Here are some of the products I’ve emptied in the past couple of months!

🌟 Jumiso All Day Vitamin Clean & Mild Facial Cleanser

My skin did not have any reaction to the product’s fragrance. The cleanser’s Salicylic Acid and Ascorbic Acid left my face noticeably brighter after rinsing off. The gel texture of the product lathered really well and cleansed my skin without stripping moisture. 

🌟 The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

While this product may not be for sensitive skin and those starting to explore actives in skincare, I’m amazed how effective this product was in getting rid of blackheads and exfoliating my skin, as if I went to have a facial done. A little amount of product goes a long way. 

🌟 Isntree Green Tea Fresh Emulsion

The emulsion was lightweight but moisturizing enough without being heavy or greasy on the skin. It worked well as part of both my morning and night skincare routine. It is packed with a good balance of moisturizing and skin-calming ingredients. 

⭐️ Glow Monster Centella Essence + 2% Niacinamide 

This product provided enough hydration to my skin but works best if layered with other occlusive products. I noticed that the product soothed my skin more rather than brightening it. With 250ml of product, this lasted me for more than 6 months of daily use!

⭐️ Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Medicated Whitening Lotion (Moist)

It did not feel heavy, and my skin felt instantly hydrated. While I bought this to fade some dark spots on my arms with the product’s Tranexamic Acid, I did not notice any improvement but the product hydrated any rough and dry patches on my elbows and arms. 

👍 Innisfree Apple Seed Cleansing Oil

This cleansing oil emulsified while rinsing off. The fragrance of the product is quite pleasant but maybe sensitizing. While it has Apple Fruit Extract that gently exfoliates the skin, I did not notice any drastic difference in my skin. The oil is quite viscous and may feel heavy, especially for oilier skin types. 

👍 Aromatica Soothing Aloe Vera Gel 

This product did not have any fragrance but left an herb-like scent that lingered on the skin. It hydrated my skin without making it sticky, and the flip-top tube packaging makes dispensing the product more hygienic. 

Follow me on Instagram (@brokeforskincare) for more product reviews!

Products I’ve Recently Emptied

Aside from having a skincare routine, what   other practices and changes have you incorporated in your life to have good skin? 

For me, I find that using silk pillowcases helps as it’s not rough as other fabrics on my face when I’m sleeping. Also, drinking a lot of water, exercising, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep is important.

I’m really interested to know your tips! 😄

What are your habits/lifestyle changes for good skin?

Hi there! I’m curious to know what are your holy grail sunscreens from Korean and Japanese skincare brands? 

I really love Biore’s UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF50+! It’s very lightweight and absorbs really fast into my skin. I have oily skin so I don’t mind the alcohol in the formulation and my skin can tolerate the fragrance.

Any Asian Sunscreen Recommendations?

Kose Suncut Super Water Proof Perfect UV Protect Gel VS Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence (2019 Formula)

Overall, these are two great Japanese sunscreens with their own strengths. I would recommend the Kose Suncut for people with oily skin who want a fragrance-free formulation and natural finish from their sunscreen. I would recommend the Biore UV for people who want a healthy glow and extra hydration from their sunscreen. 

What are your Japanese sunscreen recommendations? Share them in the comments! ❤️ 

Follow @brokeforskincare on Instagram for more product reviews! 

*Own purchase

Japanese Sunscreen Showdown 🇯🇵☀️

Hi there! I’ve seen brands such as Innisfree  and Missha with products marketed towards men, distinct from their “regular” skincare lines, that has more “masculine” packaging with darker shades of green and blue. 

Personally, I haven’t tried these products but make me wonder how effective these products are for the concerns of men’s skin. As a guy, I don’t mind using products that are not labeled exclusively for men as I focus more on the ingredients of the products.

What are your thoughts on these products? For the guys out there, have you noticed a difference in using skincare made for men as compared to regular products or is it all marketing?

Skincare marketed and labeled “For men”

✅ Alcohol (Ethanol / Alcohol Denat.), fragrance, and essential oil-free.
✅ Formulated with 8 types of Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Panthenol, and Oat Kernel Extract
✅ Hydrates and repairs the skin barrier

I’m not usually drawn towards products that are solely focused on hyaluronic acid since the ingredient can be formulated in products with actives that can be more effective for my skin concerns, but this product impressed me!

The essence does not have a noticeable fragrance. When dispensed, the product is translucent and has a viscous texture. I use the product as a serum and it leaves my skin plump and hydrated. To maximize the formulation of the product, I either apply toner/essence or pat some water on my face before layering the essence. It did not irritate my skin nor did it cause any burning sensation upon application. 

