I've been sitting on this post for over three months, and had meant to do so for a while longer before letting it hatch, because I have a horror of jumping the gun on skincare, raving about something that turns out to contain an ingredient shortly to be banned worldwide which BURNS A DEAR READER'S LIKE WHOLE ENTIRE FACE OFF, talking up the miraculous effects of an unguent that turn out to be all in my own head, or just plain transfiguring a magic potion into mere sugar water by speaking its name without a salt circle laid down widdershins...
^Let the above function as the standard"I am not a scientist" and "ymmv -- these products may indeed burn your whole entire face off, so do your own research" skincare post disclaimers.
But as the recent question most frequently asked of me by readers, commentators and makeupalleyers alike has been along the lines of, "Dude, your skin looks amazing. And where did your freckles go?" I will dare to believe that this time, the miraculous effects are not only in my own head, and risk jinxing the potions by outing them:
![Dr Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18% HABA Triple White Brightener HABA VC Lotion HABA White Lady]()
I began using the Haba White Lady and Dr Wu Mandelic Acid Serum last November (after finishing the Avène Eluage mentioned in the last update) primarily to address pigmentation: most obviously my freckles, which had faded just enough thanks to two years of layering high ppd sunscreens (currently still Ducray Melascreen SPF50 and Sunplay Super Block SPF50) to be a possibly-further-addressable rather than a no-hope issue, and just that general flat, sallow dullness that seems typical of my skin in winter.
By December, I was so pleased with the results I wasmaybe making up all in my own head seeing I added HABA's VC Lotion and, in January, their Triple White Brightener.
Here's a highly unscientific comparison of my bare face in November 2012 (this post), after I'd begun to layer sunscreens, and in Feburary 2014:
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Apart from the whole thousands of miles apart, different cameras, different lighting conditions thing, now-with-added-minus-14ºC-frostbitten-zombie-lips! can you still see a significant-beyond-all-that difference in the freckles (fewer, fainter) and general evenness (much improved)?
The physical-over-chemical sunscreen layering alone had taken me from this (June 2012) to this (Oct 2012):
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But while the doubled-up sunscreens actually prevented me from developing any new freckles in the year since (sweltering E. Asian summer sun notwithstanding), the fading of existing ones had slowed down to an absolute crawl. See how slight and subtle are the differences between Oct 2012 and Nov 2013:
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Effects of the new products only: from November 2013 (here) to February 2014 again (bare).
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^^Sorry, I know these pictures are hugely variable. D: I chose ones in which I was wearing no foundation, and no concealer over my freckles, though in the made-up ones I'm wearing undereye concealer and the usual other garish clown accoutrements.
Variation in my skin colour are due entirely to lighting and season -- none of these pigmentation-fading products are skin-bleaching ones -- if my facial skin's lightened by about half a shade or so (owing, I think, to the sunscreen layering) it's only to now match the skin on the rest of my (less exposed to the elements) body e.g. my fishbelly-coloured er, driveller belly. Targeted spot-application also wouldn't result in hypopigmentation of any kind.
Ten billionty pics of my faaace later, let's remind ourselves of the products and look at them individually:
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Mandelic acid is an AHA whose molecules are larger than those found in glycolic or lactic acids -- this means it's a less penetrating, but also less irritating*, way to dabble in the texture-refining, pigmentation-fading benefits of alpha hydroxy acids for those with sensitive, rosacean skin. I use this once a week all over my face, and also apply it to individual freckles with a q-tip on an evening in the middle of the week -- for me this level of frequency results in no irritation/peeling, but is still effective at keeping my skin smooth and fading pigmentation. I've also spot-applied to the freckles on my eyelids without problems, but note that the instructions do advise avoiding the eye/mouth.
While I'm not sure how well documented this is, I've also read on various rosacea sites/communities that mandelic acid isn't just less-irritating for rosacean skin, it can actually actively help reduce redness and strengthen the skin barrier; I've personally noticed less redness in my own skin since using this serum in combination with the HABA products, and haven't felt the lack of Avène's retinaldehyde Eluage gel (as a barrier-strengthener) since replacing it with this in my routine.
While this serum does contain moisturising ingredients like propylene glycol, butene glycol and hyaluronic acid, it's not enough for my dry skin. So, as with the Avene gel, I apply this slightly viscous liquid with bare hands onto clean dry skin and wait half an hour (for the acid in its base with a pH of ~3.5 to work unimpeded) before moisturising as usual with my mix of The Organic Pharmacy oil + REN cream.
*Reported studies deal in likelihoods, but you know your own skin best. As previously mentioned, mine is very physically sensitive -- it can't tolerate even gentle wiping with a rich lotion-soaked cotton pad or a soft muslin cloth used used to remove cream cleanser without coming up in raised, irritated, dry-skin bumps -- so I rely on chemical exfoliants and, have built up some resistance. If you're sensitive to AHA's, tread with your usual care.
