Sorry if this post may not interest everyone, i.e. those who do not have sensitive skin, but I thought it was time I share my findings in the sensitive skincare world in the past six months of struggling with random rash and acne breakouts.

Again, thank you so much for your support at my Naruko blog sale where I had to get rid of some products that I’m allergic to.

I thought my skin was just sensitive to the usual baddies: strong chemicals, parabens, alcohol, and fragrance but I think I can’t tolerate a lot of natural/organic skincare as well. So my lineup of sensitive skincare belongs to the stripped down variety where there are fewer irritants than your average skincare product.

For those living in Japan, you can try Bioderma’s Sensibio range and it’s available at Matsumotokiyoshi, Loft, and Tomod’s.

From left to right: Sensibio Light Soothing Cream Sensitive Intolerant Skin Normal to Combination Skin; Sensibio Lotion Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin; Sensibio H2O Sensitive Skin Ultra-Mild Non-Rinse Cleanser Makeup Remover.

The price range is around 2900JPY and above though the small H2O cleanser is around 1500JPY for just 100ml but that finishes very quickly.

Let’s start with the good products: the cleanser is indeed a good non-irritating non-rinse makeup remover. There is no alcohol and the skin feels refreshed and clean after makeup has been wiped off but even this HG cleanser is no match for Majolica Majorca’s mascara.

The lotion has been great for my chest and back and it has never been so smooth. I’ve had minimal pimple break outs in these areas and I really think this lotion has something to do with it. Unfortunately, this lotion doesn’t work on my face and it kind of crept up on me. For a whole month, my skin felt fairly smooth and blemish-free but then I started getting bumps on my cheeks and forehead, areas which I don’t normally get any acne. I’m not sure if what I had were even pimples because they didn’t look like clogged pores nor were they inflamed. But after I stopped using this product for a few days, all the bumps disappeared.

The soothing cream which is supposed to be a light moisturizer was way too rich in autumn but didn’t have enough moisturizing power in winter. Overall it’s not a terrible product but it just didn’t work for me in terms of hydration.

Another brand that specializes in sensitive skin is Acseine which is a Japanese brand. It has a counter in Ginza’s Matsuya and a small section in Loft. I was glad they had a sample pack so I could sample their AD range which is completely free from nasty chemical additives and fragrance.

From left to right: Cleansing Oil, Facial Soap AD, Skin Control Lotion, AD Control Essence, Milky Gel AD (day moisturizer), Skin Protector AD (night cream).

I love their Skin Control Lotion AD and it was gentle enough for my face. I used this throughout my Vietnam trip and I will definitely repurchase this. Unfortunately, the rest of the range just didn’t suit me.

The Milky Gel and the Skin Protector were way too rich for me and just sat on the surface of my skin. Putting on makeup over this was just a nightmare and I was an oily mess in just a couple of hours. The AD Control Essence is meant to be a hydrating serum but I seriously doubt it penetrated my pores as it felt like it just stayed unabsorbed on my skin.

The cleansing oil worked fine but it is quite pricey at 3100JPY for a 120ml full-sized bottle. The facial soap had the usual soap effect which made my skin feel a bit tight after washing. Some people may like that feeling because it means all the dirt has been cleaned off so I wouldn’t rule this out completely. Sometimes I like to do this type of squeaky clean cleanse to get the crap off my face, sort of like “clarifying” your skin, you know?

From left to right: Physiogel Cream, Eucerin Aquaporin Active Moisturizing Cream Light, Sensibio Light Soothing Cream Sensitive Intolerant Skin Normal to Combination Skin, Hada Labo es Milk.

I’ve used the above four moisturizers for a few months now and my conclusion is that the Physiogel Cream, SGD42 (USD33) for 150ml has had the best effect on my skin. I actually saw this brand on Bubz Beauty’s blog and Youtube video and wanted to get the exact same lotion but I couldn’t find it so I settled for their basic cream which my mum’s friend raved about as a night moisturizer. I think it does the job and is not greasy but I’m well aware that it does just that, i.e. moisturize, and has no other added benefits.

But hey, as long as it doesn’t irritate my skin, I’m happy. I even bought a lotion version for more humid weather and I don’t think I can live without this moisturizer. It’s not sold in Japan so I stocked up in Singapore and I’ll probably try and buy some more when I go to New York next month.

