Tag: drunkelephant

COMBATTING #STAYATHOME CONGESTION

So, we believe we’ve done a good and proper skincare, even when this world looks like it’s going to fall apart. But still, clogged pores are haunting our skin. Welcome to my club!

Whitehead, blackheads, comedo, whatever they name it, that’s our skin being congested. Thanks for the lethal combination of oil, dead skin cells, dirt, debris, and bacteria.

Read on to find out what’s the best & the worst thing that we can do to combat congestion during this crazy time.

SAY BYE TO COMEDOGENIC INGREDIENTS
You can analyze your skincare ingredients on cosmily.com to see if they are comedogenic or not, and then try to part with them gradually. Famous comedogenic ingredients: Butylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Lanolin.

MY CURRENT SKIN SUPPLEMENT

INSIDE COUNTS
Over-active oil glands can also be triggered by hormones, poor gut health and diet. As much as I hate to say this to myself, try to eat more veggies and fruits. And limit those sugar intake (being a sweet tooth myself). You can also add supplements for skin’s health.

MY HG SUNSCREEN

WATCH OUT FOR THE SUN…SCREEN
Chemical UV-blocking agents might cause clogged pores. Yes, mineral sunscreens and waterproof ones might leave our skin with clogged pores. But do not skip them, like..ever. Again, I recommend to check the ingredients for non-comedogenic sunscreen.

  • SALICYLIC ACID TONER
  • RETINOL

SKIN TREATMENT

  • Always double cleanse at your PM routine. I use cleansing oil with high Linoleic Acid and cleansing gel as second cleanser.
  • Exfoliate. I prefer BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid), a chemical exfoliator that will help loosen dead skin cells. Salicylic Acid is the most common one, so try to look for it in the ingredients list. If you are new with this, try the low dose first (0.5%) then gradually move up to 2%.
  • Use Retinol to increase skin cells turnover. It can also reduce our sebum production.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

NEW 10 STEPS SKINCARE ROUTINE

Lately, having #stayathome with lots of time to kill, I’ve been watching a lot of YT videos. And there’s one that I’m obsessed with: @labeautyologist.

In this video, she shared The Ultimate Self-Care Skincare Routine for maximum hydration & product penetration. It’s like her version of 10 steps skincare routine. They’re really different from the renowned Korean 10 steps, and personally it gets me because I want my skincare products to penetrate well into the skin. Mind you, this routine will involve 4 times of hydrating toner and only one active in later step.

These are her steps.

  1. CLEANSE
    It can be double cleanse (she’s more into oil cleanser for makeup removal than micellar by the way) and continue with second cleanser.
  2. TONE
    Function of toner: to increase absorption. So, she recommends to gently pat the toner (hydrating ones) before the next step (which is exfoliation) to make it works better.
  3. EXFOLIATE
    Not a chemical exfoliation, she prefers the one that we can apply and take off (like peeling gel and enzyme scrub). Do not scrub harshly, just apply gently then rinse off with water.
  4. TONE
    Yes, again to increase absorption of the next step, which is….
  5. MASK
    She chose a hydrating mask, a wash-off ones.
  6. TONE
    She said hydrating toner works best with hydrating serum.
  7. SERUM
    If your skin is prone to irritation, apply hydrating serum before serum with actives like Niacinamide or Retinol. This is the only step that allow us to use one active, so choose wisely according to your skin needs. If you’re using prescribed product from your derm, this is the step.
  8. TONE
    Last toner, to push the actives further down into the skin.
  9. MOISTURIZE
    This goes before oil because moisturizer is a mixture of oil, water and emollient. And heavier oils (except squalane which is lighter) will block the absorption of moisturizer.
  10. OIL
    If you use squalane, you can mix it with moisturizer. But other than that, oil is the last step. If you live in colder climate or you have very dry skin, opt for occlusive to lock in water.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is why I love skincare and writing about them. There’s always new techniques to try, to learn and made me excited to see the result.

Somehow, this new routine kind of reminds me of 7 Skin Method (remember the toner layering?).

