Cre8skin Salmon Oil Cream Review

 

I do not know why I have a handful of expensive stuff sitting in my drawer unnoticed.

So I found this odd-looking thing. Which makes you wonder if it's canned seafood or something. It has a rose gold packaging inside a black tin can. As someone who tries to become a more environmentally-conscious consumer, this makes me feel extra guilty. Like, why is there a packaging for the packaging? After using the product, I now have 2 cans/jars to throw out into the environment. This product better be worth it. Sorry, nature, I don't really know why I own this thing.

Because it's packaged fancier than the usual face cream, it's also more expensive. It's locally available at P1,900+. 

The label says "Whitening. Anti-wrinkle." I was initially doubtful as to whether this works at all. This reminds me of Shark Oil, the miracle ingredient of yesteryears. I mean, I don't really know what to make of it. Salmon is known as a superfood, rich in Omega-3 and other good stuff. But as to whether it works when applied topically, I honestly was doubtful. 

Because the packaging made a bad impression, I was leaning towards disliking the product right away. I had to keep reminding myself to remain objective for the sake of a good review. 

This has a spatula (again, another plastic waste!) And you apply the product on your skin with it and then spread it with your fingers. The product is rather thick. It looks somewhat like a thicker Nivea creme. Thicker and with a more velvety feel to it. The color is true to its name, muted salmon, which adds to its luxurious appeal.

If there's anything I loved about this product, it's that it smells divine. It's in the same league as Anna Sui Secret Wish with a fuller, powdery scent. Feminine, classy, luxurious. It smells expensive. This can only be applied wearing a silk robe and a silk night gown. It just doesn't smell like something you'd put on your face when you're in your old PJs. 

As for product effectiveness... well, it does a good job moisturizing the skin. Because it's a thick cream, it tends to feel heavy and a little sticky. Not recommended during hot and humid summers. I can't tell if it's comedogenic or not because I didn't use this on my face (MY T.O. MANDELIC ACID + HA + ALPHA ARBUTIN STILL WORKS! NOT CHANGING MY ROUTINE ANY TIME SOON.) My neck and chest, which occasionally break out with the wrong products, seem to be okay with the cream.

A month of use and I still do not see any whitening effect. I just checked the ingredients list and the only whitening active I see is Niacinamide, at the 7th order at that. Most of the ingredients are for moisturizing, ergo anti-aging: Shea Butter, Beeswax, Salmon Oil, Caviar Extract, Seaweed Extract, Macadamia Oil, Jojoba Oil. 

Final verdict: not buying again, only because of the packaging and price. I'm in love with the fragrance though and I wouldn't mind receiving this as a gift. I feel like this would work well on people with dry, mature skin, I imagine all that moisturizing ingredients would do wonders plumping the skin and virtually erasing fine lines. 

Cyme 30 Protect Sunscreen Review

 

I have been abusing my skin the past months disregarding all warnings from family about the dangers of sun exposure. The pandemic just changes people in ways that are often not beneficial for aesthetics. I've seen women everywhere ditch the polished, made up look for a more natural, hairy, near barbaric look. I am not complaining, because honestly, this is too comfortable. Who doesn't want to live what could possibly be the last days, weeks, months of their lives in comfort? 

Nonetheless, I realized if I do survive the pandemic, I'm going to have to spend years of my life with sun damaged, ugly skin. So I thought I'd do something about it. Even if it may be a little too late for preventive protection. 

I discovered this tube of sunscreen in my drawer. I'm not familiar with the brand, and thought this might have been a gift I forgot about. I searched all over Google and didn't really find much about the brand.  Apparently, CyMe is a product line of Massage Envy - a provider of massage and facial services in the US.

I'm not sure if I can trust a massage and facial services store to produce good quality skin care products. I mean, when products are, well, produced, for the heck of expanding a brand, it's often not good. The logic being, it's produced for the purpose of brand extension, not really for customer satisfaction. I've bought lotion from a hair rebonding salon and it was... garbage. It's coz production is not really their main business function, and they most likely outsource the production, research, design, packaging, etc. However, CyMe is a skin care brand from a skin care service store, so maybe, just maybe, they actually meant for their products to be more than just token purchases for bored clients who are waiting for their turn at the massage bed. 

