HOW I PRACTICE SKINIMALISM

July 25, 2021

It’s not a cult, it’s just I want to save on money, time and unnecessary ingredients. Less products mean less waste too (great for this unwell world we live in).

Let’s focus on our skin needs, and what made them happy, because face it, skin are also a living organ. You know you, so pick the right ones for your skin.

Here’s my Skinimalism Routine (please note that they’re also fungal acne safe products):

CLEANSE

No more cleansing oil and cleansing balm. If my skin felt super dirty and oily (usually after a workout session), then I’d just splash water on my skin and use micellar water before face cleanser.
Mine: Bioderma Sensibio, Vanicream Gentle Cleanser.

ACTIVES

What, no toner? Yes I skip toner and go directly to actives. Make sure your skin is completely dry before applying any actives.
Mine: Azelaic Acid 20 Gel (AM) and Adapalene (PM)

MOISTURIZE

I practice 3 steps moisture method by Olena Beley (click here for the details)
After the active is completely dry, spritz (don’t splash) water to dampen (not wet) the skin, then quickly apply humectant followed by emollient.
Mine: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum (humectant) and Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Soothing Gel (emollient).

SUNSCREEN (AM)

Staying indoor for most of the time doesn’t mean that UV rays won’t catch us. They will cause collagen and elastin in our skin to break down. So, if you want your skin to stay firm and bouncy for longer, please do apply sunscreen.
Mine: Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Gel SPF 50+ PA+++

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

JULY 2021 SKINCARE HAUL

July 21, 2021

July is a month of another reset, as the city I live in (Jakarta, Indonesia) was on its’ worst cases of Covid-19. It was like going back to square one when the global pandemic hits, so this month is definitely a #stayathome month for me (again). I just realized, maybe due to stress, this month’s purchase were like due to curiosity rather than what my skin actually needs. Oh well, I’m only human after all. FYI, by the time I wrote this, I’m into SKINIMALISM (more on that on later posts, so stay tune!), so I don’t know what to do with my earlier purchases.

Anyway, here’s my skincare haul this month.

Mmmm…. after I bought this in early July, I became to wonder, do I really need to double cleanse with oil since I’m not wearing any makeup? I guess I bought this just because I want to try cleansing oil with Grape Seed Oil, known to have high Linoleic Acid (which is supposedly great for oily skin). Might keep this for later if I start using makeup again (but when is that going to happen?)
Price IDR 92K for 150ml

Definitely splurge of the month, and yet another products purchased due to curiosity. I used to drink Apple Cider Vinegar/ACV, but my family couldn’t stand the smell, so I quit (LOL). I guess it had me because it contains hibiscus-infused ACV and prebiotics to support the skin microbiome.
Price IDR 451K for 200ml.

Another toner in my basket this month, and I was thinking to skip toners for my new SKINIMALISM routine. Just great! Maybe I use this for CSM later on, because of its’ soothing purpose. This hydrating toner contains 85% bamboo extract which supposedly helps skin retain moisture and freshness.
Price IDR 280K for 160ml.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

BEFORE AFTER BOTOX

July 15, 2021

Photos provided by JAKARTA AESTHETIC CLINIC

Botox Treatment by Dr Olivia Ong in June 2021

HOW I TREAT MY ACNE SCARS

July 12, 2021

Self diagnosed, I think I might also have redness and irritation from over exfoliation, retinol and (too) high percentage of Niacinamide. A lethal combination that eventually weaken my skin barrier, triggered more inflammation and irritation.

And being an adult with acne didn’t help either. So, if you have Acne-Related Redness problem like me, read on.

**BEFORE (JUNE 7,2021) | AFTER (JULY 11, 2021)**

I believe, it is best to identify the cause of redness first, in order to pick and choose your skincare products wisely.

A few tips:

Choose soothing and natural ingredients like aloe, oat, cucumber, licorice or chamomile that actually has been proven to calm redness.
Wear sunscreen in the morning
Keep a simple skin care routine
Last but not least, do not pick on your acne

Products I used:

**PETER THOMAS ROTH CUCUMBER GEL MASQUE**

**YVES ROCHER SENSITIVE CAMOMILLE THE MICELLAR WATER**

**KRAVE BEAUTY OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM**

FUNGAL-ACNE SAFE MOISTURIZER

July 6, 2021

I realized that I haven’t done this category, oops!