The Eucerin moisturizer actually had fragrance which surprised me. This one worked well for me for two weeks and then snuck up on me like the Bioderma Sensibio Lotion — little bumps appeared on my cheeks and my skin just generally felt rough to the touch, like there was a strange invisible residue or something. So I used the rest of the cream on my arms and legs.

The Hada Labo es Milk (review on the whole es range here) has been great for my eye area but it’s too rich for my oily skin. I think it works fine at night but I prefer using my Jason Natural Vitamin E Oil that not only deeply moisturizes my skin but seems to help heal the various bumps and scars on my forehead and cheeks which have pretty much recovered from my previous breakouts.

I would like to add that I brought back the Clinique Anti-Blemish Clearing Moisturizer into my regime for the past month and I apply it only to my T-zone before the Vitamin E Oil — so far so good and my skin has seen much fewer clogged pores and I will stick to this routine for now.

I hope you found my post useful in some way if you have sensitive skin. Just a piece of advice: try to introduce one new product to your skin at a time so you can determine if it could cause you any reaction. It also took me all this while to admit that I simply cannot use “fancy/fun” skincare anymore and I really feel okay (I just spend more on makeup now — lol!)

Do you have any sensitive skin products to recommend?

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Hi my lovelies, today I bring you a blog sale where I’m selling off some personal skincare items from Naruko and My Beauty Diary.

I’ve been battling extremely sensitive skin since last Sept and I know I have raved over Naruko and My Beauty Diary before.

I really wanted these brands to work for me, but I think I’m allergic to something or other in their products. I cannot pinpoint what it is exactly because even some skincare for sensitive skin make me breakout in rashes or acne which do not have parabens or fragrance.

I just want to pass these products onto someone else who would appreciate them more than me. Please don’t be turned off by my experience because I think my sensitive skin is your not run-of-the-mill type where it can be quickly or easily solved. Right now, I just use my Hada Labo es Facial Wash, Physiogel Cream in the day and vitamin E oil at night. That’s it — not even lotion/toner. And this is why I haven’t been able to blog much about facial skincare — I feel sad about this but I think I should just move on and not hoard skincare that I cannot use.

The Naruko products do feel luxurious on the skin, are made of natural ingredients, free of chemical additives like parabens, and are mostly packaged in glass containers so they are lovely to look at and smell wonderful.

Here are some points to note before you buy:

+ I will only accept payments via Paypal (my account is luiyuming [at] gmail [dotcom]) and all prices are in USD.
+ The Naruko products were bought last year in June, July, and Sept in Singapore and Taiwan and the MBD ones were bought in July. Naruko products are good for two years if remain unopened and sealed.
+ All prices include shipping.
+ I will put the retail prices that are quoted on the Naruko US website. However, I cannot remember the retail prices of MBD but am selling them at really low prices as well.
+ I will not bargain over prices — all prices are fixed. Please understand that I’m not making any money from this sale and I only want to cover the delivery costs from Tokyo.
+ I will not be registering items posted and will not take responsibility for any lost mail.
+ I will only consider a product sold when a payment is made to my Paypal.
+ Once you notify me you would like a product, you have 24 hours to pay, and if you don’t, the product will go back on sale. Please be considerate in replying to any correspondence in a timely manner.

Narcissus Total Defense Fundamental Serum (Day), USD10 (original price: USD23) – SOLD; Marjoram & Lavender Brightening Serum, USD10 (original price: USD23.50) – SOLD; Magnolia Brightening and Firming Serum, USD10 (original price: USD23.50) – SOLD

Narcissus Total Defense Moisturizing Day Protector, USD9 (original price: USD21) – SOLD

Narcissus Total Defense Night Repairing Dew, USD8 (original price: USD20) – SOLD

Narcissus Total Defense Night Gelly, USD9 (original price: USD20); Raw Job’s Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Night Gelly, USD10 (original price: USD21). – BOTH SOLD

If you buy both of these night jellies, I will throw in the Magnolia night jelly (pictured below) for free. Please note that the Magnolia night jelly has been opened but not used. I wanted to photograph it before using it so I could blog about it later but I never got a chance to use it because of my frequent rashes. This was bought in September 2011 in Singapore.

