I have to let you in on a little secret: I’ve never tried retinol.
Well, I hadn't until about two weeks ago, when Hada Labo Tokyo's new Red Range landed on my desk.
Coincidentally just in time for the last year of my twenties. Which, if you didn't know, is the perfect time to begin using retinol.
Having heard about the wonders of the J-Beauty brand, part of me was really excited to try Hada Labo's Red Range and the other part was a lil’ scared.
This was my *official* foray into anti-ageing skincare, after all. And we know it often gets worse before it gets better.
It was also my first proper introduction to Japanese skincare.
I’ve tried products here and there, and have a handful (ok, heaps) of others in my cart, but I was yet to sink my teeth into the global phenomenon that alongside K-Beauty gave us skin flooding, glass skin and the infamous 10-step beauty routine.
But who better to show me the ropes than Japan's number one skincare brand!?
With so much delicious dewy potential on the line, I scooped the products up, went home, and immediately got to work.
Here’s how everything went down.
What Is Hada Labo Tokyo Red Range?
Exclusive to Adore Beauty for six months, Hada Labo Tokyo Red Range promises to rehydrate, rejuvenate and restore skin from the inside out to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
It blends skin-strengthening collagen and a gentler form of retinol/vitamin A derivative (known as retinyl palmitate) with Hada Labo’s Super Hyaluronic Acid™ to give you what the brand like to call the “Mochi-Mochi effect”.
Aka, soft, smooth and supple skin. Yes. Please.
Hada Labo’s hydration-first focus and simple formulas make their products suitable for dry and dehydrated skin havers (welcome, my friends) and can even help to reduce redness for our sensitive skin pals.
In other words, everyone’s a winner. Now, onto the reviews.
1. Hada Labo Lotion Anti-Aging Super Hydrator.
What: Hada Labo Lotion Anti-Aging - Super Hydrator 150mL
Fast facts:
Hada Labo Lotion Anti-Aging - Super Hydrator is a lightweight, essence-like lotion formulated to help improve the signs of ageing, dehydration and fatigue.
Its watery texture applies weightless and absorbs fast, instantly quenching dry/dehydrated skin thanks to its inclusion of the star ingredient, Super Hyaluronic Acid™.
Retinol and collagen work to promote cell turnover to improve the texture and tone of the skin, increase elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
My Hada Labo Lotion Anti-Aging Super Hydrator review:
This was my first time trying a lotion, but I’d heard great things about the brand’s hero product Hada Labo Lotion No.1 Super Hydrator (which sells every three seconds in Japan!), so I was eager to give this anti-ageing edition a go.
Applying it after cleansing, I sprinkled a few drops into my hands and patted it onto my damp skin.
Its thin, watery texture surprised me with its deep hydration. Initially, it felt a tad sticky (that’s the mochi-mochi at work), but that quickly dissipated as it absorbed, leaving my skin feeling soft and supple.
By this stage in my routine, I’m usually hustling to get hydrating serums on my skin, stat. But the lotion restored enough moisture lost from my scalding hot shower (guilty) to give me enough time to tend to the rest of my neglected body.
This alone is enough to secure the lotion a permanent position in my dry skin routine as an extra layer of defence, particularly to combat dehydration and dullness during winter.