Personally, getting the right moisturizer is rather tricky, since I’m also very prone to clogged pores and breakouts. Therefore, I do pick my moisturizers wisely, to make sure they’re not just safe for Fungal Acne, but also for my clogged pores prone skin. And, it’s a bonus if they don’t leave any greasy or sticky residue.

Ingredients that I tried to avoid while looking for moisturizer, as they might be comedogenic:

Silicones (dimethicone)
Oils (avocado, coconut, the list is long)
Bad Alcohol (like Hexadecyl Alcohol)
Lanolin
Butters (Shea, cocoa)
Fatty Acids (Lauric & Stearic specifically)

KRAVE BEAUTY OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM

This is my second jar by the way, I love it because of its’ minimal ingredients list. If you want a basic and lightweight moisturizer, this one’s for you!

Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trehalose, Behenyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract

BOOTS GLOW PINEAPPLE GEL MOISTURISER

If you check out the ingredients list below, nothing really icky there except fragrance and coloring. IMHO, it works for oily skin better due to its’ gel texture. For drier skin type, you might need another moisturizer on top to seal in the moisture.

Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium acrylates crosspolymer-2, Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Polyacrylamide, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene glycol, Sodium hydroxide, C13-14 isoparaffin, Benzophenone-4, Sodium hyaluronate, Parfum (Fragrance), Laureth-7, Ananas sativus (Pineapple) fruit extract, Silica, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Maltodextrin, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Denatonium benzoate, CI 14700 (Red 4), CI 19140 (Yellow 5).

SEBAMED CLEAR FACE CARE GEL

Now, this is my go-to everyday moisturizer. Easy to find at local drugstores and affordable. It’s great that it has Panthenol inside, because it supports the healing of acne. It’s also a water based gel, therefore it supposedly prevents clogged pores.

Ingredients
Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Glycine, Sorbitol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Sodium Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

REVIEW: AZA 20 GEL (AZELAIC ACID 20%)

July 1, 2021

Dr Sam Bunting said it is a multi talented acid and her most loved ones too.

After all those AHA, BHA, PHA, LHA that I’ve tried, I’ve decided to give this pore-cleaning acid a go. Especially after I did an exfoliant/retinol fasting due to Botox, read here.

Why I bought the gel instead of the cream format?
Well, Dr Davin Lim once said that Azelaic Acid is best or most stable in a gel formulation. So I purchased this local product at Erha Apothecary for IDR 96,5K (30ml).

Why 20%?
Since I’ve been using Adapalene for quite some time now, I believe that my skin can take stronger percentage of actives. It’s just my opinion, though. If you’ve never tried actives and took stronger ones, better start low.

How I incorporate this to my skincare routine?
Twice a day, morning and night on clean and dry skin after cleanser and toner. I usually use two drops for the whole face. It absorbed so fast, let me tell you. Then I will apply moisturizer than finish with sunscreen (morning).

Why apply on the whole face?
To get the full benefit, obviously! It’s not just great for congested pores, it also improves radiance and a good anti-oxidant. And unlike Retinol, I applied Azelaic Acid directly on clean dry skin without the help of moisturizer, because it is way more gentler than Retinol.

Plus points: it’s safe for pregnancy and breast-feeding, great for sensitive skin (because of its’ low irritant factor), it’s anti bacterial.

My thoughts: if you can’t deal with the purging of Retinol, you might want to try this. It might left a bit of a white cast and felt powdery if applied alone. But if you layer with serum and/or moisturizer, it’ll be fine. What I’ve experienced so far with Azelaic Acid, it didn’t make active acnes pop in one night like Retinol. It won’t make skin get worse first before it can clear up like Retinol. But it is slower in action, only for the patient ones. After two weeks of using AA religiously, I might say it brighten up my whole skin tone and it did treat my redness around my nose. I also can see my new acne marks fading (see before after pics below). So far, I’m enjoying using AA and considering it’s affordable and locally available, I guess I’m going to use this for 6 months (as recommended) and pause my retinol/adapalene treatment. AA didn’t completely make new acne stop (it’s not a miracle ingredient), but it did reduce sebum production and clogged pores.