VC Lotion is an alcohol-free, fragrance-free toner which shares actives with White Lady (liquorice root extract and a lower concentration of SAP -- 2%) with the addition of nano-sized rice bran ceramides meant to provide very effective, long-lasting moisturisation. Er. Anyway, though I hear it works well as solo hydrator for oily skins / humid climates, it's about on par with the Hada Labo Gokujyun lotion for me (which it replaces in my routine) and requires further layers on top.
VCL has a slightly thicker texture than White Lady, but is still best described as a liquid -- it's more watery than Hada Labo, for example. As you might expect, it's a 'booster' for White Lady, applied (HABA recommends patting with hands again) after WL, and while likewise sinking in without tackiness, it does leave my skin feeling a bit more moisturised/comfortable afterwards than WL alone. For a more intense treatment, you can use VC lotion on cottons as a five-minute 'sheet mask' over particularly dry/pigmented areas; I'm too lazy to do this regularly, but having tried it (for science!) can report that even used this way the toner doesn't dry out prematurely or make my skin feel tight / irritated.
The best answer I can give to the question of whether the extra layer is really worth it / makes a difference, is to point out this giant fracking bottle wot I just repurchased. :P
It really seems to me to enhance the brightening, skintone-evening effects of White Lady rather than just sealing it in as Hada Labo or any other moisturising toner would. It'd also be a good one to try if White Lady's 6% SAP proves too strong for you.
Triple White Brightener contains a different form of vitamin C from White Lady and VC Lotion's SAP, the oil soluble ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (read more here and here) which I was eager to try as another stable, non-exfoliating form of vitamin C. Further brighteners in this serum (a light milky coloured gel-cream texture) are arbutin, hydrolysed rice bran extract, and glucosyl hesperidin, which is meant to address the kind of dullness and discolouration caused by poor blood circulation -- frequently found around the eyes and mouth, and to which I am definitely prone (haz Raynauds and v poor circulation).
As this tiny bottle was so pricy, I've been restricting use to undereyes and just around my mouth (a half-pump, applied with fingertips after White Lady and VC Lotion), and think I've seen slight but consistent improvement (scroll all the way back up to the first comparison pic -- can you see it too?) in evenness of tone in those areas over the past month, which has involved quite a bit of stress, poor sleep, and freezing-my-arse-off-in-ye-Siberian-wastes (okay, maybe that last one's a bit idiosyncratic :P). I've found myself concentrating foundation more on my nose and inner cheeks rather than on my chin and around my mouth, as in the past, and haven't reached for my 'secondary' concealer (Tarte) once in that time. We shall see whether this continues or whether it's just a passing thing -- if you're a regular reader you'll have heard me complaining about my yellow goatee popping up at random over the years :P
Like VC Lotion and WL, the Triple White Brightener has very light, cosmetically elegant finish, and leaves skin feeling smooth and unsticky. For me, it's again strictly a serum that requires topping with more emollient, occlusive moisturisers -- Sisleya Global Eye + Lip Contour around my eyes, and my mix of The Organic Pharmacy oil + REN cream on the rest of my face and neck.
So there you have it. My anti-pigmentation arsenal :D
I've tried to stay fairly cool and balanced throughout this post (which seems to involve much pedantry and laboured Miltonic sentences, hmm) but I am officially thrilled to find actives that work so well for my skin without thinning, drying or sensitising it -- my usual reasons for discontinuing the heavy hitters before they can have any truly impressive effects. As always, your mileage may vary. If you have experiences with these products, recommendations (I actually have an impressive stack of HABA GWP samples in desperate need of triage) or further questions, feel free to leave a comment!
PS for those with sensitive noses: all four products are fragrance-free, not scent-free, so they do smell very faintly of their ingredients.
PS A quick breakdown of my current skincare routine:
MORNINGS
Splash face
HABA White Lady patted all over face
VC Lotion, likewise
serums: Triple White Brightener under eyes and around mouth // Mandom Barrier Repair serum elsewhere
eye cream (Sisleya) and day cream (Décleor Éxperience de l'Âge Rich)
sunscreens (Ducray + Sunplay)
EVENINGS
Remove makeup/sunscreen with Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil
HABA White Lady patted all over face
VC Lotion, likewise
serums: Triple White Brightener under eyes and around mouth // Mandom Barrier Repair serum elsewhere
eye cream (Sisleya) and night cream (The Organic Pharmacy Skin Rescue Oil + REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream)
SUNDAY EVENING:
Remove makeup/sunscreen with Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil
Dr Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18%, wait half an hour...
eye cream (Sisleya) and night cream (The Organic Pharmacy Skin Rescue Oil + REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream)
^Let the above function as the standard"I am not a scientist" and "ymmv -- these products may indeed burn your whole entire face off, so do your own research" skincare post disclaimers.