Usually, I do my double cleanse step inside the bathroom and continue the rest in my bedroom (because I never put my skincare products inside the bathroom, except cleansers). As these new 10 steps required 2 more rinsing steps with water (after exfoliate and mask steps), the thought of going back and forth to the bathroom seems daunting and uncomfortable.

I guess I won’t be doing this everyday morning and night, but I’ll try to simplify the steps with my choices of products (mostly FA safe). And doing this in the evening seems more reasonable as we are more chill, yes?

  1. CLEANSE & EXFOLIATE
    Trilogy Rosehip Transformation Cleansing Oil – for oil cleanse
    Tatcha The Deep Cleanse – it is an exfoliating cleanser, so I use this as second cleanser to skip step number 3 and 4.
  2. TONE
    Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner
  3. MASK
    Freeman Deep Clearing Manuka Honey + Tea Tree Oil Clay Mask
  4. TONE
    Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner
  5. SERUM
    Alternate between Me+ Niacinamide & Zinc Booster or Drunk Elephant A Passioni Retinol Cream
  6. TONE
    Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner
  7. MOISTURIZE
    Eau Thermale Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion is my last step, as I try to avoid oil as most of them blocked my pores.

PHOTO: SHINTA ROSVITA

POST FUNGAL-ACNE: THE MINIMAL SKINCARE ROUTINE

Obviously, before my first fungal-acne attacked in 2018, I didn’t even know which ingredients triggered them. But after the healing process, my whole skincare regimen has changed a lot. To give you a clearer idea, here’s my minimal skincare routine back in 2018.

Here’s my updated minimal skincare routine now, please note that these are during #stayathome periods (you’d be surprised, the more time I have the simpler the routine becomes).

MORNING:

CLEANSE: First thing that I apply in the morning, cotton pads soaked with warm water to wipe away oil residue and nighttime products. Then I cleanse with TATCHA THE DEEP CLEANSE, which I intend to finish before it expired. Luckily mine is a travel size ones.

TONE: I never skip toner, because I believe if I did, my pores will clog more. My current fave is EUCERIN DERMATOCLEAN CLARIFYING TONER, it’s not an exfo toner or hydrating ones, it’s a perfect daily toner that won’t irritate sensitive skin.

TREAT: I skip moisturizer in the morning, just because this #stayathome period. Instead, I do something that I rarely did back in the old days. AM Treatment! I dab on acne treatment and dark spot treatment on specific spots. My current faves: DERMA E VERY CLEAR SPOT TREATMENT (for pimples) and GOODAL GREEN TANGERINE VITA C DARK SPOT SERUM (for post acne marks). Both can be use on daytime, so I maximize this period to make sure pimples and dark spots are treated during daytime, too.

If I have to catch some sun in the morning (which I do lately every morning), this is my HG sunscreen: SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF50+ PA++++. I admit it’s hard to find a new replacement for this. It’s not waterproof, so easy to clean with just micellar water (no need for balm or oil).

NIGHT:

CLEANSE: I will use BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O to cleanse my leftover sunscreen and continue with PETER THOMAS ROTH IRISH MOOR MUD PURIFYING CLEANSING GEL. I use the cleansing gel with my FOREO LUNA3.

TONE: As lazy as I can be these days, I only use ALPHA H LIQUID GOLD, alternating with EUCERIN DERMATOCLEAN CLARIFYING TONER.

SERUM: On my non-exfo days, I apply GLOSSIER SUPER PURE SERUM.

TREATMENT: I apply DRUNK ELEPHANT A PASSIONI RETINOL CREAM twice a week, topped with DRUNK ELEPHANT T.L.C FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM. I love this combination for my never ending clogged pores problem.

HYDRATE: Last step for PM routine is to hydrate, with my old time favorite, VICHY MINERAL 89 – SKIN FORTIFYING DAILY BOOSTER. I love this because it’s gel, absorbs easily and feels so light on skin.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

WORTH TO REPURCHASE

Sorry for such long hiatus. Dealing with a lot of things at once is no joke, people! Being physically and mentally healthy at this time is like liquid gold, don’t you agree? I’m trying to #stayhome as much as I can during this Covid19 outbreak (on almost 30 days now-and I didn’t even go out to do my groceries anymore). But doing nothing at home, literally can do serious damage to my bank account if I’m not careful. Online shopping is so tempting, don’t you agree?

