Sofina Jenne Milky Cleanser Review

This cleanser is advised to be used in the mornings and at night following Sofina Jenne's cleansing oil/makeup remover. I got this in Japan along with the rest of Sofina Jenne's lineup. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would like the cleanser since my current cleansers function well enough. But I like to use all the products of a lineup to satisfy my perfectionism/compulsion, so I got it anyway. I had to say I'm not sorry.

This cleanser cleans rather well, rinses off well, and is gentle to my skin. Also, like all Japanese cleansers, it is incredibly compact--meaning a little goes a long way, and even though a 120 ml cleanser doesn't seem like a lot for the money, I expect it to at least last half a year.
The way you use it is rather unique, but not very complicated. You take a drop (just a drop really) on your palm and then mix it with 2 times water. You then whip the mixture up on your hands by rubbing them together (as you would if you were washing your hands), then apply the foamy substance to your face, which then you rub around and rinse off.
I like this way of cleansing, because cleansers are gentler to the face if they are already foamed up (which means that no chemical reactions are taking place on your face), but if you apply many cleansers to your face already foamed up, they don't clean well anymore..This one still does!

Pros:
1. Gentle on my skin. No drying at all! This is even supposed to provide some moisture to your face. When I saw this claim, I snorted to myself, but now I can believe it.
2. Cleanses well without over drying. I can feel my face is clean, but it is not "squeaky clean" as it would with Laneige's multi-cleanser. I know a lot of people love the squeaky clean feeling, but I found I love this more.

Cons:
1. Time factor: I guess this is a little more time consuming than the regular cleanser. However, I find it to be a fun experience every time, and I am willing to spare the extra minute or so for a good and gentle cleanse. 

Overall: Really great cleanser that is gentle, and cleanses well without overdrying. 

Sofina Jenne Makeup Remover Review

This is a review for Sofina Jenne's "makeup remover". I found the name bit misleading because the first thing that comes to mind is a makeup remover for lips and eyes. However, this is actually something like a cleansing oil, for your face, though it doesn't act exactly like a cleansing oil.
A cleansing oil is basically oil with a bunch of emulsifiers mixed in so that the oil binds with water when you splash water on your face, which makes it easier when you rinse it off. This is a bit different. This has oil ingredients in it, but when applied on your face, it doesn't have a greasy feeling, and can actually be rinsed off without emulsifying, even though I still always follow with their cleanser. Did I like this better than regular cleansing oils?
Well, I don't like most cleansing oils in general, but I can use this...

Why don't I like most cleansing oils? I find the emulsifying process very annoying, which makes cleansing a long process. I also don't like the fact my hands and face has to be dry when I apply the cleansing oil, since I always wash my face before touching my face. So I have to hold my hands up for some time to wait for it dry before I can rub cleansing oil on my face. What I loved about cleansing oils though is their cleansing power, and ability sometimes to unclog pores. (of course, if you have a reaction to some oils, your pores might even be more clogged).
I can use this makeup remover without those problems.

Pros:
1. Zero reaction the first time I used it, which is rare for cleansing oils with me.
2. Great cleansing power. Can even take off some really waterproof eye products, though it seems to take longer than eye makeup removers.
3. Non-greasy feeling, which is really unusual in cleansing oils 

4. Pleasant scent

5.Easy rinseoff

6. As I rub it on my face, some grainy substance usually come off, which I think are impurities in my pores

7. Non-runny consistency

Cons:
1. Sensitivity: If you are very sensitive to scents, the scent this carries is strong! It has a jasmine flowery scent that I'm currently trying to find in a perfume. :)

2. Cleansing power is a little inferior to cleansing oils and even regular oils. Waterproof eyeliner (which I don't use a lot of...usually use my lovely tubing eyeliner reviewed here

Overall: Really great makeup remover that I use to remove my waterproof sunscreen whenever I use it

Sofina Jenne Day Protector SPF 50+++ Review

This is not the "star product" of Sofina Jenne, but I think it should be, not only for its quality, but also for its concept. This is often mistaken as a mere sunscreen of the Sofina lineup (or so the SA told me), but this is actually your day time moisturizer. Sofina realizes that young women are often in a hurry in the morning, so may often neglect to put on their sunscreen, which will lead to photo-aging, so they developed this convenient product that is a sunscreen and moisturizer all in one. I absolutely love the idea because me too is pressed for time in the morning. :)
All right, I admit it, this is not the first moisturizer with SPF in it, but I think this is one of the first moisturizers with SPF that functions very well both as moisturizer and sunscreen.
Every morning, I wash my face, put on my toner, and then slather on a large portion of this (you should squeeze it out on the back of your hand, and it should be 2cm in diameter, which is not as much as it seems since the lotion is very runny). I sometimes walk to work in the blazing morning sun, and I don't get burned as I sometimes do with my other sunscreens :)
Oh, there are three kinds of day protectors. Two with SPF 24 PA+++, one is supposed to be refreshing and the other is supposed to be hydrating. And the third is the one with SPF 50 PA+++, which I chose.

