Personal Care Shopping at Korean Supermarket H-Mart

I love shopping at Korean supermarket, H-Mart, but because it’s not very close to my house I don’t get there very often. On my way back from an appointment from my ophthalmologist that’s really far from my house, I stopped into H-Mart on my way back home.

It had been a year or more since I was last at the store, and I know I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the prices had just about doubled! I specifically stopped in to buy thin-sliced Wagyu beef as well as an Asian pear to use in my recipe for Beef Bulgogi, but I was stopped in my tracks when I looked at the price of the meat. It had become completely unaffordable. But I definitely was jonesing for Bulgogi so I reverted to more affordable options. I went for their ribeye instead, and it was still delicious.

I picked up the rest of my groceries (their produce is wonderful and they have lots of different mushroom varieties), and grabbed a ham and cheese croissant from Tous Les Jours and a Yuzu soda from the Japanese concession next to the bakery. Finally, I made my way through the housewares, personal care and cosmetics area in the store. Usually, I will pick up some Korean skincare item, but the prices were less expensive to order from individual brands online.

PERIOE POP Sensitivity Care Prebiotic Toothpaste

On my way out of the store, I picked up a couple of personal care goodies that were bargains. I love to try toothpaste from everywhere that I travel outside of the U.S. so I picked up a tube of Perioe POP Sensitivity Care Prebiotic Toothpaste.

The fluoride toothpaste turned out to be a really good one. The benefits listed on the package include:

• relieves sensitivity
• repairs enamel 
• prevents gingivitis
• prevents cavities
• potentiates good bacteria in the mouth
• made without BPA, GMOs, peroxide, parabens, phthalates or artificial preservatives.

Because I wasn’t sure what the benefits of a prebiotic toothpaste are, I looked it up. 😉 I learned that prebiotic toothpaste nourishes the beneficial bacteria already living in the mouth by providing non-digestible fibers that act as food for the oral microbiome, rather than killing all bacteria like traditional toothpaste. Prebiotics help maintain a balanced oral microbiome that naturally reduces harmful bacteria, decrease plaque buildup, and lowers the risk of gum inflammation, cavities and bad breath. Heck, I didn’t know the mouth had a microbiome, but it sure does and can be helped to do its best. Sounds like a very worthwhile addition to toothpaste.

The flavor is Clean Mint. Prior to trying Perioe POP, I had been using Crest Charcoal Whitening Toothpaste, and the strong mint flavor almost knocks my socks off. Perioe POP’s Clean Mint is a much softer minty flavor but it nevertheless leaves my mouth and teeth feeling fresh and clean. 

The white gel-cream produces the right amount of bubbles, and it leaves my teeth feeling clean and smooth. It does contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a surfactant and foaming agent used in many personal care products, in case you choose avoid that ingredient.

The Perioe POP Sensitivity Care Prebiotic Toothpaste tube contains 4.2 oz./120 g, it was made in Korea, and it sells at H-Mart for $3.99. The outer packaging and tube are recyclable.

Holly Hill Foaming Kitchen Hand Soap

At the cashier line, I picked up a bottle of foaming hand soap on sale for $1.49. Holly Hill Foaming Kitchen Hand Soap has a soft basil scent (it smells like lightly scented flowers to me).

Made without harsh chemical ingredients.

After using the hand soap for a week, Holly Hill Foaming Hand Soap is very effective a cleaning my hands. However, in spite of the fact that the second ingredient is glycerin, a humectant that a commonly used for softening and hydrating, I find that it leaves my already dry hands dry, so I need to keep hand cream at the ready. 

But for $1.49, Holly Hill Foaming Kitchen Hand Soap was worth a try!