As much as I tempted to try lots of new skincare products, I’d try my best to stick to the ones that work well. Here are a few of my favorite things if I have to repurchase during this hard time. Till then, stay safe and healthy.

DRUNK ELEPHANT A-PASSIONI RETINOL CREAM

Personally I prefer this rather than The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. I apply this on dry, clean skin followed by their B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum. I believe this helped my bumpy skin (due to close comedo) and it didn’t cause me any purging. The one thing that I don’t like is the expensive price.

DERMA E VERY CLEAR ACNE SPOT TREATMENT

It didn’t zap away pimples in one night, but it healed them well. This gel will help to reduce the redness and worked well on cystic acnes and those pesky little bumps too. Totally recommended, even though it’s not cheap for a spot treatment.

AVENE TOLERANCE EXTREME EMULSION

I pick emulsion rather than moisturizer because they are lighter in texture. This is my favorite emulsion, it contains minimal ingredients and safe for Fungal Acne. Hard to find here in Jakarta, but always restock when I travel abroad.

LA ROCHE POSAY SEROZINC

Refreshing, cooling, mattifying. What’s not to love about this Zinc Sulfate face mist/no fuss toner? Make sure to hydrate properly after this toner/face mist.

COSRX ACNE PIMPLE MASTER PATCH

Being one of the pioneers of acne patches, they really stick like no other. If you have super oily skin like me and having trouble of sliding acne patches, this one’s for you. This works really well on extracting the puss out of matured pimples. And please guys, do not wear them under makeup, they still show.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

BAD FACIAL: WHAT TO DO?

There’s nothing worse than painful comedo extraction that left my face like tons of open wound.

THE NIGHT AFTER THE BAD FACIAL

Thanks to my super-sensitive skin, my skin will become red and looked worse painful comedo extraction. And yes, I do hate those traditional method when the therapist did cleansing, then straight to steaming only for a few minutes and start pricking, pressing and popping. I’m sure until today there’s still debate on “should you really pop up everything in facial treatment room?”

I am an anti-extraction. I don’t like the pain (it hurts like hell) and the after-math. But, things are done, and all I can do is to let my skin to calm down, soothe and heal them after all the aggressive treatment.

  1. Let them be for at least 6 hours after. Don’t touch, don’t pick, and avoid using makeup at all costs. Just go home straight after the treatment and sulk (LOL). Feel burned? Spray VICHY Mineralizing Thermal Water in between, and let it dry by itself.
  2. After 6 hours passed, do double cleanse. I use Bioderma Sensibio H2O first (with cotton pads), then Drunk Elephant Beste No 9 Jelly Cleanser after. Gently pat dry with soft, dry and clean towel.
  3. Skip toner. Instead, I use this DIY Oatmeal solution (chill them inside the fridge, because cold temperature might help to reduce redness, irritation and puffiness). Dampened the compressed sheet-mask inside the icy cold solution, put it on for about 20 minutes.
  4. Or if you don’t have time to make your own sheet mask, I do recommend BE PLAIN Bamboo Healing Mask. Infused in bamboo water, this will help to soothe and refresh. Keep it in the fridge, as cold stuff will help lessen the inflammation.
  5. While my skin is still damp, I apply APIEU Madecassoside Ampoule. You see Madecassoside is known as best solution for damaged skin from dryness. Pat gently to absorb then move on to next step.
  6. Serum. I use this AQULABO Vinyasa Calming Serum. As the name stated, it’s a calming serum to reduce stress on the skin after a horrible extraction.
  7. Don’t forget to (still) hydrate your skin. I personally love ISNTREE Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence, because it has been tested as a low irritation skin care product.
  8. Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion is the final step, just to make sure that on your skin’s most sensitive state, it will stay hydrated, soft and supple. Oh did I mention, this calm the redness too?