Pros:
1. Very moisturizing. Most moisturizers with high SPF isn't really moisturizing enough.
2. Fast absorption: sinks in within a minute of application
3. Great sun protection given that you apply the required amount

4. gentle enough to use on your eyes

5. Nice natural finish

6. No noticeable white cast

Cons:
1. Sensitivity: If you are very sensitive to scents, the scent this carries is strong! It has a jasmine flowery scent that I'm currently trying to find in a perfume. :)

2. No primer functions: this is no big deal except that Sofina Jenne claimed this can be used a a primer, as they claimed their Perfect UV sunscreen (which I will review soon) can. Their Perfect UV sunscreen actually is a great primer, which led me to have high expectations in this area, which are disappointed.

3. look horrible after sweating: I went to the gym one day, and worked out crazily. I had sweat running down my face, and later when I looked into the mirror, I can actually see the route where sweat ran down

4. Expensive pricing. This costs about the same as a 60 ml bottle of Perfect UV sunscreen, but has only 30 ml in it, which is okay, since this has moisturizer built in, but it is still a bit too expensive for my taste.

Overall: Pretty great sunscreen if you are lazy in the morning and don't have a super active lifestyle (which I don't most of the time). However, if you can spare the extra minute in the morning (which I believe I can), you can try not using this product, and using the Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturizer along with Sofina Perfect UV sunscreen. Much cheaper and better results. 

Sofina Jenne Lotion II Review

As I mentioned before, I have almost completely switched over from Laneige's White plus Renew lineup to Sofina Jenne. This is the lotion II, which one is supposed to use as a toner, minus the cotton pad. They have two kinds of lotions. Lotion I is for more oily skin, and contains particles to control oil. Lotion II is not really for dry skin, just for skins that need a little more hydration.
I don't have dry skin, and would have preferred if they had an option for combination skin, but the sales assistant told me that I could try buying both lotions and apply them to different parts of my face. I know many of you would have reactions like "oh, she wish". I interpretated it too as that she just wanted to make another sale, but then my coworker told me that this kind of skincare is pretty common for young lines. They initially have two types, one for more oil control and one for more moisture, and those who absolutely wants to can use the two types together. Then as the line gets more successful, they may release a third for combination skin, or even fourth and fifth for very dry or very oily skin. I'm guessing they'll do that with Sofina Jenne. Did I buy Lotion I as well? hehe, you'll see
I was really close to handing over my money for Lotion I in the name of research and in the heart of my perfectionism. However, I refrained remembering that Japanese oil control products generally work really really well. Their toners generally have a high alcohol content, and if no moisturizing ingredients are added in, it would be really drying on my combination skin.
It turns out that Lotion II worked out really well for me. It's hard to review a toner since they rarely have any huge effect on your skin that you can tell (their job is to make the later products easier to penetrate/absorb, etc.) The lotion has a very watery consistency, exactly like water. It looks nearly transparent, just a little milky, like rice water (water you get after soaking rice in it for a night).

Pros:
1. Very moisturizing for a toner. After washing my face, I can feel the moisture sinking into my pores if my face is a little tight. However, if your face is dry, splashing any liquid on your face should have a similar effect. What matters is that even 10 minutes after using this, I still feel moisturized. Some girls on cosme.net mention that they can use this alone without the benefit of moisturizer. I don't think the lotion is that rich.
2. Fast absorption: sinks in within half a minute of applying it as most liquidy toners should.
3. Great for sensitive skin. I usually get some kind of small reactions when I switch skincare products. I've got no reactions this time! 

4. gentle enough to use on your eyes

Cons:
1. Sensitivity: If you are very sensitive to scents, the scent this carries is strong! It has a jasmine flowery scent that I'm currently trying to find in a perfume. :)

2. Texture and application: some might like the fact that the toner is so liquidy, and I would agree too if I were allowed to apply by soaking it with a cotton pad, which I then wipe on my face. However, the sale assistant told me emphatically that in order to not waste product and get the most out of this toner, I should drop some of it in my cupped palms, which I then apply to my face. I find that some contents generally slip through my fingers and sometimes onto the floor....It might work better, however, if I had the time to do a cotton pad mask daily (which in a nutshell is to soak a cotton pad with a toner, peel it into five layers, and then place on face for around 10 minutes)

Overall: Pretty great lotion to use with the Sofina Jenne line. Nothing extremely special, but then most toners aren't. I think it helps the following products work better, but I haven't used it long enough to know for sure. 

Sofina Jenne Jelly Moisturizer Review

This has been cited as Sofina Jenne's most important and most popular item, so I thought I would review this first. :) This item was a really successful product for Sofina, since only 20 days after its launch, it became the 2nd most popular product in the moisturizer category on cosme.net, a huge Japanese website devoted to beauty.
Japanese girls say this cream is good for sensitive skin, moisturizing, and it has generally been very well received. I usually hate those popular popular products because I think most of them are over-hyped. However, I was surprised to say I really like  love this moisturizer.

