Bath Junkies: Return To Innocence

Good evening bellas!

I recently bought my very first Bath Junkies product from BeautyMNL. I've been using this product for about 2 weeks now and here are my thoughts on it.

Before I go on about their product, here's a little information on the brand as described in BeautyMNL.

Bath Junkies is the first local bath and body brand to compete globally! Their line of soaps, scrubs, bath gels, colognes, cleansers, toners, sanitizers, and sunscreens contain both mood-lifting essential oils and skin-nourishing actives. And you won’t find toxic ingredients here—Bath Junkies is a natural brand. The best part? Each of its products are bundled up in pretty, pretty packaging with a bohemian beach vibe.

Packaging:

I can't really agree with the Bohemian vibe description since the first time I saw the product online I immediately remembered babies. To me, the design of the labels was more an appeal to my more innocent days and memories.

The pump bottle design is also good however, since this company claims to be an all-natural brand, you'd think they'd proudly announce the lack of chemicals in their products by listing them down and giving more details on their product. Nowadays, a lot of people have different things that they are allergic to and it'd be risky for them to just go ahead and believe a certain brands' claim of being organic. I think they should provide the list of their ingredients so consumers can be guided.

Product:

The facial wash is a clear transparent light amber colored fluid. Not too viscous, and non-sticky. It lathers quickly but does not lather too much. It's non-drying on the face nor is it itchy after use. The product smells like peppermint which is reminiscent of candy canes (Christmas feels). The peppermint adds a cooling sensation when the product is being applied/rubbed on your face and during rinse.

I wouldn't really recommend this for individuals with sensitive skin. As I said earlier, there is a lack in disclosure of the ingredients so there's a fair warning that it may contain some of the chemicals or organic materials that you are allergic. Also, as convention would state, gentle, hypoallergenic washes usually do not have any smell and are very bland looking to minimize adding more chemicals to these products.

Skin Changes during use:

So far, I haven't seen any break outs from using this product. My dermatitis also did not flare up. The cooling effect of the product leaves a feeling of an uplifted and refreshed face though I don't really see it when I look in the mirror.

Price and Availability:

It's a great purchase though one I wouldn't do again. It's Php 220 pesos for a 114 ml bottle which for me is a little expensive. For now the product is only available online through BeautyMNL and their facebook page. I have not found any other sites though but if you know any, then please don't hesitate to share with me and others in the comments.

Well those are my thoughts on this product. I want our local products to gain a larger attention so I hope I have helped in their improvement. 

Cheers,

LIZ

Mini Review: Himalaya Herbals Gentle Exfoliating Daily Face Wash and Clear Complexion Whitening Face Wash

Good evening ladies,

One of the many drug store brands of facial care that I often go back to is Himalaya Herbals. My first encounter with this product was it's Neem Face Mask which Dawn had previously reviewed way back in 2010. Although sadly, I haven't seen a return of that Neem Face Mask, Himalaya still remains one of my top facial care brands.

Last October, we introduced you to their line of facial care and today we focus on two of their facial wash: Gentle Exfoliating Daily Face Wash and Clear Complexion Whitening Face Wash.

So let's get into our experience and the product details of each.

Here is the product description from their website: A soap-free, daily use face wash that cleanses and clarifies your skin of impurities, giving you a clear, radiant and even complexion. Saffron, well-known for its complexion enhancing properties helps clear skin of spots and blemishes while Licorice and White Dammer help regulate melanin synthesis restoring your skin's natural fairness. Pomegranate nourishes while Cucumber soothes your skin. Use morning and evening for visibly brighter, clearer and glowing skin.

The key ingredients for this product are: licorice, white dammer, saffron, cucumber and pomegranate.

This product cleans well and is not drying. Skin feels soft and refreshed after. Though I honestly cannot attest to it's whitening effect as my face doesn't have much of any uneven coloring (or I don't particularly notice it) for me to even judge whether it has helped in evening out my skin tone.

Here is the product info from their website as well: A soap-free, daily use exfoliating face wash that effectively cleanses your skin and gently exfoliates dead skin cells. Apricot granules gently scrub off dead skin cells, help stimulate fresh cell growth and prevent formation of blackheads. Neem and Lemon deep cleanse and remove excess oil while Aloe Vera soothes your skin and maintains its natural moisture balance, leaving your skin fresh, rejuvenated and glowing, day after day.

The key ingredients for this are: apricot, aloe vera, neem, lemon and red lentil.

This particular product is a favorite of mine. It is one of the gentlest exfoliating facial wash I've ever used. It's also great that its granules are organic (apricot granules) meaning they won't do much harm to the environment. After every wash, my skin feels rejuvenated and clean. It's not drying as well. The scent is minimal.

