Two out of three hit the spot
By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter
Product Review
The Unbranded Skincare Co.
Cleansing Wash, Day Shield, and Overnight Cream
WHILE the London City airport has dropped the 100 mL limit for liquids in one’s carry-on luggage, the rest of the world is yet to follow suit. This means that we still have to pack our skincare in our check-in luggage, and we’re not quite willing to open our suitcase to a sight of broken bottles of serum.
Last year, we received bottles from homegrown skincare company The Unbranded Skincare Co. — and ignored them. During a trip to Paris last March, we decided to finally use the three-piece skincare kit. The promise of Unbranded is to reduce longer routines and condense them into one facial wash, plus a Day Shield and an Overnight Cream. To be fair, my facial routines never go into the extreme 11 steps that lots of people adopted before the pandemic. My own routine uses a facial wash, a toner, a Niacinamide serum, a hyaluronic acid moisturizer, and sunscreen during the day; another facial wash, another toner, a retinol serum, face oil, and another moisturizer at night — well below 11. Still, the need for more space in the suitcase might benefit from what is essentially a two-step routine.
Unbranded’s Cleansing Wash (P575) has squalene that aims to restore lipidic barriers in the skin to keep moisture better, and also contains lotus, green tea, calamansi, angelica, and guava extracts; as well as brightening niacinamide and antimicrobial tea tree oil. It’s designed to join cleanser and makeup remover in one, and it really works that way. What we did was use it as a makeup remover, applying it first on a dry face to melt off our makeup, then wiping it off with a cloth, and then rinsing it off. We felt that our skin really was softer and calmer during the trip.
The Unbranded Day Shield (P850) also has squalene for hydration, allantoin to soothe and calm skin, and hyaluronic acid, also for hydration purposes. It also has a measure of sun protection with SPF 35, thus condensing moisturizer, serum, and sunscreen in one. This cream has to set upon application — the sunscreen component left a white cast on the face — but otherwise, it felt rich and quite thick, and a little goes a long way.
Well — it was our fault for using this at the beaches of Normandy, an environment that punished Allied soldiers during the Second World War (and Lord knows they didn’t bring any skincare). Punishing winds, sand, and the hot sun combining with the mild cool of the spring thaw had terrible effects on the Unbranded Day Shield. We remember leaving a makeshift morgue at one of the D-Day landing beaches with our skin feeling like it was cracking.
We tried soothing this that evening with the Overnight Cream (P975). This had Centella Asiatica that helps repair skin; as well as ameliox, bee venom, and hydrolyzed collagen (from starfish) that act as anti-aging elements. We woke up with our skin feeling light, though a bit too shiny.
We gave the Day Shield another chance, but this time, we weren’t taking any chances: on a trip to the former home of the French royals at the Palace of Versailles, we layered the day shield with another moisturizer. And you know what? It still did not work; and the same windy conditions in Versailles punished the face once again. To be fair to it, the Day Shield performed quite well (but not as well as my own five-step routine) in Paris itself, as well as in Amsterdam.
Our verdict is to kick the Day Shield out of the routine and keep the Overnight Cream and the Cleansing Wash. The Day Shield might show good results in a pinch, but never in a harsh climate, and preferably somewhere humid. The Overnight Cream can even be used at home when you’re just not in the mood to rub more things on your face and just want to hit the sack. Still, with just two bottles in your bag for a “spartan” evening routine, that would at least help save space so you can buy better day creams in another city.
One can get The Unbranded Skincare Co.’s products from their website (theunbrandedskincare.com).
