When it comes to facial skincare, aside from using skincare products, choosing the correct makeup products and cleansing products is also very important. Amino acid facial cleansers have been very hot lately so I followed suit and decided to try the Amino Acid Facial Foam from the Japanese skincare brand Hinoki Clinical. There was an amino acid planted-based beauty kit on their official website, so I decided to go for that, and try there Amino Acid NA Skin Lotion (toner) and Ecolo Veil Primer. Hinoki Clinical's products are currently sold cross-border, which means all of your orders are shipped directly from Japan.
Of course, you can't just buy a skincare product because it's popular and hot, you have to select them based on your own skin type. I have a mixed skin type that's prone to sebaceous filaments, also known as tiny black heads and bumps. But at the same time, it gets dry easily. It's also sensitive and prone to redness, which honestly feels like such a personal attack when my skin reddens for no reason. Is my skin allergic to me? A cleanser using amino acid-based surfactant can not only cleanse your skin throughly, but it's also more mild and friendly to your skin. It's perfect for my fussy skin type. The hydrolipidic film on the surface of your skin actually protects your skin, excessively cleansing could reduce your skin immunity. It might even cause an adverse effect. Your sebaceous glands would try to make up for the dryness and produce more oil. Plus, amino acid-based surfactants are more easily disintegrated in nature than other surfactants used in cleansers, which makes it more environmentally friendly.
When I received the products, Ares and I have made plans to go to the beach the next day I decided to bring my entire collections of Hinoki Clinical skincare products with me so that I can thoroughly cleanse and pamper my skin as soon as we get back to Ares' place.
Japanese Skincare Brand Hinoki Review–Ecolo Veil Primer
I don't like to wear foundation. Usually I just wear primer, sunblock, and eye makeup.
Though I love being tan, the damage that UV rays do to your skin could lead to severe aging. I know the weather has been pretty cloudy and unpredictable in Taipei lately, but don't fall under the illusion that you don't need sun protection. Check the weather app in your phone and scroll down to see the UV index. It has been around 5 or 6 even on cloudy days lately. It is recommended that you use sun protection before 16:00. Sun protection is especially important for someone like me, who takes every chance to go to the beach or the mountains and bike around the city.
But... I actually don't like wearing sunblock on my face. Even light and watery sunblock feels sticky when I apply it on top of my primer or with my tinted moisturizer. So when I saw Hinoki's sun protection primer, I thought it was exactly what I needed!
Ecolo Veil Primer is white when you push it out of the tube. It looks more like a cream rather than having a watery texture. However, unlike most primers and sunblock I have tried, it doesn't have this heavy toothpaste-like texture. It feels very light once applied onto the face, and feels almost as if I'm wearing nothing. it's even lighter than my moisturizer, plus, it's water-resistant. Once I applied it, it doesn't create a white cast or feel dry, there's no unevenness or dry skin peeling off from my nose.
Hinoki's Ecolo Veil Primer is not tinted so there isn't an obvious effect on evening out one's complexion. When I sleep too late and feel that my face looks dark and tired, I'd still use my tinted moisturizer on top of the primer. Since it is light, the two layers of product does not feel heavy or greasy.
Note: This sun protection primer is a skincare product rather than a makeup cosmetic, so it doesn't really create stress for your skin. Though there is no specific SPF marked, the sun protection can normally last about 6 hours. If you are out under the sun for a long period of time, you should reapply as you would sunblock.
For more information on SPF, you can read this article on their official Facebook page:
Japanese Skincare Brand Hinoki Review–Amino Acid Facial Foam
Hinoki's Amino Acid Facial Foam is faintly acidic, which helps balance the PH of your skin and effectively cleanse as well as disinfect your skin.
As its name suggests, it comes out as a foam. I found the texture of it to be very special. It's kind of thick and it doesn't disappear into thin air like most foam does. But it's not slimy and suffocating like gel cleansers either. I was very surprised when it first touched my face. I did not think that foam could be so light yet... solid. I lightly massaged my face as I cleansed it. It was not dry like when using soap nor sticky like when using gel.
When we went to the beach, I wasn't wearing any makeup. I just wore the Ecolo Veil Primer and reapplied a few times for sun protecton. I didn't bring my cleasing balm with me that day, and simply used Hinoki's Amino Acid Facial Foam. I had thought that I would have to wash my face two or three times because of all the dirt from the ocean water and layers of sun protection. Surprisingly, I underestimated Hinoki Amino Acid Facial Foam's cleansing properties. I squeezed out some foam that was about the size of a NTD$50 coin and carefully massaged it across my face. My face was squeaky clean when I rinse it off. Even the side of my nose and chin, areas that are typically more oily, felt refreshed and clean. But it didn't cause my skin to feel dry or tight at all.
Japanese Skincare Brand Hinoki Review–Amino Acid NA Skin Lotion
It says lotion on the bottle, but it's actually a toner. It's called a toner in Chinese as well.
Skincare is not just about putting all kinds of ingredients on your face, we have to adjust our skin type to its healthiest state possible. Hinoki's NA Skin Lotion contains 15 types of amino acids that can help enhance your skin's ability to repair itself and balance the oil and water content in your skin. It maximizes moisturizing benefits and helps keep your skin at a faintly acidic healthy state the entire day.
NA Skin Lotion has a very light consistency, when I poured it out of the bottle and applied it, it just felt like water. It doesn't feel like a burden to my skin at all. I also use a Hyaluronic Acid toner from DHC, it's great but it's kind of slimy and sticky. Hinoki's amino acid toner is not like that at all, but it still retains water very well.
When I'm at home, I usually apply some toner after removing my makeup and cleansing my skin. Then I would go in front of my laptop and start writing while I wait for the toner to be completely absorbed. I often get so absorbed by my work that I forget to apply my next step of skin care 30 minutes to an hour later. Most toners would leave my skin dry and peeling if I waited that long, and my skin would no longer feel smooth and soft like when I first applied it. But when I was using Hinoki's NA Skin Lotion, I didn't have this problem at all! An hour later, my skin was still plump and elastic. This is particularly perfect for me not just because of my habits but also because I use a retinol cream. I am supposed to use it 30–40 minutes after my previous layer skincare to ensure that it can be full absorbed and activated. My face often felt dry by the time I was done waiting. When I was using Hinoki's Amino Acid NA Lotion toner, I could wait and write without worry.
The first time I used it was the day that we went to the beach. Cause I was under the sun and in the ocean water the whole day, my skin was kind of dehydrated. After the first layer of toner was completely absorbed, it still felt a bit dry. So I applied a second layer and applied some eye cream that I left at Ares' place. I didn't have any other skincare products with me. Luckily, this left me feeling hydrated. There was no dryness, peeling, or tightness. But if you have time for a deep skincare routine on a self-care day, I recommend that you try soaking a few cotton pads and use it as a face mask. This yields even better results!
Japanese Skincare Brand Hinoki Review– Product Info
Brand: Hinoki
Product name: Amino Acid Plant-Based Beauty Kit (set deal exclusive to the official website) includes Amino Acid Face Foam, Amino Acid NA Skin Lotion, and Ecolo Veil Primer
Price: NTD$3,066 (The price actually changes according to the exchange rate, this was the price it was at when I wrote this post.)
Official Website: https://hinokicosmedics.tw/
Instagram：@hinoki_tw_official
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Cherie Aria🧜🏻♀️ 艾雪莉
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