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Fermented skincare products first came to prominence a couple of years ago and seem to be still going strong. One example is SANA’s fermented Soy Milk Cream, which has become increasingly popular among beauty lovers. A lot of online reviews praise this cream for its nourishing power on dry and sensitive skin, which led me to try it out. I’m glad I did, because it’s now my Holy Grail moisturizer!
According to the Chinese description, the cream contains soy bean extract derived from fermented and condensed soy milk, which is enriched with soy isoflavones and soy protein to lock in moisture, firm and nourish skin. The soy bean extract works similar to female hormones in order to suppress melanin formation for a clearer complexion, while boosting collagen and hyaluronic acid levels to make skin firmer, softer and more radiant. The formula claims to be free from fragrances, colorants and mineral oil, and can be used as a sleeping pack.
Here’s the ingredient list:
Water, cyclomethicone, glycerin, squalane, butylene glycol, glyceryl stearate se, alcohol, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, stearic acid, palmitic acid, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, beeswax, peg-25 stearate, methylparaben, sodium hydroxide, tocopheryl acetate, carbomer, xanthan gum, lactobacillus/soybean extract ferment filtrate, citric acid, glycine soja (soybean) protein, glycine soja (soybean) seed extract
The Soy Milk Cream is also available in different variants, ranging from the most popular whitening cream (blue packaging) to wrinkle cream (yellow) and Q10 cream (pink).
What I tried is the original in white packaging. Wrapped in a clear plastic carton, the cream is in an opaque jar that surprised me with its tiny size. I placed it side by side with Innisfree’s Jeju Lava Seawater Cream for comparison. Though both are 50ml in volume, Innisfree’s jar looks twice as large! Packaging can be deceiving.
Though it’s supposed to be fragrance-free, I still detected a slight but not unpleasant scent from the cream. I’m thinking it could be the smell of fermented soy. The product is rich, smooth and a bit thick but definitely not heavy, oily or sticky. It takes some effort to spread, but is ultimately soothing and nourishing. My skin absorbs the cream immediately, leaving no residue.
Since I was having a terrible breakout, I only applied a pea-sized amount on my first try. When I woke up to no irritations but a smoother and softer complexion, I decided to raise the dosage. Now I’m applying a dab of it every day and night. It is that addictive!
I’ve been using the cream for two weeks by now. The results are amazing: my pores are minimized, blemishes and acne scars are moderately reduced, and skin is smoother, more supple and radiant. Best of all, I haven’t had a single zit during my two-week trial; the cream actually helps restore my skin’s resilience. And guess what, it’s only selling at US$ 12.81/ 50ml!
I strongly recommend this cream to those with dry and sensitive skin. It’s definitely now part of my skincare routine, and I’m already thinking of trying other products from the series!