I can't believe we're already at the last quarter of the year. Where has time gone? I spent the last couple of months testing out a Japanese skincare brand, V10 Plus, by incorporating their range of products into a couple of my own skincare staples. My skin has been really happy with the whole combination, which is why instead of doing just a review of V10 Plus' products, I've decided to share my current skincare regime! I've got very problematic skin - it's oily, dehydrated, sensitive and prone to blemishes... all in one. Hence, I hope this post will be of help to at least one of you out there who has a similar skin type to mine and are currently on the lookout for new skin-savers to invest in.
(night time only)
I am huge on double-cleansing, even on days when sunscreen is the only product I have on my skin, so a makeup remover of any form is a must in my skincare regime every night.
Soothing Cleansing Milk (S$48, 100ml)
Product Description:
"V 10 Plus Soothing Cleansing Milk easily dissolves sunscreen and even long wearing face make up especially on the eye and lip area. A no-tear Japanese skincare product cleanser blended with Olive Fruit Oil and Corn Oil the aids in breaking down excess sebum, dirt and debris for a clean, smooth and silky skin. A natural skin care product that deep cleans and refreshes skin without upsetting its delicate moisture balance."
My Thoughts:
Even though this cleansing milk claims to remove even waterproof makeup, it unfortunately isn't very effective in removing my waterproof mascara. With that said, the mascara I'm using isn't the easiest thing to remove even with my regular cleansing oil, so I didn't have high hopes that this product would be able to do the job in the first place. However, on days when I do not have mascara on (which is most days of the week, to be honest), I do really enjoy removing my daily makeup with this because as the name implies, it does feel soothing on my skin due to its milk consistency.
"V 10 Plus Soothing Cleansing Milk easily dissolves sunscreen and even long wearing face make up especially on the eye and lip area. A no-tear Japanese skincare product cleanser blended with Olive Fruit Oil and Corn Oil the aids in breaking down excess sebum, dirt and debris for a clean, smooth and silky skin. A natural skin care product that deep cleans and refreshes skin without upsetting its delicate moisture balance."
My Thoughts:
Even though this cleansing milk claims to remove even waterproof makeup, it unfortunately isn't very effective in removing my waterproof mascara. With that said, the mascara I'm using isn't the easiest thing to remove even with my regular cleansing oil, so I didn't have high hopes that this product would be able to do the job in the first place. However, on days when I do not have mascara on (which is most days of the week, to be honest), I do really enjoy removing my daily makeup with this because as the name implies, it does feel soothing on my skin due to its milk consistency.
Step 1: Cleanser
A cleanser is the most basic staple that you should have in your skincare stash. It may sound redundant for me to be mentioning this, but I actually know of people who do not use cleansers at all!
Ceramide Cleansing Gel (S$48, 100ml)
Product Description:
"V10 Plus Ceramide Cleansing Gel is another Japanese skin care product cleanser that is mild and rich in natural ingredients that removes impurities. This natural skin care product also moisturises and enhances the retention of essential moisture which keeps the skin soft and smooth."
My Thoughts:
I think because this cleanser has a touch of peppermint leaf oil, it leaves a slightly cooling sensation as I cleanse my face which I enjoy. Many people with oily skin enjoy using foaming cleansers because they leave the skin feeling extra clean and matte - I used to as well, and I still do every once in awhile. However, while foaming cleansers do make one's skin feel clean, it's unfortunately the result of having stripped away your skin's natural moisture barrier. The right cleanser for our skin type is actually one of a gel consistency, like this cleansing gel by V10 Plus. It not only retains the moisture which allows our skin to mantain a healthy moisture barrier, but it also gently removes impurities so your skin is clean yet unstripped of moisture.
Step 2 & 3: Toner & Essence
Next, I follow up with a toner. V10 Plus does not have any toner (not that I'm aware of), so I'm currently using the Creme Simon Dermo-Hydrating Toner Mist. If you caught my Insta Story, you'd know that I started using this only a couple weeks ago and it has easily become one of my favourite toners to date. I love how it's able to remove every last trace of impurity, while hydrating my skin and providing a slight brightening effect at the same time.
After toning, I move on to essence. Again, if you had caught my Insta Story, you'd know that I broke my beloved SK-II Facial Treatment Essence while bringing my skincare products out for a shoot 😟 As such, I decided it was finally time for me to try out the COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence which I've been so curious about, because it has the same idea of using ferment filtrate for cell renewal, and not to mention it's 1/8 the price of SK-II's. It has only recently arrived at my doorstep though, so I don't know whether or not I'll think it's a good dupe. Main point for this blog post though, is that I proceed on with an essence after toner.
Step 4: Serum
Serums, serums, serums. They always say if you only have enough money to invest in just one skincare product, you should invest in a good serum. Serums contain the most concentrated active ingredient(s) amongst all skincare products, so they're usually the most pricey of the lot as well.
Vitamin C Serum / Pycnogenol Serum / Amino Serum (S$58 each, 10ml)
Product Description:
Vitamin C - "V10 Plus Vitamin C has a lot of good effects. This Japanese skin care product helps the synthesis of collagen in the skin so that the pores are minimized. It is also an anti-acne product that improves skin inflammation due to pimples. When it comes to an effective and safe skin care product regimen, it is advisable to apply Vitamin C directly on the skin rather than oral intake. When Vitamin C is taken orally, some of it is being absorbed and used by other parts of the body whereas when it is applied on the skin, Vitamin C become a more effective skin care product as most of the ingredient is directly absorbed by the skin."
