily
- gets absorbed without leaving sticky or greasy layer
- slight cooling sensation upon application
- doesn't break me out
- doesn't irritate my skin
- the floral scent (smells nice!)
- gentle; suits all skin type

Dislikes:
- scent is a bit strong and lingering

Neutral:
- tightens and minimizes the size of pores

Verdict: Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner purifies and clarifies the skin, preventing pores from getting clogged. It leaves skin feeling refreshed without leaving a sticky and greasy layer. It also helps to control and balance the sebum production but it's not too strong that it dries up the skin. With a balanced sebum production means less clogging pores and that helps to reduce pimples occurrence.

I'm not sure if this toner helps to tighten and minimize the pores... maybe it does, but less apparent so I can't tell... But I did realize my pores were minimized after using this toner with the rest of the Jeju Volcanic products. Therefore, if you want to achieve a significant results in pores size and oil control, I recommend to use this toner with the rest of the products from the Jeju Volcanic skin care line. However, I wouldn't recommend to try this skin care line if you have dry skin.

I have oily and combination skin (oily T-zone, dry and normal in other areas). This Jeju Volcanic skin care line controlled the sebum of my T-zone but it also controlled the sebum of my dry and normal areas, which made my dry and normal areas even drier. Hence, in my opinion, this skin care line works best for people with oily skin and not so much for combination/dry skin.

Check out my reviews on other products from the Jeju Volcanic Skin Care Line:

- Jeju Volcanic Cleansing Foam

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Lotion

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Essence

- Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

- Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

- Super Volcanic Clay Mousse Mask

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Review: Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner

Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner

Description(from the box): Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress. AC Clinic delivers trouble care. Skin toner removes pore clogging residues. Non-Comedogenic & Dermatologist Tested.

Directions(from the box): Dispense toner onto cotton pad and use pad to wipe all areas of the face after washing your face.

It comes in a sturdy glass bottle with a twist-off plastic cap.

The opening is perfectly sealed with a foil and this is how the opening looks like after peeling off the foil.

How to use?

After cleansing, moisten a cotton pad or cotton ball and gently swipe it all over the face.

*For illustration purposes,

I pour the toner directly on the back of my hand instead of a cotton pad or cotton ball.*

It gets absorbed into the skin after a few minutes of application.

Consistency & Color:
The toner is colorless and it's texture is light and watery. It gets absorbed without leaving a very sticky layer(as seen from the picture above).

Scent:
Just like other products from the AC Clinic line, it has a medicated/herby scent but it's not overpowering. I love the scent though~

Oil-Control:
Not very effective in controlling oil... Etude House Skin mal:gem toner(Fresh) does a better job in oil control. However, this does not bothers me because I do like how this AC Clinic toner helps to soothe and calm down my pimples. After all, it contains acne-fighting ingredients, salicylic acid and hinoki cypress, which is better for acne-prone skin/troubled skin.

Moisture Test:

Before applying the toner, my skin moisture level is 30.7%.

After applying the toner, my skin moisture level increases to 57.0%.

10 minutes later, I took the measurement again, it dropped to 50.5%.

Moisture gain before and after applying the toner is 26.3%.

The difference on moisture loss after 10 minutes of application is 6.5%.
Quite a lot though... 

But comparing the result taken before applying the toner and taken after 10 minutes,
I concluded that this toner is still pretty moisturizing.

**Above result is just for the application of a toner.**

With application of a moisturizer, I believe the skin will be perfectly moisturized!

Likes:
- non-comedogenic
- contains salicylic acid
- leaves skin feeling fresh, clean and cooling
- cleanses pores/remove pore clogging residues
- gets absorbed into the skin without leaving a very sticky layer
- moisturizes
- not drying
- not greasy
- does not aggravate pimples
- does not cause breakout or irritation

Dislikes:
- does not tighten pores

Verdict: In my opinion, this toner is not very effective in oil control and also, it does not tighten the pores. However, it does helps to soothe and calm down troubled skin without causing any irritation or overly drying problem. It cleanses the pores, leaving the skin feeling fresh and clean. Plus, it helps to prevent future breakout. It's non-comedogenic~~

Though back then, I find this toner drying, I don't find it drying for my skin now. It works perfectly for my skin and I'm loving it! Like other AC Clinic products I have raved and reviewed, this has been added to my holy grail skincare product list too! You can read "My Acne Story" page to know why. I can't stress how much I love the AC Clinic line. Their products had helped to deal with my horrible acne and I'm glad I found them! After trying a bunch of products and wasted hundreds of money, I'm really glad to found products that really work for my skin~! :)

This toner would be a good choice for people who are having trouble with acne/pimples. People who have trouble with acne/pimples, you might want to give this toner and/or other AC Clinic line's products a shot! :)

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Review: Etude House skin mal:gem (Fresh; Oil Control Toner)

Etude House skin mal:gem

Description: 맑음[mal:gem] — the Korean word for cleanness, clarity and pureness. Skin Malgeum hypoallergenic toners promote clean, clear and pure complexion with moisturizing and pore cleansing formulas.

*Fresh: Controls excess sebum while providing enough moisture to keep the skin matte. Bamboo extract and sebum control ingredient keeps the skin clean and fresh.

Directions: Dispense solution onto toner pad and use pad to wipe all areas of face and neck.
*can be use as a facial mist or facial mask
(PS: I won't make any comments about the facial mist and mask method since I have not tried it.)

The toner comes in a matte bottle with a plastic twist-off screwed cap and the opening is perfectly sealed with a foil. The fluid can be easily pour out from the opening of the bottle.

