My Morning Skincare Routine

For a beauty blog with an over four year lifetime, I've only written about my skincare routine once before, at the very humble beginning. Quite a bit changed since then so I thought I'd be more than appropriate to update you, first on the morning goings-on and the evening and special treatments in the near future. Most of the products featured here have been already reviewed at one time or another, so I'll link the respective posts where possible. Let's have a look, shall we?

My morning routine philosophy is that it has to be simple, quick and lightweight. I need to prime my skin for make-up application as well as protect it against harmful UV rays and other environmental aggressors. Since my skin is definitely oily in the T-zone but currently on the dry side everywhere else, I want to keep it hydrated but not overloaded with products - so there!

First, I cleanse my skin from nighttime oils with Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser, recently reviewed here; it's a perfect soothing and non-drying cleanse to start off the day. In the morning, I usually skip using any type of washcloth or flannel as to avoid irritation and redness - I just splash off the cleanser with lukewarm water. I gently pat with a towel and mist my damp face with lavender hydrosol from Palindaba Lavender, whose farm we visited a couple weeks ago on our weekend trip to San Juan Island; unfortunately the lavender fields were not yet in bloom! If you're not sure what hydrosols are, they're basically a by-product of essential oil extraction process - they are sometimes called flower waters and contain mostly water with a minimal percentage of the essence. The smell of this lavender hydrosol is very calming and herbaceous, and lavender EO has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. I follow this up with a dab of eye cream; currently I'm testing out YSL Forever Youth Liberator Eye Creme; but if it's really sunny out, I'd swap it out for Clarins Sunscreen For Eyes Wrinkle Control Cream SPF 30, mentioned here.

On the areas where I've been breaking out the most recently, I pat on some Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel, a clear lightweight gel with 2% salicylic acid which helps to gently heal acne spots and prevents the new ones from forming. I let it dry and then apply Murad's Skin Perfecting Lotion as a light daytime moisturizer (click!); but if I'm in a hurry or if my face seems more oily, I skip it and go straight to Devita Solar Moisturizer SPF 30+ (mentioned here). This is still my favorite mineral facial sunscreen - incredibly weightless, non-sticky and non-greasy, and it simply wears beautifully under make-up.

And there you have it! Fairly straightforward, isn't it? What are your morning routine principles? Any skincare heroes that help you cut down on the getting ready time?

My New Spot Treatment: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment

My skin hasn't been doing that great lately and so I've been on the lookout for some new acne products I could supplement my routine with, specifically some spot treatments to use during the day. Since I already use a rather drying prescription gel, after reading a great review on Makeup Withdrawal, I decided to try something a bit different: the De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment ($5.29 for 3 oz).

De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment 10% Acne Medication is, like the name suggests, a sulfur-based spot treatment; in fact, it only contains two ingredients, 10% sulfur and polyethylene glycol, no artificial fragrances or dyes. The consistency of the product is definitely that of an ointment: thick, oily, almost similar to Vaseline but a bit less waxy. It has a yellow tint to it and in the pot, has a faint soapy floral scent.

Now, because of the strange texture, this is definitely not something you could wear under make-up or even on its own anywhere other than in the safe confines of your own home. However, the De La Cruz Ointment isn't meant to be used like a typical spot treatment; instead, you're supposed to apply a small amount to the area, leave for 10 minutes and then rinse off or wipe away - it's water soluble and oil-free so it shouldn't leave a greasy mark. I will admit that I usually leave it on for a lot longer (like... a couple hours?) because somehow in my mind, that works better for those pesky spots that refuse to come to a head. In terms of the results, I would say this is an effective product but not a miracle worker: it takes a couple applications to really dry out and shrink the blemish, but still it worked better on an extremely stubborn spot I had on my cheek for about 3 weeks than anything else I'd tried, and now the bugger is finally gone, though not without leaving its mark.

As for the cons, it does leave the unmistakable sulfur scent on your skin (I think Mimi described this as 'fart face') and can be drying if used regularly - but for me, that's pretty much the point because those painful red bumps just don't go away otherwise. I would recommend the De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment to anyone looking for an inexpensive spot treatment and who knows sulfur works well for them or simply wants to try something new. Finding the product in your local drugstore might be a bit of a challenge, so I ordered mine through drugstore.com and can safely recommend their service.

Have you ever tried sulfur-based acne treatments? What is your favorite spot treatment?

Murad Monday: Skin Perfecting Lotion

Recently, I received a good selection of Murad skincare as a little bonus from work and have been very excitedly trying out my new goodies. Since Murad is such a varied and popular line that somehow isn't very talked about in the blogosphere, I've decided to bring you some reviews here and there in form of a 'Murad Monday', and today we'll start with my new morning mate, Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion ($35 for 1.7 fl oz).

'Pores are minimized as texture is refined by this ultra-light, oil-free moisturizing formula. Queen of Meadow and Algae Extract penetrate to clear pores and reduce sensitivity. Retinol encourages healthy cell turn-over while Arnica soothes irritation' (from Murad's website).

First off, props to Murad for encouraging acne-prone and oily skins to use a moisturizer; I know how badly dehydrated my skin gets with all those acne treatments! The Skin Perfecting Lotion is essentialy a lightweight hydrator with a hefty dose of retinol to help exfoliate the skin, and interestingly enough it's part of two lines within the Murad product range: the Acne line (blue) as well as Age Reform (purple, formerly grey) - it's exactly the same product under the same name, just different packaging and target group. Pretty smart, right?

The consistency of the Skin Perfecting Lotion is that of a quite thin, almost gel-like lotion (duh!) with a very, very subtle fresh scent; most of the time I can't smell it at all. For my face and neck, I squeeze out a dollop about the size of a hazelnut, spread it onto my fingertips a bit and then quickly pat it on the face. It completely sinks in within a minute but still gives a bit of a glow to my skin; the finish is definitely not matte. The product feels very cooling and refreshing on my face and actually helps to calm down the redness I get after washing my face. After applying the lotion, my mug feels hydrated, supple and very comfortable - no tightness or tingling there!

