Review: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Defense Face Lotion

Product description:
This is a 2% salicylic acid acne treatment. This is an oil-free lotion which is said to reduce breakouts in 8 hours. It claims that it is clinically proven to reduce full face acne severity, pimple size, pimple swelling and pimple redness, all in 8 hours.

My review:
Salicylic acid is personally my favourite when it comes to treating and preventing acne. It works by promoting skin cells to slough off, preventing dead skin cells to clog up pores. It also helps to get rid of dirt deep in the pores, and this is especially helpful for people with a problem with blackheads. Salicylic acid, together with an alpha-hydroxy acid such as lactic acid, is the best combination for me to keep my skin as clear as it can be (which will never be 100% clear due to bad genes). Having said that, salicylic acid needs time to work. This product definitely didn't work within 8 hours as claimed. This could be because my skin has been subjected to salicylic acid treatment for years already. First time users of salicylic products could find this more effective. Honestly, this product did not even do anything that it claimed to do. I bought this product just as my skin was breaking out quite badly because I travelled to a country with water that my skin was probably sensitive to. My prescription acne medication, Differin, probably did most of the work when it comes to treating the breakout. Throughout that time, I was using this Rapid Clear lotion religiously every morning, as I was using Differin at night. As my acne disappeared, I stopped using Differin and I switched to using Rapid Clear both day and night. Now, I only have the occasional and regularly occurring one or two cystic pimple. Hence, I feel that the Rapid Clear lotion did helped in the prevention of acne. However, my favourite acne prevention treatment is still La-Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, which combines both AHA and BHA (like salicylic acid).

Now on to the product itself. The texture is light and spreads easily, but it doesn't absorb easily on my skin. The fragrance is distinct. People sensitive to perfume might find it irritating. It is not very hydrating and I find myself reaching for my La-Roche-Posay Toleriane Fluide for the drier areas on my skin. It is also not very compatible with certain sunscreens, like my The Face Shop Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++. It tends to rub off  whenever I use this sunscreen over it. It is however compatible with Avene Very High Protection Emulsion SPF 50, if you happen to own that.

Overall:
Not my favourite acne product, but I can definitely live with it.

Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream, SPF 25 PA++

Product description

This claims to be a multi-functional BB cream with wrinkle care, whitening and UV blocking properties. It claims to be long lasting and has good coverage. It also claims to be chemical, paraben, mineral oil, GMO (genetically modified), alchohol, benzophenone (harmful UV blocker) and triclosan (controversial antibacterial chemical) free.

Shade

This comes in quite a few shades. I have it in shade 23, natural yellow beige. As yellow as it looks in the photo, it actually runs more neutral and slightly grey in person, and makes my yellow skin tone looks a bit dull. I have not seen the other shades available, but I think it has 2 lighter shades (13 and 21). 23 is the darkest shade available for this particular BB cream. I wished this came in more shades like the Missha Perfect Cover BB which has 5 shades.

Score: 2.5 /5

Coverage

This has light to medium coverage. It can be sheer-ed out easily, and is ever-so-slightly buildable only.

Score: 3.5/5

Texture/finish

This BB cream is more watery in texture than the other korean BB creams. However, it feels slick over my combination skin if I use a moisturizer underneath, and it seems to sit on my skin. I have to let the cream absorb for at least 5 minutes, and then blot with a facial tissue before setting with a powder. If I do not use any moisturizer underneath, it would absorb much better. The finish is definitely very glowy and dewy. Great for normal to dry skin.

Score: 2/5 for oily skin, 4/5 for normal to dry skin

Oil control/longevity

As mentioned before, I set all my liquid products with an oil-control powder. My go-to powder now is the oil-block pressed powder from The Face Shop. It definitely lasts longer when I use the powder from The Face Shop. My skin starts to look shiny very soon (after 2 hours) if I set it with a powder with no oil-control. It is not very long lasting for me. This product comes off easily whenever I blot my face. Even my friend with normal skin finds this product easily transferrable whenever she blots her face with tissue. However, for some reason, my skin looks fresh again after blotting, as if I have just reapplied the BB cream. Very Odd! 

