Month: January 2023

UPDATED 2023 MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

Still dealing with my Cauter scars from last year’s treatment (see the post here)

Past one month after the treatment when I wrote this post, check out the improvement on my Cauter scars.

These are skincare products that I’ve been using to help with the scars after they completely dried. Products arranged by step by step, and FYI they’re all Fungal-Acne Safe.

  • GARNIER PURE ACTIVE MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER FOR OILY & ACNE PRONE SKINS: acts as first cleanser to wipe away all left over products and natural oil produced at night.
  • SAFI HYDRATING WATER CLEANSER: my new found with super affordable price, with satisfying foam when applied.
  • LA ROCHE-POSAY SEROZINC: acts as toner mist, wait to dry and move on to next product.
  • KIEHL’S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE DARK SPOT SOLUTION: new HG of mine, vitamin C serum that didn’t break me out.
  • VICHY MINERAL 89: you are definitely missing out if you haven’t tried this Hyaluronic Acid (HA) serum. 
  • KIEHL’S ULTRA FACIAL OIL-FREE GEL CREAM: love the feel and texture of this non HA moisturizer, I do recommend to find moisturizer without HA, if you’ve already used one in serum step.
  • SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF 50+ PA++++: one of my HG sunscreen that never caused any breakout on my skin, and didn’t leave any marks (great for under makeup). 

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

BEST MOISTURIZERS WITHOUT HYALURONIC ACID

Every one of us is different, so does our skin. Some might love Hyaluronic Acid as their trustable and effective hydrating ingredient on their skincare, but some might not.

No worries, there are more than one hydrating ingredients on the market, if your skin can’t tolerate Hyaluronic Acid (HA). Currently most popular in Indonesia is Ceramides. Everything with ceramides on it will sell like hotcakes. There are also other hydrating ingredients such as Beta Glucan, Squalane, and Glycerin. 

Thankfully, I am not allergic to HA, and I also live in a country with high humidity in the air (making skin unvulnerable). But vice versa, if you are allergic to HA and live (or traveling) in a colder climate with low humidity, let’s find other options available on the market. Please note that they’re also free from ingredients which might trigger Fungal-Acne (based on incidecoder), since my skin is prone to FA. 

Great texture for oily skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
You are definitely missing out if you haven’t tried this. It looks like a gel in the jar, but it gives a satin feel on skin when applied. Glycerin is number two on the ingredient list, making it an awesome hydrator. 

Not available yet in Indonesia: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Fluide
Great for sensitive skin (so safe, even babies can use this!), as it only contains 10 ingredients, with Glycerin as the hero. I can’t wait until this will be widely available on Indonesia’s market. 

Most expensive: Chanel La Solution 10
It has two hydrating ingredients on their top five ingredients, Squalane and Glycerin. Thus the name, it only contains 10 ingredients, making it good for sensitive skin. If you have the budget to splurge, this moisturizer is worth every pump. 

Online favorite: Krave Oat So Simple Water Cream
Also not available in Indonesia, but easily purchased on market place. Less than 10 ingredients, this moisturizer have Squalane as hydrator. This moisturizer melt like water when applied, perfect to use in hot and humid weather. Pictured here is the old packaging that I’ve purchased and emptied already, I believe they renew the label last year.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA & SCREEN SHOTS FROM INCIDECODER.COM

REVIEW: KIEHL’S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE DARK SPOT SOLUTION

FYI, I had this on and off relationship with vitamin C serum. It’s not easy to find one that won’t cause breakouts, especially if it contains Ascorbic Acid. But, this comes in the right timing, when I was dealing with Cauter wounds (please scroll down for before-after pics). And I believe the older I get, the harder and slower it is for my skin to heal from any wounds. 

For those who avoid Ascorbic Acid, I do recommend you to try this as dark spots treatment. But if your skin can tolerate Ascorbic Acid, go ahead and use this as an anti-oxidant serum for morning routine. However, one very important thing that you have to remember when you use this serum, make sure you are using gentle facial cleanser and toner with no actives (read the ingredients carefully). It does contain vitamin C and Salicylic Acid already, so it’s best to keep your skin well hydrated pre-this serum. And if your skin can tolerate vitamin C, you can layer this with Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

Texture-wise: it is clear, watery with a subtle fresh scent (I believe it comes from White Birch & Peony extracts and Lavender oil from the ingredients’ list, so the scent is definitely not a synthetic fragrance). No worries, it won’t linger around, the scent only last while you’re applying. It glides evenly, it doesn’t clump under makeup and (seriously) works well with other Kiehl’s product:  Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream (try them both and you can thank me later). 

Unlike most vitamin C that will oxidize over time, this serum has a highly stable formula, even though the bottle is clear and exposed to light easily. It didn’t sting or give any warm sensation when applied, and it’s lightweight. This is the type of serum that won’t disappear on skin, you’ll feel it’s there, but it’s not oily nor heavily sticky. If you see my bottle is a limited edition this year, from “Made By Radio”. The only con is it doesn’t have stopper, so use it carefully. I believe because as a brand, Kiehl’s does have a mission to minimize plastic waste.

Please note that you won’t see immediate results, you have to be patient when using it, especially if the dark spots were there for the longest time already, or if you have mature skin. Give it time, using it twice a day as recommended, pair it with hydrating products, and you’ll see the difference. 

BEFORE (DEC 15) – AFTER (DEC 23)

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA