RoRo Reviews: dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner

Hi everyone, after a quite long hiatus from reviewing stuff, I finally had the time to review another K-beauty product that was continually making waves for its simplistic yet effective formulation designed for people with sensitive skin (like me!). This product was made by the South Korean brand dear, Klairs which only sells cruelty-free products using ingredients gentle and safe for sensitive skin, with no colorants, no alcohol, no parabens and no artificial fragrances.

This product had been sitting on my dresser, unopened and still in its box, for about a year because I was pregnant and I preferred to be as chemical-free as possible. But now that I popped my baby out and I’m not breastfeeding anymore (TMI, sorry!), I finally used this and I can’t stress this enough, I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS PRODUCT!!!!!!

According to dear, Klairs website (http://www.klairscosmetics.com/), the Supple Preparation Facial Toner “balances the skin’s pH level and improves the effectiveness of your entire skincare regime” and “contains some key ingredients” like “Phyto-Oligo which helps to thoroughly moisturize the skin to help resolve skin dryness”, and “wheat amino acids which help reduce inflammation in the skin and provide deep hydration.”

Below is the list of ingredients of the Supple Preparation Facial Toner enumerated in the dear, Klairs website.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Natto Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Arginine, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Beta-Glucan, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lysine HCL, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Copper Tripeptide-1

This toner came in a 180ml dark plastic bottle with a flat dropper cap and a no-nonsense label packed in a brown box which looked like recycled paper. The light beige label included a short introduction of the product in front, and directions on usage, ingredients, cautions and other information one might need in using the product at the sides. The introduction was written in English while the others were written in both English and Hangul.

The toner itself has a watery texture with a slight viscosity. The smell was also light and flowery. When applied on my face, the toner has a slight stickiness but it quickly disappears after a minute once the toner was absorbed by my skin. The smell also didn’t linger and completely disappeared.

My typical routine when using this was after facial cleansing (yes, I do double-cleanse every day since I started wearing makeup), I pour 2-3 drops of this on my palm and I rub my palm together for a couple seconds to spread the product. Then, I place both my palms on my face, lightly patting the product on my skin until it’s fully absorbed. I don’t normally use cotton pads because I’m very frugal when it comes to using skincare products and I feel like I’m wasting some of the toner when I apply it using cotton pads.

I have been using this for the past 3 months and I loved the effect on my skin so far. I didn’t break out, the toner did not dry my skin out, and I feel that the other products I applied on my face afterwards (i.e. emulsion and/or moisturizing cream) were fully absorbed. I can see that my skin became more moisturized now than when I wasn’t applying a toner (GASP! YES, I DID THAT BEFORE!).

Honestly, I don’t have any toners to compare this to because this was the first toner that I ever purchased and used but I’m satisfied with the results. I might try other toners but this would definitely be one of my HG and go-to K-beauty products! The hype is very real, ladies and gents, and with this toner’s simple yet effective formulation, I give this product 4.7 STARS (it is a bit on the expensive side so I deducted 0.3 points)!

If you are interested and not allergic to any of its ingredients, you can purchase dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner at Althea’s website (Philippines): https://ph.althea.kr/ or BeautyMNL’s website: https://beautymnl.com. This product is currently priced at PhP 1,150.00 (the original price was PhP 1,350.00) in Althea, and priced at PhP 1,150.00 in BeautyMNL.

An unscented version of dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner named dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner is also available in both websites and currently priced at PhP 1,150.00.

RoRo Reviews: JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU Skin Oil – All Over Body Nourishment

Confession time! My mom actually bought JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU Skin Oil for herself but I decided to use it first while she’s not using it yet. I noticed that the bottle had been collecting dust in her cabinet for a month since she bought it so I believe I’m actually doing her a favor (ha!). I just had to try this product after reading tons of good reviews.

I decided to use this skin oil as an alternative to my lotion which I apply twice daily since 2001. My current lotion is Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Restore (the yellow one) which I’ve been using for the past 2 years. My initial plan was to use my usual lotion in the morning and the skin oil in the evening to make 4 fl. oz. (118 mL) last a long time.

JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU Skin Oil is a mix of sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), rice bran oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, wheat germ oil, Benzaldehyde (organic compound, primary component of bitter almond oil) and Lecithin (fat, additive for extra moisture and keeps ingredients from separating). There was no mineral oil in this product (a good thing!) so I knew that this will not be greasy on the skin.

