EAU THERMALE AVÈNE THERMAL SPRING WATER I believe this is a must have for every sensitive skin. Some of you might think it’s just expensive water, well it’s not. It has this unique composition that is proven by studies to calm, soothe and soften the skin. Personally I use this after I workout, before I put on mask to prevent maskne, and to dampen the skin before applying moisturizer with humectant. A daily essential worth every mist. Price IDR 180K for 300ml
HADA LABO GOKUJYUN ULTIMATE MOISTURIZING FACE MIST I used to love their Mild Peeling Lotion, and I’m excited to try this mist. No fragrance, no alcohol, no colorant, very minimal ingredients (five to be exact). It does come in a petite 50ml bottle, so I guess it’d be finish in no time, since I’m very generous with face mist these days. Price IDR 43K for 50ml
First thing first, I have to admit that I’m not as committed and consistent on body care as much as I am with skin care. But during this #stayathome period, which took longer that everyone in this world expected, I began to explore on body care products. Since my fungal acne (thankfully) only happened on face area, I can go free on body care products. Scroll down for my simple list.
Body Cleanser: & OTHER STORIES ARABESQUE WOOD SHOWER FOAM
I bought this when I was in London on January 2020 before the pandemic. It’s a luscious gel that turned into a fluffy foam. I love the subtle woody scent and the luxurious feel of the foam. Too bad I think &Other Stories discontinued their beauty line, so there’ll be no way to repurchase this (sad).
Body Scrub: PURBASARI LULUR MANDI
Yes, exfoliating is also important for our body skin. I do scrub once a week if I remember (LOL). It’s super affordable, yet the scrub isn’t harsh on skin and easy to rinse in the shower. And the most important thing for me, the scent is not annoying even though it’s just a wash-off product.
Body Lotion: CETAPHIL MOISTURIZING LOTION
This can be used on face too, but for my oily skin it can be to heavy (and it left a bit of white cast like sunscreen). So I use this as body lotion instead. It absorbed really well on damp skin (never ever use moisturizer on dry skin), and contains no fragrance (perfect for me since I hate fragranced body lotion.
Another skin care products that I use for my body care. Thanks to labmuffin, who uses chemical exfoliant as deodorant. Because I stay at home most of the time, I currently skip on my regular anti-perspirant deodorant and switch to just using exfoliant for my armpits. I use this PHA exfo toner with cotton pads just like for my face.
Shampoo: AMOS PROFESSIONAL TRUE REPAIR SHAMPOO
Since my hair was fully bleached earlier this year before the pandemic, it was damaged and tangled as hell. This is a hair brand from Amore Pacific Korea, recommended for those whose hair gets extremely tangled while shampoo-ing. I do enjoy the fragrance but I don’t see any improvement on my dry and damaged hair.
Conditioner: PANTENE GOLD SERIES SMOOTH & SLEEK CONDITIONER
Frankly speaking it didn’t do much for my coarse and tangled hair. I’m just that committed to finish things that I bought. Maybe after posting this, I’ll change into better conditioner (eyeing at Kerastase, but oh the price!). Meanwhile, I cut my own hair during this pandemic, just to get rid of those super tangled ones. And since I hate the feeling of silicone in conditioner, I apply it first on dry hair before shampoo, leave it on for about 3 minutes then wash it off with shampoo.
Well folks, watch out for this body care routine post, as I’m more way daring to experiment with them.
Apologies for such long hiatus. Writer’s block, LOL.
In this post, I’ll share you what I currently use for morning skincare routine after using Adapalene & Retinoic Acid at night.
FYI, Adapalene & Retinoic Acid are two prescription-strength creams that will definitely open our pores, but they won’t exfoliate them. We still need help from exfoliating actives like AHA or BHA, in the morning. You can choose only one active in one product (like toner only or serum only), but if your skin can stand it, go all the way from toner to serum.
CLEANSER/MORNING MASK: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE ANTI BACTERIAL CLEANSING FOAM Contains Montaline C40 that will zap acne bacterias and Panthenol.
SERUM: DUVADERM CLARIFYING SERUM This contains 0,5% Molecular BHA
MOISTURIZER: SEBAMED CLEAR FACE CARE GEL & KRAVE OAT SO SIMPLE WATER CREAM As you know I’m on my 3 Step Moisture Method, that’s why I’m using double moisturizer after natural moisturizer which is water. Steer clear of any actives in the moisturizers’ ingredients lists.
