Viva Woman

I don’t know about you but I have a major issue when it comes to reading those ingredient lists in fine prints.  They’re all SO tiny and I can hardly see them!  I have to squint my eyes really hard.  Well, of course it doesn’t help that age is catching up and my vision has turned poorer. 

Anyway, if you have a similar problem like me and you do want to read those ingredients on your products without having to resort to using glasses or a magnifier, then a good solution is to use a magnifying sheet. 

I got this KCK Magnifying Sheet from Popular, a local bookstore and it’s just a dollar!  The best thing about it is that it’s a small pocket size card, which means I can put it in my wallet and bring it anywhere. 

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Cyndi of Cyndi Heart Pink left a comment in my last post Keep Skin Beautiful With A Balance pH Level, to recommend a gentle cleanser since most of those she has come across in Malaysia comes with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).  I thought that was a very good question since natural and organic skincare products are not readily available in many markets.  In addition, not everyone is into natural or organic skincare.  So what would be a cleanser that is gentle, non-irritating, provides natural pH balance, is easily accessible and also reasonably priced?

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Well, I told Cyndi to try Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.  Personally, I haven’t tried the product because the packaging doesn’t appeal to me.  I also suspect I may not like it very much because this is a non-foaming formula which doesn’t lather much.  But the product has won many accolades and rave reviews.  On Makeupalley.com, this is the most reviewed products with 2686 reviewers currently giving it a rating of 3.5 out of 5.  In addition, 62% of these reviewers indicate they will buy the product again.

Good for dry and sensitive skin
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser cost around S$15 and is great for those with dry and sensitive skin.  I also read many positive reviews from those with acne conditions too.  Which is no wonder since this product was specifically formulated for those with acne, atopic dermatitis, diaper rash, dry skin, eczema, healthy skin, impetigo, psoriasis, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, sunburn,pre- and post-cosmetic procedures.  Even dermatologists are recommending this.

Contains low SLS concentration
This cleanser is said not to strip the skin of natural protective oils or emollients, or disturb the skin’s natural pH balance.  It is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, making it an excellent choice for daily facial cleansing which leaves skin feeling soft.  And if you’re using topical medications for your acne for example, this is a great cleanser to prepare your skin for the topical applications.

Ingredients:
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben.

Although it contains SLS, the concentration as I understand is only about 1%.

Alternative:Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser For Normal To Oily Skin
However, because it does not lather and leaves a moisturizing residue, it generally didn’t get great reviews from those with oily or combination skin because most complained that the product doesn’t clean enough.  For this group of users, Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin seems to work better as it is a foaming cleanser which can remove some of the facial makeup.   Apparently, some dermatologists are even recommending this cleanser to those with cystic acne.  The only drawback is this product isn’t widely available in Singapore but you can still get it at the in-house pharmacies within hospitals like mypharmacy.com.  Current price is about S$20, not exactly that affordable to me.  (I have no idea if this is available in Malaysia though.)

Ingredients:
Purified Water, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate (and) PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Masking Fragrance, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben.

I also have no idea on the concentration of SLS in this product but logically, it should be higher since this is a foaming formula. 

Do not over cleanse
Well, at the end of the day, whichever cleanser you pick, you should not be over washing your face.  I think three times a day is about the maximum.  Because anything more, you are actually stripping away the natural oil on your skin and that by itself would stimulate the skin to produce even more oil.

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Of all the Korean skincare and cosmetic brands that are available in Singapore, only SkinFood captures my interest, thanks to their pretty packaging, wholesome natural goodness of food ingredients and affordable pricing.  I haven’t actually examined their ingredient list since those in English are not readily available.  But from what I can gather from their website, they use mostly herbal and plant ingredients with no colorings, additives or preservatives.

I would love to try more of their products, just that their outlets are less accessible to me unless I venture out to look for them.  But it looks like my wish will be granted as they now have an outlet at AMK Hub.  I do some of my grocery shopping at the hub so this naturally means I can visit the store more frequently. 