The instructions at the back of the label said that this can be applied on the face, hands and body, and can either be mixed with lotion or applied alone on dry spots. Personally, I wouldn’t apply this on my face because wheat germ oil has a comedogenic rating of 5 which means it has a very high likelihood of clogging the pores. So unless you don’t have sensitive skin, your face can tolerate oils with high comedogenic rating, or you want to risk it because of other reasons, then I suggest don’t use this on your face.

Out of all the oils in this product, the scent of almond stood out the most, likely because of the sweet almond oil and Benzaldehyde in the ingredients. The scent also lingered upon application on my skin but disappeared after a few minutes and replaced by the light scent of the other oils.

The skin oil was slightly viscous so it was difficult to apply evenly. Once applied, I observed a slight sheen before my skin fully absorbed the oil after 10 minutes which made my skin non-greasy.

Center photo: A few seconds after application. Rightmost photo: Oil was fully absorbed by the skin after 10 minutes.

I also tried mixing it with virgin coconut oil to lessen its viscosity and the skin oil became a bit easier to rub on evenly. The oils were also absorbed much faster than if I use the skin oil alone. But, the thing with VCO’s moisturizing effect depends on one’s skin type. For some people, VCO actually dries their skin so I would advise that if you want to mix the skin oil with VCO, it would be more beneficial if VCO is moisturizing for you. Also, the comedogenic rating of VCO is 4 (fairly high probability it will clog pores) so again, personally, I wouldn’t apply it on my face except on the lips.

The easiest application for me was mixing the skin oil with my lotion (roughly 3:1 ratio for lotion and skin oil). I was able to evenly spread it on my body and the mixture glided well on my skin. The lotion+oil were also absorbed almost immediately and the smell after a few minutes was that of the lotion I used. This was my most preferred method of skin oil application because a little bit of the skin oil had gone a long way, it took less time to apply on my whole body and was much cheaper (especially if I’m using a drugstore brand lotion) than the first two options.

Photo on right: Lotion and oil were fully absorbed by the skin instantly.

I’ve been using JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU Skin Oil since 1 March 2018 and I noticed that my skin was softer and suppler now than when I was only using Vaseline lotion. My skin stayed moisturized even if I was always inside an air-conditioned room every day, and there were no dry spots in any part of my body. I also thought that the boost in Vitamin E helped in getting rid of my stretchmarks (or at least make them fade faster). I can just imagine what other benefits I might get if I will buy JĀSÖN Vitamin E Skin Oil with a higher IU. The effect wasn’t instantaneous though so patience is important. For the first two days, I started developing little bumps on my legs and acne on my back but it eventually cleared up and so far, no bumps or acne anywhere.

I loved the result of JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU on my skin so I decided to use this product twice daily for maximum skin nourishment. I was also thinking of never giving this back to my mom.

For best results, apply this product on your slightly damp body after stepping out of the shower (pat yourself A LITTLE BIT with a towel making sure you are not completely dry) for your skin to absorb the moisturizer well.

If you are interested and not allergic to any of its ingredients, you can purchase JĀSÖN locally at any Healthy Options branch. JĀSÖN Vitamin E 5,000 IU Skin Oil is currently priced at PhP 375.00.

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Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with JĀSÖN, Healthy Options or Vaseline and I don’t get paid by reviewing their products.

RoRo Reviews: The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Peel-Off Clay Nose Mask

The first time I heard about Korean multi-step skincare routine was mid-2016. I was having a problem with my pimples because although I only get one or two at a time, they were quite big, took too long to disappear and when they did, they always leave a dark mark which takes several months to fade. So I decided to try Korean skincare regimen and bought the products I needed after months of research and reading product reviews. I really didn’t follow all the steps and only did 5-6 steps in the morning and at night. I also applied those 3-step nose packs but rarely (I think I only used nose packs approximately 5 times in my whole life) because I have small-ish pores and I regularly go to my dermatologist for a diamond peel.

