Oil Control Series #2: Do you use oil blotting paper?

Just my personal preference I do not use oil blotting paper. And I believe may be we all do not need it as long as we take care of our oil well.

The purpose of using oil blotting paper is to remove excess facial oil during the day, esp. on forehead and T-zone. Some people use it very often and there's also a tendency to increase frequency as people get used to it and thought it really helps to keep your face free of oil.

My skin is dry but tend to get oily in phase 3 of the moon cycle (please see my previous posts about moon cycle skin care) so I do have oily skin occasionally. I remember I've used oil blotting paper once. Long time ago when I was still in high school, I used those made of paper. It looks amazing that the paper seems to absorb so much oil. Then a few years after that oil blotting film came out, it's made of sort of plastic film. This type of film seems a bit gentle when press on your face. For that it gets more popular now I guess.

I haven't used oil blotting film for so many years now. Some experts say that oil blotting paper basically absorbs all the oil on your face, the bad ones (of course) but also the good ones! you need the good oil to keep your skin moisturized. This totally makes sense I think! In fact I recall that my skin is drier after blotting. Remember that only the excessive oil is the bad oil that blocks your pores and gives you all that lousy shiny look.

If you find you have oil secretion during the day that you cannot control without blotting. Try to rethink about the root reason for that may be? Rethink about the products you use in the morning, whether it controls oil or gives you too much oil?

Start with thinner or fewer layers in your morning ritual, remember your oil secretion is more active during the day, due to temperature changes like in and out the aircon or under the heat of the sun. If fewer layers don't work, consider putting on different products that control your oil. If you worry about it being too drying, put on a thin layer of oil-free serum to hydrate your skin first. This way makes sure you give your skin enough hydration before controlling oil.

Say good bye to shiny noses and foreheads!! harray!!

Oil Control Series #1: Keep your oil and water balance in the day

Oil and water imbalance to me is the most critical reason for skin problems. We need to keep the oil at bay because too much oil will cause breakouts, acne, yellowish skin; while at the same time we need to replenish water loss as lack of moisture will cause wrinkles and dull skin. So no matter what skin type you are, the first step to beautiful young skin is to keep your oil and water balance all the time!

This series hopefully give you helpful tips on how to control your oil secretion, as the first step of balanced level of oil. Having said that, we don't want to cut the oil completely (there's always good oil that acts as a layer / film to seal your skin moisture), but we definitely need to avoid excessive oil secretion. For those who have dry skin, you may also want to take note because lack of moisture may stimulate oil glands to secrete more oil.

A few tips for oil control in daytime (apply even you have dry skin) especially if you work long hours in the aircon or you are exposed to the sun which the heat speeds up oil secretion!

1. apply a LOT of toner before any lotion / cream in the morning, preferably oil-control toner if you have oily skin or simply hydrating toner for normal to dry skin. What "a LOT" means? I suggest we leave on for at least 1 minute for skin to absorb. For even better results, I usually cover my face with palms to help the absorption or soak cotton pads if I have more time.

2. put on oil control lotion on T-zone, followed by hydrating lotion, then foundation (if you want)

3. I find it a very good habit to carry a mini towel or handkercheif for 2 reasons: use less paper towels to save the planet, and gently remove my sweat to reduce oil secretion

4. I keep a mineral water spray or floral mist to cool down and refresh my skin to replenish with moisture and nutrients in the aircon or heat. Cooling my skin will help control my oil secretion and prevent loss of water.

Oil control is a healthy ritual for almost all skin types, I particularly pay more attention during my phase 3 of moon cycle and believe you know how to start now :)

Get rid of flaky chapped lips

Last month it was a 34C summer, I was suffered with severe chapped lips that is constantly dry and flaky. It seemed to me that it would never get better because no matter what I did my lips were still seriously dry, cracked and flaky. I tried putting on thick layers of Vaseline, lip balm every 10 mins, changing lip balm brands, drinking tons of water, honey, soup, however no luck in turning this around. I feel like there's always a layer of hard and thick dead cells on my lips, that bothered me so badly for one whole month!

Until one day when I was doing a search on the Internet about my vitamin supplement, I found that chapped lips is actually one of the symptoms of vitamin B deficiency. And it is a common problem when you are stressed and lack of rest. So I rushed to buy a bottle of vitamin B complex and gave it a try.

I was very amazed that my first pill really did magic. My lips are not chapped and flaky anymore in the morning I took the pill and my lips are supple even without any lip balm the whole day.

B complex 50 is the one I take and it's good enough for me. There are 75 or 100 for those who need heavier dosage but suggest you consult professionals for details.

This is the first time I realize how vitamin and mineral play such an important role in my body. This feels great ;)

When is the best time to try on your new creams?



If you experience or at least believe in skin changes in moon cycle, there are times when you should and should not try on new products. Before I realized my different skin conditions in my moon cycle, I once tried on my newly bought moisturizer and found it really drying. I thought this product was for oily skin but after weeks I tried again surprisingly it smoothes on nicely without drying at all. Yes it was simply just because of my driest skin in the month when I first tried on.

So what I do now is to try on new samples at the times when I think suitable, for example, if I'm trying on a hydrating lotion, I try it in phase I of moon cycle (when I have the driest skin). If I'm trying on something new to fight my oiliness or acnes, I try it in last phase of moon cycle (when I have the most sensitive skin which is also prone to blemishes). I would not do it the other way around, as you can imagine everything you try on will not work! Also remember if you try on new samples in phase 2 (with the best skin condition) it's rather hard to see if your cream makes the difference.

How about start planning your skin care shopping trip according to your moon cycle now? I just think it's kinda interesting and I hope you also find it helpful, enjoy shopping!

How to pick the perfect serum for you?

Yes the question is how to pick the perfect serum. Many may pick according to its functional benefits for example anti-aging, fight wrinkles, nourishing, ultra moisturising, whitening, the list can go on and on :) But to me I pick mine based on their texture, before looking at its functional benefits. Remember the benefits are what those manufacturers want to claim, of course with the support of some clinical reports that we can never understand. I'm not saying they are making false claims but for many products out there, especially serum, the magical claims do take time before we are able to see results happened to us (at least for me)! So picking the right texture is critical as I'm able to feel its instant effect.

Different textures of serum

Texture of serum is generally more versatile, for it's supposed to be applied as the first layer after toning your skin and to be absorbed easily. Having said that the textures can differ from its level of oil and water. It's hard to tell if it fits your skin just from how the liquid looks. The best I suggest is to try on your back of palm, wait for 2 minutes, observe and feel if there's a film left or it's completely absorbed. You may also measure that using oil removal paper. To summarize, the ones that leave a film contain more oil in the formula, and the ones that are completely absorbed contain more water than oil.

In general I prefer a serum that contains more water than oil, meaning it's completely absorbed after putting on. If you have very dry mature skin (meaning your skin feels very tight or even flaking after cleansed), use a richer serum that leaves a film of oil and use the warmth of your palm to help the absorption. If you have normal, not seriously dry, or oily skin, I suggest a light serum that is usually in transparent liquid form and contains more water than oil in the formula. Once you know you are looking for a light serum, it's time to pick between functions that your skin needs.

For different skin types, it's ok to use the same light serum, the key is to use a lotion or cream to regulate your oil and water balance in the second layer. Will talk about lotion and cream in the next couple of posts!

Deep cleansing series #3: what to do before and after your deep cleansing step?

After picking the right deep cleasning product, you may want to try adding that into your skin care regimen. So how does this step fit into the routine? It's actually as critical as picking the right product.

First question is how frequent you should do deep cleansing?

For those who have read my previous posts should be well aware of what I call phase 2 in the moon cycle that is also the best time for deep cleansing. I really do not suggest doing deep cleansing every 2 weeks as most products recommend because if you believe skin changes in the moon cycle, there are stages where your skin is more prone to irritation so we should not scrub or peel during phase 3. Normally I do deep cleansing about 3 to 4 times a month in my phase 2.

Second question is what we should do before and after the deep cleansing step?

1. Most importantly, all makeup should be removed and the entire face should be completely cleansed. Having said that, we should not wash more than twice each time we wash our face.

2. I prefer doing deep cleansing after my shower as my pores are naturally opened from the steam in the shower

3. close the pores immediately after the deep cleansing step using rosewater spray or thermal water spray that gives your a refreshing cooling sensation and also helps close pores

4. put on your serum or lotion by layering, make sure we don't over moisturise our skin that again clog our pores

Hope it helps!

Deep cleansing series #2: 4 types of deep cleansing products in market

Deep cleansing to me is simply to cleanse skin more than daily regular cleansing. Your daily cleansing should remove dirt and makeup residues for a good housekeeping. Deep cleansing should be able to remove dull surface debris and sebum accumulated in pores. Again if your have a good housekeeping for your skin, your skin would not be too congested or sluggish that makes deep cleansing too difficult.


In general there are 4 types of products in market that are designed for this purpose:


1. Scrubs
Generally scrubs are made of many different kinds of beads, natural or sythetic, big or small, soft or hard. There is no absolute answer to say which one is better than the other. However scrub generally is considered harsh to skin because its idea is to physically remove dull surface debris with motion of your fingers. To me I don't use scrub as I just don't like how it feels on my skin (little too harsh and irritating) and most importantly I don't find my skin much cleaner after scrubbing.


2. Peeling gel
This transparent gel gets very popular lately. Most advertisements show photos of dull debris sloughs off immediately. Many are convinced by the immediate visible results but the truth is this type of peeling gel is usually a strong alkaline formula which when in contact with our skin (naturally mild acidic) will form residues that look like dull debris due to chemical reaction. Experts say using strong alkaline in a long term actually hurts your skin more than any other scrubs. So I don't recommend this type of product and I would never use it either!


3. Clay
Usually in mask forms to cleanse pores. Clay in nature has detoxifying and purify properties that help draw out impurities from pores. This is an excellent natural way of deep cleansing esp. for T-zone but it might be a bit too dry for cheeks (at least for me). I suggest not to leave it on for more than 10 mins, longer than that might be too drying. If you have very dry skin, you may not want to use clay. Enzyme powder would be a nice option.


4. Enzyme-based
Usually in powder form, when mixed with water, the powder forms dense and creamy foam that dissolves excess sebum and dull surface debris mildly.


I hope this post helps you find the right product for your deep cleansing routine. I'd also love to hear from you if you have ever tried any good products that are not on my list!

Enjoy the clean refreshed pores :)
 

Deep cleansing series #1: keep skin clean so deep cleansing is more effective

Taking an example of cleaning your house, you need good cleaning tools of course and may be you want to pick a good time to clean like a sunny morning or afternoon. If you have lots of stubborn stains or dirt deeply in the corner or between gaps, you need more time effort and usually stronger tools to get rid of it. Having said that, there is still hard-to-reach dust that would be left there "forever".

Back to skin cleansing, I believe the same concept applies. You need to keep your skin as clean and clear as you can so your whatever scrubs or masks could do their jobs effectively. To me keeping my skin clean is the most important step in the skincare ritual.

1. Cleanse your face daily in right ways (more details in my previous posts "the right ways of cleansing face") to wash away all sorts of dirts and residues including residues from your makeup remover that many of us are not aware of! This closes the door for the hateful blemishes and acnes resulted from acculumated residues and clogged pores, a good housekeeping!

2. Pick your cleansing products according to your moon cycle (more details in "how to take care of your skin in moon cycle" post)

I use my regular cleanser during my phase 1 of moon cycle. When I say regular cleanser I mean something you use most often which your skin feels most comfortable and not dry after use. Usually non foaming formula is less dry.

Entering phase 2, I use special cleanser every other day. I use Fresh Umbrian Clay Treatment (use it as cleanser) and Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder. Suisai is a soy-based enzyme cleanser with enzymes and silk powder. When mixed with water the powder forms dense and creamy foam that dissolves excess sebum and dull surface debris mildly. Skin feels clear and supple instantly. This also helps to prevent my blackheads buildup!

Entering phase 3 (the last phase), I use Vichy Normaderm deep cleansing gel. This is important to minimize breakouts during this phase as it controls sebum secretion.

I will talk more about products and ways for deep cleansing in next coupld of posts, stay tuned ;) 

The right ways to wash your face #3: removing your makeup means washing your face?

This is interesting since I'm not sure how many of us are actually doing BOTH in the daily regimen. I know some of us thought removing our makeup with makeup remover already equals to cleansing face. To me it's not quite true because most makeup remover, no matter oil or cream based, would leave residues even after several rinse of running water. Your face won't be clean enough and the residues will eventually clog your pores and cause blemishes. So I always cleanse my face with gentle facial wash once after removing my makeup, yes once is enough as more than that will be too harsh for your skin as you don't want to wash off your healthy skin cell on the surface.   

Remember cleansing your face properly is essential because most skin problems start from there. Your expensive cream won't get through and chemical or color residues stay on your skin and eventually cause problems in the long run.

If you worry about over-drying, pick a cleanser that is free of soap and foaming agent (means no foam), that helps retain your skin natural moisture while washing. Have fun cleansing!

  

The right ways to wash your face #2: never scrub before cleansing your face

Personally I'm not a fan of scrub. I almost never scrub my face as to me even the smallest or mildest scrub is too harsh for my skin (I don't like my skin feel during or after the process). And after all I don't really see the need when a good deep cleansing can be done easily and gently with all sorts of clay masks and facial wash.

For those who find scrubbing necessary a good piece of advice is never scrub before cleansing your face. I guess this makes sense because we don't want to scrub with dirt and oil. Experts also say the pores are opened while scrubbing and it's a bad idea to let the dirt and oil penetrate through the pores into the skin layers. Doing so for a long term will cause blemishes and frequent breakout (cuz the dirt are stuck in the pores!)

With this in mind, I would suggest a cleansing routine like this:

remove makeup -> cleanse (I will talk more about this in the next few posts) -> scrub (if necessary) or deep cleansing mask

Although washing your face sounds so simple but I think there is a lot of knowledge behind a good face washing habit. What is your daily habit of washing your face? Do you think you are doing it the way your skin loves?

The right ways to wash your face #1: do not steam before removing your makeup

Today this topic pops up in my mind I'd like to write about the right ways to washing face as to me this is the first and most important step in the whole skincare routine. Having said that, many people I know are not doing it right! and that is the root cause of many skin problems - blemish or acne from makeup residue, yellowish skin from accumulated dead skin cells. I believe how well you wash your face is likely to be the reason of how good your skin looks. 

Some may think steaming is good when washing your face as it opens the pores. Um....it's only partly true! My suggestion is not to steam with your makeup still on as the heat may cause chemical reaction (with your makeup) which is harmful to your skin. It's always important to remove the makeup and any dirt on the skin surface before opening the pores which is supposed to be the step for deep cleansing. So I never do makeup removal and deep cleansing in one step, that has to come in order.

Expert also says that active agents in many makeup removers are likely to dissolve in the heat and easily penetrate through pores. That sounds even more scary to me. And for the same reason I also learnt that I should never massage my face with any makeup remover and the products no matter if it's oil or water I should not let them stay on my face for more than 40 seconds. This has been my washing habit for over 10 years now and I have to say this is so so valuable and true!

Will talk more about the proper ways of washing face in the next couple of posts, happy washing!

How to take care of your skin in a moon cycle?

You may or may not aware that your skin condition changes at different times of the month. You may thought it was due to weather but most of the times your skin changes at a pattern which is determined by your body during different phases in your moon cycle.  Understand how and when your body changes help you take care of your skin in better ways. 

1-6 days (once menstruation starts) - during this phase the hormonal levels and body temperature are low with slower metabolism rate

What you need? Moisture and Nourish!
this is the period when you need the highest moisturization because your skin is the driest with lack of both moisture and oil caused by the low hormonal levels. I usually put a slightly heavier cream after my regular serum and also add nourishing and hydrating masks in my daily routine in this period.

7-13 days (between menstruation and ovulation) - during this phase the hormonal levels raise and your skin is at its best condition and I normally notice firmer and more radiant skin, even without much care. That is the benefit of the ever increasing levels of the oestrogen (female hormone)!

What you need? Deep Cleansing!
This is the period when more effective deep cleansing and skin revitalization take place. I usually use my regular serum with a thin layer of lotion only and I will add exfoliation and deep cleansing masks in my daily routine in this period.

14-28 days - this is the critical period! during this phase the level of androgens (male hormone) is higher than oestrogen and that increases secretions and causes acne and breakouts.

What you need? OIL CONTROL!
I take extra care during this period that my whole skin care regimen will be switched to oil control products from cleanser, toner, to lotion on forehead and T zone. This is important to prevent breakouts because I do not want to bear with all those acne scars that normally takes month to clear.

Notice the changes to your skin today and re-organize your regimen according to your moon cycle, enjoy!

Easy steps to remove blackheads at home

Many said squeezing blackheads is a no no but there are safe ways to remove the annoying blackheads that will eventually turn into acne. Key items I need are hot towel, facial treatment oil, blackhead removal tool (aka comedone extractor)

1. soak towel in hot water

2. rub 2 drops of treatment oil on palm and cover your face with your palms for 10 secs

3. cover your face with warm towel for 30 secs, and repeat so the treatment oil got absorbed (from my experience this step helps soften the blackheads so can be extracted more easily)

4. the pores should be open by now, sterilize the tool with alcohol

5. work gently with the blackhead removal tool to press out blackheads or whiteheads, use the big loop on forehead and the small loop on nose

6. when done, soak towel in tap cold water, cover your face to cool it down, repeat to close pores (use ice water if you prefer)

7. spray on natural water or rosewater to calm your skin and prep for lotion / cream

8. for areas that turn red, soak rosewater on cotton pad and press on red areas for 5 mins to calm the skin

Wash your face with 38C water

Do you use hot or cold water to wash your face?

Some said using cold water actually helps minimize pores, but note that water that is too cold will actually irritate your skin too much that enlarges blood vessels. This is why your face becomes red in freezing cold weather. You don't want enlarged blood vessels that will eventually become visible. On the other hand, needless to say, hot water is too harsh for your skin so the best temperature for skin is 38C which means water at a warm temperature that your skin can hardly notice.

Start trying today and feel the difference, enjoy! 

Feed your skin with LAYERS

Layering helps your skin absorb your product and most importantly you lock the moisture in with the last layer. I follow the right order based on the viscosity -


I start with liquid -> lotion -> cream -> (balm if necessary).

Wait for 1 min after each layer so to allow the product penetrates before you put on the next layer. Then I finish with cream which basically makes a protective layer to seal the moisture. Try with the products that you are currently using and see the difference. Enjoy!