DHC Kakonjuka Lotion, Essence and Cream

Life happens.
Bad, bad blogger!
And that's all you're going to get in lieu of apologies for my prolonged silence.

Today's review is long overdue.
Looong overdue.
Why? I always have a hard time writing exciting things about solid products. You know what products I'm talking about. Those... you know... solid... always dependable... boring... dependable... in simple packages... not earth shattering holy grails, but just... you know... good... dependable.

DHC is such a brand for me. Solid. Dependable. Boring. Doing what it's been designed to do. But utterly unexciting.
If I can't decide what to use, I reach for DHC. I know it's not going to hurt me. I know I can't go wrong with it. I know I can... you know... depend on it.
DHC is like a pair of my favorite shoes. Comfortable, well worn, on my feet day in and day out. Yeah, I have pairs of sexy heels, and fancy sneakers, and classic pumps, but it's the trusted, boring pair of Vans that I end up wearing every day.

So when one day earlier this year I found myself in need of some emergency skincare, DHC was the default brand I went out to buy. It helped that there was a DHC sale going on, too, and I could get every product for more than 50% off. And as we all very well know, cheap is always good. And cheaper is even better.

DHC is a pretty basic brand in Japan. It's available at most drugstores, supermarkets and even some convenience stores, however, the selection of products in stock in those locations tends to be limited. For the full DHC assortment you need to visit its own brand stores, easily found in most shopping malls, or order through the company's website or direct mailing.

If you want to know a bit more about the company, here's a handy link to the "About DHC page" on their international website.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is well known and loved by beauty fans (even those unfamiliar with other Asian beauty products) all over the world. It helps that Lisa Eldridge sings its praises, too.
It's also one of my cleansing staples. I like trying new oils, but always find myself coming back to DHC. So yes, maybe it is my holy grail after all.

DHC in the West is considered to be a mid- to higher-level brand apparently. At least it seems so judging by the ridiculous prices. When I saw the products markups on the international website, I nearly wept. Holymotherofbatman! Speechless!
But as soon as I stopped weeping, I noticed that those DHC products that are no longer available in stores in Japan (for whatever reason), are still sold overseas.

Today's trio belongs to this category. I snagged it on sale, because, seemingly, it was being phased out of in-store assortment in Japan. I haven't seen it listed in the DHC direct mailing catalog either.
You can, however, still order it on the Japanese DHC website. The question is whether or not you'd want to, if you had to pay full price for it?

So, let's try to answer it. Shall we?


And with that in mind, I'd like to introduce today's contestants:

DHC Kakonjuka (or Kakon Juka) line.

Yes, as you've probably noticed, I have this unhealthy habit of buying not just one product from a particular line, but the whole damn thing. All the bits, whether I need them or not.
On one hand it's very convenient, because I can see whether the products work separately, or together, and can determine the best combination for the best results. If there are any results, that is.
On the other hand, good grief! I have too much stuff already! I don't need more skincare products!

Still,  I hate piddling piecemeal, and because they were all on sale, I just got the entire DHC Kakonjuka line:

• - DHC Kakonjuka Lotion (80ml)
• - DHC Kakonjuka Essence (25ml)

and

• - DHC Kakonjuka Cream (30grams).

What the eff is this Kakonjuka anyway, I hear you say.

It's pronounced ka-kon-ju-ka, and means “flower, root, tree, fruit” in Japanese (花根樹果).

With a name like that you'd expect it to be full of extracts and good-for-you natural stuff? Right?
Some bloggers, like Musings of a Muse, fell for this trick and said that Kakonjuka is "all natural skincare".
Of course that's a crock of kaka, as we will shortly see.

Kakonjuka is "all natural" in about the same way that I am an innocent, blushing virgin.

Having said that, it's not a bad line. But is it as great at DHC would like us to believe? Heck no.


Let's start with the DHC Kakonjuka Lotion - 80ml.

Some bloggers were confused why it's called a "lotion".
So here you have it - it's called a "lotion", because that's what we call toners in Japan. It's not a lotion in the western sense. It's a toner. And as most toners, it goes on your face after cleansing to prep the skin for the rest of your skincare products.

Kakonjuka Lotion is supposed to plump and hydrate your face. DHC says that it contains six Asian botanicals to "prepare your complexion for your moisturizer and promote collagen for firmer skin and fewer visible fine lines."
Those botanicals are: maitake mushroom, Platycarya strobilacea, great burnet, purslane, reishi mushroom and licorice.

The lotion has a pretty thick texture. DHC calls it "rich" and "serum-like."  It absorbs completely and doesn't leave a sticky layer. It has a vague earthy smell and is alcohol-free. So that's the good stuff.

Now for the bad. The botanicals are at the very end of the ingredient list, which means they do diddly squat. I guess the only reason they are there, so the company could say they are there.

DHC Kakonjuka Lotion ingredients:

water/aqua/eau, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, propanediol, pentylene glycol, butylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, glycosyl trehalose, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, arginine, grifola frondosa fruiting body extract, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, aureobasidium pullulans ferment, hydrolyzed platycarya strobilacea fruit extract, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, polyquaternium-51, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) leaf extract, sodium hyaluronate, ziyu glycoside I, portulaca oleracea extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, ganoderma lucidum (mushroom) stem extract, ethylhexylglycerin

My opinion:

I noticed decent hydration and zero plumping. Firmer skin and fewer lines? Hahaha!!! Surely you didn't take that product blurb seriously.

So, does it do anything? Yes, it does. It's a very basic, alcohol-free toner that does what a basic toner is supposed to. It's perfectly serviceable, it doesn't make my face erupt in angry cysts, and its fragrance doesn't make my eyes water. In fact, the earthy smell is kind of refreshing.

But if you're expecting fewer wrinkles and other bells and whistles, you are looking at the wrong product.

~~~

Next up we have: DHC Kakonjuka Essence - 25ml.

We have the same six botanicals at the very end of the ingredient list. And we have the same lofty promises of firmer skin. Hahaha!
I'm not going to give you a detailed summary of what each extract is supposed to be doing, because trust me, there isn't enough of any of them to do anything. Except, just like in the case of the lotion described above, justify the product's cute name.

The bottle is tiny, it holds only 25ml of product. But at least it has a pump.

The essence is off white in color, has the same earthy smell and is alcohol-free. It provided my skin with just enough hydration to stay sane during the ridiculously hot and humid Japanese summers.

It didn't break me out, it absorbed completely. It worked with the cream from the same line, as well as with a different set of products. In short, nothing to complain about.

DHC Kakonjuka Essence ingredients:

water/aqua/eau, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, propanediol, ethylhexyl palmitate, pentylene glycol, dimethicone, glycosyl trehalose, glyceryl stearate, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, butylene glycol, bisabolol, behenyl alcohol, polysorbate 80, PEG-75 stearate, phenoxyethanol, carbomer, arginine, grifola frondosa fruiting body extract, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed platycarya strobilacea fruit extract, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, tocopherol, polyquaternium-51, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, glyccyrrhiza glabra (licorice) leaf extract, ziyu glycoside I, portulaca olearacea extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, ganoderma lucidum (mushroom) stem extract

My opinion:

DHC Kakonjuka Essence is a basic, no-frills essence that gives basic, no-frills moisture. Any additional benefits are, more likely than not, purely a placebo effect.


