A Whitening Set to Brighten the Holidays (A Skincare Set Intro + Review)

Hey everyone!

Have plans on having a whiter Christmas? And when I say whiter, I mean lighter skin. I always think that it's best to whiten skin a couple of months before the holiday season because the weather isn't sunny (it's actually mostly gloomy because of the rainy season in the Philippines), and we're usually indoors because of the rain... and well, we're stuck at work and in school and we're trying to save money for the Christmas vacation! Haha!

Anyway, if you're thinking of trying out some whitening skin care products, I think now's the time to try them out. I don't aspire to get lighter skin but I received an offer to try a skin whitening set and I thought, "why not?" I have quite a number of foundations that's lighter so I might as well use them. Haha!

The products I received came from Elsie Beauty Solutions. It's a online store that offers skincare products to give convenience to its customers who look for professional beauty products. Their products range from hair care to skin care and they carry two brands, namely Ahglow and Dermcare.

"Our brands Dermcare and Ahglow have been providing world-class beauty products in the Philippines since 1989. The products are made by Ahglow Corporation, the same company who pioneered skin whitening and hair rebonding in the Philippines.

All products are FDA approved."

I received four products that go hand-in-hand to help whiten my skin. The set includes:

1. Dermablanca Intensive Whitening Soap
2. RFL Lotion
3. Tretinoin 0.05%
4. Moisturizing Sunblock

The next photos contains solo shots of the products with the package labels. I also included info from the press release I received with the products.

The RFL Lotion (PhP 132.00) contains arbutin, a natura ingredient for whitening. It has the same effects of hydroquuinone, but safer to use and can be used long term. It also has glycolic acid, a natural fruit extract used for fast cell turn-over to improve skin appearance and texture.

The RFL Lotion feels like the usual toner (with alcohol). It feels cool and refreshing and it does an extra job of cleaning the face. As seen on the ingredients list, it has some ingredients that help mildly peel the outermost layer of skin so I guess that's where the "smoothens fine lines" part comes in. 

The Tretinoin Cream (PhP 113.00) is one of the very few agents whose skin rejuvenation effects have been documented in many well-designed studies. It helps in lightening skin discolorations, diminish fine lines, and improve the over-all appearance of skin.

The tretinoin cream works pretty good on my skin. When I used it for three consecutive nights, I can already witness some peeling, especially on my pimple scars. The cream dries pretty fast (maybe a minute or two) and it doesn't smell bad—just a mild chemical-medicine-like smell.

Sunblock Cream SPF 25 (PhP 103.00) - A moisturizer and sunblock in one to prevent skin dryness and avoid sun damage. 

The sunblock is barely scented and it's non-greasy and also not sticky. I do wish for more SPF though but if you're just inside an office, school, or at home, then I guess SPF25 can work. But yeah, I would still prefer a higher SPF, especially since the whitening set will make your skin peel.

The Dermablanca Whitening Soap (PhP 59.00) contains a whitening ingredient from Japan, mulberry extract, and is proven not to sting or irritate skin like other whitening soaps.

The soap smells good. It's like a clean floral scent that makes my bathroom smell great just by being there. The smell alone make me like to use it. My skin doesn't feel dry after using it leaves my skin feeling clean.


HOW TO USE:

Morning:
1. Cleanse face with soap. Wash thoroughly.
2. Dry face and apply RFL Lotion on whole face with cotton.
3. Wait for face to dry. Apply Moisturizing Sunblock 15 mins before going out (Do not skip this step).
4. (Optional) You can also use an oil free daytime moisturizer before the sunblock.

Evening:
1. Cleanse face with soap. Wash thoroughly.
2. Wait for 15-20 mins. Using a pea-size amount, apply Tretinoin to whole face starting with small dots on your forehead, cheeks, and chin. Avoid areas near the eyes, nose, and mouth.
3. Apply your regular moisturizer (depending on skin type).

