Skin type: combination, acne prone
Climate: humid subtropical
Other products in skincare routine: Tretinoin cream 0.05%, Skin1004 hyalu-cica water-fit sun serum, Mediheal vitamide brightening toner pads
AM routine: wash with plain water, mediheal vitamide toner pad and/or kikumasamune high moist lotion, melano cc essence (3-4x a week), kikumasamune emulsion with yuzu, skin1004 sunscreen if going out
PM routine: micellar water if sunscreen, facial cleanser, cure natural aqua gel (1x a week or less), kikumasamune high moist lotion or keana face mask, kikumasamune emulsion, tretinoin (3-4x a week)
**Sometimes I apply the vitamin c products at night as well on the days I’m not using tretinoin.
Products from left to right:
Kikumasamune high moist lotion –
I’m currently about to finish my fifth bottle. I had really bad acne around 10 years ago, and I tried so many different products that didn’t help. My friend recommended this toner to me saying hydrating and repairing the skin barrier helps with acne, and I can confidently say this toner really helped with my acne. I have stuck to Japanese products since then. It’s a very hydrating milky toner that comes in a huge bottle for a pretty affordable price. The bottle typically lasts over a year for me. It leaves a dewy finish but isn’t greasy. Unfortunately, it does leave a slightly sticky finish that doesn’t go away, which might not feel great in humid weather. It’s only sticky if you touch your face though, and it’s not uncomfortable otherwise. The sticky feeling doesn’t affect layering or the products after that. It also has a controversial sake smell that might take some getting used to, but I love it and have definitely screwed it open just to take a whiff… it’s only strong for the first few seconds and goes away pretty quickly. I’m not sure if this helps with brightening, but I count on it for hydration more than anything. I also love that it comes in a bottle with a pump, because I dislike having to flip open a cap and squeeze or pour things out. Verdict: this is my ride or die, and I already purchased my 6th bottle. I’m also interested in trying the glossy moist lotion (red bottle) in the future.
Kikumasamune emulsion –
I’m currently about to finish my third bottle. Bottle is pretty big as well and lasts me about a year. I don’t really like the feeling of actual moisturizers on my skin, especially when it’s hot and humid, so I switched to this emulsion. It’s also a very hydrating product, like a lightweight watery cream. One to two layers of this is generally hydrating enough for me even with my tretinoin. It dries quickly into skin and leaves a dewy finish as well. Similar to the toner, it has a sake scent and leaves a slightly sticky feeling on skin. I don’t see any obvious brightening effects from this either. I do like that this comes with a pump. Sometimes it does shoot out farther than expected, and I have to be more careful about how much force I use. Verdict: another fave product, will definitely repurchase in the future. I don’t think I can ever return to actual moisturizers after having emulsions.
Kikumasamune emulsion with yuzu –
I’m currently on my first bottle. I did not know about their yuzu products (toner and emulsion) until I saw this emulsion at Don Quijote in Asia! I haven’t found it on other websites other than Amazon Japan, so maybe it’s more exclusive to Asia? I like their original emulsion so much that I had to purchase this to try. I’m super impressed by how huge this bottle is, and I use it on my face and body. It’s very similar to the original emulsion: lightweight watery cream that dries quickly, leaves a dewy finish, and there’s a slightly sticky feeling that lingers. It has a very citrusy scent and smells like a kumquat to me. I’m surprised there’s no sake scent at all, but the scent is pretty good and also goes away quickly. Yes, I did screw it open just to take a whiff because I like it that much. I don’t know much about yuzu but apparently it has a lot of vitamin c and helps brighten dull skin. I mostly use it in the morning (to avoid pairing it with my tretinoin at the same time), and it goes well with my other vitamin c products. I also don’t notice any obvious brightening from this, but I have only been using this for about a month. Verdict: Kikumasamune has never wronged me, and I will definitely repurchase this in the future. I thought fermented products would break me out, but surprisingly none of their products have done that to me. I would definitely recommend this emulsion if you want to try their products but can’t stand the sake scent. If you don’t like fermented products and/or can’t stand the sticky feeling then definitely steer clear of their toners and emulsions.
Cure natural aqua gel –
I’m currently on my first bottle. It’s a gentle gommage exfoliator. I’m very inconsistent with physical exfoliation since I use tretinoin, so I only use it once a week or every two weeks. It’s used on dry skin and little white clumps start to form while you rub your skin. It does have alcohol, but I don’t find it stripping or irritating for my skin. It’s safe to use on body as well, but I have only used it on my face so far. My skin is very smooth right after using it, but it doesn’t last more than one to two days… not sure if it’s just my skin. I generally love products with pumps but this one actually sucks, because the product mostly gets stuck on the side of bottle and it’s difficult to get everything out. It’s more on the expensive side as well. Verdict: it’s fun to see the white clumps forming and does leave the skin feeling pretty smooth, but I don’t see much visible change. It might be because I don’t use it frequently or consistently enough. I will not repurchase because of the price and minimal effect on me. Wouldn’t recommend if you’re sensitive to alcohol!
