Friday, August 9, 2013

Review: SkinFood Watery Berry Serum


My friend and I were shopping around the 신촌점 (Sinchon) area when I spotted SkinFood and begged her to come with me inside as my Korean was still lacking. I went in originally to grab something for my mother but after seeing how cheap a lot of the wash-off masks were I realized I needed to grab like, 10. I asked the SA  if they had a line that was specifically for dry or dull skin as 14 hours on a plane is definitely not fun for the skin. She pointed me towards the Watery Berry line and started to tell us about the different berry extracts and how it contains Sodium Hyaluronate, which is able to hold up to 1,000 times it's weight in water. I finally completed a month of use so I figured it was safe to review on it.

Product:
SkinFood Watery Berry Serum
70ml

Where to get it:
I fortunately got mine in Korea where it was 17,000, which is about $15.40 stateside
Live next to a SkinFood store! I have since found out they don't carry it at any of their LA locations.
KoreaDepart: 15.11
KollectionK: 22.10
W2Beauty: 25.60
YesStyle: 35.00





















Description:
Almost everything I got in Korea didn't come with a box, so I've no idea if it has other packaging to it. Also, everything is in Hangul (Korean) so I'm not sure if there's an English translation when you buy one overseas?



"Clinically proven to increase skin's moisture by 31.8%! A dewy moisture serum that promotes soft, glowing skin with berry extracts and sodium hyaluronate. Skin analyzed 15 minutes before/after use. The results may very depending on your skin type and condition. Tested by Ellead Co."*

Claims:
-Moisturizes skin
-Penetrates deep into skin for a glowing complexion

Ingredients:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Ethanol, Glycereth-26, Beta-Glucan, Bilberry Fruit Extract (840 mg), Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract (Mulberry) (735mg), Rubus Arcticus Fruit Extract (Arctic Raspberry) (525mg), Algae Extract, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Dimethicone, Betaine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Diglycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Corn Starch, Mannitol, Sucrose, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Camellia Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Grape seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

This product wasn't listed in COSDNA, so I added it after translating the bottle from Hangul to English. Whee~ It was about as fun as it sounds too.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as Octyl Palmitate is a comedogenic and can cause breakouts, as well as cause irritation. It was a 4 for acne while a 1 for irritation. This serum was actually chock full of really nice oils and extracts, which is not really surprising as SkinFood's moto all over their products says: "Special food ingredients for the skin. Contains many nutritive ingredients such as fresh plants, fruits, etc. to keep our skin healthy."

Scent: 
It's definitely a light fruity scent with a hint of floral. It reminds me of Hanae Mori's Butterfly, perhaps due to the Bilberry extract and oils in both. Although the scent is strong it is definitely not overpowering at all. It remains gently on the skin allowing you a brief hint of berry every so often.

Packaging:
I love the pump bottles as they always allow me to get every inch of product available, and if not, it looks like the top could be removed (with probably great effort) if need be. It's in a clear glass container which looks pretty classy next to all my Tony Moly fruits, but fades to a sparkly silver towards the bottom that gives it a very pretty, wintery look.

Swatch:
It's a gel like texture filled with "rich moisture granules" which burst when you pump it out. The small pieces then dissolve as soon as you tap or blend it onto skin. It blends seamlessly into the skin whether or not you help tap it into the skin or not. It takes about 10 minutes to sink into if you just slap it on and leave it. I dot mine all over the face, then using the tips of my fingers to buff it in, and then it takes a minute or so to settle.



Results:
It gives a wonderful cooling feeling as soon as I put it on regardless of the fact that it sits on my shelf and not in my fridge. It definitely does give my skin this "lit from within" look after a few minutes of putting it on. My skin has definitely improved in texture and softness after a full month of use. I wish I had gotten the entire line when I had the chance! Three products from this line, purchased in Seoul, would cost the same as one being shipped to the states. Blehhhh.

Pros:
-Softens skin
-Glowy complexion
-Blends into skin quickly
-Pump makes this hygienic

Cons:
-Ridiculously expensive outside of Korea
-Everything on the bottle is printed in Hangul





















Rating:
9/10
-I can't fault SkinFoods for their vendor's charging insane prices, but it would be nice if they printed the ingredients and instructions in another language somewhere else on the bottle! Then again, I'm unsure if they come in other languages if sold in stores around the world? Either way when 

*Update (1/21/14) Thank you Jupiter Sim for pointing out that the sticker on the bottom opens up to show the English ingredient list! When I go back to Seoul next year, this is another thing that's on my list of things to grab. In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can get my hands on samples of the entire line to see if it's just as wonderful as this serum is!

*Ellead is a Skin and Bio research company located in South Korea. "Since 2001, Ellead has been performing clinical trials according to protocols for efficacy, safety, sensory tests of cosmetics, cosmeceuticals, and functional food products with great accuracy and reliability."
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