Magnolia Brightening and Firming Night Gelly, USD5 (original price: USD21) – SOLD

Raw Job’s Tears Supercritical CO2 Whitening Toner, USD10 (original price: USD20) – - SOLD

Tea Tree Oil Out Acne Clay Cleanser, USD8 (original price: 16.50) – SOLD

[ampm] wakeup skin smooth washing powder ; USD7 (original price: USD20) – SOLD

My Beauty Diary Peach Soda Eye & Lip Makeup Remover, USD8 (other online retail prices can be seen here). – SOLD

*If you buy all three MBD products, I will let you have the lot for USD18.

My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser, USD7, (other online retail prices can be seen here)

My Beauty Diary Aloe Amino Acid Cleanser, USD7, (other online retail prices can be seen here)

That’s it! Please help me spread the word about this blog sale and shop away. Many thanks in advance!

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I’ve been on a natural kick lately (see previous post) where beauty products are concerned. Although having sensitive skin feels like a curse, I think it’s also a blessing because it taught me to really think about what I’m putting on myself and I try to avoid nasties like parabens, alcohol, colouring, and fragrance (well, heavily perfumed products that is, not naturally scented ones).

So when my lovely friend Daphne from Mekhala asked me to try some of their body and hair products, I couldn’t resist.

What’s unique about Mekhala is that they use rice in their products, besides the fact that they do not have any chemical additives.

You can instantly tell from their list of ingredients that their products are very natural because you can understand everything easily. For example, the ingredients list for the Black Rice Shampoo reads like this:

Distilled Water, Hom Nin Rice, Black Rice Extract, Kaffir Lime Extract, Aloe Vera, White Crane Flower Extract, Natural Glycerine, Jasmine Rice Extract

I felt that this shampoo cleaned well and left my hair smooth and shiny after using this everyday for two weeks. There was no residue problem with the Black Rice Conditioner so I know this is a quality product. I find that residue build-up tends to happen fairly quickly with standard drugstore conditioners and that is why I have completely stopped using such conditioners.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the shampoo lathered so much for a natural product but that was due to the kaffir lime extract, I believe, which has natural cleansing properties. Since I’m a fan of non-silicone haircare, this range wins two thumbs up from me. And did I mention it smells just divine? I can’t put my finger on it but it smells like brown sugar with a hint of caramel. It reminds me of Chinese desserts with rice flour balls in clear sweet soup and I love them!

The Young Rice Milk Body Lotion smells similar to the Black Rice range but is slightly less sweet and has subtle accents of floral notes which come from the moringa oil and moke flower extract, I think. This light moisturizer sinks right into the skin and your skin doesn’t feel greasy, but it is too light for winter and I would imagine this to be perfect for hot and humid weather in the summer, or a climate like Singapore’s.

Speaking of which, Mekhala is only available to customers in Singapore but you can email them directly to ask for a shipping quote if you are not from Singapore.

Now I’ve saved the most interesting product for last — the Coconut Soap which is a cinnamon and tumeric scrub and shaped like an open coconut, I might add! I am surprised that there is tumeric because I cannot detect it at all. It’s an extremely gentle scrub as the granules are tiny and quite soft so you can use this daily without feeling like you are exfoliating too much.

The lather is not a lot at all, compared to traditional soaps, but it leaves the skin feeling very clean and it smells just amazing — I keep smelling a pillowy scent that it’s probably from the cinnamon and coconut milk and makes me think of falling into a white fluffy bed.

Even if you are not one to spend more on your own body care products, I think their handmade soaps and beauty range would make great gifts.

Have you tried any good natural beauty products lately? Do share!

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In the depths of winter, my skin prefers oil as a moisturizer which could be a little scary for those who have oily skin, but fear not — you just need a teensy bit and your skin will thank you for it.

For a few years, I had been using Dessert Essence’s Organic Jojoba Oil which worked great but Rainy Days and Lattes wrote about Jason Natural Vitamin E Oil that not only helped her moisturize her skin but to get rid of pimples and discoloration. I got Mr BB to buy a bottle of this from Whole Foods on one of his New York trips because of this rave.

