Have you heard of FANCL Skincare? If not, you may have heard of the skincare company Boscia, FANCL's North American sister brand, manufactured in the same factory and sold at popular retailers like Sephora. The Japanese skincare brand FANCL, a preservative-free line, was introduced in 1982. FANCL moisturizers are packaged in hermetically sealed bottles sized specifically to hold only a 30-day supply so the ingredients would remain fresh. The caps are touch-free, so no chance of contaminating the product. FANCL does not contain preservatives, petroleum-based surfactants, UV absorbers, fragrances, or synthetic dyes and everything is manufactured in FANCL's pharmaceutically sterile, state-of-the-art laboratories in Japan. The reason you may not have heard of is that it wasn't available in American until recently. Knowing and liking the skincare line Boscia and reading about the history and industry innovation of FANCL, I agreed to try some of their products and write an honest review. I also asked to have six weeks to use the product before writing the review. While this post is sponsored by FANCL, all thoughts are my own.
FANCL believes that friction causes skincare issues. Their products and instructions focus on gentle treatment and clean skin. FANCL provided me with four of their bestsellers: the Mild Cleansing Oil, the Facial Cleansing Powder, the Enrich Lotion II, and the Enrich Emulsion II to experience their products but also the specific process in which to use them. I have to say I was intrigued but also wary. While I have a pretty... robust nighttime skincare routine, I have it down to a science and a length of time and level of complexity where I am comfortable. I wasn't up for adding more time or effort. No need to worry, the four-step process took less time than my own four-step nighttime skincare routine (cleanse, treatment, moisture (lotion and cream). I was also worried about how my skin would react. I can use some of the highest-rated products for sensitive skin and break out, or use a product many find too caustic and my face loves it. Would my skin like FANCL? Again no worries; I used every night for over a month and then for two weeks mixed it up with my usual nighttime routine to notice differences better and didn't have a single breakout, rash, or any other kind of skin issue.
FANCL Skincare Routine
FANCL (which is pronounced like fankul) has a four-step skincare routine:
- Remove. The first step is to remove makeup. FANCL uses a great analogy for why this step needed: just as water alone cannot remove a greasy stain on clothing, neither can it remove makeup up on its own.
- Cleanse. Next step is to get rid of dead skin cells and sebum with a face wash. FANCL says it's hard to remove these with a makeup remover, hence double cleansing.
- Tone and Treat. FANCL calls their treatments lotions, and they are applied on clean skin to provide moisture as well as ingredients like ceramides and collagen.
- Lock In. The fourth step is emulsions and creams that lock in the moisture and ingredients and keep skin moisturized longer than with a single step.
FANCL Skincare Review
The first step was the FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil I have used oil cleansers for several years already, appreciating how well they dissolve makeup without drying out my skin. The Mild Cleansing Oil is in a pump bottle, and two pumps is all that is needed for your face. Gently massage; FANCL is all about being extremely gentle with your skin. Once you have loosened your makeup, you can rinse away. Some oil cleaners are hard to rinse off and require hot water and cloths to wipe it away, the FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil rinsed away easily with splashes of tepid water. My eyes had no reaction to the product, and I am pretty sure I got it in my eyes a few nights when rinsing it off.
The second step was the FANCL Facial Cleansing Powder. When I realized FANCL believed in double cleansing, I laughed. My sister gives me a hard time because I do not double cleanse; I always feel tight and dried out and feel my skin is clean enough with one step. Well FANCL taught me that it's not about cleaning twice that causes dryness and tightness, it's the products used. And the FANCL Facial Cleansing Powder is gentle, effective, and dare I say fun?
The Facial Cleansing Powder came with what looked like a Barbie skirt glued to a blue bottlecap that works like a sponge and a whisk. You shake a bit of the FANCL Facial Cleansing Powder into the mesh, add a bit of water, and begin squeezing the mesh. Instantly foam is created, but as you squeeze it creates a consistency closer to shaving cream than the foam of a bubble bath. You wipe the foam from the mesh and apply it to your skin, massaging gently. The foam seems to prevent your fingers from pressing too hard. You are to rinse the foam away, again to apply the least amount of pressure to the skin. The first time, I had to see how much additional it removed and wiped away the cleanser with a muslin cloth. The foam was beige, showing that even though I felt I thoroughly cleansed my skin with the Mild Cleansing Oil, it still found foundation to remove. I also tried using it after cleansing with the my usual nighttime cleanser... and even with that the FANCL Facial Cleansing Powder removed additional makeup and grime without leaving skin tight, dry, or uncomfortable in any way. As for the mesh, I used the loop to hang it over a nail file in a cup in my medicine cabinet so it could air dry; it could also be looped over the top of the bottle or off a hook to have some airflow and it quickly dries.
The third step was the Enrich Lotion II. To use this lotion, I had to pull off a tab and twist the cap to snap it and allow airflow; FANCL has a lot of methods to keep their additive-free products fresh. I shook just two drops of this serum-like product and patted it gently onto my face and down my neck. You wouldn't think two drops would be enough but it really is.
The final step was the Enrich Emulsion II. Just two pumps were enough to pat over my entire face, neck, and into my collarbone. This was lighter-weight than I expected, feeling more like a day moisturizer. I liked that it didn't have much of a smell and absorbed quickly but still left my skin feeling moisturized.
As mentioned, I used FANCL exclusively every evening for one month, and then spent two weeks trying it occasionally in the morning, sometimes mixed with products I was using previously, and sometimes again exclusively at night. I never had a reaction to a single product from FANCL: no breakouts (even that time of the month), no redness or irritation of either my skin or my eyes, no dryness, never a taut feeling. Makeup went on well over FANCL lotions and emulsions and held in place as well as my usual skincare products. I did find it took some tries to perfect creating that spongy foam I saw in FANCL tutorial videos; you will need to sprinkle in a bit more water a couple times in the process to get it right, and I also was more successful when I squeezed with both hands. My skin, at least in early spring when it is still very dry, desires more moisture than I received from the lotion and emulsion. I really appreciate FANCL Skincare's dedication to freshness and sanitation and found the packaging quality sleek, and functional. I thank FANCL for allowing me to try their skincare line and share it with all of you; I think it's a quality additive- and preservative-free skincare line with products that may be perfect for a variety of skin types, especially those who experience sensitivity.