On Skincare Regimens

If there’s one thing I learned about skin care regimens, it’s that it can’t be static. 

It should evolve as you age, and more especially when situations change - from local weather fluctuations to moving countries, and hormonal changes like pregnancy and menopause. Although, I can’t personally attest to the latter yet, heehee. 

What I know for a fact is that with my desire to manage and improve my #SkinHealth, my skin care regimen has changed so many times, from when I was in my teens, to now that I am 40. 

In high school, I started with being a soap and water kind of girl to washing with Cetaphil when soap started to feel too harsh for my face. 

I began doing the Cleanse-Tone-Moisturize routine in my early 20s, which I coupled with the Oil Cleansing Method. Then using essences became an extra step and by my early 30s, I switched to a thicker moisturizer because of the harsh sun and winter weather in the city we lived in then. 

When I came across Garance Dore’s No Water cleansing routine. I decided to incorporate that into my daily life and have since included serums, facial oils and face masks in my bid to slow down aging. 

Of course, I still go to my dermatologist for regular cleansing facials, peels, prodding and pricking. 

There have been times when I would also take Biotin, a vitamin that helps thicken hair and is good for the skin and nails. But I don’t take it for prolonged periods. 

It’s practically a career just taking care of my skin, and I super envy girls who have low maintenance skin care regimens. 

So I know for a fact that for those of us who have or have had pimple and other skin issues, finding a skin care routine can be extra challenging. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, and it can be costly trying a product out, finding it doesn’t work and then moving on to the next one. 

The great thing is, there are beauty vitamins now that deal with pimples at the source. I’ve mentioned Lactezin in an earlier post. 

Lactezin has Lactoferrin (antibacterial milk-derived protein), Vitamin E, and Zinc, which combined together, have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. It deals with pimples from within, for clearer, smoother, less oily skin with finer pores. Wish this was around during my time! 

If you still haven’t figured out the best skin care regimen for your skin type, it’s time to start thinking about it. Whether you become one of the lucky soap and water kind of girls or you decide to embark on a Korean pop star-style 16-step routine, the choice is yours. No judgment here! 

As long as you have a fortified regimen built from a solid skin care routine plus beauty vitamins, blemish-free, healthy, glowing skin can be yours. Take it seriously and you'll see.

P.S. Lactezin is available at leading drugstores at Php20/capsule.

#SkinHealth Q&A: Healing Pimples from Within

As a follow-up to my last #SkinHealth post, here’s a skin concern from a reader that I know many of us can relate to. Read on!

Q: Hi Tin! You look like you have such nice skin, I can’t imagine you saying you had acne before. I’ve done a lot of treatments at my derma already, but I have yet to see a major improvement on my skin. Any other options I should consider? Thanks! 

- Sad For My Skin 

Dear Sad For My Skin, 

I was on the same boat as you are now years ago, and if it seems like you are not getting the results you want, just be a little more patient. Results do not happen overnight. 

I think it took me a year approximately before my skin totally cleared up. It took a combination of factors for my skin to heal really. Apart from regular derma visits, I embarked on a total lifestyle change: eating healthy, sleeping early, and if it sounds a little bit kooky, willing my skin to heal itself from within. 

Have you ever heard of Mind-Body Connection? In a nutshell, it pretty much sums up the idea that our thoughts can affect our health directly. Case in point, if we are stressed, we either get sick, have a breakout, get migraines, or get hives. 

Here’s what I suggest: Continue on with your derma treatments. You need those regular facials, cleanings and topical treatments. But also work on your #SkinHealth from within. A healthy lifestyle is a given, so I’m giving you three additional tips that also will do wonders for you. 

1) Don’t think about your zits. Honestly, the more I obsessed about my skin, the more my pimples seemed to multiply. And they just got more stubborn and wouldn’t go away. I’d get a really nasty inflamed zit that needed steroid shots, and my derma would make me take antibiotics na because it was bordering on cystic I swear. Ok, I maybe exaggerating, but you get my drift. It was downright horrible. So I decided to just let it go. Yeah, let it go. Get your mind off it, read a book, don’t look in the mirror (super worked for me), focus your thoughts elsewhere, and just go on with your life pretending you don’t have it. 

