HABA Non-Additivism Mook Summer 2012

HABA Non-Additivism Mook Summer 2012 is my first mook in a very long time! HABA (Health Aid Beauty Aid) is an additive-free skincare brand that I've seen around but never had any interest in trying, only because I don't know what's what to try, really (there's only, like, a gazillion other skincare items to try in Japan!). HABA products are also available in the US via an official online shop, in addition there are a decent number of reviews on Makeup Alley so you can read about them there as well.

HABA skincare is free of paraben, fragrance, mineral oil, colorant, and petrochemical surfactant, which makes them suitable for sensitive skin. That said, this brand uses a marine life ingredient as one of the major components of their products, so HABA is definitely not "vegetarian" brand and I'm not sure if this also means it's not a cruelty-free brand. If you're squeamish about animal-based products, HABA (and probably the vast majority of skincare and cosmetics out there) is not for you. If you're willing to try and are reading up about HABA products on Makeup Alley, be aware some of the reviewers give them low ratings solely because of this marine-life ingredient, which is equivalent to saying a hamburger is bad because it's made of beef, which is not exactly helpful per se ^.^'

The marine life ingredient I'm referring to is squalene, a natural oil found in all plants and animals, and it's present in and on the human skin. According to HABA's US website, 10% of human sebum is squalene, which makes it a natural moisturizer. The squalene used in their products, however, is extracted from shark liver oil, and the company is not shy about admitting this at all. In my humble opinion, this is good honesty, which is still better than companies that tout cruelty-free but can't really vouch whether their raw ingredients, not just the finish products, are animal-based or had been tested on animals. Now I can't comment on the "cruelty" factor since I don't know how this shark liver oil is harvested. Either way, I doubt it's as simple as sharks are being hunted for their livers just so we can have squalene in our cosmetics. 

Anyway, HABA's star product is Squalane Beauty Oil, "99.9% pure squalane oil" that is a saturated version of squalene derived through hydrogenation. Squalane is less prone to oxidation than squalene, which makes it less reactive to other ingredients, less of an irritant to the skin, in addition to having a longer shelf life. You can also read this post "Squalane versus Squalene" written in 2010 by a UK based cosmetic scientist, just keep in mind that the cosmetic market in the west is not as "adventurous" as the market in Asia, where horse oil (umm, Fueki Nakayoshi Hand Cream?), snail slime, and placental protein (hello Hadanomy AquaPlacenta Concentrated Mist!), and a host of other "exotic" animal-based ingredients are used in abundance. Wow, that was a long intro to the brand, sorry!

 This HABA Non-Additism Mook Summer 2012 comes with the below items, all of which estimate to about 2,600yen's worth of products, not including the zipper pouch: 

- A zipper pouch

- A Powerful White Mask (1 sheet)

- A travel size bottle of G-Lotion 30mL

- A travel size bottle of Squalane Beauty Oil 15mL

- A travel size bar of Silky Lather Soap 28g

- A sample satchel of Lift-Up Serum 1mL

The pouch is made of soft terry cloth and measures 12(height) x 15(base length, or 19 top length) x 5(width) cm. It is very thickly padded and lined with hot pink polyester fabric with zipper closure. It is very well made with clean stitching and no loose threads.

From left to right: Squalane Beauty Oil, Silky Lather Soap, G-Lotion, Lift-Up Serum, and Powerful White Mask.

The rest of the mook is pretty much a catalogue for the brand, talking about the 3 Steps skincare routine which is cleansing (Step 1), moisturizing (Step 2), and protection (Step 3). 

Step 1 Cleansing involves the use of Squa Cleansing to remove makeup, follow with Squa Facial Foam, which is a foaming cleanser.

Step 2 Moisturizing involves application of a lotion (toner), in this case G-Lotion is pictured although they have several different lotions catering to different needs.

Step 3 Protection is the final step with the use of a moisturizer, in this case the Squalane Beauty Oil, but again they have several different moisturizers for different needs.

Items included in the mook.