But as the recent question most frequently asked of me by readers, commentators and makeupalleyers alike has been along the lines of, "Dude, your skin looks amazing. And where did your freckles go?" I will dare to believe that this time, the miraculous effects are not only in my own head, and risk jinxing the potions by outing them:
Dr Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18%
HABA Triple White Brightener, VC Lotion and White Lady
I began using the Haba White Lady and Dr Wu Mandelic Acid Serum last November (after finishing the Avène Eluage mentioned in the last update) primarily to address pigmentation: most obviously my freckles, which had faded just enough thanks to two years of layering high ppd sunscreens (currently still Ducray Melascreen SPF50 and Sunplay Super Block SPF50) to be a possibly-further-addressable rather than a no-hope issue, and just that general flat, sallow dullness that seems typical of my skin in winter.
By December, I was so pleased with the results I was
Here's a highly unscientific comparison of my bare face in November 2012 (this post), after I'd begun to layer sunscreens, and in Feburary 2014:
The physical-over-chemical sunscreen layering alone had taken me from this (June 2012) to this (Oct 2012):
But while the doubled-up sunscreens actually prevented me from developing any new freckles in the year since (sweltering E. Asian summer sun notwithstanding), the fading of existing ones had slowed down to an absolute crawl. See how slight and subtle are the differences between Oct 2012 and Nov 2013:
Effects of the new products only: from November 2013 (here) to February 2014 again (bare).
Variation in my skin colour are due entirely to lighting and season -- none of these pigmentation-fading products are skin-bleaching ones -- if my facial skin's lightened by about half a shade or so (owing, I think, to the sunscreen layering) it's only to now match the skin on the rest of my (less exposed to the elements) body e.g. my fishbelly-coloured er, driveller belly. Targeted spot-application also wouldn't result in hypopigmentation of any kind.
Ten billionty pics of my faaace later, let's remind ourselves of the products and look at them individually:
Dr Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18% (made in Taiwan, 15ml for HK$220)
While I'm not sure how well documented this is, I've also read on various rosacea sites/communities that mandelic acid isn't just less-irritating for rosacean skin, it can actually actively help reduce redness and strengthen the skin barrier; I've personally noticed less redness in my own skin since using this serum in combination with the HABA products, and haven't felt the lack of Avène's retinaldehyde Eluage gel (as a barrier-strengthener) since replacing it with this in my routine.
While this serum does contain moisturising ingredients like propylene glycol, butene glycol and hyaluronic acid, it's not enough for my dry skin. So, as with the Avene gel, I apply this slightly viscous liquid with bare hands onto clean dry skin and wait half an hour (for the acid in its base with a pH of ~3.5 to work unimpeded) before moisturising as usual with my mix of The Organic Pharmacy oil + REN cream.
*Reported studies deal in likelihoods, but you know your own skin best. As previously mentioned, mine is very physically sensitive -- it can't tolerate even gentle wiping with a rich lotion-soaked cotton pad or a soft muslin cloth used used to remove cream cleanser without coming up in raised, irritated, dry-skin bumps -- so I rely on chemical exfoliants and, have built up some resistance. If you're sensitive to AHA's, tread with your usual care.
HABA White Lady (made in Japan, 30ml for HK$ 440)
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| Haba White Lady ingredients (translation) |
Known as Fair Lady in the US, White Lady is HABA's flagship product, watery pre-toner serum that features 6% of sodium ascorbyl phospate, a gentle and stable water-soluble vitamin C derivative that works to fade and prevent hyperpigmentation without the exfoliating effect of L-ascorbic acid. I know as well as anyone that skins can be very picky about types and concentrations of vitamin C, but for me this serum has been a miracle combination of non-irritating and extremely effective and I really appreciate the inclusion of hydrating hyaluronic acid and soothing liquorice root extract (dipotassium glycyrrhizinate) in a very clean formula.
I use White Lady twice daily (unless it's a Dr Wu night), patted on with clean hands, onto bare, just-washed skin; one pump is enough for both face and neck and it sinks in immediately with zero stickiness.
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| HABA White Lady -- one pump |
This serum is fragrance- and alcohol-free and highly recommended, especially for other sensitive skins, even if you're just looking for a good preventative antioxidant rather than a specific product for hyperpigmentation. Because SAP is stable, I plumped for the larger 30ml rather than the smaller 10ml size. Used daily, you should be able to finish it easily within the one-year-after-opening expiry.