BUT my husband was a HUGE FAN of 3-step nose packs so whenever I visit the online beauty shop Althea, I always made sure to buy one or two pieces of nose packs for him. Althea (Philippines) exclusively sells K-beauty products and I bought all my K-beauty needs here because the prices were much cheaper than those being sold in malls. Althea also ships directly from South Korea to Philippines. The cost of 3-step nose packs in Althea ranged from PhP 60.00 to PhP 140.00. That’s quite expensive if my husband will apply nose packs regularly like once or twice a week for a year.

And then, a blessing came! While I was searching for a facial wash in Althea for my husband, I stumbled upon The Face Shop’s Jeju Volcanic Lava Peel-Off Clay Nose Mask! This product was more expensive than a piece of nose pack but had 50g worth of mask to peel off so we knew that we can use this product for a long time before we finish the whole thing. I immediately bought one for us to try and I received the package after a week.

According to The Face Shop’s website, it’s Jeju Volcanic Lava skincare line used “volcanic soil” to “effectively absorb sebum and cleanse the pores”. The peel-off nose mask was part of 13 other volcanic lava products from this skincare line.

The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Peel-Off Clay Nose Mask. Directions (of use), Caution and Ingredients were written in Korean, English and French (I don’t speak French but I think it’s French).

The mask was pinkish-white with a hint of light brown in color. It had a sort of chemical smell with a faint sour note but the smell was not overpowering (I’m really bad at describing smell so please just read on). The texture of the mask was like glue but denser and stickier.

I applied the mask on my nose which was last cleaned using diamond peel 10 days prior. It was actually hard to spread evenly because it was very sticky. Even though the instruction said to leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes, I left the mask on for 20 minutes hoping that more blackheads and whiteheads will stick within those extra 5 minutes. I felt a slight tingling sensation as the mask hardened.

After 20 minutes, I peeled off the mask. Honestly, I thought my nose looked the same except for a slight redness. Upon examining the peeled off strip, I saw fine hairs sticking out. My nose also felt dry and not oily. The mask did absorb excess sebum and cleaned my pores! IT WORKED!

Before (left) and after (right). After 20 minutes, my nose was slightly red but less shiny.

Little hairs sticking out!

Personally, I thought this product was worth it because it did what the skincare line said it would do, it’s pretty cheap and you can use this product for 12 MONTHS! It’s also not irritating on sensitive skin and does not cause new pimples so that’s a huge plus on my book! Just make sure to wash your face and apply your go-to moisturizing cream afterwards to prevent dryness.

If you are interested, you can check out Althea’s website (Philippines): https://ph.althea.kr/. The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Peel-Off Clay Nose Mask is currently priced at PhP 200.00 in Althea. The original price was PhP 300.00. You can also buy this at The Face Shop stores nationwide.

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Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Althea or The Face Shop and I don’t get paid by reviewing their products.

RoRo Reviews: Plant Therapy Essential Oils

My interest with essential oils was piqued when one of my friends introduced the concept of EOs to me when both of us were at this geology conference. I was a first-time mom so between looking after and taking care of my 5-month old baby boy, I lurk around social media which made me aware that some of my social media friends were already using EOs. I recently purchased a Stress Away EO blend from a local online store BeautyMNL as a gift to my husband but haven’t tried it myself since I was currently breastfeeding and was afraid that some chemicals might affect my breastmilk. My friend and I met again a few weeks later at a wedding and she gave me a Sweet Dreams blend which she made specifically for me. I was impressed when I tried the blend. I applied a small amount behind my ears and on my wrists, and I actually had a good night’s sleep that night. I decided to research EOs for weeks and based from what I’ve read, it seemed like using EOs is a good alternative in treating and preventing some common ailments. I was convinced and so I decided to purchase a few EOs myself.

It was my first experience with essential oils so assurance of quality, cost, product transparency, environmental safety and stress-free purchases were important factors in choosing which company I will buy my essential oils from. I knew a lot of people have bought their first essential oils from MLM (multi-level marketing) companies such as Young Living and doTerra so these two were the first brands that I checked.

Upon searching their official websites, I was instantly turned off because I had no interest in signing up and joining their company as a distributor (distributors have discounts). After reading customer reviews of Young Living and doTerra, I instantly disregarded those two companies because of the high price of their EOs and lack of transparency of their products (no test results) in their respective websites.