Melano CC vitamin c essence –
I’m currently on my third tube. This was the very first vitamin c product I ever incorporated into my skincare routine, and it definitely made me want to add other products with vitamin c (hence some of the other items on this list). It’s a very small tube, but a little goes a long way. One tube lasts me about six months, and I put it on my entire face instead of using it as spot treatment only. I do notice that it helps fade post-acne marks a little faster and seems to be a good pair with my tretinoin (I used tret for about 5 years and added melano about 1.5 years ago). However, it’s not super quick with fading dark spots and still takes weeks and a lot of patience. Packaging is pretty good at keeping the item from oxidizing. You don’t have to worry about light exposure or all those other factors. It’s slightly oily when you first apply it, but it goes away quickly and doesn’t leave an oily feeling on the skin. There’s not much noticeable scent, maybe a veryyyyy subtle citrus scent. Verdict: I think I’ve used this one long enough and would like to try the premium essence from melano next.
Keana rice mask –
I’m currently on my second bag. I like the packaging (10 masks in a sealable bag, a little less waste). Although they’re all in one bag, they don’t dry out. It does get drippy when you take it out of the bag. The masks are pretty thick but not as stretchy and can easily rip. It fits on my face pretty well and doesn’t slide around. I usually keep it on for 20 minutes or so and then rub the rest on my body. It’s very hydrating and leaves the skin soft and dewy afterwards. It also absorbs into the skin well and doesn’t feel heavy or oily, but I do feel a little sticky. I don’t see any minimization of pores or any effect on my pores in general, but maybe I haven’t used it long enough? I’m not a huge fan of face masks in general and use them only when my skin feels more dry or after I exfoliate and want to use something cold to calm my skin afterwards. I think I feel obligated to use this mask more frequently because I already opened it, so I use it about 1-2 times a week. There’s a very subtle rice scent. It does contain alcohol but doesn’t bother my skin. Verdict: nice but nothing special. I purchased a few bags at once to give it a try, so I still have to finish everything I bought, but I most likely won’t repurchase in the future only because I think there are better masks out there that I haven’t tried yet. It’s hydrating but pretty much all masks are… and I also haven’t noticed any effects on my pores, which was the main reason I wanted to try this product.
Jonetz/cosparade hatomugi skin milk with vitamin c –
I finished my first bottle just this week. I saw this at Don Quijote for a pretty cheap price, which was why I bought it to try (also because I was still looking around for vitamin c products). I saw people saying it’s a knock off for the naturie hatomugi products? It has a nice lemon scent that also goes away after application. It’s very hydrating, even more hydrating than the kikumasamune emulsions, but it does leave an oily and sticky finish and takes a long time to dry as well. If I don’t do the tapping motion for a while, it feels like it just sits on top of my skin and doesn’t absorb much. I only used it on my face for a few weeks when it was winter, but I didn’t like the oily feeling. Maybe it’s not meant for the face at all? I just applied it to my body after that. It’s hydrating enough on my body when the weather is warm, but I need something thicker in the cold. It does feel much nicer on my body than my face and dries way faster. It didn’t break me out, but I don’t notice any brightening effect on my body either. One bottle lasted me about half a year. Verdict: not bad but nothing special, wouldn’t repurchase but I don’t regret purchasing it. It is pretty affordable (converted to ~$5) for a decent sized bottle, and it’s not a bad body lotion.
Not pictured because I didn’t save the empty bottles:
Naturie hatomugi skin conditioner –
I finished one bottle prior to my current 5th bottle of kikumasamune high moist lotion. It also comes in a huge 500ml bottle, lasts a long time, and I often find it for an even cheaper price than the kikumasamune toners. It doesn’t break me out, has no scent, and is very gentle on my skin. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave any feeling afterwards, which I do like. However, it just feels like I’m applying water to my skin and doesn’t feel hydrating even when I put layers and layers of it. I don’t notice any brightening effect or any difference in calming acne as well. I don’t like this type of packaging and had to transfer it to another bottle with a pump. It’s not a deal breaker, but this bottle also feels more flimsy in my opinion. Verdict: not bad but does nothing for me, wouldn’t repurchase. I got bored of it very quickly and couldn’t wait to finish the bottle so I could return to my kikumasamune toner.
Naturie hatomugi skin conditioning gel –
I finished my second tub around February. It has a nice cooling effect, dries quickly, and leaves a matte finish even if you layer it. It also has a very faint medicinal smell that I’m not sure how to describe but I personally like it. It’s definitely not moisturizing enough on its own for me, but I like to use it after the kikumasamune emulsion for extra hydration in the winter. It’s more suitable for oily skin. The tub is pretty small and doesn’t last me very long, especially because it’s not very hydrating on its own and I need to layer it even when it’s summer. I really hate having to dip my finger in, and it feels unhygienic no matter how much I clean my hands before it. I also don’t really want to get a scoop just for this. I like the simplicity of naturie products and how they don’t leave a sticky feeling, but unfortunately they just don’t do much for me. Verdict: most likely won’t repurchase. I do like it in addition to my emulsions, but I think there are better products out there that I haven’t tried yet. My coworker did say my skin was “glowing” and ask what I used. Not sure if this product was the main factor but I ended up recommending it to her (along with other Japanese products).
Kikumasamune bright moist lotion –
I used one bottle around 3 years ago. I wanted to give it a try because I liked the high moist one so much. This one was more hydrating than the naturie skin conditioner but as not hydrating as the high moist toner. It’s very similar to the high moist one otherwise: lightweight, sake scent, dewy finish, a slight sticky feeling but maybe not as sticky as the high moist one. This one would be more suitable for oily skin and/or the summer. I didn’t notice any brightening effects. Verdict: nice but won’t repurchase only because I prefer the hydration from the high moist one more.
by astraintra