To kick it off

Amidst lotions and bottles of unknown liquid shelved away at Guardian Pharmacy, Shryh quipped,

"You know, we should start a blog on Malaysian beauty products!"

Needless to say, I was ecstatic beyond explanation! An idea so simple and yet so brilliant can only come from the one and only Shryh. Parting with only these few words on Google chat,

"What will your first post be on?"

I set the rusty gears up in my head cracking. And, so I thought, let's start with the very basic when it comes to taking care of the skin: Cleansing.

(I think I hear an echo of groaning in the background)

After years of being plagued by acne, white heads, black heads and congestion, I'd been forced to be an expert on diagnosing my skin and treating it with the utmost tender loving care. (Even though at most times, I lose my patience and want to just shred it all off and let the new skin come through. Illogical, I know.)

So, what worked and what did not work?

Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser
Its gel and lotion-like texture worked like a charm to get rid of acne. I was using this for the past 8 years. It completely stopped my acne from rearing its ugly head onto my face. It's refreshing and calming. Because one of its ingredients is clay, it gently removes impurities and excess oil from the skin. It was not too dry even to be used during the harshest Melbourne winters. As a weekly treat, after a session of double-cleansing, spread a thin layer of that onto the face as a purifying mask.

An extreme change of geographical location, food, lifestyle, air, working culture all contributed to a huge, horrifying spell of white heads and congestion on my cheeks and jawline. That plague lasted for close to a year and this cleanser failed me for the first time in 8 years.

Needless to say, I was heart-broken. I had depended on it wholly to save me from sympathies and the annoying tsk-tsk-ing from my facialist. (Seriously, if my skin had been in tip-top condition, why would I need to visit a facialist? Obviously I needed help in clearing my skin up so the tsk-tsk-ing only succeeded in elevating my sense of frustration!)

After multiple "clearing" sessions from my facialist, I was finally resigned to taking the matter into my own hands. Not only were those visits painful, they were completely detrimental to my monthly budget. IF they had been the least successful, I would've relented but those white heads kept coming back!

So, I picked on a cleanser that can be found easily in your local pharmacy. (Read: affordable!)

L'oreal White Perfect Cleanser
I was not that keen on the whitening portion of it. Because it's a foaming cleanser, I was very careful on how often I used it. I limit myself to only once a day-to be used at the end of the day to remove grime and oil of the day past.

After 2 months of consistent cleansing, not only was my skin much drier, it was completely free of white heads and congestion. It also helped lighten some acne scars.

Switching my cleanser back to a much gentler and milder Dermal Clay Cleanser did not help in minimizing lines at all. If anything, my laugh lines grew more apparent. That was when the frenzy of not sleeping on the side of my face began. That was when the search for the perfect moisturizer began. Thus, I made it my mission to minimize the lines on my face.

Whitening portion? Not too sure. My skin was fair-ish to begin with and not much difference was noticed.

Dermalogica Ultra Calming Cleanser
This non-foaming gel cleanser is perfect for even the most sensitive skin. It's definitely not as drying as the Dermal Clay Cleanser and never, ever underestimate the power within this bottle. It's powerful enough to cleanse away the grime of the day and yet gentle enough for the delicate eye area.

It leaves the skin smooth, soft and supple. I've been on this for the past few months and I'll be lying if I say my skin is baby-smooth. Truth is, once lines appear on your face, they will never, ever completely go away. Effects of lines can only be minimized and this product minimizes the lines well enough.

Just be sure to be gentle when cleansing the face. Gentle circular motions would be more than sufficient to remove grime and dirt.

Oh, a and final note? The delicate neck area is part of the face too, so don't forget to cleanse and moisturize that as well!

Toodles!