But the main reason this is such a firm favorite not just for me, but also for hundreds of people who have rated it on Makeup Alley, Sephora and Murad's own website is that this light refreshing lotion REALLY hydrates, without any of the greasiness or clogged pores some moisturizes leave behind. My face can get very irritated and flaky due to acne topicals I've been prescribed and this really helps to balance it out in the morning. I definitely enjoy using my tube of the Skin Perfecting Lotion and will probably repurchase once I run out.

Have you tried Murad's Skin Perfecting Lotion? What is your favorite lightweight oil-free moisturizer?

Rocaille Reviews: REN ClearCalm Clay Cleanser

Isn't the title an absolute joy for alliteration fanatics? Linguistic quirks aside, I've purchased the REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (aaah... see what they did here again?) recently in an attempt to find a Holy Grail morning cleanser for my fickle facial dermis. In the past couple of months, I've been experiencing a lot more hormonal breakouts around my chin area, coupled with an oily nose and forehead as well as annoying, peeling dryness everywhere else. I've also noticed that my face was getting very red and irritated after washing it in the morning with a cream cleanser and wanted to find something a bit more natural and soothing that would leave my skin feeling satiny clean before applying make-up for the day. Overly demanding, moi?

 REN ClearCalm3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (now, say that fast 3 times) retails at $32 for 5.1 oz/150ml and claims to 'deeply cleanse and purify the skin to leave skin clearer and calmer. The ingredient salicilin gently exfoliates to unclog skin, minimizes the appearance of pore size, and provides antimicrobial and antibacterial properties' (from Sephora's website). The product comes in a signature REN vacuum pump (yay for no preservatives!) with controllable dispensing possibilities. BTW, the photos were taken when the product was still brand new, so no, don't expect your bottle to come all the way full.

The texture of the REN cleanser is that of a slightly more emollient clay mask; with dampened hands, it spreads very easily on a dry face and sets as you massage it in. For myself, I only ever need about 1/3 of a full pump (which is why a controllable dispenser is so important) so I can see the product lasting quite a long time. There is absolutely no foaming action at all. After the cleanser sets, I remove it with a warm flannel but splashing off works just as well. After using, my face feels clean and matte without any residue or dryness. However, I still experience some redness, which I think is down to the essential oil content; also note that this gives the cleanser a very herbaceous, chamomile scent. I don't mind the scent at all but I wish my face tolerated it better... I think a fragrance/essential oil-free cleanser might be my next resort.

As for unclogging and breakout-reducing properties, I don't believe there's anything that can affect hormonal cysts but the rest of my face has been quite clear so far; I usually get some clogged pores on my forehead and they seem to be few and far between now. I've also noticed that my make-up does stay a bit longer and applies better after using the REN ClearCalm cleanser in the morning and my skin looks more satin without feeling tight or dry, which was definitely one of my goals.

So, while not quite Holy Grail, REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Cleanser is a great product for combination/oily acne-prone skins that I will continue to enjoy while it lasts but probably won't repurchase. Do you use a separate cleanser in the morning? Which one is your favorite?

Dermatologic Treatment: My Experience and Tips

Remember how I asked whether you wanted to hear about my experience at a dermatologist? It seems that you were generally interested, and on top of that, I've been getting a lot of wonderful comments asking about my skincare and the foundation I'm using, so I've felt it's only appropriate to try and explain what's been going on with my skin recently. Fetch yourselves a cup of tea (non-caffeinated, of course!), it's going to be a long and rambly one.

I visited my dermatologist's office in mid-January, following more and more serious flare-ups of eczema on my hands (btw, I'm not going to mention the names of my doctor or the specific medications I was prescribed; but if you're local, shoot me an email and I'd be happy to recommend her practice). I was treated for the same problem before but my condition worsened a lot this year, so I was looking for some advice and also thought I could just ask about the acne on my face; at least I'd be able to hear another point of view. In this post, I'm going to discuss the treatment I was prescribed for acne, but if you still want to hear about how I'm dealing with eczema, I can write a separate post about that too :)

To give you more background information, my current doctor is the third dermatologist that has treated me for acne. When I was a teenager, my aunt who is a dermatologist prescribed me different things over the course of a couple years that generally did not work and that I wouldn't touch with a pole right now. Then as a student, I visited another doctor and that treatment didn't do a whole lot of good for me either: I was put on oral antibiotic (tetracycline) that didn't work and had a bunch of topical creams that left me red, peeling and with the same breakouts as before. At this point, I vowed never to go back to a dermatologist again and try to get a handle on my acne on my own; but to be honest, that wasn't working either. Ok, back to the story!

First of all, my dermatologist's office feels very inviting: all the front desk staff and nurses are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, and the space has a nice vibe to it as well. The doctor herself is efficient, energetic and all her suggestions seem thought-out and reasonable. When I asked about the acne on my face, her first reaction was: 'Oh really, but your acne is so mild!'. She wasn't dismissing my problem, that was her honest evaluation; it made me really happy to hear that, because I had often felt in the past that I was exaggerating the problem in my head. Following that, she decided on putting me on a very low dose of a different oral antibiotic (minocycline) that she said could also help with my eczema. She also gave me two topical creams: a combination antibiotic (clindamycin) and tretinoin (form of vit. A, a retinoid) for the evening and an antibacterial cream containing dapsone for the morning. The nurse gave me little samples of all the medication to start me on the treatment right away, as well as an acne information sheet and a lot of coupons to take with me to the pharmacy.

In all honesty, boy I'm glad she gave me those coupons - I had no idea prescription medication could be so expensive! I have a pretty good insurance, but let's just say that if I didn't have neither the insurance nor the coupons, one of the topical creams would have cost me $500. What?! Even the pharmacist commented they gave me really expensive stuff.

