Unboxing Beauty

[ Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own and unbiased. Contains affiliate links ]

I have the great pleasure of reviewing another product from Q-Depot.  They offered me a range of products to try and I have always wanted to try The Face Shop Chia Seed line, as I have received samples of it before.  Q-Depot, for those who may not know, is an online Korean cosmetic store that has thousands of Korean skincare and   Korean makeup products with famous brands, such as Banila, Etude House, Hera, Skinfood, The Face Shop, History of Woo, Tonymoly, Innisfree, Missha, IOPE and many more.   Q-Depot has free international shipping with any orders $69.00 or more and you will get free samples with every order as well.

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The Face Shop (더페이스샵) is a very popular Korean Beauty brand and three products that I consider to be in my hall of fame are from The Face Shop

• The Face Shop Calming Seed Mild Bubble Foam Cleanser  (review)
• The Face Shop Raspberry Slim (Line) & Lift Collagen Eye Patch (review)
• The Face Shop Jeju Tangerine Dry Oil  (review)

You can purchase the first two items from Q-Depot as well.  I had tried some samples of their Chia Seed line and have been interested in using their products for a longer time span.  I love using lotions, essences and gels  as my moisturizer because I have oily skin ~ traditional creams are too heavy for my skin type for daytime use.   I have oily, blemish prone skin with anti-aging concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation caused by sun damage.

This comes in a tall glass cream colored bottle with spring green accents.  It has a pump applicator which dispenses the lotion perfectly ~ not too much and not too little.  I love the little tree right above the name of the product and this item is also known as Chia Seed Water 100 and when I did some research on this item, it seems that it is more of an emulsion than a lotion.   That is fine by me, as I do use emulsions as a lotion.

Description: A moisturizing lotion that restores the skin’ s innate clear luster:  Spreads onto the skin smoothly without stickiness and is absorbed quickly to prevent skin dryness.  Soft suppleness both inside and outside the skin:  Organically germinated chia seeds, which draw and absorb moisture, not only hydrate but also nourish the skin to effectively restore suppleness.  Contains 100% chia seeds water instead of water:  Chia seeds water is extracted within 24 hours  via the Fresh method, instead of water and delivers the vitality of the highly pure chia seeds. 

This product is to be applied after your toner, according to The Face Shop, which gives more weight that this is an emulsion. In fact, the order of usage on the side of the box states: Toner (or Mist Toner) -> Lotion -> Eye & Spot Essence -> Essence -> Cream

Five benefits by Chia Seeds for a “fully hydrated” moisturized skin

1. Contains 100% chia seeds extract instead of water
2. Uses chia seeds manufactured via the Fresh Extraction method within 24 hours
3. A moisture HUG system
4. Formula without 7 additives: free of paraben, benzophenone, artificial coloring, alcohol denat, sulfate, animal-sourced materials and triethanolamine
5. Dermatology tested

Ingredients of Note

• Salvia Hispanica Seed (chia seed) is an ancient seed used by Aztec and Mayan civilizations and is considered a superfood, due to its rich store of nutrients and full of fiber and protein.  Chia actually means “Strength” in Mayan, as they knew how important this food item was in their diet.  Chia seeds can hold up to 10 times their weight in water and The Face Shop Chia Seed line only uses 100% chia seed extracts, not water, to formulate their skincare products.  In skincare, the antioxidant rich seeds are used to help reduce wrinkles and hydrate.  They also contain omega-3 fatty acids, so it will help calm your skin as it is an anti-inflammatory.  This lotion is contains 72.7% chia seed extract.
  

• Panthenol helps cellular renewal and is an effective moisturizer.  It is derived from plants and this ingredient comes from Vitamin B5.  Panthenol is a natural humectant, which retains moisture and hydrates the skin. It also is a good lubricant on the skin, making skin look soft and smooth. It is also an anti-inflammatory

• Glycerin helps with healing of wounds, is an humectant, sealing in moisture, maintains the skin’s water balance on an inter-cellular level, which makes the skin look healthy, moist (not dry and scaly), soft to touch, and is also an emollient, leaving your skin looking radiant and supple

• Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate) is an intensive moisturizing ingredient which bonds water to keep skin hydrated.   It is a natural substance found in the human body and it made up of amino and uronic acids, and helps retain 100 to 1,000 times its own water weight in our skin cells.

