OK we know or we’ve learned about most American, French, Korean, Italian and UK beauty brands and this app seems to be a marketing tool for Korean beauty industry. But what about LOCAL beauty brands? I mean products manufactured in YOUR COUNTRY. Personally I have tried Japanese (Shiseido) Australian (Trilogy, INIKA Jurlique) Turkish (Golden Rose) Swiss (Weleda) German (Lavera, Logona, Art Deco, NIVEA) Danish (Urtekram, NUUD), Spanish (Montibello) Russian (Natura Siberica) and Canadian (The ordinary). 
Could you recommend some beauty care products from your country? I’ve heard good things regarding Thai beauty products for example but I don’t know any of their brands / products.
And then (if you want) I can tell you about my country’s beauty brands. 😉

What about LOCAL beauty brands?

It occurred to me that most of my HOLY GRAIL type of products are of European Origin and more specifically French Dermocosmetics, the ones which are marketed & sold mostly through pharmacies & dermatologists.
During the last 18 months I tried 9 Korean products, 5 products from American Brands and around 15 European ones.
Everyone’s dream products may be different, for me I like products that make you see the EFFECT ALMOST INSTANTLY, even if it is a quick fix that can make a difference in the appearance.
I’m still searching for: exfoliator, eye cream, retinoid, anti aging serum etc. but from the total 10 skincare & body care products which I use daily, I love and not willing to change because they worked out so well, literally transformed my skin:
3 are 🇬🇷 dermocosmetics
7 are 🇫🇷 dermocosmetics          
This does not mean I have concluded that European are better, and I’m  willing to continue trying Asian & American brands for the products I have not yet decided on, but still wondering if Korean & American skincare may be overrated to a large extent?
Skin type: mature, dry, dehydrated & CONGESTED
Interested to hear your experience

European vs Korean vs American

Yes, Caudalie Vinopure line is the answer to my prayers for getting rid of adult acne & getting a clear, smooth, healthy looking skin
First, few words about my skin condition: Mature, dry but still GONGESTED skin.
On March & April 2022 I had a terrible sudden burst of cystic acne. Unexplainable boots of oiliness. My dermatologist said it is due to menopause, hormonal imbalance & stress.
After decades, I had stopped believing in skincare miracles and then I came across Caudalie. A brand I knew for many years but didn’t trust due to their ingredients being almost 100% natural and having many essential oils in all their products.
Most cysts were gone by May 2nd but still I had a couple of cysts appearing every month plus terrible oiliness & congestion. I started on July 28th 2022 and by Aug. 2nd my skin had completely cleared. No more blemishes & cysts, oiliness reduced & congestion almost gone. Only PIH marks remain. Skin is clear, SMOOTH & SOFT.
I would appreciate it if you could read my reviews for the Caudalie Vinopure products & if you find them useful you can add an upvote only for the posts to be more visible. I really don’t care for upvotes or points. I just want to help people like me who struggle with adult acne, clogged pores & thirsty skin at the same time.
Of course everyone’s skin is different, but I’m a big advocate of these products as my skin was and still is extremely difficult to treat plus the results were astonishingly good & fast!
You can also write about your experiences with the Vinopure range.

Caudalie Vinopure is the answer

- Nothing bad about the product. It’s perfect.
- Unfortunately, no availability in my country and generally it’s difficult to be found in E.U. With the new rules regarding shopping outside EU, it’s difficult to purchase from Asian or American on line stores (even Amazon) without extra costs like high VAT tax or customs fees. I would like the company to try and expand the availability in EU countries as there are several small stores in every country which carry Korean products.