I started using my medications right away and... I noticed IMMEDIATE results. I was trying not to expect much, but the effect was just miraculous! I stopped breaking out instantly and the breakouts I had started to heal very fast. The first two weeks, I used the gel with tretinoin every three nights, then every two nights, and then every night - I had very bad experiences with tretinoin before so I wanted to make sure I gave my skin some time to get used to it. This time, I only experienced very minimal peeling around my nose and on my chin, and that was it.

I'm over 6 weeks into the treatment and MY. SKIN. IS. CLEAR. I cannot believe it myself! I'm still dealing with hyperpigmentation and scarring, and as of right now, I have ONE small red bump on my chin that's disappearing already. The texture of my skin is a lot better too - I only have very few tiny bumps/clogged pores left and my pores are tighter/cleaner overall. I'm jumping for joy, ladies! I haven't had such good skin since I was 13 - I've had to deal with acne half of my life! I went in for a check-up 4 weeks into the treatment (more for eczema than acne, but obviously they still had a look at my face) and the doctor was very happy with the results too.

You might be thinking 'Yeah, Monika, I'm happy for you, but how does all of this help my skin?'. Well, here's a couple things I've learnt through my acne struggle and treatment that you may want to know if you're considering giving a dermatologic treatment a try.

1. The first treatment plan may not work. I've tried a fair share of prescription acne medication before having a lot of success with the current ones - so it might take time before you find medication that's effective for YOU. It's important to have a doctor who's willing to experiment and change the treatment according to your body's response. The cheat sheet I was given stated: 'There's a lot of different acne medications on the market so it might be a while before we try something that works for you but we will find it and your acne WILL get better! Don't give up hope!'. I think it's a very important message that none of my previous doctors thought of conveying to me. Practically, it means that after initial 12 weeks of treatment, you should go for a follow-up visit, and if your medication is not working, the doctor should suggest a new course of treatment.

2. If you're prescribed a retinoid, start small. The concentration of tretinoin in my medication is 0.025% - a miniscule amount! But it works, and it works without making my skin angry, red and flaky. Also, start by using it only couple times a week; remember to use a very small amount, just a dab whenever you need and spread evenly. I was also told to wait 10-15 minutes before the application and after I cleanse my face to avoid irritation and not to use the cream for about a week if I plan on having my brows waxed or a laser treatment, as it could simply rip the skin. Retinoids work as exfoliating agents, so make sure you're not overexfoliating, for example by using your Clarisonic/PMD/physical scrubs too often on top of the medication. If you're still peeling badly, ask the doctor about switching to a lower concentration.

3. Wear sunscreen! Both retinoids and oral antibiotics increase your skin's photosensitivity, so don't even think about going out without a layer of sun protection! Also, sun rays make hyperpigmentation marks even worse, so really, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot.

4. Hydrate your skin. Both antibiotics and retinoids can dehydrate your skin pretty badly - and mine was dehydrated to start with. Drink a lot of water, use hydrating skincare products, maybe even invest in an air humidifier; I'll be writing a separate post on how I combat dehydration, so stay tuned.

5. Supplement your diet. One of the drawbacks of oral antibiotics is that they often kill the good bacteria as well as the bad bacteria, so supplement with probiotics pills - or eat a lot of yoghurt, or even drink kombucha! Also, try to get into the habit of taking fish oil/ evening primrose oil capsules, as they help the skin from the inside a lot as well.

Pfff, I think that's it for now! I hope this post has been at least somewhat helpful - please leave your experiences and any questions you might have in the comments below, I'd love to know what you think!

Diaries of an Obsessive Compulsive Picker: Month 2

I can't believe so much time has passed since I started my fight with picking! Time really must magically fly faster toward the end of the year... But anyway, enough procrastinating, I guess if you're reading this, you do want to know how I'm doing with trying to combat my compulsive skin picking.

Well... I think I'm doing really well! I'd say I've managed to cut back about 80% of my picking :) In other words, I still occasionally pick, but mostly whiteheads that look like they could be easily extracted; I'm more capable now of letting my skin do its own thing and I also don't seem to mind every tiny bump or clogged pore anymore. Yay!

Not to let this post turn into a lenghty public display of patting my own ego on the back, I decided I'd share some things that I (retrospectively) think have helped me come closer to my goal of stopping the skin picking.

1) Getting away from it all. I definitely believe that our Christmas trip back home helped me gain some perspective and shift the focus away from my appearance woes. Being home, surrounded by my family, always busy doing things together didn't leave much time on my hands to obsess over every new pimple. However, I did relapse one or two times, and I could clearly see how strongly stress-related my picking is.
2) Addressing built-up tension. Being away and talking to my family also helped me realize some issues here at home that were making me unhappy but which I didn't know how to face. I think I was feeling like I had no longer any control over some aspects of my life, and was trying to regain that by forcing control over my own skin. Addressing those problems and releasing the tension just made me a bit happier and calmer all around, so that I don't feel the urge to pick as often as I had in the past.
3) Getting dermatologic help. Truth be told, my trip to the dermatologist was a direct result of an awful hand eczema flare-up I've been experiencing this winter, but I decided to discuss my acne with the doctor as well. I'll be writing a separate post devoted to my treatment and all that jazz, but just knowing that you're under professional care and things should be improving from now on is a vast relief and a huge source of hope.

And there you have it! I'm not exactly sure how often (if at all) I'll be posting new updates on my fight with picking, just because I'm pretty sure I don't have that many more refreshing thoughts and tricks to share that could be helpful to fellow pickers; there have been some amazing suggestions in the comments to previous 'Diaries' posts though, so go check these out if you're looking for inspiration!

Before I let you go, I'd just like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your amazing support, gracious comments and crossed fingers. They all helped tremendously and I'm really grateful for having such a fantastic bunch of readers and blogging friends as you, ladies. Thank you!!!