My sister also likes this facial wash as she had not experienced any break out with this product.

It's within the middle price range which isn't all that bad (79 and 74 for 50 ml; 129 and 124 for 100 ml). I would recommend buying the bigger bottle as it is more cost efficient. My daily wash at home was the Gentle Exfoliating Daily Face Wash until 2 months ago. The 100 ml bottle lasted for a good two months since my sister and I both use it. Haven't bought another one since my sister bought another facial wash and I am too lazy to buy myself another one. But I will be buying this one again once we finish the facial wash we currently have now.

So that's it for this short review on these two facial wash. For those who like organic products (and even those who are just curious about organic stuff), hope this was helpful.

Cheers,

LIZ

Review : Ciracle Anti-Blemish Teatree Wash

Hi loves!

The traffic is getting worse and worse nowadays...

I'm one of the few people who are fortunate enough to live near my workplace so I don't have to endure the horrible traffic daily. I do know many who do and I can't even imagine how tired one must feel when they finally get home after hours of getting stuck in traffic.

In a different situation, I've experienced being so tired due to lack of sleep and tight deadlines that I just want to crash on my bed and sleep the whole week. BUT there is one thing that is very, very important to me that I have to gather all my remaining energy and fight all the tiredness and temptation to hug my pillows to sleep just so I can do it and that is to cleanse my skin.

No matter how tired you are, keep your skin clean. With all the pollution and dirt we encounter everyday, germs will surely cause unfavorable things to us like allergic reactions or pimples. I made cleansing a habit and I think everyone can develop that too. If I'm too tired and can't take a shower anymore, I get a damp towel and just wipe away. 

It's also important to clean the face really well since it's the most exposed part of our body. I also use makeup and I have oily skin so dirt really sticks to my face which lead to breakouts. Besides using a makeup remover, I also use a good facial wash to completely rid of all the dirt and makeup off my face. I make sure that when I apply my toner, there's no trace of these on my cotton pad. Right now I am using the Ciracle Absolute Deep Cleansing Oil to remove my makeup and then use this afterwards...

Ciracle Anti-Blemish Teatree Wash

PhP 990.00

This was actually sent to me for review along with the Deep Cleansing Oil. They've since been a tandem in keeping my face clean when I get home.

When I received the product back in September, seeing as that it's anti-blemish made me excited about it. I have acne-prone skin so this is something I would definitely check out if ever I were to browse their stores. Facial wash is a product that is a must for me so finding a good one is important and I trust Ciracle when it comes to skin care because I have used quite a number of products from them that I've really loved. 

So far, I've been using this for a month and I will share with you my review later on in this post.

First, let's see the product description and its claims...

Info on the packaging:

Additional info from their website:

The best cleanser for acne prone skin ever

Purified light foam enables you to thoroughly cleanse out acne spots. While preventing
the blemishes, it also removes excessive oil by gently washing them away.

Recommend

If you are looking for the best cleanser for acne prone skin,

If you want to start treating the acne with proper wash,

If you need to take step by step approach to cure the acne,

Experience the miracle from Ciracle.

Features

The best cleanser for acne prone skin with natural ingredients

As you wash your face with teatree foam cleanser, feel the hydration.

Mild and soft component helps you cleansing of any makeup residue or skin dirt.

Contains Surfactant with low irritation, it helps your skin to turn into clear and healthy looking one.

Refresh your skin with cooling effect from the best cleanser for acne prone skin.

Acne is often caused by the excessive amount of oil on your skin.

Start treating them with proper care! Clear your dead skin cells and turns it into flawless state.

As one degree of skin temperature rises, sebum creation increase by 10~20%.

Teatree wash completesly cleanse out the pores while leaving adequate amount of moisture on skin.

It comes in this clear pump plastic bottle. I like my skincare with simple designs because it gives me the impression of cleanliness. The pump makes dispensing easier and you can control the amount you get very well.

The scent is not noticeable actually. No citrusy, floral, nor herby scent. The consistency is pretty much like liquid soaps but not as creamy. When rubbed with water, it foams up well.

I usually use this with a facial cleansing brush and massage it on my face and rinse it off with lukewarm water. I do have to say that I sort of do not follow the instructions all the time... massaging my face with the cleanser for 10 minutes takes too long for me so sometimes I rinse it off within 2-5 minutes. :P

I've been using it for a month now and I'm satisfied with its performance. It cleanses my face from dirt and the remaining makeup that my makeup remover missed. It got rid of excess oil very well but still kept my skin well-hydrated (for an anti-blemish wash, that's something good since it doesn't strip your face from all the oils that can dry up the face).