SUNSCREEN: SKIN AQUA UV SUPER MOISTURE GEL SPF 50+ PA++++ It has been my HG because it didn’t trigger my Fungal Acne & Comedo.
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:
Butylene Glycol, because it might trigger comedones.
Centella Asiatica, because it’s not good if you are still suffering from acne or having acne-prone skin like mine.
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).
Is it just
me? Or lots of you experienced the same thing as me? My skin easily got immune,
usually after finishing two of the same skincare product. Weird but true.
That’s why I
found a way to alternate between products, just to make sure their
effectiveness on my fungal-acne prone skin. So, after finishing one product, I
usually move to another brand with similar ingredients and purposes. Then, I’d
move back to the old one.
EXFOLIATING TONER
HADA LABO MILD PEELING LOTION & SOME BY MI AHA BHA PHA 30 DAYS MIRACLE TONER
The
similarities: both are fungal acne safe and contain water plus butylene glycol.
The
difference: Hada Labo only has 7 ingredients, while Somebymi has 22.
Thoughts:
they are both mild enough to use everyday as exfoliating toner, but I try to
use it every other day to avoid over exfoliating. And usually I just use
exfoliating toner at night time.
The
similarities: both are fungal acne safe and contain niacinamide, panthenol,
sodium hyaluronate and allantoin.
The
difference: 2Sol only has 19 ingredients, while Paula’s Choice has 24.
Thoughts: They
both will be better if mixed with ampoule or moisturizer, as they might be
sticky if stand alone. Both have same clear watery texture.
ESSENCE
COSRX ADVANCED SNAIL 96 MUCIN POWER ESSENCE & BENTON SNAIL BEE HIGH CONTENT ESSENCE
The
similarities: both contain snail secretion filtrate, panthenol, betaine,
arginine, butylene glycol and allantoin
The
differences: Cosrx only has 12 ingredients, while Benton has 25. Corsx is safe
for fungal acne, while Benton (unfortunately) has polysorbate 20 (known as one
of fungal acne trigger) in their ingredients list.
Thoughts: Cosrx is more gloopy (literally like snail mucin), while Benton is less gloopy. Unfortunately Benton reformulated this and added Polysorbate 20 in their new formula, so it might not be safe for fungal acne.
Next year,
which will happen soon, is going to be another exciting year for skincare
enthusiast like me. Visited Cosmoprof 2018 in Hong Kong on November this year
with my boss and colleague, we saw a lot of new and interesting innovation,
coming from lots of skincare brand.
But, being
me, a person with sensitive and fungal-acne prone skin type, I’d rather be
careful and pick’n choose carefully. That’s why sticking to what I believe
worked on my skin, is key. Well, I won’t be a hypocrite, I might try new
stuffs, but I’ll make sure it’s safe.
In this
post, I will share about skincare products that I love (and some are newly
discovered) along this year. And yeah, most probably I will repurchase by next
year (if I don’t find something new & safe for my skin).
PURITO DEFENCE BARRIER PH CLEANSER: new discovery this year and I love it.
Lightly scented, cleanse perfectly and does not leave that gooey sensation
after cleansing.
BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O: been using this since forever, I guess.
Cleanse makeup without any stinging sensation.
HADA LABO TAMAGOHADA MILD PEELING LOTION: new discovery this year, and have been in
love with this exfoliating toner ever since. Unscented and does not sting.
SKIN AQUA UV MOISTURE MILK SPF50+ PA+++: it’s hard to find sunscreen which is safe
for fungal-acne prone skin, so when I found this, it’s a winner. Super
affordable, easy to get and does not leave white cast.
KLAIRS SUPPLE PREPARATION UNSCENTED TONER: yes, it might be a bit hard to absorb if
apply with patting technique. But I believe this hydrating toner really
hydrates, even though I just apply one layer.
DRUNK ELEPHANT T.L.C FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT
SERUM: expensive AF, but that’s why it
works like a charm. I apply this as a spot treatment when needed.
GOODAL GREEN TANGERINE VITA C DARK SPOT SERUM: totally a game changer for me this year. After
cauterization, I believe this spot serum helped me to diminish the spots
quickly.
SKIN1004 MADAGASCAR CENTELLA ASIATICA 100
AMPOULE: super affordable and it lasts
like forever (thanks to the big bottle).
