If I could simplify this review: this is a simple and basic moisturizer with all the ingredients that your skin need to restore natural barrier, lock in moisture and protect.
If you do have oily skin like me though, don’t freak out because it comes in a cream texture. It doesn’t feel heavy at all, comfortable on skin and (unlike some reviews out there) I didn’t feel any burning sensation. Remember, skincare products is totally personal. So what worked for me, might not so for you and vice versa.
However, if you are still hesitant to wear cream in the morning, try to apply it only at your night time routine like me. Personally, I use lighter moisturizer at morning time routine. And this is Fungal Acne safe! Check out all the ingredients from incidecoder and the original packagings below.
It does contain dimethicone, but no worries folks, it didn’t clogged my pores. I believe it is used to give the soft texture to the cream, which I do enjoy. For those of you who use retinol, this will be a great companion to protect your skin from dryness and irritation.
Initially, I bought the small size first, then I decided to purchase the jar with pump version. I love it and my son also believe that this moisturizer didn’t cause him breakouts. Unfortunately, the brand is not officially available yet in Indonesia, so I purchased this online at market place. Hopefully they will be available soon in our local drugstores.
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
GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER If you’ve been following me long enough on this blog, you’d know that I love my Bioderma, but it’s quite pricey comparing to this affordable one from Garnier. This pink version is made for normal to sensitive skin, so I chose this one to purchase for the first time ever. Let me know if you want a comparison review with Bioderma ones. Price IDR 29K for 125ml
SILCOT MAXIMIZER COTTON I believe this was my second purchase of this cotton pads. I don’t use it to apply toner to wipe. But these are very good if you do CSM (Chizu Saeki Method). It can contain the toner long enough to hydrate while masking away with CSM. Frankly speaking, I don’t use this method frequently, just when I feel my skin is irritated or need extra loving care. Price IDR 29K for 1 box of 40 sheets.
LIESE CREAMY BUBBLE COLOR During pandemic, I DIY my hair color, because doing it in salon will take more than 2 hours indoor and it’s quite pricey. This brand is from KAO, produced in Japan and claimed to be number one hair coloring in Japan. Now available officially in Indonesia, so it’s relatively affordable. Easy to spread, because it comes in a bubbly foam texture, but I don’t recommend this if you want to cover gray hair. Price IDR 144K
First thing first, why vinegar? If you’re a BTS army, you’d probably knew that one of their member, Jungkook apparently cleared his acne by using ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar). Yes, ACV is good for acne, because it helps to get rid of bad bacterias and lower the skin’s pH (FYI, acne sufferers tend to have a higher pH). I used to drink them on daily basis, but couldn’t bear the scent. So, when ACV finally made it as skincare ingredients, I can’t help but to try them.
Let’s dig deeper to each of these two ACV based toner, shall we?
Both are fungal acne safe, by the way.
Made in USA Claim: Oil-absorbing toner, leaves skin clearer and smoother Plus Points:
Affordable
Only contains three ingredients.
Can be use as clarifying hair product
It comes in a spray bottle
Price: IDR 200K for 237ml My thoughts:
It still contains Damask Rose Oil, so if your skin is sensitive to oil, I do not recommend this.
The scent is more vinegary than rosy if you know what I mean. This smells stronger and linger longer than Gallinée ones.
Made in France Claim: Soothe & reduce redness in sensitive skins, purify & exfoliate oily skin. Plus Points:
Contains prebiotics to support the skin microbiome
Oil-Free
Using ACV infused with Hibiscus (I guess this also help to reduce the smell).
Price: IDR 451K for 200ml My thoughts:
Yes, it smells like vinegar, but not as strong and lingering as Heritage Store.
I dislike the flip-top cap, though, it might get messy and sticky on the top with longer uses.
PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA SCREENSHOTS FROM INCIDECODER
Cleansing our face is by far the most effective and basic routine to keep our skin clear and healthy. With so many choices out there, it’s not hard to pick one that suits your skin’s need.
So, why use Hydrating ones? Does it effective to remove dirt and other debris? Of course! Hydrating Face Wash can remove those things with a bonus: protecting skin.
Soleluna Hydrating Face Wash only contains 10 ingredients on the list, SLS-free and with additional Glycerin as humectant, it won’t strip the skin of its natural moisture. It is still foamy, in fact when added with a small amount of water, it will form an enjoyable liquid mochi texture (almost feel like snail mucin). And for those who are sensitive to fragrance, this is fragrance-free.
With additional actives, Zinc PCA, it’s also great for if you have oily and acne-prone skin. Overall, it is a simple face wash with affordable price (IDR 70K), a great cleanser to start off your skincare steps.
Disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist. I’m just happy to share my experiences and if I can help others achieving clearer and healthier skin, I might get a good skin karma in return.
In this post I’ll share the progress pics and the concoction of my so called ‘first client’. Just a glimpse of the client’s data: early 20’s, oily skin, cystic acne and blackheads (mostly on forehead and cheeks), definitely a Tretinoin Newbie.
WARNING: disturbing skin pictures ahead.
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
It was not easy to assure the client to use Retinol, because of the ‘Retinol Uglies’ that might happened in the first 4-8 weeks. Mine took 8 weeks to fully recovered, while my client already showed improvements (no more cystic acne) on 4 weeks time. Yes, it might vary to each person.
FYI, as an amateur skin coach, I worked on the my first clients’ skincare routine, and adding new products to be used based on my experiences with my own acne’s issues.