+ Does brighten the skin but that’s not the best thing it does
+ Fades every kind of redness (PIE, eczema, irritation, dermatitis) FAST
+ Fades brown spots too
+ Prepares the skin for the application of various skincare products
+ Boosts hydration 
+ Evens the skin tone
+ Helps in calming irritations & breakouts
+ Boosts the Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule efficiency
This excellent product entered my life 15 days ago when I was experiencing a rare breakout caused by a new cleansing balm. My skin is dry, mature but unfortunately, after all these years, still CONGESTED. After a long period of clear face suddenly -  when started this new cleansing balm -  I found myself with many comedones, 2 large blemishes & 3 cysts!
After using this product together with the SKIN10014 MADAGASCAR CENTELLA TONE BRIGHTENING CAPSULE AMPOULE for 15 days I noticed:
Yes,it did brighten my skin but I had experienced skin brightening like that with several other quality products, but this one does so many other things like:
Every kind of redness I had (mostly PIE) faded fast
My 3 brown sports also faded for the first time
Helped slightly with hydration, which is very important as I’m trying to get over a phase of dehydration.
Evened out my skin tone
Calmed down irritation & breakouts
Boosts the efficiency of the Centella Tone Brightening Ampoule
My skin after 15 days has calmed down, PIE marks and redness are reduced by 70%, skin tone is so improved that I can go out with out makeup & my dehydration therapy is accelerated. In fact I’m so satisfied from the results, that I’m thinking to replace 2 Korean products I was using  (the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence & PURITO’s Centella Unscented Serum) with SKIN1004 products as the quality & the efficiency of the Tone Brightening line is so much better.
The ingredient list is simple but impessive: 90% pure concentration of Centella Asiatica extract from Madagascar known for its soothing & calming properties. Also madecassoside, an ingredient sourced from Centella that sooths and brightens the skin. Niacinamide is one of the first listed ingredients too and I think most of you already know it and use it. Then, there’s a combination of some popular moisturizing, soothing & barrier support substances such as glycerin, panthenol, allantoin, betaine. Lastly a mix of several fruit extracts like apple, papaya & grape helps with skin cell renewal.
The texture is very simple, watery, transparent, no fragrance or color, looks & feels like water. There is not a pleasant hydrating or soothing feeling when you put it on your face, it’s literally like pouring water on your skin. But don’t ever confuse the feeling with results. There are some brands (like KORRES) that make their formulas with one purpose only: to give a very pleasant feeling during application. But with no noticeable skin improvement. This toner has no special feeling but you see visible results! I suggest that you don’t use a cotton pad but pour it directly to your palm and pat it onto your skin, it’s reduces product waste & has better absorption this way.
I would also like to point out that this product was designed with attention to every single detail. The paper box is very simple but well designed with a bright white color and velvety feeling, that is subtle luxury. The plastic bottle is also accordingly minimalistic and the plastic is not cheap but of top quality, very smooth when you touch it. The bottle’s nose is designed in a way that when you bend the bottle down only one drop of liquid drops each time so that no product is wasted. The quantity is huge (210 ml) and it will last you for almost a year even you use it twice a day, because 3 drops are enough for the whole face.
I can not recommend this toner enough!
 
I received this product for free from Picky & SKIN1004 in exchange for my honest review
 

- Nothing bad about the product. It’s perfect.
- Unfortunately, no availability in my country and found in only 1 store in E.U.
With the new rules regarding shopping outside EU, it’s difficult to purchase from Asian or American on line stores (even Amazon) without extra costs like high VAT tax or customs fees. I’m now writing an email to a local store carrying Korean products asking them to bring SKIN1004 products to Greece. Would like the company to expand their availability in E.U stores.