I saw the efficacy of the product’s claim in repairing the skin barrier as I noticed that my breakouts calmed down when used together with other products such as retinoids and skin calming ingredients. I usually use 3 to 4 drops of the product on my face, but I think 1 to 2 drops would give enough hydration and prolong the use of the product as it can be quite pricey. 

This is such a great hyaluronic acid-based product as it has a well-rounded formulation that helps in skin barrier repair. A holy grail product indeed! 👑

❗️The cleansing oil has a thick texture. I find that 1-2 pumps of the product aren’t enough for me to smoothly massage my face while cleansing. While the product has 200 ml, I have used 1/4 of cleansing oil as I usually use 3-4 pumps for my hands to glide easily on my skin. 

❗️The product has a faint citrus scent as it contains Orange oil and Lavender oil which may irritate sensitive skin. 

✅ Alcohol-free (Ethanol / Alcohol Denat.)
✅ Soothes skin with Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Green Tea Leaf Extract, and Aloe Leaf Extract.
✅ Moisturizes skin with Squalane and Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

I’m currently using this as my oil cleanser and I love how well this immediately emulsifies with water. Formulated with 14 plant oil ingredients such as Grape Seed, Soybean, and Olive Fruit, the product claims to have “99.73 detergency” to cleanse the skin of sebum, blackheads, makeup, and dirt. While I haven’t seen how well the cleansing oil removes makeup, I like how it removes the sunscreen (or the weight of heavier sunscreen formulations) on my face. 

*Purchased. All reviews are my own opinion.

❗️Contains fragrance that reminds me of wet/baby wipes
❗️Short PAO (Period after opening) of 2 months 
Once the seal of the product is opened, the sheet masks are only good for two months. Thus, it’s best to use the masks every day or at least every other day. 

✅ Soothes irritated skin with Chamomile extract and active components of Centella Asiatica
✅ Hydrates skin with Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, and Glycerin 
✅ Free from alcohol denat.  
I like treating myself to a sheet mask to calm myself after a long week so the idea of using one every day made me excited to try this product out! 
The individual sheet masks are folded in a hard plastic box that has a flip cover and comes with a pair of tongs to pick the mask. I like how the masks are initially sealed with a cover that can be opened with a pull tab. However, the cover has a similar material to the box itself can be quite difficult to open.  
The sheet mask itself is a thin cotton-like material that adheres well to the skin. The essence hydrates the skin but isn’t as viscous/thick as I hoped it would be since there are times that when I leave the mask for almost 20 minutes, the mask already dries up. However, since it’s quite hot and humid where I’m from, the sheet mask doesn’t feel stuffy on the skin and offers the right amount of hydration to the skin. Nevertheless, my skin feels plump after using the sheet mask and I can still layer my serums on top of it. I also notice that it does soothe some of the redness and spots on my face. I did not experience any irritation on my face. 

The mask can be quite tricky to unfold since it’s thin.

This has been one of the thinnest sheet masks I have ever tried. Since the sheet mask is thin, it allows for more of the essence to be absorbed by the skin. As someone who has oily skin, it hydrated my skin really well and can be layered with other products that boost the skin’s hydration like hyaluronic acid. It's definitely a holy grail product for me! 👑 

*Products were sent to me in exchange for an honest review. 

❗️When I tried applying more than 2 layers of the serum, the product started to pool into droplets on my eyelashes which stung my eyes a bit. Even though the product feels lightweight, it’s advisable to only apply 1 to 2 layers.

*This product was sent to me by @romand.ph as part of the try-on event for the Han All Lash Serum. Posting a review was highly encouraged but not required.  
✅ Lightweight watery gel formula does not feel heavy on the eyelashes and did not cause my eyes any irritation. 
✅ Formulated with 6 different peptides and black bean extract to nourish the eyelashes’ keratin for lash length and thickness.
✅ The applicator coats eyelashes evenly and the ball tip can deposit the serum on the lash line and lower lashes. 

This lash serum exceeded my expectations! When I saw the ingredients of this product, I was a bit skeptical about how effective it would be since it didn’t have castor oil, an ingredient commonly seen in other lash serums. Throughout the trial period, I saw how the serum helped my eyelashes become longer and the individual lashes looked thicker. I apply this at night and it did not feel heavy nor irritating to my eyes. I love how lightweight the serum’s formula is as it doesn’t clump when applied and doesn’t have a noticeable scent. Overall, I see myself repurchasing this as it’s effective for my eyelashes!