IUNIK CENTELLA CALMING GEL CREAM: favorite day moisturizer, because it
contains silicone which might not be good if apply at night (you don’t need
that blurring effect at night right?)
KLAIRS MIDNIGHT BLUE YOUTH ACTIVATING DROP: my after treatment HG serum. After microneedling or after laser therapy, this is my go to serum. Usually I apply this by its’ own at night time.
I guess this is the most awaited post. Well, I hope this list (checked on skincarisma.com) will help you to find the perfect skincare for your fungal-acne prone skin. Feel free to message me on my instagram if you have any questions. And I’ll be more than happy if you can share your favorite fungal-acne safe products, too (just in case I missed any in this list-I bet I did). Cheers!
Well, that’s what I thought before I met Liah Yoo last month at JakartaXBeauty 2018. At the exclusive meet & greet event with the influencers (including yours truly), she mentioned about lesser products for her skincare routine. Imagine having 10 or more products with hundreds of ingredients layering on your face.
If you followed my IG @shintarosvita, you will know that I did stock up on many skincare products, mainly Korean brands (because most of them apparently worked for me). Along the way, on my skin-care journey, I found out that some ingredients didn’t work for my sensitive and fungal-acne skin. Now I’m becoming more picky when I purchased skin-care products by reading the ingredients list very carefully. I’ll stay away from Aloe, Alcohol and Yeast Ferments (specifically Galactomyces). Well… basically, things that will trigger my fungal-acne.
At first, it’s not easy for me to do what I called SKINCARE SIMPLIFICATION, because I want to put so much things on my face to get to clear skin, stat! But, I know that what I want and what my skin needs are two different things, so yeah….I am doing this now! These are my current skin-care routines
AM Start with this gel cleanser
Moving on to the others:
Serum
Toner
Essence
Ampoule
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
PM Starting with Triple Cleanse (oil, micellar and foaming cleanser)
Then moving on to:
Splash Mask
Toner Wash
Serum
Hydrating Toner
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Oil
Additional:
Exfoliate in between days: with Glycolic Acid, BHA & AHA, Lactic Acid
Sleeping Pack once a week after Lactic Acid
Just sharing you guys, my before after picture (no filter, for sure!).
Check out the improvement after about a month of cutting some products and actually using what my skin needs! Can’t be happier at this point of my life. And oh yeah, another simplified things in my life, MAKEUP! I tried to use lesser products, like I’d go #foundationfree on Saturday and Sunday. I’ll share more about my MAKEUP SIMPLIFICATION on my next post.
Remember, you know your skin best, so try not to use skincare products based on hype. Skin care is very personal. Like babies trying to walk for the first time, you will stumble and fall. But few trials will make us stand tall in the end. Good luck, dears.
As Soko Glam written, “The K-Beauty 10-Step is one of the most personalized and widely followed skin routines around the world.” A global phenomenon followed by many, including yours truly.
I have super sensitive skin with fungal acne on forehead, yes…I am a fungal acne warrior. So finding one product for each steps was kind of hard, but after a few trials, I’ve decided these 10 are the ones suited me best. Please remember that skincare is super personal, so what works for me might have not work for you.
Well, my version of 10 steps might not be all K-Beauty Brands, there are Japanese and European brand, too. Please scroll below for more.
First cleanser to remove any makeup & impurities without tugging and rubbing, DHC Cleansing Oil. This is (however) my PM Skincare Routine. For AM, I jumped right to step number 2.
Second cleanse with water cleanser. My current fave: Rosette Acne Cleansing Paste, a clay type of face wash with no artificial colors, oils and mineral oils (I purchased this in Tokyo, but I believe they’re now available in Singapore too).
Exfoliate (I do this twice a week every Tuesday & Saturday) with Krave Beauty Kalelaluyaha. I was skeptical at first, knowing that I have super sensitive skin that might react worse after exfoliating, but seeing the final result after just one trial made me convinced. Tip: give it time to absorb (like about 30 minutes) before moving on to another step. Psssttt…I will review about this most-wanted skincare product separately.
Toning with La Roche-Posay Serozinc. It contains Zinc Sulfate which specifically designed to target key signs of oily skin.
Then, move on to double tone with Natural Pacific Real Floral Toner Calendula, just because it looks beautiful on my vanity. Just kidding, it seriously minimize skin irritation and left my skin felt so clean.