NOTES:

1. Apply tretinoin at night only. For first time users, apply every 2 nights. If there is no irritation, gradually increase to every night.
2. Use only a pea-size amount of tretinoin. Gradually spread to a thin layer.
3. A little scaliness and sting is normal at first, but if the treated skin becomes usually sensitive, stop the use.
4. Never forget to use sunblock during the day.
5. After 2 months of using tretinoin, rest/stop for 2 months before resuming. RFL can be used day and night during the rest period.

***********

Now that I've introduced to you the products and the instructions, I'll share my experience and short review of the whitening set.

I've used the products for a month now. In just a few days of using, I noticed my skin started peeling. It's not the huge peel that I can get a chunk of skin off if I pull the "flaky" bits, only really small and thin skin comes off, especially on the areas with dark pimple marks where I usually apply the tretinoin first. The peeling is not like a micropeeling thing also because the peeling is noticeable. Applying makeup might not look as good because of this and my skin feels tighter than usual, especially when it starts to peel. What I do is add a stronger moisturizer before the sunblock that can help make skin look more hydrated.

Even though my makeup application became a bit trickier, I do see some difference on my skin. The scars got lighter (well, they actually became more noticeable at first [like hyperpigmentation] but once they peeled, it became lighter). I can't say if my whole face is lighter now but what's important is that the skin color is even and it is. 

If you read some of the labels, there's a warning of stinginess. I didn't get this and I didn't encounter any irritations. Just follow the instructions strictly and don't ever forget to apply your sunscreen!

And that's all I can say so far. I'll continue to use the products (the tretinoin for another month only) and see if something else happens. I'll update this post then. For now, I like that it didn't irritate my skin and at the same time, was able to peel off the dark scars around my problem areas. The items are also pretty affordable and that's always good. ;)

You can check our more of the products carried by Elsie Beauty Solutions through their website and Facebook or email them at info@elsiebeautysolutions.com. :)


Cheers,
DAWN

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

Shine the Brightest—Journey with SkinWhite

I think it is safe to say that everyone has his or her own insecurities. I myself have quite a number of them… and it’s true that it will certainly make one feel embarrassed or shy or even to the point that they hate himself/herself. I had those days, several actually. I just wanted to blend in the background, to hide myself from people, from reality. These insecurities halt us from being the real us, from letting us get out of our shells and show the world who we really are, what we are really about. We are not confident enough with ourselves to LOVE ourselves wholeheartedly. I sure felt that way, especially when I was in high school with all the teenage angst and social pressure. The local media doesn’t help as well as it glorifies this “ideal” beauty that, well, not majority of us have, a sort of westernized look with the big eyes, pointed nose, and flawless fair skin. These really made my self esteem go downhill big time. I have acne-prone skin and I had zits all over my face and I was overweight majority of my life so it’s easy to say that I didn’t really stood-out in a good way in my class and I doubt that I was even considered beautiful, especially in my teens. I wasn’t interested in fashion because I had a hard time looking for clothes that fit me so I just looked awkward most of the time. I didn’t even try much back then. I was nowhere near being confident…

But this does not have to be the case. We don’t have to hide with all these insecurities. There are different ways for each of us to overcome them and thank God that I was able to somehow overcome majority of mine. With the help of supportive family and friends, I learned to love myself more despite of the different things about myself that I found unattractive. They helped me feel good about myself by accepting everything about me. If they were able to love me for me, why can’t I do that for myself? They were also there when I journeyed to solve some of my problems, like finding the right clothes that flatter my figure or helping me learn the right skincare routine to deal with acne and my other skin problems. I was also able to wear makeup when I got to college, which is something I absolutely fell in-love with. Being inclined to the arts, I love adding colors and defining features so putting on makeup was just doing another artwork for me. I get to feel good when I do it and I get to look good as a result! See! Everything will turn out better once you try to look at the positive things in your life. And life gets easier too when you have other people to help you feel better because you feel accepted and they recognize it when you improve on the things you want to get better at. You gain confidence to be yourself, I definitely did.

