Welcome to my beauty blog, and you will find a lot of beauty sharings here. As a shopaholic and a skincare maniac, I always like to try new things in market. And the most important thing is I just share what I had tried for at least a month to get most trustworthy testimonial. Besides, as a cosmetic analyst, I'll share with you more interesting facts behind these bottles and jars. Feel free to drop by here and I am looking forward to approaching you soon.
Honey is reputedly for its hydrating, soothing, skin elasticity properties, that's why you can trace honey in L'occitane honey & lemon delightful creme, Burt's bee balm, Living Nature night creams, Huni manuka honey hydrating gel mask, Trilogy Ultra Hydrating cream, Sothys soothing lotion and etc in ingredient lists. Some brands even apply honey as natural preservative for its antimicrobial activity.Here is a simple way to improve skincare performance, I've found that honey works synergistic in daily care.
1) Mix well 2-3 drops of honey in 30-50ml cream/lotion/moisturizer, it improves smoothness and texture, I feel the cream have better absorption, don't worry, NO ANTS will come. If you feel sticky, that's mean you put too much honey.
2) Mix well 1/4 teaspoon of honey with one spoonful of hydrating gel mask before application, it contributes better hydrating effects. If you want some glow, just add 1-2 drops rosehip oil/jojoba oil.
That's how do i improve skincare performance with just a little bit of honey (any honey will do), it is suitable for dehydrated/dry skin and those who often stay at air condition for long hours.
Collagen is emerging key ingredient used in skincare, it becomes trend in anti-aging range. Those collagen facial cream claim that their products will turn back the clock, offer you younger and softer skin.
Have you ever wondered if all those collagen creams actually do the job they tell you they do? Let me fill you in on some things you must know about the trillion dollar skin care industry's products because I don't want you to be duped into buying there promises.
It's a scam. That collagen cream firms, lift and reduces wrinkle...just not true.
Take a look at collagen creams, actually collagen molecule size is too large to penetrate skin effectively. Our skin is absorbent but collagen is simply too large to be absorbed, apply collagen cream all day just a waste of time and money. Collagen cream can do nothing but provide an excellent HYDRATING properties on skin.
There are a few new techniques to create a better collagen cream. Some brands use partially hydrolyzed collagen, collagen fragments may small enough to penetrate skin but it is too small to properly integrate into the skin's own collagen framework. They are likely to be wasted out of the skin via lympathic flow. Some claim to possess unique transdermal technologies to deliver collagen deep into the skin via topical application. However, it is no yet supported by sufficient evidence. Plus, we do not sure whether successfully delivered collagen will integrate into skin matrix and improve skin strength's and regularity. The research need following.
There are so many skincare brands in market， almost every year we are approached by new brands, new products advertised at magazines, tv and internet.
In fact, skincare, basically, could be divided into three types.
1) Counter, Open Shelf
Widely available in market, shopping malls and internet, these skincare brands may contain active ingredients (highlighted key ingredients) to protect skin, maintain skin health, offer least side effects/complications, but may not effective for skin problems. Choose wisely according to skin types and lifestyle.
Brands: Lancome, SK II, Shiseido, Kose, Neutrogena, Loreal, H2O+, Origins, The Body Shop, tns
2) Salon, Pharmaceutical
High efficiency, usually expensive, skincare products loaded with high amount of small molecules active ingredients target on different skin problems to give quick effects, corporated with equipments and massages of skillful beauticians, salon brands offer an amazing effectiveness. However, salon brands cause certain sensitivity to those fragile skin, especially if not suitable, will experience such crisis.
These ranges are only available in skin clinics and required a prescription by dermatologists or skin specialists. Many of the prescription products contain the same ingredients as those available over-the-counter, but are in higher dosage/concentration strengths, such as retinol (vitamin A for acne treatment), AHA, vitamin C, hydroquinone, steroid and etc. These skincare brands are impressively effective for serious skin problems, but also have certain risks of adverse complications.
Brand: Obagi ( Nu Derm® System and the Blue Peel® System), La Roche, Neostrata
Again, this is the common mistake even beauty advisors will make, always prejudice that acne skin must be very sensitive. How do they related to each other?
Acne could be caused by different factors: 1) Bacteria, especially those acnes accumulate in an area, that's bacteria infection, cause inflammation.
2) Dead skin cell cause congestion on skin
3) Excessive oil secretion excessive male hormone, hot and humid weather, pressure, insomnia, bad lifestyle...
