A Must-Have in My Battle with Acne

You may already know from my previous entries that I'm getting acne breakouts lately because of various reasons (hormonal changes, stress...). In a sensitive period as such, the golden rule for whatever skin care routine is: Thou shalt play safe! No new products, no essential oils, no fancy masques...nothing strong!

An important step to vanquishing acnes is to keep you face clean and hydrated. If you don't want to invest in a set of anti-blemish skin care just for this periodic breakout, Elemis Anti-Aging Cleansing Duo could be a good way out. The duo set includes a Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash (200ml) and my favorite Balancing Lavender Toner (200ml) (BUY HERE). Especially on days that my skin is fragile and problematic, I can't find a better option that can replace Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner (which I had reviewed HERE). Hardly any toner can simultaneously hydrate, calm and balance my skin THIS well! 

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash is also on my favorite list. It contains non-abrasive exfoliation ingredients from the larch tree and babassu oil. Although the name Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing may sound too strong for sensitive and problem skin, it's in fact very gentle while giving your skin a good exfoliation to encourage cell renewal and prevent further skin inflammation. After wash, my face does feel exfoliated, like I've used a micro-scrub and a purifying masque, yet without feeling stripped, but soft and smooth. 

The whole experience of using this cleansing duo soothes my worries over my blemished face. Hmm, I'm sure I can get back my clear skin soon!

The first step to real facial treats - Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial

I've this indulgence in exfoliating and brightening/purifying masks lately, which (you're right!) kind of burns a hole in my wallet! BUT, you can expect more reviews of mask coming up! 

Exfoliation is a 'must' in everybody's skincare regime. There was a period of time when I was too lazy to exfoliate my skin regularly. But before I knew, my skin started protesting. It looked dull and bumpy. My lotion couldn't seep through and my makeup couldn't stick. AHHHhhhhh! The moral of the story is, no matter how busy you are, don't ever hesitate to spare JUST a few minutes (fine, about 10-15 minutes) to remove the irritating dead cells, which weakens your skin and tarnishes your natural beauty! 

For many years, I've been using Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial. The company launched it years back as a modified version of the Turnaround 15-minute Facial. It truly is an upgrade and it's a product I can't live without these few years! Well, I do find it a bit misleading to name it a 'Facial' or 'Masque' in French as it's more of a facial scrub to me. Erm...but yes, on second thought, perhaps it does a little more than a scrub. The ultrafine microdermabrasion beads can cover every tiny bit of my skin and 'grip' onto the dead cells and impurities on my face. As I scrub my face with water in a circular motion, I'm able to take all the 'junks' off my skin in a gentle, yet effective way. It never fails to leave my skin silky smooth, radiant, and more even-toned. My skin can then 'drink up' my other skincare products and it also saves me lots of glooming time in the next couple of days since my cosmetics can now glide on my face! I've tried other exfoliators (e.g. Dermalogica, Bioderma, and Estee Lauder - reviews pending I promise), but this is thus far THE ONE that I always end up getting back to.  

Clinique for younger skin (Part I)

Before the change of skin condition last summer, I was practically a die-hard fan of Clinique (well I did and still do use a couple of products from Shiseido). But as I said in the previous entry, almost the entire collection didn't work all of a sudden. It must be AGE! 

Like many other Clinique users, I used Clarifying Lotion 2 (one of the Clinique items that I'm still using - it's a great exfoliator!), Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief for my cheeks, Anti-blemish Moisturizer for my T-zone, All About Eyes Rich and I topped up with their Antioxidant Night Moisturizer at night. I also used and am still using their Turnaround Facial Mask once or twice a week (if I remember). The collection gave me flawless skin for...2 to 3 years...That's somewhere between early- and mid-twenties! 

Some people may find their Clarifying Lotion too dehydrating. The rule of thumb is, you don't always have to use it on your entire face. It really depends on the season. Here in Hong Kong, I will definitely go without it or any other toner in winter, when the relative humidity hovers around 20-60%. Over those dry days, I will only do a weekly facial scrub (with Turnaround Facial Mask), which is of course followed by a moisturizing mask. In summer, as I apply the toner with a cotton pad, I will first wipe the Clarifying Lotion on my T-zone, then my cheeks and other parts of my face. On certain days, I may only wipe it on my T-zone. If you can be selective in using it, it can be one of the best exfoliator in town! Another rule is, make sure you use a moisturizer after that!

Although the official Clinique website says that Moisture Surge can be used as a quick facial mask, it never worked for me. It's too greasy even for my relatively dry face. But the product was great if I used it in a smaller amount, just nice to cover a thin layer on my face (excluding my T-zone). The gel is very spreadable can be absorbed very easily. Plus, the aloe vera extract in the gel really gave my skin a soft hydrating finish. 

I love Turnaround Facial Mask because the grains are really fine and since you're supposed to scrub it while dapping a bit of water onto your face, it won't damage your skin, but give your skin a good gentle exfoliating massage. The pearly particles in the mask leaves a natural-looking glow on your face. Clinique advises you to use their Turnaround serum right after the mask. My skin felt really smooth, looked poreless and illuminated after using the mask (and the serum). But other than the smoothness, I personally don't think there's anything special with the serum. You can happily use other serums which provide more beauty benefits. Again, the usual moisturizing regime is a must after using this mask!