I searched for other brands of essential oils with good reviews and I was able to narrow my search into four: Rocky Mountain Oils, Eden’s Garden, Plant Therapy and Aura Cacia (which was available here in the Philippines at Healthy Options). These four companies have easy-to-use websites with all their products listed on them and you just have to make an account (no need to join their company) to purchase whichever items you like. Quality-wise and considering environment safety, all of them have great reviews but only RMO, Eden’s Garden and Plant Therapy have essential oil blends made especially for kids. Cost-wise, RMO was the most expensive among the four while Aura Cacia was the cheapest. As for transparency, only Rocky Mountain Oils and Plant Therapy had test results of their EOs available in their website. Product transparency was important to me (it makes me feel at ease knowing that what I’m using is safe for my family) so after spending a few days reading more reviews and researching, I finally chose Plant Therapy.

I made a list of what essential oils my family needed the most and stuck to a budget of around $150.00 inclusive of shipping fee from the U.S. to the Philippines. On January 15, 2017, I set up an account and ordered the following from the Plant Therapy website:

•       1 set of Top 6 Organic Essential Oil at 10ml per bottle
•       1 set of KidSafe Wellness Sampler Set at 10ml per bottle
•       1 bottle of Roman Chamomile at 10ml
•       1 bottle of Geranium at 10ml
•       1 piece of convertible essential oil case for 10ml or 30ml bottles
•       1 piece dilution chart magnet for adults (this was FREE but I had to add this initially to the cart)

The package arrived here at home on January 23, 2017, a day earlier than expected. There was really no hassle in ordering and I can choose which shipping company I want and the type of shipping. As for my order, I chose FedEx over U.S.P.S. although the latter has a cheaper shipping method but had a longer delivery time. Tracking my package was also easy. I was surprised though that I had to pay an extra PhP 560.00 (approximately $11.00) upon delivery.

I have to say that I was quite excited to open the package. All the items were packed well to avoid any breakage as seen on the photos below. I checked each item and there were no damages observed.

Here are the items that I purchased.

The sets I bought came with these nice wooden boxes with a Plant Therapy logo which can be a great gift for your loved ones and friends. Since I bought an EO case, I was planning to just reuse the wooden boxes in the future.

As they should, the EO bottles arrived unopened. The labels were easy to read, with a description and basic instructions at the back. The cap also has a sticker to make it easier for me to get which EO I need from the essential oil case. EOs which were safe for children (i.e. Plant Therapy KidSafe label) were also easy to distinguish so I don’t have to research which oils my son can use. EOs which were certified organic were also noted in the label.

I decided to make two blends using my new EOs:

1.     Hair and scalp massage oil blend for my dad
2.     Muscle ache/nerve pain/rheumatoid arthritis blend for my mom

Of course, I have no idea where to start because I have yet to purchase any essential oil books and the recipe blends I researched online specified many EO ingredients, most of them I don’t have. To remedy this, I decided to email Plant Therapy’s certified aromatherapists where I listed the EOs I currently have and asked for their suggestions on how to make the blends I was planning to do. What I love about Plant Therapy aromatherapists was that they replied within 1-2 days with their recommended recipe so I was able to make the blends straightaway. I also don’t have to concern myself if their suggested blend was safe to use or not, or if my blend and dilution were correct because they are actually certified and properly trained (unlike me!).

So far, I am very impressed with Plant Therapy. They make quality essential oils within my price range and they have their own KidSafe and certified organic line. There were many EOs and EO blends to choose from as well as products used for essential oils (e.g. diffusers, cases, bottles, carrier oils, etc.). The company was also transparent with their EO products’ test results. And if I have a question, I can easily connect with their in-house aromatherapists to help me with my EO queries.

My only regret was that I didn’t order more essential oils and now I have to wait for some of my EOs to run out before I can order again (because the shipping fee was quite expensive!).

If you are interested, you can check out Plant Therapy’s website: https://www.planttherapy.com/.

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Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Plant Therapy and I don’t get paid by reviewing their products. I am just a new EO user and I'm lucky enough that I have no problems with the EO company that I chose. 

Erratum: I previously wrote that I didn't see any products list in Young Living and doTerra website but they ACTUALLY DO have a price list and I was probably just too lazy to remember and recheck that bit when I was browsing their sites. Thank you for my friend, Nicole for pointing that out! Hugs and kisses!