2) Prayers and meditation. Part of my daily nighttime ritual would be to pray to God to take away my zits. I would say, “God, I’d rather donate to worthy causes than spend my money on my face.” And really, I would. I’d donate to NGOs and give support to blood drives, clothing drives, visit wounded soldiers in hospitals, any way I can give back. Which links to my first tip. I think focusing less on myself and focusing my energies on worthy endeavors had a healing effect.

Plus, this is going to sound really weird but it worked for me, so I am putting this out there. Hear this, I would meditate and imagine a silver light cleansing my face and zapping all the zits with healing energy. I swear, our mind can do wonders in healing ourself. 

3) Consider taking medication like Lactezin. Ok, fresh new discovery! Lactezin is a naturally-derived over-the-counter drug, so you’re ensured it’s safe, effective and still clinically tested. It has a breakthrough combination of three active ingredients – Lactoferrin (antibacterial milk-derived protein), Vitamin E, and Zinc, which combined together, have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties.

Lactezin starts curing acne from within, providing the body with defenses against acne and skin remedies for beautiful skin. The result is clearer, smoother, less oily skin with finer pores.

This wasn’t around during my time, but now that there’s something like this in the market now, I wish this had come sooner! Would have freed me from all the anxiety caused by bad skin.

Best of all, it deals with pimples the natural way, and not through hormones as it was during my time, where girls had to resort to taking birth control pills just to have clear skin.

Of course, keep your mind open to different treatments, but also remember that when it comes to medications, do your research and only take FDA-approved medication from a a reputable source or manufacturer.

Thoughts on Health and Aging

I’m turning 40 this year. Four-freakin-ty. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not freaked out about my age. It’s more like, how did time fly by so fast? 

Too fast, yes, but I am also grateful for turning forty. There’s plenty to celebrate and thank God for.

Life has been good to me. I have a wonderful husband and smart, funny and charming kids. 

Photo taken by Lianne Bacorro

My entire family, also my parents, siblings and in laws enjoy good health. I do work that I am good at, which I am fortunate to also enjoy and love. We have the time and resources to create fun memories, and hey, I still have pretty good skin considering my age. In fact, I can even say I am happier with myself now than I was when I was in my 20s. 

I guess you can say I’ve literally settled into my skin. Nothing about me changed drastically, it’s more like an acceptance of flaws coupled with lifestyle changes and the help of beauty treatments by my derma, Dr. Yanee Vasquez, heehee. 

While not necessarily true for all (haha) I believe that with age comes wisdom. I can say I know now what is important in life.

Health before vanity. Experiences before possessions. And maybe somehow, the secret to a youthful look. Well, in my case at least. 

I’m sharing you some of my #SkinHealth tips, which in a way has become an obsession and a personal advocacy. I hope that you pick up a thing or two from my mistakes, good habits and realizations. 

Besides, I know most of us women really do care about these things. These are valid and not at all shallow pursuits. Seeking, acknowledging and accepting our unique beauty does wonders for our entire well-being, trust me! 

1. Beauty starts with good, healthy skin.

Because my perception of beauty is natural beauty, and after years spent agonizing over zits and bumps on my face, I’ve realized that all a girl really needs is good skin. Let’s not talk about weight or age. Because if you have nice skin whatever your weight, or your age, consider yourself lucky. So skin lang, period. 

During a particularly emotional time for me in my 20s, as I was looking at my face in the mirror and staring at my bumpy, awful skin, I told myself, “When these zits and bumps all over my face disappear, I know enough that my skin, even with a pimple or two is enough”. You can say I’ve learned never to obsess over a single zit because I’ve had worse. 

Scientifically speaking too, the skin is the largest indicator of our health and when we are healthy, it shows in our skin. There is nothing like bare skin we can step out in. Saves us time from applying concealers and full-on makeup too. If you’ve got good skin, you’ve got it going, so you better take care of your skin in the best way possible. You don’t need much else. 

2. Hence, take a look at your skin, be honest about it. 

Have you figured out your skin type? Are you doing all you can to keep it well-moisturized? Do you have blemishes? Are your pores fine and even? Does your skin look glowing? 