Score: 2.5/5

Packaging

It comes in a hard plastic tube with a fantastic pump. The bottle looks classy and beautiful with the flower patterns. It is a great addition to any beauty fanatic's vanity!

Score: 5/5

Price point

A friend bought this from me from Korea. It is only 23800 Korean Won, which is around SGD28 for 45 grams of product, which is really affordable! Sadly this is the case only in Korea. I have seen it in Singapore for about SGD40 (or perhaps even more), and this is definitely even more expensive in the States. So if you know anyone in Korea, get them to purchase it for you! BB creams are really affordable there.

Score: 3.5/5

Overall

I think this is potentially a great BB cream for normal to dry skin babes. My friend with normal skin really enjoys the glow and finish of this product, whereas I enjoy the healthy finish for the first hour or so, but subsequently I have to blot constantly. I love love love the packaging though. Makes a nice gift.

Score: 19/30 if you have oily skin, 21/30 if you have normal to dry skin.

Review: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream

Apologies for the lack of posts here. I haven't been using that many products consistently for at least a month (which is my criteria for making a fair review), and I have been on the fence for all of them (they seem neither good nor bad). However, here is one product I have been using for about 2 months already, and I'm pretty sure I won't change my mind about this product. I have the fragrance-free formula.

Product description: Taken from the neutrogena website, this product promises to deliver relief for dry, chapped hands. It is a clinically proven, highly (glycerin) concentrated formula which rapidly heals dry hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin.

My thoughts: I hated this cream at first use. Makeupalley has a 4.2/5 score for this! So I continued using it despite hating the texture. This was the only hand cream I own at the moment anyway. It doesn't feel creamy and rich. It feels more like a dry balm coming out from a squeeze tube. It has the most peculiar texture ever for a hand cream. Because of its non-creamy texture, it is hard to spread around, and doesn't absorb quickly, leaving my hands sticky (not greasy) for a good 10 minutes at least. On the tube, it says "only a dab heals dry skin". I could be using to much, but if I don't use the amount I use, I find it impossible for the hand cream to spread evenly over my entire hands.

This is a product that is also suitable for any other dry patches you may have on your body, including face, lips, elbows etc. I find this pretty nice as a lip balm, because of its balmy texture. After 2 months of trial-and-error, I find this product the most useful for spot treatments. For example, if my nail cuticles were dry and peeling, I would use the tiniest amount to go over that area. I am now spreading this hand cream as if it was foundation. Dab dab dab over my hand, before rubbing it in. You cannot squeeze out a glob on the palm and rub the cream in. The dry texture does not allow that, leaving your palms sticky.

This is definitely not a product for me. It seems to be great for most other people, including my colleagues. So give it a go! It is very inexpensive anyway.

Review: La Roche-Posay Effaclar K

Light texture, easily absorbed, but leaves a sheen.

Product description

I have copied this directly from http://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Effaclar/Effaclar-K-p5867.aspx because I have thrown the box away and no longer have the exact description.

“For combination to oily skin, irregular skin texture, blocked pores. Skin texture is smoothed, pores are tightened and unclogged. Imperfections are lastingly diminished. Skin is clearer, the complexion more radiant. EFFACLAR K is a daily care product which combines LHA and retinol Linoleate. The micro-exfoliating action unclogs pores and helps to transform and refine skin texture. With daily use, it helps protect against a future relapse of imperfections. Paraben-free formula.”

Review

I had high hopes for this actually as I have heard tonnes of good reviews on this. Makeup alley rates this 3.8/5 which is pretty decent. The beauty advisor also said this product is good for people who are prone to comedones (blackheads, whiteheads). This product does not work very well for me unfortunately. It did improve my blackhead condition on my nose a tiny bit, but I still have pretty major blackheads going on. I didn’t see my pores getting smaller as well. I have already almost finished the entire tube. The photo above was taken at least a month ago when I still have half a tube to go, so it wasn’t because I didn’t give this product enough time to work.

