Fairy Skin Derma Facial Set

Here's a review of both variants, Fairy Skin Derma and Fairy Skin Glowing Facial Sets.

A little background on my skin: I've been suffering from acne since puberty. I've tried all sorts of treatments from lasers to topicals to oral products to diet and lifestyle management, and for two decades since puberty, I have learned to manage my acne. There are good days, there are bad. As a teen, I had horrible horrible cystic acne on my nose and chin. As an adult, I developed tinier (pustular) acne that I didn't know was from stress and traces of makeup that soap and cleansers fail to remove. My skin is generally clearer now, some months go by without a single spot on my face. However, I still feel insecure about my facial skin because it can look rough and uneven toned.

I discovered Fairy Skin while randomly browsing Facebook. I've tried various facial sets as early as 2004. While brands and packaging differ, the contents are generally similar:

• Soap - Salicylic/Kojic/Oatmeal/Milk
• Scrub - they stopped including this after the apricot scrub scare
• Toner - Salicylic/Retinol/some exfoliating acid
• Night cream - Retinol in varying percentage
• Day cream - Moisturizing sunblock 

Despite knowing how filters work, I was still impressed by how consistent the results were in different lighting, on different complexions, and on different photo qualities. Users' skin looked bright and taut and fresh. Other brand sets promise the same stuff but Fairy Skin seemed to deliver better results. The best results I saw were from people with acne and dull complexion who ended up with glowing, glass skin. I was in the middle of a hectic, stressful month and my skin was showing signs of neglect, so I thought I'd try Fairy Skin. 

What's inside the box:

Fairy Skin Derma Set Review

1 Bar of Soap - it's Kojic Acid (Dipalmitate), with some moisturizing ingredients thrown in: Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Glycerine, and Vitamin E. I was initially wary as other brands of Kojic soaps trigger my eczema (Hi, Koji San!) Fairy Skin soap is surprisingly not as harsh as other brands. I did not develop dry patches. My soap lasted longer than the other products in the set and it was able to control my oiliness and blackheads along with The Ordinary Retinol and The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc. To be honest, my current routine is actually working quite well. The only reason I'm going back to the whole set instead of just buying the soap is that I'm strapped for cash LOL and I thought that instead of spending P1,500 on The Ordinary products + Fairy Skin soap, I'd rather spend P200 on the entire Fairy Skin set. After all, I need to have amazing skin for the holidays and I'd need the whole set to achieve just that. 

1 Bottle of Toner - This is the miracle worker AND deal breaker. Miracle worker because whatever is inside this bottle causes the exfoliation and brightening of the skin. Deal breaker because like all alcohol-based toners, this irritated the insides of my nose to the point of causing dryness just from inhaling the fumes. This also dried my eyes just from whatever is evaporating from it. But because it works wonders, I apply this with a cotton ball on my face with my eyes closed and my nose pinched closed. LOL. Note that this has nothing but promises on its label (verbatim): Whitening, Pore Minimizer, Detoxifies, Anti-Aging. No clue as to what's inside. Mercury? Hydroquinone? Snake oil with moon dust? ADDENDUM ~ MY GUT FEEL WAS RIGHT, THIS HAS HYDROQUINONE AND TRETINOIN!!! READ THE FDA WARNING: https://ww2.fda.gov.ph/index.php/advisories-2/cosmetic-2/491124-fda-advisory-no-2018-050

1 Jar of Sunblock - This says cream gel on the cover, but it's really a thick cream. It's rather hard to spread especially on peeling skin. Label says SPF 45. I, however, cannot fully trust the brand somehow that this is enough protection on sensitive skin so even with this on my face, I still cover up with a hat or an umbrella. It has zero concealing power, which is okay once all the peeling is done, but during the peeling process, this doesn't help cover the unsightly battleground. It has Titanium Dioxide, Niacinamide, Glycerine, for sun protection, whitening, and moisturizing purposes.

1 Jar of Night Cream - This brightening cream promises to whiten skin and tighten pores. It has vitamin A in the form of Retinol which gets rid of wrinkles and discoloration. Alpha Arbutin and Niacinamide brightens the skin and reduce dark spots. Mineral oil and Glycerine helps moisturize the skin to ward off the drying effects of Retinol. This can also be a little drying on the eyes, so like the toner, I apply this on my face with one eye closed, and in the dark right before I sleep.

My biggest issue with Fairy Skin is that you aren't 100% sure of what you're putting on your face. The set works, I guess as a user, I just would like to understand how so I can also manage risks. To be fair, it comes in a box with a disclaimer about checking with a dermatologist before using the product. It's just that, I wish the beauty industry to do like The Ordinary (DECIEM) brand and be 100% honest about their products. Transparency is admirable in a health/beauty business. Like, the toner, for example, should have an ingredients list, it's a little scary for it not to have any. I feel like cancelling my order as I write LOL. Before my paranoia gets in the way of glass skin for the holidays, let me continue my review. 

So, even though I saw amazing results, and even though I was tempted to keep on using Fairy Skin Derma Set, I decided to err on the side of caution and move on to the next best thing, Fairy Skin Glowing Set. 

Fairy Skin Glowing Set Review

I figured the pink set must be for peeling your entire face so you can get a new one, while the blue set must be so you get to keep that new face. Given that this is marketed as "maintenance" while the other was marketed as "treatment", I thought this would be the milder version. 

1 bar of soap - it says bleaching on the box. It's a different color and scent from the other soap. It did an okay job cleaning my face and removing makeup. I, however, decided to order the Kojic Soap from the pink set because my skin felt nicer after washing with it. If this bleaching soap did any bleaching I may never know, because after using the pink set my face is usually all bleached out. 

1 bottle of toner - like the toner in the pink set, this has no ingredients list on its label. It smells and feels and dries my nose and eyes just the same, maybe a little milder, but still drying so I usually skip using this. Note that I do not apply the toner in my eye area, especially on my eyelids, it just evaporates and stings my eyes. I also avoid applying it above my lips, under my nose because I end up with a dry, itchy nose which makes me more prone to sneezing. I'm guessing this must be some acid or Tretinoin with alcohol as base. 

1 jar of Sunblock - this is the exact same thing from the other set

1 jar of Night cream - the one from the pink set says "brightening", this one says "whitening" so they're different. Both creams have lists of ingredients so I'm marking them clear from Tretinoin or mercury. Don't take my word for it though. 

Price

I was already running out of The Ordinary Retinol and The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc last week so I decided I'd go to the mall to buy a set of Fairy Skin. I was surprised that they sell it for P350, when I can just as easily order a set for P170 online. I hear there are now fake ones in the market, so it's best to check reviews before placing orders. 

Final Verdict

Now, do I recommend it? If you're desperate for clear, smooth, glowing skin and have not had reactions from other facial sets and you are not pregnant or lactating and you are a healthy adult then yes, I recommend Fairy Skin. I do not recommend it for people with sensitive skin, eyes, or nose, people who cannot avoid daily exposure to the sun, people who are scared of possible health repercussions down the road. Heh.

Also, if you're one to judge by overall packaging, here's their disclaimer:

They are not liable for negativity y'all.

Final, final verdict

If you're pressed for cash and you need to have flawless skin without makeup for a few weeks, this is a good set to try. 10/10 you'd get great results. My reservations - the unknown risks we're taking for using a set of skin products without proper labels. I therefore do not recommend long term use, even for the maintenance kit. Unless they reconsider their labels, packaging, and maybe FDA clearance for containing HYDROQUINONE, I won't be ordering another set. Good news is that it's free from mercury. Now I'm off to order bottles from The Ordinary. Long live beauty companies with integrity.