~~~

And finally we have: DHC Kakonjuka Cream - 30 grams.

DHC Kakonjuka Cream intensive face moisturizer "features six nourishing, antioxidant-rich botanicals—used for centuries in Asia—to plump and hydrate your complexion. Promotes collagen for firmer skin and fewer visible fine lines and wrinkles." That's what DHC says.

The cream is again off white and has a "natural" smell. Again, the six trace elements extracts are all present, but highly doubtful they provide any noticeable benefits.

It turned out to be a perfect day cream. It moisturized just enough, it absorbed completely, it left the skin feeling soft and smooth.

It worked great under makeup, it didn't break me out and I didn't notice any adverse reactions.

DHC Kakonjuka Cream ingredients:

water/aqua/eau, dimethicone, ethylhexyl palmitate, propanediol, behenyl alcohol, beeswax, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, glycerin, cylcopentasiloxane, glyceryl stearate, pentylene glycol, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, octyldodecyl myristate, PEG-75 stearate, polysorbate 60, butylene glycol, bisabolol, glycosyl trehalose, phenoxyethanol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, grifola frondosa fruiting body extract, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed platycarya strobilacea fruit extract, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, tocopherol, polyquaternium-51, arginine, sodium hyaluronate, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) leaf extract, ziyu glycoside I, portulaca oleracea extract, olea europaea (olive) leaf extract, ganoderma lucidum (mushroom) stem extract

My opinion:

DHC Kakonjuka Cream, like the rest of this line, is a decent, basic cream that serves a decent, basic purpose.

I wanted to test the moisturizing claims, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.
Here you have the before and after results when using the entire set:

Not too shabby, I'd say.

And if you are interested, here's this test:

Final thoughts on DHC Kakonjuka line:


The Kakonjuka line has turned out to be exactly what DHC is famous for - a solid set of skincare products that are low key, efficient, no frills, and doing, at least partially, what they're supposed to in that unassuming DHC way.

But the packaging... Oh gods, the packaging is awful. Just awful. Looks cheap and trashy.

For all three products I paid the equivalent of US$25.00. There were cheap.
Will I repurchase?
If I have to pay the full price - no.

Sunblocks 2014

Sunblocks are a controversial topic. And it always surprises me, because even the most ignorant person realizes that hot objects can burn us. And even the most ignorant person can tell you that the sun is, indeed, very hot. There's more to it, of course, hot is the least of our worries when it comes to the sun. But at least the heat is something we can feel. The heat is just a warning of the sun's true destructive power. And even a child can tell you that hot objects should be avoided. Else you get burned.
So if someone touches a hot iron, or pours boiling water on themselves for fun and pleasure, he's either into some really kinky shit that I want to know nothing about, or has serious cognitive problems.
Yet millions of people who would tell you that touching a hot iron is idiotic, voluntarily let themselves be fried by the sun. Hmmm...

And that brings us to sunblocks... There's this mistaken belief amongst those millions of people, who like to slowly barbecue themselves, that if they slather themselves in sunblock, then it's ok. The sun is not going to hurt them then. Hmmm again...

And then, there are those, who don't believe that sunblocks are necessary, or needed, to protect us from the sun's deadly rays. They claim there isn't enough scientific proof. Well, you know what? There are people out there who claim there isn't enough scientific proof to support the theory of evolution, either. Ignorance is truly bliss.

And then, there is the question of safety, because there are people out there, who will tell you that sunblocks are full of chemicals that have the potential to kill us. So does aspirin, but they conveniently forget that fact. Hmmm...

Filtry to kontrowersyjny temat. I dziwi mnie to, poniewaz nawet osoba sprawna inaczej doskonale wie, ze gorace przedmioty moga cie poparzyc. I nawet osoba sprawna inaczej powie ci, ze slonce jest gorace. Oczywiscie, to uproszczenie, temperatura to akurat najmniejsze zmartwienie, jesli chodzi o slonce. Ale temperature przynajmniej mozemy poczuc. To nas ostrzega, ze mozemy sobie zrobic kuku. Kazde dziecko to wie.
Wiec jesli lubisz sie przypiekac, badz wylewac na siebie wrzatek dla przyjemnosci i rozrywki, to w zasadzie nie moja sprawa. Gorsze zboczenia sie zdarzaja.
Ale przecietny czlowiek, bez zapedow S&M, wzdryga sie na takie pomysly.
Jednak miliony tych przecientych ludzi z wlasnej, nieprzymuszonej woli, grilluja wlasne ciala na sloncu. No ja wiem, ze miesko z grilla pachnie i smakuje slicznie, ale tu chyba nie o to chodzi. Hmmm...

I tak dochodzimy do filtrow. Wielu z tych ludzi, ktorzy uwielbiaja powolny ruszt na sloncu, jest blednie przekonanych, ze jesli beda uzywac filtrow SPF, to slonce nie zrobi im krzywdy. Drugie hmmm...

Choc nie wiem co lepsze?
Bo sa przeciez i tacy, ktorzy w ogole nie wierza w efektywnosc flitrow. Twierdza, ze nie ma wystarczajaco jednoznacznych naukowych dowodow, ktore potwierdzilyby, ze filtry naprawde chronia nas przed sloncem. Hmmm... Wiecie co? Sa i tacy, ktorzy twierdza, ze nie ma wystarczajaco jednoznacznych naukowych dowodow, ktore potwierdzilyby teorie ewolucji... Na szczescie glupota nie boli.

I wreszcie jest jeszcze kwestia bezpieczenstwa, bo sa ludzie, ktorzy powiedza ci, ze filtry sa pelne makabrycznych skladnikow chemicznych, ktore moga nas zabic. Aspiryna tez moze nas zabic, ale o tym ci maniacy chemicznego bezpieczenstwa juz jakos wola nie pamietac.

My last year's favorites:
Ulubiency zeszlego roku:

I'm not going to explain how sunblocks work, you can get that from wikipedia. Nor am I going to explain why and how the sun damages our bodily organs (yes, skin is an organ, the largest one we have). That you can also either google or find in a physics textbook (hint, look for the chapter on electromagnetic radiation).

I am going to tell you why I use sunblocks and what they do (or, in this case, don't do) for me.

My sunblock adventure started when being treated for a horrible case of adult acne in my late 20s, early 30s. My doctor said flat out, you are taking powerful photo-sensitive meds. You need to avoid the sun at all costs. And if you have to go out, please, for the love of everything that is dear, use sun protection. And she handed me a tube of something that was thick and thoroughly nasty.

