I’ve written about so many products on my blog but I have never had the opportunity to have skincare personalised and customised for my skin type. The idea of using customised formulations specifically designed to target my unique skincare concerns was so exciting to me and I had the great pleasure of collaborating with Hop & Cotton for this post who kindly gifted the products mentioned.
Hop & Cotton caught my eye when I first started my blog and I have always been interested in going down the personalised skincare path to see what it was like. Ee Ting Ng, the founder of the brand, is a cosmetic chemist and molecular biologist and she invited me to complete a skincare test to allow her and her team to put together formulas that would complement my skin. The Hop & Cotton skincare test is very thorough and covers all sorts of questions about skin texture and condition, types of blemishes, food allergies, current products you’re using, your texture preferences and whether you prefer fragrance or no fragrance. All up there are under 30 questions and it took me about 10 minutes to complete the test. Once this was done, I received an email with my test results for my records and then I sat back and patiently waited for my formulations.
Not long after I completed my skin test I received an email titled “Your Formulas Are Ready!”. I was so excited to see what the Hop & Cotton team had cooked up for me. They asked me to review my plan and let them know if anything seemed unsuitable. They also provided a full ingredient listing for each product for my review.
They focused on the following benefits:
- Reducing fine lines
- Maintaining radiance and glow
- Preventing and minimising the signs of ageing
- Reducing dehydration and dryness
- Fading hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone
- Minimising blackheads/congestion
Hop & Cotton put together formulations with some key actives supported by functional ingredients. These included Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) to improve moisture retention and reduce fine lines, polypeptides to encourage tissue regeneration & repair, Vitamin C to brighten and squalane for preventing moisture loss. The list of ingredients continues in a very thorough description of my custom recipe. After seeing the lengthy list of products that I regularly use, Hop & Cotton wanted to streamline my regime and reduce the number of products I used daily to just three. I was scared, but up for the challenge.
Within the week I received my custom formulations in a beautifully packaged peachy pink box with a magnetic lid (definitely keeping that one). Inside were three skincare products with my name printed on them which was such a lovely touch. Hop & Cotton do this for every order as they have a printer in-house – how cool! They also included the Lipguard lip balm which went straight into my handbag for testing.
Foam Party – face cleanser
Foam Party is a hydrating cleanser that is a gentle, beautifully silky gel that has a great feel on the skin. I chose the non foaming version and opted for no fragrance. I use it as my morning cleanse and my second cleanse in the evening, as I prefer to use a cleansing balm to take my makeup off first (can’t teach an old dog new tricks they say). This product is pH balanced and it leaves my skin feeling very clean, but soft, protected and not at all tight. It’s a cleanser that is just a pleasure to use, it’s fuss free and doesn’t require washing off with a flannel which, to be honest, is something I can get a bit lazy with. I love that it’s made just for me and I reach for it daily, even though I have started incorporating other products back into my routine.
Smooth Operator – face exfoliant
I am a big fan of liquid acid exfoliators so I was happy to see the Smooth Operator as part of the trio. My formulation contains Glycolic acid (a type of Alpha Hydroxy Acid) which helps to soften the skin by helping to shed dead skin cells from the surface. It helps to reduce the signs of ageing and is one of those OG reliable ingredients that I know works for me. Even though my skin is familiar with acids, I built up to using it every other day just to make sure I avoided any sensitivity. My skin has been glowing and feeling extra smooth since I started using this regularly and I really like the fact that it is gentle. I haven’t experienced any stinging. Another ingredient which is in my formula is Betaine which helps to balance the skin’s hydration levels, perfect for my parched complexion.
Makeover – advanced face moisturiser
Much like the Foam Party cleanser, you can choose the texture of your moisturiser. I chose a light weight texture because I wanted it to be comfortable to wear during the day and at night. The purpose of the Makeover is to act as a serum, moisturiser and eye cream which is how I used it during the testing period. I absolutely love the soft, light texture of this product and I have been slathering it on like there’s no tomorrow. Out of the three products, this is my favourite. It has ticked all the boxes by making my skin plump, radiant and balanced.
Lipguard
The lipguard is a light weight lip balm with a very smooth oil/gel formula. It doesn’t overwhelm my lips with a thick layer of gloop which makes it a perfect day time lip balm to have in my handbag or at my desk. Lanolin is the main emollient which makes an appearance in some of my all time favourite lip balms. It doesn’t have added flavour or fragrance and it doubles as my cuticle rescue!
The whole experience from taking my skin test, to unwrapping the products, to using them, was very professional and beautifully presented. For someone who uses a lot of products, it was definitely hard just using three but in all honesty my skin loved it. Although I have added other products back into my routine (hey, I’m a beauty blogger after all) it has made me simplify the steps.
If you are someone who doesn’t want to think about skincare or if you don’t have interest in the trial & error process that often occurs when trying to find the right products, then maybe a customised routine is worth a shot. I think the whole concept is great and I am so excited that an Australian brand is offering this unique service! What do you think about customised skincare? Would you try it? Let me know in the comments below or email me and connect with me on Instagram. To listen to the latest Fluke podcast, please visit iTunes.
Next week: Smooth winter skin with Sodashi.