I think I was drawn to this product because I have dehydrated oily skin so I’m constantly on the hunt for products that have the grunt of a heavy moisturizer without breaking me out. So far, I have only good things to say about this product.

She also wrote another post on Trader’s Joe’s Jojoba Oil and felt it was less oily than the Jason’s Vitamin E Oil. But I must say that I think Jason Vitamin E Oil is less oily than Dessert Essence’s Jojoba Oil — we might be splitting hairs here, but my main point is, don’t be afraid of this vitamin E oil as it’s still pretty light.

I only use this at night after I wash my face, slap on a hydrating lotion, spread Clinique’s Anti-blemish Clearing Moisturizer on my T-zone, and then shake four drops out — three drops for my face and one for my neck.

In the morning, my skin just looks, smooth, bright and fresh, especially after washing it and I’m happy to have found my happy balance this winter. I would not use this in non-winter seasons, not even in autumn and spring because I did try Jason Natural Vitamin E Oil at the tail end of autumn and it was still a bit too heavy for my skin type.

Do I experience fewer pimples? Yes, actually. I find that I have fewer clogged pores if you would believe that. It could be also due to the cold and dry weather, but I have had bad breakouts and clogged pores using regular moisturizers in previous winters, so I really think the vitamin E oil has something to do with my clearer skin.

In terms of getting rid of discoloration, I haven’t seen any effects but I have only been using this for a month. But I have used a very heavy vitamin E oil from Fruit of the Earth, called Vitamin E Skincare Oil, that helps me get rid of eczema and some scars from sand flies so I do have faith that vitamin E oil will work on scars but it takes months and months.

Do you use oil on your skin? If so, what type of oil do you use? Or tell us what is your fave winter facial moisturizer.

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Hi my lovelies! By the time you are reading this post, I would have flown off to Singapore to begin my massive three-week wedding trip that looks like this:

Tokyo -> Singapore (1st wedding) -> Tokyo -> Niseko, Hokkaido (2nd wedding) -> Tokyo

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my pre-wedding Jill Stuart haul. The wedding prep has been quite stressful and challenging but I liken it to running a marathon — there are ups and downs, but whatever it is, you gotta keep going (minus the chafing). Wish me luck!

So one of the things I cannot live without in my regime is the sheet mask and I believe that has been balancing my oily and sensitive skin type. I put one on almost everyday and that’s how I justify the mountains of sheet masks in my beauty stash. Remember my Taipei trip? That was when I got these goodies.

I’ll be honest and say I got into the My Beauty Diary craze because of its popularity on the blogosphere and Youtube land. I like this brand because it is affordable and the amazing variety it offers. Don’t tell me a name like “Earl Grey Tea & Macaron” doesn’t pique your interest at all?

I’ve seen many raves about the MBD teatime series so I wasn’t sure if my reviews would add any value (would you like me to review them anyway?) so I thought I would review the Gold + Marine Collagen Lift Stretch Mask and the White Truffle Fantastic Whitening Mask first instead.

The Gold + Marine Collagen Lift Stretch Mask was very promising to me and I was very eager to try my first-ever sheet mask that had hooks for the ears and covered neck area as well.

The main benefit I look for in a sheet mask is basically hydration and I actually do not expect other cosmetic claims like whitening to actually happen (though I do believe some sheet masks provide a brightening effect), so when my basic and most primary need is not met satisfactorily, I would not re-purchase the mask. Unfortunately, the Gold + Marine Collagen Lift Stretch Mask falls into this category.

There wasn’t a lot of essence compared to other generously drenched MBD masks I have tried previously and thus this sheet mask “dries up” faster too. The amount of essence is important to me and helps me feel like my skin is being properly hydrated. It has no negative effect on my skin either so I would use up the box.

The other thing that bugged me was the neck area and the ear hooks felt a bit too tight for me though this is obviously subjective to the person wearing the mask. If you are of a smaller build, this mask might fit you like a dream, but my personal experience was I felt a bit claustrophobic and I couldn’t wait to peel it off after 15 minutes and I’m a 30 minute sheet mask gal….

In terms of hydration, the White Truffle Fantastic Whitening Mask did not let me down at all. The ultra-thin sheet mask (even thinner than regular MBD masks!!) came sandwiched between two plastic sheets (instead of just one) to protect it from tearing. You do have to be careful with this one, but once on the face, it feels like a dream.