Extra tips:

  • When your skin feels inflamed with burning sensation after facial, you might want to consider drinking an Ibuprofen pill to ease any pain.
  • Stay out of the sun, and keep cool (literally). Warm weather will worsen the burn sensation, so it’s best to stay indoor while healing and turn on that AC.
ONE WEEK AFTER THE FACIAL (STILL HEALING WITH NEW ZITS POPPING)

Remember that each of us human beings have different pain tolerance and healing level. While my skin took longer to heal all those scabs and back to their original state, yours might not. So again, I do recommend (again and again) to listen to your skins’ needs before you do any facial treatments.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

BEST OF 2019 : FUNGAL-ACNE SAFE SKINCARE

Super glad that 2019 is almost over. Definitely not one of my best year, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about it (LOL).

Just a quick update on my skin condition, I believe when I got older, my skin easily and rapidly reacted to skincare products. Bumps and adult/hormonal acnes are still easily appeared. The good thing is, I’ve managed to control my fungal acne come back with the right products. In fact, I didn’t suffer any fungal-acne breakout this year.

After trial & error here and there, I became more aware on what ingredients that actually work, or in the other hand, caused the problems. In my case, I try to avoid:

  1. Butylene Glycol, because it might trigger comedones.
  2. Centella Asiatica, because it’s not good if you are still suffering from acne or having acne-prone skin like mine.
  3. Essential Oils or any facial oil, because my skin didn’t react well after using them.

So yes, it became harder to find skincare products for me. Other than avoiding non-safe fungal acne ingredients, now I also have to check those ingredients above. And trust me, it’s not easy!

This (much shorter) list is based on my own personal experience and after checking all the ingredients on cosdna and skincarisma. No worries, this list is mostly different from my 2018 list (with additional categories and check out my HG products with *).

Enjoy reading and happy holidays, folks! Make sure you spent your money wisely when it comes to skincare products (talking like a true champ, LOL).

MAKEUP REMOVER:

  • Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Micelle Cleansing *
  • Eau Thermale Avene 3 in 1 Make-Up Remover

FOAMING CLEANSER:

  • Drunk Elephant Pekee Bar *
  • Drunk Elephant Beste No 9 Jelly Cleanser
  • Patyka Paris Detox Cleansing Foam

MIST:

  • La Roche-Posay Serozinc *
  • La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water
  • Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water

EXFOLIATING TONER:

  • Biologique Recherche Lotion P50T *
  • Alpha-H Liquid Gold
  • Cosrx Aha 7 Whitehead Power Liquid

TONER:

  • Patyka Paris Anti-Blemish Toner *
  • Thayers Facial Toner Unscented
  • Eucerin Dermatoclean Clarifying Toner

BOOSTER:

  • Vichy Mineral 89 *

SERUM:

  • Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum *
  • Cos De Baha Niacinamide 10 Serum
  • Aqulabo Vinyasa Calming Serum
  • The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%

ESSENCE:

  • I’m From Mugwort Essence *
  • Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence
  • Amore Pacific Vintage Single Extract Essence

MOISTURIZER:

  • Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
  • Eau Thermale Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion *

SPOT TREATMENT:

  • De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment *
  • Fourth Ray Beauty Later Hater Spot Treatment

SUNSCREEN:

  • Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Gel SPF 50+PA++++ *
  • Nivea Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

MY TOP 3 PRODUCTS FROM DRUNK ELEPHANT

It has been a while since I did the top 3 post, just because I rarely use more than one product from the same brand. But surprise, surprise….

Here’s my top 3 products from the brand recently bought by Shiseido’s group: DRUNK ELEPHANT. Please note that I don’t use it together at once.

PEKEE BAR
Frankly speaking, I don’t mind using bar format on my face. Yes, it’s quite a hassle and you have to be careful not to drop it on your bathroom floor or it might catch germs. But, try this and you’ll know why I love it that much. I love the luxurious foam it created, the light honey scent and the clean after-feel. So far I haven’t met anything even close to it, so I already keep on repurchasing and restocking.

BESTE NO 9 JELLY CLEANSER
Unfortunately, it will be hard to bring bar format on the go. So this is my go-to when I travel. It ‘s 100% free of essential oils, silicones and fragrance. People use this to clean makeup, but since I prefer double cleansing to do so, I use this as my second cleanser. I love lathering it up, it is such a great cleanser.

