DHC

Watson’s has become my haven for affordable beauty products.

Each time I step in, it’s hard to resist not buying anything, especially with the recent Japanese brands like Hada Labo, Aqualabel, which they have brought in.

I had gone to the VivoCity outlet over the weekend, to replenish my Vichy toner but it was out of stock. Just when I was about to leave, I heard this lady lamenting to her bf about how she should have waited for the 3 for $80 promotion to stock up on her DHC Acerola items.

I turned around to look at her and boy, did she have a clear, porcelain complexion! She might have been in the good hands of an excellent dermatologist for all I know, but surely, it still says something about the stuff she uses right?

Coupled with the sales assistant’s marketing spiel about how the products contain the highest concentration of Vit C from Acerola berries to brighten your complexion, are good for those whose skin is dehydrated but oily on the surface (me!), help to minimise pores, sans fragrances, colourings, alcohol or preservatives, I was sold.

This is what I bought - the Lotion (toner), Extract (essence) and Gel (moisturizer).

My verdict?

I wish I had discovered the brand earlier.

True to what the sales assistant had promised, the products helped with oil control and hydration. As I’ve only used them for a day or two, I can’t tell if they will help to lighten my freckles and blemishes, but I certainly hope they do. A downside is the faint Chinese herbs smell that comes with the au natural product but at least i know no fragrance has been used. Also, because I tend to sleep in an air-conditioned room at night, I’m not sure if the Gel (or moisturizer) with its light texture, can adequately keep my skin hydrated. Because of that, I have only used the series in the day.

I also tried the samples for the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which I’ve read good reviews about and the DHC Olive Soap, which you use as a second step to the cleansing oil.

I don’t usually use cleansing oils because I’m not used to them (can your face really get clean from using oil to cleanse it?), but I have to say the DHC one worked rather well in removing all my make up, except my mascara. I couldn’t remove my Majolica Majorca mascara entirely, even after a minute of massaging my lashes. But MM’s mascaras are known to be heavy-duty and it always requires great effort to remove (if you know any products which can remove MM mascara well, let me know!), so I’ll let this pass.

Together with the olive soap, the cleansing oil left my skin feeling supple and clean without that feeling of tightness which you sometimes get when the cleanser is too strong. Again, in line with the brand’s philosophy of organic simplicity, the cleansing oil had no fragrance and smelt like its key ingredient, olive oil.

(P.S Would love to try Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil someday, but I find them too pricey. For now, I’ll stick to this.)