If you do not find the root cause of your skin problems, you will never can find a proper solution to cure it. So, don't be too "superstitious" on those anti acne skincare, oil controlling products or sensitive range. If you have acne because of excessive dead skin cell, how could sensitive range help you? It really does not make sense.
I think this is common mistake that a lot of oily skin will make, because they always think that skin will secrete a layer of oil to moisturize skin, so it is all right to skip moisturizer. Some even just stop after toner.
After cleanse our face, it is necessary to supply back water (toner) and oil (moisturizer), the role of moisturizer is to lock moisture so that it won't evaporate. If you did not apply moisturizer, your skin has to secrete oil sebum to protect itself; in long term, your skin become dehydrated oily skin, which is a condition look oily, greasy but have a lot of fine lines; it is also symbolized that moisture retention rate of skin is low and alarming.
Furthermore, the oil sebum secreted is animal fat (you are human, homo sapien, so consider as animal ok?) , and the oil of a moisturizer used is mineral oil or plant oil, they won't oxidize easily. It is not difficult to look for a good quality moisturizer, fast absorbing, refresh and moisturize.
And please, don't test your facial moisturizer on your hand before purchasing, you are not going to use it on your hand, definitely absorption rate is different, and very often your hand will not feel greasy.
Madara，ecocert certified organic skincare brand from Latvia (somewhere near Russia)
It stated "The MADARA is the most fragile, yet also the most fragrant flower found in summermeadows. It yearns for the sun, building upon other plants' shoulders" "Flower is just as enigmatic and diverse as a woman. It symbolises thephilosophical perfection and infinity of beauty on nature..."
I bought this tinted moisturizer last year, it smells fresh, fluidly and spreadable easily on skin after sunblock. It is light in texture, so you won't feel heavy and sticky on skin after application, and due to its titanium dioxide, iron oxide and mica, the concealing effect is just nice like many tinted moisturizers do.
You can buy Madara products at Body Bar (Tropicana City Mall, Sunway Pyramid, Pavilion)
Here is the ingredient list attached Aqua, Alcohol( This is natural fermented grain alcohol, not industrial alcohol denatured chemically made), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil*, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Distillate*, Glycerin*, Theobroma Cacao Seed (Cocoa) Butter*, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John's Wort) Extract*, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita (Camomile) Extract*, Algae Extract, Plantago Major (Plantain Leaf) Extract*, Cetearyl Glucoside, Capryloyl Glycine, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide***, Xantan Gum, Aroma**, Citral**, Eugenol**, Limonene**, Linalool** [+/- (may contain), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)]***
when you recover from pimple, your skin leave many scars, is it possible to treat it with skincare?
An acne scar is the visible legacy of your skin’s tissue damage. When your skin is damaged, blood flows to the area carry a mixture of our body’s natural defences (antibodi). The body’s immediate response to heal and prevent further problems by way of infection from external. Unfortunately, although our skin does invariably manage to heal itself, it often does so with scant regard to how it looked in it’s former state.
You can use scrub, microdermabrasion or AHA/BHA products to lighten scar, for a natural way, rosehip oil or wheatgerm oil is recommended to apply externally for scar lightening, due to its high vitamin A and vitamin E to promote cell renewal. Some aromatherapists will enhance scar lightening with lemon essential oil, because of its fruit acids content to exfoliate skin chemically.
For serious scars (depressed fibrotic scar), which are large, depressed valleys on the surface of the skin and are usually jagged, skincare are impossible to remove because it won't stimulate skin tissue and collagen grow to cover scar perfectly. Therefore, serious scarring requires aesthetic surgeries such as laser, hyaluronic acid injection, skin needling (micro-needling), intense pulsed light (IPL) as well as peeling.
“Oil-absorbing paper” is a beauty item a lot of women carry around in their bag all the time. If you apply it lightly to the face, it removes the skin’s extra oil and keeps the skin clean, but not foundation because their grain size are simply thick and difficult to be absorbed.
So, it does look very convenient to keep your images, sounds good, huh?
BUT one thing about using oil absorbing paper long term is, it causes more hair growth.
As face oil is absorbed by the paper, it actually causes sebaceous gland secrete more sebum, produce more oil on skin surface. Thus, oil secretion motion will stimulate male hormone, and trigger body hair growth.
Q: As oily skin with pimple, should i use oil control products?
A: Most oil control products in market could help to reduce oil secretion, some contains oil-absorbing complex, can absorb oil effectively. However, one should understand well own skin condition, if cheeks are very dry, or apply accutane/differin gel (those retinoid products, famous antiacne application), should use hydrating lotion to counter attack the adverse side effects of these products cause: dryness. Otherwise, the skin will become dry, itchy and even have decortication (skin peeling).