If your answer is no, it’s best to sit down, look in the mirror (even if you don’t want to) and give yourself an honest assessment of the state of your skin. Literally face yourself, just like what I did in the mirror, almost two decades ago.

I was so sad for my skin, but I also wanted to do something about it. 

3. Do something about skin issues, seek a professional’s help if necessary. 

This skin breakdown happened while I was about to graduate from college. I was tired of just avoiding going out, staying away from mirrors, and not having photos of myself taken. 

I remember telling my Mom I wanted to see a dermatologist. She told me it was a waste of money and that I should just change my diet and drink lots of water. Well, after taking her advice for a couple of months and with nothing happening, I just went with my gut. 

Thankfully, I started work soon enough and I spent a chunk of my first job paychecks for my own derma treatment. That was money well-spent. In no time, I had seen the difference in how my skin improved and I was soon on my way back to blemish free skin. 

Seeing a dermatologist and using derma-recommended products turned out to be the only solution to my skin issues. Don’t ever hesitate. 

4. Always check the label.

I’ve tried all pimple cures out there. Some recommended by friends, some whipped up by some dubious lab, a few drugstore brands, and some prescribed by my derma. I’ve learned to really scrutinize bottles and labels because in my quest for the best pimple cure, I’ve unfortunately tried some products that did more harm than good. Aka, I still have pimple scars to prove it. 

Sometimes, when I look in the mirror and look at my 20 year old scars, I still remember that darn unmarked bottle that caused them. Hay. 

Better yet, make sure the product you use is FDA-approved. This ensures that active ingredients and the content level are regulated. We can rest easy knowing that the product has gone through clinical tests, a stringent screening process, and has the approval of skin experts and regulatory professionals before being sold in the market. 

To be extra safe, make sure the products you use come from a reputable source or manufacturer with a history of expertise addressing your skincare concern. Remember, your skin is the only skin you have, don't compromise #SkinHealth by using fake or untested products or brands just because they are trendy or cheaper. 

At the end of the day, go for authentic brands and products that are tried and tested, from sources you trust.

Taking good care of our skin isn’t about vanity. It’s really just making sure that our skin reflects the state of our health, and that when we use products meant for our skin, we are sure they are meant to do more good than harm our skin. 

One post can’t really cover everything I want to say, so expect more #SkinHealth tips and learnings I’ve picked up along the way. 

To have good skin at 40 is a blessing, and I’m sharing this blessing with you. Naks.

Cheers to 10 Years of Cradle and Cycles!

Did you know that Cradle baby bottle and nipple cleanser is also great for washing toys, baby accessories, and even fruits and vegetables?

Emily Balajadia, who along with her husband Dennis, the husband and wife team behind Cradle and Cycles, also shares that Cradle baby bottle and nipple cleanser is perfect for washing real nipples (yes, as in our nipples), prior to direct breastfeeding.

When she was still breastfeeding, she would get OC about the toxic residue left by regular body soaps, and recommends this as the safer alternative because it is gentle and mild. Just use it like soap and rinse off with water. That easy.

So that is why if there's one product I bring with me whenever I travel, especially since I am still breastfeeding and pumping when on the go, it would be a Cradle baby bottle and nipple cleanser. 

This sample size pouch I packed on my last trip was enough to last me a week!

Even though I have big bottles of Cradle stored at home, I would still collect all the samples and save it for my trips, because they're so handy. I've brought them along to Singapore, Hong Kong and recently Paris. It's an essential part of my pumping kit. (In fact, I'll share with you tips on how I pump and bring home breast milk from abroad on a separate post ;)

Speaking of essential, I can't imagine having a baby 10 or more years ago, when "baby safe", "organic", "biodegradable", and "natural" were just buzzwords. It was 10 years ago in fact, that Emily and Dennis started Cradle and sister brand Cycles, when they realized that they were shipping boxes of baby laundry detergent and baby safe products from abroad, they decided they might as well make their own. (On a side note, Emily and Dennis are also behind Beach Hut sunblock, a line of sun protection products borne out of their frequent family beach trips!)