Yet the daily habit of putting sunblock on my face took hold and when the adult acne was long gone and the meds no longer needed, I continued to use sun protection. My face can thank me now. From the perspective of the last 15 or so years, I must say that it's been definitely worth it.

You see, the trick to sunblocks is that you need to use them daily for years. And only when you finally hit your middle age, that's when you start seeing visible results. It takes patience. And maybe that's why so many, otherwise perfectly sensible and skincare smart, women tend to give up on sunblocks so fast and so early. But they are mostly young and don't know what us, old broads over 40 know. That those young ones are going to regret their stupidity later on. You can bet your wrinkles on it.

Nie bede wyjasniac jak filtry dzialaja, od tego jest wikipedia. Nie bede tez wyjasniac w jaki sposob slonce niszczy nasze cialo.
Opowiem, dlaczego *ja* uzywam filtrow i co one dla mnie robia.

Moja przygoda z filtrami zaczela sie kiedy walczylam z bardzo zawzietym przypadkiem doroslego tradziku (koniec 20-stki, poczatek 30-stki). Pani dermatolog powiedziala po prostu, ze lekarstwa, ktore biore, zrobia mnie bardzo wrazliwa na dzialanie promieni slonecznych. Musialam unikac slonca za wszelka cene. A jesli unikac nie bylam w stanie, to mialam sie smarowac tym - tu dala mi tubke jakiego paskudztwa. Bylo ciezkie, geste i smierdzialo.

Tradzik zostal wyleczony, ale codzienny nawyk smarowania twarzy filtrami pozostal. Smarowalam sie gorliwie, codziennie, przez prawie 15 lat. Moja twarz moze mi teraz podziekowac.

Niestety, aby zobaczyc wyrazne rezultaty uzywania filtrow, trzeba sie smarowac latami. Dlugofalowo. Zaczac mlodo, a na wyniki poczekac do 40-stki. Nie kazdy jest tak cierpliwy. I moze wlasnie dlatego tyle kobiet, ktore twierdza, ze dbaja o cere pod kazdym wzgledem, tak szybko zniecheca sie do uzywania filtrow. Ale one sa mlode, nie wiedza tego, co my stare baby, znamy z autopsji. I zaloze ci sie kazda zmarszczke, ze te mlode nie-filtrowe, beda swojego lenistwa, badz glupoty, pozniej zalowaly.

Allie is a popular sunblock line (made by Kanebo) in Japan:
Allie to popularna linia filtrow firmy Kanebo:

One prominent Polish beauty blogger was very open on her blog on why she stopped using sunblocks on her body and started using lower SPF factor products on her face. My first reaction was "to each its own".

Oddly enough the same week that woman's post appeared, the US Surgeon General advocated the use of sunblocks with high SPF factors. But hey, what does some American dude who graduated from Northwestern and Harvard know? It's so much easier to trust your friendly beauty blogger who says she is not convinced that sunblocks are the answer, and oh gosh, they might even be harmful. Because she did her research. Faceplam.

And then, because my readers know me as pro-SPF50, pro-PA++++, the emails with questions started pouring into my inbox.

And that's the reason for this post. At the same time, it's also my contribution to the series Kosmetyczne Skarby hosted by the lovely Hexxana.

The question of whether it's sensible not to use sunblocks on exposed body parts and to use a relatively low SPF factor on the face, I decided to direct to somebody a lot more qualified to answer it than me. Namely, my dermatologist.

She likened not using proper sun protection, or not using sun protection properly, to driving in a car without fastening your seat belt. Because I don't need seat belts, if I drive carefully, right? So I don't need a high SPF sunblock, if I stay out of the sun, right?

She also extended the seat belt comparison to make another, quite interesting, point.
Just like buckling up doesn't mean we can start driving around like suicidal maniacs high on Red Bull and acid (everybody knows that seat belts are for extra protection only, right? you still need to drive carefully and obey speed limits), using sunblocks doesn't mean it's ok to go out in the sun and fry your body to third degree burns with a side order of skin cancer. And yet that's exactly what so many people do. They mistakenly believe that slathering a thick layer of SPF50 somehow makes sunbathing OK.

Well, you know what? Let them think that. And let them despair at the tragic state of their skin once they hit their 40s and 50s.

For the rest of us, who know that sunblocks offer that extra level of protection (similar to seat belts in cars, and bike helmets for cyclists) while avoiding direct sun exposure (while driving carefully, while biking safely), it's just a matter of common sense.

And because sunblocks are an important part of our skincare routine, it's worth sharing what we use, what works and what doesn't.

And though in the Northern hemisphere our summer is technically already over, here are my sunblock picks for 2014. And FYI, I use sun protection year round.

Pewna slynna polska blogerka kosmetyczno-lajfstajlowa otwarcie przyznala sie na swoim blogu, ze przestala uzywac filtrow na cialo i ze na twarz zaczela uzywac filtra z przecietnym SPF (juz nie pamietam dokladnie, chyba 25 czy 30). Moja pierwsza reakcja bylo "jej sprawa".

Zeby bylo jednak smieszniej, w tym samym tygodniu amerykanski Surgeon General wydal oficjalne oswiadczenie na temat ochrony przed sloncem, w ktorym zalecal uzywanie filtrow z wysokim SPF. Ale co on tam wie? Skonczyl Harvard i Northwestern i jest najwazniejszym autorytetem zdrowotnym w USA, ale ja go nie znam. On bloga kosmetycznego nie prowadzi, a ja wole wierzyc slowom mojej ulubionej blogerki. Bo ona zna sie na rzeczy, zrobila wlasny risercz i nie jest przekonana o efektywnosci filtrow. I twierdzi, ze nawet moga byc szkodliwe. Faceplam.

Jako ze chyba wszyscy wiedza, ze ja glosze ewangelie wedlug sw filtra SPF 50+ PA++++, sypnelo mi mailami z pytaniami co o tym sadze. Pytania zignorowalam (bardzo przepraszam), bo nie uwazam sie za osobe odpowiednio wykwalifikowana, zeby na nie odpowiadac. Zamiast tego, skierowalam je do kogos, kto zajmuje sie problemami skory zawodowo, czyli mojej pani dermatolog.

Ona porownala nieuzywanie filtrow, lub uzywanie ich niepoprawnie, do jazdy bez zapietych pasow bezpieczenstwa. Bo po co, skoro jezdze ostroznie? Wiec po co mi filtr, skoro unikam slonca?

Ale jej analogia miala rowniez druga czesc.

Kiedy zapinamy pasy w samochodzie, to nie znaczy, ze wolno nam jezdzic jak wariaci na haju (bo pasy to tylko ochrona dodatkowa, nadal musimy byc ostrozni za kierownica). Tak samo kiedy smarujemy sie filtrami, to nie znaczy, ze mozemy bezkarnie smazyc sie na sloncu do skwarka, z rakiem skory jako gratisowy dodatek. A tak wlasnie wiele ludzi postepuje. Mysla, ze skoro wysmarowali sie SPF50, to moga sie opalac.

