Skin Food Black Sesame Hot Mask

This mask is another ‘interesting’ product which I bought from Skinfood. The packaging is so lovely, looks like a tiny tub of sweet paste. The mask opens up pores with a warm heat of salt and sugar powder and eliminates waste material in a rough skin affected by the accumulated keratin. It also nourishes the skin with black sesame extract.The product also consists of little tiny pieces of the black sesame seeds so it helps with exfoliating the skin.

This mask smells quite lovely, if anyone has had the Chinese black sesame paste dessert before, this smells just like that and even the texture is similar! You apply the mask after you cleanse your face, gently rub it on your face in a circular motion and let the tiny seeds exfoliate the skin, then let it sit on your face for around 3 minutes. You will feel your skin getting warmer and warmer. The heat opens up the pores and also helps with blood circulation, which is all very well. But then again, I don’t know exactly what is used in the products to create such heat on the skin. When skin products gets a little too scientific for me, I will usually try to use less of it. 1 tub is enough for me. I wouldn’t like to use this all the time on the skin. I am more comfortable with using products which are more natural, like Dr Hauschka's cleansing cream.

The result is not bad. You will end up with shiny and smooth skin, but this product will not get rid of clogged pores and deep blackheads. It works quite superficially. But it does give a nice pick-me-up silkiness to the skin. Not a bad product to use prior to a night out. If you have sensitive skin though, I would get a test patch done first.

- Not too expensive, around AUD35.

- Makes the skin appears more smooth and glowing.

- The warming sensation can be too much for people with sensitive skin

- Cleanses well for surface oils/ dirt, but not deep enough to bring out pore-clogging dirt/sebum underneath the surface of the skin

Overall Rating:

Facial exercises for puffy face

There are many reasons as to why a person may seem puffy in the facial area. This is mainly due to water retention. And water retention have many causes, it could be one of the reasons below:

- if your body does not have enough water, your body tissues will hold onto the water it's got, resulting in a 'swollen' effect, especially area your jawline and neck area.
- hormonal changes: it may be the time before or during your menstrual cycle.
- if you are on certain drugs like antibiotics, the pill or most anti-inflammatory drugs are common to cause water retention on the face area.
- Lymph nodes are blocked or not flowing smoothly.

Internal ways to reduce facial puffiness:
- drink lots of water. This prevents your body tissues from holding too much water. I find drinking a glass of warm water first thing in the morning with a squeeze of lemon juice really helps with bloating on my face, especially around the jaw line area. My face is usually quite bloated when i wake up, especially if i had a long night. I find doing this really helps and it has an immediate effect.
- Eat less salty foods.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol.
- take liver tonics such as milk thistle pills. I am currently taking the ones from GNC and its working quite well. These pills aids to cleaning out the liver, it also helps with acne and works magic for hang overs!

External ways to reduce facial puffiness:
There are 3 ways you can do this, 1 is by using tools such as a facial roller, 2 is by doing facial exercises, and 3 is by getting massages done such as lymphatic drainage.

1/ Using tools
I have one of these facial rollers at home which i bought while i was in Asia. I can tell you that it does work to some degree, but the result is very temporary. I also found that it made my skin worse, either the rolling motion aggravated my acne or there are bacteria on the roller. So i would not recommend this method.


Another tool which i found to have helped with my facial fat is the clarisonic! Just another tick for this magical tool. The vibration acts as a gentle massager which helps with draining the lymph and helping it to flow smoothly. I will do a detailed review on it later on.


2/ Facial exercises

- Stick out your tongue and suck in your cheeks. Maintain that expression for a 10 seconds and then relax. Repeat this 10 times. Do this exercise 2 times a day and you will notice the difference.

-Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Smile a wide as possible - while keeping your lips closed and your mouth corners turned up. Next wrinkle your nose and see your cheek muscle move upwards and feel these muscles work. Keep for 5 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.

-Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, lips closed and then start a chewing movement. Repeat chewing motion 20 times.

3/ Lymphatic drainage
Lymphatic drainage therapy consists of a manual massage, performed by a therapist. A lymphatic drainage massage primarily focuses on specific lymph nodes and points of the body, as well as the natural flow of the lymphatic system. Proponents of lymphatic drainage believe that the process will reduce blockages of the lymphatic system, which in turn promotes a healthier body.

Dr Hauschka Cleansing Cream

I love love love this product! I first found out about this product on EDS forum. I remember at first i only used it for a week before burying it in my drawer because it broke me out badly! I had blocked pores all over my face. I was so disappointed because people rave about it on their blogs and in forums. I so wanted it to work on me. Weeks later i went back in the forum and came across the 'DR H cleansing cream rave' thread again- the very thread which persuaded me to buy it at first. I somehow got into believing it again and gave it another shot.

