ACNE

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

2014 April - May Haul + Birthday Presents

I know it has been a few weeks since I last posted... I went on a vacation and just got back yesterday so pardon me for not updating this blog or replying to any of the emails and comments you readers sent in. Rest assured, I will reply within this week.

As the month of May is coming to an end, I decided that it's time to write a haul post~! The last time I did a haul was in March so this time, I'm going to share the haul for the month of April & May! Well, I did not get much beauty stuff this two months but I received some beauty-related stuff as birthday presents so I thought I'd show you the presents too. I will put a present icon(

) beside the item name to indicate my birthday present~

Erm...as you may or may not know, I turned 22 six days ago! wheeeee~

I'm not going to write a wordy post. I gonna flood this post with pictures instead. So without further ado, I shall start off with masks, followed by skincare, makeup, health products and other misc.~

Nature Republic Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel

"My Beauty Diary" — My favorite mask brand:

- Strawberry Yogurt

- Apple Polyphenol

- Black Pearl

- Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing

My Beauty Diary:

(Top left to right to Bottom left-right)

- Cavier

- Black Pearl

- Royal Jelly

- Collagen Firming

- Imperial Bird Nest

- Arbutin Whitening

- Rice

- Lemon Vit-C

Just in case, you are wondering how come I could get them in loose pieces...... Well, each box contains 10 pieces so my friends and I bought different boxes that serve different purposes and then we did an exchange.

My Beauty Diary Aloe Mask~!

ZINO Dark Circle Removal Golden Eye Mask

Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub

Review: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-etude-house-baking-powder-crunch.html

The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip

Review: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-face-shop-new-zealand-volcanic.html

The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Heating Gel Mask

Etude House AC Clinic Intense Extractor

innisfree

eco science white C pore double serum

the green tea seed serum

No-Sebum Mineral Pact

Nivea Lip Balm

Clean&Clear Oil Control Film

Tony Moly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in #03(Apple) and #09(Neon Red)

The Face Shop Face it Power Perfection BB Cream

Biore Aqua Jelly Makeup Remover

Review: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-biore-aqua-jelly-make-up-remover.html

Silkygirl Nail Polish Remover

Optrex Eye Lotion

Complete Blink-N-Clean Lens Drops for contact lenses

Optrex Eye Drops

Perfume Atomizer

Unicity Super Chlorophyll Powder

Redoxon Double Action Vitamin C + Zinc

FENDI Sunglasses

Braun Silk Epil 7 SkinSpa 7951

it comes with a free Braun Silk Epil Bikini Styler.

Mipow Power Tube 4000mah

XiaoMi Power Bank 10400mah

Monopod in black and Red Remote Shutter

The monopod is very useful if you want to take a group photo, portrait photo with a nice scenery background or video but I think it looks funny and silly using it in public.

I love the remote shutter though~

Mcdonald's Hello Kitty Bubbly World Set!!

Lastly, ...

I received this incredible handmade 3D Origami Hello Kitty

from one of my besties~ I was impressed lah!

This is an amazing piece of art!

Alright, that's all the things I picked up and received this two months. Stay tuned for the next update.

Monday, May 5, 2014

[Acne Story/Tips] My Current Skincare Routine May 2014 + Answers to FAQ

Out of all of the emails I get, the most frequently asked questions are "what's your current skincare routine?", "how do you deal with breakouts during 'that time of the month'?", "......products recommendation that can fight pimples and pimple scars" etc. blahhhhhhhhhhhh~ majority of the mails are regarding to the little monster, A.C.N.E!

So, here I am answering to the most frequently asked questions~

Before I start, let me clarify one point. — I'm not a skin or beauty professional etc. so...all the information provided are based on my own experiences and thoughts. Even though the products I use/mention helped treat my skin problems, I don't know if they would work the same for you because our skins are different so what worked for me might not work the same for you. With that said, please treat below information as a reference.

1) What's my my skin type?
Oily/Combination + Acne-prone + Sensitive skin

2) What's my current skincare routine?

Well, I am aware that I have not been updating my skincare routine page since November 2013. That basically means I am still sticking with the routine .aka. am still using the products as listed.

But to be honest, I actually modified and added in a few products into my skincare routine in early Feb this year. Sorry for the extreme late update. In the future, more detailed information about my skincare routine will be updated in this post section followed by FAQ, if any, instead of the skincare routine page. Do take note of it. :)

[My Current Skincare Routine] (dated: 2nd Feb 2014)

The range of products I use for day and night.

To make things clearer, I'm going to separate my skincare routines into TWO — One with makeup products, one without. Without further ado, I shall introduce my current skincare routine~

Day and Night Routine IF I'm staying at home the whole day:
(WITHOUT makeup products)

Product I use in the DAY:

Arranged according to steps:

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner

- Hiruscar Post Acne Gel

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Liquid Spot

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist

Product I use at NIGHT:

Arranged according to steps:

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

- *Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub (once a week)

- *Cure Natural Aqua Gel (once a week)

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner
- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet (once a week if I get breakout)

- Hiruscar Post Acne Gel

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

- Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist

Day and Night routine IF I'm going out of the house:

(WITH makeup products)

Product I use in the DAY:

Arranged according to steps:

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner

- Hiruscar Post Acne Gel

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Liquid Spot
- The Face Shop FACE it Power Perfection BB Cream #02 Natural Beige

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist

Product I use at NIGHT:

Arranged according to steps:
- Biore Aqua Jelly Make Up Remover

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

- *Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub (once a week)

- *Cure Natural Aqua Gel (once a week)

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Toner
- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet (once a week if I get breakout)

- Hiruscar Post Acne Gel

- Etude House AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion
- Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot

- Etude House AC Clinic Intense Hinoki Water Mist

*I added both exfoliators into my skincare routine in early January this year. Sorry for the extreme late update... Anyway, I bought the Cure Natural Aqua Gel since last year but I had stopped using it for awhile due to laziness and literally forgot about it's existence.

Till one day, I recalled it's existence, then I resumed using it.

I exfoliate my face once or twice a week, depends on my mood and my hardworking-ness~ ROFL. If I'm going to exfoliate my face twice a week, I will usually use the Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub for the first exfoliation session and on the second exfoliation session, I will use the Cure Natural Gel.

I use different exfoliators because I have pretty sensitive skin especially on the area of my cheeks, excluding the area of my nose. I personally find the Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub a little harsh to my skin when I use it twice a week. As an exception, the area of my nose is non-sensitive but very oily hence, I will usually use the Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub on my nose twice a week. As for the rest of my face, I will usually exfoliate ONCE using the Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub and ONCE using the Cure Natural Gel. I hope it's not too confusing.

Being a girl, breakouts are unavoidable, especially during 'that time of the month' .aka. menstrual period. So ladies..., no matter how good you pampered your skin, during 'that time of the month', the zits will surely come out to play. It's something inevitable but you can find ways to reduce the breakouts that will happen during 'that time of the month'.

Let me share with you some tips~:

First and foremost, refrain from touching or popping the zits! Leave them alone and eventually, they will "ripe" and heal themselves. I saw this interesting picture on twitter the other day and I find it kinda true so let me share with you, readers.

The moral of the story = Refrain touching or popping your pimple/zit!

Secondly, determine when you are most prone to breakout and lastly, deal with it.

To deal with my breakouts during 'that time of the month', I would first find out when my skin is most prone to breakout. I usually breakout during my first week and the week after of my period. Hence, what I usually do is to use Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet a week before my period and when it's going into the week after my period .aka. post safe period. It did help me to reduce the amount and the severity of zits coming out to play. By the way, this mask is one of my 'secret weapons' to deal with breakouts.

Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet contains Salicylic Acid, which is an anti-acne ingredient, that helps to prevent pimples and at the same time, tackle and treat the existing ones. Check out my review here: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-etude-house-ac-clinic-intense.html

There are many brands carrying anti-acne mask sheet. So of course, you can use other anti-acne mask sheet from other brands as long as it is specifically for troubled skin, I believe it would work out fine tackling zits as well. Do not neglect to hydrate your skin by the way!

