I have been looking for that brand too but so far I have not seen it in msia yet.

Thanks for the info.

How are the Shiseido products working for you ?

Great to hear Shiseido is working for you man ! I must agree that their products are top notch. The cleansing foam should be fine as I have been using it for a week now and it never dried my face out unlike other "oil control" cleansers i have used.

I find the deep cleansing scrub too much of a cleanser than a scrub. The particles are fine but too little as I prefer those scrubs packed full with scrub particles. I don't find it worth the RM105 price tag although I must admit the tube will last a very long time.

I tried applying the hydrating lotion like u do but ended up using too much and take too long. I apply the lotion the same way i apply the moisturizing emulsion...i squirt out about 4-5 drops (5 sen coin size again) and spread it between both hands (palms and fingers) and apply to face with a patting motion. After the lotion dries a bit i massage it in a little. But u need to apply it fast if u do it this way or your palms will end up absorbing some haha. The SA recommended I use a cotton pad but I find I use too much when apply with cotton. I too noticed a reduction in facial oil after using the hydrating lotion. It's a total turnaround for me as in the past I always stayed clear of anything hydrating as my skin is oily and acne prone. Hydrating Lotion is my holy grail ! going to buy this today.

I recently tried using the moist. emulsion in the day instead of hydrating lotion and it works great too. I think I used less than a 5 sen coin size amount and concentrated more on the cheeks and neck and just a little on the t zone. It does control oil to a certain extent too but in terms of shine control it's not so good. Yeah I agree that it works better as a night time moist for younger skins. I think I will buy the emulsion too once my current moisturizer finishes.

I think it's great that the products don't promise so many things but still works very well on my skin. Pricey yes but I think it's worth it.

Waiting for your take on the total revitalizer

Wow I didn't know the Hydrating Lotion was that good LOL. I agree that it is amazing stuff...It's good to hear that the breakouts have subsided and u are liking the hydrating lotion. I did ask for a sample for the toning lotion but the SA at the Parkson 1U counter told me the same thing. But both toning and Hydrating Lotion are almost the same but I still prefer the Hydrating Lotion as its a 2 in 1 toner/moisturizer whereas the toning lotion is a very expensive basic toner. I am not surprised that the toning lotion is selling well as the SAs really push it strongly.

I must agree that the Lab Series clay mask is rather strong...my guess is because of the salicylic acid and clay. I been using it for 5 months and it's been working well for me skin. Btw, I bought mine from Robinsons. But if they really stop bringing it in I am disappointed...it was like my perfect holy grail mask
On the other hand I ordered this cheap clay mask called Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque off ebay. RM18 for a 60ml tube. It's a cheap but highly regarded mask that great for acne n oily skin. If this one works well for me then it would be a perfect substitute for the Lab Series mask.

I did some research to compare the ingredients of both hydrating and toning lotion. The main difference is that Toning Lotion has more alcohol denat, menthol and Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract. The menthol and extra alcohol denat won't suit your sensitive skin as far as i know.

A Aesop SA was very generous and gave me 2 1.5ml samples of the Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque. There are 2 sizes, a small 50ml for RM75 (in a toothpaste tube) and a larger 75ml for RM135 (in a tub/jar). I just applied the mask and when initially applied I found it to be very watery, light and has a cooling sensation. It looked like it didn't really cover my face well. About 30 seconds later when it dried the mask is now very visible and has a earthy reddish color and is actually very thick on my face...I applied too much I guess.

Later I will post on how effective this mask is. It is very highly rated and expensive...so let's see if it lives up to the hype.

Nice ! Do give us a review on the mask

What's your budget ?

Good suggestions by kotmj and kaspersky-fan.

I agree that some of the products available in pharmacies can be a little harsh as these products only goal is to get rid as much oil on your face as possible...that's not necessarily a good thing. I personally would recommend the Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Cleanser..price is under RM50 and Eucerin products can be a match for some of the higher end stuff. Right now I am using the Shiseido Men Cleansing Foam, it's expensive but it works well for me. I tried quite a few products (cheap and expensive) before finding Shiseido.

