SNP INTENSIVE SOOTHING GEL This soothing gel contains 99% Snail Mucus Filtrate and Allantoin. It’s also allergen-free so it won’t trigger an allergic reaction or irritate the skin. The packaging is quite big (300ml), I guess it’s because it can also be used as a moisturizer, sleeping pack, eye gel, hair essence, after-shave gel and body lotion. If you are prone to skin redness due to UV rays, this soothing gel will help to cool down the skin and reduce the redness (you can store it in the refrigerator for a more cooling effect). And because of the snail extract, it also great to add moisture to dry skin without stickiness (like most of the snail skincare products).
SNP PREP PEPTARONIC AMPOULE MASK This ampoule mask contains 6 types of peptides and 7 types of Hyaluronic Acid to help hydrate and tighten the skin. If your skin looks dull and needs extra moisture, you will love this. How to use this to achieve maximum results? Use after applying a hydrating toner, apply the sheet mask and leave on for 20 minutes (max time). Remove the mask and pat the remaining essence into the skin until it is fully absorbed. I’ve tried this for 7 days in a row earlier, you might want to check it out, here.
Yes, my lovely readers, I also have a YT Channel here, sharing vlog and my shopping trip, haul, etc.
On my latest episode, I share my haul from a local drugstore. I rarely went out on this pandemic, and when I did, I’ll make sure I checked out local drugstores to find new and interesting new products to try.
FROM SHAMPOO TO TONER
Hope you’ll enjoy my vlog on YT, appreciate it if you leave comment and subscribe to my YT Channel.
Got a few DM on my Instagram about Retinol, so I guess I’ll answer them here while also giving you update on my skin condition.
Disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist, so these are totally based on my own personal experience.
WHEN I STARTED IN AUGUST 2020, AND CLEARED UP IN OCTOBER 2020
Q: If I successfully cleared up acne after using Retinol, shall I continue using it or stop? A: Based on my own experience, I tried to reduce the usage to once every night. So on non-Retinol night, I’ll use other actives serums like AHA or BHA (depends on my skin’s condition).
MY SKIN CONDITION (FEBRUARY 2021)
Q: Will the acne be back even after you manage to clear them out using Retinol? A: As long as I’m alive, I guess I’d still have acne hanging around. My mom used to tell me that after I passed my teenage years, my acne would clear up by themselves. Well, they didn’t. Hormonal acne on chin area are the worst for me, so they’d pop out uninvited, no matter how clean I cleansed or how diligent I am with my routine.
Q: What’s the correct order to apply Retinol on one’s skincare routine? A: First thing first, use it at your night time skincare routine. Mine would be: double cleanse, hydrating toner, Niacinamide serum (just because it works well with Retinol), moisturiser then Retinol. If you’ve been following me, you’d probably know that I use two types of Retinol, Adapalene as base and Retinoic Acid as spot treatment. Please don’t apply them on their own, at least you can do is to mix with your moisturiser after cleansing.
Q: How about the skincare routine for morning, after using Retinol? A: Best that you can do is to treat your skin gently in the morning. Cleanse with gentle cleanser, use hydrating toner, moisturiser and never forget your sunscreen (even if you are not out and about like me).
Q: What type of Retinol are you using now? A: Evalen Adapalene Cream 0.1% and Vitacid 0.05% Retinoic Acid Cream. Adapalene went first for the whole face, then Retinoic Acid as spot treatment (on acne and acne marks). Both are local products, so they’re affordable.
I know lots of people love sheet mask, but personally I’m not sure if I like any mask. But, I’m curious about this so-called best selling Modeling Mask, so I decided to give it a go.
Modeling Mask (or Rubber Mask to some) is one of the peel-off mask type that we need to mix ourselves. Sort of like a DIY mask, start out in powder form, mixed with water and the texture is thicker and more gooey like rubber. Usually it was done professionally at beauty clinics, but with this brand, LINDSAY from South Korea, now we can do this conveniently and safely at home. They have many varieties for different skin types, but this time I chose the COOL ones, which is recommended for oily skin type. And yes, this is safe for Fungal Acne.