I remember somewhere on the box saying that this product makes an excellent makeup base. Hence I used this alone under my foundation or BB cream without any other moisturizer. Bad mistake! My skin became dry and tight, but remained oily. Luckily for me, La Roche Posay’s Toleriane Fluide saved my skin and made it supple again. I will continue to use this up, but I will always apply a moisturizing serum underneath it, or apply a moisturizer over it, to combat dehydration. I will not repurchase this. I have used Effaclar Duo before, and I have to say that is one awesome product for acne prone skin. I will repurchase Duo instead when I’m done with this.

Review: La Roche Posay Toleriane Fluide

La Roche Posay Toleriane Fluide

Product description:
For the hydration and protection of combination to oily intolerant skin. Formulated with high concentration of LRP thermal spring water, Toleriane Fluide soothes the pulling, stinging and burning sensations specific to intolerant skin. It's light mattifying texture is immediately absorbed by the skin and restores skin comfort.

What is intolerant skin:

Background story on why and how I picked this:

I picked this up the other day when Watsons was having a 15%+5% sale. I was looking for a something slightly more moisturising, because I was only using La Roche Posay (LRP) Effaclar K as a treatment/moisturiser (big mistake!) then, and it was drying my skin out. I love LRP’s products, because I always have good results/no negative results whenever I tried their products. And since I was already using Effaclar K, using something from LRP over it would probably complement it better than something from another brand. The sales rep recommended Hydraphase Light for me. I loved its texture, but a quick check at the ingredient list revealed denatured alcohol. It always puzzled me as to why moisturisers would contain alcohol, because long-term use of alcohol-containing products will dry the skin out. It’s counter effective. Furthermore, my skin is quite sensitive to alcohol. The sales rep then recommended me Toleriane Fluide. I love the ingredient list. It’s so short and concise, which probably means it does not contain rubbish inactive ingredients and unnecessary fillers. It was also cheaper than Hydraphase. I was sold!

Review:

This is one of the most amazing moisturisers I have ever used. Although it actually feels rather rich for oily skin, my skin somehow loved the richness of this. Note that this product is actually formulated for combination to oily intolerant (very sensitive) skin. I trust that LRP knows what is suitable for oily skin or not. It’s hard to describe it, but for the first time ever, I welcomed how supple and hydrated my skin feels after putting this on. My skin usually feels icky when I use something richer on my face, but this is totally different somehow. It also does a good job of soothing skin irritations. Sometimes my skin feels irritated after cleansing and toning, but this alleviates that immediately. I can even use it on my eczema-affected eyelids! This is really one of the most hypoallergenic products I have ever tried, other than Avene’s thermal spring water. One pump is really more than enough for my entire face as this spreads superbly.

I have read that some people found that this product seemed to sit on the skin and not absorb well. This is definitely not one of those ‘gel-type’ moisturisers that sink in immediately after applying. It requires some massaging and patting, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m not lazy when it comes to skin care. I have also read that this product rubs off when applying sunscreen or foundation over it. I have not experienced this either. It could be because I let this set for a few minutes before applying anything over it.

The only downfall of this product is that there is no indication of how much is left in the bottle. I hate to be in the situation of running short of this product when I need it. And, if you’re an oily babe/dude who really cannot stand any sort of moisture-feeling on the skin surface (like my boyfriend), this is not for you!

Thanks for reading this long post!

Review: Maybelline BB White SPF50 PA+++ BB Cream

Product description

Clear smooth 8-in-1 high protection BB cream. Anti-UV. This product has 8 claims: High UV protection, brightens, evens, smoothes, corrects, conceals, hydrates, 12 Hr wear.