+ Brightens the skin but does so much more than this
+ Fades FAST every kind of redness mostly PIE but also irritation, eczema, dermatitis
+ Fades brown spots too
+ Evens out the skin tone
+ Helps with hydration
+ Calms down irritations & breakouts
+ HOLY GRAIL kind of product
I was fortunate enough to get this one when I was experiencing a rare breakout caused by a new cleansing balm. My skin is mature & dry but still CONGESTED after all these years. When I first started the Centella Tone Brightening Ampoule (together with the toner from the same line), I had several comedones around my face, 2 blemishes & 3 cysts. After 15 days I saw amazing results such as:
Brightening, well it did brighten my skin but I had experienced skin brightening like that with some other quality products, but this one does so many other things.
Every mark & redness, mostly PIE marks, faded fast
Evens out the skin tone
My 3 brown spots faded for the fist time
Boosts hydration and helped me fight my dehydration
Blemishes & cysts gone. Calms down most forms of irritation like breakouts but also dermatitis, eczema, redness
Works better together with the toner from the same SKIN1004 Brightening line.
My skin, after 15 days, has calmed down, PIE marks and redness are reduced by 70%, skin tone is so improved that I can go out with out makeup & my dehydration is visibly reduced. In fact I’m so satisfied from the results, that I’m thinking to replace 2 Korean products I was using  (the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence & PURITO’s Centella Unscented Serum) with SKIN1004 products as the quality & the efficiency of the Tone Brightening line is so much better.
The ingredient list is 5 star category: 77% Centella Asiatica exctract known for its soothing & calming properties. Also madecassoside, an ingredient sourced from Centella that sooths and brightens the skin. 4% Niacinamide which helps with most skin conditions especially acne & eczema. 2% tranexamic acid, an expensive ingredient for hyperpigmentation & discoloration. Panthenol, Betaine & Lactobacillus ferment for barrier restoration & support. And a patented new material MADEWHITE TM infused in the hundreds of miniscule white beads which has extreme brightening abilities.
Its texture is a transparent slightly viscous gel with no fragrance or color, absorbed instantly. The bottle is full of miniscule white beads which supposedly carry the MADEWHITE material. I don’t know why the call it Ampoule, it feels like a serum. It has not a special pleasant hydrating or soothing feeling during application. But sometimes we confuse the feeling with results. There are, for example, some brands like KORRES, who make their formulas with just the purpose to give a pleasant feeling but their products do not give visible skin improvement. This ampoule gives you total skin transformation!
I would also like to point out that this product was designed with attention to every single detail. The paper box is very simple but well designed with a bright white color and velvety feeling, that is subtle luxury. The glass bottle is also accordingly minimalistic with a very nice smooth feeling too.
You need only 2 large drops and with that quantity (100 ml) it would probably last you for a whole year.
In general my impression is that the products are on the high end spectrum similar to expensive brands like Shiseido but with a fraction of the cost. I loved the products and want to know more about the company and their other lines.
 
I can not recommend this serum enough! This is a HOLY GRAIL product.
 
I received this product for free from Picky & SKIN1004 in exchange for my honest review

-  leaves a white cast
-  too thick
-  absorbed slowly
-  not suitable for day moisturizer
-  cheap plastic squeeze tube leaves a good amount of product inaccessible when it gets close to empty

+ Immediate & amazing soothing & healing effect
+ Best barrier repair product
+ Multi purpose product (moisturizer, mask, balm, even diaper cream)
+ Suitable for all skin types
+ Affordable & easily accessible
+ not comedogenic
+ formula with simple & quality ingredients
+ HOLY GRAIL type of product
+ the small size is great for travel
A chemical exfoliant, which I was already using for a couple of years, suddenly caused me serious dehydration and I was desperately looking for some strong hydrator and skin barrier repair product.
My first choice was the Origins drink up intensive night mask (green tube), used both as a night mask and PM moisturizer but did absolutely nothing.
After 10 days, I went to the local pharmacy and got the LRP Cicaplast (the small size of 40ml). The first day I used it a night mask applying a thick layer all over. It looked awful, like a clown white makeup, but the next morning it had all been absorbed and my skin not only looked better but also felt softer & smoother (baby skin). Started using it as a PM moisturizer too.
It will not heal you skin immediately but it’s best barrier repair product out there. It’s also extremely accessible (in Europe, in almost every pharmacy) and very affordable, even if it is 10-15€ more expensive outside Europe, it’s really great value for money!
Works wonders for dehydrated skin together with a good hyaluronic acid serum (I use Hada Labo) and a niacinamide serum (I think the Inkey List is the best one).
The texture is one of the thickest, thankfully fragrance free, it leaves a white cast and absorbed very slowly, so it’s NOT suitable for AM moisturizer or under makeup.
The balm is ideal for dehydrated dry or mature and especially sensitive skin but suitable for all skin types even for oily skin and it’s not comedogenic. I have dry, mature but still CONGESTED skin which is acne prone and it did not caused me any breakouts, I would say it helped heal a couple of small blemishes and reduced redness from their scars.
Furthermore, it is a multi purpose cream, that means it can be used to sooth or heal most of other skin irritations such as acne scars, eczema, rashes, itchy skink, winter dryness, atopic dermatitis, it can be even used as a diaper cream! It is also ideal for retinol or tretinoin users.
As for the ingredient list it follows the brand’s philosophy with simple and effective ingredients like:
Vitamin B5 known also as Panthenol (provitamin B5): Moisturizer with anti inflammatory properties
Shea Butter: High concentration in vitamins & fatty acids
Glycerin: Excellent humectant
Madecassoside: Derived from the Centella Asiatica
Dimethicone: Seals hydration.
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water
 
It is the most popular product of the La Roche Posay brand which is marketed by Loreal (the parent company) as the brand that targets a series of specific skin problem conditions. Of course I repurchased it, in the 100ml size this time, and is now a staple in my PM routine.

