Saturday, September 9, 2023

Oxecure Acne Clear Facial Cleanser

Late to the game, but one of my best finds for the year has to be Oxecure's Acne Clear Facial Cleanser.




It's an empty now after around two months of daily use and I'm itching to buy the jumbo size (as soon as I empty another cleanser, which I will hopefully eventually review).

I didn't have high hopes for this but this caught my eye as I was on a hunt for something other than Neutrogena for a salicylic acid wash. And since it came as a 50 ml bottle for Php 199 (a nice trial size), I decided to purchase it, ingredients unseen... and was I pleasantly surprised.


Monday, June 26, 2023

June 2023: Functional Empties

 I've finally decided to throw these since I've yet to find the time/desire to properly review these products because they're very boring basic empties.





Granted I do have other empties which will hopefully make their way around but let's just get these out of the way.


1. Assorted medicated actives- get to a derm/doctor. SUPER boring but they work.


2 Betadine Feminine Wash Foam- I thought I'd be a Lactacyd girl forever but the texture of these are a real treat. Very light and fresh  I finished up the calendula and I'm keen to try the others.


3. Sensodyne Whitening Repair Toothpaste- HG 5ever.


4. Dandrex Anti-dandruff shampoo- an active for my flakey scalp. Won't go back to this. It is way too mild and does nothing.


5.Betadine hydrocolloid dressing- forever emptied (I think I've used 2 this year already) for my zits. Effortful but cheap.


6. Neutrogena Visibly Clear- a facial wash I've gone back to so many times.


The end.

Friday, June 9, 2023

A Quick Guide to Stink-Free Armpits

Some people are naturally blessed with odor-free armpits. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. However, I have here a quick guide to keeping those armpits smelling fresh however long you need them.





Products above are my current go to products.



First things first, these all have antiperspirant components. I've found that while deodorants smell cute, they don't last long once you start sweating if you naturally have the bacteria that turns your sweat into nuclear weapons. I've found that deodorants only work on me if I nuke my pits beforehand so it's inhospitable to life - and that leads to irritation and skin darkening so I've abandoned that route. 

If you are the type of person that eschews antiperspirants, you had best be washing those pits frequently and reapplying deodorant as you go. Clean and sanitize your stick (or use a deodorant that's hard to contaminate) between each use, and ideally between armpits, as to avoid trapping bacteria there that will turn your deodorant into an actual source of stink.



But before applying product on your pits, you'd better clean them beforehand. Ideally, remove hair there since hair grabs on to things like dirt and sweat and oil. If you're not into that then just make sure to make sure its as clean as possible. I use regular soap but some prefer using astringents, acids and antibacterials. I've found that these more aggressive products work but can be too irritating so I've limited using those options only if I really do need that extra safety net. Pits should be completely dry unless you're using an alum stick as I do most days.

Just right after bathing, I use an antiperspirant. My daily driver is the  Deonat Mineral Deodorant Stick since I can use it in the shower as a base before using another pit product. I love that it's cheap and lasts a crazy long time.

I also really like using the Fresh Sgt. At Arms (old reformulation) as a single use product on "light days" where it's not too hot or I'm not expecting to be out a lot. I've yet to try the newer formulation in newer packaging since I'm hesitant to pull the trigger because it looks like a very big price increase  from before. It's now similar in price to the Snoe Beauty spray antiperspirant as well which I did like until the nozzle began to fail at the end of its life.

On 24 hours days I'll use a cream deodorant-antiperspirant combo like Dove Deodorant Dry Serum on top of my potassium alum Deonat base. On crazy sweaty days and 36 to 48 hours days I'll use a more heavy option like Secret Platinum Protection. I have a tried a few prescription strength products but I've found that they're very expensive and a bit overkill in terms of anti-perspirants strength and not very friendly to my skin health generally as they tend to stink. As I'm less likely to use them, they've all eventually expired. I think those with a more hyperhidrosis problem causing stink may benefit from prescription level products and I'm just not one of them.

Lastly, at the end of the day, I sniff my shirts (gross, but necessary) to see if any areas are stinky. I'll pretreat those spots with soap and/or colorsafe bleach to make sure I get rid of the stink that can be a source of smelly sauce even if my actual armpit skin smells fine. It also helps decrease the chances of unfavorable bacteria winning the war in the warzone that is the armpit.

I hope this helps someone out there.

Sunday, April 2, 2023

HARU HARU Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner

 Bought the HARU HARU Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner  last year because of the hype and the stunning packaging but didn't consistently use it because when I opened the bottle, it was 1. Fragranced 2. Stung my eyes.

