Review: Talika Anti-Acne Mask & a homemade scrub

Hello folks! I just had an awesome bath using a Honey, Milk & Olive Oil Sugar scrub! It left my skin really smooth and tender! This is a nourishing and moisturizing scrub.

Honey, Milk & Olive Oil Sugar scrub

If you're interested to make the scrub, all you need is..

Ingredients:
10 tbsp sugar (fine grains)
3 tbsp honey (organic is preferred)
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp milk

How to?
1. Put 7 tbsp of sugar into a bowl
2. Add honey to the bowl, mix well.
3. Add 3 tbsp milk to the bowl, stir.
4. Add olive oil and stir. Slowly add the remaining sugar little by little.
5. Depending on the honey you use, the last tbsp of sugar may or may not be needed.

You should get a sand like consistency before you enjoy your bath!
psss: you can use this both on your face and body, just remember to be gentle with your face!

Review: Talika Renaissance Mask - Anti Acne

I have also tried a new mask from Talika recently. It is also labelled as the second skin. The particular one I tried was an Anti-acne mask.  This mask aims to reduce imperfections (pimples, blackspots and redness) as well as 'closes' pores. It is made of a nano-natural fiber (biocelulose). I didn't buy this mask, my mom passed it to me after seeing my recent breakout. Apparently this mask was released in 2010.

This came in handy as I've been experiencing bad breakouts recently. I left it on my face for approximately 15-20 mins, massaged in the rest of the formula.  The result was lovely! I do see my red acnes fading off! After 2 uses, I'm glad to say that my acne did seem to heal faster than normal! The red spots which were faded (just slight pinkish) was also easier to manage.

There is no perculiar or dishasteful smell associated with this mask. The mask sheet was gel-like unlike those you'd get from korean brands and it came with an extra layer of protection when applying. I believe that helps to retain moisture better, which was really thoughful of the Talika designers.

Unfortunately I did not manage to locate any Singapore stores selling this mask nor find it on their webpage. So I'm sorry ladies, the only website I managed to locate selling this mask is here (sweetcare). However, I must disclaim that I have never purchased from the website and I'm not sure how reliable or unreliable it might be.

My verdict: ❤❤❤❤❤/ ❤❤❤❤❤
I generally liked the product. However due to the absence of price, I'm not sure if I'll purchase it again. Should it be very costly, then I will definitely not repurchase this product. However if each mask sheet falls below S$15, I may consider using it if I have breakouts again!

Short answer? Yes I will repurchase if the price is reasonable to help my occasional breakouts!

Foot Glide - Blisters no more! Hurray!

Hello ladies! Ever felt apprehensive of fitting into a new shoe... weary of blisters or other forms of abrasion when wearing covered shoes, heels and boots?

I've recently tried this new product - Anti Blister Foot Formula Pretty Feet from Foot Glide brand, and it works like a miracle! It costs S$17.90 at all Watson (Singapore) stores and you can also easily find it at your local pharmacies.

Packaging in stores - Picture taken at Watson Singapore -
Retail Price: S$17.90 in Singapore, 2012

It's colorless, non-greasy , easy to apply and most importantly, long lasting! It is also resistant to humidity, perspiration and water. Remove with Soap & Water.

The packaging and formula. Just turn that dial at the bottom of the bottle
and you'll get the formula in a harden wax format.

One application per day is sufficient for my use (morning 8am all the way till past midnight in my new pointed heels from nine west!). So a tube will probably last you pretty long! An awesome partner for your feet but best used before the trouble start!

Ingredients & other notes

It is a roll-on applicator. All you need it to rub it wherever blisters may occur in your opinion! No more packs after packs of handiplast (plasters) and suffer from painful blisters when wearing pretty and nice shoes! I hope this helps to solve your woes as much as mine!

Note: this is not an advertorial, I was not paid to write this nor did I receive any free samples from Foot Glide. I truly feel that this saves more money than me buying packs after packs of plasters. All recommendations came from my bestie who has used it for several months before I hopped on the boat! Enjoy!

