The Must Haves

I am now introducing my best products thus far.

1 – Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque.
Unlike majority of the population, I am not blessed with good skin. My skin is both oily and flaky dry and I also suffer from acne. I have tried many products over the years, not to mention numerous trips to dermatologists and it was only recently that I manage to have my acne problem under control.

This masque is one miracle worker. Victoria Beckham once called this her ‘ambulance in a tube’. I don’t know about its other benefits (people everywhere rave that it calms, nourishes and heals the skin) but this is the only one thing that really helps with my acne and it is really gentle to the skin. It is recommended to apply this masque twice a day, for 20 minutes but my skin is way more problematic than the masses so I apply it on every other day for as long as I like. Sometimes I even sleep with it although it does affect my sleep quality as I can feel it sitting on my face. Plus it stains the pillow. I am not completely cured but these days I’m off all topical acne creams.

Pimples, although the number has significantly gone down, still pop out whenever and wherever they want but they are less angry, clear up faster, mostly puss-free and the scarring too is not deep thus easier to lighten. I love this masque to the max but I can’t say the same about other Dermalogica products – I have tried their MediBac series and few others and they have no positive effect on my skin (some just aggravated it further!).

Price : RM241
Size: 75ml

2- Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX
This is a bestseller from Laneige and I add this to my regimen to help with my dry skin. My skin is super super dry and on certain days I experience flakiness on the WHOLE face. This product doesn’t actually work wonders but it helps - in my case my skin goes from severe to medium/mild dry. I was told to sleep with this twice a week, but my skin dryness is so severe that I slather this on my face EVERY single night. On particularly bad days, I would apply it again before I go back to sleep after Subuh prayer.

What I like about this mask (other than the hydration) is 1) the smell is so good – although it doesn’t stay for long. 2) It doesn’t break me out and it feels soooooo light on the skin. Dry skin could be due to dehydration (means its lacking moisture) or dryness (not producing enough oils). This water sleeping pack is oil-free so I guess it is for the former. Perhaps oil-rich moisturizers would work a lot better for me but they tend to feel heavy on the face and I don’t like that sticky feeling.

This gel needs to be applied at least 15 minutes before bed time to allow it to be completely absorbed by the skin. Otherwise it is slightly uncomfortable to sleep with the face being so ‘wet’. Left overnight, I’d wake up with super smooth, plump skin – although the effect is only temporary. I can only comment on its effectiveness to hydrate the skin and not sure about its claims on skin brightening.

Price: RM 100 but it’s a lot cheaper at duty free area. Like in Changi – RM144 for 2 tubs.
Size: 80gm

3- Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF50+ PA+++
I don’t go out without sunscreen (face and body) and no matter how much I love the Dermalogica masque, this is one single product I can’t live without. This is the perfect sunscreen for those with hyperactive oil glands (ME! ME!). Not only it protects the skin from all sorts of harmful rays, it is also verryyyyyyyyy mattifying. I put this on in the morning and my skin stays matte until forever – if I go bare, my face would be slick with oil in 2 hours. Sometime I apply it on top of thinly applied Vit E cream (very thick and oily) and it still mattifies pretty well. Plus it also helps with large gaping pores.

The only problem is that I don’t think it is water and sweat proof (although I’m not sure myself). If it is then it would be perfect and I can stop looking, but we can’t have everything can we? I am not someone who sweats easily so I’ll survive just fine with this sunscreen for normal ‘city activities’ and I use other sunscreens when I, say, go to the beach. Another good mattifying sunscreen is Za Power Block UV SPF40 PA++. (I’d give 10/10 to Biore for its mattifying power and 9/10 for Za). But I prefer Biore because it gives higher protection and I prefer its watery texture (Za is creamy).

The thing with sunscreen is – ALWAYS use makeup remover at the end of the day. It will clog the pores thus creating the perfect breeding ground for acne. For the body I just whatever (at the moment its Banana Boat) and haven’t bought anything more than once.

Price: RM 30-ish (always on promotion at Watsons/ Guardian)
Size: 30ml

4 – Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
I have been using this gentle cleanser for 7 years now as I found that other cleansers are just too harsh for my skin. However, because it doesn’t foam or smell I am somehow deprived of that ‘clean’ feeling after washing the face so sometimes I have a slight doubt whether it actually does what it’s supposed to do i.e. clean. Since it doesn’t break me out I guess it must be working. Dermatologists everywhere would recommend gentle skin cleanser (naturally Cetaphil is top on their list) for acne – prone skin so yeah, I’m sticking with this for many many years to come.

Many sizes, price starts at RM15.

5 – Elgy Plus Cracked Heel Cream
10-star product. This is a famous product and I dont think it needs further introduction. Beats all other cracked heel creams hands down. I see results after just one application and my heels are cured in just two days. No more disgusting heels. A must have for those who drink less than 8 glasses of water a day.
Price: RM 20-ish (always on promotion at Watsons/ Guardian)
Size: 50gm