Review : Tony Moly Natural Pulp Essence Sheet Mask Hyaluronic Acid

Product Description
Natural Pulp Essence sheet mask series are made of 100% Pulp Fabric that effective locks in moisture and enhances better absorption for skin with its silky texture. Containing skin-friendly Hydroxyethylcellulose which effectively helps to keep the skin moisturized and boosting its natural ability to retain hydration at an optimum level.

A good friend of mine helped me to get this from Korea and I have been using the 3 sheets on 3 consecutive days because of my red, flaking nose and chin due to an allergic reaction.
The sheet is very thin and the first time I used it, I have torn it when I pulled it out from the packaging. It has a perfumery scent which I thought can be excluded, since its not there to enhance the ability of the mask.

While it refreshes and provide moderate hydration to the skin, the effects do not last till the next morning. The flakiness did disappear for awhile after treatment ( I used it before bed) and re-appear the following morning.

Culprits of Premature Aging

1. Do you always have to get a sugar fix?

Indulging your sweet tooth may be rebounding on you not just on the scale, but on your face, too. Too much sugar in the body causes 'glycation,' which can cause premature aging.

Glycation is a bonding process between fat, protein and sugar that occurs inside the tissues, where it can cause muscle inflexibility, inflammation and the production of free radicals, a culprit behind aging. You don't have to go give up sugar entirely (yet), but dial down the sugar intake and switch to small pieces of dark chocolate or low-sugar fruits when craving sweets.

2. Are you a side sleeper?

Sleeping on one's side does not technically cause premature aging, but it can cause wrinkles, which make you look aged. Favoring a sleeping position on your side applies pressure on one side of the face, resulting in wrinkles in the nasolabial folds (the area along your nose and lips that forms parentheses when you smile); many dermatologists can take one look at a person's face and guess immediately which side they sleep on based on the lines on their faces.

Practice sleeping on your back (putting a pillow underneath your knees helps, since it'll be harder for you to shift on your side). If you sleep with the lights on or with a night light, this may be causing you to unconsciously furrow your brow, which can cause lines along the forehead area; wear a sleep mask to help shut out the light.

3. Are you sleeping enough? Are you stressed?

Stress or lack of sleep results in the overproduction of the hormone cortisol, which is also responsible for breaking down collagen and elastin (both are structural proteins which support the skin) and also hastens the production of free radicals.

Bolster your body's response to free radicals by loading up on antioxidants—vitamins A, C, E which you can find in supplements and healthy food like fruits, vegetables and salmon. You can also look for these antioxidants on anti-aging creams, serums, and moisturizers. Also, make sure to get enough time in bed.

[ Recommended Reading :
18 Health Food For Beauty
Potent Superfoods For Skin
Food For Healthy Skin ]

4. Is your skin dry?

Skin that is too dry is less elastic, making it prone to wrinkles. It is really important to hydrate skin from the inside and outside. Apart from getting your recommended daily intake of water, make sure to keep the outer layer of your skin well-moisturized. Look for a moisturizer suited to your skin type and the climate (e.g., gel formula for hot days, cream for evenings and colder seasons).

5. Hanging out with smokers?

We already know that smoking is bad for our health and for our skin as it breaks down collagen and elastin, while the act of smoking itself causes wrinkles around the lips from habitual puffing. But you also won't be doing your skin any favors if you keep inhaling second-hand smoke. Passive smoking is also hazardous for the skin; it's as if you are a smoker yourself when you are in an environment filled with smoke.

Encourage your friends to hang out in less smoky venues and persuade your smoker friends to ditch the habit (if that might possibly cause your friends to dump you instead, at the very least ask him or her to smoke somewhere else). Your skin (and lungs) will thank you later.

6. Are you a sun worshiper?

The sun is the number one culprit in premature aging, because of photoaging. Photoaging is a term used for the skin's aging reaction from chronic exposure to the sun's UVA and UVB rays. Visible effects include wrinkling, discoloration, leathered skins, and tightened, stretched lips.