Ale niech sobie mysla. Pogadamy znowu, kiedy beda po 40-stce.

Dla reszty z nas, to oczywiste, ze filtry to tylko dodatkowa ochrona, tak dla bezpieczenstwa. Tak samo jak pasy w samochodzie, czy kask dla rowerzysty. Nadal musimy unikac slonca (jezdzic ostroznie).

Wiem, ze wiele moich czytelniczek uwaza podobnie, i dlatego warto jest dzielic sie naszymi doswiadczeniami odnosnie filtrow. Stad tez ten wpis. Jest on rowniez czescia serii Kosmetyczne Skarby u Hexxany.

Wiec choc lato na polnocnej polkuli juz sie skonczylo, to tutaj moje filtry na rok 2014.
(Tak, uzywam filtrow przez caly rok).

On the left we have a very serviceable Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel SPF50+ / PA++++, which I use only for my body. It's the only Hada Labo sunblock that I find acceptable. But it's too sticky and dewy for my face. And when I tried it, it broke me out to the point of madness. On my arms and legs, however - perfect.

Po lewej mamy zwykly Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel SPF50+ / PA++++, ktory uzywalam jako filtr na cialo. To jedyny filtr Hada Labo, ktory u mnie jeszcze jakos ujdzie. Ale jest za lepiacy i za mokry na twarz. Kiedy eksperymentowalam z nim na twarzy, skutki byly oplakane - wysyp jakich od lat nie widzialam. Ale na rece i nogi  sprawdza sie swietnie.

Good points: it's cheap - around 800 yen plus tax.

Bad points: see above. 

Plusy: tani, okolo 800 jenow plus tax.
Minusy: wyliczone powyzej.

***

Next up we have Nov UV Shield EX SPF50+ / PA++++. I very briefly tried this sunblock last year (my friend was a fan) and I kind of liked it. So last May when I was shopping for sun protection, I decided to give it a chance.
It was an instant hit. Formulated specifically for sensitive and breakout prone skin, it has saved me this summer.

Kolejny zawodnik to Nov UV Shield EX SPF50+ / PA++++. Probowalam go na szybko w zeszlym roku (uzywala go moja kolezanka) i wydawal mi sie fajny. Wiec w maju tego roku, kiedy poszlam na zakupy filtrowe, dalam mu szanse.
Natychmiastowy hit. Formula specjalnie dla cery wrazliwej i sklonnej do wysypow. Po prostu uratowal mi twarz w lecie tego roku.

It's perfect for humid weather, or I suppose, for oily and combination skin in normal climate. It's nearly matte, doesn't leave a white cast and is super gentle. I used it extreme weather conditions (over 30 degrees Celsius and 99% humidity, in direct sunlight, while wearing a hat, though) and it survived buckets of sweat, held my makeup together, didn't break me out, and offered truly outstanding levels of protection - not a speck of tan on my face.

Jest swietny na wilgotne, parne, upalne dni. Mysle tez, ze sprawdzilby sie znakomicie dla cery tlustej i mieszanej podczas zwykej pogody. Jest niemal matowy, nie bieli sie i jest bardzo delikatny.
Mialam go na twarzy podczas ekstremalnej pogody (ponad 30 stopni i wilgotnosc 99%, bylam w pelnym sloncu, choc na glowie mialam kapelusz). Wytrzymal strumienie potu, makijaz mi nie splynal, nie wysypalo mnie, i co najlepsze - zero, absolutnie zero opalenizny na mojej twarzy.

Good points: see above.
Bad points: it's pricey - about 2500 yen plus tax.

Plusy: zobacz powyzej.
Minusy: cena, tubka okolo 2500 jenow plus tax.

***

Next up is Anessa from Shiseido. Anessa is a classic suncare line that does not need any introductions in Japan. And as Shiseido products are usually very hit or miss for me, Anessa has been consistently great.

Kolejne filtry to Anessa firmy Shiseido. Anessa to klasyk przeciwsloneczny, ktory jest znany chyba kazdej Japonce.
Produkty Shiseido sa troche w kratke dla mnie, ale Anessa to stuprocentowy hit.

The small tube, that's a promotional size of Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen. Next to it we have Anessa Whitening UV Protector. Both SPF 50+ / PA++++.
Light, delicate, with zero white cast. And with superb sun protection power. I have used these two nearly all summer long in very harsh sun conditions. When I had to go outside and spend a long time in the sun, Anessa would provide the heavy duty protection I needed. And it worked. Not a speck of suntan on my arms.

Good points: see above.
Bad points: can be a bit pricey.

Mala tubka to promocyjna wielkosc Anessa Perfect Essence Sunscreen. Obok mamy pelnowymiarowa Anessa Whitening UV Protector. Oba lekkie, delikatne, nie biela sie, maja SPF50+ i PA++++. Super ochrona przed sloncem. Uzywalam w lecie podczas silnego slonca. Zrobilo, co mialo zrobic. Czyli - chronilo. Zero sladow slonca na skorze.

Plusy: wymienione powyzej.
Minusy: cena nie nalezy do najtanszych.

***

And now it's time for Alice:

I czas na Alicje:

DHC Suncut Q10 50+ Aqua Gel - seriously, they couldn't come up with a longer name?
I admit, I bought this SPF 50+ / PA++++ sunblock just because I thought the packaging was cute.
Luckily, the product inside didn't disappoint me either.

It's a very light gel, though it might still be too rich to use on the face for some people. I use it on my arms and legs and other exposed body parts that need to be protected from the sun.

DHC Suncut Q10 Aqua Gel SPF50+ / PA++++ juz chyba nie mogli wymyslec dluzszej nazwy? Kupilam, bo podobalo mi sie opakowanie, przyznaje sie bez bicia. Na szczescie produkt mnie nie rozczarowal.

To lekki zel, ale nadal moze byc zbyt tresciwy na twarz dla niektorych ludzi. Ja uzywalam na ramionach, nogach, itepe.

Dries clear to a satiny finish, doesn't leave any white cast, just another solid Japanese sunblock. This one also touts its skincare benefits.

Good points: see above, reasonable price (around 1500 yen, if I remember correctly)
Bad points: definitely product mainly for dry skin. Other skin types might be disappointed.

Wysycha do satynowego wykonczenia, nie bieli sie, po prostu solidny japonski filtr. Ten rowniez chwali sie swoimi wlasciwosciami pielegnujacymi.

Plusy: powyzej, cena przystepna, okolo 1500 jenow, jesli dobrze pamietam.
Minusy: cery inne niz normalna i sucha moga byc rozczarowane.