As for guys, apparently you guys don't have the ~~golden~~ shitty time of the month so I don't know if you have a breakout cycle but nevermind, you can also try to determine when your skin are most prone to breakout. From there, you can decide on when to use the anti-acne treatment products, such as the Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet, to tackle the zits.

FYI, Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet is not the only mask sheet I use. I use facial masks twice a week and I have many mask sheets that serve different purposes — whitening, hydrating, soothing, pore tightening, oil-control and many more. Let me know if you are interested and wanted to know more about the mask sheets I use. I might consider doing a post sharing more details about them~

One thing to take note which I have said this a zillion times... As our skins are different, what worked for me might not work the same for you. Therefore, even though Etude House AC Clinic Intense Mask Sheet worked out awesomely for me, it might not work out as good for you. Hence, I strongly recommend to go ahead and try out different mask sheets that are designated for troubled skin and see which one works better for you then, you can consider adding that into your skincare routine.

On the other hand, in my opinion, what we eat or drink play a part in breakouts. With that said, try to stay away from (or eat less) greasy, spicy foods, seafood particularly "shellfish", junk foods, dairy products, soda/sweet drinks etc. Instead, consume more veggies in your diet and drink plain water or non-additives pure green tea. You can also take in health products such as vitamin pills etc. but for me, I don't do that. The only health product I consume is Chlorophyll drink. Google for more info.

Also, by having a good life routine does help and improve the skin conditions thus, don't be an owl and stay up late at night. Sleep early instead!

4) Products recommendation that can fight pimples and pimple scars
When people asked me for products recommendation, usually I will not state a specific product and ask you to go get this or must get this this this etc. because as stated before, "our skins are different, what worked for me might not work the same for you". I usually only share my experience on the products I used that worked for me. Hence, I always reply like "you might want to give this a try..." etc.. Whether you want to give the product I mentioned a shot, it's all up to you.

So for products recommendation, just check my skincare routine and you will know what products I'm going to share.

Here's an advice... If you are having pimples, just choose skincare products that contain anti-acne ingredients such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or tea tree oil etc. However, be warned that some signs of dryness are inevitable as anti-acne ingredients usually might cause skin to feel dry. If that's a problem to you, just add in an oil-free and non-comedogenic hydrating moisturizer into your skincare routine. In any case, I will advise all, especially for people with sensitive skin, to do a small patch test prior using the product or if there is any tester available on the shelves, test it prior purchasing the product.

Another note for people with sensitive skin... Be cautious to product that contains tea tree oil as it might cause an allergic reaction. Take note of the concentration — 100% is extremely strong... I personally have tried using 100% pure tea tree oil on zits and I suffered from bad allergic/irritation after application. Then I lowered down the concentration to 5% and it did not work out for me as well. It left me with bad allergic reactions/irritation(red, burnt, peeled, extremely itchy patches) again. From then, I stayed away from touching any products that contain tea tree oil. So do take note of the allergic reactions/irritation that might caused by Tea Tree oil.

As for post acne marks/scars, you can try getting whitening/spot treatment that is specifically for pimple scars. There are many various whitening/spot treatment products from different brands in the market.

Throughout my acne journey, I tried a few kinds of whitening/spot treatments and my personally favorite is Hiruscar Post Acne Gel, which is still a part of my skincare routine. It's a light gel and it did lighten my post acne marks. It gets absorbed into the skin without leaving a layer thus, it can be used under makeup without interference. Check out my full review here: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-hiruscar-post-acne-gel.html

5) During the time when I suffered from horrible breakouts, do I wear makeup?
OF COURSE, I DO! But I tried to use products that state "non-comedogenic", which means "less clogging pores" and I tried to wear as minimal makeup as possible because thick makeup can cause acne condition to become worse. Back then, I worn 1 or 2 layers of The Face Shop FACE it Power Perfection BB Cream, covered my blemishes with DHC Medicated Acne Concealer and finished with Maybelline Pure Pact Mineral Healthy Perfecting UV Compact Foundation. Is it too much?

Anyway, nowadays I only wear BB cream alone.

6) What sunscreen do I wear?
I don't wear sunscreen and I have zero knowledge on sunscreen so, sorry I can't help on any questions regarding to sunscreen.

I hope this would help...... There are still many questions that I wanted to post it here but I think I shall stop for now. Otherwise, this post will become super lengthy. I will write up another FAQ post in the future so keep your questions coming!

xo,
Ashley

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub

Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub (each 7g x 24 pouches)

Description: Formulated with Baking Powder to penetrate, exfoliate and cleanse skin deep within pores to remove makeup and residues. Scrub cleanser formulated with Peppermint to soothe skin.
- 100% natural fragrance
- Dye-free

Active ingredients: Baking Powder

Directions: Tear along dotted line to extract scrub cleanser from pouch (one pouch per application). Apply cleanser to wet face, lather and massage then rinse off with warm water. Use 1-2 times a week.

It comes in a 3-dimensional blue triangular prism box. The top lid can be easily open and closed.

One box contains 24 pouches. Each pouch weighs 7g. The shape of the pouch remind me of a traditional game called "five stones". LOL. *crap* Though the package states "One pouch per application", for me, one pouch can lasts for 2-4 usages. The number of usage per pouch depends on how much you use each time.

Each pouch has a tear line at the top which I think it's very thoughtful as it makes it easier to open the pouch. You can open it anywhere at anytime without needing a pair of scissor.

By ripping off the tear-line given, create a small hole where product can be easily squeeze out and you can simply control the amount of product being squeeze out from the pouch. Also, as the opening is very small, it minimizes the chance of leftover being exposed to the air.

This is how I usually keep the leftover.

Demonstration on my mom's hand~:

Wet the desired area prior application. Upon application, you can add a bit more water and continue massage...

It contains fine and mild scrubbing particles/beads which gently exfoliates and removes the dead skin cells and impurities. Being a scrubbing product, it definitely contains more scrubbing particles/beads compared to Etude House Baking Powder B.B Deep Cleansing Foam (Review: link). The scrubbing particles/beads will become tinier and finer during massaging. By the way, it does not lather up like what it claimed...

It can be rinsed off effortlessly, leaving the skin looking brighter, clean and smooth.

Color & Consistency:
White creamy texture with lots of fine and mild scrubbing particles.

Scent:
It has a citrusy, lemony-orangey scent which smells pretty similar to the Baking Powder B.B Deep Cleansing Foam (Review: link) from the same product range/line.

Moisture Test:

Before using the crunch pore scrub, my mom's skin moisture level is 33.5%.

After using the crunch pore scrub, my mom's skin moisture level increases to 33.0%.

Moisture loss before and after using the scrub is 0.5%.

Comparing the result taken before and after using the scrub,

I concluded that this baking powder crunch pore scrub is not very drying.

**Above result is just for the application of the crunch pore scrub, without prior application of a toner**

Likes:
- contains ample amount of fine scrubbing particles/beads
- exfoliates and cleanses well
- unclogged pores; get rid and minimize the amount of whiteheads
- makes the blackheads/whiteheads on my nose easier to extract
- not very drying
- slight cooling feel upon application
- leaves skin feeling smooth and clean
- didn't break me out
- each pouch can be used more than once!
- the scent

Dislikes:
- might not suit all levels of sensitivity skin

Verdict: I get clogged pores(whiteheads, very small fresh color bumps) very easily and this Crunch Pore Scrub exfoliates and cleanses my skin decently. It did help to unclog the pores and minimize the amount of whiteheads/small fresh-colored bumps, leaving my skin feeling smooth, brighter and clean without feeling too dry. And thankfully, it didn't break me out or cause any skin reaction.

I usually exfoliate twice a week but when I use this Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub for more than once a week, I do find it a little abrasive on my sensitive skin, especially on the area of my cheeks (excluding the area of my nose). So on the second round of exfoliation, I would normally use a different exfoliator, a more gentle one — "Cure Natural Aqua Gel" — on my face, excluding the area of my nose. The area of my nose are non-sensitive but very oily hence, I usually use the Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub on my nose twice a week. It helps to get rid some of the blackheads but not all(the stubborn ones)... On the plus side...after using the scrub for a few times, I noticed it makes the stubborn blackheads/whiteheads on my nose easier to extract using the extractor tool.