But did it help get rid of my acne? Well, so far I can't really be 100% sure that it did help... You see, before I used this product, it was days before I had my period and my skin was all crazy with all the breakouts. I've never experienced that kind of breakout before. But after my period, and this was the time that I've been using this, the acne appearance lessened and the ones I had healed rather quickly. Do take note that I use other anti-acne products so the healing and prevention can't all be credited to this but I could say that this might have helped in the process. My skin is back to normal with occasional pimple appearance every now and then.

And to summarize...

What I LIKE:

- Effectively cleans my face from excess oil, dirt, and traces of makeup

- Doesn't dry my face

- I believe it somehow helped in healing and preventing breakouts

- Barely noticeable scent

- One pump is enough

- Locally available

- Packaging

What I DON'T LIKE

- The price is a bit steep for me for a cleansing wash

Do I recommend it? Yes. I think the product is worth a try, especially to those with similar skin types as me. :)

And that's my review! If you're interested to learn more about Ciracle, you can visit their website and Facebook Page. :)

Cheers,

DAWN

Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation benefit and I was only invited to review the product. All opinions written in this review are my honest thoughts on the product. :)

The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash

Good day ladies,

I just want to share with you a brief review on The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash.

According to TBS's site, this product is:

A mild, oil-free and soap-free highly foaming cleansing gel that effectively deep cleanses to clear open pores and rinse away excess oils, make-up, impurities and daily grime. Leaves the skin feeling cleansed and purified.

I really like how clean this product is packaged. It looks so chic and refreshing.

The same goes to the product itself. It's a clear, syrup-y liquid that smells similar to aloe vera (for me that is). It lathers up quick but not as foamy as other standard facial wash, and since the product has menthol in it, it has a cooling effect on the face, especially around the eyes.

My sister and I have been using this product for about a month and so far, it's done a good job. My sister's face look smoother now, and her break outs are less. Sorry that I had not been able to take a picture of her face.

As for it's cleaning ability, it does the job of removing dirt and make-up residue on my face. Do know that I usually wipe off the bulk of my make-up with a good make-up remover before washing it with this. I use toner afterwards and there's no dirt or make-up residue left on the cotton. So I'm fairly happy about the product's performance. Also, what I love about this product is that your face does not feel dried out after washing.

I do believe it's a great facial wash for this summer. It's a little pricey at around 600-700 a bottle but if you use it wisely and save up for it, you'd be able to have enough before you even finish a bottle.

The Body Shop's Sale is still ongoing until June 3. Hope you can catch up on their great deals.

Cheers,

LIZ

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Foaming Face Wash

Hey everyone!

Sharing my quick thoughts on this foam wash that I've been using daily for the past month...

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Foaming Face Wash

This 150ml bottle is worth Php 189.00 only.

I've blogged already about what Himalaya Herbals is all about (you can check my introductory post here) and actually, I've already used a product from the brand as early as 4 years ago—the Neem Face Mask. I've actually made a review on it before (read it here) and I still love the product until now.

Now, I got the opportunity to try more products from Himalaya Herbals and this particular one was the one that was most interesting for me when I was browsing the products that were sent to me for reviews.

But let's check the product description first before I proceed with my review...

Specially formulated to give you clear, problem-free skin, a soap-free, daily use foaming face wash that spreads smoothly over your face and removes excess oil and impurities without over-drying. Neem, well-known for its purifying and antibacterial properties, kills problem-causing bacteria. Combines with Turmeric, it helps control acne and pimples, leaving your skin, soft clear, refreshed and problem-free.

Key Ingredients:

Neem, Turmeric.

Directions for use:

Moisten the face and spread the foam gently all over, avoiding the delicate eye area. Wash off and pat dry. For best results also use Purifying Neem Scrub and Purifying Neem Mask.

This is a pump bottle which is very easy to use. When pumped, you really get a foamy textured product. There is a gel version of this too and the 100ml tube is only Php 129.00.

I'm not a fan of the scent but it's still tolerable. I didn't mind it anymore after a week of usage. You just get used to it. 

This foaming wash is very gentle for everyday use. I never experienced any drying... none at all! And this cleans the skin very well. Not only that, it removes excess oil (I have oily skin) from my skin too so my face really feels clean after washing

–like it can really breathe! 

I really do like this because it's something that's very effective that I can use everyday and it's very affordable. It's just that good! I do recommend it if you're looking for these qualities in your facial wash.

Have you tried this yet? What about the other type or the other variants?

Cheers,

DAWN

Introducing: Gluta Advance White and Firm

Hey dears!

Many Filipinas are obsessed with whitening their skin. I believe that most of us consider people who have fair skin more beautiful. You can see on TV that most of our celebrities are mestizas or chinitas, and those who aren't usually get fairer skin as they stay longer in show business. 

