Rohto Hada Labo Koi-Gokuyjun Perfect Gel and UV White Gel SPF50 PA++++

Where I got it

I don’t know where to start, but Rohto Hadalabo has been a brand that I have used many many years ago. I used one of their hyaluronic acid serum as well as their lotion. The packaging and texture of their products just really gets me. Everytime I travel to Japan, I can’t go without buying a couple of products from their range. I also love that they do refill packs and they have been doing that for years. Eastern skincare has been getting really good hype for the past few years. But whilst everyone is more into K-beauty, I deeply think J-beauty is just as amazing, but they always have a sense of mystery to them. Japanese skincare is not as widely available in New Zealand and the exposure isn’t as easily accessible compared to K-beauty. Nonetheless, I think Hadalabo has got to be one of the most well-known and well-love drug-store brand for the western countries. Of course, there are brands like SK-II and Shiseido that are also amazing and well-known, but drug-store prices, Hadalabo is one of the best.

Let’s get back to where I got these babies. I ordered these from BeautyAxe after discovering them through Instagram. They have a good selection of Hadalabo products, and currently they are all in stock. Hadalabo products are also available at Japan Mart, YesStyle, etc. I think the prices on BeautyAxe was really reasonable and oh my goddness, it was overnight shipping! I am really impressed.

What I got

So I picked up two items from Rohto Hada Labo (Rohto is the big brand name, Hadalabo is the range) and they are the Koi-Gokuyjun Perfect Gel ($34.99 for 100g) and the UV White Gel SPF50 PA++++ ($34.99 for 90g). I decided to pick up both, one for day time and one for night time. I was a little worried that the dewiness of the Perfect Gel will be too oily/greasy on my skin, but we’ll see.

Koi-Gokuyjun Perfect Gel (100g). This convenient all-in-one gel completes your skin routine [ toner/lotion+serum+moisturizing milk+cream+pack] with one step. Featured ingredients for moisturizing: Squalane, Ceramide and Sakuran as well as 4 kinds of Hyaluronic Acid* *1. Sodium Hyaluronate 2. Super Hyaluronic Acid 3. Nanoized Hyaluronic Acid 4. Cationic Hyaluronic Acid Thick gel delivers & locks moisture deep into the skin. Your skin will be hydrated, firm, and elastic. 

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, glycerin, hydroxyethyl urea, pentylene glycol, PPG-10 methyl glucose, triethyl hexanoin, squalane, (acryloyl dimethyl taurine ammonium / VP) copolymer, behenyl alcohol, acetyl hyaluronic acid Na (super hyaluronic acid), hyaluronic acid Na, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid (Nanoized Hyaluronic Acid), Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate (Cationic Hyaluronic Acid), hydrolyzed collagen, glucosylceramide (ceramide), Aphanothece Sacrum Exopolysaccharides(Sakuran), dimethicone, PPG-17 butes -17, triethyl citrate, cyclopentasiloxane, phenoxyethanol, succinic acid 2Na, dimethicone crosspolymer, agarten, EDTA-2Na, succinic acid, α-glucan, acrylate copolymer ammonium , Methylparaben

UV White Gel SPF50 PA++++ (90g). This is a very convenient all-in-one [ lotion + serum + moisturizing milk + cream + pack + makeup base + UV care] gel featuring three moisturizing ingredients* with UV protection. This gel delivers hydration deep into the skin and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and smooth. It saves you time during those busy mornings. * Three moisturizing ingredients 1. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C derivative) 2. Sodium Hyaluronate 3. Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid (Nanoized Hyaluronic Acid).

Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isononyl Isononanoate,Dimethicone, Ethanol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Polysilicone-15, Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C derivative), Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Polysilicone-13, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrated Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Methylparaben

How I find it

First of all, let’s talk about the packaging. While it’s not the most sleek or good-looking jar a moisturiser can come in, it is never the less straight-forward. The opening of the jar is wide, and it doesn’t come with a spatula, so I half-expect you dip your fingers in to get the product. The Perfect Gel has a semi-translucent gel-cream texture that feels slightly slimy when you try to pick it up with your fingers. It is not exactly the snail mucin slimy, but not gel-cream fresh either. A little of this goes a long way because the texture of this product is so intriguing when you spread it across your skin. It is smooth and silky like an oil, but fresh like a gel and leaves a protective film like a gel-cream. It is not an ultra-light gel, so it does leave you a bit glowy on the surface of the skin temporarily, so it does fade away within a bit of time.

After a few weeks of use, this Perfect Gel does give my skin the moisture and hydrating that it needs and comforts my skin for a long time. However, I do prefer to use the White Gel in the morning. The White Gel contains SPF50 and has a slight tone-up effect to it. Which is just a better way of saying a bit of a white cast. Asian cultures often prefer looking fair, thus always opting for that tone-up look, a whitening effect on the skin. This one here is ever so slightly pale on the skin, but it’s not ashy. It hydrates and moisturises as well and leaves you this amazing smooth base for your foundation on top. Not as slippery as the Perfect Gel, so foundation won’t slip and slide around. It also settles down to a natural finish without excess dewiness.

Overall

Absolutely love these two products. Before I started using these products, I had a bout of breakouts around my chin and jawline, caused by hormonal issues, diet and mask-wearing. I decided to give these a go, but they did nothing for my breakouts, irritation and redness. So I stopped and went into a acne-care routine for about 3 weeks to get it under control. I tell you having hormonal acne is no joke and it’s really annoying. Once I got my skin reasonably under control, as in no more under-the-skin-painful-acne, I started introducing these products again. Perfect Gel at night and White Gel in the morning. I really do like how one moisturiser gives me hydration and moisture in one go. A light layer of SPF as well with the UV White Gel. I would also skip makeup primer if I am not looking for any colour-correcting help.

A jar like these would last me a good few months and I absolutely love it. The downside of these products are that they are good for hydration and moisturising, but does not really address anything else – firming, lifting, acne and texture. I would definitely repurchase both of these products when they run out.