Shade

Only 2 shades available here: 01 and 02. I have 02. 01 seems to be very pale, and 02 actually seems to be much darker than 01. I suggest using 01 if you do not have a tan. I have a slight tan and 02 still seems to be a tad too dark after the BB cream has oxidised.

Score: 2 /5

Coverage

It has slightly more coverage than a tinted moisturiser, but I would still say this product has only light coverage which does not seem to be buildable. Hence, it does not live up to its claim of being able to conceal. It does, however, even out my skin tone. This product didn’t brighten up my skin though, perhaps due to the incorrect shade.

Score: 2.5/5

Texture/finish

This BB cream has a creamy texture, but is not as thick as the typical Korean BB cream - feels pretty comfortable on the skin. It does leave a glowy finish that looks almost oily. This BB cream definitely needs to be set with a powder if you have oily skin like I do.

Score: 3/5

Oil control/longevity

Oil control is always the hardest part for me to judge, because I set EVERY liquid base product with a powder, and no doubt the powder I use always has decent oil control. But because I use the same setting powder for every liquid foundation/BB cream I use, I can still somewhat discern which product has more or less oil control comparatively. I would say this product does not have great oil control, because even with my setting powder, I would need to blot after 4 hours, which is pretty average for me. That being said, not having oil control isn’t a particular downside for this product, because it did not claim to have oil control anyway. On the contrary, this is marketed as a moisturizing product, and for this, I will give this product an extra point for living up to this claim. This product definitely does not last 12 hours as it claimed. I think without a setting powder, it would have melted off my face in a few hours.

Score: 3/5

Packaging

It comes in a tube form with a tiny tiny opening, which makes it great to control the amount of product to dispense. But somehow the tube makes the product look cheap (which it is actually).

Score: 3 /5

Price point

This retails for about SGD16 for only 18ml (SGD0.89 / mL). Usually, most foundations come in at least 30ml, and costs about SGD30 (SGD1 /mL). This makes the BB cream sightly cheaper per ml of product.

Score: 4/5

Overall

Overall, I think this is a very average product that does not particularly have any WOW factor. I use it because it’s like my sunscreen and tinted moisturiser in one. It is useful for days which I’m too lazy to apply a separate moisturiser, sunscreen and foundation.

Score: 17.5/30

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Product description:
Up to 16 hours perfectly glowing complexion and toned skin. Fruit therapy; radiance boosting. Has apricot for radiance, melon for hydration, apple for anti-oxidant properties and ginger for energy.

Obviously too light for my skin! >.<

Shade 

Very limited shades available in Singapore. Only comes in #51, #52 and #53. I have #52 and I still find it too light for me. I am between Mac NC25 to NC30 now. However, it has neutral undertones, which I feel could work for more skin tones, to sort of compensate for the lack of shades available.

Score:  2.5 /5

Coverage

It has medium coverage, and is slightly buildable.

Score:  3/5

Texture/finish 

It has a natural finish that looks like skin. Not too glowy or matte. Certainly one of my favourite finishes in a liquid foundation. The texture is more on the watery side, and it also applies very smoothly with a brush or fingers.

 Score: 4/5

Oil control/longevity 

One of the best things I like in this foundation is its long-wearing property. Having naturally oily skin, no foundation can make me matte the entire day, this foundation included. It does not control shine very well, however, after blotting the oil off my face, the foundation still looks good without touching up. No settling into my pores or lines. Very impressive.I will take half a point off because I don't think it will ever last up to 16 hours as it claimed will.

Score: 4.5/5

Packaging 

It has a good pump that makes it easy to control the amount of product to dispense

Score: 5/5

Price point

Priced at SGD34.50, it is slightly more expensive than the usual drugstore foundations over here (of which I feel are already expensive compared to other countries). However there are always discounts available somewhere, either at John Little, BHG or Watsons.

Score: 3.5/5

Overall score: 22.5/30

Not bad for a drugstore foundation at all!

Products I Cannot Live Without

This post will be products that I can't live without (so far for the past few years or so).

