Acne: My Experience - Women Health 2

Let's talk about a sensitive issue today - Acne.  Acne is classified as a skin disease by the medical science. A common conception is that the hormonal changes during puberty usually triggers acne in the adolescence years for some people but it fades off as they step into the adulthood. However, that is half truth, as for some it could be a life long struggle.

 

 

I have dealt with acne on and off for almost 7 years. Most of my teenage years were relatively alright with occasional breakouts but the major struggle began after 20. As I mentioned in one of the previous posts that my acne was due to hormonal issues, however, I have also struggled with horrible breakouts due to allergic reactions. It affected my self esteem, confidence and made me very shielded because subconsciously all I could think while meeting people was 'what are they thinking about me? what kind of impression am I leaving on them? are they even taking me seriously? what if they think I have bad hygiene? or what if they think I am messy person or a novice who can't even put on simple makeup because all they can see is dry flaky bumpy skin?' These constant inner thoughts and conversations used to really stress me out and there were times when I didn't want to step out of the

 house for weeks. On top of this inner underlying battle, the unsolicited advice from friends, family, even strangers or people working at makeup or skin care counters who have never had experience with full face acne rash, used to feel so depressing and unnecessary at times. No doubt, they all meant well and shared advice out of concern but at times when you are already feeling so low, it doesn't matter how uplifting someone's words are, you just can't help but feel worse.

 

 

In addition, I have seen lists and lists of things not do and eat and touch and whatnot to cure acne. Honestly, its bullshit. I have tried it all, and it just stresses you out even more. Those lists really make you paranoid and super selective of the things you do. No doubt, a sudden significant change in your routine might make a difference but its not worth the extra stress. There is already so much to deal with in everyone's life so adding a list of 50 things not to do is unnecessary, especially when there are other ways around.

 

So, today I will be sharing some of my experiences, what I learned and the popular advices that used to bother me. Here are some things or advices that did not work for me:

 

 1. Topical Ointments: Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Sulphur, Zinc Etc.

I tried every topical over the counter treatment available. I even ordered some from overseas that were not available in Canada, but they just don't work and if they do, they just  temporarily supress the issue but doesn't cure it. So, I would say do not waste your time and money on over the counter topical treatments because they are usually targeted towards individuals with occasional breakouts. It is not that these compounds or elements do not work, its just that their concentration is not enough in over the counter options. And if you ask your doctor, you will most likely get an ointment with one of these same ingredients but specially targeted towards your personal skin type.

 

In addition to these individual compounds, the whole proactive brand is very prominent on the internet, and it does work for some people. Also, it is not too expensive so doesn't hurt to try, however, once again it is just a topical treatment, and a very harsh one indeed. So, I personally think that the chances of it working are slim, if you are over 20 and still have acne all over your face, because chances are that there are underlying issues so using a topical treatment is not going to help unless the actual cause is addressed. Also, people who have dry sensitive skin should be careful, because proactive products are quite harsh and can irritate the skin further.

 

2. Diet

I have always been a relatively healthy eater. I eat fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. I do not drink coffee, energy drinks or alochol, and restrict the carbonated drinks to usually once or maximum twice a week. I rarely eat out and when I do I make sure I do not go out of the line. The only subjectively "bad"  thing I consume is 3-4 small pieces of chocolate. So, I never understood the whole eat healthy concept to cure acne, and it used to bother me the most when it came from my mother because she was the one cooking and knew exactly what I was eating.

 

Also, another most popular advice is to drink water, lots and lots of water. Yes, it is definitely healthy and  probably one of the best things for the body, but does it really help get rid of the acne? I don't know, maybe but didn't work for me.

 

 

3. Don't touch your acne or it will spread

Really? I have been given this advice countless times and the reasoning people give really bothers me because yes acne has bacteria and yes it is better not to touch but no that is not the reason. The only reason that you shouldn't touch your acne is because fingers are dirty and there is a possibility of infection, also pressing it can lead to irritation and further infection, and not because you will get acne on every inch of skin you touch. So, think about it more like a regular wound than leprosy.