The Battle of Chemical Exfoliants: AHAs vs BHAs

Ever since I'd started watching Dr. Neal Schultz's DermTV YouTube channel, I've vowed to replace all my manual/physical exfoliating products with a good chemical exfoliant I could use regularly. Dr. Schultz and many other dermatologists/ skincare experts seem to agree that while physical exfoliators (scrubs containing granules/ particles such as walnut or apricot shells, silica crystals and so on) are quite irritating to the skin, causing teeny tiny tears in its surface, chemical exfoliants (products containing fruit acids/enzymes/retinoids) provide all benefits of exfoliating such as removal of dead skin cells, diminishing the hyperpigmentation and stimulating collagen production, without causing any damage.

I will say that this makes quite a bit of sense to me, plus, having more acne-prone skin, I was often recommended to use products containing some sort of chemical exfoliating agent. Which is why I purchased these two very different chemical exfoliants: M.D. Forte Glycare II For Oily Skin ($19-24 for 2 oz./60ml) and Paula's Choice 2% BHA Gel For All Skin Types (now called Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant, $18.95 for 3.3. oz./100ml).

Let's talk about M.D. Forte Glycare II first. It's a clear liquid that contains mostly water, alcohol, glycolic acid and eucalyptus oil, and that should have been my first warning sign; both alcohol and essential oils are known irritants, so this not only stings, but also stinks. Secondly, Glycare II supposedly contains 20% glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy acid), which is one of the highest concentrations I've come across in a non-prescription product. However, I've said 'supposedly' - I've also found some information that in fact it's a 20% concentration of 'glycolic compound', which acts more like 8% concentration of your normal glycolic acid. I was also unable to find any information on the pH level of this product, which is something that affects the effectiveness of the acid on your skin. As you can surely deduce, I'm not too smitten with this - I don't feel like it did anything good to my skin such as the promised reduction in oil production or diminished imperfections, and using it is certainly unpleasant.

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Gel is a clear runny gel containing salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid) with some antioxidants such as grape seed extract and green tea extract. It's fragrance, paraben and oil-free and claims to calm redness, build collagen, unclog and diminish enlarged pores and create radiant, clear, even-toned skin. Generally, BHAs are preferrable to AHAs for people with acne-prone skin, because BHAs not only exfoliate the top layer of your skin, but are also capable of penetrating the pores and loosening the debris collecting there. I can personally vouch that the Paula's Choice BHA Gel did in fact work a lot better for me than the MD Forte Glycare, whether it's because one contains BHA and the other AHA or because the former is just a better formulation all around. Paula's Choice BHA Gel was gentle enough for me to use every night (and my skin is rather sensitive too), didn't feel drying at all, seemed to fade some of my hyperpigmentation marks and somewhat helped control my breakouts. The pH level of 3.2-3.6 also guarantees the effectiveness of the acid. My only gripe with the gel is that it feels incredibly sticky on the skin, no matter how much or how little you use; on top of that the bottle tends to spill when travelling, but that's been improved on since I bought mine. All in all, I wouldn't necessarily repurchase this exact same product from Paula's Choice, but I might try her BHA liquid next time I'm on the market for a chemical exfoliant.

I hope this has been somewhat useful, at least to those of you whose skin might be similar to mine. Speaking of skincare, I will be posting an update on my fight with picking very soon, and I've also recently been to a dermatologist and wondered whether you, my lovely readers, wanted to hear about my experience. Other than that, please let me know in the comments your favorite exofliants, be it chemical or not!

Diaries of an Obsessive Compulsive Picker: Week 1

Remember that November holistic skincare challenge thing I posted about? Well, it's time to let the first part of the secret unveil, and to be honest, it's a rather dirty little one - and talking about it is very difficult and personal for me. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm an obsessive compulsive picker, and I hereby vow to stop picking on myself from now on - forever.

Image source

Let me explain: I'm not just your usual Mary who picks a bit of dry skin here and there or squeezes out a particularly unsightly whitehead. No... Almost every day I scratch my face, dig out any clogged pores, pick at even the smallest bumps until I look like a prisoner of war against my own body. Not only that - I pick at my cuticles, I scratch my eczema, I bite my lips until they bleed. Until a couple days ago, I lived in denial; I knew that what I'd been doing was wrong, but then my skin is pretty crappy anyways, so what difference does it make if I pick?

Then, following Fran's suggestion (I'm signed up for her newsletter, very inspirational!), I read the online book 'Stop Picking on Me' and promised myself never to do it again. If you're a fellow picker, I highly recommend it; it's eye-opening. Picking is so much more than just a bad habit, it really is an illness of the mind and the body. I've also decided to document my progress here week by week to keep myself on track, and hopefully help some of you who might be suffering from it as well. It might not be pretty, so if you're of a delicate disposition, I suggest you skip these posts altogether. Anyways... read on to find out about my struggles during the first week of not picking.

Day 1 (Oct 27): I've just started reading 'Stop Picking on Me' and, a couple pages in, decide to try to do my best and STOP. Many passages in the book ring very true to my experiences, which is making me emotional; I'm starting to realize that my picking is not so much about the acne on my face, but personal insecurities that have been impeding my happiness. I really want to start the recovery, even if it proves very difficult. I don't want to hate my body anymore, I don't want to feel the shame and the guilt, I just want to start loving myself, skin and all, a bit more.

Day 2 (Oct 28): Still reading the book; I'm now on the part where the author recounts personal stories of other pickers. It brings tears to my eyes, and I want to give a big hug to all the pickers - myself included. I've also noticed how many times a day I touch my face with my fingertips, looking for bumps and imperfections to work on - I've decided to avoid touching my face at all. I also decide to tell my husband about my habit (well, he probably knew anyhow) and my decision to stop picking, just to have someone to keep me in check so that I cannot go back. I'm proud of myself for overcoming the shame, but I lose focus for a couple minutes and voila, I just picked a cuticle.