And I’m happy it turned out this way sooner than I have hoped. 

Knowing that you are loved and that all your efforts are validated is an important thing and I am happy that one of the leading brands in skincare recognizes that. This brand understands the pressures that society can do to a person and how one’s looks can influence how one feels. This brand not only promises to make your skin beautiful and fairer, but also make you feel gorgeous inside too so that you will shine bright! And this brand is none other than SkinWhite, the Philippines’ leading and pioneer skin whitening brand. 

Why do I say this? Well, they just launched a four-month campaign called #BetterMe. The goal of this campaign is to inspire and empower the Filipino teens. SkinWhite created The Captivate Council and held casting calls to scout the loveliest and most inspiring girls. From 500 aspiring teens, 25 girls stood out because of their unique accomplishments and their ability to inspire others with their “go-getty and stay confident attitude.” These girls were featured in magazines and events like the #BetterMeBall and they also did outreach activities and fitness parties—a holistic approach to become a #BetterMe indeed! Each member was taught how to look even more gorgeous to boost her confidence by using the different products by the brand such as the SkinWhite PowerWhitening Face Cream Powder and the SkinWhite Advanced PowerWhitening Lotion.

With this campaign, SkinWhite helped these outstanding girls to become even better and they can also share what they have learned from the activities they have joined during the four months that they’ve been in The Captive Council to their respective circles. They can help promote what SkinWhite wants our teens to be aware of, which is to empower and be reminded that everyone should be allowed to develop their own inner confidence to be their better self, a #BetterMe. 

It’s really impressive to know that SkinWhite also focuses on our youth. Like I’ve mentioned, this was the time that we were highly emotional and under a lot of peer pressure. Even SkinWhite’s current ambassador, Kim Chiu, loved this campaign and said, “SkinWhite’s #BetterMe campaign inspires me a lot. It makes us girls look at the brighter side of life. I can now say that I am a #BetterMe because of it.” Their campaign really helped these selected women feel more confident and become role models for others to do the same. I just love a beauty brand with a heart, don’t you? And I also love that it physically helps in making us achieve a beautiful radiant glow to make us shine even brighter! 

In the Philippines, a fairer skin is usually preferred and SkinWhite Advanced PowerWhitening Lotion helps with that. 

It promises to instantly whiten skin and it is equipped with vitanourish formula that’s spiked with vitamins B3, B5, and E to give intense skin moisturization and protects you from UV rays and further skin darkening with SPF20. Awesome, right? I especially like that it keeps your skin soft and what I love even more is that it has sunscreen because without the proper protection, the sun can really cause advanced skin aging.

Here’s a pic to show you the power of the lotion to INSTANTLY lighten the skin. Left leg is my bare leg and on the right one has the lotion applied. The right leg is a slightly lighter than the other one. Don’t you agree? I think the SPF adds to that whitening layer... I'll be using the lotion continuously and see how much it can help in whitening my skin. ;)

It’s been a pleasure applying this during daytime and before I go to bed because it really smells super good too! I LOVE the scent of all the products of SkinWhite that I have tried (this lotion as well as the cleanser and their soaps). If I smell good, that also adds to my confidence so good job at that as well, SkinWhite! 

And you know what’s even more awesome? You can get that soft and radiant glow with sun protection at a very affordable price! The prices of the SkinWhite Advanced PowerWhitening Lotion are as follows: P71 for 50ml, P123.25 for 75ml, P235 for 200ml. J 

It’s so great that SkinWhite not only provides the right products to make us beautiful physically but also help us, especially the youth, to overcome our insecurities and be more confident with ourselves. The campaign was very beautiful and I do hope that more and more people learn to love themselves from within and shine as bright as they could. 

Always be the brightest you can ever be! 

Cheers, 

DAWN 

Press Release: Celebrate Whiter and Firmer Valentine’s Day with Gluta White and Firm

Hey guys!

