Lavera Compared With Sukin

Lavera and Sukin are 2 brands of gentle skincare that I have tried recently, for my temperamental skin. Both emphasise and take pride in their organic and natural ingredients. I have been using Sukin for some time and basically stuck to it, since my skin was behaving quite ok. I didn't try any new skincare (if I recall correctly, except for a new cleansing oil, which was fine for weeks and Fancl T-zone essence, which I applied to only my nose & forehead). But my skin turned nuts a week ago and dry-painful peeling occured on my cheeks and around my mouth, including my hands ... While I'm happy with Sukin's non-SLS gentle Foaming Cleanser and Mist Toner, their creams aren't as good as Lavera's. In my earlier review on Sukin, I said the creams didn't seem to absorb well. They didn't irritate my skin but didn't seem to improve it alot either. When my skin went crazy recently, applying Sukin's creams didn't help at all with hydration, even after I applied hydrocortisone to soothe. I must admit I wouldn't have tried Lavera if it weren't for the great sales that are going on for this brand recently. And the fact that my skin wasn't doing great even when I was using Sukin faithfully. Once I tried Lavera's creams on the other hand, I found they absorbed well, provided good hydration and also soothed my peeling cracking skin, (after the cortisone did its work) that was acting up for I don't know what reason. I'll be doing a review of the 2 creams I got, Neutral Face Fluid and Wild Rose Liposome Intensive Cream. Lavera Faces Wild Rose Liposome Intensive Cream

Claims "Wake up to softer, smoother skin! This intensive, overnight treatment for dry, lacklustre skin provides deep down nourishment and hydration. Shea butter, almond oil, blackcurrant seed oil and hyaluronic acid rapidly boost skin's moisture levels and provide long-lasting hydration. Plant based liposomes carry valuable extracts of organic wild rose, ginkgo and orange blossom deep into the skin. Vitamins C and E provide effective protection against environmental pollutants." Ingredients Water Palm Kernel Oil Tricaprylin Grain Alcohol Glycerin Shea Butter* Sweet Almond Oil*Jojoba Seed Oil Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Squalane Lanolin Passionflower Seed Oil Vitamin E Acetate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Xanthan Gum Glyceryl Oleate Citrate Black Current Seed Oil Lysolecithin Damask Rose Flower Water* Dog Rose Fruit Extract* Gingko Leaf Extract Rapeseed Sterols Hydrogenated Lecithin Vitamin E Hyaluronic Acid Myrtle Water* Bitter Orange Flower Water* Lecithin Vitamin C Ester Vitamin C Natural Oils: Citral*Geraniol*Citronellol*Limonene*Linalool* Information from the Lavera website.

My Experience This was the first Lavera face cream I tried, when my skin was dry, cracked and peeling badly and I had to use hydrocortisone to soothe it. I used hydrocortisone for a couple of days, and it cleared the skin mostly, but it was still feel taut and dry. So, I started applying this cream. The day after I used this cream, I didn't need to return to using the hydrocortisone. The taut dryness had gone away and my face was plump and hydrated. That was why I decided to go haul and stock up on Lavera face products. Lavera Neutral Face Fluid

Claims "Fragrance-free. Light, yet deeply hydrating and uniquely soothing formula for dry and extremely sensitive skin and eczema. Organic Evening Primrose, Sweet Almond Oil & Sea Buckthorn, which are rich in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), provide anti-inflammatory soothing action. Antioxidant Jojoba seed oil effectively heals and calms dry and irritated skin. Shorea Butter restores elasticity to dry, stressed skin. Licorice Root extract, ideal for rosacea, is highly anti-inflammatory and lends brightening and clarifying benefits to tender tissues. " Ingredients Water Olive Oil* Grain Alcohol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Glycerin Tricaprylin Squalane Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Sweet Almond Oil* Shorea Butter Jojoba Oil* Evening Primrose Oil* Hydrogenated Lecithin Vitamin E Acetate Shea Butter Xanthan Gum Irish Moss Lysolecithin Sea Buckthorn Oil Licorice Root Extract Lecithin Sodium Hyaluronate Vitamin E Rapeseed Sterols Vitamin C Ester Vitamin C Information from the Lavera website.

My Experience When I was hauling Lavera products on Sunday, the SA recommended me this cream, especially for soothing my dryness, ezcema and allergies. I was recommended to buy 2 tubes, since she's sure it will work well for me. She told me it was just restocked after being sold out and she was worried it might not be available if I return a day or two later for more, since the Neutral range is very popular. When I applied this on Sunday night, my skin felt hydrated and comforted. The next morning, I found my skin looking rather translucent (with the exception of my pores, the cream didn't do anything for shrinking them to invisible). I rushed back on Monday to stock up on this cream but it's sold out! The SA said it won't be replenished in time for the sale period. *sad* Comparison What's the difference between Lavera and Sukin? I looked at the ingredients and found Lavera wasn't purely plant-based natural ie. it wasn't averse to using ingredients like Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate and Hyaluronic Acid which probably increased Lavera creams' moisturisation or hydration factor. Also, the Neutral Face Fluid has alot of anti-inflamatory ingredients, which was probably why it helped to soothe my skin, giving it a clear and transluscent effect. Whereas for Sukin, their ingredients list is purely plant-based. On their website, Sukin is proud to state that they do not use animal derivatives and any chemicals. Good for vegans, though I'm not sure how they define "chemicals". Perhaps it's a very strict definition, which is why they don't use stuff that must be manufactured and is not naturally occuring in plants. Here's a look at the claims and ingredients for Sukin creams.

Information from the Sukin website.

Conclusion

Compared to commercial cosmetic formulations, I guess because Lavera avoids heavy use of other ingredients like fragrance, strong whitening ingredients and acids, it probably is less aggressive and aggravating, making it suitable for dry-sensitive-allergy-prone problematic skin like mine. Since I have 2 tubes each of Neutral Face Fluid and Wild Rose Liposome Intensive Cream, I shall use the cream at night and the lighter fluid formulation in the day. I regret not buying more hahaha. The day will come when I need to purchase more creams at the original prices of $30-40SG plus! It's quite expensive if you consider the small size. 1oz for the Rose cream and 1.6oz for the Neutral fluid. But still, it's less expensive than Jurlique and actually seems more effective than Fancl creams for me (but to be fair to Fancl, I haven't tried their dry skin line yet). So for me, it's worth considering repurchasing and sticking to this brand of creams in the future, unless my skin turns mad again and I need to find alternatives. © Copyright. All rights reserved.