Why use Modeling Mask? Well, it supposedly help our skin to absorb other products better without stripping them from our own natural moisture. Yes, this type of mask will create a tight layer on our skin and allow deeper penetration of active ingredients (that’s why it’s recommended to use after serum).
PRICE: IDR 15K (I bought it on 50% off!)
WHERE TO BUY: I purchased it online from one of the market place.
PACKAGING: It reminds me of ice cream cup, honestly. It was filled halfway and came with a petite spatula to mix and apply. One cup is more than enough for one usage, so don’t be stingy with yourself.
WHAT’S IN IT: Tea Tree Leaf to hydrate and nourish skin while providing protection and prevention from roughness & dryness. It contains real leaves, so you might find shreds of leaves inside.
CLAIM: Restores softness & elasticity while cooling & hydrating to relieve stress and maintain healthy & refreshed skin.
HOW DOES IT FIT INTO ONE’S SKINCARE ROUTINE: Double Cleanse (Oil Cleanse & Foam Cleanse) Toner (Exfoliating with cotton pad) Serum Hydrating Toner (pat/spray) MODELING MASK Hydrating Toner Moisturizer
MY THOUGHTS: – I guess I failed on mixing the right amount of water, so it was kind of liquidy rather than rubbery – Waiting time to dry is 20 minutes more, and I’m not the type to sit and wait for mask to dry, so this is not for me – Seriously, just leave it for the professional to apply this type of mask – On me, it was dripping heavily and the peeling part was not a walk in the park – Don’t get it near hairline, or else it’s going to get messier and hard to clean
If you love to try bunch of skincare products, there’d be times when you fell in love with it from the first use.
Here are (some of) mine:
VANICREAM GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER So far, it’s my go-to cleanser, especially on those days when maskne attack and you just need a gentle cleanser to cleanse. Fragrance-free, easily rinse and didn’t leave any after-feel, it’s easy to fall in love with this cleanser.
KRAVE BEAUTY OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM Minimal ingredients always get me and having oatmeal extract as the main ones is awesome. Natural oatmeal always safe my skin whenever they’re angry or over exfoliated. And finding a light and simple moisturiser for fungal-acne prone skin like mine is no joke, people!
FOREO LUNA 3 FOR SENSITIVE SKIN I guess it’s my best skinvestment so far. I use this every morning for deeper yet gentler cleanse after all the retinol that I applied on my skin at night.
SULWHASOO GENTLE CLEANSING OIL It had me at the first whiff. It smells so good for a cleansing oil, which is kind of rare. It glides so luxuriously on skin, emulsified perfectly and it didn’t leave any weird after-feel. Yes, it is expensive but worth every pump.
KANEBO SUISAI BEAUTY CLEAR POWDER WASH Similar result of physical exfoliation without the harshness. If you have everlasting clogged pores like mine, you’d want to try this. It has no fragrance and it’ll foam up to cleanse perfectly.
Not feeling like trying lots of new products this year (but that might change). I just want to stick to what worked for me in 2020, but some stuffs looked too interesting to pass.
But I do have my own personal rule for this year: I will not purchase anything over IDR600K. Why, if you might ask. Well, nowadays as a freelancer, I wouldn’t risk my life over skincare. I hope that answered your question, LOL.
I only purchased two things on the first month of January 2021, what an achievement for me personally!
ABSOLUTE NIACINAMIDE If you’ve been following me, you’d know that I love Glossier Super Pure Serum. But it is super expensive, considering that I repeatedly purchase from online sis on market place. So I’ve been looking for Niacinamide serum with similar ingredients. And I found this serum made in Malaysia. I looked it up on incidecoder.com and both have 5 of the same ingredients! With the same amount (30ml) this costs IDR159K while Glossier costs IDR475K.
LA ROCHE POSAY TOLERIANE PURIFYING FOAMING CLEANSER Learnings from last year, even though I stayed at home most of the days, but I still wash my face twice a day (don’t be lazy to clean your face guys, really). So, yes I ran out of face cleanser as quick as pre-pandemic. This costs a lot more here in Indonesia (priced at IDR525K for 400ml), because we don’t have this brand in local drugstores. It does remind me of Vanicream Gentle Cleanser, for its’ texture and after-feel, but with added Niacinamide in it. It’s also safe for Fungal Acne, but still contains PEG.