***

Next up is Astablanc Day Care Perfection UV SPF50+ / PA++++:

Kolejny filtr to Astablanc Day Care Perfection UV SPF50+ / PA++++:

Astablanc is a mid-range skincare line, from parent company Kose, with products that feature astaxanthin, among other things, as well as brightening and skin-tone evening qualities.
This year, I must say, this little tube is my Holy Grail sunblock.
Soft, light, moisturizing, non-sticky, delicate, strong (yes, it's both delicate and strong), it's a facial cream dressed up as heavy-duty sun protection. This is the type of sunblock that high-end western companies try to replicate and fail time and again.

Good points: see above.
Bad points: it's expensive.

Astablanc to linia ze sredniej polki w kierunku w gore firmy Kose. Produkty Astablanc, jak sama nazwa wskazuje, chwala sie astaksantyna w skladzie, i maja ponoc rozjasniajace, wyrownujace koloryt wlasciwosci.

W tym roku ta tubka to moj filtrowy KWC.

Mieciutki, leciutki, nawilzajacy, nie lepiacy, delikatny, silny (tak delikatny i silny), to raczej krem do twarzy maskujacy sie jako filtr przeciwsloneczny.
To dokladnie ten rodzaj filtru, ktory firmy zachodnie probuja zreplikowac, ale nie bardzo im to wychodzi.

Plusy: powyzej.
Minusy: cena.

***

And last, but not least, we have a spray:

I na koniec mamy filtr w sprayu:

DHC Suncut Q10 Spray SPF50 / PA +++. Somebody I know (and who shall remain namless), who saw this sunblock, and of course immediately had to try it out, was so taken with the sprayable form of sun protection that he simply said "it's mine now". And as long as you spray it on you hands first, it can be applied to the face as well.

Some people complained about the scent. Hmmm... That leads me to believe that there might be two versions of this product - one for Japan, and another for overseas markets, because it doesn't really smell at all.

Good points: so easy!
Bad points: can't spray it directly on the face.

DHC Suncut Q10 Spray SPF50 / PA+++ zostal mi zwiniety przez kogos, kto lubi podbierac mi moje kosmetyki pielegnacyjne. Sprobowal i przepadl, oznajmil, ze teraz ten jest jego.
Mozna go uzywac na twarzy, ale trzeba najpierw psiknac na rece, rozmazac na dloniach i potem smarowac na twarzy. Tego procesu nie lubie, wiec po prostu psikam sie na reszcie ciala.

Czytalam na zachodnich blogach, ze niektorym przeszkadzal zapach. Hmmm... Mozliwe wiec, ze sa dwie wersje tego produktu - jedna na rynek japonski, a druga na zachodni. Bo ta tutaj to wcale mi nie pachniala.

Plusy: latwy w obsludze!
Minusy: nie mozna psikac bezposrednio na twarz.

***

Today, I got two more sun protection products, both Lancome UV Expert XL-Shield, Japanese market versions. Hopefully soon I will be able to tell you a little bit more about them.

And of course, all the cushion foundations I use also have a high SPF factor (usually SPF50 +), but since we use such a small amount of the product, it doesn't really provide any substantial sun protection. So even though your bb cream or foundation lists a high SPF factor, remember that you still need to use a separate sunblock for effective protection from the sun.

Dzis kupilam dwa inne produkty do ochrony przed sloncem, oba to Lancome UV Expert XL-Shield, made in Japan, specjalnie na rynek japonski. Nie moge nic konkretnego na ich temat na razie powiedziec, ale jak pouzywam, to na pewno podziele sie moimi wrazeniami.

I oczywiscie moje podklady w poduszkach rowniez posiadaja wysoki SPF, ale poniewaz uzywamy tak niewielka ilosc produktu, nie da on nam wystarczajacej ochrony. Wiec nawet jesli dany krem BB czy podklad chwali sie swoim SPF, to i tak musimy sie smarowac osobnym filtrem dla pelnej ochrony przed sloncem.

A jakich filtrow Wy uzywacie?

Oil cleansing

Yes, it was THAT day yesterday. I'm officially 43 years old. Happy Birthday to me.

And if someone had told me just a few years earlier that on my 43rd birthday I'd be posting selfies on them Innernetz for all to see, I'd be laughing like from here to Alaska.

But such is the power of them Innernetz. Sometime last year I discovered the world of beauty bloggers (not only Polish, or rather - also Polish) and suddenly I realized that, hot damn, I don't look half as bad as I had thought.

And all this - thanks to the endless army of women who blog about cosmetics. Thank you so much, ladies! You gave me a much needed boost of self-confidence.

Because if some of you (and I am using the term "you" in general here, without pointing any fingers) are half my age and look roughly my age, then I don't feel so bad about myself anymore.

Because if some of you wear in public and post photos of yourself wearing the style of makeup so beloved by cheap, tranny hookers, yet consider themselves "beauty gurus", then I can sleep peacefully tonight.

Because if some of you don't see your poorly groomed eyebrows, dull skin and zitty complexion, yet can give advice about skin care and makeup, then I feel like a bloody expert.

Because if some of you are so colorblind you can't see that your foundation is about five shades darker/ lighter than your neck, yet still blog about and review color makeup, then I don't feel like an idiot without a clue about makeup anymore.

I could go on and on, but that's no way to win friends and influence people.

Luckily, the blogs that I read more or less regularly are mercifully free of the above-mentioned beauty blogging mishaps. But even then, not always.

Tak, wczoraj byl ten dzien. Jestem oficjalnie stara baba. Mam 43 lata. Sto lat dla mnie.
I jesli kilka lat wczesniej ktos powiedzialby mi, ze w wieku 43 lat bede wstawiac selfies w internetach, to bym go wysmiala po prostu.
Ale wielkie sa sily internetow. Jakos tak w zeszlym roku odkrywlam blogi kosmetyczne (nie tylko polskie, a raczej - rowniez polskie), i nagle do mnie dotarlo, ze jak na stara babe, to wcale nie wygladam tak zle.


A wszystko to dzieki armii kobiet, ktore pracowicie bloguja o kosmetykach. Dziekuje Wam z calego serca, to dzieki Wam nagle proprawilo mi sie moje samopoczucie.
Dlaczego? Ano dlatego, ze skoro niektore z Was (i uzywam tutaj tego slowa w bardzo ogolnym znaczeniu), sa o polowe mlodsze ode mnie, a wygladamy na tyle samo lat, to znaczy, ze wcale nie jest ze mna tak zle.
Ano dlatego, ze jesli niektore z Was uwazaja sie za znawczynie makijazu, ale na fotkach wygladaja jak wytapetowani cross-dresserzy dorabiajacy pod latarnia, to juz nie obawiam sie wlasnego makijazu.
Ano dlatego, ze jesli niektore z Was nie widza swoich beznadziejnie wyskubanych brwi, zlego stanu skory i wypryskow, ale nie przeszkadza Wam to w dawaniu porad kosmetyczno-makijazowych, to ja czuje sie jak kosmetyczna ekspertka.
I jesli niektore z Was nie sa w stanie zauwazyc, ze Wasz podklad jest co najmniej o 5 odcieni za ciemny (jasny) i odcina sie brzydko od szyi, ale wcale nie przeszkadza Wam to w dawaniu eksperckich opinii na temat kolorw, to juz nie czuje sie jak totalna idiotka przy polce z podkladami.
I moglabym tak dlugo, ale w ten sposob nie zyskam nowych przyjaciol i nie zjednam sobie ludzi.
Na szczescie, te blogi ktore czytam regularnie, sa prawie wolne od wyzej wymienionych wpadek ;-)

I to w koncu wprowadza nas do kolejnego selfie.
Bez krzty makijazu.
Z czysta twarza.
Bez filtra, bez kremu i bez korektora.
Bez zupelniego czegokolwiek.
Tylko ja i moja czysta facjata. Pstryknieta w moje 43 urodziny.