Fast forward to now, not only has their product range gone beyond laundry detergents and bottle cleansers - with Cycles coming out with a stain soaker and skin care products like insect repellent cream and mosquito patches, diaper rash cream, cleanser and lotion and Cradle with a toy & surface cleaner, they have also become a trusted source of baby safe products here in the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia and Thailand.  What a feat, and all in 10 years!

Emily and Dennis, this deserves a huge thank you!

Thanks for having all these products made available here, so we don't have to do what you did a decade ago, shipping natural baby essentials from abroad. You have made going green easy and inexpensive for today's parents!

Happy 10 years to Cradle and Cycles, and many more years to come!

As part of the festivities, here's a chance to be one of the 5 lucky winners of Cycles & Cradle gift packs, simply by liking and sharing the celebrity moms or mommy bloggers postings! 

Here’s how to join: 

1. Like www.facebook.com/cradlenatural Fan Page. 

2. Like and Share any of the celebrity moms or mommy bloggers postings on Cradle Natural Facebook Fan Page from August 1 to November 18, 2015. 

3. On your caption, include #CradleNatural #10yearsofCyclesandCradle #NoCompromise 

See full mechanics: http://on.fb.me/1PwpKzq 

- Like & Share as many posts as you can for more chances of winning. 

- Participants may like and share multiple posts but may only win once in the entire duration of the promo. 

- Winners will be determined via e-raffle and drawn from Facebook and Instagram participants. - Make sure your post is public. 

- Promo Duration: October 20 to November 18, 2015. 

For more on on Cradle and Cycles, visit www.cradlenatural.com and www.cyclesbaby.com and follow @cradlenatural_ph, @cyclessensitive and @cyclesbaby_ph on Instagram.

The Flawless Pink Revolution

Flawless Face and Body Clinic continues to give Filipinos easier and more affordable access to medically-sound and innovative skin and body solutions with the Flawless Pink Revolution - their 5+5 service packages month long promotion this December!

“We really want to mark this fantastic year and share the success with our clients,” shares Rubby Sy, CEO of Flawless.  

“Several milestones were achieved not just for Flawless but for the entire Philippines. 2014 is the year that we launched the country’s first ever widely-available all-in-one intravenous vitamin mix – called the Beauty Drip - and our All-Natural Ultimate White Facial. This is also the year that we managed to exclusively bring in the world’s first 100 percent natural in origin, 100 percent biodegradable and 100 percent hypoallergenic beauty line, Novexpert.” Sy continues, 

“We also opened two more locations this year, one in Bacolod and another in Eastwood. With plans to begin operations early next year in several move sites – we can’t be more thankful to everyone who continues to support us. And that’s why we instigated the Flawless Pink Revolution.”

Sy shares that under the Flawless Pink Revolution, they are matching 100% of the 5 sessions customers initially purchase to thank and empower their loyal patrons with 5 more FREE sessions of the same services, which they can share with family and friends. 

Their best selling services such as the Cell Booster Infusion Mask, Nano Power Peel, Laser Hair Removal and Shape and Sculpt are included in the package!

UPDATE: Promotion is extended to January 31, 2015. All services purchased in this promotion are redeemable until July 2015. 

To know more about the Flawless Pink Revolution, like Flawless Face and Body on Facebook or follow @myFlawless on Instagram and @myFlawless on Twitter. Or you can visit any of the 38 Flawless clinics nationwide.

Happy Skin Lippies and ZZs

Moisturizing lippies and a coverage cream that zaps zits while making our skin look flawless. 

Sounds like dream products, right?

Well, they're for real!

A few weeks ago, I met Rissa Trillo and Jacqe Gutierrez of Happy Skin at the launch of their new lip colors for their extremely popular Shut Up & Kiss Me line of lippies, plus their game changing The Happy Skin Zit Zapper Second Skin Cream aka ZZ Cream.

Over refreshing glasses of grapefruit juice and a sumptuous Chinese lauriat, we got to chat with the Happy Skin founders Rissa & Jacqe, makeup artist Sophie Uy and dermatologist Dr. Raissa Pasion about beauty products that work as skin care too!

Which is super exciting for me. See, I have the weirdest lips. Its like lipstick won't stick to it. Even if I drink lots of water, it's on perpetual shedding mode. I have to rub my lips with a towel just to get the flakes off.

Whenever I use popular lipstick brands, they just suck the moisture out of my lips, and the color fades away as if they were never there. I've come to use lip pencils as lipsticks, because this was the only way to make color stay, but thankfully, I found my match with Happy Skin's Shut Up & Kiss Me.

L to R: Shut Up & Kiss Me's new hues - Playing Footsie, Just Say Yes, and Honeymoon Glow

Infused with shea butter & collagen, I love how Shut Up & Kiss Me glides on like lip gloss, moisturizes like lip balm, and the colors don't disappear in a flash!

Top to Bottom: Shut Up & Kiss Me in Honeymoon Glow, Playing Footsie, Just Say Yes

These three new lippie shades, I have to stress, work across all spectrums of lip tones and skin color. They've been tried, tested and trusted. 

I first saw Honeymoon Glow on Sophie and loved it on her, but expected it was going to look dark on me. I was pleasantly surprised that Honeymoon Glow looked so natural on my lips, like a nude that just blended with my lip tone and gave it a slightly pinkish hue. 

Dr. Pasion meanwhile shed light on our skin care issues and concerns.

Many women resort to makeup to hide skin flaws, not realizing, they are aggravating their skin's condition by covering it up. Not so with Happy Skin's silicone-free Zit Zapper Second Skin Cream, which is especially formulated for those with acne prone and sensitive skin. .

It sounds Dr. Suess stupendous, but Dr. Pasion swears by it.

She says it truly works. After all, it's packed with grapefruit extracts that work as an anti-oxidant, yoghurt extract that minimizes acne bumps and brightens skin, and salicylic acid that takes care of treating the zits.

Rissa, who happens to have flawless skin, says she's personally tried their ZZ Cream, and finds that it also works great on her, and is actually a wonderful mattifier. 

Yes, it only comes in one shade, but Jacqe, who is chinita, and Rissa, who is morena, both agree that this one shade blends naturally on their skin, there was no need to come up with more.

I'd have to agree, I've seen it for myself. These new products truly put the Happy in Skin, and Happy Skin deserves all the buzz they are getting.

Happy Skin is available at Rustan's Makati and Shangri-la, as well as Beauty Bar and select Plains & Prints stores and online. For more on Happy Skin, visit their website and Follow @happyskin_ph on Twitter and Instagram.

Bugs Away + More, with Cycles Sensitive

After Dada's bout with dengue, nothing excites me more now than anti-mosquito patches and insect repellents.

Make that kid-friendly, natural and non-DEET at that, such as these new products from  Cycles Sensitive, also from EVEolution, Inc., the homegrown company that has also brought us Cycles Mild Laundry Detergent & Cradle Baby Bottle & Nipple Cleanser.

Cycles Sensitive completes their range of must-have products for mom, taking care of baby's skin needs by coming up with a head to toe wash, baby lotion, protective diaper cream and of course, the much touted insect repellents and citronella patches.

Cycles Sensitive is a dermatologist tested, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and pareben-free line of baby skincare products, each product guaranteed to pass the standards of meticulous moms, very much like Cycles Sensitive endorser, celebrity mom Cheska Garcia-Kramer.

I attended the brand launch last week at Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar on Bonifacio High Street, where I had the pleasure of seeing Cheska again, and finally meeting her gorgeous, well-behaved Gavin. Cheska shared that she has always been a fan of Cycles & Cradle so when they reached out to tap her as an endorser, she was more than happy to come on board.

Natasha Reyes, the brand manager, gave a very in depth presentation on their new products while Cheska spoke from her experience as a mom caring for Gavin's sensitive skin.

Pediatric dermatologist Dr. Donna Marie Leelin-Sarrosa also shared some very insightful tips on caring for baby's sensitive skin, as well as debunking myths on the use of insect repellents!

What I learned:

- skin asthma is a term used to describe atopic dermatitis here in the Philippines and is not a medical term. Atopic dermatitis is the most common dermatitis in children
- caring for skin also means washing clothes thoroughly. In fact, did you know that you should thoroughly wash new clothes because it may contain formaldehyde which keeps it from wrinkling?
- we don't need to apply insect repellent all over, just to exposed areas because all it takes is the scent of it to repel a mosquito or bug
- do not soak skin with repellant, it is important that it gets washed off the skin
- never put insect repellent on the face, especially close to the eyes

I also learned that the couple behind Cycles & Cradle are Dada's batchmates from college in Ateneo!

It was such a pleasure meeting Dennis & Emily Balajadia, the husband & wife team/dad & mom of five kids, who have made it their mission to create products and brands borne out of their own need. They shared that Cycles actually started because they used to ship boxes of baby laundry detergent from abroad, until they realized, "Hey, why not make our own?"

That eureka moment in 2007 has led to an expanded line of baby care products today, and I can just imagine that with their ability to make things happen, we can expect Cycles, Cradle and Cycles Sensitive to give birth to more products and variants made with the most discerning of moms in mind.

Cycles Baby
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclesbaby
Twitter: @Cyclesbaby
Website: www.cycles-sensitive.com 

What's New from Celeteque Brightening

Eye to eye with aging: La Roche-Posay Anti-Wrinke cream & Celeteque Eye Tuck plus Dark Circles Lightener

Yes, it cannot be denied. Age ain't nothing but a number, until your wrinkles tell you otherwise. It doesn't even whisper at the hint of it. It just stares you right in the face.

So yes, that is why I am all about creams, moisturizers and serums now. When you are in your late 30s, you just got to grab aging by the horns and deal with it.

Homegrown brand Celeteque (yes! Celeteque, while sounding French, is actually owned by Unilab) has new products that promise to keep the signs of aging at bay. To start with, there's Eye Tuck plus Dark Circles Lightener which is clinically proven to reduce puffiness around the eye area and to significantly lighten the skin around the eyes in just 4 weeks. Did I just say lighten dark eye circles? Well, hello! Nice to meet you!

I am writing this post at 1 am, and boy am I glad to know this: Many believe that lack of sleep is the main cause of dark circles and puffiness that form around the eye area, but the real culprit is accumulation of water and fat. Fat deposits under the eye create the puffiness, not only fatigue and lack of sleep. And because the skin under our eye area is thinner and does not have oil glands, the skin gets looser and fine lines and wrinkles develop faster. 

Céleteque Eye Tuck plus Dark Circles Lightener contains EyeserylTetrapeptide Complex, which counter the formation of loose skin surrounding the eye area and fight water accumulation. It promises to do the trick in 7 days or less by improving skin elasticity in the eye area, and lightening the skin around it in only 3 weeks. 

Aside from the Brightening Eye Tuck plus Dark Circles Lightener, other products in the Céleteque DermoScience Brightening line include the Brightening Facial Wash, Brightening Tri-benefit Power Cream, Brightening Dark Spot Corrector and the Brightening Multi-benefit BB Cream. 

While I'm onto the CC cream these days, I cannot wait to try Celeteque's BB Cream!

Anything that would make my skin look flawless, I like!

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

From time to time they also requested Copenhagen snuff, Havana cigars and jars of petroleum jelly, which Ida massaged onto her face for several hours each day. She was five feet tall and 70 pounds, nearly deaf and stooped like a question mark, but her face still bore clear evidence of its former beauty. “You could see what an extraordinarily pretty woman she once was,” O’Brien noted. “Her complexion, in spite of her age, was as creamy and pink and unwrinkled as any I have ever seen. It was like tinted ivory. Her profile was like a lovely cameo.” She hadn’t had a bath in years. - From blogs.smithsonianmag.com

A couple of weeks back, I read this story about a rich recluse who lived at the Herald Square Hotel in Manhattan from 1907 to 1932. She had the most amazing skin. Well ok, the story was really about how she lied about her past, and how she managed to snag this rich guy, and how she ended up with so much money but lived a life shut out from the rest of the world.

But the part of the story that stuck with me was her skin care routine! Because hello, this old lady, Ida Wood didn't take a bath for years and yet her skin "was creamy, pink and unwrinkled...like tinted ivory". You know why? Because she massaged petroleum jelly on her face for several hours each day. Now, here's proof that the "No Water Skin Routine" really works.