Of course, you can't avoid the sun like a vampire, just make sure you use a moisturizer or day cream with at built-in sunscreen and if you plan on sun bathing, coat yourself in thick sunscreen of SPF 30 and above, and limit sun exposure during its harshest period (usually between 10 am to 4 pm).

[ Recommended Reading :
9 Foods The Fight UV Damage
Medications That May Make You Extra Sensitive To Sun ] 

Source : Yahoo

Review : Hugo Naturals French Lavender Shower Gel

Product Description
Gentle botanical blend of vegetable glycerin, jojoba and olive oil effectively cleanses while restoring moisture and elasticity. And pure botanical extracts replenish essential nutrients rather than stripping them - leaving your skin smooth, supple and deeply nourished.
•Gluten-free and vegan
•Creamy, luxurious lather gently cleanses even the most sensitive skin
Never any : parabens, phenoxyethanol, SLS, PEGs, propylene glycol, petroleum products, artificial colors or synthetic fragrances. Gluten and soy free. Vegan. No animal testing.

As part of the travel kit which I bought via iHerb, this shower gel has been more than pleasant to use. The light yellow gel texture shower gel smells of an uplifting scent of lavender and foams well to give a luxurious lathering. Nothing much to hate about the shower gel.
Hugo uses vegetable glycerin, which is naturally emollient and Jojoba, Vitamin E and coconut oil to moisturize and restore skin’s elasticity, while botanical extracts, rich in natural anti-oxidants, work to replenish essential nutrients

Ingredients
Aqua/Water/Eau, Lauryl Glucoside, Decyl Glucocide, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoabutteramphoacetate, Glycerin, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract (Organic), Tocopherol, Allantoin (Comfrey Root), Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Chamomila Recuita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Fagus Sylvatica (Beech) Bud Extract, Prunus Amygdalus (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Myroxylon Pereirae (Balsam Peru) Oil, Butter (Extract), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Kernel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (HoneySuckle) Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

Source : drugstore , win

Review : The Beauty Diary Collagen Firming Mask

Product Description
Plumpness and Transparency: The classic ingredient Collagen, is extracted from the marine collagen of Japanese deep sea fishes. This rich and nourishing element is essential to healthy skin. Hi-tech hydrolyzed marine elastin, has a plumping effect on skin giving it a firm and youthful look. With this youthful glow, the secret of your age is kept safe. Firmness: The vitalizing and firming function of ginseng extracts is applied to activate and renew the skin. In addition, the rare green algae extract essence that come from the sea areas of France, continuously provide skin with intensive and long-lasting moisturization to refine skin texture.

Its been some time since I last reviewed a MBD facial mask and I am missing it terribly. So here's another one, which I bought in my last Taiwan trip. It worked out to be less than a dollar for a sheet if one gets it from Taiwan. I have, unfortunately been plagued with bad scaly patches on the face, after a bad allergic reaction to the Nature Gate's Cleansing Lotion and desperately needed more moisture on the skin.

I don't really use a new product when my skin is bad in order not to give a biased review should my skin turned out to be worse but I have full confidence in MBD masks. I took the plunge and relied on it heavily, using 1 sheet per day, together with some of my old favourites to renew my skin. It was a nightmare to see the red patches in the mirror everyday for a week and I am glad that my skin has improved bit by bit.

Without needing more explanation, I believe everyone knows that collagen is effective in lifting, firming and hydrating the skin. I relied heavily on the hydrating part because collagen masks have always been successful in restoring the hydration back to my dehydrated skin, giving it a smooth and supple look.  

I have to say that I love this mask alot as it helps to restore moisture back to my dehydrated skin. My skin never look and feel better. Bouncy, soft, supple with a slight dewy look. Lifting and firming are not yet apparent on my skin. However, note that once I used up all the masks in the box, my skin is back to its dehydrated state. The effects do not stay.
The scent is light and the texture of the mask is thin. The mask sheet is totally soaked with essence as usual, and I removed it after 30minutes with it still being very wet.