I believe this "love" for whiter skin came from our country being influenced heavily by Western countries. We were under the occupation of Spain and the US for years and this led to "mix breeds" (LOL) or those we call the mestizas/mestizos. Those who belonged to those families are usually more well-off and ranked higher in terms of social class. They usually stay indoors while those who do labor are usually outside which led to darker skin. 

I personally like my skin to be somewhere between medium-dark olive, but majority still prefer their skin to be lighter and this fixation on lighter skin tone will most probably still exist in our culture for a long, long time. That is why there are tons of whitening products in the market (very different to those on the west where there are more tanning products and salons). 

Some of these whitening skincare products are from Gluta Advance. They sent me a whole range of their White and Firm range to try out.

But what do we know about Gluta Advance? According to their Facebook Page,

Skincare that goes beyond skin whitening. Formulated with sun protection to shield the skin against harmful UV rays and sustain the whitening process. Gluta Advance unveils a fairer and tauter new you in as early as two weeks.

We know that in order to make our skin lighter, we need to protect our skin from the sun. And these products promises to have that needed sun protection as it lightens your skin.

These products that are made by dermatologists are equipped with Glutathione which is best known for whitening and is also an antioxidant, which helps in slowing the aging of the skin. They also have L-Carnitine, Vitamin C, and Clair Blanche ("a unique infusion of 7 ingredients known to inhibit melanin formation") which help achieve a more radiant, smoother, whiter, and firmer skin. 

The Gluta Advance range is a complete set to pamper your skin. You get to cleanse, tone, and moisturize using the products. There are items for your face and for your body so your skin lightens evenly and not just on specific areas. You can check out the labels at the back of each product for more info and you can also visit this website which also contains some info on the skincare range.

Anyway, here are the products! I arranged them on how it should be used.

First off, the products for the face.

The facial wash to cleanse the face.

The toner for further cleansing and balances the skin's pH level.

And finally, the facial cream to keep the skin hydrated. This also has the sun protection needed to shield us from UV rays.

Now for the products for the body:

 

The soap for cleansing.

 

And the body lotion for moisturization and sun protection.

Each product is important so it is a must that we use them all and don't skip on anything, especially the lotions!

Gluta Advance promises to whiten the skin in two weeks. My dilemma is that I like my skin right now and I am not interested in getting it lighter. Liz, my co-blogger, is very busy right now and might not be able to follow the skin care process needed to be done to achieve a lighter complexion (she's always so tired that she frequently just falls asleep when she gets home). 

Good thing my officemate wanted to try the products out! Yippee! She's willing to be my guinea pig! Below are pictures of her skin prior the use of the products. She requested that I don't show her full face so I hope that these pictures are okay with all of you.

We will keep track of her skin every two weeks to see the results of Gluta Advance on her skin! We're both excited to see if it works! I will keep you updated and will also share with you her thoughts and experience using the products so I hope you stay tune for that! :D

Cheers,
DAWN

The Body Shop Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash

Hey loves!

The Body Shop has a new product coming up! Lucky for me, I got the pleasure of trying it out even before its release date! :)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash

I received mine last Thursday and been using it to keep my skin clean and fresh!

I was excited to try this out since my skin is blemish-prone. I think this suits me so well. I've tried quite a few products from their Tea Tree line and they have performed well on me.

Read the description below if you would like to learn more on this new product:

(Just click the image to enlarge)

Here's the front and back of the product:

I prefer my facial washes in tube form since it's easier to get the product out and you can make sure that you get to finish up all everything inside.

 And of course, it contains ingredients that are included in The Body Shop's Community Fair Trade which helps different communities in various parts of the world.

On to my thoughts on this product:

It is thick and white with a slight tint of mint green but barely noticeable in my pic...

Here's a shot from the Press Release:

The scents is very... herby! If you have smelled any item from their Tea Tree Line, then that's exactly how it smells. LOL 

It doesn't foam up when you use it. You just massage it on your face and you will begin to feel the cooling sensation which is totally awesome! I love it since it makes me feel so refreshed! It's just perfect for the crazy weather in the Philippines nowadays.

After washing it off, you feel so clean and refreshed. Even when I use my toner, you don't see dirt on my cotton pad anymore. It does the job of cleaning my face after a long day!

For the 5 days I have been using it, I didn't encounter breakouts nor skin irritations. It didn't dry my skin too. I love it! I just wonder if it would work so much better if my skin care composed of more tea tree line from The Body Shop! Hmmm...

Anyway, that's all for my quick review!

The Body Shop's Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash will be available in stores in July 5, 2013. It's RRP is Php 395.00 only so hurry and grab one!!

Cheers,

DAWN