I bought this in Japan when I had to go over for business for a few days. As I mentioned before, the Sofina Jenne line is made for people in their early 20s, which is a rather perfect age group for me. I tried it out at the counter because a few of my coworkers and also my cosmetician in Korea tell me that Japanese skincare products tend to be superior because the quality control is really high, and they are sensitive of the fact that people have different skintypes. I've noticed this as well. Most Korean skincare products tend to target people with one specific concern, e.g. whitening, dehydration, sensitivity, aging. However, they do not really create different products for different skintypes, e.g. combination, dry, oily, etc. Japanese products tend to be more sensitive to the fact that people have different skin, and you will usually find that in one lineup, they have a huge range of products for different skintypes. For example, Sofina Jenne has two kinds of lotions and 3 kinds of sunscreens, with basically the same target in mind, but for different skins.
To be honest, I bought this cream as well as the whole Sofina Jenne lineup hoping to prove my coworkers wrong--that for some people, at least for me, Korean skincare (which I had stuck to for more than a decade) is better than japanese skincare. Well, I can't say that the Sofina Jenne line proved me wrong, but it is at least equal, if not better than Laneige White plus Renew.

So I've been using this as a night cream for around a month now. I think it's very moisturizing and soothing for my skin.

Pros:
1. Great moisturizing. Sometimes when I have been in a air conditioned room all day, my skin feels dry. When I take off  my sunscreen using an oil cleanser and then double cleanse, my face feels drier. However, a few minutes after putting this moisturizer on, my skin feels supple and "happy" again.
2. A little goes a long way. I believe the suggested amount is a pea sized amount, so the tub will last a long long time.
3. Great for sensitive skin. I usually get some kind of small reactions when I switch skincare products. I've got no reactions this time! 

4. Absorbs in 4 minutes! How great is that?

5. I love the texture. It is not runny like a lotion, or thick (and oily) like a cream. It is something in between: jelly. It is easier to apply than lotion (not for me, since I'm very very used to lotion), but I've read a survey that many women hate lotion because of its runny texture. The survey also states that because of the runny texture of lotions, you tend to use more because as you try to rub it in, 40% of the lotion is lost in the process, so there is a waste of products. I don't know if that's true, but that's what I read. And it absorbs so quickly, much quicker than a cream.

6. Refreshing feeling after applied.

7. If you accidentally overapply, it does not give you breakouts (like my old Laniege white plus renew night cream doe). I think this means that the oil content is either low or it's a very good oil. 

Cons:
1. Sensitivity: If you are very sensitive to scents, the scent this carries is strong! It has a jasmine flowery scent that I'm currently trying to find in a perfume. :)

2. Small looking jar that makes you think this product is super pricey. The content of the jar is actually the same as Laneige White Plus Renew night cream, but the jar is smaller by at least 1/3rd. When I first took this out of the box, I thought I got the trial product :D

Overall: Really great night cream that I would really really recommend to ladies with sensitive skin. 

Sofina Jenne Line-up and General Review..more detailed reviews to follow

I teased you several weeks earlier that I had done a lot of shopping in Japan. 5% of that was Sofina Products (which means that I got a lot of stuff in total :)) Some of you who know me well know that I tend to not get a single product of any line, but to get a whole lineup if I am really trying something. Well, that's what I did.
I got the Sofina Jenne Makeup Remover (I don't use that much facial makeup anymore, but if I got it just in case if I need to remove any waterproof sunscreen); Sofina Jenne Cleaner, Sofina Jenne Lotion II, Sofina Jenne Moisturizer, Sofina Jenne Day Protector 50+PA+++

That's about 2/3 of the line. The whole line includes a facial makeup remover (may otherwise be known as a cleansing oil), cleanser, Lotion I (fresh type), Lotion II (Moist type), The Moisturizer, Day Protector SPF 24 PA+++ (Fresh), Day Protector SPF PA+++ (Moist), and Day Protector 50+ PA+++ (the one I got). This is the order from left to right in the above picture.
The line is designed for young women in their 20s. It was originally rumored to replaced the Sofina Rise line, but then it turned out that the Sofina Rise line had so many loyal customers that the official word is that Jenne is for early 20s and Rise for late 20s. It's good to know that I can stay within the brand if I wanted to as I age :P Then for 30s and 40s, there is the famous Sofina Beaute line.
The line's general concept is to keep the skin moist for young women for their 20s (through their patented ceramide technology), and make sure that the skincare routine is simple enough so that the young women gets what they definitely need at their age: hydration and sunscreen. I personally love the concept and think it's quite innovative.

I wanted to put a little graph about the process of using the products, but I didn't have access to photoshop and am a little tired, so maybe I'll add it later.
In the morning, one is supposed to wash their face, using the toner (without a cotton pad), and use the day protector (that's right, no moisturizer)
At night, one is supposed to use the makeup remover on a cotton pad to remover everything they may have on, and then cleanse their face, then use the toner, and then the moisturizer.

In general, I was really happy with this line. The cleanser is refreshing and good, the toner hydrating, the day protector moisturizing, and the night moisturizer quite good. The lineup is really gentle, so I think it would be great for sensitive skin, and Sofina has a reputation of avoiding a lot of bad ingredients in skincare. I promise I will follow up with more detailed product reviews this week. :) 

Oh, and I think this may replace my HG Laneige line if it continues to behave so well. We'll see :)