HABA VC Lotion (made in Japan, 180ml for HK$460)
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| Haba VC Lotion Ingredients (translation) |
(This is my second bottle, and I opted for the limited edition giant 360ml pump version for HK$555 -- the regular 180ml capped bottle retails for HK$460 and looks like this.)
VCL has a slightly thicker texture than White Lady, but is still best described as a liquid -- it's more watery than Hada Labo, for example. As you might expect, it's a 'booster' for White Lady, applied (HABA recommends patting with hands again) after WL, and while likewise sinking in without tackiness, it does leave my skin feeling a bit more moisturised/comfortable afterwards than WL alone. For a more intense treatment, you can use VC lotion on cottons as a five-minute 'sheet mask' over particularly dry/pigmented areas; I'm too lazy to do this regularly, but having tried it (for science!) can report that even used this way the toner doesn't dry out prematurely or make my skin feel tight / irritated.
 |
| HABA VC Lotion -- you probably need less than this for face&neck but the big pump is enthusiastic :P |
It really seems to me to enhance the brightening, skintone-evening effects of White Lady rather than just sealing it in as Hada Labo or any other moisturising toner would. It'd also be a good one to try if White Lady's 6% SAP proves too strong for you.
HABA Triple White Brightener (made in Japan, 20ml for HK$620)
 |
| Haba Triple White Brightener ingredients |
My translation: Water, glycerin, butylene glycol, arbutin, pentylene glycol, squalane, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, hydrolysed rice bran extract, pearl barley oil, rice bran glycosophinogolipid, phytic acid, trehalose, glucosyl hesperidin, violet root extract, diphenylsiloxy phenyl trimethicone, polyquarternium-61, carbomer K, xanthan gum, polysorbate 70, lysolecithin
Triple White Brightener contains a different form of vitamin C from White Lady and VC Lotion's SAP, the oil soluble ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (read more here and here) which I was eager to try as another stable, non-exfoliating form of vitamin C. Further brighteners in this serum (a light milky coloured gel-cream texture) are arbutin, hydrolysed rice bran extract, and glucosyl hesperidin, which is meant to address the kind of dullness and discolouration caused by poor blood circulation -- frequently found around the eyes and mouth, and to which I am definitely prone (haz Raynauds and v poor circulation).
As this tiny bottle was so pricy, I've been restricting use to undereyes and just around my mouth (a half-pump, applied with fingertips after White Lady and VC Lotion), and think I've seen slight but consistent improvement (scroll all the way back up to the first comparison pic -- can you see it too?) in evenness of tone in those areas over the past month, which has involved quite a bit of stress, poor sleep, and freezing-my-arse-off-in-ye-Siberian-wastes (okay, maybe that last one's a bit idiosyncratic :P). I've found myself concentrating foundation more on my nose and inner cheeks rather than on my chin and around my mouth, as in the past, and haven't reached for my 'secondary' concealer (Tarte) once in that time. We shall see whether this continues or whether it's just a passing thing -- if you're a regular reader you'll have heard me complaining about my yellow goatee popping up at random over the years :P
 |
| HABA Triple White Brightener |
So there you have it. My anti-pigmentation arsenal :D
I've tried to stay fairly cool and balanced throughout this post (which seems to involve much pedantry and laboured Miltonic sentences, hmm) but I am officially thrilled to find actives that work so well for my skin without thinning, drying or sensitising it -- my usual reasons for discontinuing the heavy hitters before they can have any truly impressive effects. As always, your mileage may vary. If you have experiences with these products, recommendations (I actually have an impressive stack of HABA GWP samples in desperate need of triage) or further questions, feel free to leave a comment!
PS for those with sensitive noses: all four products are fragrance-free, not scent-free, so they do smell very faintly of their ingredients.
PS A quick breakdown of my current skincare routine:
MORNINGS
Splash face
HABA White Lady patted all over face
VC Lotion, likewise
serums: Triple White Brightener under eyes and around mouth // Mandom Barrier Repair serum elsewhere
eye cream (Sisleya) and day cream (Décleor Éxperience de l'Âge Rich)
sunscreens (Ducray + Sunplay)
EVENINGS
Remove makeup/sunscreen with Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil
HABA White Lady patted all over face
VC Lotion, likewise
serums: Triple White Brightener under eyes and around mouth // Mandom Barrier Repair serum elsewhere
eye cream (Sisleya) and night cream (The Organic Pharmacy Skin Rescue Oil + REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream)
SUNDAY EVENING:
Remove makeup/sunscreen with Fancl Mild Cleansing Oil
Dr Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18%, wait half an hour...
eye cream (Sisleya) and night cream (The Organic Pharmacy Skin Rescue Oil + REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream)
Disclosure: I purchased all these products personally.