Remedies for eyebags, dark circles & a pepermint scrub!

Hello guys! If you've read my earlier posts, you'd probably be farmiliar with my lamenting about my dark eye circles (which are yes, panda black kind!). I have been trying out so many eye creams and eye products that I ended up with milia seeds under my eye and crows feet *upset*. Since my homemade facial products did well, I decided to explore homemaking some eye remedies, mainly either for puffy eyes and/or dark undereye rings. My dark undereye rings are unbeatable. I have to use both the bobbi brown corrector and concealer to turn my eyes to normal state... any eye highlighter or pure concealer is unable to fully cover! *Sobs* However I do have a problem with Bobbi's eye corrector/concealer as the cream based product cracks up after half a day even after sealing them with fine powder. Any touching up will only attempt to make it worse! 

So I decided... instead of focusing so much on covering these panda-cum-goldfish eyes with make-up, I have committed to try to solve the problem directly.

Today I'm going to share with you a few items (remedies for the eyes & peppermint face scrub) again! I'm so sorry for all the lengthy posts but I just can't wait to share these things with you! So enjoy and yup grab your cuppa tea before scrolling down! Enjoy!

Part A: All about Eyes 

1. Herbal Tea bags & Eyes

(Chamomile, Green Tea, Peppermint, Rose Hip etc)

Why chilled tea bags? They relieve puffy and swollen eyes. Applying with eyes closed will also help keep the lids and eyes moist. 

[However if you have sty (bump on eyelid/edge which happens due to bacteria getting into eyelashes and under the eye lids) try a hot mint tea compress which can be placed over your eyes 3 times a day for just 5 minutes each. It is said that the heat can help bacteria in the sty come to surface, therefore allowing you to directly eliminate the problem!] 

I particularly like peppermint tea bags for a few reasons:

(i) a cold mint tea eye compress (i.e. chilled tea bag) can help cleanse, reduce swelling of eyes with a cooling effect

(ii) they aid dry eyes more effectively

(iiI) more than often, dark eye rings can be linked to skin allergies and sinuses. Mint tea has healing effects for those due to its strong menthol aroma which will cause eyes to water and sinuses to tingle. All you need to do is to inhale the steam from mint tea. 

Chamomile tea will help to dis-inflame!  

How to get a cold compress eye treatment

(a) Put two tea bags in boiling water for 2 minutes

(b) Remove and place them in a tupperware or ziplock bag (cool it abit if you're using a ziplock) 

(c) cool in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes

(d) After they are cooled, place them over closed eyes for 10 - 15 minutes! 

Tadah~ you're done! 

2. Cucumber, Potatoes & Apple

Both potatoes and cucumbers aid puffy eyes as they both help to reduce water retention. 

Cucumbers: has high amounts of ascorbic acid and caffeic acid

Potatoes: effective for dark eye circles due to liquid starch and an enzyme (cathecholase) used as a skin lightener

Apples: eliminates pigmentation issues in skin, regulate fine lines under the eyes

If you just want a cooling and soothing treat, a slice of chilled cucumber or a slice of chilled potato  on each eye is great too! It will moisturize

Cucumber & Potato Eye Mask - grate both ingredients (chilled) in equal portions, mix and squeeze the juices out! Apply the paste directly on your eyes or put them in an empty teabag before applying. 

You can do the same with apples + potatoes too. Just use 1 portion of apple for 4 portions of potatoes! 

3. Diet - avoid too much caffeine, salt and alcohol (unfortunately I'm a sucker for those things! *sobs*) 

4. Apply your eye moisturizers diligently! Try to use a cream moisturizer in the morning before applying eye makeup (they help to moisturizer your eyes and thereby keeping your makeup on better) and a gel moisturizer at night as they will firm and tighten the area better (this reduces swelling!)

5. Give your eyes sufficient rest - look away from your computer from time and time and get sufficient sleep! 

Part B: Peppermint Face Scrub 

So we've used the peppermint tea bags as cooling eye compress treats, then how do we make sure it doesn't waste? 