The packaging is super cute and I’ve sort of gotten over my “cute = questionable product” bias since I became an MBD convert. Did I see any whitening or brightening effects? Hmm, not noticeably to be honest. But the very light scent and generous essence don’t make me rule this one out — I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again but if it’s there and easy for me to purchase, I might buy it again. Would I recommend it? Yes I would if you are curious but if you are looking for dramatic brightening effects, I wouldn’t think this would be your cup of tea — in fact, I would recommend the Apple Polyphenol Mask from MBD’s basic range. Though I must add from experience that a well-hydrated face does look a bit brighter…;)

Have you tried these masks before? What do you think of them? Do you have any MBD masks you would highly recommend?

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Did you have a good weekend? I did — I threw a bbq party on Sat at my place just because. I got my friends to bring meat to bbq (I’m a veggie gal) and I revved up my karaoke machine after a 12-month hiatus and I think I got almost everyone on the mike. Needless to say, my Saturday afternoon was spent prepping for the party and Sunday was a slothy day to recover and clean up the apartment. It was so worth it though — I had a blast. Summers are meant for constant partying….!

Anyway, today I’m going to do in-depth reviews of my Naruko products. I know I said it in one of my videos that I love Naruko after a month of using a couple of products, so with an additional month of consistently using several more, I think it’s time to talk about them more seriously.

Narcissus AA Foaming Wash

A lot of bloggers and Youtubers seem to dislike this facial wash but I actually love it. It doesn’t have that stripping feeling which is something that some people want because they feel like they have removed every single ounce of makeup. Fair enough, especially for people who wear heavy makeup daily.

I prefer to use this in the morning when I don’t have much to remove so to speak, and on most evenings, I would wash with this too. But if I feel super gross, I would use my Mandom Barrier Repair Baby Moist Facial Wash. By the way, this Naruko facial wash smells lovely and has the signature orangey Narcissus scent.

Narcissus Moisturizing Dew

This lotion is the bomb. Go get it now. It is a thick hydrating lotion which I think balances out my freakish skin type (oily due to dryness and acne prone). If you have oily skin, I think it could be that there isn’t enough moisture penetrating your skin so this lotion would sort you out. I know some folks dislike the texture of tacky lotions/toners but this type of consistency is exactly what you would want if you need oil-free hydration.

Narcissus Fundamental Serum

The bottle says, “This serum contains a special formula that reaches deep down into the skin, fighting aging while preventing moisture loss and revitalizing the skin.” It is seriously great for hydrating the skin and used with the Moisturizing Dew, my skin is behaving quite well. If I don’t wear makeup, I tend to look shiny really quickly, but with this serum, I feel like the oiliness is kept at bay for longer because my skin doesn’t need to overcompensate for lack of hydration. My face does look brighter and my pores more refined after using this.

Job’s Tears Whitening and Cooling Night Jelly

I checked the Naruko Singapore website and I can’t find this product anymore and I think it’s because there is a new line of Raw Job’s Tears out (red packaging; I got this in Taipei). The main claim on the label is that this is a whitening sleeping mask and I don’t think my skin looks “whiter”, so okay I know that whitening products are meant to brighten your skin tone but I have not seen a marked difference after I put it on or the morning after but as a hydrating sleeping mask, it works very well. Would I re-purchase this? Probably not because I would rather buy a hydrating night jelly instead which brings us to the next product…

Rose and Snow Fungus Classic Hydrating Night Jelly

This is meant for dehydrated skin so is this any different to the previous night jelly? Hmmm, to be really honest, they both work the same. They moisturize and protect my skin as I sleep in an air-conditioned environment and my skin looks pretty smooth and supple in the morning. Out of the two, I would re-purchase this night jelly because it does what it says on the label but I prefer the scent of the Job Tear’s one. The rose fragrance needs getting used to and let me just say I love rose perfumes but not so much in skincare. But after a month and a half of using this product 2-3 times a week, it has grown on me.