1) Lactacyd Liquid (~$8 to $12 for 250 ml from any personal store)

credits: reboundhealth.com

This is the LIQUID version with blue and green stripes. It does not say feminine wash anywhere on the bottle. So don't get confused! I have used probably close to 10 bottles of this. A bottle of 250ml lasts me about 2 months. It says on the back that it can be used for hair, face and body. I love this so much because it contains lactic acid, which is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), which helps tremendously in reducing congested pores. I use this as a morning facial wash. It is mild and does not irritate my sensitive skin. It also does not dry my dehydrated skin out. I love how multi-tasking this product is. I use it as a back wash when I get back acne and this really helps with that. I also use it as a feminine wash (too much info?). This is why I get through this so fast!
Tip: Buy this from small neighbourhood shops like Venus. It is so much cheaper than getting it from Watsons or Guardian.


2) Avene Thermal Spray (Cannot remember the price. Look out for promotions)

credits: aveneusa.com

This is really a multi-purpose product. I feel that this is a must-have for whomever with sensitive skin. It really soothes any irritation on the skin. Although the effect is not permanent (it's not a cure; duh!), but it really helps when I'm just dying from any skin irritation. I use it on sunburns, rashes and itch especially from my eczema, on my legs after shaving (I get serious razor burns) etc. The best thing about this is that it is gentle enough to use on my eczema-affected eyelid. I soak a cotton pad with the spring water and press it against my eyelid, and it becomes instantly better. I have not tried other brands of thermal spring water, e.g Vichy, La Roche Posay, Uriage etc, so I cannot compare.


3) Avene Soothing Serum ($50.90 for 40ml)

credits: mypharmacy.com.sg

This product is so expensive, yet I bought a backup of this. My current tube is finishing, after using it for about a year. This is basically like the thermal spring water, but with liposomal technology. Liposomes are made of the same molecules that make up the bulk of our skin. Hence, it is proposed that, by encapsulating the spring water in liposomes, the liposomes can better deliver the spring water into the skin. I don't know if it really works, but I do know for this product, you are indeed paying for the technology and the innovation. I have done liposomal experiments in college lab, and I remember the professor saying that the liposome equipment costs S$10k each, and it looks as small as a syringe. So I can only imagine how expensive an industrial size equipment would be.

Anyway, I use this only for my face (because it costs a bomb). It has a longer lasting effect than spritzing on the thermal spring water. Perhaps it's the liposomal technology? I once had a nasty rash all over my face from using an unsuitable product, and after patting this product onto my face, the redness disappeared. And it remained that way. I use this when my eczema flares up on my face, and my skin becomes red, splotchy and itchy. Often, my skin becomes ultra-sensitive from overuse of topical acne products, and this really works to soothe the pain. The only downside is that it is somehow not suitable for my eyelid eczema. I also do wish there is a cheaper dupe for this product!

My Skin

For my first post here, I've decided to put out there what my skin type is like. I have an extremely frustrating and confusingly combination skin. I have very very combination skin. Very very because 95% of my skin is oily, but 5% of my skin is very dry. Let me go over the dry areas first.

Dry: Parts that are peeling, mainly due to eczema. Upper lip, around the nose and eye area. Very sensitive too. Stings when in contact with products with high alcohol content. During an eczema flare-up, even my own perspiration stings!

Oily: All other areas not mentioned above. Oily but very dehydrated due to acne-care products.

Other facts: I have very yellow-based skin tone. Foundations in the Mac NC range is just the right amount of yellow for me. Anything less yellow isn't yellow enough for me. My skin burns but still tans without sunscreen. A good SPF30 sunscreen is good enough for me to spend hours in the sun without getting burnt.

Other problems: Battling acne and acne scarring on my cheeks. Nose is totally overtaken by blackheads. Clearest parts of my face are chin, jaw and forehead.

Phew! Finally done listing down all the crap my skin is facing. See you in the next post!