1. Drink it with or without honey! 

Peppermint tea is naturally caffeine free but provides a quick perk-me-up effect due to its menthol content. Apart from common knowledge of mint tea containing stress relieving effects (calms and relaxes muscles along intestinal tract) and warding off common colds, it is said to ease problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, spasms, colic, intestinal gas, indigestion and headaches (due to properties in peppermint that relax the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing the contents of the stomach to move upwards into the esophagus). Avoid drinking if you have reflux issues. 

2. Make a face scrub! (You can use this for your feet too!)

Ingredients: 

• 5 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp baby oil 
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 1/4 tbsp thick peppermint tea

How to? 

(a) infuse 2 bags of peppermint tea in 1/3 cup boiling water, cool for 15 minutes

(b) add 3 tbsp sugar into bowl

(c) add 1 1/4 tbsp thick peppermint tea in 

(d) add 1 tsp baby oil

(e) add 2 tbsp sugar

(f) add 1 tbsp honey 

(g) mix and you're ready for your facial treat 

We should exfoliate once to thrice weekly, this will keep dead skin from building and getting into pores!

Homemade Green Tea Face Scrub, Toner & Mask!

Hello Ladies! Today I'm going to share with you some of my homemade remedies.

Initially I was looking for a good face scrub to use for face exfoliating but after hours and hours of surfing, I couldn't find an ideal product which has fantastic reviews, a proven record and friendly to my purse. So I decided, why not save some money and DIY a home scrub. I decided that my main ingredient was going to be a Green Tea, which was a powerful anti-oxidant (slows the aging process, rejuvenate skin cells - esp good for after-sun applications!) and also a good purifying ingredient for acne/zits. Lastly, I also incorporated oatmeal in my mask as I have been too stressed recently and pimples started to pop up randomly across my face *sobs*. So here goes, prepare for a long post! I sincerely hope that this may be of help to some of you out there!

So I ended up with a full regime after exploring - a face scrub, a toner and a mask for application. However, you may choose to take the scrub and mask on separate days as some people have thinner skin and too much exfoliation may be bad for the skin.

Let's get started on the recipes! Before I start let me outline the benefits of some ingredients I've chosen. However this is not to say that some other ingredients are no good, its just that I've chosen this for these home products!

Key Ingredients Benefits: 


1) Sugar - naturally exfoliates dead skin and cleanses skin

• alpha-hydroxy (glycolic acid) rich which is crucial for maintaining healthy skin; does not clog pores; helps eliminate blemishes, restores balance to skin's oil.
• After dead skin is exfoliated (but not overly exfoiliated), your body organ works more efficiently to expel toxins and take in nourishment, thus giving a radiant glow. 
• Sugar scrubs are also gentler than salt scrubs, making it suitable for all skin types. 

2) Green Tea 

• reduces sun damage and inflammation (free radicals) i.e. anti-oxidant (esp impt for me in a hot sunny Singapore!)
• slow down effects of aging

3 tips for using green tea as a facial ingredient:

(i) always put boiling water when making your cup of green tea so the full goodness is released from the tea bag/tea leaves;

(ii) always prepare the cup of green tea and use it immediately, don't wait. 

(iii) never use cold green tea, make sure its just warm before application or adding to sugar.

3) Honey (some call it liquid gold!)

• hydrating and softening effects as honey is a humectant which attracts and preserves water, 
• anti-bacterial effects - good for acne
• anti-oxidant (anti-aging) 
• rich in nutrients and vitamins - vitamin B & C, minerals and amino acid

4) Oatmeal 

• an astringent which draws out and absorbs excess oils from the skin 
• draw and hold moisture 
• exfoliates dead skin and clear up blemishes 

You should still see the coarse sugar after mixing
p.s. pardon the kiddy bowl!