And that brings me to today...
And that brings me to yet another selfie.
No makeup selfie.
Clean face selfie.
No sunblock selfie.
No corrector and no nothing selfie.
Just me and my clean face. On my 43rd birthday.

Szczegolny nacisk idzie na slowo "czysta", bo to wlasnie na czyszczeniu chce sie skupic dzisiaj.
Jak oczyszczam twarz, czesc 1.

Po pierwszym bezmakijazowym selfie na IG przyszlo dosc sporo maili z pytaniami o moja codzienna pielegnacje. Wiec choc wyjde na zadufana (tak, to ja!), przemadrzala (tak, to rowniez ja) babe, to postanowilam podzielic sie z blogowym swiatem moim lazienkowym rytualem.

With the emphasis on "clean". Because that's what I want to talk about today.
My cleansing routine. Part 1.

After my first no makeup selfie, I got quite a lot of emails asking me to share my skin care routine with the world. So today, at the risk of appearing self-obssessed (yes, that's me) and utterly self-absorbed (yes, that's me again), I bring you the first installment of my daily evening bathroom ritual.



Ale, od poczatku.
Kiedy zachodnie blogi i fora kosmetyczne z takim przejeciem opisuja azjatycka pielegnacje, zawsze skupiaja sie na fakcie, ze jest to proces wielo-etapowy. Ze jest w nim 7, 11, albo i wiecej krokow, ktore kazdego dnia summiennie wykonuja Azjatki.

Jest to o tyle dziwne, ze pytajac sie o zdanie Azjatek naokolo mnie (a raczej, Japonek, bo z takimi mam glownie kontakt, jak rowniez i Koreanek oraz paru Filipnek), dostawalam odpowiedz, ze kroki w pielegancji sa dwa.
Tak. Tylko dwa. Jak to mozliwe? czyzby te Azjatki nie mialy najbledszego pojecia o pielegnacji? Albo moze guzik ich to obchodzi?
Wiec dla swietego spokoju zapytalam sie zawodowej pani kosmetyczki, co ona o tym wszystkim sadzi. No bo kosmetyczka z doswiadczeniem i dyplomikiem, a do tego Japonka, powinna znac sie na rzeczy, czyz nie?

But first things first...
When reading western beauty blogs and forums, every so often you can spot references to the multi-step cleansing routines of Asian women. Or you can read full-blown descriptions of 7, 11 or however many steps, that Asian women go through as part of their everyday skin care regimen.
That's very odd, because if you ask a random Asian woman, or rather - a Japanese woman, because I just happened to have a few of those around me (and to be honest, I only know Japanese and Korean women, with a sprinkling of Filipinas thrown in for balance), they claim there are just two steps in their daily beauty ritual. Only two steps? Blasphemy! Surely these Japanese women have no idea what they are talking about. Or maybe they simply don't care.
So just to be sure, I asked a licensed esthe specialist (that's a beautician in other parts of the world) about her opinion. As a beauty professional surely she should know, right?

A co ona mi powiedziala?
- Oczywiscie, ze sa tylko dwa kroki w mojej codziennej rutynie:
Krok numer 1 - oczyszczanie.
Krok numer 2 - nawilzanie.

I tutaj cala zachodnia blogsfera puka sie palcem w czolo. A co z olejem, pianka, tonerem i innymi bajerami?


And what did I hear from her?
- But of course there are only 2 steps in my daily beauty routine. Step 1 - cleanse. Step 2 - care.

Insert here the collective groan of western self-proclaimed beauty experts blogging on Asian skincare.

So what about the small steps? The oil, the foam, the toner, emulsion, blah blah blah...

A ona mi na to:
- No chyba zartujesz sobie. To tak jak idziesz do kibla. Najpierw sciagasz spodnie w dol, potem gacie, potem siadasz, walisz kupe, czytasz ksiazke, wycierasz tylek (lub uzywasz washleta). To jest jeden process wykonywany w pewnej ustalone odgornie kolejnosci (tak, pewnie mozesz zamienic to i owo, ale wtedy ryzykujesz obkupkaniem majtek) i jesli powiesz komukolwiek, ze potrzeba 7 roznych krokow aby sie wysrac, za przeproszeniem, to Cie wysmieja.
Tak samo jest z oczyszczaniem twarzy. To jeden proces, ktory odbywa sie w pewnej ustalonej kolejnosci. Robisz tak, bo po prostu nie masz innego wyjscia. I jesli twierdzisz, ze jest tego 7 roznych krokow, to najwyrazniej jestes obcokrajowcem. Lub redaktorem pisma dla kobiet.

- Oh, come on, you can't be serious - she said.
- It's like when you go to the toilet to poop, first you pull down your pants, then your underwear, then you sit down, then you shit, or read a book, then you wipe, or wash (washlets, folks, are the best inventions ever) and so on. It's one process. You go through the motions in a certain order, because you have no other choice (yeah, I guess you could, though you'd risk crapping your pants), but if you say that it takes 7 steps to take a dump, people would laugh at you. It's the same with cleansing. It's one process. You go through the motions in a certain order, because you have no other choice. But if you say it takes 7 steps to cleanse your face, you are clearly a foreigner. Or a beauty editor at a women's magazine.


I tak to, zupelnie rozczarowana i zamieszana, pytalam sie dalej.
I nadal slyszalam te dwie odpowiedzi, ze:
1. umyc i
2. nawilzyc.

Wiec o matko jedyna, pani kosmetyczka miala racje???
Wychodzi na to, ze naprawde, w japonskiej pielegnacji sa tylko dwa kroki:
1. oczyszczanie
i
2. nawilzanie.

A ze na kazdy z tych krokow sklada sie wiele malych czynnosci, tym najwyrazniej sie japonskie kobiety w ogole nie przejmuja.

And so utterly confused and disappointed I pressed on and kept asking.
And the answers I kept getting from women around me were:
1. I clean my face, and
2. I moisturize my face.

So, for the holymotherofbatman! The esthe expert was right.
There are just two steps in the Japanese beauty routine:
1. cleansing, and
2. caring

And apparently, that both of these steps consist of a multitude of smaller actions is of no significance whatsoever to your average Japanese woman.