Just so you can see what the night jelly looks like — this is the Rose and Snow Fungus one. A little goes a long way and I can see these lasting me for a while. Confession: I tend to use these daily when the fiancé is around because he finds sheet masks scary-looking. As a result, I have used these night jellies as sleeping masks for three weeks straight I’m happy to report that my skin behaved exceptionally well. Are these night jellies better than sheet masks? No, actually. My conclusion is this: use a mask daily, whether it is a sleeping mask gel or a sheet mask; it would do your skin a lot of good.

Tea Tree and Naouli T-Zone Blackhead Remover

This clay mask does a fabulous job of pushing out sebum from clogged pores and the size is ideal for travelling. The texture is less clay-like than the next product I’ll be reviewing, the Tea Tree and Naouli Acne Clay Cleanser, but works really well. I would recommend leaving it on for 20 minutes instead of the measly three minutes they recommend.

Tea Tree and Naouli Acne Clay Cleanser

Now this clay mask/cleanser is better than the blackhead remover because it not only unclogs pores but it leaves my skin baby smooth. It has little granules so you can scrub your face as you splash water to remove the mask. Apparently you can just wash your face as per normal with this cleanser but I wonder if you would get the same effect because I have only used this as a mask. If you had to choose, I would recommend getting this clay cleanser instead of the blackhead remover.

And this, my friends, is the end of my long Naruko ramble and I actually bought a whole bunch more when I was in Taipei. I never thought I would be so into a Taiwanese skincare brand but it’s really working out for my skin type. I think Taiwan has a predominantly hot and humid climate so I would imagine oiliness would be a big issue for women there, as with women in Singapore. If you want light, oil-free, hydrating, great-smelling skincare, you gotta try Naruko (FYI – not a sponsored post at all!!!).

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Thank you for all your positive feedback on my 7-Day Salad Handbook (have you had a salad today?) and don’t forget to take part in the Mandom Barrier Repair giveaway (it ends on June 30) — lotsa goodies to be won!

Now before I dive into my review of the acne products from Neutrogena and Clinique, can I just say that my bathroom has never looked so dull? Why do manufacturers have to come up with such plain, clinical designs for acne/sensitive skincare products? I would feel better just for a teensy bit if I had something cute and pretty to look at on top of acne problems….Okay, rant over…

I’ve used most of these products for two months now so I think I have come to some fair conclusions.

I wouldn’t say this transformed my skin but I think it helped to keep clogged pores at bay — it’s not a miracle god-send type of product but it’s a light oil-free moisturizer with salicylic acid that reduces the occurrence of getting clogged pores. It doesn’t feel effective during intense breakouts, but then during such times, nothing feels like it’s working either…

I think this is still a good option because it doesn’t make my skin feel oily though it is a little too light so I need to put on a serum to counteract that slightly tight feeling I get after putting it on. Despite my seemingly lukewarm feelings towards this product, I have re-purchased this four times already (it’s a small tube and I use this twice a day) so I’ve been using this for about four months. I have repurchased this because I cannot find a better substitute to be honest.

Let me come straight off the bat and say, this spot treatment actually made my skin worse. I find that if I put it on a spot, especially a cystic one, I actually get a cluster of acne around the original one. Gross but true…It happened so many times that I have half a mind to toss this one into the bin after this review!

This Clean & Clear Persa Gel-10 on the other hand reduces and dries acne quickly. I can see a big difference overnight so I’m forever using this. Forever and ever. Even if it means buying it online on Drugstore.com and shipping is ludicrous.

For the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control product, I really wanted to like this because I read so many good reviews on Makeup Alley and Paul Begoun’s Beautypedia ranked this as an exceptional acne product but it made me break out in a red rash on my face in less than a week (applied twice a day). I refused to believe this wasn’t working for me so I cut back to once a day but my skin was really in a mess so I stopped using it shortly after.

I tried using it on my chest and back but again I broke out in a rash. So now I use it once or twice a week and I have no rashes. I’m actually doing a combination of things to improve my body acne (I will elaborate this in another post) so I’m not sure if this product actually works in aiding that, so this will probably not be a repurchase for me.

I got the Neutrogena Rapid Clear product because it also had outstanding reviews but thankfully I only tried it on my body because I had more acne (not sure if this was due to the product or my errant hormones) and rashes in just two days. I would have died if my face suffered in the same way — I wouldn’t have been able to leave the house.

