[REVIEW] Sana: Nameraka Honpo Isoflavone Soy Milk Cream

This little gem is a very popular and raved-about skincare item from the Japanese market. I finally managed to get my hands on a jar on my travels and have been using it daily for a few months now. It contains soy milk isoflavone, which boasts moisturising properties that will give you 'mochi-hada' (mochi-like) skin. From my basic understanding of Japanese and the aid of Google Translate, it seems that this cream acts like a mask to lock in moisture and will promise you plump, soft skin.

Cost: Around $10AUD (So cheap!)

Packaging

I don't ever usually have too much to complain about when it comes to Asian skincare/cosmetics packaging and this cream fits that bill. It is housed in a sturdy white plastic container with the label attached around the outside. Unfortunately, the entire label is in Japanese, which made it difficult to actually identify the product when I was shopping in Japan. There is 50mL of cream (yay for travelling), which will last a good couple of months. It doesn't come with its own spatula, so I just clean my hands thoroughly before use or you can always use another spatula.

Application

I always use this moisturiser as the last step in my skincare routine. I started using this cream when it was still warm in Sydney, so it was exclusively a night-time product, but I have since switched it to day time use as well as the colder months arrived. The cream is white and has a thick, gel-like consistency, which is very easy to work with. I only need around two pea-sized amounts to cover my entire face and neck, and the thicker texture makes it easy to add in a mini facial massage too.

Formula

Alright, now we come to the breakdown of this product. The star ingredient, which the cream is creatively named for, are soy isoflavones. I did a little digging and found that isoflavones are almost exclusively sourced from the legume (or bean) family and have molecular similarities with human oestrogen. It's mainly an antioxidant, and protects against oxidative stress caused by UVB radiation. The use of topical isoflavones (aka phytoestrogen) in post-menopausal women (this was the study cohort) is also linked to anti-aging and production of dermal collagen, with improvement in facial dryness and increased hyaluronic acid for skin elasticity. So basically this ingredient seems like something incredible, which promises a ton of amazing effects with a couple of studies to back up these claims.

I did a quick search on cosDNA and came up with a list of ingredients. Unfortunately, it seems like many of the materials used are comedogenic or have an increased likelihood of clogging pores. The thick texture is very suggestive of this as it leaves a slight film-y feeling, almost like a sleeping mask would. In light of this, I probably would not suggest this product to those who have oily skin or are prone to acne. This is also probably not a good choice for those who have sensitive skin as it does contain fatty alcohols, which can be irritative.

Personally, I find that it does give me very soft and supple skin immediately after use but I'm not overly fond of the mask-like feeling on my face after application. It does seem to act as a moisture barrier, but it's not something that lasts beyond a few hours. I don't feel a marked improvement in my skin from using this moisturiser and all the skin softening effects seem to be quite temporary. I haven't experienced any of the effects that isoflavones advertise and my skin also dried out during the day (middle of a very cold winter in Sydney right now). It hasn't broken me out any more than usual, but I break out no more than once a month. I use it as a day cream, but I don't recommend it for day use if you wear foundation/bb cream as it would just 'sit' on top of the moisturiser and not blend particularly well.

Final Thoughts

This is a cheap, portable and no-fuss facial moisturiser, which does give you some temporary benefits. It's decent enough for the price you pay, but I'd only suggest using it at night or to relieve dryness. I wouldn't recommend this for those who have sensitive, oily/acne-prone skin and to patch-test first if you are of those skin types. I can kind of see where the hype comes from with the unique texture and the use of isoflavone, but it hasn't really amazed me at all.

Rating - 5/10
Repurchase - No.

Thanks for reading !!