This brand is not available in Malaysia market yet, so you could either get it from Singapore, or order it online (www.lovelula.com). So excited to receive my parcel after order, it is quite expensive even if compare with counter brands. It's worth anyway as i was inspired by its absorption rate and divine aroma, leave smooth and silky hand feel. I found that oily to combination skin will find it is just fine for their skin; for dry skin, this cream is not moisturizing enough.
This brightening cream contains ascorbyl glucoside (in label it stated time release vitamin c glucoside) as whitening ingredient, which is stable (means wont oxidize easily), safe for day and night use (not photosensitive), and also ascorbyl glucoside enhance the sunscreen effect of sunblock, help to react with UV rays and also act as melanin block.
I have tried this cleansing lotion for few months, it is slightly thicker than normal cleansing milk i used to, a bit difficult to spread to face, so every time i have to add few drops of water to dilute it before i massage on face. Then as usual, i wipe off with tissue and apply lathered cleansing gel, rinse off with water and tap dry with towel. It is clean and smooth after double cleansing. Cleansing lotion contains oil to pull out oil soluble dirt, in fact, oily skin should use cleansing oil/milk to balance oil secretion on face, as well as excellent cleansing lotion can "dissolve" away blackheads, just like mukti cleansing lotion do. Mukti products are now available at Body Bar stores at Pavilion, Sunway Piramid and Tropicana City Mall
Approach essential oil since 15 during secondary school, i start to dump myself in the world of essential oil, and i am inspired by the power and miracles of plants could perform on human body. Some people (Malaysians, at least) think that essential oil are only for beauty or household purposes, it can actually be applied by psychologists to calm patients.
I love to blend essential oil with my current skincare range, to enhance their effectiveness, and also in my handmade soap so that it contributes some remedies, as a bonus, it smells divine too.
however, bare in mind that the essential oil u plan to apply on face, must be real essential oil, rather than those fragrant oil, which totally contribute zero healing effect on your skin, instead it harms your skin and may cause allergy (that is why some people allergy to perfume/fragrance of skincare, jus imagine it is a cocktail of chemicals)
All the while, i love to have rose and lavender essential oil blend as anti aging serum, while night time i have neroli and lemon essential oil blend as whitening serum. Especially women, rose is highly recommended for its excellent anti-aging properties, as well as fine line reducer and scar lightening. BUT, if you are newbie in aromatherapy, i suggest you could start with lavender essential oil first, for its multi purposes and it is cheaper (than rose, the price will definitely scare you away if you do not know 1 drop of rose essential oil require thousand of rosebuds).
Let me explain to you why skin get sensitive, when u apply skincare, in particular, moisturizer, lotion easy clog pores and congested. Why do some people look radiance? Is it natural beauty?
How many layer of our skin? basically it can be divided into 3 layers, which is epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. Whereas just epidermis layer alone, u can divide to another 5 layers, from bottom to top the layers are named:
stratum basale
stratum spinosum
stratum granulosum
stratum licidum
stratum corneum
Each layer contains skin cell, side by side, layer by layer. In between round-shape skin cells, the gap call matrix, and it is filled with water. if your skin epidermis matrix fill with clean water, you can expect to have radiance naturally glow on skin, and it looks elastic, jus like SK II advertisement: doi doi doi
If water is contaminated, it contains bacteria and cause acne. those who like to use hand touch their face will kena easily. it is true that we should keep a habit not to touch our skin, for hygiene purpose.
The function of a moisturizer is lock moisture, avoid evaporation of moisture, as well as nourish our skin. if a person have no oil protection, moisture of skin will evaporate and dehydrated, as if water bag have leakage and turn wrinkly. When your skin start dehydrated, your skin will turn to sensitivity. At this moment, do not use any moisturizing/nourishing cream, because it will cause more congestion on skin.
Skin cell renew for every 28 days, when new skincell forms, the old one will be pushed on outer skin layer and form dead skin cell (horny layer). when skin is dehydrated, it is fasten up renewal process and form more horny layers. when you apply any oil containing skincare (like moisturizer) , skin will congest and form oilseeds/acne.
So, what should we do when skin is dehydrated? at this moment, a excellent hydrating booster is hydrating mask, do it continuously for a week, to let moisture fill in matrix, stabilize skin layer. then only exfoliate skin using scrub to reduce congestion, and do deep cleansing mask to eliminate oil and dirts from pores, now when you apply moisturizer, you won't have any congestion, then only you can use nourishing products.
