My Very Dry Skin Treatment Experiences

I realize it has been some time since I wrote a post, or even visited this blog, and that’s totally on me. Of course. Life has interfered with my writing, and I’ll try to write more regularly now—try being the key word, LOL—for the sake of...my sanity? Consistency? Whatever it is, the point is that I actually love to write, and now I’m going to share what I’ve been up to lately in terms of my skin.

I'm So Sorry

So I’ve been using SK-II FTE (Facial Treatment Essence) and Stempower moisturizer for almost a year when my definitely oily skin turned into a very dry one. My skin was so oily I thought an oil refinery puked on my face every morning when I woke up. That was why it shook me to my core (an exaggeration, yes, but I was pretty damn shocked) when I saw scales on my face one day.

Just like the five stages of grief (over my skin, yes, for women that’s important!), the first stage is denial. I denied that I have a dry skin, and even though deep in my mind and heart I knew what was causing it, I denied it, too. A number of skin conditions ran through my head—fungal infection was among them—because I refused to acknowledge that I indeed have a dry skin. What did I do wrong? I moisturized my skin twice a day, I put on sun protection, I clean my face thoroughly, and I rarely wear make-up. Where exactly was my mistake?

In the end, I suspected the culprits to be my lack of drinking and my dearly beloved SK-II products. And since figuring out which were which could take eons, I decided to upped my water intake and lessen my SK-II products applications.

ATTENTION. This post is in no way trying to defame or give out malicious comments about SK-II. God knows, and one of my best friends knows, that I’m in love with one of their ambassadors. And I’m still in love with their products and I still use it sparingly, because it indeed made my skin crystal clear like it promised. Everyone complimented my skin, including this best friend that I mentioned above. It’s just that everyone’s skin reacts differently, and like Gregory House from House M.D. said, it can take a really long time for you to become sensitive to something (not a direct quote). So don’t be surprised when your HG products fail you one day.

Anyway, after going through all five stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), my very dry skin is finally healed! Well, more like manageable, really. In this post I’ll share what kinds of treatments and products I tried and how well they’ve worked.

This is going to be a long post, so bear with me, or if you’re really that impatient you can just skip to the bottom where I list the pros and cons of the products. For those of you lovely readers who are willing to listen—or read, actually—here goes!

First, I’d like to tell you what my very dry skin is like. About fifteen minutes after applying moisturizer my skin will start to feel sandy. It’s definitely rough to the touch. And after thirty minutes it will start to scale, and you can clearly see my skin is exfoliating, especially around the cheek area. My cheeks are definitely a problem. It’s scaly, and chubby, and looks as if I’m saving a meatball in each of them for winter supply, and... Where was I? Oh. Right.

These are the products that I think made a difference and saved my skin in the order I tried them: The Face Shop Real Nature Mung Bean Mask Sheet, Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX, EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream, and 3CE’s Nursing Cream.

The Face Shop Real Nature Mung Bean Mask Sheet

This is the mask that I love the most! The product promises to help regain skin softness and youthful impression, but I find it to be more moisturizing than other products that promise you a moisturized skin (from the same line).

I wore this every night for 20 minutes or so until I ran out. My dry skin definitely agreed with this mask sheet—it stayed moisturized until morning—but I can’t imagine using this mask sheet for everyday use.

First, it’s expensive. It’s about IDR 20,000 if you buy it at the counter; about KRW 1000 if you buy it online or directly in Korea. Now multiply that number by thirty because you need to use it every day. By the end of the month, your face won’t be the only thing that’s dry.

Second, it’s not meant for everyday use and honestly it’s a hassle. It’s cool to wait for 20 minutes (so that all the nutrients get absorbed by the skin) once or twice a week, but doing that every day is too much. I’m tired after coming home from work, and all I want to do is slap on a moisturizer and sleep.

And so I decided that this product helped, but this wasn’t the one that healed my dry skin.  And you want your skin to heal, right? Not just making the problem invisible to other people.

Moving on.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX

It’s sleep-on. It’s non-greasy. It gets absorbed somewhat quickly. It’s hygienic because it comes with a spatula. It works to tame my dry skin. It’s Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX!

Now for the cons. Maybe because it’s a sleeping pack, I need a dollop of it to cover my entire face (about as big as a cherry pit). Therefore, I ran out pretty quickly. One tub lasted for about one month. I bought it when I went to Korea, about IDR 250,000 per tub of joy. Not sure how much it costs on the counter here in Indonesia.

The consistency of the product is that of a gel. It’s kind of sticky until it gets absorbed completely. It’s cool when it touches your face, and for me it smells nice. It comes with instructions in English, Korean, and Chinese. One of them is about a face relaxing exercise which I’ve never done. Haha.

Again, I don’t think this product healed my dry skin, but it definitely helped me through my bargaining and depression period. And again, it’s not meant for everyday use, just for nighttime, hence the name. I just kept thinking something bad would happen if I used it every day, day and night, for an extended period of time.

For further sales pitch lines, Google it, or better yet, purchase it. You’ll love it.

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Gross. That was what I thought, too.