 

 

4. Advice from YouTube and Sephora Beauty Experts

There is a chance that a number of you won't agree with me but I personally feel that advice from youtubers and Sephora employees should be taken at the same level as your friends and not be considered equivalent to that of medical professionals. No doubt, these youtubers and people working at Sephora are experts in what they are doing, but that's the key point, their expertise is in makeup and what goes over the skin, while acne can be an internal issue so deal with it properly. Therefore, consider your advisors skin condition and do your own research before shelling out your hard earned money on expensive masks like glamglow or clarisonic like cleansing brushes.

Please note that the masks and the brushes example is for people suffering from full face of cystic acne with underlying issues, and it is very important to keep that in mind because a lot of beauty advisors have never dealt with that, so their opinion is usually based on occasional monthly breakouts.

 

5. Laser Treatments

Do not just do not go for laser skin treatments like photorejuvination, laser genesis or fraxel while you are still dealing with active breakouts. The front desk employees will try their best to convince you that these treatments can get rid of your acne and hyperpigmentation by reaching the deepest layers of skin, but just try to stick with blue u, glycolic peels and similar acne treatments, in case you really want to get something done. Because trust me, those laser treatments will irritate and convert the tiniest harmless acne to a full blown painful deep leaking cyst. I am seriously not exaggerating here but just sharing a horrible personal experience. I would highly suggest that if you need any advice, talk to the nurses who do the treatment instead of the managers or the information desk staff because they will try to sell you the most expensive packages for commission but chances are that the nurses would be more honest. Also, please note that I am not talking about a beauty spa but an actual laser clinic monitored by a licenced doctor.

 

 

6. Acne & Oily Skin

A common misconception is that people with acne have oily skin. No doubt, sebum plays a role in acne but that does not mean everyone who has acne has a certain skin type. And its just not the common people who believe this but also the skin care companies because a major proportion of skin care and makeup targeted towards acne prone skin is either very harsh or super matte with oil controlling properties. So, this was a major issue for me because I had acne and eczema at the same time so finding a product targeting both was very difficult.

 

P.S. Toothpaste probably works for some people but be careful if you have sensitive skin because it can turn a mediocre red acne to a horrible dark bluish painful cyst.

 

I still have more points to discuss but this post is already too long so I will share those in another post in future. Also, if you don`t agree with these, its cool but please don`t feel offended because these are just my personal experiences that I wanted to share.

 

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Hope you have a great day! 

 

Top 5ish Favorite: Face Powders

Settings powders add up to the longevity of the foundation while blurring out minor imperfections. Today there are so many powders in the market that it could be very difficult to pick just one, so I have decided to share my top favorites, out of all that I own. For your reference, I am NC 25 in Mac and have dry, sensitive and acne prone skin. Also, all the powders mentioned are merely setting powders and there will be a different post for the powder foundations. 

I have picked up my favorites based on the finish, staying power and frequency of use. Also, I have bundled the Korres powders together because I like all of them equally.

 

Korres Multivitamin Lightweight Powder; Korres Wild Rose Brightening Powder; Korres Multivitamin Powder 

1. Korres Compact Powder: This is my absolute favorite brand for everyday powders as they are very finely milled and smooth in texture. They do not get cakey whatsoever and give a very natural finish to the skin. Also, they last for 5-6 hours and keep my makeup looking fresh. 

 

Same order as above

 

Multivitamin Light Weight/Matte Finish Compact Powder in MVP3: It has some peachy yellowish undertones and melts into the skin leaving a natural matte finish. 

Wild Rose Brightening/Flawless Finish Compact Powder in WRP2: It has pink undertones and definitely provides some brightening affect when applied. 

Multivitamin Compact Powder for Oily-Combination skin in 32N: It has very slight peachy tone to it and even though it is targeted towards oily-combination skin, it works very well for my dry skin. Also, I never had any issue with it clinging to the dry patches. 

