Toners are a must in my skincare routine simply because I love the satisfaction of seeing a clean, and even a dirty, cotton after cleansing. The assurance that I start afresh with no dust or residual product and oils is comforting. In this sense, Aromatica's Sea Daffodil Aqua Toner did its job and quite well. Strangely, it still took me months to finally decide if I liked the product or was just chugging through something at hand.
Aromatica's description:
Enriched with USDA approved organic aloe vera leaf extract(93%), AROMATICA's Sea Daffodil Aqua Toner helps to provide rich moisture to the skin.
AROMATICA's upgraded-aqua-formula provides rich moisture to the skin and helps control excess sebum, leaving your skin feeling moisturized and re-balanced.
This refreshing toner is especially suitable for sensitive skin, formulated without any hazardous chemical ingredients.
Directions
After cleansing, apply a moderate amount to cotton pad and gently sweep it over face and neck.
Ingredients
*ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, POLYGLYCERYL-10 LAURATE, POLYGLYCERYL-10 MYRISTATE, VERBENA OFFICINALIS EXTRACT, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS LEAF EXTRACT, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PANCRATIUM MARITIMUM EXTRACT, AQUA, BETAINE, ALLANTOIN, **CITRUS LIMON FRUIT OIL, ADENOSINE, **CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) PEEL OIL, **CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA OIL, **CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA FRUIT OIL, **CEDRUS ATLANTICA WOOD OIL
* CERTIFIED ORGANIC, ** NATURAL ESSENTIAL OILS
Toner 130 ml / 6.7 oz
Aromatica (Korean retail): ₩19,000
Aromatica (American retail): USD $27.00
Peach & Lily: USD $23.00
Packaging
Aromatica does "transparency" literally and figuratively well. A frosted glass bottle with a twist-on cap. Underneath the lid is a plastic seal which corresponds to a holed-stopper for better control while dispensing toner. The label contains a surprising amount of information in multiple languages. Lot number, manufacture dates, and expiration dates are very clearly printed on the bottom as well.
(Side note: It seems the brand updated the label designs so I am not 100% sure if the new one is as detailed).
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The liquid is colorless but has a very strong orangy citrus scent that doesn't linger much after application. It feels just like water, leaving no tackiness or residue. Skin becomes softer and has a matte finish yet isn't overly drying.
How I Apply
Use after cleansing the face, twice a day. Pour about 6+ shakes worth of toner onto a cotton pad and wipe over my entire face and neck.
Thoughts & Recommendations
I am not bothered by Aromatica's Sea Daffodil Aqua Toner mostly because I bought it at a steep discount ($10 baby~). When I think about whether I like it enough to repurchase at full price though is the time I struggle to gather my opinions together for it.
At $23 per bottle, I guess I would be paying mostly for the glass bottle, the organic aloe leaf extract, and the fact that it is made mostly of aloe and not water. The toner really does what I want it to do well—wipe away remaining debri and oil. It is satisfying to see yellow, build-up like things on a cotton (especially in the mornings when I only wash with water). The second important thing is it isn't drying or sensitizing. I haven't broken out from it either.
All that said, I don't quite think it is as nourishing and hydrating whilst sebum-controlling as Aromatica says it to be. My skin definitely doesn't feel dried out after using but also isn't deeply moisturized. To believe those claims whilst using would probably leave me very disappointed.
The bottom line is if I were looking for a toner that is far more hydrating, I would look elsewhere with my $20+. If I don't mind having something else in my routine for moisture and only want something that effectively wipes my face clean yet is not mainly water, I would give this a second go around.
In the new world of what makes a cleanser acceptable, Rose by dr. dream's Mild Natured Powder Cleanser seems to be a good compromise between the past and the present trends. The brand is supposedly created by a large plastic surgery clinic brand in South Korea who promises the product to be gentle, pH-balanced to best suit the human skin, and without any harsh additives or unnecessary fillers. I think I have finally gathered my thoughts for this cleanser after months of on and off use.
dr. dream's description:
Soft bubbles (rose fragrances), Moist, Sensitive.
Hypo-allergenic powder cleanser that cleans dead skin cells, waste, and sebum in pores.
Hypo-allergenic powder cleanser forms soft bubbles during cleansing, which does not contain any artificial coloring, preservatives, and sulfate. Enzymes like papain and corn starch gently remove dead skin cells and waste in pores for deep cleaning. Rose stem cell and trehalose help skin to be moist and clear after cleansing.
Directions
Clean hand, take appropriate amount and lather soft bubbles, gently massage in circular motions, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
Ingredients
ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH, SODIUM LAUROYL SARCOSINATE, NIACINAMIDE, ROSA HYBRID CALLUS CULTURE EXTRACT(1PPM), PAPAIN, BROMELAIN, ALLANTOIN,TREHALOSE, DIPOTASSIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, PARFUME
Cleanser 70 g
Dr. Dream (Korean retail): ₩38,000
Peach & Lily: USD $38.00
Packaging
Opaque bottle with a flip top cap and a small opening to dispense the powder cleanser out via shaking. I would have preferred if it was a little translucent if not transparent since it would allow me to actually see how much product is left. Otherwise, the actual method of dispensing isn't an issue for me.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The powder is white and seemingly soft out of the bottle. It has a strong rose scent that lingers for as long as the cleanser is on the face. Most of the powder acts and spreads like corn starch would on dry hands by leaving a velvety finish. A small portion of the powder is made up of more granular hard bits that don't break down even with the addition of water. I find the cleanser only likes the teeniest amount of water to give a slight lather or else it is immediately washed away rather than dissolving into any form of cleansing solution. A foaming net or cup does create foam but it isn't very dense and dissipates quickly.