I didn't use this on my face, because I could not find reviews online. I have crazy sensitive facial skin so I read reviews before applying anything on my face. I used this on my neck, arms and legs.

Label: REFRESHING GEL SUNSCREEN. Broad Spectrum SPF 30.

"A weightless, moisture-rich, water-free facial sunscreen that smooths the skin with shea and aloe, promoting a refreshed velvety finish to the face." 

Claims: Waterproof for 80 minutes.

Scent: It's supposedly fragrance-free, but it does smell a bit. The scent is reminiscent of rubber and plastic toys.

Feel: Rather thick. Velvety. It feels comforting on dry, stretched skin. Like cocoa butter. Surprisingly not sticky. 

Packaging: Does not look like a haphazardly designed brand extension product. Does not look cheap. Reminds me of Avene. 

Price: $18 for 2 ounces or a month of daily use. 

Obviously, there's no way for me to tell if this works at all. I didn't really sunbathe so I can't tell if it protected my skin from sunburn. So I'm just gonna assume it does what it's supposed to do. As for its other reviewable qualities, I'm giving it 4 stars out of 5. Repurchase? I don't know, I don't think this is available in the Philippines. Recommend? Yes for beach use. Beach in windy, non-humid areas. I don't think I'll be comfortable using something velvety for sports or gardening or outdoor activities except for short bouts of recreation under the sun. 

Etude House 0.2 Air Mask (Snail)

This will be a quick review of face masks in general. Not the covid 19 pandemic masks we use to go see the outside world, but skincare face masks. I made a thorough review of masks in 2016. But I took them down because I realized I didn't want photos of myself on this blog lol.

Skincare face masks have been around for over a decade already. Maybe even for longer. I remember going to Marie France when I was 13 (?) and using masks for the first time and thinking what a luxury it was. It took a while before supermarket brands like Ponds came out with their own affordable masks. I was probably 19 when they came out and they cost P200 for a pack of 2, I think. 

Face masks weren't exactly cheap so they remained a luxurious home spa experience for a few years. I only used them probably once to a few times a year back then, mostly for relaxation and not for skincare.

Fast forward to the Korean skincare boom of the mid 2010's. Face masks were everywhere. Not only were they of good quality, they were available at supermarkets for cheap. The cheapest I've seen (that aren't of dubious quality and suspiciously from China) costs around P25. Pond's still sell masks at P200, I think, for a pack of 3-4? But generally, you can get good ones for P50 each at Korean stores.

My trusted Shopee seller sells masks for less than P30. I'm guessing these are the freebies that Korean stores give away for every minimum purchase. I see fakes everywhere though, so beware. 

What I have on my face right now, as I write lol, is from Etude House. I love Etude. I haven't tried a product from them that I didn't like, and I've tried a lot from skincare to makeup to beauty tools. My sister gave a stash of face masks she got for free from an Etude shop in Korea and I made time today for relaxation and skincare.

It says it's 'smoothening and firming'. It's the snail variant with the currently popular snail secretion filtrate. This slime promises to 'make skin texture look smooth, radiant, and elastic by strengthening skin barrier.' I chose this variant because this looked the least harsh, the others had acids and actives that might irritate my skin. 

What intrigued me is the 0.2 mm air sheet. Other masks tend to be thick and uncomfortable but this is light and airy. 

There's a generous serving of serum. What I like to do is carefully squeeze the packaging before putting the mask on my face, so I can get all the extra serum which I then put all over my body. Other brands offer just enough serum for the face, but with Etude I was able to squeeze enough for my neck, arms and legs.

I'm just about done with my 20 minute timer. No itching or irritation so far.

Obviously, a one time use won't make so much of a difference on skin texture, vibrance, nor health. But there are skincare enthusiasts out there who have the time to do this everyday and swear that daily masking is their secret to healthy, youthful skin. 

I tried daily masking for a week in 2016 and I saw results. Unfortunately, time is not something I have so much of. In fact, it's four years later now that I managed to start masking again. I have 4 more masks in the fridge (another tip: keep masks in the fridge for a more luxurious spa feel). I plan to mask everyday to may be fade some spots and rebuild my skin barrier. 

