Everybody loves a negative review now and then, so today I will be sharing my most recent fail haul. Here’s a little backstory on why I bought these products in the first place.
A few months ago I collaborated with a kbeauty retailer to promote their latest launch and run a giveaway for my Instagram followers. Part of the payment included a sizable gift card to their online store, which I was pretty excited to use because I have bought things from them before and was about to make another purchase anyway. After I got the gift card, I decided to try something new. I noticed a brand I’ve never heard of, but the packaging and product descriptions looked very appealing. I figured that I might as well try out a few things and do a review for you guys. Who knew that instead of a review I will be writing this post, haha!
DR. FROG is a new line launched by Charmzone, which was the first Korean skincare company to gain approval from the Japanese government to sell their products in Japan back in 1991. Charmzone always marketed their lines to the 40+ crowd, but in an effort to attract younger customers they recently launched a new line that is more affordable and features modern packaging design. With products that are packed with antioxidants, ingredients to address the first signs of skin aging, improve the skin tone and hydration levels, DR. FROG is aimed at 20-somethings who are just starting to get serious about skincare.
DR. FROG Aqua Ceramide Essential Ampoule looks very fancy with those little bits of real gold in the formula!
In the end I bought five different products, and unfortunately, my skin could tolerate only one of them. I listed the products with prices below just so you could see how much money I ended up essentially wasting on this haul:
- DR. FROG Water-Fullcharge Essential Toner ($24.50)
- DR. FROG Control-Tox Peeling Gel ($24.50)
- DR. FROG Aqua Ceramide Essential Ampoule ($31.50)
- DR. FROG Water Fullcharge All In One ($22)
- DR. FROG Water-Fullcharge Cream ($40.50)
After just 3 days since starting to use this line I developed a painful rash around my nose, in the corner of my mouth, and on my chin. It looked and felt like a chemical burn or contact dermatitis rather than an allergy. Those sensitive spots would harden and then flare up again each time I tried using any of the products I bought, except for the peel. The rash later turned into thin scabs and flaked off. I don’t remember ever having a reaction like this to any other skincare, so at this point I’m just glad it’s all over. My skin finally bounced back when I started using my regular products again.
I suspect that the main culprit is the added fragrance, because I couldn’t spot any other obvious triggers in the ingredient lists [which by the way are not listed anywhere other than the product packaging]. Since companies are not required to disclose what makes up the fragrance composition in products, you never really know what’s in it. DR. FROG products smell like bitter roses, but the fragrance is so strong, it’s almost overwhelming. You guys know I love to surround myself with beautiful scents, but this was just too much.
I patch tested all of the products on my wrist afterwards [should have done that before, what a rookie mistake!], and some of them felt really nice. If not for my bad reaction, I suspect I would have loved the ampoule and the all-in-one lotion. They did make my skin feel really soft and moisturized, and even improved the texture a bit… But after a few minutes the patch test area would turn red and I had to rinse everything off. Unfortunately, by the time I had a chance to test everything, the return window had closed so I can’t get my money back anymore. This is totally my own fault and not the retailer’s because I had plenty of time to try the products.
And that was my short negative review of the new DR. FROG line. It’s entirely possible that mine is an isolated case and other people will have a different experience, but I won’t be recommending these products to my friends, family or blog readers. I just had such a bad reaction and wouldn’t want any of you guys to go through dealing with it as well.
When was the last time you used a product that totally wrecked your skin, if ever? Do you always remember to patch test? Let me know in the comments below!
