Review: Tosowoong Propolis Natural Pure Mist Whitening Treatment

Even though I didn't fall for Tosowoong's Tea Tree Essence (reviewed here), I was still attracted to their Propolis Natural Pure Mist Whitening Treatment because 1) my skin has always been compatible with bee products, 2) I need all the whitening I can get for my acne marks and 3) I haven't tried many mists & need to change this stat! =)

I love Mizon's 12.5% propolis blemish cream (reviewed here) and find it effective for lightening acne marks so wanted to see if I could duplicate the success with another propolis product in a fun spray version.

This mist treatment comes in a 100 ml spray bottle of nice quality plastic that feels better constructed than the essence I recently reviewed.  The golden logos and honeycomb picture look yummy enough to make me crave honey tea. =P  I chose this mist version over the essence because I figured it could be a convenient way to boost my facial hydration while working/studying without having to pause, wash my hands, pat things in oh-so-slowly, etc.  On lazy days when I'm not wearing BB cream and staying indoors I like mists for freshening up and feeling like I'm adding skincare benefits to my complexion.

Unfortunately, the spray is very strong, a big negative for me.  Who enjoys feeling like they're being hosed down?!  I naturally close my eyes to spritz products on, but I started unconsciously clenching my eyes in fear before the bottle even came close haha.  I had to start telling myself to relax and breathe naturally because I didn't want extra wrinkles!  Eventually I adopted the method of using one hand to shield my eyes and the other to spray.  I also learned to apply less pressure on the nozzle and spray in increments rather than push all the way down at once.  This went a long way to assuaging my fears of accidentally assaulting my eyeballs.  O_O

The watery texture spreads easily but leaves behind a sticky residue.

The clear product is watery and comes out with a teeny bit of foam (not seen in the pics above) that resolves quickly.  It's quite slippery and leaves a tacky feeling, almost like a residue, left behind as it absorbs/dries (meh).  I'm surprised my nose registers a mildly chemical smell because I'd expected something more neutral or even "yeast-y" from the fermented ingredients.  It's overall mild and fades quickly, though.

The star ingredient is 75% propolis extract (yowza!), a number that feels impressively high.  Just like the tea tree essence, this whitening treatment contains niacinamide (for brightening/anti-inflammation), fermented ingredients (Bifida & Galactomyces filtrate) and sodium hyaluronate for moisture/inflammation plus many antioxidants/plant extracts.  Honey and Royal Jelly extracts are listed on the front of the bottle but appear far down the ingredient list so I'm not sure they're worthy of the star billing.  In any case, those two have healing properties (anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory) and serve as humectants that draw in & trap moisture.

Based on these ingredients I'd expect a certain degree of long-lasting hydration as well as whitening action on hyperpigmented spots.  I tested this product 3-5x/week over 2 months by either spraying on a cleansed face or over a light toner/essence that had already absorbed.  Sometimes I'd spritz a few times, wait 1-2 minutes for absorption, then repeat to make sure I covered all areas.  This part was necessary because the concentrated bursts of product from the nozzle made it difficult to distribute things evenly unless I patted/swirled everything in with fingers.  Since the main attraction of a mist is the fingers-free part, I didn't love doing this.

My skin always felt plumper after the initial soaking wore off.  If I overdid the acids or was feeling particularly sensitive that day then I felt a mild tingle (not quite a burn) from the mist treatment, but it usually subsided within minutes.  After a few weeks I remembered to use my moisture/oil digital analyzer to see what I was getting from this mist and the results are below.  I didn't have the patience to continue taking readings for 60 minutes like for my other Tosowoong product review, sorry! ^_^  Testing this mist during winter meant it was additionally challenged by space heaters and other moisture-sucking air flow and there's no way I could have lasted with bare skin or only 1 layer of skincare for too long.

The table above shows my facial moisture/oil distributions before and after the mist treatment in several locations.  I came away with a few observations:

1) My face starts decreasing in moisture/oil north to south so the dryer areas (nose/lower cheek/chin) obviously gain more benefit from this product --> up to 15% increased moisture!  The others gain a few modest percentage points but nothing super special.

2) It's important to spread the mist around with careful spraying or patting it around with the fingers because my upper forehead appeared to get dryer after the treatment but this was just a fluke (the area I chose to test didn't get sprayed well enough).

3) If layering other products over the mist then I needed to start within 15 minutes because the gain in moisture/oil levels from this mist starts dropping by then.

So what's the verdict?  Do the hydration and whitening benefits justify repurchase?

Ehhh... There are better moisturizers out there that last longer and are easier to dispense (finer sprays with more even distribution & no finger patting needed).  One may argue the purpose of this treatment is to lighten dark spots, but I'm a little unsure about whether my hyperpigmented acne leftovers got any brighter, even after nearly 2 months of use.  And if the answer is "iono" then I can't really recommend this product.  There are more reliable brighteners out there (Vitamin C serums, hydroquinone, etc) and my face needs major assistance when it comes to lightening old blemish marks.  I'm not sure why 75% propolis extract didn't seem to work so well but perhaps the delivery system was a factor.

Anyway, this mist is so annoying to use with its overly powerful nozzle that it would need HG performance for me to keep it in my regular skincare rotation.  Given that this is far from the case, I definitely won't repurchase.

Summary

• Packaging:     2.5/5 (hygienic; horribly strong spray; hard to control flow)
• Smell:             3.5/5 (slightly chemical smell; fades fast)
• Performance:  3/5 (so-so hydration; unsure on ability to fade hyperpigmentation)
• Value/Price:    3/5 (~$20 on eBay; $18 on RRS + shipping)
• Recommend? No (there are better products out there for whitening/hydration)
• Repurchase? No