Day 3 (Oct 29): I'm being positive that I can do this, I keep on repeating little affirmations to myself, like 'Your body is smarter than you think, it can and will heal', 'Let it be', 'You already are that unique, beautiful person, acne or no acne'. We're driving to Tacoma for a blacklight bouldering competition Mr. signed up for; I'm taking a white scarf with tassles so that my hands have something to play with on the way. The day is rather busy, luckily I have little time to obsess over my face as my hands are full taking photos.

Day 4 (Oct 30): I get into a bit of a bad mood in the morning and I'm not so sure anymore if I can do it; even if I don't go stand in front of the mirror to pick away, it's so difficult to resist touching my face or scratching at my bacne. I feel like a bad person, I hide under the blanket and bite down hard on my lip, and there's a cystic bump starting to appear on my chin. I wear cotton gloves while watching a TV show on Hulu; that's when my idle fingers usually start inching toward my face. Mr. calls me Michael Jackson. I manage to get over myself, we run a bunch of errands and also pick up a few supplements at Whole Foods; I'm feeling a tinge of hope that maybe they'll help in clearing my acne a bit as well. I do an at-home microdermabrasion at night to get rid of some of the flakies that I can no longer pick (but I still did pick a couple).

Day 5 (Oct 31): I feel a bit better and try to work on my positive thinking. I start jutting down some inspirational quotes in my agenda to reread when I'm feeling especially low. I'm also thinking about starting a craft that would keep my fingers occupied and channel that nervous energy; maybe beading or crocheting? A crochet scarf with little flowers would be super cute for the season :) I look in the mirror and see some of the old breakouts healing nicely, but the cystic bump is looking quite angry and it feels itchy, which is driving me mad... Will it really heal on its own?

Day 6 (Nov 1): After being really good for the whole day, I start picking again while doing my night-time skincare routine - the yesterday's spot has also been joined by a friend right next to it. I'm feeling pretty disappointed in myself and even want to withdraw from the whole challenge, but decide to wait until the morning. I also realize I should absolutely not lean in closer to the mirror in the bathroom; there is always going to be something I'd be tempted to pick!

Day 7 (Nov 2): Fortunately, none of the spots I picked yesterday became inflamed, so now I just have to wait until the little wounds dry up. The cystic bump of the week is slowly shrinking and going away, so I guess this answers my question, yes it does really heal without my poking around it (I left this one alone during yesterday's picking session). I forget to wear my cotton gloves, so some back scratching ensues, but not too bad overall. I've just posted about my November skincare challenge, so it's official now and there's no turning back - and have also got some awesome comments, I'm feeling very grateful for my blogging friends. Fingers crossed I can pick less (or even not at all!) next week :)

Let me know if this is of any use to you - I might just post another short update at the end of the month if this is too gross/personal/difficult to understand, or I could write in the same weekly format with more tips and tricks I'm picking up along the way. Just let me know in the comments, lovelies!

Rocaille Raves: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay

Aztec Secret 100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay is, despite its complicated name, a very simple product: it's essentially a powder face mask that has to be mixed with a liquid before applying to the face. The only ingredient in the mask is green bentonite clay from Death Valley, containing over 50 different minerals and boasting a number of skin benefits: drawing toxins out from the skin thanks to a negative electron charge, nourishing the skin, and of course deep pore cleansing.


Now, you're probably thinking that there must be at least a hundred different clay masks on the market, you've tried a handful and while they worked ok, they're certainly no miracle product. Well, at least this is what I thought - but I've heard some recommendations and it was only $6 for this huge tub, so I gave it a go. And boy, I'm glad I did!

Let me start with the negatives (now that you know that I'm loving it): firstly, the packaging is ugly and super messy, please open it by the sink the first time you try it. Seconly, it being a powder, it requires mixing, which takes additional time - but then it doesn't contain any preservatives and won't go bad for a long time. Thirdly, you won't be able to speak, eat, drink or make any facial expressions while it's on; at least if you don't want to rip your face to pieces. And lastly, it takes a bit time and patience to remove and again, this process is quite messy as well.


Now you're thinking, that's a lot of negatives, no? Why then do I like it so much? Well... because IT WORKS. The Aztec Secret clay deep cleanses the skin fabulously and, if used regularly, keeps breakouts in check. In August/September, I was going through a nasty breakout phase with new whiteheads appearing virtually every day, and I believe this has sped the recovery. At first, I didn't notice much difference, because I believe the clay has brought most of the impurities to the surface; however, once these clogs were removed, my skin healed beautifully without any scarring. The pulsating sensation you feel when the mask is drying on your skin is a bit weird, but I take it as a sign that it's working. My face is quite red for the next 30 minutes or so after washing off, but the redness fades, revealing soft, smooth, glowing skin. It's also fabulous as a spot treatment.


If you're thinking about trying it, the best application method I've found is to place a spoonful in your palm, spritz with some raw apple cider vinegar and/or water to mix into a paste, and paint onto the skin with an old foundation brush. The vinegar is what makes the powder creamy and smooth, but should be diluted if your skin is sensitive. After about 20 minutes, I remove it with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water. The 1lb and 2lb tubs are available from Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe and some Bartell Drugs stores in WA for $6-$8. I really recommend it if you have problem skin like me!

What are your experiences with clay masks? Which mask is your favorite?

Overview: Natural Acne Remedies

Do not fret, my dears, I haven't switched to food blogging! This is part deux of my spot treatments overview (check out the first part here), this time focusing on natural acne remedies. Obviously, the list is not exhaustive, these are just some of the things I've tried over the years that did and did not work for me. I hope this helps, most of these ingredients are inexpensive and easily found in any kitchen, so they might be worth a try!


