If you've been following my recent posts, you'll know that I'm going through a rough time in my skincare. I've been getting plenty of skin problems and while I could gripe about them all, I want to make this as positive as I can. When my skin is in distress, I always fall back on simple and natural products to help get me through the dark times. I personally believe that the less this-and-thats in a product I use, the faster my skin will calm down so I can go back to using the fancy-shmancy stuff. :-P The following are my Comfort Skincare Products that I fall back on, just like comfort foods (mac 'n cheese, cheesy mashed potatoes, alfredo fetuccini, and broccoli 'n cheddar soup).
And now, my Comfort Skincare Products!
1. Jojoba Oil
This is one of the most economic products I've ever used that covers what I need for skincare. It moisturizes and removes makeup. It doesn't leave a greasy film on my skin and makes my skin feel soft, soothed, and smooth. And, it has only one ingredient: jojoba oil! At the changing of the seasons, I get rashes on my body that are so dry and bumpy. Using jojoba oil after every shower is saving my skin from months of itchiness, dryness, and skin discolorations. I have used this on my face.... NO ZITS! *thumbs up!*
2. Egyptian Magic
I can't believe I haven't done a post on Egyptian Magic yet. Never fear, I will get it done! I come back to this product again and again to help reinforce the jojoba oil when I'm out and about, doing things, or at work. It absorbs into my skin a little more easily than Vaseline. This stuff softens and moisturizes my skin so wonderfully, I can't go without it. I like to think of Egyptian Magic as the supplement to Jojoba oil. On the grand scale of moisturizing staying power, this is how I see it:
(most easily absorbed) Jojoba oil ------> Egyptian Magic ---------> Vaseline (sits on my skin)
3. Vaseline
Vaseline represents the "big guns" in my collection of heavy duty moisturizers. I don't know about most women, but I wash dishes without gloves (anti-slip and anti-breakage) and that means my hands get so uncomfortably dry. I don't think regular lotion does much for my hands. I use Vaseline daily for my lips, and I use it at night on my hands. Sometimes I use it on my heels. Usually, if I'm faithful to using this at night, whatever skin problems I'm having with dryness and itchiness gets solved in a week. During the coldest days and nights of the year, I use Vaseline because it doesn't absorb into my skin and therefore provides the much needed barrier between my skin and cold, dry air.
4. Witchhazel extract
Move aside expensive toners! Step aside Proactiv toner! Witchhazel is one of the best toner-type products I've used when my skin is acting up. It has one ingredient: witchhazel! It can grab onto a lot more residual makeup than some of my upper-end cleansing waters and it doesn't contain anything that aggravates my skin. The natural alcohol in it cools as it cleans so I always feel better and refreshed after. It's pretty affordable so I don't mind using as much as I want or as little as I want, and I certainly don't mind mixing it with other ingredients like aspirin or essential oils.
5. Johnson's baby wash
I really love this one. This must be the 5th or 6th time I've linked the Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash. This is super gentle. Mr. P, who suffers a little from eczema around his mouth, uses this with no additional aggravation to his condition. I use it because it takes off all my makeup without prior wiping and makeup removal.
6. Wash cloth and hot water
When I was a little girl, my mom would take a clean wash cloth and run it under warm/hot water. She'd wring it out and wipe my face with it. And that was the extent of my skincare when I was little. I turn to this when I'm having a breakout and want to avoid having my skin soak up ingredients. A hot towel on my face feels soooooooo comforting (spa-like) on my face before I start wiping, which provides very gentle yet effective exfoliation. And besides, this costs $0.00. How's that for fellow recessionists?
Sorry if my praising these products is repetitious. These products have got me through good and bad times without costing me a fortune. I'm not saying that these are low-cost alternatives to expensive items. I'm just saying that these are solutions for my skincare needs that just happen to be low-cost. If I find a high-end product that meets any specific need or that I reach for time and time again, I will definitely update here.
Thanks for reading and hope you have a great day!
November 13, 2011
November 10, 2011
FOTD: November Serenity
Halo! I have to say that despite the pain Proactiv is putting me through, something is working! I do have a lot less of whatever I have: acne, hyperpigmentation, and face fat. Read about face fat in my Fitness page.
I was getting ready for work this morning and ended up liking this look I did. It's my version of a smokey eye for monolids. I didn't curl my lashes (too lazy) but it still ended up looking nice. I have to say that I'm really thrilled my skin seems so pale right now! I'm sure it's not the Missha because that is only slightly darker than my natural skin tone. So, maybe what I'm using after the Proactiv is also working! Imagine that!
Okay, well, I won't drone on and on about what I'm using. I'll save that for the reviews. I will, however, show you what I used for this look!
Tadaaaaa!
Face: Missha & ELF
Blush and highlight: Lancome Glamour on the Go palette and Milani Runway Eyes palette
Eyes and brows: specified items in the white UNII palette
Lips: specified items in the red UNII palette
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
October 25, 2011
Product Review: Konjac facial sponge
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Update and Product Review!
