What Have Saved My Dry Flaky Skin!

One week ago my face became very dry and flaky after exposing myself too much under the sun. I did not apply any sunblock (I do not have the habit), so I think that has caused my skin to be in a bad condition too.

You know, when the skin is too dry, it will become very flaky and rough. It is painful too especially when I try to apply moisturizer. Learnt that sufficient hydration would heal the skin, I added some hydrating steps into my skin care routine. And of course, I consumed more water than normal, hoping that it will hydrate 'me' from inside out.

Hydrating Mask

Normally, we are advised to apply hydrating mask once a week. However, I apply it on my face EVERYDAY when my face is dry and flaky. It really helps! I used My Beauty Diaries sheet mask as my Cellnique Soothing and Hydrating Masque has ran out. Before using the sheet mask, I put it into refrigerator until the sheet mask is cold. You could imagine how comfortable it is to have a cold sheet mask on your face.

Hydrating Serum

I used Clinelle hydrating serum - Moisture Booster to boost my skin moisture level. It really helps to hydrate my skin. My skin gets better each day after using this serum! However, my skin gets sensitive when I apply this serum directly onto my skin. My cheeks got red in colour and there were red bumps on them. So, I pumped the serum on my fingers and rubbed before patting them onto my face. With this method, my cheek does not develop any sensitive spots and I am happy with it.

Hydrating Moisturizer

My Kiehl's moisturizer was not sufficient enough to hydrate my dry skin. It is a nice  moisturizer when your skin is normal but not when your skin is dry. So I switched back to my Cellnique Moisturizer - Intensive Hydrating Oasis Gel. I apply a thick layer on my face in the morning and evening. It got slightly sticky ( due to the thick layer ) but it was not oily at all!

The Result

Believe it or not, my face is back to normal - no more dry flaky skin, after just 4 days! I was so happy and now here you are, the products that have saved my skin! Buh-bye to DRY skin!

Extra Tips

When you are experiencing dry skin, try to avoid outdoor activities - especially if you are staying in a hot country like me. And always remember to apply sunblock! With this lesson, I always remind myself to apply sunblock before going out. Well, also remember to drink more plain water!

Do you have even better way to heal dry skin? Do share with me!


Love,
Stephy

Review: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream

After reading about Kielh's Oil-Free range from mywomenstuff, I went to Kiehl's store with a friend to pick up the Oil-free Gel Cream moisturizer. I always love gel type moisturizer as it is not oily, but it may not be hydrating enough sometimes. So, this gel cream maybe a good try since it promises OIL-FREE!

This moisturizer comes in a nice packaging (I love blue colour ). However, there is no protection under the cap. The moisturizer is watery and when I open it, some gel cream actually fell out. I wish it comes with an extra safety cover underneath the cap as we might travel around with it.

I have been using it for about 2 weeks. For the first 2 days, I felt slightly dehydrated at my lower cheek. After that I felt hydrated again! What I like the most is the Oil-Free feeling! My face is moisturized the whole day without feeling oily. It is so light! But, it is sticky on my face before it fully absorbs.

At night or in the morning when I wash my face, it feels like there is a layer of lotion of my face. Once I use cleanser, it goes away. So far, it does not bug me. It also has a light scent. I do not know how to describe it. It does not smell good or bad. I just ignore it .

When I purchase this product at Gurney, I was given some Kiehl's samples. Oh, Kiehl's is so generous. Too bad they did not have Midnight Recovery Concentrate sample. I would love to try that before buying (cos it is not cheap ).

Well, I can say I do not have much complain about this product. But I do hope that Kiehl's can come up with a better packaging with a 'safety' cover.

So have you tried this yet and how do you think?

Good luck!

Love,
Stephy

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream retails at RM100 at Kiehl's counter.

What I like: Not oily, Light weight, hydrating.
What I don't like: Does not have safety cover underneath the cap.