T.L.C FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM
Since it’s not safe for fungal acne, I only apply this for spot treatment. But if you don’t have any trouble with fungal acne, go ahead and slather it all over your face daily. Yes, daily, even though it contains AHA and BHA from different types, it delivered a mild and effective level of chemical exfoliation. No dryness, no harsh peeling.

PHOTO: SHINTA ROSVITA

STRESS ACNE: WTH?

Been in a very tough situation lately, I have to admit this is not a very good year for me. And I’m sure you’ve heard it everywhere, when you are stressed, so does your skin. Just look at my stress acnes!

I’ve been fighting them for about two weeks now, but I know I’m not alone. So I decided to do some research online and write down this post.

WHAT CAUSED STRESS ACNE?
Obviously, STRESS. And if your skin is already acne-prone, stress can make acne worse. You see, hormones released and produced during stress will increase further skin inflammation. And for some people, stress will vigorously make them pick at their acnes which can cause bigger problem like scars and such.

WHAT DIFFERS NORMAL ACNE & STRESS ACNE?
I personally believe stress acne is redder than ordinary ones, and doesn’t necessarily have pus in it. Sometime, it formed a painful cyst too. And also what I personally experienced, stress acne will show up on areas you’ve never had acnes before. I also experienced more blackheads and whiteheads.

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS ACNE?
Seriously guys, if I told you not to stress over it and stay calm, you’ll kill me, right? I tried to manage my stress first, by hanging out with friends and trying not to bring work problems home. So, find your chill first, then try to handle the stress acne. First, drink more water, less caffeinated & dairy drinks and alcohol. Then, do basics skincare like cleanse, tone and moisturize. Don’t overdo things like adding more unnecessary steps to your skincare routine. Or worse, do cleansing more than twice a day. Remember to stick to your basic routine and products.

MY BASIC SKINCARE ROUTINE DURING STRESS ACNE

FACE CLEANSER: DRUNK ELEPHANT PEKEE BAR

This stuff is MAGIC in a bar form. It’s fragrance and soap-free, doesn’t contain any essential oil and have honey in it (you know how I love honey).

TONER: SIMPLE KIND TO SKIN SOOTHING FACIAL TONER

The name said it all. It is a soothing toner, feels and looks like water. I’d recommend to stay away from exfoliating toner when your skin is stress. Choose a hydrating toner that’s light and alcohol free.

SERUM: VICHY MINERAL 89

Why 89? Because it does contain up to 89% of natural origin Hyaluronic Acid. This will protect skin from pollution, stress and fatigue. And I chose hydration serum during my stress acne period, rather than my regular Niacinamide or vitamin C serum (it’s like taking a break from the hard stuffs). I also skip moisturizer after this, just because I feel this already helped with the hydration.

SPF (AM ROUTINE): SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF50+ PA++++

Long time favorite of mine. SPF in a gel form, easy to absorb, doesn’t leave any white cast and never broke me out. It’s super light in texture and good for makeup base too.

MORE TIPS:

  • Don’t overkill your stress acne with spot treatments, especially those with tough ingredients such as Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid. Trust me, they will look worse (looks more red & irritated).
  • Instead, try to hydrate your skin as much as you can. Personally, I love to spray my face with Avene Thermal Spring Water during the day.
  • And also, try to touch up your SPF during the day. Usually, I reapply every four hours even though I stayed indoor most of the time. Because I wear makeup, I like to use Kose Suncut Protect UV Spray SPF50+ PA++++.
  • Double cleanse if you have makeup on. My all time favorite is Banila Co Clean It Zero
  • Stay clear from anything acid and retinol while stress acne attacked. Treat them first with tender, love and care.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

CLEAN BEAUTY FOR FUNGAL ACNE

I’m sure a lot of you already familiar with the term of “Clean Beauty”.

Lately I’ve become more aware of this, especially after my first strike of fungal-acne back in April 2018. After that 1st attack, I read the ingredients label on the back like I’ve never been before. And luckily, now we’re blessed with skincare ingredients search engine that can identify the safety of most products that we use every day for our skin.