The Retinol Myth is true: YOUR SKIN WILL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
Some important notes:
You need to be more patient and understanding when it comes to using Retinol (Tretinoin or Adapalene) for the first time.
Start with the smallest concentration of Retinol in cream form to reduce irritation and minimize ‘Retinol Uglies’. Using a pea-sized amount, any other day at night time.
Progress won’t happen overnight, but trust me, you will feel incredible when you see and feel the results.
Stick to the same routine and products for the ‘Retinol Uglies’ period.
Whenever the skin feel sore and uncomfortable, I recommend to use Thermal Water Spray generously and wait to dry by itself (do not pat).
I was thinking to do this skin coach thing professionally, if I succeeded with my ‘first client’. I’ll update you next month when my first client hits 8 weeks.
Use antioxidants. There you have it, thanks for reading this post. Just kidding!
Don’t get me wrong, I do love makeup, but I love my skin more. No makeup will look good on blah skin, so I swear by this jargon: skin first, makeup later.
ME-BEFORE AND AFTER
Trust me, our skin has the ability to glow naturally without any help from highlighter and such. It is up to you how to achieve it. But let me tell you one thing that I feel after hundreds of stay at home days, my skin glows like never before. Because I rarely went out, and if I did I’d wear mask, my skin is sort of free from environmental damages like pollution, sun, smoke and stress.
Here are some of my tried and tested antioxidants products:
Vitamin C, the superhero of antioxidant. If you have sensitive skin, avoid L-Ascorbic Acid, and opt for the less irritated vitamin C, THD Ascorbate (Tetrahexydecyl Ascorbate).
Retinoid, only for the brave (LOL). It’s my HG, and the truest meaning of ‘beauty is pain’. If you dare to purge and face that retinol uglies, for the sake of glowing and healthy skin 8 weeks ahead, you won’t regret it (seriously).
Niacinamide, great if you have blemish prone skin. Just make sure it’s 5% or below to avoid any irritation.
Hyaluronic Acid, which is not only for hydrating, people! It helps to prevent free radical damage and stimulates wound healing.
It’s hard to hold the urge to squeeze blackheads (really!). But there are help, people! Read on.
Thanks to this skincare routine, I’ve managed blackheads on my face, especially on the nose.
BEFOREAFTER
Cleanse: Sebamed Clear Face Antibacterial Cleansing Foam. It’s one of my favorite face wash, because it’s also safe for Fungal Acne. In the morning, I use this with a dry-cleansing technique. Apply on dry skin and massage for one whole minute, than left them on for 5 minutes. Rinse them well and pat to dry (personally I never use towel to dry my face).
Exfoliate: there are two ways to exfoliate. One, you can use exfoliating toner. Two, use peeling cream. Because I have sensitive skin, I am very picky of exfo toner, and one that I love currently is Gallinée Face Vinegar. It is made for sensitive skin, eliminating dead skin cells with Apple Cider Vinegar. If you dislike the scent of vinegar, you might try the second option, Thank You Farmer Back To Iceland Peeling Cream. It smells like green herbal, you might enjoy the scent and how it exfoliate gently without no skin irritation. If you have oily skin which are more vulnerable to blackheads, do this exfo step maximal 3 times a week (choose toner only or peeling cream only, not together at the same time).
Treat: Vitacid Tretinoin 0.1% Cream. Retinol is the best way to clear clogged pores and treat blackheads. It’s also an effective ingredient to prevent blackheads because it helps to remove sebum, bacteria and dead cells from the skin. I use this every night (with a pause twice a week to use exfo toner or peeling cream) almost two years already. It made my blackheads popped out effortlessly without having to extract them.
Remember, consistently clean skin is the best way to prevent and clear blackheads, so if you can do all steps accordingly, that’d be great for your skin.
In one of his YT video, world renowned makeup artist, Hung Vanngo said that he loves to use vitamin C under makeup, because it’s brightening. And obviously I can’t agree more, skin prep before makeup is very very important. Even without makeup on (the way I live these days during pandemic), I love how it create that healthy glow from within (not a fake dewy look, which I hate btw).
After all these years avoiding vitamin C in my skincare ingredients, because it irritated my sensitive and acne-prone skin, now I am a proud user. Thanks to this Vitamin C serum from Peter Thomas Roth (by the way, this is the second serum that I love from the brand-the first one is the Water Drench one).
How does it differ from another vitamin C serum that I’ve tried and dislike? Instead of using L-Ascorbic Acid which commonly found in many vitamin C serum, this uses 20% of THD Ascorbate (Tetrahexydecyl Ascorbate). Even though this THD thing is 50 times more powerful than traditional vitamin C, but it is way more stable and with higher pH level, it is less irritating. Yes, this is not an ordinary vitamin C serum, people!
It is safe for Fungal Acne
With additional 3% Vitamin E and 2% Ferulic Acid, it is a booming anti-oxidant that delivers not just brightening purpose, but anti-aging and firming as well. It is great if you are like me, having uneven skin tone problem and texture.
Milky texture with a slight hint of citrus scent, this is a moisturizing serum. Therefore, it won’t instantly disappeared onto the skin, but it left a moist and healthy looking skin. Which is why this is great for morning use before sunscreen. You do know that vitamin C and sunscreen is a power couple, right? Using vitamin C and sunscreen has been shown to be more effective at neutralizing free radical damage from sun exposure.
So yes, I have been pairing this serum with my sunscreen. It is currently one of my tried-and-true favorite. Not cheap, though, but worth every single pump.
You can buy it here and get special promo while it lasts. I’d definitely repurchase this!
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