Green Tea Honey Face Scrub
Ingredients: 
3 tbsp white sugar, slightly coarse
1 tbsp green tea
2/3 tsp johnson & johnson baby oil or replaceable with almond oil or rose hip oil (optional)
1 tsp organic honey

How to? 
(i) make 1/4 cup of green tea with boiling water. Let it sit for 3 minutes.
(ii) Add 1 tbsp of white sugar to your bowl
(iii) Stir the green tea and add 1 tbsp to the bowl
(iv) Add 2 more tbsp of white sugar
(v) Add 1 tsp of organic honey
(vi) Add 2/3 tsp of the oil you chose

Should you lack the above ingredients, remember that white sugar is always the key ingredient in a scrub. The next key ingredient is green tea.
[If you really lack everything, just have slightly coarse sugar on hand. Add 3 tbsp of warm water and gently scrub i.e. as if you are stroking a newborn!]

What does each selection of oil do?

• J&J Baby Oil: Softens skin, moisturizes but there are people who are against mineral oil which is the key ingredient in this product.  
• Almond Oil: Nourish, smoothen and soften skin  - relieves itchiness, soreness and rashes
• Rose Hip Oil: rich in vitamin C, rehydrates skin, reduces wrinkles and repair damange skin cells (i.e. scars recovery!) 

You may choose to leave out oil if your skin is not suitable for such an ingredient. 
Some may ask why I do not recommend Olive Oil as a replacement. I believe that the anti-oxidant used in the application may end up being too strong if added as both green tea and honey has anti-oxidant effects already. 
It is also not recommended that you use more than 1 oil in this scrub. 

Application Steps:
(a) just gently scrub (as if stroking a newborn) with a good cotton pad which picks up all the ingredients (rem to stir before each pick up). Rough scrubs would harm your face, especially if the sugar is far too coarse.
(b) Then use your fingers to give your face a 2nd round of gentle scrub.
(c) Repeat both steps (a) and (b) again before gently rinsing off the scrub. Viola, you're done!

Green Tea Toner / Acne Soother

It is as simple as getting warm green tea onto your cotton pad and gently pad the awesome natural and affordable toner into your face! Enjoy this simple goodness!

[You may choose to put your remaining green tea in the fridge. When sufficiently cold, use a cotton bud to pick up some tea and dab onto affected acne/zit. Allow the green tea to dry naturally on skin - it will help soothe and heal skin]

Green Tea Honey Oat Wash-off Mask
(Do not use this receipe if you are allergic to oats!!)

this is not a paste, continue stirring!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp organic rolled oats (use baby oats/ porridge oats if possible)
2 tbsp (+ 1 tsp) warm green tea
1/2 tsp organic honey

How to?
(i) Make 1/3 cup of green tea with boiling water. Let it cool for 3 mins.
(ii) Pour 1 tbsp of oats into bowl
(iii) Add 1 tbsp of warm green tea, stir
(iv) repeat steps (ii) and (iii)
(v) Add 1 tsp honey
(vi) stir until a thick paste is formed (add 1 tsp of green tea if paste is too thick)

Application Steps: 
(a) Ensure you begin with clean hands and a cleansed face (oh and make sure to keep your hair back)
(b) Apply all over your face with a clean foundation brush, cover acne/pimples with more paste
(c) leave the mask to work for 20-30 minutes or until the mask is dried
(d) Rinse off gently with warm water, rub gently in circles all over the face.
(e) pat dry your face
(f) tone and moisturize, your face should be glowing!


I hope you've enjoyed reading these recipes and do let me know if it works for you! I'll post my other homemade recipes which I've experimented using ingredients such as milk, yoghurt and oats!

Unfortunately i'm still looking for dark eye circle remedies. I've tried all sorts of commercial brands out there - ranging from la prairie to garnier roll-on eye pens but none have quite worked miraculously though la praire's did aid. Its just getting from bad to worse... can't do without concealers anymore. HELP! I'll let you know if I do find a breakthrough. Meanwhile I've stopped most eye products (as they are either too rich, causing milia seeds and others giving crows feet *sobs*) and just purely applying a simple vitamin C serum with eye massages. Do let me know if you have a miraculous remedy!

*for the love of natural skincare*