1. Clay (in the photo: Pink Kaolin and Green Bentonite). Clay is a skincare ingredient that has been used for centuries, and for a good reason! It comes in many varieties for different skin types and is mostly added to various commercial face masks, but you can also purchase 100% pure powdered clay and make your own masks, knee packs or spot treatments. The common effect of many kinds of clay is tightening of the pores and smoothing the skin, some also help to deep clean the pores by bringing impurities to the surface. It's definitely an effective product that supports the results of other acne treatments, but I honestly doubt it would get rid of anything more than occassional spot or two on its own. I'll be reviewing a natural clay face mask very soon, so keep your eyes out for that!

2. Essential Oils (in the photo: Simplers Organic Lavender Essential Oil): You've surely heard about the acne-fighting benefits of tea tree essential oil, but there are many more than can help diminish blemishes, e.g. lavender, lemon, clary sage, even patchouli. In my experience, applying undiluted essential oils to the skin is not only unpleasant, but can also end up in a pretty nasty irritation. My favorite way of using essential oils is adding them to other skincare products: my cleansing oil blend, toner or homemade masks. Again, I do think they help fight acne when used in conjunction with other products, but don't make a drastic difference on their own.

3. Neem Oil (in the photo: Allafia Basics Neem Oil): I've already reviewed this product in detail here, but let me sum it up for you: neem oil looks nasty, smells nastier, and doesn't seem to do much for me. I know neem also comes in the form of leaf powder, so if you're considering trying it, that might be a better bet.


4. Plain Yogurt (in the photo: FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt): Apart from being yummy and nutritious, yogurt can also be an effective acne treatment; if you want to know why, read Brilliant Farmgirl's post on yogurt face packs. What I like about putting yogurt on my face is that it's so cooling and soothing, and my face looks calmer and more hydrated afterwards (this is why it's also awesome on sunburns). I feel that yogurt helps more with redness than pimples, but I still like this method a lot and use it occassionally.

5. Lemon Juice (or other acidic liquids, like Apple Cider Vinegar): Careful, lovelies! Lemon juice has the pH level just above battery acid and can indeed feel like the latter on your skin (i.e., it BURNS). I completely do not recommend putting undiluted lemon juice on your breakouts, it's painful, makes the blemishes angry, and will probably result in peeling. The citric acid in lemons can help exfoliate your skin, but better use it in conjunction with other ingredients.

6. Honey (in the photo: Wedderspoon Organic 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+): Well, I'll be the first to admit that I love honey in general, but it's also a fantastic skincare ingredient. Honey, especially Manuka honey, has hydrogen peroxide antibacterial properties, on top of being a humectant (moisture-binding ingredient). It does help calm cystic blemishes, as well as heals cracked and dry skin (for example, on the lips). If you haven't tried it already, what are you waiting for?


I hope you enjoyed this little overview of natural acne remedies and maybe found some new ideas to try out. Let me know in the comments below what is your favorite natural acne fighter!

Overview: Spot Treatments

What a better time to give you a little overview of all different spot treatments I have in my posession than when I am particularly spotty? See, there must be at least one good thing about the mess happening on my face lately, and that is to throw in my two cents about different pimple fighters so you could choose something which actually works for a change.

Before I start, I'd like to recommend great skincare videos by the fabulous Dr. Schultz over at DermTV because I'm going to throw in some TERMINOLOGY here to make matters more unnecessarily complicated precise. My overview will focus on key acne-fighting over-the-counter ingredients and how exactly they work for my skin, with specific products given as examples.


1. Benzoyl Peroxide (Bioelements Breakout Control Emergency Blemish Lotion). One of the two most common anti-acne ingredients, Benzoyl Peroxide works as an oxidizing agent on the acne-causing bacteria and increases cell turnover to help prevent blocked pores. The downside is that it is fairly drying and irritating, plus once you stop using it, your acne will come right back as it doesn't increase your body's ability to fight the bacteria. On my skin, it works best for tiny whiteheads on my forehead (mostly the result of too much head scratching) and small pustules and doesn't do much more than dry the spot out on bigger hormonal cysts.

2. Salicylic Acid & other AHA/BHA/LHA acids (La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Corrective and Unclogging Anti-Imperfection Care). Salicylic and other acids fight acne by encouraging the sloughing of dead skin cells, thus unclogging your pores. Downside, it is quite irritating and might also feel drying, in which case I would recommend switching to glycolic acid. On my skin, various acids work best on non-inflammatory acne (whiteheads and blackheads) and also help fade post-acne scarring tremendously.


3. Sulfur (Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and Drying Cream). From my research, it seems that science is still not sure how exactly sulfur helps fight acne, other than it might have a similar keratolytic effect to salicylic acid. In my experience, the MB Drying Lotion works best on inflammatory pustules (with a white head), while Drying Cream performs better on papules (no head) and cysts. Actually, both of these products are a bit more complex and contain a number of anti-acne ingredients, such as calamine, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, but for clarity's sake I bundled them up here. A little tip: don't bother buying the full-size Drying Cream, I have had this sample for 4 months and it's not even half empty.

4. Herbal Remedies (Angel Face Botanicals Blemish Soother). This here is a 75% organic serum containing jojoba oil and a mix of essential oils: tea tree, lavender, sage and bergamot. I'm planning on writing a separate post on natural acne remedies, but decided to give this store-bought concotion a little review here. This actually works quite well on bigger cysts as it soothes the inflammation without excessive dryness. I also like to put it on any marks other blemishes might have left behind. It's worth a try, but to be completely honest I do think you can make your own pimple potion at home by blending a base oil of your choice with a couple favorite essential oils.


I hope this short overview has maybe given you an idea of what could work on your skin without resorting to the trip to a dermatologist, which is recommended if your acne is anything worse than mild to moderate. What are your favorite spot treatments?

Rocaille Raves: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

Long-time readers of this blog will probably know that I have tried and reviewed many acne treatments, so far with rather unimpressive results. This, however, might be the turning point...