I've been using this Konjac facial sponge for a month now and have finally started to see some pink mildew/mold thing spread along the surface of my sponge. Time to toss. *sadness!*
I can't read Chinese or Japanese so my mom kindly did the translating. Anyways, this Konjac facial sponge is used for the purposes of buffing the skin and adding luster, depositing nutritional benefits that help moisturize your skin, and cleansing your pores.
From the first time I used it to last night, I've noticed a remarkable difference in my skin. My pores look smaller from the reduction in blackheads and my skin looks a little more glowy than before. This sponge can be used with or without soap, either way it glides on your skin, and is great to use for a facial massage and exfoliation.
There are a lot of health benefits to eating and using konjac, which you can read about here. I'm not affiliated with the website, by the way. I just wanted to share this very informative website.
Konjac has a lot of vitamins so it's good to know that you are depositing the vitamins directly into your skin when you use the sponge. I personally can't feel or tell the difference between having vitamins absorbed into my skin or not, but I can definitely see a healthier looking glow at the high points of my face more so now than 1.5 months ago.
I would definitely recommend everyone to try it. It's a natural product so it's going to do good for your skin. I should ask my mom if she can send me a whole boxful of Konjac facial sponge. ^_^
Original post is below.
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September 26, 2011
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Side notes: My skin always seems greasier and more easily oilier whenever I come back to Taiwan. Attempting mascara, even with the aid of primer, has been an exercise in futility.
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I just realized that my skincare routine gets severely interrupted when I travel. I don't have a "similar" routine for travel. Oh nonono! I have a completely different routine stripped of any frills!
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Hope you all have a great week! More posts to come!
Product Review: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
The first time that I tried this product was back in 2002! Can you believe it's been that long? This is one of those products I keep coming back to time and time again just because it satisfies nearly all my skincare needs. I'd say this is one of my VIPs (very important products). Hahaha!
Hydration for a full 24 hours
I have a day and night routine so I can't put this claim to the test all that much. This gel moisturizer is one of the best moisture delivery systems I've used to date that doesn't leave my face feeling greasy or sticky afterwards.
Fine lines, flakiness and tightness are washed away
Yes, yes, and yes! This product is simply amazing for the summer because it provides the right type of hydration for my skin that does plump up and minimize my fine lines. The gel moisturizes but also provides some sort of barrier between my skin and the outside air. The best part is that it takes 2 minutes to absorb into my skin, leaving it smooth and soft to the touch. In the winter, however, my skin demands a little more than gel can provide.
Supple, firm, vibrant well-being
Huh? Well, I guess my skin can feel supple after applying the Moisture Surge gel. I have a feeling that this particular claim is a bunch of words thrown together that sound nice. This gel isn't an anti-aging or firming product, so this claim here is based on your current skin condition.
Even through shifts in humidity
Oh, YES! It works in dry California in the summer, and it worked in humid Taiwan and Thailand, too. It kept my face feeling as fresh as it could until my excited sebaceous glands took over.
Other
I'm not sure how anyone could "tap" this product over makeup during the mid-day. Personally, I'm confused because my makeup at mid-day is slipping around from my oils. So, to tap this on during the day....? Wouldn't my makeup just smear all over?
I use this when I have breakouts because it feels so light on my skin and doesn't aggravate or add any new pimples to the mix.
Verdict
Seeing as how this is my 9th year with this product, do I need to say it? LOL! Okay, yes, I would definitely repurchase this and I'd definitely recommend this product to people.
October 22, 2011
Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser
An impressions post.
I got the travel sized version with my Sasa purchase back in August. Even if I didn't leave it behind in Taiwan, this travel sized tube wouldn't have lasted 4 weeks, so I'm not going to make this a product review post. This will be my impressions post.
For those who wonder at my stodgy adherence to "product review" vs. "impressions", it is this: product reviews are reserved for products I've used 4 weeks or more, whereas impressions are reserved for products that I use less than 4 weeks.
Moving on! Below is a snapshot from the Clinique website with the product and how to use info.
Removes long wearing makeup and sunscreen
I personally did not find it very effective, even though I washed my face twice with the product. You can see the results below.
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| No flash |
Leaves skin feeling moist, clean, and fresh
Yes and no. I firmly believe that your skin adapts to its environment over time. I used this this cleanser in both California and Taiwan/Thailand with different results. In California, my skin did feel moist, and fresh. Clean? Maybe not so much as there was always some residue left on my cotton ball.In Asia, this cleanser didn't have much makeup to clean off (because I sweated my makeup off!), so it did clean very well, I thought. However, due to the humidity, I didn't really appreciate the moist feeling on my skin after cleansing, so I didn't feel so fresh. As I described in another post, after washing my face with this in Asia, my skin would feel sticky, like how it feels in the middle of the day with a layer of makeup and oil.
Disclaimer!
- I was in Asia only 10 days, so not enough time for my skin to adapt to the climate there.
- I know there are specific products to remove makeup before cleansing, but I like to consolidate my steps and counter space and use as little products as possible. Hence, my VIP and point of comparison cleanser is the Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash.
- This cleanser (how it feels on your skin and after you rinse it off) reminds me of the Mentholatum Acnes cleanser that I like so much.
Verdict
Granted, it has a luxurious feel to it and a little goes a long way AND I like Clinique. However, for its efficacy and the $20 price tag, I will pass.
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