Want whiter and firmer skin when you celebrate Valentines day with your special someone? Then maybe this press release from the Gluta Firm and White range can help you out! :D

Celebrate Whiter and Firmer Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It is a special occasion every couple is excited to celebrate. But to single ladies, V-day can be very tough. So they either sulk at home to celebrate singlehood, or pamper themselves with the right skincare products and eventually snag a date.

Gluta White and Firm is an advanced skin-whitening and skin-firming properties that will make every man swoon over your white and firm skin.

One of Gluta White and Firm’s active ingredients is glutathione. It is called by doctors as the “mother of all antioxidants.” Glutathione works by protecting the cells from harmful toxins. Surprisingly, its side effect is to lighten the color of the skin. It acts together with Clair Blanche, a fusion of 7 active ingredients that prevents melanin formation. This revolutionary whitening and firming product is clinically tested and proven effective by dermatologists.

Because whitening can never be enough, Gluta White and Firm has L-carnitine and Lipofirm to achieve lasting firmness. Both properties are effectively blended by dermatologists to break down fatty tissues, to tone body contours, and to lift sagged portions of the skin. Gluta White and Firm’s complete skincare products range from: Facial Wash, Soap, Facial Cream and Lotion.

Now, you can get a whiter, firmer skin this Valentine’s – even the man of your dreams.

Tony Moly Tony Lab AC Control Whitening Emulsion

Hi loves!

Enjoying the cool weather lately? I know I am! 

But there are instances that cold weather can dry the skin, so make sure you get to apply some moisturizer on your skin daily! And I'm not talking just at night but during the day too. 

I got oily skin and some moisturizers feel too thick when I use it during the day, especially when I wear makeup over it. That's why I prefer using emulsions like this one from Tony Moly...

Tony Moly Tony Lab AC Control Whitening Emulsion
Php 848.00

An emulsion is a lighter version of a moisturizing cream. It's ideal for sensitive skin or for those who dislike applying thick creams.

Below is the product description for added info on the product.

The packaging is very similar to its toner counterpart. I love how clean it looks and I also love that it has a pump.

The scent is very mild that you can hardly smell anything when you apply it. The consistency looks creamy but it's actually light. It is watery when you spread it and it gets absorbed quickly by the skin.

I use it under my makeup and I don't have any problems with it affecting my foundation whatsoever. I've used this for 2 months now and I didn't encounter any irritations or breakouts from this product.

I am very satisfied with the moisturization it gives my skin. No greasy feeling even with my oily skin. What I love about this is that I notice my skin looking brighter especially when I pair it with the toner! Yay! Like, like, like!

Do you use emulsions too? Would you consider trying this one as well?


Cheers,
DAWN

TONY MOLY: Berianne Whitening Essence

Hello ladies,

This has been a long delayed post since work got super hectic. I got this earlier this year from Tony Moly and I guess most of you would have already tried this so I'll just be adding my experience to the pot.

The overall packaging looks quite clean and is quite representative of the actual lotion/essence.

It's in a pump so it's easy dispense and clean-up.

On dispense it's a white shiny lotion but once you spread it out

It turns purple to purplish pink to light pink to transparent. I am always entertained by the color change whenever I use it.

So here's what I've experienced with this product.

Moisturizer

The Berianne Whitening Essence had become my night time moisturizer, It works well enough as a moisturizer but since I was using it at the time I had a flare of dermatitis, I'd have to say it was short of being helpful. It did not help subside the ones already out, but it did help to not make things worse.

Whitening

I have never been one to notice whitening from any whitening brand... although most people have commented that I seem to have a fairer complexion and I look blooming lately even without make-up, so maybe it did add some glow to my face. But then again a picture might have been better.

Super sorry for not providing a picture of my face before and currently, I was so swamped that time that I just forgot to take one.

Anyway, hope that was helpful.

Cheers,

LIZ