Apart from the soft and smooth finish, I love Korres powders because of all the natural and beneficial ingredients. Also, these powders are formulated without mineral oils, silicone etc. 

 

2. Revlon Colorstay Stay Natural Powder in 02 Light: This is the only makeup item in my entire collection that I have hit pan on and that alone says a lot. It stays on well for 4-5 hours and is really good for oil control on the t-zone.
 

Also, this powder can provide a light-medium coverage on layering, but, since it is not as fine as others so it can get cakey after a point. 

3. Scott Barnes Pressed Powder in Beyond Beige: This is the softest and the creamiest powder that I own. It is a light weight powder but the creamy texture makes it somewhat moisturizing. Also, it has very strong yellow undertones so it is good to counteract the redness. 

This powder works really well when I get eczema or redness on my face because its not drying at all. Also, it has the potential to provide an added coverage but I simply use it for redness as too much of it can bring out the yellow. At first I felt it is similar to Revlon Nearly Naked powder in terms of softness, but it is actually way more creamier. 

 

4. Benefit Get Even Powder in 01: This is another yellow toned powder but is looking white in the pictures. It is not as yellow as the Scott Barnes powder but still good enough for covering minor redness peaking through the foundation to get a natural look. 

5. Calvin Klein Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder in 204 Translucent:  This is an amazing setting powder for a picture perfect skin. It is so finely milled that it doesn't get cakey what so ever. It has slight shimmer particles in it to help blur any imperfections such as pores, fine lines etc. 

Even though it is looking really white in the picture, it is a translucent powder so blends into nothing while giving a very skin like natural finish. In spite of being such a great powder, unfortunately it is discontinued, but you can still find it on some websites that carry discontinued products. 

What are some of your favorite setting powders? 

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Mini Haul & Website Comparision

This post is about some of the skincare stuff that I bought online from iherb.com. It is my go to website to buy natural skincare products. They always have amazing deals on along with super inexpensive shipping options. New users can use this discount code "ZUF525" for $5 off any order below $40 and $10 off any  order above $40. Before I found this website, I used to shop at vitacost.com but they increased their shipping cost many folds in the past couple of months. First their shipping cost to Canada was just $3.99 (amazing), then they increased it to $5.99 (really good), then $7.99 (okay) and now it is $11.49 (like wth?). So now I only shop at iherb because the shipping is only $4. 

Even though the shipping cost is very low, the shipments usually arrive within 2 weeks to Canada. Also, there aren't any shipping restrictions on oils etc. like their were on vitacost. I really love the fact that they have detailed information and list of ingredients for each product on their website. This time, I actually placed two orders on the same day but I am not including other items in this post as they are not relevant to the content of this blog. 

Derma E Scar Gel: I absolutely love Derma E's Refining Vitamin A Oil so I thought of giving this scar gel a try. It is a gel formula which goes on very lightly on the skin and doesn't feel greasy or sticky. However, you are supposed to use it 3-5 times daily and I sometimes forget to do that. 

Bee Naturals Queen Bee Facial Nectar: This is just a regular facial moisturizer but I bought it because I really liked the simple and natural ingredients. Also, it has a pump, which is always a bonus. 

Devita Revitalizing Eye Lift Cream: This is one of the main products that prompted me to place the order. However, I haven't tried it on yet as I am still working on my current eye cream but I really liked the ingredients. It contains some amazing vitamins and oils for nourishing the delicate under eye area. Also, it doesn't contain alcohol and is made with organic substituents. 

Quantum Health Scar Reducing Cream: This is another scar cream that I bought for my acne scars. However, this one is quite thick and has a distinct smell which I really don't like. Also, just like the other one, it is supposed to be applied at least 3-5 times daily. 

Sierra Bees Lip Balm: iherb always have freebies to choose from and I chose this lip balm in Pomegranate. I pick it up every time I place an order and I have almost every flavor now. 