I usually moisten a cotton pad and gently swipe it all over my face. It gets absorbed into the skin after a few minutes without leaving any sticky residue.

Consistency & Color:
Light and watery. Colorless.

Scent:

It smells citrusy when sniff directly from the opening of the bottle. But when pour it out on hand and sniff it, there's a mild hint of floral scent to it. I might be wrong though... lol. I'm bad at describing scent. hah. :x It does not smells bad anyway.

Oil-Control:
It DOES control sebum but of course, not to the extend that you will be totally free from oiliness the whole entire day. My skin still feels oily throughout the day and I still need to blot my face with oil blotters however, I noticed that the amount of sebum has been significantly reduced compared to what I would normally get.

Moisture Test on the back of my hand:

Before applying the toner, my skin moisture level measured 33.3%
After applying the toner, my skin moisture level measured 41.2%.
After 10 minutes later(toner got fully absorbed), I took the measurement again, it dropped to 40.6%

Moisture gain was 7.9%.

The difference on moisture loss after 10 minutes was only 0.6%.

which I concluded that this toner is pretty moisturizing.

**Above result is just for the application of a toner.**

With application of a moisturizer, I believe the skin will be perfectly moisturized!

Likes:

- 5 free formula: Free of Paraben, Artifical dye, Benzophenon, Mineral oil, Animal material

- controls sebum

- pore cleansing

- moisturizes

- gets absorbed into the skin

- not sticky at all

- does not cause breakouts

- leaves skin feeling clean, fresh and cooling

- the scent

Dislikes

- does not help to shrink the pores...

Seriously, there's nothing much I dislike about. :)

Verdict?: I have already finished using this toner and it does works as what it claimed to do — "controls sebum yet at the same time provides moisture to the skin". It leaves the skin feeling clean, fresh and cooling upon application. On the downside, I don't think it helps minimizing the pores though...I didn't see a difference in the size of my pores. 

Anyway, this toner is perfect for Summer season, for people who live in hot and humid country and also for people who have oily skin. 

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Review: Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion

Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion

Description: Contains 3 types of Hyaluronic Acid that deeply penetrates the skin(epidermis) to nourish and help restore skin's barrier to prevent moisture loss.

The 3 types of Hyaluronic Acid:

• Nano Hyaluronic Acid - with molecules size of 1/20 of HA, easily penetrates into the skin innermost layer to deeply moisturize the skin.
• Super Hyaluronic Acid - with 2x the moisture retention capacity of HA to keep skin hydrated & smooth for a longer period of time.
• Hyaluronic Acid(HA) - 1gm is able to hold 6 litres of water, effectively locks-in moisture on skin.

Claims to do:

- Instantly hydrates skin and helps preserve it's optimum moisture balance.

- Replenishes and locks-in moisture for complete hydration. skin feels significantly soft and supple.

- Helps improve dry and dehydrated skin, leaving it silky smooth.

- It is free of fragrances, mineral oil, alcohol and colorant. Skin pH balanced. Low irritation.

Directions: Use twice a day after cleansing face. Apply on palms and gently pat onto skin until thoroughly absorbed.

Actually... I bought the wrong item. I thought this was a moisturizer however it turned out to be a toner. -_- In Japan, lotion means toner. lol. However, I did not regret buying this~ FYI, this product is one of the top-bestsellers — 1 SOLD EVERY 4 SECONDS in Japan! Wow that's insanely fast. O_O

Unlike most of the toners I have used back then..., this is really impressive! It hydrates the skin really well and gives skin a bouncy feel. I used rose water, which also provides moisture for the skin, as toner in the past(long long time ago~). However, I can say that this Hada Labo SHA Lotion hydrates even better! No, is way much better! But of course, the SHA hydrating milk hydrates even better than this. LOL. After all, hydrating milk is a hydrating moisturizer while this is a hydrating toner. If use both Hada Labo SHA lotion and hydrating milk together, the hydration level is MIGHTY! XD

Consistency and Color:
Liquid-y and colorless. It does not leaves a sticky layer once absorbed into the skin.

Scent:
It's fragrance-free!

Likes:
- hydrates the skin
- lightweight
- gives bouncy effect to the skin
- not sticky
- does not leaves a sticky layer once absorbed into the skin
- 3 types of hyaluronic acid formula~
- no fragrances, mineral oil and alcohol
- no harsh chemical = no side effect!
- friendly packaging - easy to pour out the lotion without much effort
- refill pack available

Dislikes:
- NONE! Absolutely love the toner~

Once you finished the bottle, you can purchase the refill pack which is I think SGD$4(?) cheaper than the one which comes in bottle. :D The refill pack is one of the top-bestsellers too! — 1 SOLD EVERY 2 SECONDS in Japan! Σ(￣。￣ﾉ)ﾉ

I believe you guys know how bad my acne was in the past yeah yeah~? If you are new to my blog, you can check out "My Acne Story" link at the navigation menu bar at the top of the page for more details on my experience with acne. I used to get breakout in between improvement so after changing my skincare range from acne-fighting products to SHA hydrating products, my breakout stopped. I still do get breakout during "that time of the month"(life being a girl -.-) but other than that, no more breakout.

Uhmmm...I'm not saying that these products are something which cure acne because well...after all this product line focus on "hydrating" instead of "troubled skin". However, in my situation, I believe"lack of moisture" is the root cause of my acne. On the other hand, I mentioned before that I have dry skin as well... so that's why hydrating does helps me to keep my acne at bay~ Now you know why I really love Hada Labo SHA line/products. XD

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Related Posts:

• Hada Labo SHA Face Wash: [link]
• Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Milk: [link]

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