May 7, 2017

HABA Skincare


HABA White Lady Squalane VC Lotion review

HABA skincare line is something I have been consistently using for the past two years. I just repurchased White Lady for the fifth time. I've also gone through at least three bottles of Squalene and VC Lotion. There are several other things I've tried from the brand which I find rather excellent, but I always seem to miss these three whenever I run out. 

(My initial plan was to take more pictures of each of them and maybe of some other stuff I tried as well, but truth is that I never got around to it. I am not a big fan of using stock photos but will have to use some of them in this post.)


White Lady
Weirdly named, yes. It's also known as "Fair Lady" in the western market. I do not want to get too technical with what type of Vitamin C is used and what makes it a better serum, etc. All that matters is that White Lady is an extremely effective yet simple solution to brighten my complexion. Interesting thing is that this water-like serum is meant to be applied as the first step after cleansing. I never felt any irritation even on my first day using this. It is not scented but has that faintly medicinal odor to it. White Lady is not supposed to moisturize but treat, so you have to either follow up with VC Lotion as recommended or some other moisturizer. I wish I could say my freckles and sun spots are gone, but I still have some. However, my complexion is much more even and brighter. After 2 years of use, I believe I am now a half shade brighter in terms of the foundation shade (not necessarily a convenient thing but it proves the effectiveness). Whtie Lady (plus VC Lotion) is fabulous to quickly fade away those post-pimple red scars. It is not cheap, but I believe the price is reasonable when I think about how much I've spent on ineffective and irritating Vitamin C stuff.


VC Lotion
This is a lightly moisturizing liquid with 2% of Vitamin C derivatives. VC Lotion is soothing and hydrating without being sticky and seems to function as a carrier of the previously applied Vitamin C serum, White Lady. Containing 2% of the active ingredients, it is effective on its own. I personally love this lotion and would recommend it to anyone, even to those who find Vitamin C irritating. It would be a nice way to ease into a more intense Vitamin C regimen. Even when I was not using White Lady, I always kept a bottle of VC Lotion. And as you see in the main picture, I am currently using a big pump bottle. It is more cost-efficient, but the regular size bottle lasts a long time if you're not showering your face with it as I do.

Squalane
I am not proud of endorsing a shark liver oil product. In my defense, I did try a few different vegan squalane (olive oil based ones) but find them far different from HABA Squalane. The guilt aside, HABA Squalane is probably the most versatile oil that I've ever used. It does not oxidize on skin and it never causes breakouts. It can be used on face, body, hair, and cuticles. For me, it is the final step of both day and night skincare routines. I only need a few drops on my face and another few on my neck. HABA Squalane is highly moisturizing yet never greasy that I can use it all year round. HABA used to offer Vitamin C infused version which I loved as well, but now it seems to have been discontinued. There is also the anti-aging version with Co Q-10 which my mom adores. I want to stick with the original for now since the texture is lighter and the price is more affordable.




I have also tried Squa Cleansing, Squa Powder, Shampoo & Conditioner from HABA. I like Squa Powder a lot and repurchased the refill pouch. This is a gentle and effective washing powder with enzymes that seems to be perfect to use every day. Squa Cleansing and the unscented Shampoo & Conditioner supposedly have some squalane in them and are all very nice quality. However, I decided not to repurchase them because they all faintly smell like, I don't know, fish? I do have a sensitive nose, but it seemed to me that these are not as finely refined as their Squalane because Squalane is truly odorless.

It appears that currently there are two different distributors in the U.S. (HABA US & HABA America). I've ordered from both, but the main issue is that the price is not even and products are out of stock way too often. I've also tried eBay sellers based in Japan and Cosme-De (based in Hong Kong) and had no problem.

It is always a bit inconvenient for me to get HABA stuff. There is an obviously geographical reason to it and because the brand isn't global. I often find myself impatient waiting for the shipment from overseas, but I can also see that it's probably because I consider the line an absolute necessity in my daily routines. Have you tried HABA skincare? What are some of your long-time skincare favorites that you seem never to be without it?


Join the conversation!

  1. I remember Kate the Driveller used to talk about it, and I was curious. Then, I quickly forgot about it, because it's not available here. Now, you've sparked my interest again! I'll have to do more research on what to try. I'm looking for a serum, so that might be a good place to start eh?

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    1. Kate's post enabled me to try the range! She was also particular about using two different sunscreens, which I believe what made bigger difference on her skin. It'd be hard for me since I don't have dry skin, but I'm glad I decided to try the HABA stuff. The serum and the lotion are very light weight, so I think you can easily add them to your current regimen without complication. :)

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  2. Thanks for the review! I'm fascinated by White Lady. I'd definitely try it out because I need help with all my freckles! Pitfalls of living in a tropical climate most of the year....

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    1. If you skin do well with Vitamin C products, I'd highly recommend it! It's not always easy to find something mild yet effective. I almost gave up on Vitamin Cs before I tried this. :)

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  3. I feel like squalane has been around as a beauty ingredient for some time now but lately it's become more buzzy thanks to brands like Biossance. I can see why you would go the trouble to get ahold of these products as they sound quite effective. I really should look into the White Lady / VC Lotion combination since they have worked so well for you. Freckles and sunspots seem to always vex me. Happy new week to you Lena! I can't believe we're back down to the 50's again this week. It almost felt like summer when we met up last week ;p

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    1. I didn't know about Biossance. I should look into them and see if I can find a non-shark option. I didn't see any freckles on your face, Rowena. But if you like to include mild/effective Vitamin C in your regimen, the combo would be certainly nice. ;D I wore a light winter coat today and will be wearing a leather jacket tomorrow....-_-;;; Have a great week yourself! :)

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  4. They have Haba white lady at Amazon(for 40 bucks and the sticker label says it's from habausa). Everyday Beauty Lab at Chinatown carries some Haba (squalene umino houseki koujun etc. non of the vitamin c products is there though because it's "medicated"). The sales girls are really friendly, towards Chinese...

    I am liking white lady so far and wanted to try white knight (they have the most politcally incorrect names) later on. I agree it's so worth it since some vit c thin out my skin so much that they ended up being counter productive...

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    1. I've been ordering from a HK based website and had no issue so far. I guess the shop in Chinatown probably receives shipments from HK? I will check it out next time. Thanks for the info!

      Lately I've been using White Lady more in the morning because I usually alternate acids and retinol in the evening. So far I haven't felt any irritation and will continue to use it. :)

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