My main skin concerns include redness due to inflammation and blemishes (primarily PIE, but also PIH). As a result, I place more emphasis on curating a routine focused on calming my skin.
However, I believe that no matter what your skin concerns are, keeping your skin hydrated and calm by using products with ingredients such as Centella Asiatica, Oats, Snail Mucin, and Aloe, is crucial for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Once you have established a solid foundation, you can address specific skin issues with different treatments.
The majority of the products I use contain Centella Asiatica. It is a well-known ingredient that can hydrate and soothe sensitive or irritated skin, as well as strengthen the skin’s barrier function to prevent moisture loss and protect against environmental stressors.
ABOUT THE RANGE
As per the brand, this range is made using the finest Madagascan centella leaves. The products are made of minimal essential ingredients for gentle but effective skincare.
From cleanser to sunscreens and sheet masks, this range has basically every skincare product and in this post I am going to review the *almost* entire collection.
Most products have smaller ~$5 mini versions available on their website so you can try the minis before committing to the full size.
Disclaimer: Products sent by brand to review. Not sponsored.
Packaging
I am impressed by the packaging of all their products – the outer boxes have clean and beautiful artworks, there are minor detailings like the embossing, the seal, and the texts on the flaps that make it look very premium. The bottles that hold the product look very simple and minimal. Everything is less than $25 so I really appreciate the efforts that went into the packaging.
SKIN1004 Centella Light Cleansing Oil
It has a thin, lightweight texture that spreads easily and takes down makeup, waterproof sunscreen, and all the grime effortlessly. It takes me just a minute to break down a full face of makeup, including the waterproof ones, and I am left with a clean canvas.
I love it because it doesn’t make my eyes blurry or cause stinging, which was the main reason why I didn’t like The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser a lot. The SKIN1004 cleansing oil emulsifies into a milky texture on adding water, and washes off completely. I usually follow up with a gel or foam face wash for a completely clean face without any oil residue.
When to use? At night as the first cleansing step to take off all your makeup and waterproof sunscreen.
Do I recommend? Yes!
Price: $5.5/$22 for 30ml/200ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Ampoule Foam
I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the pearly texture of this ampoule foam because it’s something I see a lot in most drying foaming face washes. But to my surprise, this actually doesn’t dry out the skin at all! My dehydrated, oily skin felt clean but not stripped. I love the rich foam it creates, it really elevates the cleansing experience and *wakes you up* in the morning.
I have a special thing for cleansers that give a rich, soft foam, my other two favourites if you want some exfoliating action too are CeraVe SA Cleanser and Wishtrend Acid-Duo Gel Cleanser.
When to use? In the morning as first step and at night after cleansing oil.
Do I recommend? Yes! But to combination and oily skin types. For dry skin, look into cream based cleansers, especially in winters.
Price: $4/$14 for 20ml/125ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Toning Toner
I love the short fat bottle of this toner! Coming to the performance, it gives moderate hydration (if I had to compare I would think of Klairs) and provides very mild exfoliation, thanks to the presence of PHA.
The texture is lightweight and watery, and I usually apply 2 layers without any cotton pad and my dehydrated skin drinks it in seconds. Of course it has Centella but also Niacinamide, the combination of which keeps my skin barrier healthy.
My skin is used to stronger exfoliating toners like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution, but when my barrier is damaged or when I am using strong retinol treatments, using something soothing with very mild exfoliating properties like this madagascar centella toner comes handy.
Overall, I like this toner and there’s a place for it in my routine depending on the skin’s needs but I prefer slightly more hydrating products like the Isntree Onion Toner Essence or the COSRX Snail Mucin Essence because my skin is very, very dehydrated and it needs EXTRA care.
When to use? After cleansing both in the morning and night. If you want, you can use only once a day.
Do I recommend? Yes if you want a decently hydrating toner that also gives very mild exfoliation without any irritation. Very beginner-friendly.
Price: $5/$18.50/$26.50 for 30ml/210ml/400ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Quick Calming Pad
I have rosacea and needed an SOS to calm my skin down whenever I get a flareup. I was actually looking into buying some calming pads on Amazon and Stylevana and this package arrived around the same time. Of course, I couldn’t be happier!