Free Gift: iherb always sends a free gift, which may not be very valuable but definitely a very sweet gesture on their behalf. I have received a napkin, a marker, a stylus etc in the past. I really appreciate the fact that they think about their customers. 

Have you shopped from iherb before? If not would you like to in future? Do you have any favorite websites to shop for natural skincare products?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Disclaimer: I bought everything with my own money and any of the websites mentioned don't even have an idea about this blog post. 

Products I Regret Buying: Makeup

I buy a lot more makeup products than skin care or hair care, therefore, I have a lot more regrets in this category than the other two. I have dry, sensitive and acne prone skin so I tend to go for makeup products that are geared towards that but still some just do not work out the way I expect them to. Therefore, the products that I regret may be holy grail for you guys so please do not get offended with my opinion. Also, I have tried each and every product multiple times before forming an opinion. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Power Collagen Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black: I bought this mascara because I absolutely adore the Voluminous Million Lashes which comes in a similar tube but golden color. The problem with this mascara is that the brush is very oddly shaped and no matter how hard I try I always end up putting some on my eyelid. Also, it claims to have collagen for added volume, which I believe just adds up to the clumps resulting in spidery sparse lashes.

Almay One Coat Noursing Mascara Tripple Effect in Black: I was actually intending on buying Almay Get Up n Grow because of Emilynoel83's (my absolute favorite youtuber) recommendation but somehow I ended up getting this one. Firstly, I am not a huge fan of the wand as it doesn't coat the lashes uniformly. Secondly, the formula is super dry and it has been like that from the moment I took it out of the original packaging. It is so dry that hardly any product is transferred on to the lashes. I am not sure if I got a dud or the formula is meant to be like that. 

Milani HD Advanced Concealer in Medium: There was a lot of rave about this product when it was first launched because of its light texture and peachy undertones, and I love both of those aspects. However, the problem is that the formula is quite drying and I already have super dry under eye area so it settles into fine lines and accentuate them. Also, powder is a must for this concealer as it creases very easily, but that dries out the delicate under eye skin even more so I hardly use it. 

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in Light Medium: This concealer is meant for dry and aged skin so it has a swirl of eye cream along with the concealing product. Since I have super dry under eye area, I thought this would be the perfect product for me, but unfortunately it is not. It settles into every single crevice and line making the under eye area look awful . Also, no matter how I try to set it, it starts creasing within 15 minutes and the added setting powder just makes it look worse. So it is just collecting dust in my drawer. 

Skin Food Salmon Darkcircle Concealer in No.2 Salmon Beige: Until recently there weren't a lot of salmony or peachy toned under eye concealers in the drugstore, so, there was a great deal of buzz about this product. It comes in only two shades: No.1 & No.2.  The second shade is closer to my skin tone but still ends up looking ashy sometimes. Also, it just brightens the under eye area instead of covering the dark circles. And technically that is what salmon undertones are meant for and are supposed to be topped off with another concealer. But, firstly, this product is marketed as a concealer and not a brightener, which is somewhat deceiving. Secondly, the formula is drying and creases really badly so if another concealer is used on top, the under eye area looks very dehydrated with loads of makeup piled on. Therefore, I dread putting it under my eyes. 

Origins All and Nothing Powder: This powder comes in one universal shade, and that is what attracted me towards it. It is a sheer powder which goes on like nothing and  retails for $34.50 on origins website. I normally use translucent powder for setting my makeup so I thought this would be great for me. However, it turned out to be a complete waste of money because it doesn't even control oil for full 3 hours, given that I have dry skin. Also, I noticed that it oxidizes after a while, and I am sure that its this product that is causing the problem because this was the only new addition to my regular routine and everything went back to normal as soon as I stopped using it. 