Updating this post in a week. 

ICure KeraCollagen Blowout - DIY Review

The last time I reviewed Keratin Blowout, I was full on demonizing the hair styling treatment. I have valid reasons for warning people. Because it's been proven that the original formula contains formaldehyde and you know, formaldehyde kills people.

I recently discovered DIY Brazilian. And look at the label:

0% Formaldehyde

0% Formaldehyde! Is there such a thing - a Keratin/Kerawhatever/Brazilian Blowout without Formaldehyde? There's no way for me to know. So if anyone with a lab decides to test this product let me know how it goes. It's rather disappointing how product labels can't be trusted. Marketers can claim just about anything: 90% straighter hair! Whiter skin in 7 days! 5x stronger nails! 0% Poison!

I fell prey to the promise so I ordered a sachet just to test if it works at all. Only after I've paid my order on Shopee that I decided to check online if people have tried it and if it even works. I was bored. 

Of all ICure KeraCollagen Blowout reviews on Youtube, this is the first I clicked on:

Tip: Visit the comments section of the Youtube video to see where she went wrong. 

So according to commenters, she may have used the wrong shampoo, failed to get the detangling product, or forgot to rinse. I panicked when I realized I needed to order more products. I was thinking I'd save money by purchasing this product (P250 over at Shopee) versus getting a Brazilian treatment done (P1,000 cheapest, and I wasn't really interested in inhaling Formaldehyde at a possibly Covid-19-infected salon.)

I searched some more and found this tutorial video from ICure:

This tutorial video made it look like DIYing won't be too hard. I mean, I DIY my hair color, cut, and treatments. What can go wrong? 

Upon actually DIYing though, I realized the first video was pretty spot on. This product is not user-friendly. What made it difficult to use:

1. The product is too runny. Its consistency is like that of jojoba oil or water. 

2. The product is clear-colored. There's no way to check which spots you missed because it's hard to tell.

3. The product takes a long time to absorb into the hair.

4. It did not sting my eyes or nose, but I spilled a few drops on my neck and arm and they itched. I did this in front of the mirror inside the bathroom so I could wash the spills ASAP. 

This is a product that requires professional guidance/application. Despite it looking like a moron-proof sachet of conditioner. 

As for effectiveness, I'm giving it 7 out of 10. I still haven't washed my hair since application, so as of now, all I can say is that my hair is generally smoother. Maybe a bit straighter (I ironed my hair.) It's not as straight as it would be with rebonding or with a professional Brazilian/Keratin/Keracollagen treatment. Just a tad bit straighter than usual. I still see a few kinks here and there. The demarcation between the previously rebonded part and the new growth is still there, though not as noticeable. 

What I don't like is that, like in the first video, it made my hair super dry. I can't run my hands through my hair. I can't run my brush through my hair. The only thing I can use on my hair is a wide-toothed comb. 

Now I'm not sure if this dryness is permanent. Or if this is only because I didn't use that recommended detangler. Or if it's because the shampoo I used was drying and my hair is really just this unmanageable without conditioner. Maybe it's my hair. Maybe the product is just poorly designed? It's probably effective. IDK. The only way to know is to find out after washing it 2 or 3 days from now. 

IDK. I don't think I won't be washing my hair for 3 days. I'll probably set an alarm for 48 hours. I can't stand dry hair. Dry hair makes me sad.

I'll be back in 48 hours. 

BACK.

Sorry it took me longer than promised. It's daaaay... 4(?) since the hair treatment. Let me make it up to you by doing a Day by Day review.

Day 0 - Day that I applied the product. Hair was nice because it was flat ironed. 

Day 1 - Hair was oily, which was normal after not shampooing for 24 hours. Hair was still straight and shiny. 

Day 2 - I couldn't bear all the oiliness and the chemical smell. So as soon as the 48 hours lapsed, I shampooed my hair. I used the SNAZZY hair mask that came with the package. It was a revelation. It made my hair super smooth and glossy, I'm ordering some for special days. Might review in the coming weeks.