If you’re familiar with their previous Chamomile line, Pure Calmille, this is the new version. A range of skincare for sensitive skin, with wild chamomile cultivated in their own La Gacilly organic fields. Even though it’s dedicated for sensitive skin, actually all skin types can use this range, especially when our skin reacted to certain stuffs.
You see, our skin condition might change due to climate, pollution, harsh products and hormonal. These things might also affect the skin’s barrier, thus make our skin reactive. Some might experienced itchiness, redness or tightness, basically all the feeling of discomfort. It’s great to know that this range will not only soothe skin when shitty things happened, but they will also strengthen our skin.
Being Yves Rocher, the packaging in this range is 100% recyclable plastic, and there are no artificial scent and colouring used. Yes, the cardboard is also recyclable. They didn’t waste anything from the chamomile, the flowers, leaves and stems are used to create these products. They use 98% natural ingredients, with 0% mineral oil, silicone, alcohol and fragrance.
OK, let’s start with the review!
THE CLEANSING OIL
Y’all know how I love to double cleanse, even though I’m not using makeup on daily basis, but I’m still using sunscreen. Somehow, I just feel cleaner when I use cleansing oil before moving on to second cleanser. The first ingredient on the list is Sunflower Seed Oil, a non-comedogenic carrier oil and known to be less irritating. There’s a hint of relaxing Chamomile scent, it glides easily and emulsified like most cleansing oils that I’ve tried. No slippery after-feel which I like, and it rinses easily.
THE MICELLAR WATER
Usually I use Micellar Water in the morning to wipe off all the night time skincare products on my face. However this is my personal preference. For fungal acne warrior, you’d be glad to know that based on the ingredients list on the packaging, it’s safe for fungal acne.
THE CLEANSING CREAM
Now, this is interesting. It’s not a foamy cleanser, mind you. But I believe this is great for dry cleansing technique. Apply on dry skin (I prefer to use this in the morning after Micellar Water), and massage for one minute, then rinse off with warm water. I always recommend to rinse cleanser with warm water to minimise the slippery after-feel.
THE SOOTHING LIGHT CREAM
It’s a moisturizer in a light texture with a hint of natural chamomile flowers’ fragrance. I thought it’s going to be more like a light lotion, but once I spread it, it’s more like a water-cream (disappear without a trace). Great for normal to oily skin due to its’ texture and absorb power. However, it’s not giving you that dead matte finish (if you’re expecting one).
THE NOURISHING COMFORT BALM
If you have normal to dry skin, you’ll love this moisturizer. They named this as a balm, but I did find the texture more like a thicker lotion. And I’m surprised how easy it absorbed on dry skin. It feels comfortable on dry skin and also gives a dewy effect.
THE CORRECTIVE GREEN CREAM
Another interesting product from this range. It is green in color, but they don’t use artificial color. Instead they used chlorophyll from Chamomile’s stems. This cream is like a tone-up cream, but instead of brightening the whole face, this will reduce and correct redness. I apply this on red spots only (usually around my nose and chin) in the morning on top of moisturizer and before sunscreen. I believe from all the products in this range, this one is more scented than the others.
Even though most of us #stayathome most of the time during the pandemic, I believe that we still have to take care of our good habit pre-pandemic. You know, like taking a bath, scrub once a week and slather on some good smelling body lotion to complete the body regime.
You see, I believe that you don’t try to smell and feel good for other people, you smell and feel good for yourself.
Lately I’ve been into this body range from Scarlett by Felicya Angelista, a local brand that has a lot of good reviews on the net. Priced at IDR75K/each, they already registered to BPOM and not tested on animal. So, I decided to try the whole range from Body Scrub, Shower Scrub & Body Lotion. They contain Glutathione and Vitamin E, known to brighten, moisten and good for skin nutrition.