Review: Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque

I was told to exfoliate my skin once a week during my facial treatment session some time ago. It is said that it would help our skin to absorb skin care better! Well, I do not have this habit to exfoliate my skin as I have drier skin. Then I decided to purchase Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque to try. Well ya, I have to admit that I am a fan of Cellnique ;) , though there are some products that I like and some I don't. Nothing is perfect right? :p

I was told by Ruby at Cellnique (Cellnique's Expert on Facebook) that this masque can be used together with Vital Repair Cleansing Milk at 1:1 portion to reduce my skin tags and tiny red dots on my cheek. Hence, I asked for a cleansing milk sample to try. :)

Well, I like the packaging! :) Nice clear plastic jar with a metal cover. There is another cover underneath which prevents the masque from drying up.

This is a clay masque with fine grainy bits. Its texture is light and creamy which is very easy to apply. The scent is interesting, it smells like fruits especially pineapple. I then realized that it has pineapple enzyme. :)

How to use it? As recommended, I mix the masque with the cleansing milk at 1:1 portion before applying to my face. Surprisingly, there was no tingling feel on my face. I guess the cleansing milk helps to avoid that (I tried the masque once without the cleansing milk and I got slight tingling feel). ;) After applying a layer, leave it for 10-15 minutes to dry. Then, rub your skin gently in circular motion with wet hands to exfoliate the skin. Finally you are done by rinsing off with warm water. :)

My skin felt very smooth and soft after using this masque. Thanks to the fruit enzymes! However, do not use this masque more than once a week if you have a sensitive skin.

This Advanced Bio Renewal Masque does not leave my skin feeling dry like most clay masks do. But, I still apply hydrating mask after exfoliation to restore hydration on my skin :) .

Overall, I like this masque very much although I am still not sure if it will help to reduce my skin tag and red dots. :)

Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque retails at RM159 at Cellnique's Website or any Cellnique authorized salon.

Pros: Not drying, smooth, refresh and nice scent.
Cons: Might have tingling feel, pricey.

My Skin Care Routine

I didn’t bother much about skin care until 2 years ago when my face started to get very dehydrated and sensitive. I guess my previous cleanser does not work for me anymore :p

My skin: Generally I have a dry and sensitive skin. I will have break outs the next day if the product I used is not suitable for me. So normally, I will be extra careful when choosing a new skin care product.

Let me share with you my current skin care routine ;)

1. Cleanser: Cellnique Seaweed Cleansing Gel

This cleanser does not dry up my skin. :) Maybe is because it is a gel type. It does not foam up much and as a result it will not dry up your skin. I learnt that a cleanser that has lots of foams will absorb the oil and give you a cleaner ‘feel’. That is suitable for an oily skin but not the dehydrated one like mine.

2. Toner: Cellnique Soothing and Hydrating Lotion / Clinelle Skin Soothing Toner

So far I have tried Cellnique and Clinelle toner. Both of them do not impress me much. I don’t feel anything special about them and it is just ok. The reason why I have both is my Cellnique toner has finished and I picked up Clinelle during a sale. Clinelle attracted me as it does not contain Comedogenic Ingredients. Well, I am still looking for a good toner ;)

3. Moisturizer: Cellnique Intensive Hydrating Oasis Gel

I love this moisturizer very much. It is a gel type! Although creamy is more suitable for dry skin, it tends to give me a thick layer of oily face. I would say “thumbs up” for this gel moisturizer as it does hydrate my skin without making my face oily! I really love this ;)

Have you found any skin care that you can’t live without? Please share it with me! :)

You can find :
- Seaweed Cleansing Gel (RM99, 200ml), 
- Soothing and Hydrating Lotion (RM79, 200ml) and 
- Intensive Hydrating Oasis Gel (RM129, 50ml) at Cellnique Website.

You can also find :
Clinelle Skin Soothing Tone (RM33.90, 200ml) at most of the Guardian Pharmacy.