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).
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
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.
It’s that time of the year again. I’ve been sharing this annual list for a couple of years now, and I’m proud to say that I’ve been free from Fungal Acne ever since I incorporated most of FA safe and friendly skincare products.
So what made the list this year? For sure I only listed down those which I’ve tried and tested personally. Their prices range from IDR 60K drugstore’s sunscreen up to IDR 1,9mio high-end moisturizer.
CLEANSER: L’OREAL PARIS REVITALIFT CRYSTAL DEEP PURIFYING CLEANSING GEL
This is my new-found favorite this year: effective and affordable active face wash from drugstore
The other FA-friendly cleansers are: -KIEHL’S CALENDULA DEEP CLEANSING FOAMING FACE WASH -KEANA BAKING SODA SCRUB WASH -PEACH SLICES ACNE CLARIFYING CLEANSER -SAFI HYDRATING WATER CLEANSER
TONER: LA ROCHE-POSAY SEROZINC
I love it because it’s practical as a toner mist, and super effective for irritated skin
I sleep like this, yes like a grease-ball. Hydrate and moisturize are super important steps at night. Now that most of us are still half masked almost every day, taking extra care of our skin is a must.
Thanks to my carefully self-curated fungal acne safe products, I haven’t been dealing with fungal acne ever again (and God forbids). But, new problems arrived: blackheads on nose, maskne and big pores.
Instead of attacking them with more active ingredients, I decided to keep it simple. Cleanse, tone and moisturize, plus sunscreen in the morning. I’m just going to let my skin heal by itself, because I know they can (you just have to trust the power of nature, really!)
If you’ve been following me, I used to apply retinol on the whole face every night. But these days, I only used it on my chin and below the nose where maskne usually appears.
Here are my currently used products, the simpler the better.
First skin update of the year. Here’s my skin condition these days.
After I did Face Toning & Growth Factor treatment at Jakarta Aesthetic Clinic (consecutively on December 21 and January 22), I haven’t been using Tretinoin for awhile now. You see, after both treatments, we’re not allowed to do any exfoliation for two weeks. But after two weeks had passed, I can see and feel that my skin became less oily and no hormonal acnes shown up. So, I skipped Tretinoin for almost two months already. I guess my age also catching up with me, so I can feel my skin is getting more dry (hello mature skin), and I’m super prone to redness on my cheeks.
Here are the products that I’ve been using for my night time skincare routine lately (no worries, they are all safe for Fungal Acne):
CLEANSER: I use Micellar Water as first cleanse and face cleanser as second cleanse.
TONER: I don’t use toner with cotton pad at night, but I do 7 skin method. I know how it was so 2017, but so far so good with my dry skin. While skin still damp, apply serum immediately.
SERUM: Some people might have problems with Hyaluronic Acid. Fortunately, my skin drink them up well. Make sure it absorb well first, then spray with Thermal Water to make it slightly damp, before applying moisturizer.
MOISTURIZER: Last year, I was so into gel moisturizer. But in my current skin state, I prefer light cream texture.
The more age we have, the more skin problems we are facing. I’m like seriously thought I’m currently dealing with mature skin problems. After some serious googling, I fit almost for every characteristics of mature skin. Problem number one is Skin Hydration. If you’ve been following me, you’d know that I did Botox and Filler, so I don’t really think that lines and elasticity are a problem for me now. But I can feel that my skin is getting thinner, pores appear larger, papery skin especially on under eyes, though I have less hormonal acnes (which is a plus).
Up, close and personal, no filter!
Don’t get me wrong, I do love makeup. But applying one on mature skin was no joke, people!
First: base makeup.
I’ve been Foundation-Free for about two years now. During pandemic I threw out all of my foundation due to lack of wearing and expiration date. Anyway, it’s not easy to apply foundation to dry skin, and I don’t intend to. Instead, I use green corrector to deal with redness around my nose and my chin, and concealer (yes, concealer) on the whole face. I didn’t apply concealer under my whole eyes, instead I did what Wayne Goss taught us from his YT, only on the very inner corner when the lines are immobile. And finally, setting the whole face, with translucent setting powder.
Cheeks
Only blush, no contouring for me, because I like it simple. My favorite blush is obviously not a matte blush, I prefer a soft metallic finish that reflect light and gives a second-skin finish. I applied not on the cheekbones, but slightly higher for a lifting effect. No highlighter needed, save time and money!
Eyes
I have droopy eyes since I was born, so winged eyeliner is a must. I use tape to draw the winged eyeliner, stick them on the outer corner of the eyes toward the end of the brows. It’s easier that way, trust me, and it gave me the precise and balanced flick. And use the eyeliner pencil to line inside the lash line (but just on the center, not on the corner to avoid smudging). For mascara, I just apply on the middle and lower lashes for that baby doll look.