Yves Rocher Soft Eye Makeup Remover with Chamomile: I really adore Yves Rocher products but this one just didn't work out for me. On the packaging it says "Gently removes eye makeup, soothing, refreshing & non-oily" and I do not agree with any of these. Firstly, it does not take off the makeup completely in a one or two swipes so you will have to rub it a couple of times which doesn't make it gentle. Secondly, it says soothing and it should be because of chamomile but it burns. Thirdly, it feels oily and makes the vision hazy due to the formation of film so it isn't non-oily and definitely not refreshing.

ELF Professional Eye Makeup Remover Pads: If you have read my past blog posts, then you know how much I love ELF. But this particular product just didn't work for me. The pads are extremely thin and not very saturated so it takes a lot of effort and rubbing to take the makeup off. Also, the pads dried off pretty quickly, but at the end of the day it costs just a $1 for 18 pads so you can't expect much. 

Have you tried any of these products? If yes, how did they work for you? If no, then do you have any recommendations?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the second part. have a great day. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Dupe: Neat & Easy

Biore Pore Strips have been around for years and almost everyone knows about them. And even though the general idea of pore strips is pretty popular but still there aren't many drugstore alternatives, which could be a problem for people like me for whom Biore strips do not work very well. However, I really loved them when they came in the green packaging. Actually I loved all of their products in the green packaging and I don't why they decided to change everything when they were doing pretty well in the market. Also, I have noticed that this new line contains a lot of unnecessary dyes (probably for the orange coloring) that were not present in the original products. Since I am not very happy with the outcome of Biore Strips so I instantly picked up this new alternative without giving it a second thought. I found them at my local Dollarama for $2, and honestly speaking, the price point also influenced a huge part of my decision.

I found these strips in the beauty aisle of Dollarama near the regular makeup and skincare stuff. The brand is called Neat & Easy and contains 10 nose strips each. They claim to be Deep Cleansing and remove blackheads, oil and dirt along with diminishing large pores. 

The inside packaging is just like the Biore. Also, both of them are imported to Canada, the Biore strips are made in Japan while Neat & Easy are made in China. 

Ingredients of Biore Strips: Polyquaternium-37, Silica, Aqua, Glycerin, Polysilicone-13, PEG-12, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Methylyparaben, Melalecua Alternifolia, Menthol, Hamamelis Virginiana. 

Ingredients of Neat & Easty: Aqua/Water/eau, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Parfum/fragrance, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylated Hydroxytoulene. 

Size of the Strip: Biore Strip is a little bit longer and wider than Neat & Easy. However, both of them cover the nose area properly so the size is not an issue. 

How to Use: Both of the strips are to be applied on clean and slightly wet nose for 10-15 minutes. 

Overall Performance: 

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips: For me, Biore strips only work 1 out of 5 times in the sense that they only clean my nose partially and that too sometimes. I feel they work better when I have more blackheads but then I do not want to wait until my nose starts looking dirty and clogged. Also, under normal conditions, it only cleans up partially i.e. up to 50-60% of the blackheads and at times that cleaning ratio drops to just 10-20%. So they are kind of a hit or miss for me, and this was not the case with the previous formula because that one worked every time without fail. 

Neat & Easy: Firstly, this strip sticks to the skin harder than Biore, so it takes some effort to take it off. Secondly, it has a distinctive smell which is not very attractive, and after I read the ingredients I realized that it contains fragrance but unfortunately not a very good one. Thirdly, in terms of cleaning the blackheads, it performed just like Biore. The similarity was so stark that for a second I thought I am actually using the Biore strip, just from different  packaging. So, I am not sure if I should say it performed just as good as Biore or just as bad as Biore do. 

Final Thoughts: Apart from some difference in the ingredients and the size of the strips, I feel that both of them perform alike. So, if you like Biore ($7-9 for 6 strips) and find them to be expensive then definitely give these (Neat & Easy: $2 for 10 strips) a try because they are super affordable. Also, if you have not tried nose strips before, then these can act as a budget friendly experimental start. But otherwise, I feel that even though the black clay masks for blackheads are messy but they work the best.

