An Introduction to Peter Thomas Roth

My sister kindly brought home this Peter Thomas Roth set from her trip to New York (thank you 三姐). PTR is an American brand that carries a wide range of products with a heavy leaning on skin care. Mr. Roth, of Hungarian origin, is no stranger to the beauty business. Witnessing firsthand his parents' spa resort business in Hungary, he launched PTR in 1993 focusing on the soothing and healing school of Hungarian thermal springs. See his brand's story here. 

From left to right: Mega-Rich Shampoo, Mega-Rich Conditioner, Mega-Rich Body Lotion, Non-Irritating Mouth Wash.

These hair products smell fresh and sweet, at the same time never cloying. Great fragrance for my picky nostrils.

The Mega-Rich Shampoo is formulated as a clear gel (with tinge of green). It smoothed some of my frizzy strands and added noticeable shine. This counts as one the best shampoos I have used. I couldn't say the same for the Mega-Rich Conditioner though, as I felt it didn't make my hair feel significantly softer. Its creamy consistency washed off nicely, but there were no significant smoothness noted as a result.

I'm not a fan of applying lotions on the body. The last thing I look to doing after a relaxing shower is having to take an extra few minutes spreading myself with a sticky substance. If I were forced to do this tedious ritual, I'd say give me Peter Thomas Roth's Mega-Rich Body Lotion. For one, it smells divine -- sweet and sharp citrus notes combined. Two, it's more liquid compared to its counterparts, as you can see it oozing out in the above picture. Last, it is not sticky! If only for the high absorption ability, I would always remember this product. May I add that it effectively moisturizes throughout the day. I would slather this on every day if I could overcome the after-shower-lotion-sloth in me.

The Non-Irritating Mouthwash is a different matter. Indeed it doesn't sting and smells very refreshing, but it does nothing in the odor department as say, my current staple, Oracare. Skip this. Overall, I am really glad to discover two gems from PTR. I do look forward delving into this brand more.

Mandom Barrier Repair Repair Concentrate Serum

Our skin adapts as we sail through the ages. The past few years saw an increase in my skin's sensitivity -- I learned that a mild form of rosacea had creeped in, aside from the fact that skin care is a lifelong commitment.

Desperate to soothe my skin without overly relying on my dermatologist, I sought out products that would address my skin concerns. It was in this journey that I found myself reaching for Mandom's Barrier Repair Repair Concentrate Serum -- consistently on Cosme's annual The Best Cosmetics Award list and personally recommended by Ratzilla.

It was just over HK$70 in Sasa, where it was on display and decided it the opportune time to try. The entire bottle is made of lightweight plastic -- sturdy, practical, and travel-friendly.

This product is listed to be free of additives and parabens. See the complete ingredient list here.

 The serum comes out as a milky white fluid. It smells of nothing.

Spreads easily and sinks in quick. The moisture level (high) is evidently felt after application.

The product weighs 60g -- quite a lot for a serum, which is usually sold for 30ml. I found this serum to be really effective on the hydration front, though it doesn't sink in as well as other serums. I would say this is a hybrid of serum and moisturizer. After less than a week of daily use in the morning and evening, my pores were clogged. It must be the silicones in the formulation. It didn't soothe my irritation either; my skin had a general red tone on it. However, it didn't cause any break outs and moisturized my skin well. This will perform with no trouble on non-sensitive skin types.

 

Here's another beauty lesson: don't just bank your skincare and makeup on rankings. One beauty editor's meat is another consumer's poison. It's best to read the ingredients list first, but before that you should know what to be looking out for -- either by trial and error or through a skin patch test. In my case, that is both.