This time, i did the correct 'press and roll' method, and not only that. I also used a gentle cloth to wipe the residue off my face. Wow- what a difference did that make!! I was suddenly greeted with flawless skin for the first time in a VERY long time! For those who wants to try this product, it is worth the AUD37 all the way. But unless you have very dry skin, you must wipe the residue off your face after washing, as it leaves a 'film' on your face which can block your pores- exactly what happened to me the first time i used it. Try using an all cotton soft cloth like a small baby flannel. This type of cloth becomes super soft after contacting water.

Dr Hauschka cleansing cream contains ingredients such as Almond, calendula and chamomile oil, so its very soothing and calming to use on any type of skin. You will need to know how to do the 'press and roll' method to fully take advantage of this product. The regular rubbing or circulating motion on the face will not do with this product. In fact it tells you not to do that at all in the insert leaflet. Click here to find out how to use DHCC properly.

Combining its gentle ingredients, the cleansing method and wiping residue off at the end, this product is truly amazing for my skin type- which is oily on the surface, dry underneath with a little bit of sensitivity.

I once went overseas and forgot to bring the tube with me, i couldn't find Dr H there so i bought the Jurlique cleansing cream instead at the airport. That broke me out. The grains were way too big and harsh for my skin. Anyway back to DHCC, you simply must try it out!

Review:
- Almond grains excellent for removing dirt and debris with gentle exfoliating action
- Almond, calendula and chamomile oil moisturises the skin while you exfoliate, so your skin will not become over-dry or irritated. Excellent for people with under laying dryness.
- It's effective yet gentle enough to use on all ages and all skin types!
- contains almond oil which is a natural skin lightener. It can help to gradually fade away freckles and sun spots. I found that DHCC has lightened my overall complexion.


- it is quite expensive for it's size. I use it once a day and i usually go through a tube in less than a month.
- this product is designed to be used with the press and roll method, its a holistic approach to your daily cleansing ritual, you should take your time to do this slowly and breath in the essential oils aroma as your cleansing your day away. This product does not foam and cannot be rubbed on the face, so if your in a rush to wash everything off quick then dont use this product.
- it does contain alcohol, but i have sensitive skin and my skin still likes the product.
- some may not like the smell of the product, although i love it! Some people describe it as the smell of 'cheap beer' mixed with flower scent? i dont know... i love the smell :o)

Overall rating:

Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Souffle body creme

This body creme smells absolutely Divine! To give you an idea, it smells exactly like Chupa Chups in Vanilla flavour! It smells so yummy you will almost want to take some out of the jar and eat it!

So we know that it smells fantastic, but how is it as a moisturising body cream? It's really just OK. Nothing spectacular. My Cle de peau body moisturiser works so much better than this one. I will do a review on it later on.





Review:
- you will smell good enough to eat!


- expensive. Very expensive! This 330ml jar cost me over AUD100
- It does not provide enough moisture to the skin. If you use this as a hand cream, your hands will still feel 'tight' after use.
- Skin does not feel smooth and supple after use.
- The smell does not last very long. It fades away in around an hour or 2.
- If you use it in winter you will find that your skin will still feel dry after use, especially on the legs and feet.

Overall rating:


(Just because it smells so good!)

Bio Oil

This thing really does work! It contains an active ingredient 'PurCellin Oil', which is said to heal scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, aging or dehydrated skin.

I cant comment much on the result on dehydrated or aging skin, but i have been using it for 2 months on scars and uneven skin tone, and it's working pretty well so far! I get de-sensitization shots for my allergies each month. After each injection, it always leaves a bit of bruising and scaring behind. Bio Oil has helped me heaps in that area. It gradually fades the scars and evening out the skin tone of the whole area. My friend who used this product before and after having a baby on stretch marks and told me that she cannot live without this product!

If you have skin like me and pores gets blocked really easily, dont use it on your face. I tried it once on one side of my face to even out skin tone, and got blocked pores all over straight away the next day! I only used a very small amount too. I dont think this product should be used as a face oil. Bio Oil is not like essential oils, which consists of particles small enough to be absorbed into your blood stream. Unless you have very dry facial skin, i would only use this on the body.

Review:
- Not expensive. Around AUD20 per 60ml bottle.
- Easy to find. Can be found in almost every chemists and leading retailers.
- As far as healing of scars, uneven skin tone and stretch marks goes, this product really does do what it says it would.
- Only need a very small amount each time. I have been using this for 2 months 4-5 times a week, look at the picture above and see how much i've used only.
- Took me only 4-5 applications until i started to see improvements

- Feels quite greasy on the skin- but im OK with that as i only use a small amount on my body, not on my face.
- Does clog pores on the facial skin. Can't use this product on the face if you have combination/ oily/ acne skin. Only if you're very dry.

Overall Rating:

Aveda Intensive hydrating Masque

I saw this product whilst i was at Aveda buying their foot cream. I had a bit of flakiness and patches of dry skin in that period of time, and seeing that it claims to 'Give soothing relief to skin suffering from excessive dryness, stress and exposure to the elements', i thought i must give this a try! I went straight home and tried this mask on. But was sooo disappointed with the product. It didnt provide much moisture at all to my skin and i have mainly oily skin, only dry in certain areas. Still it didnt provide suppleness to the skin. I cant imagine what it will do to people with dry skin? Also it stung quite a bit when first applied to the skin.