Thus it sat on my desk until I found my skin to be dehydrated since it was my only hydrating toner on hand.

HARU HARU did release an unscented version but I had dehydrated skin an this giant 150ml bottle so I decided to use it up. Here are my thoughts:



Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Empties of 2022

These were the empties I managed to save up before I tossed them:


A lot of these are old things that I haven't been able to toss but I'm not actually sure if I've been able to review all of them.

Saturday, September 10, 2022

2022: A Quiet Year

 Not much posting going around for me this year and this might be the trend for a while since my current self has zero work-life balance and because of that I've been having 1) less time for self care therefore leading to 2) more skin problems.

It's a vicious cycle and because of that, I've been using a lot of prescription strength products that are very bottom shelf and I'm hesitant to tout because we all know that the internet is not the best place for medical advice.

I'll try to review the products I've finished this year that aren't prescribed since I've still managed to finish a few things despite my abysmal skin care habits for the year.

Here's hoping I can commit to that.

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Yardley London Shea Buttermilk Moisturizing Bath Bar

Getting back into bar soaps since 1. I've run out of back ups of my favorite shower gel and  2. bar versions have become more popular lately because of the eco trend things.



This bar was given to me by mother and I find that it's halfway between a regular bar soap and a dove bar in terms of moisturizing, lathering and how long the bar lasts if kept in a moist environment.


Sadly, I will not recommend this in place of either since it somehow dries my hands like crazy despite being non-drying for other parts of my body. Lotion is a must after I use this soap, and that's a sign for me that it's a bit too harsh.

I know a lot of people like it and use it, I myself like the shea and chamomile-like scent but as something with "shea buttermilk" in the title described as a moisturizing Bath Bar, I'm disappointed with the performance.


I'll use this up for waste reasons, but in the future, if offered, I'd pass this on.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Cos De BAHA: PT M.A Peptide Facial Toner

This one never really took of to my knowledge, but for those who want to try less popular Korean brands, Cos De Baha may be something you're looking for if you're on a budget and want "The Ordinary" - like products: meaning good value for money with active ingredients.



As for me, I picked up their PT Ma. Peptide Facial toner with Hyaluronic Acid and 3 peptides ( Palmitoyl Tripeptide -1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide -7 and Acetyl Hexapeptide -8. Picked this up because this was less than Php 600 (~$12) for a whopping 200 ml. This is not one of their more popular products. And after a few months of use I have my thoughts on why.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Thyra Lip Oil in Y07

 I've been dead and empty - and empty-less for a few months, but one I've almost finished (before my tragic loss of said product) is the Thyra Lip Oil I've been using for a few months.



This came as a recommendation from C, and I'm glad I bought it.

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Repurchased AND Emptied 2021

AKA Old, emptied favorites.

A recent break-out has shown me the wisdom of repurchasing the good things in life. As such even though it's been a bit boring, I'm trying to do what's best for my skin. Here are the things I've been using like crazy AND emptied, starting with complete empties.

Monday, December 6, 2021

The Better Skin Project: Pimple Fighting + Lightening Bar

Given to me by C and I'm glad I got to try it. This is an empty but it was a green soap that would murder my face. However, it's excellent both for acne prone skin on the body and as a solution to prevent those nasty odors coming out from exercising. That is, if that is a problem for you.




This product contains coconut oil as a first ingredient. Then water, sodium hydroxide and fragrance before its touted extracts: bearberry, rosehip oil, papaya extract and mastic gum and rounding off with some preservatives and colorants.

Friday, November 19, 2021

Sofy Pad Comparison

 I did a menstrual pad review a long while back then semi-transitioned to reusable pads. It took me a while but I've finally run through my stash of Sofy pads and I can now form my thoughts about them.

Though I don't have pictures this time, I've been using:

1. Sofy Comfort Nite 35.5 cm

2. Sofy Comfort Nite 42.5 cm

3. Sofy Cooling Fresh 35 cm

And of the three, there's one I won't be repurchasing.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

The Saem Cover Perfection Tip Concealer

I haven't used a foundation in a while. Because masking and the resultant acne has made me wary of using base products, it just doesn't seem worth it. So now instead of using a foundation, I've been heavily spot concealing since it's been needed because of my foundation use causing a previous break out. Cry.

Thankfully, while my current concealer isn't mask proof. It doesn't break me out. 100 points. And what have I been using for the past year? The Saem's Cover Perfection Tip Concealer.



But a warning for users.