Shop  The Beauty Diary Collagen Firming Mask

Source : Amazon

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Review : Olivella The Olive Shampoo and Conditioner

Shampoo Description
Innovative formula made with Natural ingredients and Olive Extract for normal, dry, or color treated hair. The OLIVELLA Shampoo leaves hair shiny, restored, and soft to the touch. Cleanses hair while adding benefits of antioxidants (Vitamin A, E and Polyphenols) to give hair strength, vitality, and luster.

Conditioner Description
Formulated with Natural Virgin Olive Oil. The Olive hydrating cream conditioner revives and restores dry damaged hair. An ultra-rich daily moisturizing conditioner that detangles and hydrates normal, dry, or chemically treated hair.

Key Benefits
Contains Olive Extract with Natural Anti-Aging and Antioxidant Ingredients
Paraben Free and made with Natural Ingredients
Free Of Animal Fats
Free of SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate)
Free of dyes with natural color from olive chlorophyll
Dermatologically Tested
Not tested on animals

Olivella is a new brand that comes onto Singapore shores last year. This Italian brand has been known in the States for some time but not Singapore. Since Olive Oil has always touted to be an excellent antioxidant, I bought a set of their hair products and hand cream to try out.

The first 2 times of trying out both products, I have the urge to stop using them and throw it in the bin. However, the practical side of me won't allow that, of course. The price is actually quite affordable, $13.90 for 250ml each. Still, I like to use up the product to be a fair judge.

Both products have a citrus scent which is light and nice. The shampoo, of light yellow colour does not lather much but still able to do a decent cleansing of the hair, with more quantity than my usual amount. The conditioner, of a white creamy yet light texture is the better of the 2. I prefer the conditioner much more than the shampoo. Thats because the shampoo tangled my hair too much durin the cleansing process. My hair becomes straw-like and difficult to comb thru with my fingers. Loading the conditioner onto my tangled mess does not help that much.

I got quite frustrated with the products in the beginning because I do have a tangled hair problem ever since I started perming my hair but using the shampoo made it even worse. Dry and tangled.
So I decided to use the conditioner on the tangled hair mess before using the shampoo, in the hope of softening and detangling the portion, before I start shampoo-ing my hair. It works quite well for most of the time, and I was really happy with the result.
My hair did not get that tangled up easily and even if there is, it can easily be detangled with my fingers. So the new process meant that I used up the conditioner twice in every hair washing, depleting it much faster than the shampoo.

However, recently, it seemed that the new process is not working that well on my hair anymore. My hair, though feels soft after each wash ( conditioner -> shampoo -> conditioner ) did not detangle as much as I would want to. I will still persist to using up both products but no way will I be re-purchasing them again.

Shampoo Ingredients
AQUA (WATER),LAURAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE,COCAMIDE DEA,COCAMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE,PARFUM (FRAGRANCE),LAURAMIDOPROPYLAMINE OXIDE,DISODIUM LAURETH SULFOSUCCINATE,HEXYL CINNAMAL,LINALOOL,LIMONENE,GLYCERIN,CITRONELLOL,BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL,GERANIOL,PROPYLENE GLYCOL,PANTHENOL,COCODIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN,COCODIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYZED SILK PROTEIN,OLEA EUROPAEA LEAF EXTRACT (OLIVE (OLEA EUROPAEA) LEAF EXTRACT), ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE,CITRAL,METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE,METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, OLEA EUROPAEA FRUIT OIL (OLIVE (OLEA EUROPAEA) FRUIT OIL).

Conditioner Ingredients :
AQUA (WATER),MYRISTYL ALCOHOL,GLYCERIN,CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE,PARFUM (FRAGRANCE),PANTHENOL,PROPYLENE GLYCOL,QUATERNIUM-80,OLEA EUROPAEA FRUIT OIL (OLIVE (OLEA EUROPAEA) FRUIT OIL),HEXYL CINNAMAL,LINALOOL,CITRONELLOL,LECITHIN,COCODIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN,COCODIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYZED SILK PROTEIN,COUMARIN,ASCORBYL PALMITATE,TOCOPHEROL,BENZYL BENZOATE,BENZYL CINNAMATE, ANISE ALCOHOL.

Source : Olive

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