Pycnogenol - "V10 Plus Pycnogenol has a natural ingredient extracted from the bark of the French Coastal Pine in Southern France (Bordeux). This best serum for the skin has a great anti-oxidation effect because it has 350 times more than Vitamin C and 170 times more than Vitamin E."
Amino - "V10 Plus Amino is one of the best skin serum for the skin because Amino Acid is the most important NMF in the horny layer the skin and this Japanese skin care product reproduces the relative proportion of 8 Amino Acids (Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lycine and Glutamic Acid. It also contains 2 other amino acids: Trimethyl Glycine which has a high moisturizing effect and Ergothioncine that has a protection effect on the skin.
My Thoughts:
V10 Plus has 11 different face serums in their line to target various skin concerns. Hence, in order to determine which 3 serums will best suit my skin condition, the company had me fill up a V10 Plus Consultation Sheet which contained 30 questions regarding my skin type, lifestyle and diet. Based on my results, the 3 serums shown and mentioned above are the ones best-suited for my skin at the moment. Because this combination is so personalised, it is of no surprise that my skin has truly been enjoying this "cocktail" and drinking up all these nutrients. In fact, as I'm typing this right now, I'm only left with a couple more pumps of the Pycnogenol - I'm already finished with the Vitamin C and Amino, so these are true indicators of how much I've enjoyed applying these serums on my face. Vitamin C and Amino have the exact same lightweight consistency (as light as water, in my opinion), whereas if you notice from my photo above, Pycnogenol has a higher viscosity in comparison. It surprisingly doesn't leave any sort of greasiness on my skin, but I thought I should just mention it.
Step 5: Treatment
After applying all that goodness on my skin, I can never ever skip my holygrail La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+. This particular product is a true saviour to my blemish-prone skin, and even though my breakouts are a lot more tamed now as compared to a couple years ago before I discovered this hero, I still continue to use this up till today as it also helps to regularly unclog my pores so that (most) pimples will stay away.
Step 6: Moisturiser
Although serums are the most concentrated products, they're usually made of extremely lightweight consistency for our skin's easy absorption. The bad thing about that is that while a serum absorbs fast, it also evaporates fast. A moisturiser is therefore needed to seal in all your hard work from the previous steps.
Deep Moist Gel (S$68, 50ml)
Product Description:
"V10 Plus Deep Moist Gel contains 4 different types of the best moisturizing ingredient, hyaluronic acid. This is one of the best moisturizer skin care product that forms an air permeable layer that effectively penetrates into the dermis thus boosting the elasticity and hydration of the skin."
My Thoughts:
I have a lot of love for the hyaluron family ever since I came to know of this ingredient years ago, as they have been effective in hydrating my oily skin without adding on more grease to it. Although some studies have shown that hyaluronic acid does not actually have long-term benefits for our skin, it does provide temporary hydration and plumping to the skin because of its ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. By containing 4 different types of hyaluronic acid, it means that this moisturiser contains hyaluronic acid in various molecular sizes so as to reach different layers of the skin. When the area around my nose got dry and flaky due to a cold, I found that this gel did a pretty decent job in hydrating the area and stopping it from flaking further. The only downside to me is the price - I find S$68 too steep for a hyaluronic-acid-based product.
Step 7: Sunscreen
(daytime only)
Last but not least, sunscreen. Never ever skip this step in your morning skincare routine, even if you're going to be in an air-conditioned room for most of your day. As long as there are windows, the detrimental effects of our scorching sun will haunt your skin in the years to come.
Sunblock SPF 40/PA +++ (S$48, 30ml)
Product Description:
"V10 Plus Water Base Sunblock SPF 40/PA +++ is a natural skin care protector from both UVA and UVB as well as a best moisturizer product and a skin whitening product. By integrating a gel-network formula and a specially processed UV scatter and UV absorber, TITANIUM DIOXIDE/ ZINC OXIDE, this safe skin care product gives your skin a non-powdery finish. ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, A Vitamin C derivative, restricts melanogenesis and eliminates free radical. This best skin care product can also be used as make-up base."
My Thoughts:
Because this sunscreen is water-based, it is definitely oily-skin approved. I didn't have a good impression of water-based sunscreens, because the ones I've tried (from another brand) made my makeup application go on patchy. This one doesn't do that, thankfully. It also does not have a strong sunblock smell. All in all, I would say this is a pretty good sunscreen that will suit all skin types. The only "bad" thing I can think of is that this sunscreen only has PA+++ instead of PA++++.
Here's an unedited and unfiltered photo of how my skin looks like immediately after applying all the skincare products mentioned above. Well-hydrated without any greasy feel.
{ Availability }
V10 Plus skincare products are available for purchase at exclusive salons and clinics in Singapore. For more information, click here.
Thank you V10 Plus for "feeding" my skin well for the past few months!
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Website: www.v10plus.co.jp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/v10plusjp
Disclaimer: All products featured in this post were sent to me by V10 Plus for review. This post does contain information from the brand itself, but thoughts and opinions expressed above are strictly my own and based on my personal experience. I am neither affiliated with nor compensated by the company.
With love,
Jolynn Lim
My Beauty Road
"Don't forget to love yourself."
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