These are pre-soaked cotton pads that are very soothing and bring down the skin temperature and my heated, red cheeks go back to normal in some time. Now it has become an essential in my skincare cabinet. I think it will be very helpful on days your skin feels sensitized, or when it’s hot outside.
I usually start with cleansing my face, then use a hydrating, soothing toner or facial spray before I apply these calming pads. And I keep them on for 5-7 minutes, after which I follow up with a moisturizer.
I should probably do another blog post on how I take care of my skin after a flareup, it’s all using very affordable yet effective product!
When to use? For when you need to calm down your skin/ reduce skin temperature especially during hot days.
Do I recommend? Yes!
Price: $22 for 70 pads. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Ampoule
I accepted this PR because I really liked their Centella ampoule that I used last year, and was curious to try the other products from this range.
It comes in different sizes and I got the 100ml last year too, which is quite a lot for an ampoule, and it lasted me a couple of months of twice a day usage.
As I have mentioned, my skin needs intense hydration so on its own the hydration factor was moderate but on using it in combination with a very hydrating toner, I could really see the difference in the redness and the overall state of my skin barrier.
Like the toner, the ampoule also has a lightweight texture that absorbs quickly. And it works really well in calming down the skin.
When to use? Both morning and night after applying toner. Or skip toner if you don’t need it.
Do I recommend? Yes, if you need an ampoule with soothing benefits.
Price: $3.80/$16.50/$23 for 30ml/55ml/100ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella soothing cream
If you’re looking to try just one product from the range for the ultimate soothing experience, make the Centella Soothing Cream your best friend. This gel-textured moisturizer is like an intense burst of hydration for your dehydrated skin.
It gives a cooling sensation as soon as it touches the skin and gets completely absorbed – very important because many gel moisturizers just sit on top of the skin and I don’t like that. It also gives a very healthy glow to the skin!
The soothing cream has a lot of humectants to hydrate the skin and ceramides, fatty acids, and cholestrol which are also naturally found on the skin and are essential to strengthen your skin barrier.
For warmer months and/or tropical weather, the soothing cream is enough as a moisturizer on its own for combination and oily skin, but in the winter I usually follow up with something thicker and richer like the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume because the European winters can really mess up your skin! Haha!
When to use? Morning and night after your toners, serums, etc.
Do I recommend? YES!
Price: $7.50/$17.50 for 30ml/75ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Air-Fit Suncream Light SPF 30 PA++++
This is a zinc oxide based mineral sunscreen with a lotion-like texture that spreads and blends very easily. It feels moisturizing initially but with time, it gets more soft-matte.
But the problem is, it gives me a purple-ish cast so it’s definitely NOT for my skin tone. The packaging is not very clear in the image but the sunscreen comes in a tube with a pump to dispense the product.
I used it a few times to test its performance under makeup, and it did not pill or crumble. So if you’re white or much lighter than me (reference, my MAC shade is NC40), this could be a good mineral sunscreen because it’s not super matte or chalky.
When to use? In the morning, at the end of your skincare routine.
Do I recommend? Gives a cast, so only if you are white or have lighter skin tone.
Price: $17 for 50ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
SKIN1004 Centella Air-Fit Suncream Plus SPF 50 PA++++
With a higher SPF, this is also a mineral sunscreen with both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide as the UV filters. The packaging is very sleek and you can easily slip it in your bag.
The texture feels more powdery matte on the skin and on me, it gives a very strong white cast and would absolutely not work for anyone closer to my skin tone.
When to use? In the morning, at the end of your skincare routine.
Do I recommend? Only if you are pale/ have very light skin color, and looking for a powdery matte mineral sunscreen.
Price: $19 for 50ml. Buy on amazon or brand’s website.
Conclusion
Overall, the range is great for all skin types and has simple but effective products that will help to soothe your skin. Some of my absolute favourite products are:
- SKIN1004 Centella Light Cleansing Oil for quick makeup removal
- SKIN1004 Centella Quick Calming Pad for instant targeted skin relief
- SKIN1004 Centella Soothing Cream for the ultimate burst of hydration
Let me know how they worked for you, if you get to try any!
Leave a Reply