On one of my latest trips to the Skinfood store in Los Angeles I received this cute little gift set from their Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore line! My natural love of apples already had me eyeing this line, but when I found out it was meant for oily skin I couldn't wait to test it out!
FLASH FACTS
Brand » Skinfood
Product » Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore Toner, Emulsion
Size » 160ml each
Cost » $18 USD each
Website » eng.theskinfood.com
Would I purchase the full version? » Toner? No. Emulsion? Probably not.
The first thing I want to mention is that I LOVE the way these smell! They're just like fresh tart apples mixed with something sweet and clean and the scent is very refreshing! The toner has a noticeable alcohol smell though, as many toners do, but it isn't overwhelming. They both come out clear from the bottle.
For years I tried western brand toners and always HATED them because they stung, dried out my skin, and overall left my skin feeling damaged and uncomfortable. No matter how many different brands I tried, it was always the same result. So, I gave up on toners altogether. However, once I discovered Asian skincare I realized not all toners are evil! My skin is in much better condition than it was years ago, so that might be a reason I'm relatively okay with toners now, but so far I've only liked toners from Asian brands.
That being said, the Fresh Apple toner didn't sting my skin even when I applied it during a breakout which really surprised me. It also doesn't dry out the surface of my skin and leaves it feeling fresh and extra clean. I still don't find toners to be all that necessary as long as you properly cleanse your face, but this is one I would consider using on occasion. I do not love this toner, as I've never found a toner I love (even with Asian brands), but I like it for the simple fact that it keeps my skin less shiny.
The emulsion is a bit stickier and a little thicker than the toner (as it should be). It feels fresh and light on my face throughout the day. Be cautioned though, if you put too much of this emulsion on then it won't be good. I've found that you just need a slight amount to layer on the skin and it will indeed help with sebum control, but if you put a little extra it will have the opposite effect and your skin will end up feeling heavy and even more oily than before!
Now, let's take a look at what Skinfood says to see if these measure up!
Skinfood claims:
Toner: A carbonated toner with fresh unripe green apple extract that cleanses soap residue and
skin impurities while tightening pores.
Emulsion: An emulsion with fresh unripe green apple extract and carbonated water that controls
sebum production and tightens pores.
Check and check! I'm never too convinced with products that are supposed to help with sebum control (because many don't work), but these honestly kept my face less oily not just for a few hours, but for the ENTIRE day! As long as you go easy on the emulsion, at least for me, the effects were far greater than I expected. On one occasion my skin wasn't oily at all the whole day while wearing these which was a total shock to me. This only happened once, but on average these help a bunch with keeping my skin less oily.
On the downside, these seem to be slightly and slowly dehydrating overtime so it is not a good idea to skip your daily moisturizer while using these (that's not a good idea anyway). It's not that my skin has gotten dry and flaky, but I have noticed that my skin feels dehydrated from deep within. My lovely readers mentioned in the comments that this is probably due to the high alcohol content in the toner (emulsion, too) and I absolutely agree! That is the unfortunate reality of many toners and as I mentioned before, I'm still not convinced that toners are necessary as long as you use a good daily cleanser. To end on a positive note, I really like the way my BB cream clings to my skin after applying the emulsion. Overall, these smell amazing and really do help with sebum control!
UPDATE: After using these for a longer period of time, they started to clog my pores D: !! Not fun. I would attribute this to the drying effects of the toner on my skin. I still think the emulsion is not to blame, but I can't be 100% sure as I was using both the toner and emulsion simultaneously. If anyone has tried these let me know in the comments. Thanks!
xo,
Great review, I saw these too. I too had problems with Western toners I gave up using them for ages before I got Liz Earles due to no alcohol and it's so lovely but I'd like to try a cheaper Korean version too as long as there is no alcohol ^^
ReplyDeleteHi Kerry! I agree, I think alcohol free is the way to go for most people, especially if you have sensitive skin. As Laura said below, the alcohol in this toner is more than likely the reason my skin was feeling dehydrated after a few days of use. I've also been stressed and haven't been drinking enough water lately so the toner isn't completely to blame lol I'm glad that you found one you love, because so far I haven't! xo
DeleteAhh, be careful! If just plain alcohol is so high up on the ingredients, it might (as you mentioned) be messing up your skin causing it to be dehydrated. You dont' want oily and dehydrated skin, it's a pain because you get the worst of both worlds (oily and dry) ):
ReplyDeleteHi Laura! You're absolutely right! Plus, when your skin is dehydrated it becomes even more oily to compensate. I tried using these with and without a moisturizer to test and when I used my moisturizer my skin feels fine. However, I'm still not really a fan of toners in general. This one is WAY better than any western toners I've tried, but I probably won't buy it and if I did I would not use it everyday. I probably should have said that in my post! Thanks for the tip!! ^^
DeleteIs it just me or does anyone else wants to take a sip of those? Lol. They look like flavored to me. :D
ReplyDeleteI've never really tried any toners O_O western or asian, but nice knowing that they don't work. :D
*flavored water
DeleteHaha I suppose they do look like they could be a shot or something to drink lol but I would advise against trying ;) some people really like toners, but you have to find what works best for you! I haven't been lucky enough to find an amazing one for my skin yet. xo
DeleteHey beautiful! I would like to nominate you for the Liebster Award.
ReplyDeletePlease check it out at Nineteen&!
Wow *__* thanks so much for the kind award! I will post on it as soon as I figure out my answers! lol Thank you!!! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ
DeleteThere's a skinfood store in Los Angeles? :o That's it. I'm moving xD Why can't they have one here on the east coast ;______;
ReplyDelete*sob*
Great review though :3
~Sakura
http://redsakurabeauty.blogspot.com/
Thanks beautiful! And yes come to LA! lol Skinfood, The Face Shop, and Amore are here...now if only an Etude House and Tony Moly would magically appear ╥﹏╥ *sigh*
DeleteDid it make your pores smaller?
ReplyDeletemeishenmeweishenme.blogspot.com
They did make my pores smaller at first, but it wasn't too noticeable. Unfortunately for me though, after a couple months these started to have the opposite effect and clog my pores! :(
Delete