Inspired by Ida, I now religiously use all my serums and creams. I've made it my mission and vision to really moisturize day and night. One time, I used Dr. Perricone's Cold Plasma and when Dada kissed me good night, he retched and said I smelled like fish. Whoops! Wahaha.

Making a conscious effort to moisturize really has made an impact on my skin. Not only does it feel softer, I can actually go out and not wear makeup, not even face powder. But the goal is to have unwrinkled skin well into my old age. So honeys, even with the summer heat, try and look for a non-greasy moisturizer for your face, let's keep the wrinkles at bay!

PS - I believe in you Ida, even if your life was a lie.

PPS - Here's one more proof that French women believe that tap water is the enemy. The Frisky's "The French Woman's Secret to Beautiful Skin".

PPS - Apparently, 33% of French girls between the ages of 15-19 start using anti-wrinkle creams via They Frisky's "How French Women Stay Hot When They're Old".

My French "No Water" Skin Care Routine

I know, I know. I have gone AWOL again. I guess you can say I am still in my adjustment phase. Imagine, a new baby and a new home (yes, we moved three weeks after Xavi was born!), on top of all my other responsibilities. 

So yeah, writing really took a back seat. But anyhoo! I am slowly getting back into the groove of things, and hopefully I can squeeze in more "me time" (which these days means just having enough time to take a bath, nyarks). But ahhh! The bonus of not spending time in front of the computer and having to unpack and organize our stuff also means more time for me to organize my stash of baby and beauty products and testing them on the kiddos (baby prods) and myself (beauty prods). 

I have so many discoveries and re-discoveries. Plus of course my old reliables that I ought to share with you (seriously, I get Aha! moments while using these products when I realize I have been keeping them to myself. To think these are too good to not be shared here in the blog).

But before I go to all those, I'll start off with my starting point for skin care - cleansing. My cleansing routine is sort of revolutionary really. I have tweeted about this on and off for months now, and for my Twitter friends, you know what I am talking about - Garance Dore's "NO WATER" skin cleansing routine.

Yes, you read that right, NO WATER. Tap water that is. Because there's thermal water involved here:

Ok, quick background. Six months or so ago, I happened upon Garance Dore's post on skin care. Apparently, tap water is our skin's worst enemy (I can practically see my friend Kris aka OC Mom in Manila seconding this one, with the statistics to back it up!). 

Garance's dermatologist, or dermato as they say in France, recommended that she stop using water to cleanse her face. And gave her a list of three products to use:

1/ The milk makeup remover Hydrabio Lait
2/ Avène’s Thermal Spring Water
3/ The moisturizing cream Ictyane H.D. “for severe dry skin.”

Then, I realized, I had two huge spray bottles of Avène stashed in our bath - 1 unopened and 1 that I barely used. It was kismet really. Finally a reason for being here, considering the sort of reasons I bought them back when we were still living in Singapore, were really flimsy:

1/ It was on "Buy 1, Take 1" which came out to about SGD $29.90 for 2 or something like that
2/ It's a French beauty brand, a drugstore brand yes, but it's French. So there.
3/ I like the packaging okay?

But since I do not live in France and have limited access to European beauty brands, I made do with the products that worked extremely well for me all these years. So my 3 essential products looked like this:

1/ Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
2/ Avène’s Thermal Spring Water
3/ SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Yes, it was with a bit of trepidation that I started eliminating water in my cleansing routine and began sticking to three products. "How effective could it really be?" I thought. Images of blackheads on my nose and yucky skin came into the picture. But since I was staying home most of the time anyway because I was on bed rest, I went ahead and took the plunge, ironically.

Fast forward to 6 months later and you know, my skin has been better than ever! No oiliness, no enlarged pores, not even a zit! None of that "greasy Peking duck" skin Garance was afraid of. She herself said it this way, after taking her dermato's advice:

"But quite quickly, the shine started going down. My skin started to get more supple, clearer and even if it shined a little (it’s just how it is, so stupid.), it was at its healthiest… It looked pretty."

Yes. I feel the same way about my skin now. Yes, ever since I started quitting tap water. A few days ago though, I started using Clarins Anti-Ageing Double Serum in lieu of SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and oooh la la! It's like magic! 