What is it?
"The Drying Lotion is a fast acting, effective acne spot treatment. Formulated with salicylic acid, calamine and other quick-drying ingredients, this product will shrink ugly whiteheads virtually overnight while you sleep. While other acne spot treatments can irritate and dry delicate or sensitive skin, this product is safe and effective for all skin types."


The product comes in a clear glass bottle with pink sediment on the bottom and alcohol on top. The instructions specify to dip a cotton swab in the sediment without shaking the bottle and then apply to problem areas, which seems like a very hygienic way if a bit fussy way of applying the lotion. It smells strongly of alcohol and camphor, which reminds me of a strong antiseptic... and nose sprays.

What I like about it:
- It really does what it says on the bottle! I apply it to whiteheads and other bumps at night, and by morning all spots are greatly diminished. It even works on painful cystic ones!
- It doesn't dry the skin out terribly. I haven't observed any flakiness, yet the pimples are reduced. Also, there's no irritation.
- It's reasonably priced ($17 for 1 oz.)
- It's hygienic to use.
- I imagine the bottle lasting me a very long time.

What I dislike about it:
- I don't look my best when I apply it. In fact, the husband says I look as if I had measles.
- The glass bottle is certainly not the best for travelling.
- The smell might be quite bothersome.

Will I repurchase? Yes!!! It's the best spot treatment I've ever tried; and believe me, I've tried a fair share of these since I was 14. Even though the ingredients seem very common - isopropyl alcohol, calamine, salicylic acid - somehow their combination together with some less popular ones, like camphor or colloidal sulphur, really does the trick. Thumbs up from me!

Have you ever tried Mario Badescu's skincare? What is your favorite spot treatment? x

Brand Focus: b•liv by Cellnique + free samples!

Along with my No Moisturizer Challenge, I've started using two new skincare products by an Asian brand b•liv by Cellnique, which specializes in salon-formulated but easy to use products aimed mostly at young people. While the brand was new to me, it's been successful on the Asian market for over 12 years and has many devoted fans, judging from the rave reviews on the company's website.


I've been trying two products: Off With Those Heads, a blackhead sebum gel, and Shield Me, a moisturizing broad-spectrum sunblock SPF 35. Both come in a beautiful packaging: silver boxes with a white sleeve and handy plastic pump bottles. The shipping was very fast, customer service helpful and knowledgeable, and the products arrived without any problems.

Off With Those Heads is a clear gel with a refreshing minty smell, which retails for $49 (30 ml bottle). It promises to remove stubborn blackheads and whiteheads in just 14 days and also to reduce oil secretion. The key ingredients include tea tree oil, aloe vera and witch hazel extracts and peppermint oil. Unfortunately, it's not paraben-free, but the ingredients' list is short and sweet.

I've been using half a pump to cover my nose, the center part of my face and my chin. The gel feels cooling on the skin, is non-sticky and sinks in very fast. It didn't irritate or dry my skin out, although my husband testified it burned his skin a bit (but then, I think he's been putting on 4 pumps just to cover his nose). However, as for the product's ambitious claims, it did not remove or even reduce my blackheads or whiteheads. It seems to me that my pores are exactly the same as a month ago, maybe a bit smaller and not as noticeable. On Mr R, it helped to dry out one huge blackhead so that it could be removed easily. I think however that my blackheads must be beyond stubborn; also, it's important to remember that it's virtually impossible to reduce the size of one's pores, only their appearance can be somehow diminished by keeping them clean. Overall, I won't repurchase this product.

Shield Me is a white smooth cream with a subtle citrusy smell, retailing for $32 (45ml bottle). It promises protection from both UVA and UVB rays, and contains both physical (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide) and chemical (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate) sunscreen, as well a moisturizing agent derived from seaweed.

I use one and a half pump to cover my face, concentrating on areas where the sun hits most. Sunscreen shouldn't be skimped on, and it's usually recommended to use an amount corresponding to 1 teaspoon to cover just the face; I used too little at first and managed to burn the skin on my nose a bit while snowboarding. The product feels very lightweight and silky on the skin, leaving a beautiful, satiny finish. I also believe it helps to hold back shine a little, possibly because of Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide content. I leaves my skin soft and moisturized with no greasy residue or whiteish cast. I would repurchase this one if the price point was a bit lower; I'm afraid for now it doesn't fit in my student's budget! Other than the price, I can't find any fault with this product.

Now, the best part: first 50 readers to leave a comment with their email address at the b•liv by Cellnique Facebook Fan Page under my wall post can score a free 3ml sample of Shield Me. What's more, if you link your blog too, you might stand a chance of trying some other products as well!

Small print: The offer is valid until March 15th 2011 . Sample delivery time is 4-6 weeks. Samples are only available to readers who haven't previously received samples from b•liv.

Disclaimer: Products described were provided to me for review consideration. I'm not compensated to write this review or affiliated with the brand. All opinions are my own and 100% honest, as always!

No Moisturizer Challenge: The Results

It's probably one of the most anticipated posts by you, my dear readers, so let me quickly announce the results of my No Moisturizer Challenge in one concise word: SUCCESS!

image source

Now, for the details. As you might know, I vowed not to use any moisturizer on my oily skin for the whole month of February, curious to see whether my skin actually needed an additional boost of moisture. I'm pleased to observe that after a month, my skin is no more drier than when I was using a moisturizing cream twice a day. The only dryness I've seen was a result of acne treatments... and some overzealous snowboarding in California; nothing that couldn't be fixed with a bit of exfoliation, which I performed twice a week with the help of various scrubs.