Many people (including beauty advisors. most) think that acne/pimples mean your skin is oily, and those oil clog your pores, so they will introduce oil controlling/anti acne range to you. If your skin problem is not caused by bacteria or excessive oil secretion, is because of dehydration, do you think these products can be a solution?
A lot of people do not really seek for right remedy for their skin problems, if you choose wrong solutions, it may worse the condition.
Hydrating mask hydrate, provide moisture to skin, it is different from nourishing mask, which provides oil. There is two types of hydrating mask in market: gel mask and sheet mask. To my opinion, hydrating gel mask works better, and money savings if compare with sheet mask.
Here are some brands introduction of gel mask, to enhance the effectiveness, i always mix with 1-2 drop of honey and essential oil.
Open Shelf ZA deep hydrating gel oslee sleeping mask
Counter/Salon biotherm hydra-detox bio-defensis/Instant glow hydra-detoxfying mask biotherm flash recharge origins no puffery cooling eye mask （can apply on face too) laneige water sleeping pack lancome hydra intense masque chanel precision nourishing cream gel mask estee lauder hydra complete multi-level moisture gel mask laura mercier hydra soothing gel mask murad hydrating gel mask H2O+ hydrating marine moisture mask decleor triple action gel cream mask sothys active contour destressing mask (eye mask)
Organic living nature hydrating gel mask mukti kakadu plum & honey masque juice beauty green apple hydration mask/rejuvenation mask sanctum hydrating gel mask Internet Dainty Advanced whitening mask @nature rose hydrating night jelly
This illuniminating tint really look blink blink, because of mica, a mineral that reflect light make skin look glossy n shine after application. especially nose and cheekbone, it sharpen my feature.
come with nice rose-like aroma (due to geranium essential oil), this tinted moisturizer is light in texture, can balance up skin tone, and lightly conceal scar, freckles, and small imperfects, jus like korean hot selling BB cream. of course, for pigmentation, u may need a concealer or liquid foundation to cover it perfectly. i've used this for second bottle, and found it can truly make skin look radiance and natural-like after application. every morning after sunblock i will apply this, and because it contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, these two sun-screening ingredients can enhance sunscreen effects of sunblock.
fast absorbing eye cream that i come across, it is especially good for swollen eye. Some may have swelling eye due to water retention, especially after you watch touching moments from a drama, the next day u wake up you will find it really works on it, the swelling part reduce!
moreover, i love its light aroma, all the while i dun love skincare with strong fragrance
When I walked to Origins counter with frens, surprisingly i found that there is still some people (I am not sure only a few or a lot) dunno how to use skincare correctly. For an axample, cleansing gel/foam need to lather before applying on skin, or moisturizer need to be followed right after toner. Suddenly i realize, the skincare itself become a factor whether he/she suits the product, when it is not suitable for someone, is it because the procedures and application go wrong?
It is advisable for double cleanse in Malaysia, we have hot humid weather, so double cleanse will cleanse both water and oil soluble dirt and impurities.
cleansing oil/milk -> cleansing gel/foam
First, wash and wipe your hand before cleansing. otherwise, cleanser only wash your hand, and imagine you put those dirt on face.
If you use cleansing oil, make sure both of your hand and face have no moisture. Warm cleansing oil using palm, massage face for 1-2 minutes, add water to emulsify cleansing oil, it turn milky liquid. Afterthat rinse with water, you will feel silky smooth. If you face feel oily, maybe you din emulsify cleansing oil well
If you use cleansing milk/lotion, pump on clean palm, warm it with palm and massage on face in circular motion for 1-2 minutes, wipe off with tissue paper.
If you use cleansing gel/foam, as long as it can foam, you must fully lather to activate it, then put those bubbles on face, massage 1 minute and rinse with water.
When your face is well cleansed, the following steps can work perfectly, better absorption and active ingredients can penetrate better on skin.
I've been very active in beauty forum (chinese cari) for these few years, more people concern about their skin problems or would like to analyze their skincare ingredient lists. After involving in handmade soaps, i found the beauty between chemistry and nature.
My buddy ask, since you are willing to spend time replying questions in forum, why don't you write a blog, educate people and you could bluff more (*laugh*).
Ever since, this blog is born. I choose dandelion to represent myself, hope can be like them, sow their seeds thru winds (for me thru internet) to every corners in this world.
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