And here the western blogging experts on Asian skincare sigh and think I clearly have no friggin' idea what I'm talking about. Yep, don't lie. That's what all of you just thought.


I to w koncu niesie nas do dzisiejszego tematu.
Tematem dzisiejszym jest jedna z tych czynnosci wykonywanych w ramach codziennej pielegnacji.
A mianowicie - uzywanie oleju do oczyszczenia skory.

And finally, that brings us to today's topic.
Which is one of those small motions in a greater cleansing routine.
More precisely - we'll talk about oils tonight.

Tak oczyszczam moja twarz olejem. Kazdego wieczora. Po oczyszczaniu olejem, zmywam jego reszki pianka do twarzy. Ale olej to podstawa mojego oczyszczania.

Kiedy przychodze z pracy do domu, zmywam makijaz oka dwufazowka. Przelatuje tez po twarzy micela. I zyje wlasnym zyciem az do czasu wieczornej wizyty w lazience.

Podczas tej wieczornej wizyty w ruch idzie olej. Myje i masuje twarz olejem.
Tak, kazdego dnia. Nie, nigdy nie pomijam tego oczyszczania. To juz cos zupelnie naturalnego dla mnie.

Yes, I clean my face with oil. Every night. After cleaning it with oil, I wash it with something else.
But as far as cleansing goes, this is the foundation of my evening cleansing routine.

When I come home from work, I usually remove my makeup. I use eye makeup remover for my eyes, and a micellar cleanser for my face. Then I can go about my business until bedtime without my face feeling dull and nasty.

And then, before bedtime, it's time for a proper cleansing procedure.
Yes, I do it every night. No, I never skip this step. It's second nature to me now. Just as is washing my hands with soap.
I wash my face with oil.

W chwili obecnej uzywam czterech olejow, ktore mozecie zobaczyc na zdjeciu powyzej.
Currently I am using the four oils you can see above.

- AHA by Cleansing Research Cleansing Oil,
- Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Ultime8 sublime beauty cleansing oil (f*ck them, couldn't they come up with a longer name? juz dluzszej nazwy nie dali rady wymyslic?),
- Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Fresh pore clarifying gentle cleansing oil,
- DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.

Lubie Ultime8, a moj zwiazek z DHC do tej pory byl najbardziej burzliwy. Ale to moze ze wzgledu na obecna pogode - jest parno i goraco, a skora reaguje przeciez roznie w roznych porach roku.

Kiedys tam dawno temu bylam przekonana, ze DHC to dar bogow dla kobiet. Ale to dlatego, ze zbyt wielu olei wtedy nie znalalam i przez to sklanialam sie ku znanym i popularnym markom. Takim jak DHC. Potem sprobowalam Sofiny i myslalam, ze nagle znalazlam sie w raju. DHC przestal dla mnie istniec. Potem sprobowalam Shu Uemura i nagle uznalam, ze Sofina wcale nie byla taka dobra. Potem uznalam, ze wydawanie takiej kupy kasy na olej mija sie z celem i sprobowalam najtanszy olej a linii Softymo.
Wielki blad!!!
Jedyne co mi to dalo, to to, ze zaczelam doceniac lepsze oleje.

Of these four I really like Ultime8, and my relationship with DHC has been the most complicated of the bunch. But that may be due to the current season, in winter my opinion might be different.

Long long time ago, I thought that DHC was the gods gift to women. But that was when I hadn't tried very many cleansing oils and thus stuck to what was popular and recommended. And hot damn, DHC is still popular. Then I tried Sofina cleansing oil, and thought I died and went to heaven. DHC stopped even registering on my cleansing radar. Then I tried Shu Uemura and decided that Sofina wasn't that great after all. Then I thought it's pointless to spend so much money on an oil, for cristsakes, and I got the cheapest Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil out there.
Biiiiig mistake!!! But at least it made me appraciate higher quality oil cleansers.

Teraz mam i selektywna marke (Shu Uemura) i zwykla drogeryjna (DHC) i kto jest czystym zwyciezca??? Niespodzianka!

DHC.

Jest bardzo naturalny i lekki w dotyku. Swiezy. Delikatny na skorze i nie wysusza tak jak potrafi to robic Uemura. Wiem, ze Ratzilla nie zgadza sie z moja opinia, i wiem tez, ze wiele osob uwaza sie za ostatczna guru jesli chodzi o japonskie kosmetyki. Ale sorry, czasem jej wynurzenia mozna sobie o kant czterech liter obic.

Now, that I have both a fancy brand at home (Shu Uemura) and not fancy (DHC), the clear winner for me is.... surprise surprise.... 
DHC.

It feels fresh and natural. It's gentle on my skin, and it doesn't dry me out the way Uemura does. I know that Ratzilla doesn't agree with me, and I also know that many consider her to be the ultimate Asian cosme guru, but sorry folks, her picks are total nonsense most of the time.

Shu Uemura (probowalam wszystkich ich olejow), w porownaniu do DHC, maja one bardzo chemiczna nature. Czuc plastik, czuc chemie, i nie jest to bynajmniej przyjemne odczucie. No plus jest to, ze nie wysuszaja tak mojej cery jak inne oleje Shu Uemura). Ale czy warte sa swojej ceny? Moja opinia? Zdecydowanie nie.
Jedyne co zrobily, to pomogly mi docenic Sofine, o ktorej teraz mam duzo lepsze zdanie i do ktorej najprawdopodobniej powroce jak skoncze obecny zapas.

Shu Uemura (I tried the entire line, not just the two I have at home), when compared to DHC, feels nasty and chemical heavy. It feels plastic. Ultime8 anf Fresh don't dry out my skin like the other Uemura oils out there. But are they worth the price? My verdict is - no. Definitely no.
At least trying them made me appreciate Sofina all over again, and probably I will return to that oil when my current stash is all used up.

AHA olej z sokiem jablkowym byl przymusowym zakupem, kiedy nagle znalazlam sie bez oleju. I po mojej poczatkowej nieufnosci, moge powiedziec, ze sie polubilismy. Pachnie cudnie (jak jablka), zmywa co ma zmywac, nie podraznia, nie wysusza.

Te dwa oleje Shu Uemura zostaly wybrane po wyprobowaniu calej linii i spodobaly mi sie najbardziej.

Nie jestem skladowa snobka, ale tak sie akurat zlozylo, ze ponoc wszystkie cztery moje oleje nie maja w skladzie parafiny.
DHC jest oparty na oleju z oliwek, a AHA ma nawet w skladzie sok jablkowy.

AHA apple oil was an emergency purchase when I needed something to cleanse my face in a hurry. And after my initial apprehension, I have grown to quite like it. It smells divine (like apples!), it does the job competently and it doesn't irritate my skin.

The two Shu Uemuras were selected from a wide range of oil products offered by this firm. Why I picked those two? I had tried the entire line in sample form, and found these two to be the most agreeable.