But the bottom line is when choosing cleansers and face care products its all down to trial and error because everyone's skin is different. What may work for me may not work for you.

Trial and error means I buy a product and use for about 3 months and see if it is good for my skin. Reading reviews can help to a certain extent but as everyone's skin is unique it all comes down to actually using the product.

Nowadays when I buy a cleanser I always look at the ingredients list at the back. I try to avoid ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, alcohol and oils. I also consider how much cleanser it would take to wash my whole face and neck...the lesser the better as the product lasts longer. My current Shiseido Men Cleansing Foam costs RM95 for a 125ml tube but I only need a very small amount to wash my face...so 125ml will last quite some time.

Contrary to what the other poster said, there is no problem for guys using women skin care products. Most of the time all the men skin care products are just repackaged women products but they usually charge higher prices for the men products. Some companies do try to have some variation when it comes to men products in terms of packaging, marketing and scent even though the formula is essentially the same. Clinique is the worse as there is no difference whatsoever in the scent, formulation or even texture between their men and women lines. I may sound like a hypocrite but I love the Shiseido Men products as they are practical, simple and lasts a long time. I have not used SKII or Estee Lauder products before so I can't comment. Maybe other members can help out. Just remember that it's best to use what works for you.

When buying lightening products always look at the ingredients on the back rather than the marketing in front. Once u know what they put inside go on google and research on the ingredients to know what really works. I don't use lightening products but if i'm not mistaken glycolic acid (AHA) does help in skin lightening.

There can be many factors causing your pimples to get worse. If it's a matter of a few here and there then don't sweat, just get a cheap benzoyl peroxide gel and within a week or so all should be good. A lot of ppl panic and start buying all the expensive anti acne skincare and end up just making things worse. Sometimes a change in skin care products can lead to breakouts too. this is fairly normal and the breakouts should start to recede within a few weeks...if no then the new product (s) is not working for you.

Yeah Oxy is the same thing. But if u have not used benzoyl peroxide before I recommend u try a 2.5% concentration first and go for higher concentrations if 2.5% is not working. I have used another brand Panoxyl 5% before with good results but the dryness was too much for me. Neutrogena also makes a good benzoyl peroxide cream but I don't know in what concentration. I suggest u try either Neutrogena or Panoxyl with Oxy being the last resort. U might need to ask pharmacist for Panoxyl as I don't see them on shelves anymore.

The Shiseido Cleanser is a basic one that does it's job very well. They don't promote it as an anti acne, oil control or lightening face wash. Honestly I find all those claims in a cleanser to be quite false la as most of the time we don't even leave the cleanser on our faces for more than 30 seconds and everything is washed off in the end. So if there are any lightening ingredients for example, it would have little or no effect anyways. The most effective product would usually be creams and serums as they stay on the skin and are more concentrated.

It's hard to say as there will some differences in the formulas. Even if they were using the same ingredients, the different percentage of ingredients used can produce different results. Nowadays I usually don't believe all the stuff that written on the front of the cleanser packaging...u know all the anti aging, anti fatigue, oil control and etc. I just look at the ingredients online and research and see if those ingredients are good or bad and if they really work. Also, the higher up the ingredient on the list the higher the concentration of it in the product. Cleansers remain on our face at most maybe a minute so even if they throw in 100 super ingredients it won't be of much effect as u are washing it off anyway...unless u r willing to let the cleanser stay on the face for 5-10mins or more. That's why cleansers are always the cheapest product in any range of skin care and the serums, moisturizers and creams are the most expensive because they stay on the face for long periods of time.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Mar 17 2010, 01:10 PM

I have tried both brands and both don't really work. Although the Biotherm T Pur Cleanser is quite good for oily skins but the toner and moisturizers from the same line are not very good tbh as they don't control oil well. I prefer Shiseido Men products even though they are not marketed towards oily acne prone skin. They seem to work quite well for my oily acne prone skin. If acne is your prob save your money and get a specific acne medication rather than those anti acne cleanser toner and moisturizers.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Mar 20 2010, 02:08 PM

It's the opposite for me as the Moisturizing Emulsion is one of the best moisturizers I have used. I can't wait for my sub standard Clinique M Gel to finish so I can buy the Shiseido Men Moisturizing Emulsion.