SkinFood Apple Whitening Range
Anyway, I realized that I have not reviewed all the products I’ve used from SkinFood.  So I’ll be doing that soon.  For a start, you may like to check out my earlier review of the Apple Whitening Essence and Apple Whitening Emulsion under the SkinFood Apple Whitening Line.  This range uses arbutin, apple, cucumber and acerola extract as the key ingredients for whitening effects.  However, it didn’t perform well for me, or maybe I did not use it consistently enough to see positive results. But I have to concede that the product texture and smell are extremely agreeable. 


SkinFood Vital Juice Hand Essence
The other product I’ve tried is the SkinFood Vital Juice Hand Essence.  Again, it’s got a delicious smell but aside from that, I don’t find it exceptional in performance.   It’s lightly creamy, not rich at all and hence, leaves no sticky or greasy residue.  I would rate it as an average hand cream which takes out the dryness from my hand.  Plus I kept wishing it was a lot smaller so that it’s easier to carry around.  But since the 60g was about S$10 when I bought it, so it was still worth a trial.   

SkinFood Black Sesame Hot Mask
This is a very interesting mask which smelled exactly like black sesame and felt hot as soon as I applied it on my face.  I like the fact that this is a mask I could use during my bath, massage on my moist face, and rinse off after 3 - 5 minutes.  Very convenient and yes, it did leave my skin feeling clean and soft afterwards.  But I never got to buy the full tub after trying out a few packets of this sometime ago.  Well, because I was eyeing some of their other masks actually.

SkinFood All-Time Best Sellers
I’ve been keen to try out their best sellers; namely their Rice Mask Wash Off and Black Sugar Mask Wash Off.  It wasn’t available when I wanted them and now, I need to exercise some self control as I already have my hands full with my existing masks and exfoliating products.  Their Carrot Collagen Eye Sheet is also another product I’m eyeing, but it has been out of stock.  And of course, many have raved about their Aloe Sun BB Cream with SPF 20 which helps to reduce blemishes and brighten skin tone.  This product is also available in a compact form.   I do need a good excuse to try this though!

SkinFood Hair Care Range
I have tried some samples of their hair shampoo and I have to say, they’re fairly good.  The SkinFood Salt Mineral Hair Wash for oily scalp looks like something I can use too.  Anyway, I have on hand, their Hop Beer Hair Wash which I will review soon.  So keep a look out for it!

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Here are the best beauty reads from the Total Beauty blogging network for your reading pleasure this weekend:

• Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee gets a makeover and checks out the new Stila summer collection eye shadow palette.
• Fifty-Cent Head reviews the 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards in two posts, because there are so many (and so much to say!): Part One and Part Two.
• Who couldn’t use a little stress relief? Beauty411 raves about Johnson’s Melt Away Stress line; check it out and enter the contest to win a free assortment of Melt Away Stress products!
• Beauty Anonymous loves Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer for lips!
• Talking Makeup loves Smooth Indulgence Concealer by Dermablend.
• Alison (aka. “Advice Sister Alison”) of The Advice Sisters de-mystifies beauty product labels.
• Kitiya from Mischo Beauty invites you to enter her “Mischo Beauty Johnson & Johnson Melt Away Stress Giveway!”
• The Beauty of Life welcomes in the dog days of summer with an assortment of cocktail-inspired beauty products!
• Bare Escentuals’ Warm Radiance has passed muster with Toya of The Life of A Ladybug! Come check this out and the rest of her “Bronzers for Brown Girls” series!
• Hair Therapy continues for Monique at Beauty Girl Musings!
• Jeanne from Periodic Style is back from her Vegas vacation and wonders what to do with her winnings…
• Beauty in Real Life has the scoop on the soon-to-be-released, fab new colors for CoverGirl Eye Enhancers.
• Joy from Makeup Junkie is wondering if no! no! is A No-No? Check out Week 1 of her review!
• Henna from Canadian Beauty found a gloss that really lasts - find out which one she’s using!
• Laurie at Beauty’s Spot sacrifices her perfect tan to bring you the skinny on L’Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush Self Tanning Mist.
• Looking for a new summer haircut? Check out this great style found on A Mom in Red High Heels!

Enjoy the reads and have a great weekend!

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