Wanderlust Getaway: Wellington Street Art Scene

As you all should know by now, I am constantly on the hunt for organic or natural beauty products to convert my beauty regime to something with lesser toxic and a lot more self love.

I happened to chance upon BLACK PAINT® online and one thing lead to another and within a week, I got myself down to their fair at Takashimaya to find out more about the products firsthand from none other but the Founder of Black Paint, Miyuki Maeda!

What is BLACK PAINT?

BLACK PAINT®, an organic skincare brand established in Kyoto 15 years ago by Myyuki Co.Ltd. Since ancient times, plant oil treatments have been taught to be a secret to beautiful skin. Based on this concept, BLACK PAINT® skincare products are made from natural, organic materials which are blended from more than 100 types of plant oils, more than 50 types of essential oils, Kishu Bichotan Charcoal that suitable for various skin and body parts. BLACK PAINT® soaps sold more than one million units in Japan in year 2012 alone.

I am glad I headed down to the fair to find out more about the Brand and to understand BLACK PAINT's products from the person who created them, because the Soap is such an unique product on its own; in terms of what it promises to do, the way to use it, and the way to store it.

Miyuki Maeda also shared with me her philosophy behind cleansing and keeping "clean". We were all taught in this society that to be clean, we need to wash ourselves & kill all presence of germs and bacteria.

However, Miyuki Maeda views it differently after researching on the benefits of good bacteria that are found internally in our digestive system (think Yakult). Instead of killing off all bacteria, she reasons that it is better for, not only our skin, but our general health to cultivate these good bacteria, aka Human Microbiota.

As we all know, the human skin is usually slightly acid, due to sebum secretion by skin glands which contains lactic acid. These Human Microbiota thrives in an acidic PH level and act as a barrier to prevent microbes (other bacteria) from entering our body.

Vital to skin health, these good bacteria digest skin oil, dead cells and minerals from perspiration, turning them into a natural moisturizing cream that acts as a barrier between the inner skin and the outer environment. With essential moisture locked in and dirt out, our skin stays soft, fresh and radiant. 

Using only natural ingredients without any preservatives, BLACK PAINT helps maintain the functionality of the bacteria in our skin which balances the skin’s immune system.

Such a win-win situation!

So, BLACK PAINT Soap was created with that philosophy and I got to put it to the test!

A gentle pore cleansing hand-made face soap with Kishu Bichotan Charcoal (White Charcoal) clean pores and removes oil and dirt thoroughly but gently without stripping away skin’s essential moisture, leaving skin fresh and silky smooth.

To Use:

VERDICT

Texture: Solid but malleable when dry; paste-like when melted

Ingredients: Soap Foundation, Water, Jojoba Seed Oil, Urea, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Pine Extract, Charcoal, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Raw Sugar, Iron Oxide, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lavender Oil, Honey, Green Tea Leaves, Damask Rose Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Avocado Oil, Rosehip Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Peanut Oil, Sesame Oil, Walnut Seed Oil, Perilla Frutesens Seed Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Hazelnut Seed Oil, Rose Oil


Benefits:

• Deeply clean pores and removes keratotic plugs (blackheads) for smoother and fresher skin
• Removes makeup in one wash
• Nourishes skin with 23 types of plant oils, amino acids from silk powder and vitamins in honey and brown sugar
• Absorbs impurities and delivers natural minerals
• Improves skin immunity and minimize skin irritation

Smell: A mixture of floral & nutty scent.

Cost: $49.90
Product Rating: 9/10

Unlike conventional bar soap, BLACK PAINT Soap is mushier once its wet and unless you use the soap correctly, it will not dry properly and result in a black lump of paste.

I store my soap in my shower but I leave it exposed up-righted in a small bowl to dry, I find that along with my tip on scooping the wet mushy paste off the soap~ my soap bar is dry by the next time I use it!

It gets a little odd to use it towards the end but it will still dry in my bowl. I was told that this soap can be used on body and the scalp too, so~ see the mushy paste in the bowl, I scooped it up with my fingers and used it for my body :)

If you are concerned about the soap being dirty, well~ dont worry. This soap contains charcoal which not only helps to detoxify your skin but also keep the soap clean! How awesome is that?

And yes, to be honest, it will take some practice to get used to using a soap as unique as BLACK PAINT Soap. 

And~ yes, you will laugh when you look into the mirror or when someone walks in when you are washing your face with it.

It happened to me a lot.

HAHA! But laughing is good!

As for the effectiveness of the soap in delivering its stated benefits, I love that it doubles up as a makeup remover (it really does remove makeup) and the texture of my skin feels smoother. I'm not too sure if it's psychological or not, because I really think that the pores on my nose dont look that obvious! Only time will tell~

However, I am still in the process of clearing up my skin so I do get a couple of breakouts in common areas.

I was told that it is part of the detoxification due to the charcoal in it~ So, I am still monitoring the outcome and shall proceed with getting myself another BLACK PAINT Soap once I am done with my first. 

If I have to state what I dont like about the soap, it would be when the soap enters my eyes. It really hurts BUT for beauty, I will bear with it and well~ avoid getting it into my eyes! The good thing is that the sensation doesn't last long after rinsing and it honestly doesnt happen often.

If I have to state what I like about the soap, it would be the fact that I understand most of the ingredients used in the product and that it is all natural and most of the ingredients are organic. In fact, BLACK PAINT has been awarded for its quality and ingredients used! It is very reassuring to know that I am using a product that is free from toxic and of a quality that is high enough to be awarded Gold! Haha!

Finally, if you are wondering why the soap is alkaline (as mentioned in my video) if the Human Microbiota needs an acidic ph level to thrive and grow...

Here is the answer:

Discovered along ago by women who visited hot springs; when the alkaline water of the hot springs touched their skin, which is acidic, it triggered the skin to restore its normal balance by releasing more acid and this acid pushed out all the waste from within, leaving pores completely clean. 

So that's why BLACK PAINT is made with a slightly alkaline pH level to simulate the effect of alkaline hot spring!

Click here to find out more about how BLACK PAINT came about!
Like BLACK PAINT Sg on Facebook for Updates
And if you want to get your hands on BLACK PAINT® Soap,

it can be found at ISETAN, B2 Westgate Mall!

Black is the new Clean & Green~
Keep an eye out for my next review on the rest of BLACK PAINT's Product Range that is the secret to clearing up troubled skin!