On the other hand, I would not recommend this crunch pore scrub to people who have HIGH level of sensitivity skin. My mom, who has dry and very sensitive skin, tried this on her face and it left her skin feeling stinging/tingly and slight burning. With that said, I will recommend to do a small patch test on a small area of your skin prior to use on your face.

All in all, I really love this Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub! It does its job well!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Review: The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip

The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip (7 sheets)

Description:

The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip removes all dirt, impurities and blackheads from pores with no mercy. The mud includes pore clear agent and natural mineral which helps control the sebum inside the pores, leaving the skin feeling clean and smooth.

Directions:

1) Wash face, leaving nose thoroughly wet.

2) Remove the clear lining from the smooth side of the strip.

3) Apply across the bridge of the nose, pressing down firmly to ensure maximum contact.

4) Let it dry for 10-15minutes until the strip has hardened.

5) Slowly peel off the strip.

Each box contains 7 sheets. Each nose strip is well-sealed in a "wrapper" as shown in the picture.

The sealed wrapper can be easily ripped open as there are two tear lines at the top right and left of the wrapper. To take out the nose strip, you just have to tear from either the right or left tear-line to rip open the sealed wrapper.

The nose strip can be easily removed from the clear lining.

Color and Consistency:

I got the nose strip in charcoal and hence, it has a charcoal-black color. When it comes in contact with water(wet the nose prior to use), it can become very adhesive which is great as it can stick out the gunk more effectively.

Scent:

I don't know how to describe the scent. My friend dislikes the scent as she finds it too strong but for me, I don't find it unbearable...

Result:

A zoom-in picture: Look at the amount of gunk and facial hair being pulled out~ Well, it's not as much as compared to the first time I used The Face Shop Nose Strip — the previous old version — The Face Shop Blackhead EX Charcoal Pore Strip. Check out my review here: http://bitsdiaries.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-face-shop-blackhead-ex-charcoal.html

That probably just means my skin condition has improved throughout the years which also means, I did take proper care(cleanses well etc.) of my skin LOL~

Oil-Control:

I don't think it has any oil-control as my nose still gets as oily as it normally would gets. In my opinion, I think it only helps to remove and clean the clogged impurities and sebum that build up in the pores.

Likes:
- very adhesive!
- works effectively in pulling out the gunk from pores!
- leaving the nose feeling clean and smooth
- not drying
- easy to use
- very affordable
- contains charcoal
- comes in Aloe formula/version

Dislikes:
- might not pull out all the blackheads
- does enlarge the pores on the nose

Neutral:
- upon peeling off the pore strip, it does leaves the nose looking sightly red (the redness will subsidize and be gone after awhile)
- oil-control

Verdict: The Face Shop Nose Strip is by far the most effective ones I have ever tried! I absolutely love this product! It's one of my holy grail products~ As my nose is usually oily-prone, I choose charcoal over aloe. I use it once or twice a week. It works exactly the same as the old version — It does remove majority of the impurities, dirt and oil from the pores, leaving the nose feeling clean and smooth.

For best result, steam your nose before using the nose strip. I will normally use Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub to exfoliate my nose first, then steam and wet my nose prior using the nose strip. I find it works more effective in pulling out all the gunk from my pores if I go through these steps.

From what I've noticed...after using the nose strip, it does enlarge the pores and make them look more noticeable. As it pulls out all the gunk, there will be "holes"(opened pores) — a place where the gunk once lived in...

— left on the nose. Therefore, after using the pore strip, I will use a pore tightening face mask to tighten the pores and then continue with my usual skincare routine. If you are using pore tightening skincare products, you probably can skip the face mask step. I strongly recommend to use a pore astringent or other pore tightening products to avoid enlarged pores.

All in all, The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip is quite effective. It's worth giving it a try!

ACNE

Pages

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

2014 April - May Haul + Birthday Presents

Monday, May 5, 2014

[Acne Story/Tips] My Current Skincare Routine May 2014 + Answers to FAQ

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Review: Etude House Baking Powder Crunch Pore Scrub

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Review: The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Charcoal Nose Strip

About

Popular Posts