A bit pricey, especially outside Europe. But think of the small fortune you have spent all these years in skincare that doesn’t work or the disappointment you feel watching your face in the mirror. A clear, smooth, soft & healthy looking skin really worth 30€, 60$, 50.000₩, 690.000rupiah, 185ringgit or whatever.

A product that really keeps its promise. It helps you fight Acne, Oiliness & Congestion.
👍🏼 Immediate & visible results (even from the first day)
👍🏼 Controls oiliness
👍🏼 Prevents future blemishes
👍🏼 Evens out skin TEXTURE
👍🏼 Fights congestion
👍🏼 Lightweight
👍🏼 Not stripping
👍🏼 Glides smoothly onto the skin
👍🏼 Excellent absorption
👍🏼 Gentle & continuous exfoliation
👍🏼 Great spot treatment too
👍🏼 Vegan
👍🏼 Very Small quantity needed
👍🏼 HOLY GRAIL type of product
 
My Skin Condition: sudden burst of Cystic acne at 50 years old!! Unexplainable boots of oiliness even though my skin is dry. Dermatologist said it is a combination of hormonal imbalance & stress.
Anyway, my skin  has always been congested
How can a serum with 100% natural ingredients can be more effective in fighting acne than dermatologist prescribed medicine containing adapalene & benzoyl peroxide?
I put a tiny amount onto a pimple in the early stages of forming and onto another pimple, a fully formed cyst, the size of a chick-pea. Didn’t rub it, just left it there overnight. Next morning, the small pimple had completely vanished and the cyst had been reduced by 50% I couldn’t believe my eyes. I used to put Epiduo Gel recommended by my dermatologist which contains 2 of the strongest anti acne ingredients (0,1% adapalene + 2,5% benzoyl peroxide) and it did nothing.
For information purposes, I will add some things regarding texture & ingredients. For me all these are of little importance as this serum not only worked but did miracles for my skin. Not only blemishes & cysts are gone but the skin is SMOOTH & SOFT.
It’s a very lightweight transparent gel-cream which glides smoothly onto the skin and absorbs quickly.
Smell is somewhat strong but 100% natural (fragrance free). I don’t like it, but I really don’t mind at the end, as it helped my skin so much.
A very small quantity is needed, 1 pump is enough for the whole face. So the 30 ml bottle can last for several months.
Ingredients are 97% of natural origin. Contains Alcohol, natural Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide and a mix of essential oils such as Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary & Lemon.
This proves my opinion that it’s not the ingredients that matter but the formula. My other HOLY GRAIL products such as La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, Ducray Dexyane Med & La Roche Posay Toleriane Dermocleanser Emuslion similarly have formulas with very simple ingredients.
I used to read all the time that alcohol is bad, natural ingredients don’t work, salicylic acid must be at least at 2% and niacinamide must be up to 5%. This serum proves that all the above are just a myth.
It works better and faster combined with the other products of the Caudalie Vinopure range especially the Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser & Vinopure Purifying Toner.
I strongly suggest to get the promo pack, set of 3 (Serum in full size & generous travel size of the cleanser & toner). If you can’t afford all these 3 products and must choose one I’d say go with this serum.
The company’s commitment to environmentally friendly products (ingredients & packaging) should also be commended.
Sorry for the long review but I really want to help other adult acne sufferers.

👎🏼 does NOTHING for your skin
👎🏼 Not exactly cheap, the 75ml costs 23-25 €. But even if it was cheaper still would be a waste of money 
👎🏼 there are better more effective & affordable alternatives

👍🏼 doesn’t irritate the skin
I wanted something to treat dehydration. Unfortunately IT DID NOTHING. The company says it can be used both as night moisturizer & overnight sleeping mask. I tried both for 10 days and I didn’t see even the slightest improvement.
As you can imagine the texture is on the thicker side, absorbs slowly but the sensation is NOT a greasy or oily one, I would say it feels very nourishing.
I don’t feel the need to mention the ingredients (basically it’s full of plant extracts & essential oils) because the product overall is a waste of money.
In contrast, when I got the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, I saw immediate results overnight.
 
This is one of the products I threw away, even though I cannot afford it, because it was completely useless. I don’t recommend this mask at all, save your money for the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, one of the best for barrier repair.

Redsofia