Hydrating with Hadalabo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturising Light Lotion. No wonder they claim this product sold every two seconds in Japan (where they came from). It is that good, seriously. Currently doing 3 out of 7 toners skin method, but will increase soon. Tip: keep on tapping to make it less tacky and easily absorb.
Moving on to Ampoule. My favorite is Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule. Knowing that my skin can tolerate propolis (some people might not be), I believe this made my skin look more radiant and glowing. Perfect for under makeup as well, I treated this like a primer (AM Skincare Routine).
I took my eye care seriously, so I never skipped on eye cream. This is my current fave (found it in one of Tokyo’s drugstore). Oops the brand is in Japanese, so yeah let’s just call this Whitening Eye Cream.
For red and ‘angry’ spots, Dear Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream will work like a charm. But if I haven’t got any, I’ll skip this step.
Last step of my skincare routine for AM is definitely sun protection using Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++. It’s super waterproof, perfect for me because I sweat easily.
If you think I spent hours doing these steps everyday, you are wrong. Except when I exfoliate, I spend 10 minutes (max) only. Anyway, I believe #selflove is super important, so even though I do hold on tight to “time is money” policy, watching your skin improving every step of the way is priceless. Who’s with me?
I didn’t remember when was the last time I had a 100% clear skin, I guess never. I do remember when my face was full of acnes back in my teenage years, it was so bad until I didn’t want to see my face on the mirror. But that was then and now is another different game.
After many trips to dermatologists, and they were just calming down my acnes but didn’t really make them disappear for live, I decided to take things by my own. So I search here and there, why my foreheads are full with acne-like eruptions. They’re not itchy, but quite disturbing because they changed my skin texture, which can’t be covered by concealer. Then I saw Kathleen Lights’ youtube video, about her problem with Fungal Acne or scientifically called Malassezia Folliculitis. I saw her video and be like…damn…that was the same like my problem. Then.. I watched Liah Yoo’s YT about Fungal Acne and everything sort of fell into one. It’s usually due to excess yeast which tend to increase during hot, humid weather, especially when we are sweaty. Living here in Jakarta, Indonesia with its’ crazy hot and humid weather really harm my skin. That’s why whenever I travelled to colder climates country, my face started to clear up. At first, I thought maybe it’s the water, but now I know, it’s the weather mixed with our own fungus. Yikes!
Then, I began my never-ending research about Fungal Acne. This post really helps me to decide my next step to treat them. Automatically, I switched and add stuffs to my skincare routine. I added some natural stuffs in between, like Raw Honey and Moroccan Rhassoul Clay (mixed with Rose Water) for facial mask.
After about a week, I saw better changes in my forehead.
Here are my heroes and game-changers (from L-R):
Natural Pacific Fresh Witch Hazel Pad Toner, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid and propolis (one of the powerful ingredients recommended for fungal acne). I used this as gentle exfoliator twice a week after water cleanser.
La Roche-Posay Serozinc. I spray this every morning pre-makeup even before I had fungal acne, and I increase the usage to twice a day now (morning and night before toner).
Natural Pacific Real Floral Toner Calendula. Beside calendula, it also contains allantoin which makes flaky & chapped skin smoother. This is my first toner after water cleanser to remove makeup residue completely and to calm and moisturize my angry bumps
Hadalabo Gokujyun Ultimate Moisturising Light Lotion. Currently doing 3 out of 7 toners skin method, this is my game-changing hydrating toner.
Nizoral Krem. I saw in YT, people will actually wash their face with Nizoral shampoo, but I don’t want take that route. I tried this cream which can be easily bought on my local pharmacy. Ketoconazole known to inhibit every species of Malassezia. Because I only have them on my forehead, I use cotton bud to apply Nizoral cream as the last step of my skincare routine every night.
Rosette Acne Cleansing Paste, a clay type of face wash with no artificial colors, oils and mineral oils (I purchased this in Tokyo, but I believe they have this in Singapore, too). This is my water cleanser.
Final say: This whole Fungal Acne disease made me more aware to read intensively on ingredients before I decided to purchase any skincare products (thanks CosDNA too for breaking down each of them). I’ll update you on my journey as a fungal acne warrior and will share you my complete AM and PM routine on my next post. Till then!
shintarosvita 
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