Scroll down for the reviews and to find out my favourite.
Pomegranate & Mango Brightening Shower Scrub
Shower Gel and Scrub in one. Perfect for lazy days when I don’t feel like heavy rinsing. Look closely and you will see grains in blue and red, and they are the type of grains that didn’t burst instantly when you apply. I found it satisfying because the grains will be there quite a while on your skin until you rub properly and wash them off. They are very easy to rinse and didn’t leave any slippery residue. It foams up well and the fruity fragrance is long lasting, though I prefer Mango than Pomegranate scent. As you can see, Pomegranate comes in a purple shade while Mango comes in a yellow shade.
Brightening Body Scrub
If you love stronger scrub, you will love this. Personally, I use this once a week as my weekly treatment. This has thick milky white texture with soft grains. I used to love doing Lulur in Indonesian-style spas monthly pre-pandemic, but now I prefer to do it myself at home, just to be safe. I apply on dry skin before taking a shower, leave them on for 3 minutes then rinse off with warm water and shower gel. Very good to scrub off those dry flaky skin, especially around darker areas of the body like armpits, elbows and knees.
Brightening Body Lotion
I do recommend using body lotion after any scrubbing, and I appreciate body lotion in a pump packaging. It made my life easier, especially this one has a safety lock on it, so it is travel friendly. With a milky white lotion texture, I found it easier to apply when my skin is damp (not completely dry). With this trick, I found them easier to absorb and dry without any sticky feeling. As for the scent, I have Freshy and Charming. If you love fresh floral scent, you will love Freshy that reminds me a lot of Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Eau de Cologne. If you love floral and woody scent, you will love Charming that reminds me of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat.
Where to buy? I purchased these at Scarlett Official Shop in Shopee, when they have a promotion package (5 for IDR300K) with exclusive box and free gift. Yes, at this challenging time we’d better safe up for rainy days ahead.
Tough year for all, and lots of us wish for 2020 to end soon. But, does the end of 2020 means the end of the pandemic? Oh well ….
You will see a new list (different from 2018 and 2019 ones). However, there are some categories being left out (like makeup remover, essence, mask and spot treatment), just because I didn’t use them this year to cut cost and skincare steps. I also include some new local favourites, to support local Indonesian brands and economy as well.
Other cool website to check out and analyse your skincare ingredients is cosmily.com. Please note that some of the products below might still have triggers for comedones and not entirely allergen-free. So please check the ingredients that will suit your skin best.
For detailed review of some products mentioned below, please refer to my Instagram @skinetijen.
Let’s start! (Based on Alphabetical Order, * means local product from Indonesia)
FACIAL WASH
BIYU OIL CONTROL CLEANSER *
DERMA365 GENTLE CLEANSER
ERHA2 FACIAL WASH FOR OILY SKIN *
PETER THOMAS ROTH IRISH MOOR MUD PURIFYING CLEANSER
SEBAMED CLEAR FACE ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANSING FOAM
VANICREAM GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER
TONER
ABILL FIRST STARTING TONER
DEAR KLAIRS DAILY SKIN SOFTENING WATER
HERBIVORE JASMINE WATER BALANCING TONER
MAMONDE CHAMOMILE PURE TONER
TRILOGY HYDRATING MIST TONER
SERUM/AMPOULE
ALPHA-H VITAMIN B WITH COPPER TRIPEPTIDE
COS DE BAHA SALICYLIC ACID 2% LIQUID
DUVADERM CLARIFYING SERUM *
ME+ NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER
PAPA RECIPE EGGPLANT CLEARING AMPOULE
ROVECTIN CLEAN LHA BLEMISH AMPOULE
YVES ROCHER CONCENTRATED LIFT SERUM
MOISTURIZER
JOYLAB SKIN’O’TIC MOISTURE GEL *
KRAVE BEAUTY OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM
SEBAMED CLEAR FACE CARE GEL
TATCHA THE WATER CREAM
SUNSCREEN
ERTO’S SUNSCREEN GEL *
NIVEA SUN PROTECT & WHITE INSTANT AURA SERUM SPF 50+ PA+++
