Secret Key Starting Treatment Essence

The another dupe product, but unlike the IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning (read review), Secret Key is very obvious about being a copycat. The old red and white box packaging is the same as SK II, and I’ve read somewhere that SK II was originally supposed to stand for Secret Key. The font and packaging is really similar as well.

The product claims to be better than the famous SK II Facial Treatment Essence, as it is sans paraben while SK II does. I have not tried SK II before, so I can only compare it to the Bio Essence. I am more extravagant while using the Secret Key, since it is so cheap, and literally soaked each sheet of cotton pad, while I’m more careful with the Bio Essence.

The scent is really strong. It honestly gave me a shock when I first used it since the Bio Essence is scentless. The color and texture is also like water, so no difference there. The only problem with this product is when I stop using it for two week. My skin turns nasty. There’s no pimples or blemishes, but there is extreme dullness that made me look a few years older. I did not observe such a dramatic effect when I stopped using Bio Essence.

This is totally not what I’m looking for in skincare products at all. It reminds me of alcohol or drug addiction—you feel great for a while, but once you stop you lose the high and have to go crawling back. I dislike such heavy reliance. It’s not like we must be monogamous when it comes to skincare.

Repurchase? No.