Etude House Darling Cream Review

This Darling Cream is quite special! It contains the latest craze in skin care - snail slime extract. It may sound weird, but it is perfectly safe and no snails are harmed in the process of making it. The extract is not made out of snails, but instead of a sticky slimy trail that they leave when they crawl around. Snail slime prevents a snail from being injured when it crawls over sharp surfaces because it has regenerating properties. There is some scientific research regarding effectiveness of snail slime in treating burns and wounds, and general word of mouth among beauty bloggers indicates that snail creams work quite well, sometimes even miraculously.

So what does it do? Snails creams are touted as being able to stimulate collagen, moisturize, and most importantly, heal acne and reduce post-acne hyper-pigmentation and red marks. They are an all-in-one type of product targeting various issues. My particular concern is acne and red marks. I am less concerned with wrinkles for now, as I have been using sunblock over the years and the sun has been kind to my skin.

For my starter snail cream I chose this Etude House Darling Cream, pretty much on a whim. I ordered it from Pretty and Cute, a Korean skincare store here in the US (not affiliated.) I can definitely recommend this store as it has a good selection of products and fair prices.  I have not read reviews prior to purchasing this cream, so I am not sure what other bloggers think about it.

Etude House is famous for its cute packaging and inexpensive products. This cream comes in paper box containing a 50 ml glass jar and a spatula for hygienic application.

This cream contains 73% snail slime extract and looks and feels like a normal night cream: white and thick.

I use this cream at night as the last step of my routine. It goes on smoothly and is absorbed pretty quickly. I do not use it every day, but alternate it with my AHA night cream. I have been recommended the AHA cream by my cosmetologist against acne, but I do not think that it is that great on its own. I have seen a considerable improvement in my skin over the last three months which I attribute to my new complex routine and constant moisturizing, including the addition of the snail cream.

I can attest that this cream does not cause any breakouts. When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels tight and the redness is always subsided. Sometimes I still get slight inflammation, which this cream keeps under control. Since I have not been using it every day, I cannot say that it is miraculous in clearing acne or whitening your skin, but it is definitely good as a moisturizer for oily, acne-prone skin.

OVERALL: Highly recommended for oily skin. Good moisturizer and does not cause breakouts.

Ingredients: Snail Secret Filtrate, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olfefin), Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Betaine, Stearyl Dimethicone Ulmus, Davidian Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyprhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Soluble Collagen, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Cnidium Officnale Root Extract, Pueraria Thunbergiana Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Lcithin, Polysorbate 20, Sodium polyacrylate, Trideceth-6, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprlyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Water, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Folic Acid, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Raffinose, Tromethamine, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Fragrance

Kose Seikisho Mask White Review

My search for new masks continues: I tried clay masks, cream masks, sheet masks; now it's time for peel-off masks. Specifically, black peel-off masks popular in Asia. They are supposed to be good for cleaning pores and keeping your face exfoliated. They are not as absorbent as clay masks, but act more like glue that adheres to skin and peels off dirt, dead skin cells and other unpleasantness. After some research I chose this Japanese black peel-off mask which is ironically called Mask White: Seikisho Mask White from Kose-USA.

The mask comes in a luxurious 75 ml packaging with clear directions in the back.

 

The mask is charcoal black in color and is of a slightly thick consistency. 

It feels very gooey and can be messy if one is not careful. I apply it with one finger around my t-zone: forehead, nose and chin. My goal with this mask is to dry out my t-zone which can get a little oily and to clear the pores. I try to apply it in consistent thickness making sure it dries properly. I apply it on a clean face, prior to a toner. If I have time I will start with exfoliating in the shower, followed by this mask. If you want to be extra fancy you can finish with a sheet mask or a cream mask depending on your skin type. I use the mask once a week, but you can use it more often.

The instructions say to wait for 20 minutes, but I never actually mark the time. I go read a book before bed or do something else, and wait until the mask is completely dry. If it is not dry completely it is not going to come off easily. While it dries it becomes rather uncomfortable because it tightens your skin, but nothing too terrible.

Now, I heard some horror stories that this mask rips off hairs and is extremely painful to remove, but I personally never experienced that. I guess my pain threshold is very high! However, I would advise to avoid the area around eyebrows or anywhere you don't want to rip out hair. This mask is very adhesive and does feel like a band-aid being ripped off. 

My skin has seen remarkable improvement recently because of my crazy extensive routine, so I am not able to determine if this mask made a significant difference, even after a couple of months of use. My face does feel cleaner right after use and I feel with continuous use it will improve even further. On the plus side, the mask is a lot of fun to use and would be an interesting addition to anyone's routine; on the opposite side, it is expensive showing no amazing benefit right away. I think for my next peel-off mask I will try this Shills Black Mask which seems to provide the same benefit but is much cheaper.

OVERALL: Recommended if you want to try something new. Good for oily skin. Expensive for what it is.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Polyvinyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, PPG 10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Titanium Dioxide, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Coix Lacryma Jobi Mayuen Seed Extract (Job's Tears), Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Bentonite (CI 77004), Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Polyglyceryl 10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl 10 Pentaoleate, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum) (Parfum)