Now it’s harder for companies to market and brainwash us with their products, because (thanks to the awesome technologies) we can find out by ourselves. For certain, I can’t be fooled by the word “natural” or “organic” or “pure” anymore.

After some research online, the terms “Clean Beauty” refers to lots of definition, but I guess I can simplify it to non-toxic. Non-toxic products that are made without ingredients linked to harmful health effects (from simple and short term ones like skin irritation, to scary and long term ones like cancer). If you search online, you will find a lot of harmful ingredients with familiar names like Propylene Glycol which actually is an antifreeze, or Sodium Hydroxide which is used as a drain cleaner. Yes, nasty chemicals indeed. So, it’s not about eco-conscious anymore, but more to health-conscious.

I’m trying my best to join this “Clean Beauty” route. Having fungal-acne prone skin, I do have to check every single time I want to purchase skincare product. Thanks to simpleskincarescience.com, I know I have to stay away from Ester (alcohol and fatty acid) and its’ friends like Polysorbate. So, initially I looked for harmful fungal-acne trigger ingredients, but turned out those ingredients are also harmful in any other ways. Lucky us, the industry (especially personal-care ones) are slowly but surely cleaning up, for more aware consumers. After the US, K-Beauty is also trying to clean up to serve the new generation of more aware consumers.

My favorite Clean Beauty products for Fungal Acne are:

I’M FROM MUGWORT ESSENCE

It consists only one ingredient: 100% of Artemisia Princeps Extract (aka Mugwort). It’s known for its’ soothing and cleansing effect. Great for sensitive skin!

Drunk Elephant Pekee Bar and T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

There won’t be any Essential Oils, Drying Alcohols, Silicones, Chemical Screens, Fragrance/Dyes and SLS in Drunk Elephant’s products. So yes, I love Drunk Elephant, especially these two.

UNBOUND LAB HIBISCUS SMOOTHER PAD

Instead of using AHA, this pad is using 88% Hibiscus (known as Nature’s Botox for its’ firming ability and natural source of AHA). So, it delivers the same benefits as chemical AHA without being harsh. I just love this new Clean Beauty brand from Korea. Even the packaging looks so clean!

PYUNKANG YUL ESSENCE TONER

Most of their products contain less than 10 ingredients. Very minimalistic, just like their packaging. This is one of their star product, which contains 91.3% of milk vetch root, a super ingredient in Korean and traditional Chinese medicine, full of skin-beneficial betaine and minerals. It’s fragrance free, dye free and irritant free.

SKIN1004 MADAGASCAR CENTELLA ASIATICA 100 AMPOULE

Main and only ingredient: Centella Asiatica Extract. It’s really soothing for sensitive skin and very affordable for a big bottle of ampoule.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA

UPDATE ON MY FUNGAL-ACNE SAFE SKINCARE ROUTINE (PART TWO: PM ROUTINE)

After my update on AM Routine last week, here’s the second one, PM Routine. Please note that they’re all also fungal-acne safe (based on skincarisma.com checking).

Avene 3 in 1 Makeup Remover (I don’t understand why they put in quite a strong fragrance into this one, luckily it’s safe for me).

Purito Defence Barrier pH Cleanser (this is my second tube, and I love the clear gel texture that made my skin feels super clean but not tight).

Biologique Recherche Lotion p50T (don’t buy this if you are super sensitive to vinegar scent. It really smells like one and the price is out of this world. But worth every single drop).

I’m From Mugwort essence. (I skip hydrating toner, and go straight to essence. But still, I will layer up to five times depends on how sleepy I am, LOL. For the last layer, I mixed with Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster to avoid stickiness).  

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum (only on acne days, and only on the spots).

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum (my new favorite serum. I use this on areas that need to brighten, like around the nose and lips, and some newly formed acne scars).

Vely Vely Pink Calming Gel (this is my first ever face and body moisturizer. At first, I was hesitant to put it on my face. So I tried it on my neck. It didn’t cause any break out, so I decided to apply it on my face, too. It did what it claimed: soothing & calming. And I love the pink gel with pink microbeads in it).

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA