Review: Silk Naturals 2% BHA Toner

Remember this haul, months ago? Time to review the 2% BHA Toner!

Silk Naturals Order

From www.silknaturals.com:
Beta Hydroxy Acid is great for clogged pores- it goes into the pore to break up oils, and helps to keep them super clean- and hopefully less prone to getting pimples. The other place where BHA shines is after any sort of hair removal- I always take it with me when I go get waxed. It really really stings for the first minute or so, but after that you won’t get nearly as many in-growns, and it does take away some of the post wax pain. It helps to soothe the inflammation, and keeps me from breaking-out. It’s almost mandatory if you’re doing anything with your bikini line- you really need it.

Our BHA is unique because it doesn’t contain any alcohol- it’s a special, natural white willow bark extract that I find is very effective without as much of the burning. I’ve added  lots of aloe to help soothe and hydrate your skin. The pH is 3.5 It’s 100% natural and preservative free!

Do not use this if you’re allergic to aspirin. Do not use this if you’re pregnant or nursing.

You get a 2 ounce (60 ml) bottle.

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Juice, White Willow Bark Extract

Sunburn alert: This product contains an beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that may increase skin’s sensitivity to sunburn. Use a sunscreen and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week following cessation of use.

My Skin Type:
Actually very oily, but surpressed with BHA exfoliator. Results in generally ranging from very dry to normal/combo skin. Generally dehydrated, very sensitive, and acne prone.

Packaging:
Dark blue bottle with flip flop opening. Easy to pour to my hands, and easy to control how much do you want to use. Easy to travel with, too.

Texture:
It’s a toner, so it’s a liquid

My General Review:
This is a very interesting product. Because as far as I concern, it doesn’t contain BHA! This product uses Willow Bark, and to my knowledge, Willow Bark needs enzyme and transformation and what not to be turned into Salicylic Acid (BHA). In its form, Willow Bark retain more of its Aspirin effect, instead of Salicylic Acid. That means, this toner is more of an anti-inflammatory toner, instead of a BHA toner.

Does it work? Yes! For a non-BHA product, this toner really keeps my face calm and clear more than anything else I’ve tried. Not as good as a real 2% BHA, of course. But definitely performing. I would still get an acne or two from time to time. And this product helps to heal them up.

The side effect is, this product is almost totally non-drying on me. I’m (very) receptive to BHA; 2% of it reduces my acne remarkably, but it can dry my face out terribly. This Aspirin toner makes my skin oils up again, while still controlling acne to some extent.

In the end, to attain more acne control and balanced sebum care, I use this in-between BHA treatments. This way, I hope I can lower the percentage of BHA I’m using while still keeping acne at bay.

What Else You Need To Know:
It’s fragrance-free! And preservatives-free too

Application:
I usually pat this on after toner, using my clean fingers. Cotton pads is just not my choice.

Even though it’s a liquid, once it dries down it can be slightly sticky. Not a problem for me, though. I directly top if off with an antioxidant serum and moisturizer, so the stickiness immediately disappear.

Availability:
You’ll need to order this online at www.silknaturals.com. Luckily the shipping cost is quite reasonable too

Price:
US$5.99 for 60ml bottle. Very reasonable!

Ingredients:
Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Juice, White Willow Bark Extract

Overall Rating:
5 out of 5. Even though it’s mis-marketed, it still work to minimize acne and clogged pores problem on me. I really like its ability to calm out my skin, resulting in clearer, more even toned, happier skin.

I highly recommend this if you have normal/dry skin, battling with slight acne. If you have oilier, more problematic skin, maybe you’ll need to alternate this product with a real BHA product.

*This review will be cross posted in www.makeupalley.com under username Crescent_Shadow.

Review: Clinique 3 Steps

Clinique 3 Steps

Clinique 3 steps has (and still) always been one the most popular Clinique products. Many people think 3 steps is the gate to entering the world of Clinique. They want to buy 3 steps as their first Clinique product. To test whether Clinique can do any good to their skin. Which I think is very risky.

Why? Because for me, a long time Clinique user, 3 steps is about philosophy, not products.

Many people tend to think otherwise, maybe because it’s the way Clinique markets this. Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion, and DDML/DDMG. From my observation, this hinders you from getting the best result from Clinique. Because more than half Clinique’s 3 steps products are obsolete.

So, what are the philosophy/steps?

First, cleanse.

I highly recommend others to get the Liquid Facial Soap version instead of the old Facial Soap. The bar ones are harsh and made of….soap. The liquid ones, on the other hands, are milder. The extra mild version is surfactant free, so it’s very good choice for very dry/dry/sensitive skins.

Of course, Clinique offers some other cleansers, but I’ve never tried them.

And don’t forget, if you wear makeup and/or sunscreen, it’s best if you take them off first using makeup remover. Clinique offers several great makeup removers in the Take The Day Off line.

Second, exfoliate.

Mild Clarifying Lotion is the best of the bunch. No, it’s not the same as the Asian-exclusive Moisture Clarifying Lotion. Clarifying Lotion are alcohol-ridden and much too harsh. Moisture ones are alcohol-free but still contain Peppermint oil, so I don’t care about that either.

Mild Clarifying Lotion, on the other hand, are supposed to be irritant free. It contains 0.5% BHA.

Of course, toner is not the only way to exfoliate your skin. Check Clinique’s Turnaround line for BHA in other bases (such as cream and serum). Clinique Total Turnaround Visible Skin Renewer, especially, for me is the best of the bunch. It’s the one in the jar. Very effective to control my acne.

Third, moisturize.

Choices are even more abundant here Clinique will recommend you Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (DDML) or Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (DDMG) to complete your 3 steps routine; but actually they’re not the only choices. How many moisturizers do Clinique produce?

Quoting Paula Begoun, DDML is…antiquated mess It’s only mineral oil, lanolin, and yellow coloring mixed together (and nothing else) I tend to like it though! When my skin is normal/dry, this alone provides enough moisture. It makes my skin and pores smooth! Something that a lot of moisturizer can’t achieve. On my very dry days, it can be used under other moisturizer to provide extra moisturization.

In contrast, DDMG is much more elegantly formulated. It contains antioxidants *and* cell communicating ingredients like peptide. It’s very light, suitable for normal to combination/oily skin. I use this as my morning moisturizer and am very satisfied with it!

If either one of DDML or DDMG can’t suit your needs, rest assured. Advanced moisturizers are one of Clinique’s specialty indeed! For oilier skin, I highly recommend Clinique Moisture Surge Extended; it’s very light and the ingredients are great. For drier skin, I adore Superdefense and Super Rescue Judging from the ingredient list, each of these can even be labeled as ‘anti-aging’ products

Be aware though, that I will always use antioxidant serum under all my moisturizer to boost up skin’s protection level. I usually use Paula’s Choice. Clinique supposed to have some great serums too, it’s just that I haven’t get around to test them out.

All in all, I wholeheartedly agree in the philosophy of 3 steps: that you’ll need to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. For me, the right products to get the job done can really yield great result. And the right products may not come from products marketed for 3 steps (i.e. faciap soap, clarifying lotion, DDML/DDMG). Any other well formulated cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer can get the job done, so please don’t limit your choices to 3 steps products.

Hope this little article can help people who are new to Clinique!

Review: Cure Natural Aqua Gel

Cure Natural Aqua Gel

From The Bottle:
Gently remove layers of dry, dead, and rough skin to obtain clear, firm, and ideal skin. Activated hydrogen used (rinse type).

My Skin Type:
Ranging from very dry to normal/combo. Generally dehydrated, very sensitive.

Packaging:
Transparent plastic pump bottle with locking mechanism. Looks ideal for travel. Transparent bottle lets you know how much product is left.

Texture:
Gel. Feels slippery when you apply it. I use a little less than a pump to cover my whole face.

My General Review:
I bought this due to the rave reviews by Singaporean ladies. They say this made-in-Japan product is very effective in exfoliating the skin, yet it’s so gentle. I was highly sceptical though, I’ve tried The Face Shop Dewy Flower Peeling Gel before, and it’s a big joke. Doesn’t do a single thing except for dehydrating my face a little bit.

Cure Natural Aqua Gel, however, is a very different story! Much like TFS Dewy Flower Peeling Gel, when I massage the product, the gel started to balls up. When I rinse, my skin feels very clean and smooth.

As my skin is now normal/combo, it’s non drying on me. But when my skin is very dry/dry, Cure dehydrates my skin a bit. Nothing a moisturizing mask can’t handle though

I’ve used this product twice a week for months, and I think it helps dry out my acne, removes red acne marks and blackheads.

Application:
1. Spread gently and thoroughly over dry face, with dry hands.
2. Massage lightly, don’t rub too hard.
3. Wash it off with water.

Availability:
As of now, this product is not available in Indonesia. It’s available in major Watsons in Singapore though. I bought it at Watsons Changi.

Price:
Surprisingly it’s quite expensive for a drugstore item. SGD38 for 250gram bottle. But I only need to use little each time, it will lasts *very* long time.

What Else You Need To Know:
It claims to be 90% water, not that I care LOL. I wonder how this exfoliates BTW….I don’t know which ingredients contribute to the exfoliating properties.

It’s color, fragrance, and preservatives free, therefore Cure recommend you to throw yours to the bin when it’s 6 months old. Frankly speaking, water based products are prone to contamination when they’re preservatives free, but the packaging is helpful. The product itself is not exposed to air, so it should be okay.

Ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dicocodimonium Chloride, Steartrimonium Bromide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Gingko Biloba Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol.

Overall Rating:
5 out of 5. Effective, fragrance free exfoliator. Probably worth a HG status

*This review will be cross posted in www.makeupalley.com under username Crescent_Shadow.