There are so much hype around Aveda's products, since they have spent millions of dollars on research & development in creating their products. I do like their foot cream, their body wash and body cream. Their hand cream is really lovely too, but somehow my skin just dont like their face products much at all?


Review:
- honestly, i cant think of any??


- I cant remember exactly how much this cost but definitely was not cheap. None of Aveda's products are ever cheap.
- doesnt do what it claims to do
- Skin didnt feel soft, supple, or moisturised after use

Overall rating:


(i think you know what that means?)

Skin Food- Peach Sake Ice Mist

Here is one very interesting product. I guess i only bought it because it was so interesting, and not the fact that i thought it would be good for my skin. This 'ice mist' is indeed icy, the product reaches as low as minus 4 degrees as soon as its pumped out of the bottle. You cannot apply this directly onto the skin, you must spray it on a cotton pad or tissue then apply. It claims to tighten pores and control sebum. It also claims to calm the skin down to reduce redness and puffiness. This product really smells like what its name suggests- peach, and sake alcohol.

Skinfood is a Korean skincare brand, i could not find the original website though, only one from Skinfood Singapore. Skinfood's products to me are all very interesting. Their packaging is attractive, they have a large variety of products, some come out of the bottle as cool as minus 4 degrees, whilst some cme out warm and heated. Their products are fun to use and some smell good enough to eat. But really, that is all. I have used a few of their products and honestly only bought them because they looked like fun to use. I dont find them to be particularly gentle to the skin. Their products all seem somewhat- artificial? Even though they are all associated with food- i really wonder how much of natural ingredients they use in their products? I personally dont think they are as natural as they make out to be.

Review:

- cheap. Only around USD20 something per 100ml bottle
- The coolness of the product does reduce redness temporarily. You will enjoy using it after being out in the sun or when your face feels really hot esp during the summer months.
- it helps to tighten pores temporarily, only to a certain extend though. Nothing dramatic
- very fun to use! Smells nice! I think this product is OK if you only use it very occasionally.

- Dont think this product is natural at all. The fact that the liquid reaches -4 degrees when pumped out tells me that this bottle is packed with artificial ingredients.
- Don't use it if you have sensitive skin! I used it once when my skin was in the 'sensitive days' and it got really irritated. It started itching and i had to wash it with Cetaphil a few times.
- It does not control sebum. I can tell you that for sure
- As far as the face goes, it does not reduce puffiness. I do have puffiness around my eyes but this product is way too strong to use in that area. My eyes gets watery from the high alcohol content if the product gets close to them.

Overall Rating:

Orbis Foam Esthe Pack

This is a moisturising mask in a rather unusual texture- foam. Orbis is a Japanese brand which emphasize a lot on having 'no additives' in their products. They claim that their products are very pure and does not contain additives like preservatives, colors, fragrance etc. Their products are known to be kind on sensitive skins.

I find that this product does a good job when my skin needs just a little bit of 'pick-me-up' and good to use in the summertime. But not so useful in the cold winter months when you need lots of moisture. It gives the skin a little bit more plumpness but don't expect too much from this product. If you are after a radiant dewy glow to the skin then this product will not do.






Review:

- not expensive
- need only 1 small pump and can easily spread throughout the entire face
- adds moisture to oily skin in summer months
- quick 'pick-me-up' product before applying make up.

- does not provide enough moisture if your skin is very dry, especially in the colder months of the year.
- not easy to remove after use. The foam tends to stick onto to the skin and i always have to wipe my face twice with a face cloth and then use toner afterwards. It can leave a thin 'film' on the face if not removed properly- which i think can lead to blocked pores.

Overall Rating (out of 5)-

Bernard Cassiere (BC) Paris- Avocado hydrating mask

I am starting my product review with this BC Avocado facial mask simply because- i LOVE it! It moisturises my skin so well, i can feel it penetrate deep into my skin, and after use my skin feels very plumped and refreshed. Not to mention it smells absolutely fantastic!

BC is actually owned by the famous French skincare company called Sothys. It is not big here in Australia but HUGE in Europe and i find that many people in the Asian beauty forums often speaks of this brand. Sothys uses a lot of natural ingredients like plant extracts, essential oils and things like that. BC however concentrate on using fruit and vegetable oils. That's why they smell so good!

BC is more for younger skin (20-30) though, or those starting to see signs of aging. If you have mature skin, I won't recommend this brand, their products are too soft to fight aged skin.




Review:

- add lots of moisture to the skin, making my skin producing less natural oil itself
- makes the skin very supple after use, and not greasy at all
- OK to use on sensitive skin (was told by the beauty therapist who sold me this item)
- It doesn't block my pores at all

- quite expensive, around USD40 per 50ml bottle
- cannot be found everywhere. If you live in Australia then the bad news is threes not a single stockist here. I had to get mine from Hong Kong.

Overall Rating (out of 5)-