Review black sugar perfect first serum

I've tried a few Skinfood products and it is a solid brand so I was finally ready to try out their hyped Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. Skinfood has upgraded their Black Sugar Perfect First Serum to include two types the Essential and Light versions. I have bought both and I'm currently trying out the Light hoping for better results. This product retails for 24,000₩.

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✦DESCRIPTION
►THE BREAKDOWN
How do you use black sugar perfect first serum?
Who makes the best serum?

✦DESCRIPTION

(From Packaging): Achieve a smoother, clearer complexion with a combination of moisture rich black sugar and Cheongju, a traditional Korean Wine. (120ML)

►THE BREAKDOWN

I've been using the Essential version for more than 2 months and actually really enjoy the product. The product comes with cotton pads that I unfortunately haven't tried out yet since I'm trying to use up my other cotton pads. The product is housed in a glass bottle and the bottle doesn't over dispense product. The texture is watery and the color is clear. As for the scent it has a sweet alcohol scent to it. As the name suggests this product is meant to be used right after cleansing since it is a first serum. I sometimes use it before my toner or after my toner, especially if I'm using a first essence. I tend to layer my products from thin to thickest texture. The product isn't sticky itself and when applied leaves my skin incredibly soft and supple. However, once patted into the skin I find it a little sticky but not unbearable. After using it for the two months I noticed that when I didn't use it my skin didn't feel as soft or moisturized as when I did use it. Layering this product under my other hydrating layers is a definite must as my skin feels and looks absolutely times more smooth and supple. I've been using other brightening products so I can't comment that this product was the sole reason for brightening my complexion but because of the ingredients I'm certain that the product played a part in brightening my face. I did notice that it has very minimally helped the appearance of pimples. It has also has slightly helped some of my redness but not as much as I had expected or wanted it to. It doesn't help much with excess sebum but it doesn't make it overproduce either. Perhaps if I use the exfoliating cotton pads I might notice it helping sebum production. Overall I find the product works best for moisturizing my skin and prepping it for makeup. Although, the scent is a little strong it isn't bothersome but it might be for those sensitive to fragrances and sensitive to fruit extracts. On my dry sometimes combination skin I found it gentle and very hydrating. Will I repurchase? No, I really liked it but I'm always open to trying new products. And I also have the LIGHT version to try out so that one may fair better. I think it's very hydrating and if I can't find a product to replace in the near future then I might consider repurchasing it but for now nope.

This is a quick and lazy review. Why? Because I’ve basically already reviewed ::inhales deeply:: Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First Serum 2X Essential ::exhales:: in its previous incarnation: Black Sugar Perfect First Serum No. 1 Original, reviewed here.

Down to the scent, consistency, and effects–I seriously can’t tell the difference other than the bottle being smaller than I remembered. The amount, 120 ml, is the same though.

A little background: Sometime after I reviewed the original one, Skinfood discontinued it and released 2 new versions: 2X Light for oily skin and 2X Essential for dry skin.

Reminiscing about the original’s boozy sugar scent, I bought the new version to try, opting for 2X Essential because of my dry skin type. It functions just as well as the original as a hydrating and lightly (VERY lightly) exfoliating toner. This isn’t strong enough to serve as a proper acid toner like Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion, and there’s slim chance of overdoing it.

In fact, the pH is right around 5.0 whereas the original version had a pH of between 4.0-5.0 (according to my shabby test strips). Still low enough to use as a pH-lowering toner to prep skin for acid treatments.

Curiously, the original and 2X Essential are indistinguishable to me even though their ingredients are slightly different. In the newer one, sucrose has moved up ahead of witch hazel extract and MOAR delicious ferments are included (galactomyces ferment filtrate and rice ferment filtrate (sake)). Glycolic and salicylic acids are still the operative acids–and still very low on the list.

Ingredients of 2X Essential (pasted from the product page):

Water,Alcohol Denat.,Glycerin,Butylene Glycol,Niacinamide,Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract,Sucrose,Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract,Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate,Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract,Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract,Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract,Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract,Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract,Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract,Arginine,Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum,Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,Lactobacillus/Aspergillus/Prunus Mume Fruit Ferment Filtrate,Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract,Sarcodon Aspratus Extract,Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake),Glycolic Acid,Hizikia Fusiforme Extract,Maackia Fauriei Stem Extract,Salicylic Acid,Adenosine,Glucose,Disodium Edta,Cellulose Gum,Sodium Hyaluronate,Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate,Citric Acid,Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil,Ppg-26-Buteth-26,Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4,1,2-Hexanediol,Caprylyl Glycol,Ethylhexylglycerin,Phenoxyethanol,Caramel,Fragrance

Ingredients of the original:

Pros: Just as delicious and hydrating as the original.

Cons: No apparent improvement over the original despite reformulation. Not worth trying if you didn’t like the original.

How do you use black sugar perfect first serum?

Suited for all skin types! After cleansing, put a sufficient amount on a cotton pad. Gently wipe along the skin with the inner side and outwards using the cotton pad. Pat on the skin using the absorption side to have the remaining serum absorbed by the skin.