Lips
Definitely staying out of matte texture that might exaggerate lip lines. Currently I’m using Lip Gel, that mimic lip stain a la Koreans. If you want more shine, do not blot. Do pick a bright shade, because it’ll help to also brighten the whole face. I also try to avoid lip liner, because IMHO natural shape lips gives more youthful look.
Tips To make makeup last longer, avoid layering too many skincare products. Stick to serum and SPF or moisturizer and SPF, remember: hydrating is key.
Even though I do not recommend using any actives while suffering from Fungal Acne, but I know that our biological clock is still ticking and aging is unstoppable. So if you still want to use anti aging skincare products while you’re still dealing with fungal acne, here’s some of my recommendation (tried and tested by yours truly).
ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR SYNCHRONIZED MULTI-RECOVERY COMPLEX
Yes, they renew their formulas last year, so this is a newer version of one of the most loved serums in the world. And I’m not surprised why. Bifida Ferment Lysate is number two on the ingredients list, which is one form of probiotics, known to help prevent skin damage. It also contains Tripeptide-32, which might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin elasticity and firmness, by supporting our skin’s collagen production.
Personally I love the texture (you’d know the product is worth the price when it glides luxuriously on skin-you can’t cheat this). It has a slightly orange color, with a slight yeast scent (but disappear within seconds). As it is an anti-aging and hydrating serum, it gives that healthy looking skin once applied. You can see it’s there, you can feel it’s there, but it’s not sticky or uncomfortable. Sometimes, if I feel too lazy to layer on additional moisturizer on top, I just apply two layers of this serum at night time. I can see and feel the result in the morning if I layer them on top of each other. Actually, even though the name said Night, this serum can be used in the morning as well. Yes, it is pricey, but trust me, pricey stuffs come for many reasons. It costs IDR 1.750K for 50ml.
S.NATURE AQUA SQUALANE MOISTURIZING CREAM
I guess this is a new K-beauty brand, not very commercial, but Director PI recommended it in one of her YT videos. It’s a very simple packaging, too simple in my opinion, they should’ve given us the flip-top cap instead the classic cap. Ingredients wise, full of goodies: 15% Squalane (which is an emollient) is number two on the list, followed by Glycerin which is a humectant. So yes, if you’ve been following my blog, you’d probably know that I have to layer humectant and emollient for a moisturizer, to make sure that my skin is moisturized and hydrated enough.
Check out this list from incidecoder.com and you’ll see all the goodies inside.
Texture-wise, it is a light cream/thick lotion. Unlike moisturizer in a gel form that ‘disappear’ when we apply it, this cream glides like satin on skin and gives that healthy glow look without the sticky feel. You can feel and see it’s there, but in a comfortable sense. And I prefer a thick lotion for my current skin condition (dry and sensitive), IMHO it sits better under makeup instead of gel or water cream moisturizer. Unfortunately, this brand is not officially available in Indonesia, but I bought it online from my regular trusted seller. It’s not cheap for a 80ml tube, it costs IDR350K.
PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA & SCREENSHOTS FROM INCIDECODER.COM
A superfood based cleanser? Here’s my first review in 2022.
Kale is one of the world’s top 10 superfoods. So super, they even called it ‘the best vegetable’. It contains the highest beta-carotene content among green and yellow vegetables, and is rich in vitamin C. I wonder why many people still wandering around Centella Asiatica (please people, move on already!). Yes, I think this ingredient is so under-rated. By the time I wrote this post and published it, local skincare products seem to roam around Centella and Mugwort. Seriously?!?!
So why do I love this? It is the closest thing I can get to Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser. I can say it’s a pretty close dupe, not only based on ingredients (see below for the lists), but also a save and splurge factors in mind. I haven’t tried the Youth To The People, because I don’t want to spend a fortune for a face wash, so I can’t say much about it. Both of them are not officially available in Indonesia, but I bought Pacifica in iHerb (IDR 147K for 147ml) and Youth To The People costs IDR 720K for 237ml (from a legit online market place).
Other than the high price difference, Pacifica is Fungal-Acne safe, while Youth To The People still contains Polysorbate 20 and Sorbitan Laurate which might be triggers to Fungal Acne.
But this is not a comparison review, I just review the Pacifica ones.
It smells like green juice, more herbal than the actual kale, which some might find it distracting, but I am fine with it. It’s refreshing IMHO. It foams up nicely, without over striping the skin, but it didn’t leave any weird or filmy layer after cleanse.
Texture: clear runny gel The foam
Please do not rely on any face wash (including this one) to wash away makeup. You need to double cleanse if you wear makeup. This is the perfect second cleanse for me, and I only use this as part of my night time skincare routine. FYI, I use gentle cleanser in the morning. Stay tune for another review!
shintarosvita 
You must be logged in to post a comment.