A few months back, I applied to be part of Swanicoco‘s SWANs 2 program. And to my surprise, I was chosen! As someone who only seriously became interested in Asian beauty less than a year ago, it was truly an honour to be selected. I was provided with a box of products to try in exchange for my opinion, and I’m still testing most of them out. But I did want to go ahead and share two of my favourites so far: the Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion.
Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner
I’ve always taken good care of my skin, but it’s only fairly recently that I’ve started consistently using toner every single time I wash my face. Although I’ve been writing about beauty for over 10 years, I was still under the misapprehension that toner is an important step only if you have oily skin. Since I’ve discovered that this is not the case, I have come to love hydrating toners—especially those made with rose water (I’m looking at you, Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, and Daniele Henkel Rose Glow face mist!). And now, I can add Swanicoco Snail Care Skintoner to my list of favourites.
Ingredients
First off: I knew snail mucin was a super important ingredient in Korean beauty—it’s great for helping the skin stay moisturized and has good anti-aging properties, amongst other benefits—but the only products I had tried so far that contained it were sheet masks. The fact that snail secretion filtrate is contained in both the Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Skintoner and Emulsion was something I was very excited about. The formula also includes fermented ingredients, whose nutrients are supposed to be easier for your skin to absorb.
Texture and scent
I was surprised by the toner’s texture at first: I had never encountered a gel-like one before (only liquid!). But because I tend to love gel fomulas in general, I was hooked right away. I’ve read other reviews where people mention that they find the rose smell overwhelming, but I tend to be a fan of anything that smells like roses, so I really enjoyed it. I don’t find it too strong—just pleasant. Despite the toner’s thicker texture than what I’m used to, I find that it absorbs just as quickly into the skin, and immediately gives it a nice boost of hydration.
Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion
Another Asian beauty-beginner confession: if you had asked me a few months ago when to use an emulsion, I probably wouldn’t have known how to answer. (But I do know now—and that’s all that matters! ?) Just to clarify, when using an emulsion, you would usually layer it between your serum and regular moisturizer. In summer, I even found myself sometimes skipping my moisturizer, and layering my serum, emulsion, and SPF to keep my routine a little lighter.
Ingredients and texture
This emulsion also contains snail mucin, as well as fermented ingredients, glycerin, and ceramides, so its formula is super moisturizing, and great for your skin! Once again, I got really hooked on this product’s texture: it’s lightweight, and really melts into your skin when you start massaging it in. With the weather getting much colder here in Montreal lately, I find that using this emulsion before my regular moisturizer really helps to optimize its moisture level without feeling heavy. The emulsion smells very similar to the toner, which I really love.
I’ll definitely be using both the skintoner and the emulsion in my routine this winter!
Bonus review: Swanicoco Lifetime Saver Bio Cream
My favourite part of my skincare routine is applying my actual moisturizer. As of late, I’ve been a big fan of gel textures, but as the cold season approaches, I usually switch to a creamy, richer texture. The first time I used this cream, I initially loved it: its texture is thick, and feels comforting on the skin. I think it would be perfect for someone with dry skin, or who enjoys richer formulas. Right now, it feels a tiny bit heavy on my normal skin for use during the day, especially under an SPF and makeup.
Ingredients
The formula contains mineral water, astaxanthin (a powerful antioxidant), hyaluronic acid (a must-have ingredient), and PmGF-x, which is supposed to give the skin additional moisture.
Smell
The one aspect I don’t enjoy so much about this cream is its smell. It’s very faint, and almost nonexistent, but as I’m applying it, it smells the slightest bit like cream cheese. I find that I haven’t been reaching for this product as often as I would like because of it. I’ve had other people smell it and tell me they didn’t notice it, so it might not be a deal-breaker for everyone. But because of its slightly heavier texture and subtle smell, this cream hasn’t joined my list of favourite moisturizers… for now.
But with subzero temperatures coming our way soon, who knows: I might change my mind come February!
Have you ever tried any Swanicoco products? What did you think?
Note: I was provided with these products in exchange for my honest review. As always, opinions are my own.