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*