As for the overall clarity of my skin, I was pleasantly surprised. For the whole month, I had to fight only one bigger spot on my jawline and a few small whiteheads that faded within a couple days. But most importantly, I've stopped getting those pesky under-the-skin clogged pores on my cheeks that look like little hard bumps at first and then develop into full fledged breakouts. More than that, with the help of one product to be reviewed later this month, I even got rid of quite a few of them and as of today, there's just one solitary bump remaining. That's a huge progress for me - I'm now feeling confident enough in my skin to venture outside without a smidgen of make-up on, which was absolutely unthinkable for me in the past!

If you intend to take the No Moisturizer Challenge yourself, there's a few tips worth remembering:
1. Use a non-drying but effective cleanser. I especially recommend a creamy, non-foaming cleanser that DOES NOT give you the squeaky clean feeling after washing.
2. Exfoliate gently. This will help to get rid of any dead skin cells clogging the pores as well as smooth the surface of the skin.
3. Use a sunscreen. Not using a moisturizer doesn't mean your face shouldn't be protected from harmful UV rays. The SPF in your make-up is usually not enough unless you really pile it on (as roadtested in this review)!
4. Pamper your skin. I do feel that using various masks helped to further strengthen and nourish my skin during the challenge.

I hope this helps some of you thinking about eliminating a moisturizer from your routine. I'll continue skipping my moisturizing cream, but I might add a hydrating serum at some point to ensure my skin has enough water content. Take care, lovelies! x

February Favorites

I'm not very diligent in posting my favorites regularly, the reason being that it's not that often that something really takes my fancy, and when it does, I tend to stick to it, thus making these posts a rarer occurence here on the blog. On the plus side, once you see something here, it really does bear my personal seal of approval.

Right, let's jump straight to the good stuff!


1. Neutrogena Hand Cream - not only a classic, but also an absolute winter must-have. I've been diagnosed with eczema on my hands last month and have been trying various lotions and potions since to soothe the Sahara-dry patches resulting from a steroid cream. This is the only one that provides the instant feeling of hydration which then lasts until the next hand wash.
2. Mario Badescu Drying Cream - quite on the contrary, I've been needing something drying to take care of the little bumps and spots on my face. As you can see in the photo, I only have a tiny sample, but I reckon it will last me a good couple months until it runs out, you only need a tiny amount. On my fair skin, it really conceals breakouts, and gradually takes off redness and dries them out. I love that I can just dab a tiny amount of this on any spots and look half-decent with no slap on!
3. Sugababes 'Touch' EDT 100ml - when I won it in the giveaway organized by the fabulous Charlotte, I was a bit skeptical whether I'd like it or not. The perfume includes notes of cranberry and lychee, followed by violet and rose and ending with patchouli and musk. Scent description aside, to me this smells like... magic markers. You know, the ones that came with a transparent marker that changed the colors of other markers. Strangely, I love it. It just reminds of my childhood... and something magical. The only downside is that the perfume doesn't last very long at all.
4. Essie nail polishes in 'Demure Vixen' (Summer 2010) and 'Hot Coco' (Winter 2010), see it on the nails here - these two are my first Essie polishes and like them both. I purchased them from this website for half of the original price and I really like the shades, application and finish. I'll surely be back for more!
5. NYX Mega Shine lipgloss in 'Beige' - not beige at all, but a gorgeous nudey pink for everyday that doesn't wash me out. I'll be posting a review with swatches of the shades I have soon, the formula of these is simply fantastic for the price!
6. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in 'Eldorado' - a yellow gold infused with silver glitter which looks amazing in the inner corners and on the waterline (although due to the glitter content, I'm sure you're not supposed to wear them there). A much more interesting alternative to the skin-toned/white pencils. See the review with swatches here.
7. MAC Frost eyeshadow in 'Ricepaper' - I knew this shade to be a 'perfect' highlight shade for darker skintones, but you know what... I think it's beautiful on pale skin as well. Granted, it's more yellow based than my standard highlighting color, but I just love the subtle sheen and pigmentation of this one.
8. Milani 'Luminous' blusher - a well-known dupe for NARS 'Orgasm', a beautiful peach with lots of warm gold shimmer. Once buffed out on the cheek, it doesn't seem too frosty and imparts a beautiful glow to the cheekbones. See the swatches here and worn on the cheeks here.

You can definitely detect a theme to this month's look with all the golden shimmer, peaches and pinks. I'm getting fed up with the cold weather and cool-toned shades and starting to yearn for a more natural, warm bronzed face. What's been your favorite make-up look this month? x

February Challenge: No Moisturizer

As an utter skincare addict, I'm simply unable to leave my skin on the same regimen for too long; there's always something left to be done, right? Well, this month I've decided to roadtest one of the most controversial claims in the skincare world; namely, that not everybody needs a moisturizer.


Shock horror, no moisturizer?! That cannot be! Basically, the proponents of this approach differentiate between moisturizing and hydrating, and if you want to know more about the subject, I refer you to the very informative video by Kathy, which you can watch here.

I think I qualify as a perfect example of someone who might not need moisturizing, as my skin is very oily but mostly hydrated ever since I stopped using harsh cleansers. For the month of February, I vow not to use any moisturizer on my face except for eye cream. I will cleanse with my Alaffia's Shea Butter & Rooibos Facial Cleanser, rinse with water, tone and apply acne treatments as needed. For daytime, I'm going to add a fine layer of sunscreen, some exfoliation/mask twice a week, and voila!

Of course, the challenge is not about strictly eliminating all moisturizing ingredients from my skincare routine, which would be rather impossible since most cleansers, toners, sunscreens or even acne treatments have some sort of moisturizing properties. It's more about establishing whether oily skin needs that extra boost by using a moisturizer per se, or whether its lipid barrier is strong enough to deal on its own. What I'm hoping to see is an improvement in the oiliness of the skin throughout the day without any dry patches and hopefully an increase in the clarity (less clogged pores).

I'm quite excited by this challenge and can't wait to see the results! I'll update you in the beginning of March on my experience. What do you think? Would you like to take the challenge with me?