Day 3 - Yesterday. The day of reckoning. I used my regular conditioner, Keratin Plus Gold, which was usually hydrating enough. It hydrated and smoothed my hair, but not as nicely as SNAZZY. Nonetheless, my hair was still nice and smooth. 

Day 4 - Todayyy. Hair is still nicer than usual. Way nicer than usual. My hair is usually dry and poofy at the demarcation between the rebonded part and the regrowth. There's still some kinks, which were there BECAUSE ICURE KERACOLLAGEN BLOWOUT WAS SO HARD TO APPLY EVENLY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WHEN YOU APPLY IT AND A LOT OF JUST SPILLS BECAUSE IT'S TOO RUNNY. 

Sorry. I just had to release my pent up frustration. So it's generally an EFFECTIVE product. But it fails at some important points. I guess the remedy is to either use 2-3 packs just to be sure that all strands are covered to make up for the unavoidable spillage OR write ICURE a letter and tell them that they have an awesome product that needs to be improved.

So there. If you're looking for a cost-effective alternative to rebonding or keratin straightening, this is a good product to try. I've seen reviews and other people seem to be satisfied that they use this monthly. I'm still waiting to see how long this smoothness lasts.

Nonetheless, I'm still giving it 5 stars out of 5. I was expecting it won't work, but it did. I'll just apply it more systematically next time. I'll update this when I do. 

~UPDATE~

It's now January 7th - 3 weeks after trying ICure KeraCollagen Blowout. My hair is back to how it was. It's been this way for maybe 10 days now. Making it roughly less than two weeks of straightened, tamer hair from the procedure.

I'm not too keen on repeating the procedure. The inconvenience of application and days of no wash don't seem to be worth the few days of good hair. I stay mostly at home though, so I'm not really all that interested in keeping my hair pretty. 

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum Review

I've had this little bottle of Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum since last year. I don't remember why or how I ordered it. Purito is not exactly my Korean brand of choice. And the only Buffet I've been meaning to try is from The Ordinary. I'm not exactly sure why I have this product so it took a while for me to test it. 

Front Label: 

+EWG Green Level Ingredients

+Centella Asiatica Extract 49%

+Palmitoyl Peptide Complex

+Asiaticoside

+Asiatic Acid

+Madecassic Acid

Let's examine each claim. 

EWG is an organization that seeks to promote product safety by standardizing safety tests. They have a criteria, and products are strictly scrutinized to check if they have ingredients with health, toxicity and contamination concerns. A "green level" basically means a product is all safe from toxins, allergens, and contaminants.

Centella Asiatica Extract or gotu kola is a popular Korean skin care ingredient. You've probably heard of cica creams. This is the extract that makes cica creams, which is simply just a fancy name for 'soothing moisturizer'. It helps protect the skin's moisture barrier and reverse sun damage. 

Palmitoyl Peptide Complex also helps reverse sun damage and refine skin texture. Some research claims that this is comparable to retinol, the current gold standard for anti-aging. 

Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid are separately mentioned. These, however, are all found in Centella Asiatica Extract. 

Looking at these ingredients now, I may have ordered this product for dermarolling. I've found, upon researching today, that Centella Asiatica is amazing for wound healing, fading hypertrophic scars, and collagen production.

I now kind of regret using up the entire product on my neck.

You see, I'm a skin care product hoarder with unreasonably sensitive skin. I buy products by the dozens at my worst, only to find out that none of them works for my skin type. Instead of throwing them out, or giving them away, I use them on my neck, arms, and feet. At the moment, I use this thing we're reviewing on my neck, Belo facial night cream on my arms, and Human Nature facial scrub on my feet. 

It isn't that Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum does not work for my skin type. I do not know if it does, because I never tested it on my face. (SORRY!) My current routine of TO Mandelic Acid with HA + TO Alpha Arbutin with HA + Rosehip Oil/Grapeseed Oil/Jojoba Oil + Biore Sunscreen and Kojic Acid Soap seems to be working fairly well on my oily, blemish-prone, textured, pale facial skin. For skin as crazy as mine, I avoid changing things up when I've found a routine that works.

So this product was only tested on my neck.

That doesn't mean this review is not valid.