Skin care products are very individual...it's always a "Your Mileage May Vary" scenario.

I did use a Brylcreem face wash a few years ago and I found to be overly drying even for my oily skin.

Your skin type does sound complicated man haha. Wah bought full size cleansing foam..

The hydrating lotion is still one of the best products I have ever bought and I have not experienced any tightness when I am in air cond rooms for long hours. Try applying some aloe vera gel after the hydrating lotion. Currently I am using Fruit of The Earth Aloe Vera Gel after hydrating lotion in the day. The aloe gel doesn't moisturize as good as the hydrating lotion but it forms a barrier so the hydrating effects of the lotion stays for longer. Plus the aloe gel softens, soothes my skin and controls oil to a certain degree. My fren recommended I stop using all the expensive moisturizers and just use pure aloe gel as a day n night moisturizer. I tried it for a few days but it din work for my skin as the aloe gel ain't moisturizing enough.

I bought the Moisturizing Emulsion last weekend and overall it's good. I really like the texture as it is watery and very easy to massage into skin. Even though watery it moisturizes my face well with no adverse reactions like redness or breakouts. But I must admit that the moisturizing emulsion won't fare very well as a day time moisturizer for our weather. I bought it for use at night so oil/shine control is not important for me...actually i think oil/shine control in the night is not needed at all...might even clog pores. The moist emulsion cost me RM145 for 100ml and I am very satisfied with it tbh. For daytime I use the Shiseido Men Hydrating Lotion and is one of the best moisturizers I have used so far. The amount i pump out is roughly smaller than the a panadol tablet...so 100ml going to last a long time hehe.

I have used quite a few light moisturizers that promise oil control but none really work more than a few hours la in our msian weather. Clarins Shine Free Gel is quite good and offers the best oil control la among the ones I have tried but it is pricey la, RM147 for 50ml...I found the scent a bit too strong. Clinique Oil Control Hydrator is good too but leaves a white powdery marks if u don't massage in properly.Price is RM140 for 50ml. Something cheaper is Clinique M Gel but I found it too basic for the price so that's why I changed to Shiseido...RM140 for 100ml.

Kiehl's has 2 oil control moisturizers Blue Herbal Moisturizer and Rare Earth Oil Control Lotion. I recently got a sample of the Blue Herbal Moisturizer and it is quite decent in terms of oil control but doesn't moisturize very well...price is quite good...RM90 for 100ml...but it is more for oily acne prone skins. Biotherm Homme T Pur mattifying moisturizer is just decent la and tbh doesn't control oil very well. Shiseido Men makes an Anti Shine Refresher and based on a few uses from a 2ml sample, it's one of the best but doesn't moisturize and is really expensive...RM135 for 30ml. Avene makes a mattifying light moisturizer but I have not tried it before...price is within RM50-RM100 for 40-50ml. I might try avene. I have tried neutrogena oil free moist, garnier men and vichy...none really work and they just give this silky smooth feeling initially which makes u think oil is controlled but it isn't and within a few hours it's back to normal.

Keep in mind that almost all these oil control moisturizers contain high amount of alcohol so if u have any previous bad experiences with alcohol in skin care products u might want to think twice about trying them. Like I said earlier nothing really controls oil in our weather so I resort to the cheaper alternative...Gatsby oil Clear Sheet LOL..one sheet every 3-4 hours keeps me shine free.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Mar 25 2010, 05:17 PM

I can't think of any at the moment haha. Almost all the moisturizers i have used over the years contain silicone. Fruit of The Earth Aloe Gel doesn't contain silicones but I don't really consider it a good moisturizer.

The Hydrating Lotion is really a 5 star product.

Clean Start sounds like a Clinique 3 step clone haha. Overly drying products is really not the way to go for oily skin. That's why I stopped using toner/astringents in my daily routine.

What are silicone exfoliators ? those scrubbing particles made of polyethylene ?