Have you tried either of these? If yes, which one is your favorite? If no, then which one would you like to try?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Product I Regret Buying: Skin Care

This post is about skin care products I regret buying and even though these products didn't work out for my particular skin type, they may work amazingly for you. As for some background, I had combination skin for a most of my life but now I have dry, sensitive and acne prone skin. I always had some acne but recently I got an acne rash all over my face due to an allergic reaction which resulted in peeling and flaky skin. 

Lioele Night Spot Treatment: I have tried Mario Badescu Drying Lotion in the past and that one didn't do anything for my breakouts and I knew this product has the same basic idea but still thought of giving it a shot. I used it religiously every night for about 2-3 weeks and instead of drying out the acne, it dried off the surrounding skin resulting in huge dry patches and uneven skin tone. 

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Treatment Gel: This product is meant to reduce redness and dry out the acne, but it actually makes them look bigger by pulling out the puss onto the surface resulting in huge white heads that are very nasty looking and  impossible to cover with makeup. Also, I absolutely dreaded putting this product on my face because it stings very badly. Even though the stinging goes away in a few minutes, but it is a nightmare if you have several acne all over the face. So, in short, it hurts and makes the acne look humongous and nasty.

                       
                       

Christopher's Beauty Facial Cream: As I said earlier, I have extremely sensitive and dry skin so I need super moisturizing night creams to make my skin look presentable in the morning. However, the problem is, that I am allergic to Stearate which narrows down my options to minimal. But I found that this cream not only has very simple and nourishing ingredients, but doesn't contain anything that I am allergic to. The color is definitely appalling but the actual product is really moisturizing, however, the scent is so  strong that it is just impossible to put it anywhere near your nose. And mind you I am not super sensitive to scents but this one is a different story. Also, the scent lingers for hours and hours. I regret  buying it because I can't use it on my face, but since it is very moisturizing so  I will probably use it on elbows or other dry areas of my body for the sake of finishing it up. 

Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Skin Ointment: Tea tree oil is considered very effective for acne so I picked up this ointment as a night cream. Firstly, the product is super hard and solidified, so in order to cover just your chin, you will have to rub your finger in the tub at least 10 times. Secondly, after you put it on your face, it just does not sink into the skin at all for hours. Thirdly, I know it has tea tree oil in it, but it made my face feel so oily and dirty that I literally had to wipe it off with a tissue. So I do not like it for my face, but will probably use this one too on my elbows.

C+M Green Tea Whitening & Firming Eye Cream: I bought this cream because I have dark under eye circles and green tea is known to help reduce them. When I started using it, I absolutely loved the texture because it went on very smoothly and provided sufficient hydration. However, after a couple of hours it made my eyes sting and water very badly. And I guess that was probably because its so smooth and thin that it traveled to my eyes. I tried putting it as far from the rim of the eyes as possible, but nothing worked so I had to stop using it. Since I didn't use it enough for the above stated reason so I am not sure if it actually helps with the dark circles or not.

Oxy Maximum Action Spot Treatment: I always used Salicylic Acid as an acne treatment, but it never gave satisfactory result so I thought of trying benzoyl peroxide this time. I picked up the highest concentration i.e. 10% and it did absolutely nothing for me. I tried it several times as a night treatment and didn't notice any difference in the redness or the size of the acne. 

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum: I don't have any major issues with this product, however, the problem is that it doesn't provide any long term benefit to the skin. Also, it has a lot of junk in it. Even though The Body Shop claims to be a natural brand, but if you check the list of ingredients, it is full of chemicals and parabens. 

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Lotion: This is shimmer body lotion and is good for only that purpose. It hardly  has any moisture so I use it only for a glowing shimmery skin during summer days. And for me, that is kind of a waste because  it doesn't have any real benefit and I get to use it only for a few weeks.

 

The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream: I bought this hand cream because I heard a lot of good things about this line and I absolutely love roses. However, it was such a disappointment in terms of mositurization. No doubt, it smelled absolutely amazing but instead of hydrating my hands, it made them even more dry, which was very weird. Also, the dryness increased with the number of uses, so I returned it within three days of buying it.  