Anyway, I tried to cut back on using it from twice a day to once a day to every other day but it just got worse so I’m junking this. But having said that, I have trouble throwing away almost full tubes/bottles of products that don’t work for me. I hope that with enough time, I would just toss them out!

I have read that people with sensitive acne-prone skin have allergic reactions to common acne treatments like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide — the horror! I don’t think I’m allergic to salicylic acid per se — maybe the amount and frequency matter?

As a final note on coming off the pill (read about my story stopping the pill here), I have despaired over this many times but I think time does heal. I feel that this past month has been an improvement over the past several months. I expected to break out like crazy because I always do in two-week cycles but so far everything is under control. Do not give up!!!

Do you have any acne treatments you love? Please share if you do!

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Hi my dears, I’m a little peeved that the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation is at level 7, revised from level 5 — the international media had quite a field day bashing Japan and this level 7 thing is just a definition based on the total amount of radiation released into the atmosphere since the explosion on Mar 12. This does not mean the Fukushima nuclear reactors have become worse — in fact the daily amount of radiation released is lowering.

That’s not to say the situation isn’t serious — it is — but I do find comfort that the total amount of radiation released thus far is only 10 per cent of what Chernobyl did (also rated 7). Please note that Tokyo is far from the disaster (250km!) so we are all safe here and life is going on as per normal. For radiation concerns, please read this post I wrote.

Again, I implore those who are following the crisis from overseas: do not believe fear-mongering reports by international media sources. I’m not naive nor am I being “pro-Japan” but I’m seeing this from the inside and only the neighboring areas to Fukushima in northeast Japan are terribly affected. In fact, I get the sense that your average Japanese is more concerned about the victims who lost their homes, families, and have to cope with harsh conditions (click here to learn how to donate).

But onto beauty-related (and happier things)…

I know it’s has been so long since I went to Australia….I was in Melbourne in late Feb for 10 days, but hey, that gave me time to test out the products I bought. It’s a really small haul but these can’t be found or are ridiculously expensive in Japan so they are quite “special” in my book…

First up, I finally got my hands on an Aussie classic — paw paw balm. I understand there are different brands but I saw this one that looked interesting so I got two tubes for AUD6 each. What is paw paw? It’s basically papaya – how cute! Apparently it’s got amazing healing properties so perfect for nursing cracked lips and skin.

Macadamia, shea, jojoba and papaya extract all sounded very delicious indeed…

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Gosh, I really needed that holiday in Hokkaido. It didn’t seem that long ago that I was on an airplane but this one was true relaxation (compared to my whirlwind year-end trips that leave me exhausted). And I never get tired of looking at snow — coming from the tropics, snow means it’s romantic, quiet, and cosy.

I know my blog has featured lots of organization-type posts (here and here), so let’s do a simple haul post to rave and review what I’ve been using that I got from my Sydney-Singapore trip. I got a mix of old faves and new products.

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf oozes sexy vanilla appeal. I especially love the dry down that reminds me of woolly sweaters and cupcakes.

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As promised, today’s post will touch on my new skincare routine. I have to admit that I’m definitely upping my budget on skincare and makeup (another post coming up on my latest hauls) because I’ve been suffering from an unprecedented attack of adult acne.

I think there are several causes for adult acne and mine is related to having been on birth control pills for close to six years. I know other women have been on them longer like over 10 years and I cannot imagine the re-adjustment that they would have to go through when they get off them.

On top of the initial “rash” of hormonal acne when I stopped, I began to suffer from extremely clogged pores. I didn’t realize at the time that my foundations were probably the cause of it. During my trip to Sydney and Singapore, I think a toxic combination of oily junk food, lack of sleep, and humidity made the problem worse. I had breakouts everywhere, including my chest and back. What a nightmare.

I decided to change things up because I have to battle dry air and acne prone skin in Tokyo. It’s so tricky to moisturize more deeply without clogging your pores! Anyway, for the past two-and-a-half weeks, this is my new skincare routine that I keep to in the morning and at night. Plus, I’ve been making sure I drink at least one green juice and smoothie a day…

It’s working fairly well so far considering it’s going to be the time of the month (the last time I mentioned my skin was clearing up, a pimple popped up on my face; let’s hope the same won’t happen today!!)

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