While I'm not an ingredient obsessed snob, all four of those are supposedly paraffin-free. DHC is based on olive oil, if I'm not mistaken, and AHA has apple juice as one of the ingredients.

Na tym zdjeciu widac ich kolory i konsystencje:

Here's a photo to show you how different their colors and consistencies are:

Jak latwo zauwazyc, DHC jest najbardziej zolty. Potem kolorystycznie plasuje sie Ultime8, potem AHA i na samym koncu Fresh, ktory wyglada po prostu jak woda.

Ich konsystencje sa rowniez bardzo zroznicowane.
Fresh nie tylko wyglada jak woda, ale rozlewa sie tak jak woda, a nie jak olej. Ma najbardziej chemiczny feel ze wszystkich czterech.
Ultime8 jest do niego bardzo podobny.

Nie wiem nawet czy mozna je nazwac olejami. Nie sa ani bardzo oleiste w dotyku, ani nie zachowuja sie jak typowe oleje do oczyszczania. Jak dla mnie sa to bardziej typowe face washe, ktore sa odrobinke oleiste.

Jesli ktos siega po Shu Uemura i oczekuje bogatej, olejowej substancji, to sie gorzko rozczaruje.

As you can see DHC is the yellowest of the bunch. Then Ultime8, then AHA, and Fresh is basically just like water. 
Their consistencies are also very different. You can see in the photo that Fresh behaves basically the same as water - it spreads out and doesn't look one bit oily. It's the most chemical feeling of the four as well. 
Ultime8 is very similar in that regard as well.
I am not sure if they even should be called "oils". They are more like slightly oily face washes than typical cleansing oils. So if you are expecting a rich, textured, oily substance and reach for these two, you might be sorely disappointed.

AHA wyglada jak olej. Zachowuje sie tez jak olej, kiedy rozlejemy go na plaska powierzchnie.
I na koniec Deep Cleaning Oil z DHC - takze zachowywal sie jak olej, ale dawal odczucie duzo lzejszego niz AHA. Nie mam pojecia dlaczego kiedys uwazalam go za "ciezki" i "toporny" olej. Nic bardziej blednego. Chyba, ze w miedzyczasie zmienila sie formulacja tego produktu i ja to przegapilam.

AHA looks oily alright. It actually behaved like a true droplet of true oil on a flat surface.
And finally Deep Cleansing Oil from DHC - it also behaved like oil, but felt a lot lighter than AHA.
I don't know why I used to think this was a heavy oil. Nothing can be further from the truth. Unless, of course, the formula has changed within the last year, or so, and I missed the memo.

Kazdy wie, ze oleje to najlepsze srodki do usuwania makijazu. Ale nie kazdy wie, ze japonskie oleje to nie tylko produkty do demakijazu. To rowniez srodki do mycia twarzy, dzialajace jako cleansers. Choc osobiscie, nigdy nie poprzestaje na myciu mojej twarzy tylko olejem. Zawsze po oleju uzywam rowniez pianki.

People know that oils are excellent make up removers. But what they don't know is that Japanese cleansing oils do much more than that. They are not only make up removers. They are also facial cleansers. Though personally, I would never wash my face with just oil and leave it at that. The next step involves a foamy face wash.

Wiec czy te oleje zrobily cos dla mnie? Czy po dlugotrwalym, sumiennym uzywaniu widze zmiany w stanie mojej twarzy?

Tak. I jeszcze raz tak.
Moja cera wyglada teraz zupelnie inaczej. Lepiej.
Czy mozna usunac blackeads przy uzyciu oleju?
Choc wydaje sie to calkowicie sprzeczne - tak. Mozna.
Czy mozna oczyscic pory uzywajac oleju?
Jestem dowodem na to, ze mozna.

So what have these oils done for me? Has my face really improved since a couple of years ago when I finally (better late than never, folks!) started to use them daily, religiously?

Yes, it has. The quality of my skin is completely different now. Can you unclog your pores using oil? As counter-intuitive as it may seem, yes, you can. Can you get rid of blackheads by using oil? Apparently, yes, you can.

Aby przetestowac ta teorie, na 10 dni odstawilam oleje. Reszta mojej pielegnacji zostala dokladnie taka sama.

Aby nadrobic brak oczyszczania olejem, musialam bardziej gorliwie myc twarz pianka. To z kolei zaczelo wysuszac moja skore. Pierwsze widoczne zmiany pojawily sie po 3 dnia. Poczatkowe przyjemne czyste "skrzypiace" uczucie i napiecie skory zamienilo sie w sucha, sciagnieta, zestresowana cere, ktora domagala sie natychmiastowego tonera (lotiona, softenera, jedno i to samo). Po 7 dniach toner juz nie wystarczal, musialam uzyc sheet maski, aby ukoic skore. Musialam tez siegnac po bardziej tresciwa emulsje i krem, aby nawilzyc twarz.

Skora naokolo nosa stala sie bardzo wrazliwa i zaczerwieniona.
Pomimo starannego mycia, pojawily sie zatkane pory i blackeads. Musialam uzyc delikatengo enzymatycznego peelingu, aby sie ich pozbyc. Choc delikatny, moja cera byla bardzo podrazniona.
Po 10 dniach bez olejow mialam zatkane pory, czarne zaskorniaki, przesuszona skore, podraznione obszary na brodzie i naokolo nosa.
Juz na pierwszy rzut oka widac bylo pogorszenie stanu skory.

I choc bardzo lubie byc wlasnym krolikiem doswiadczalnym, bo hej, eksperymentowanie to frajda, to z ulga wrocilam do mojego olejowego oczyszczania.

To test the theory that oil cleansing is beneficial for my skin, I've gone without it for exactly 10 days. The rest of my beauty routine was exactly the same.

To compensate during the cleansing process, I had to be a bit more vigorous when washing my face with foam. That in turn started to slowly dry out my skin. The first visible results appeared after about 3 days. My skin felt dry, tight and stressed and demanded a toner (lotion, balancing softener, same thing, different names) immediately after washing. After 7 days a simple toner application wasn't enough anymore. I had to put a sheet mask to restore the moisture balance. I also had to start using heavier emulsion and cream to relieve the dryness.
The skin around my nose started to get irritated and became red. 
Despite diligent non-oil cleansing, first blackheads began to appear in that reddish area. To remove them I used a gentle enzyme peel, which even though gentle, further irritated the already irritated skin. 
When the 10 days were over, I had blackheads, dry skin, problematic areas on my chin and around my nose. Overall, the quality of my skin visibly deteriorated.

And as much as I like to be my own guinea pig, because, let's admit it, experimenting is a lot of fun, I was very relieved to return to my oil cleansing regimen.

Ten wpis to czesc serii Moje Kosmetyczne Skarby zorganizowanej przez Hexxane.

This post is included in the Moje Kosmetyczne Skarby series organized by the lovely Hexxana.