But it works. Use a drop or two and massage it on the dry areas and leave it just like that. It takes a really, really long time for it to absorb, and your face will look like a glazed donut in the meantime. I think this works really well to help moisturizes your skin during winter, but you have to continuously reapply them every few hours, depending on the dryness of your skin. I think it’s safe to use EVOO every day, because after all it is natural oil.

EVOO made my skin looked healthier, but I don’t think it helped the healing process. Bummer. It was cheap, only IDR 50,000 in your local supermarket. I used the Filippo Berio one.

A word to the wise: if you don’t like it for your face, don’t use it for cooking. EVOO has a low flash point and it’s supposed to be eaten raw, for, like, salad dressing or tossed with pasta and stuff. Surprisingly not many people know this, so I’m sharing it!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream

THIS IS IT. This is the product that healed my dry skin.

I bought this on a whim, because I saw the ad on an elevator sticker and because my Laneige Sleeping Pack was running out and because I wasn’t patient enough to wait for my 3CE Nursing Cream to come.

It turned out to be a miracle.

My Baby

On the tub it says: for very dry skin, continuously nourishes, protects, and locks in moisture. And YES! This product definitely delivers its promises!

I’ve been using this for exactly one month when I write this post, and now the natural oils on my face are starting to make the long-awaited comeback! It’s not oily, mind you. It’s balanced, and I couldn’t be happier.

This product is creamy; it easily glides and spreads onto your face. It gives a matte finish and not at all greasy even after 12 hours. I don’t think it has any scent, nothing that lasts anyway. It costs IDR 199,000 on The Body Shop counter.

Use About A Corn Kernel Size

After a month, I’m left with about half the original amount. But because my face got more and more balanced, I need less and less product every day. I imagine a tub will last for three months, tops.

There are two not-so-good points (although not really, this product is amazing!).

One, my nose got really clogged up with whiteheads when I use this, so just for my nose, I use my Innisfree Jejubija Anti-Trouble Lotion, which I’ve reviewed HERE.

Two, it doesn’t come with a spatula! Booooooooo! But I have my SK-II Stempower spatula! SO MUCH WIN!!

3CE Nursing Cream

I’ve read all kinds of positive reviews about 3CE Nursing Cream. I think I’d love this product if I hadn’t stumbled upon the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream first.

It’s a balm-type moisturizer intended for very dry skin. It’s yellow, because it’s composed of several different oils, like olive oil and argan oil.

Compared to EVOO, 3CE Nursing Cream is not as shiny; it lasts longer and gets absorbed quicker. I often use it together with the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream to really seal the deal.

I bought it online for about IDR 420,000, but this product will take a lifetime to use up. I’ve used it about 5-10 times now, and I barely scraped 1 mm from the top. A little goes a long way.

Since it has a dewy finish, I think this product is great if you want to create a dewy make-up effect. Apply it lightly on where light hits your face; commonly on the bridge of your nose, brow bones, and cheek bones.

One thing that I really don’t like about the product is the smell. It reminds me of a goat or something, and it doesn’t disappear instantly, so when you turn or a wind blows past your face, you’ll smell it. Or am I sensitive about goats? I’m just not sure.

So that’s it! My experience with dry skin dragged on for several months. To be honest, at first I didn’t look for products for dry skin at all, maybe because I was in denial and believed that some sort of disease had attacked my precious face. LOL. But now my skin is healed (manageable!), hopefully forever.

Achieving balance is really difficult and you can’t depend on just one product, so listen to what your skin has to say! Good luck!

And here is the summary of the pros and cons for all of ya impatient people (and of course all of you lovely readers that has taken the time to read all of the passages above).

The Face Shop Real Nature Mung Bean Mask Sheet

Pros:

Å      Moisturizes dry skin beautifully

Cons:

Ä      Expensive for everyday use

Ä      Actually intended to be used once or twice a week

Ä      Need to wait without moving for 20 minutes or so for the nutrients to be absorbed

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX

Pros:

(+) Moisturizes dry skin nicely

(+) Non-greasy

(+) Hygienic; comes with a spatula

(+) Smells nice

Cons:

(-) Actually intended for night use, 1-2 times per week

(-) Need about 10 minutes for it to be properly absorbed

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Pros:

(+) Moisturizes dry skin very well

(+) Cheap and easy to get

(+) Nice smell, disappear upon application

Cons:

(-) Runny doesn’t even begin to describe it

(-) You look like you need blotting paper

(-) Need a bunch of reapplies

(-) Moisturizing effect doesn’t last very long

The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream

Pros:

(+) Actually heals your dry skin. Hey, it’s vitamin!

(+) Moisturizes really well, lasts for a whole day or night without reapplying

(+) Has matte finish and non-greasy

(+) Smells okay, disappear upon application

(+) Price is agreeable for the sake of your skin. It’s an asset, gals.

Cons:

(-) Doesn’t come with a spatula

(-) Clogged my nose with whiteheads

3CE’s Nursing Cream

Pros:

(+) Moisturizes well

(+) Lasts for the whole night, or the whole day, in an air-conditioned room

(+) Dewy finish for dewy make-up effect

(+) One tub is enough for most of your adult life

(+) Comes with a spatula

Cons:

(-) Smells like a goat and doesn’t really disappear for quite a while

Thanks for reading and see you on my next review! Who knows how long that will be? *slaps oneself*