Product Review: Clean & Clear Essentials Foaming Facial Wash

Also available from Amazon.

If you're like me who's been reading a lot of articles and forums posts about skin care, you may encounter some product ingredients that we should avoid. Parabens, silicones, and sulfates are some of them. While some warnings may be based on facts, most of them aren't conclusive yet. Majority of these hype remain highly controversial. That is probably why a number of people get turned off into buying drugstore brands, because even though they cost less, they contain certain ingredients that majority of internet articles warn us against using.

Ingredients-wise, this facial cleanser from Clean & Clear is no different from other drugstore brands. It contains parabens that many women try to avoid. I must admit I had avoided drugstore brands before because I also became suspecting against certain ingredients and that's why I had refrained from using them for some time. In my previous post: What are Parabens: The Highly Controversial Substance, I've mentioned that I wouldn't be completely avoiding parabens anymore, especially if the product is a cleanser (something that would be quickly rinsed off anyway). 

Product Review: Marks and Spencer Gentle and Soft Shower Gel

Gentle and soft, just like Duffy bear.

The skin of the body is not as delicate as that of the face, so I usually just ignore body skin care and focus more on my acne-prone face. My skin care for the body is simple, cleansing with a bar soap, scrubbing, and applying lotion. But I must admit guiltily that I only usually adhere to the cleansing step and neglect the rest of the regimen. 

Then one day, I went shopping to Marks and Spencer. I was really into shopping that day, and decided to buy a shower gel to replace my ordinary bar soap. I wanted to have some kind of luxury for shower use but is at the same time affordable, and so I bought the Gentle and Soft Shower Gel.

What is Facial Exfoliation?

Facial exfoliation is an additional step in a skincare regimen, with the frequency depending on the exfoliant used and the person's skin type. The purpose of exfoliation is to remove dead skin cells that we shed over time. Built-ups of dead skin cells tend to clog the pores - leading to acne breakouts - and make the skin look dull. In addition, de-clogging the pores make absorption of other skincare products more effective.

There are several ways to exfoliate the skin, but can be summed up into two types: mechanical and chemical.

Product Review: Kiehl's Epidermal Re-texturizing Micro-dermabrasion

Also available on Amazon.

And so, after months of using the Kiehl's Ultra Oil-Free Gel Cream Moisturizer, I was quite contented with it's performance and went again to the store to buy another jar. The saleslady was nice enough to recommend me some other products within the store. Since she found out I was using a bit of makeup, she introduced me to a facial scrub. I got some samples and was excited to try them out, including the scrub that she was so eagerly recommending.

The facial scrub is actually called a micro-dermabrasion - sounds fancy and expensive right? The product is indeed expensive, but Kiehl's fans seemed to be unbaffled by the high price of this product, as a real micro-dermabrasion session would cost even more. Plus, it's always a wonderful idea to be able to have a micro-dermabrasion session right at the comforts of home. 

Proper Care for Your Skin Care Products

One way to get beautiful skin is to apply good skin care products. Skin care products protect your skin from stress, pollutants, UV radiation (for those that contains SPF), dryness, and free radicals. But skin care doesn't just stop there. Your beauty products degrade over time, and if not taken of properly, may even do more harm than good to your skin. So taking proper care of your beauty tools is a must. 

But how do you take care of your beauty products? First, you need to know what degrades them. Heat, direct sunlight, air, moist, dirt, and germs all contribute to lessening your products' potency. By avoiding these variables, your products will tend to stay fresh and effective throughout their shelf life.

Product Review: Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunscreen

Why spend lots of bucks on different anti-aging serums or creams if you can simply prevent the culprit (that is, the sun's harmful UV rays) of premature aging by investing on a sunscreen? Sunscreen is indeed a basic skin care product that every woman (and man) should have. Many women may simply gear toward the SPF-containing cosmetics for their sun protection, but a heavy-duty sunscreen is still the best way to go.

I had been looking for a sunscreen that is affordable, noncomedogenic, has UVA and UVB protection, and has at least SPF 30. The Skin Cancer Organization provides a list of suncreen brands bearing the Seal of Recommendation, meaning the sunscreen is very photostable (doesn't break down under the sun, thus offering an effective layer of protection). The list shows some familiar brands yet only a few are accessible in the malls I frequently visit in Manila. I was glad to find Alba Botanica in the list, which I knew was being sold in Healthy Options stores. So off I went to the store and among a small range of Alba Botanica sunscreens, I chose Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunscreen because it contains moisturizing ingredients - which means I can simply skip my moisturizer during my daytime skin regimen. 

Sunscreen, Makeup, and Skin Care Products

If you're one of those ladies who go out a lot but rely mainly on BB creams (or other cosmetics with SPF) as your sole protection against the sun, then think again. I admittedly use my multi-functional BB cream during those days when I only needed to go out for a few minutes, and skip the sunscreen due to the usually greasy effect they give on my face. However, BB creams alone wouldn't be enough for longer sun exposure - even those with a high SPF and broad spectrum protection - because BB creams are only supposed to be applied sparingly on the face. Unless you're willing to slather your face with a full-shot-glass amount of BB cream, a tiny amount of BB cream will never be enough to keep you protected, and so comes in the heavy-duty sunscreen.