• Chamomile Extract can calm down the skin and relieve redness effectively as it has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.   It helps to relieve skin issues and irritations because it soothes and lessens swelling and redness, while healing skin and stimulating cellular renewal. 

• Polyglutamic Acid is made from fermented soybeans (natto) and helps moisturize and exfoliate old skin cells.  It can penetrate to the deepest layers in your skin, locks in moisture and helps increase the production of NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor)

• Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine is part of the phospholipid family and is made from egg yolks and soy beans.  It is an emulsifier that will help smooth skin, increase hydration in your skin and because it contains omaga-3 essential fatty acids, it aids in creating and healing your cell membranes, enhancing elasticity and suppleness.   Phosphatidylcholine also has choline and linoleic acid and has been shown to help treat blemishes (study)  (truth in aging source)

You can see from the ingredient list this lotion is full of hydrating emollients and moisturizers.  There are some low level acne triggers according to cosDNA ~ dimethicone, butylene glycol, stearic acid, PEG-100 stearate ~ but I have used these ingredients before without any issues.

This is a lovely light weight lotion, with amazing hydrating and moisturizing properties.  As I applied it to my hand, the feather-weight white lotion emulsified to a watery lotion ~ you can see the water drop on my skin in the second swatch photo.  As I patted it into my skin, it was absorbed quickly.   It smells wonderful ~ it is a light citrus-herbal scent ~ very refreshing and pleasant.   The scent does disappear after a few minutes, but it so light that it doesn’t bother me. 

This leaves my skin very hydrated without any tacky or sticky residue.  It does balance my skin as both the lipids and moisture on my skin was increased by 49% to 50% on average.  My face does not feel or look oily or greasy when I wear this lotion and I do not have to wait a long time before applying the rest of my skincare and makeup products.   This product has not caused me to break out either and heading into the warmer months, this lotion is more than adequate for my skin needs in terms of hydration and moisturization.

Ingredients: Salvia Hispanica Seed (chia seed) Extract (72.7%), Dipropylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Tri-C14-15Alkyl Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Potassium Hydroxide, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Polyglutamic Acid, Citrus Paradisi (grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (chamomile) Flower Extract, Fragrance  cosDNA.com analysis

Final Thoughts

I have been using The Face Shop Chia Seed Watery Lotion for one month now and I have been very happy with it.  I love the lightness of the lotion and the fresh scent ~ I also am so pleased about how it not only hydrates my skin, but also keeps my skin from being too oily.  It works well with my current skin care routine, as I have been transitioning to light weight, hydrating oils and serums before applying this lotion.  I have found that by laying products that are highly moisturizing without being heavy in weight or texture, I can really amp up the moisture in my skin without my skin looking greasy. 

I have older skin, but it is very oily, so I do have to find that balance between getting enough moisture in my skin without causing acne or excess oil on my skin.   I just found a fourth product from The Face Shop that has made it in my hall of fame products!    This is a huge bottle too ~ 125 mL and this will probably last several months, as a little of this lotion goes a long way.   You can purchase The Face Shop Chia Seed Watery Lotion at Q-Depot (click here)  for $20.52 USD.  If you register with Q-Depot, you will receive several coupons to use with a combined value of $25.00 USD, based on the purchase amount.  You can always check what coupons and promos you have with Q-Depot by using the Coupons Page (you must log into your account).

Have you tried this product?  What did you think of it?  I was so impressed by the Chia Seed line from The Face Shop that I purchased the Chia Seed Watery Eye Spot Essence ~ I will have a review on that product in a few weeks.

Now, don’t be surprised if you cannot find or do not receive the exact bottle that I have pictured.  The Face Shop repackaged it in 2016, but the ingredients are the same ~ they also renamed this to Chia Seed Hydrating Emulsion.

 

[ product was complementary from Q-Depot.  All opinions are my own and unbiased ]

[ blog post contains affiliate links ]