Why do I say magic? Well, a lady at my OB's clinic thought I looked 15 years younger than I actually am (ok, maybe she was just being nice). But just this afternoon, my mom asked me what makeup I've been using and I said, "Huh? None!" And she said my skin looked really good. This coming from a woman who would tell me the truth, even if it hurt and damaged my self-esteem. Haha!

Once I've used my Clarins Double Serum longer than 2 weeks (results visible in 4 weeks actually but if I were to believe the feedback I've been getting, 2 weeks should do it), I will do a more comprehensive review. Meanwhile, let me do an FAQ on this "No Water" Skin Care Routine.

How do you take a bath?

I had an Aquasana water filter installed, so no worries about tap water touching my face. But if you don't have a shower filter installed and it can be helped, just avoid getting water on your face.

If its any consolation, I have been sans filter the past three weeks because I need to have it installed in our new bath room, and so far, I have just been trying not to get my face wet in the shower and it hasn't had any bad effect on my skin.

What's the step by step?

1/ On your dry/dirty face, pat with Cetaphil and massage onto skin

2/ With a cotton pad, wipe off Cetaphil

3/ Spray face with Avène Thermal Spring Water and let it dry

4/ Follow with moisturizer

If you use heavy make-up, its fine to use a cleansing oil. Whatever cleansing oil works for you is fine. I use shu uemura's brightening cleansing oil.

What if I can't find Avène Thermal Spring Water here in the Philippines?

Try using Evian.

Dear Readers, if you have further questions, feel free to leave it on the comments section. I will do my best to answer!

New Wonder Product: VMV's Tarte-à-Tan

VMV Hypoallergenics has a new wonder product out, a "whisper-light bronzer as beautiful, cheerful and diaphanous as spun sugar", called Tarte-à-Tan:

Tarte-à-Tan is an Antioxidant Bronzing “Coco” Powder that prettifies and also treats your skin with a whole lot of TLC. Here's the 411:

‣ Made with USDA-certified organic virgin coconut oil that guarantees...

✓ Unparalleled hydration: fatty acids are native to skin + replace lipids lost to aging + dehydration.

✓ In skin cells, creates a healthier balance of saturated-to-unsaturated fatty acids: repairs damage from aging, the sun + other environmental factors.

✓ Anti-Aging Benefits: rich in growth factors; enables skin to form more anti-inflammatory cell hormones.

‣ With antioxidants green tea + rice phytic acid.

‣ With coconut-derived monolaurin - which means it has antibacterial, antiviral, protective, anti-acne, disinfection properties

‣ 100% free of all-types-of-fragrances,

‣ 100% free of phthalates, parabens + other preservatives,

‣ 100% free of dyes.

How much you ask for this 0.21 Oz (6g) wonder product? Php 1490. Not bad for something so fantastic! 

Incidentally The March/April 2011 issue of Dermatitis (the journal of the American Contact Dermatitis Society) published a study on VMV's VH-Rating System.

With the term “hypoallergenic” so indiscriminately used and frequently confused with claims like “dermatologist tested”, “skin safe” and “natural”, this is a landmark study proving the VH-Rating System’s legitimacy at regulating the hypoallergenic claim.

Furthermore, data in the study confirmed that VMV PRODUCTS HAD LESS THAN 0.1% OF REACTIONS REPORTED IN 30 YEARS.

So if you have sensitive skin, keep VMV's VH-Numbers in mind. It is the only validated Hypoallergenic Cosmetic Rating System in the world, and it can significantly reduce the risk of cosmetic contact dermatitis and other reactions on your skin.

About VMV Hypoallergenics:

Created in 1979 by a renowned dermatologist-dermatopathologist, VMV Hypoallergenics has a remarkable track record of excellence and innovation. VMV has a proprietary, one-of-a-kind rating system for hypoallergenicity, which works like the “SPF” system but for hypoallergenicity. All VMV product claims are supported by evidence-based clinical studies – including randomized, double-blind, in vitro and in vivo studies – many of which have appeared in dermatological publications, and VMV patch tests every product, as well as every ingredient and raw material used in its formulations. The company’s track record and results have made VMV a safe product alternative in CAMP, the Contact Allergen Management Program of the American Contact Dermatitis Society.