When lathering and cleansing with only my hands, this cleanser leaves a very smooth and squeaky clean feeling on both my hands and face. I also immediately start to feel tightness if I don't moisturize soon after. When foaming with a contraption, the cleanser still leaves a squeaky clean feeling but my face doesn't feel as tight nor smooth.
How I Apply
Exfoliating + Cleansing // Wet my hands. Shake the bottle about 10 times onto one palm. Use the other wet palm (but not dripping wet) to rub against the cleanser and create a soft lather. Proceed to gently rub my face and rinse the product off.
Cleansing // Put a tiny amount of water into a foaming cup. Shake the bottle about 10 times to get the powder cleanser into the cup. Pump to create a light and fluffy foam. Scoop out the foam, gently rub my face, and rinse.
Thoughts & Recommendations
Like many Peach & Lily sample sale items, I purchased this cleanser completely blind. No researching and no review read ups made beforehand. Heck, I didn't even look up the ingredients or how-tos after opening the product up and started to use it. This I think is a part of the reason why I did not like the product for a very long time.
Without any pre-conceived notions placed in my head and based purely on how I thought the cleanser should be used, I flat out did not like how the cleanser made me feel. My hands and face felt a little too squeeky clean. It did not help that the powder cleanser did not give me much lather whilst feeling kind of gritty and not fully dissolvable. The longer I waited between the cleanser and toning step, the tighter my face started to feel.
I kept at that style of cleansing for a while until I remembered I had a foaming cup. It solved the biggest issues I had which was the lack of foam and hard bits. It lessened the squeeky clean finish too. But the foam wasn't very dense no matter how much more or less powder cleanser I added. The foam would disappear before I felt like I gave my face a good rubbing.
After some researching, I realized the Mild Natured Powder Cleanser is probably closer to a exfoliating cleanser with the included papain and bromelain (both enzymes found in papaya and pineapple respectively that has uses in skincare for exfoliation related purposes). Perhaps the squeeky clean feeling I felt wasn't just because the cleanser was too strong or heavy in surfectants like I had thought. Maybe it was just my face being relieved of some of the old skin and pore gunk?
I use the cleanser much differently now that I am armored with the new information. Rather than constantly giving myself daily exfolation (when I don't use the foaming cup), I use it every other day or every two days in place of a chemical exfoliant. Since I don't like the foam it gives, even when forced, I have just abandoned using it purely as a cleanser.
My skin does still feel squeeky clean but I have started to see that my face is also smoother when using than not. Also, since I am not essentially scrubbing my face daily it doesn't feel as sensitive as when I was in the hating phase with this product. The only thing I can do to help with the tightness I get after using the cleanser is to moisturize well.
I wouldn't recommend this for people looking for a gentle cleanser as the brand suggests. Those who want an exfoliator that isn't an AHA or BHA may find this intriguing as it is less harsh and irritating. People with drier skin may not enjoy the squeekiness and tightness though. As for whether I would repurchase, I am still deciding that myself to be completely honest. It is nice now that I have discovered the perfect use for it but there are so many other exfoliators I would like to try too.
The logical side of me wants to say it was a coincidence and give it an excuse. Glow Recipe suddenly announced they were clearing everything that wasn't their own creation. Krave Beauty surprisingly has a pop-up in NYC and items sold-out online were available in-store. My sunscreen stash was close to depleted. I finally spotted Flowfushi's Moteliner that many on Youtuber rave about on an unplanned beauty store visit at St. Mark's.
If I am honest with myself, this monstrosity of a haul is 100% retail therapy. The months of April and May were some of the hardest times for me emotionally and everything, including taking care of myself, were barely things I had the spare care for. As the days passed and I needed to adapt to a new sense of normalcy, I turned to the things that brought small joys in my life to give me an excuse to mentally escape...even if that means I may have overindulged. Timing of the what companies were going through just fueled me a teeny bit.
Glow Recipe's Glow All Out Sale:
J.ONE Black Jelly Pack
make p:rem Radiance Me. Cleansing Water Oil
RoseRoseShop:
Clio Waterproof Pen Liner Kill Brown - Gray Brown
Clio Waterproof Pen Liner Kill Black
Etude House Proof 10 Gel Pencil Liner - Dark Cacao
Missha Ultra Powerproof Pencil Liner - Black
BANILA CO. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm - Nourishing
Healing Bird Scalp Clear Cleansing pack
A'PIEU Madecassoside Ampoule
COSRX Propolis Light Ampule
Laneige Cream Skin Refiner
Laneige Anti Pollution Two Tone Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++
A'PIEU Cicative Zinc Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++
Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50+ PA++++
Dr. Jart Every Sun Day Mild Sun (Enjoy Edition) + Dr. Jart Dermaclear Micro pH Foam
Goodal Mild Protect Natural Filter Sun Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++
Dermatory Hypoallergenic Sun Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++
Shibuyala:
FLOWFUSHI Moteliner - Navy Black
Krave Beauty's Naked Nolita Pop-up:
Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser
Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA + mini freebie
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief
Krave Beauty The Beet Shield
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