Have you tried any of these? If yes, how did they work for you? If no, do you have any recommendation of the ones that you use?

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Reviva Labs Makeup Primer: For Acne Prone, Allergic and Sensitive Skin

Primers are way more talked about now than they ever were, and have almost become a necessity for makeup lovers. There are tons of primers in the market today addressing all different skin issues. However, finding a good, affordable primer with skin benefits is the real challenge. I have tried a lot of primers from high end to drugstore including Hourglass mineral veil primer, Benefit porefessional, Smashbox photo finish, Too faced primed and poreless skin, Tarte clean slate and many more. Obviously, I didn't like all the ones that I tried, but now the problem is that I am allergic to stearate so I am not left with a lot of options. Therefore, it is kind of difficult to find the one that I really like and does not contain stearate. Fortunately, I have found one, which is really affordable and has some skin benefits and it is Reviva Labs Makeup Primer.

I bought this primer from www.vitacost.com for around $12. It has very few ingredients which is always good (Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), olive oil, coenzyme Q10, squalane) and is cruelty free.

It claims to:

• Fills in lines, conceals pores, controls excess oil.
• Helps skin instantly look and feel smooth and silky.
• Helps makeup foundation last longer, (safe under eye shadow, too).
• And COQ10 adds protective antioxidant action.

As you can see from the ingredient list, there is dimethicone in it so  it is a silicone bases primer and goes on very smoothly like Smashbox photofinish primer. However, it has skin benefits unlike some other primers that are just meant to keep the makeup on for longer. Also, since eyelids are very sensitive and it is usually not recommended to put face products there due to the risk of them sliding into the eyes. But this primer can be used on the eyes suggesting how mild it is. 

PROS:

• Very few and recognizable ingredients (less is more for skin)
• Affordable
• Skin benefits
• Keeps makeup on all day
• Can also act as an eye primer
• Has a pump
• Paraben free
• Cruelty free

CONS:

• Can only be found online unless stores near you carry Reviva Labs

RESULT: I absolutely love this primer and would recommend it to everyone, especially people who have sensitive skin and are looking for products with lesser ingredients.

Thank you for taking time to read this page. I hope you have a great day!

                  

Allergies and Acne

Acne is one of the most prominent issues that youngsters and individuals in mid-twenties have to deal with. I always had some acne since the beginning of my teenage years, however, it was never to the point that I needed a dermatologist. Now that I am done with my teens, I got the worst acne of my life. I tried everything to get rid of them but nothing helped. I even took prescription medicine and my skin got better for a while but as soon as I stopped, my skin went back to where it started. I even tried essential oils and everything was fine in the beginning but then my skin reacted very badly.

So when everything failed, it just struck me that maybe its the products that I am using and I was right. I started making a list of all the products that I felt may be the reason of my acne and then compared the ingredients. It took me a while to narrow down to a particular category but I found the culprit at the end, which is Stearate. I noticed that all the products that had any form of stearate whether it is glyceryl stearate, zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, PEG-100-stearate or even stearic acid resulted in acne.

After I was sure that it is the stearate i.e. causing all the problems I got rid of all the products that had those ingredients. It was sad because some of the products were quite expensive but clear skin is priceless. As soon as I started paying attention to the ingredients, I noticed a huge difference in my skin. Yes, it could be quite difficult to find products free of stearates, but they are definitely out there. I can do a whole blog post about that if anyone wants. However, a great source to check the ingredients while online shopping is http://cosdna.com/. It has a wide range of products and different columns displaying the levels of acne causing ingredients.

At the end, I would recommend going through this process if nothing else is helping your acne. All you need  is a rough idea if a product is causing allergic reaction and then just notice if you can see a pattern. I am not a dermatologist or a doctor, I am just sharing what worked for me. I just hope it does for you too.

Thank you and have a great day!