Because it is. Here's why: 

I sort of damaged the skin on my neck. I was out under the sun the past months, and my neck and nape had it worst. I skipped sunscreen and so my neck and nape were brutally burnt. Skin was dry, spotty, and developed fine lines. I then used harsh products: Kojic Acid soap, alcohol-based toners, etc. just to get it back to its former bright and even color. My neck started breaking out, and my nape was beyond repairable. 

And then I found this little bottle of Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum. And because this has gotten too long, let me just tell you that this thing works, period.

The back label does not exaggerate (verbatim):

This is a nutritional serum that protects the skin from the outer environment by soothing the skin and enhancing the reinforcement of the skin barrier, with its 49% of Centella Asiatica Extract. Three core components of Centella Asiatica including Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid and Madecassic Acid, and peptide extracts. It has been prescribed only with the hand-picked Green-grade highest quality ingredients, and it is suitable for sensitive skin.

The skin on my neck is back to its former resilient glory. The blemishes have healed and faded, color is now more even, and it's back to feeling supple and healthy.

I'll probably order another bottle as soon as I'm ready for dermarolling again. I have a feeling this would help with my facial skin issues.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Purito and the Korean Sunscreen Scandal

So I've been advocating Korean skincare worship way before I even started to blog. You only have to see Koreans in their 40s to be convinced of their local products' effectiveness. I mean, you don't even have to pick actresses - even their male artists in their 40s have amazing skin. You don't even have to pick people on TV - Koreans anywhere in the world generally have much much nicer skin than the average human.

Sure, genetics have a lot to do with it. And their climate. Although, I'm pretty sure the Koreans, half-Koreans, quarter-blood Koreans I've seen here in this hot and humid country, the Philippines, are just as flawless. So maybe more than genes and gentle winds, that flawlessness comes from perfectly formulated skin care products.

Koreans, like the Japanese, also take pride in honest corporate values. In comparison to their Chinese neighbors, Koreans tend to value brand image and customer loyalty and so they are not as likely as the Chinese to sell for the heck of selling or cut corners (lessen product quality) for higher profit. 

So this whole Purito Scandal comes as a shock. Like. How is this even happening?

Short version: Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF50+ (which claims to have SPF84.5) was tested to have SPF levels 4x less than advertised (turns out to be SPF19!)

To make matters worse, instead of owning up to their misleading product labels, Purito blamed its manufacturer. Basically saying that Purito actually wanted a good sunscreen product that does what it says it does, and they apparently made it clear during the product design stage, but their manufacturer lied to them during the actual manufacturing process. 

They did promise to make things better next time. Which is, to make sure their products get tested multiple times before releasing them to the market, instead of just taking their manufacturer's word.

This doesn't end here. In fact, this only revealed a more sinister practice in the skin care product industry. SPF testing turns out to be ridiculously inconsistent. So maybe Purito, in Korean standards, actually has SPF 84. The scary question is, what other Korean sunscreen products believes and markets their products as SPF 100 in Korean standards, which when translated to non-Korean standard, could be what? SPF 25?

Imagine braving the sun at the beach, confident you have SPF 80 PA+++ on your face when it's really an SPF 20 with no PA?! How distraught will you be when you get all burnt and wrinkly in an hour.

Other Korean brands have been tested since. What I'm curious to know is if Korean brands are at all better than Chinese brands. And if Japanese brands, which have more popular and expensive sunscreens, are worth the price. And if US supermarket brands (Neutrogena, Ponds, etc.) are in fact the real deal. (Doubt it.)

Bottomline: Stay indoors, away from windows and sources of light. Move to Korea. Marry a Korean and produce non-sunscreen dependent offsprings. Trust no one.

Update: Amazon and other retailers have announced that they are *dun dun dun dun* refunding all recent Purito Sunscreen sales. 

Human Nature Natural Shampoo Bar Review

Human Nature has been providing my hair care needs for years now. I've tried everything on their hair care line from conditioners to shampoos to oils. My favorite has always been their Clarifying Shampoo. Oh hey, why don't we do a quick run down of their products?

Clarifying Shampoo - Love. This tends to be stripping but I love how it stays true to its name, it clarifies. My hair can be crazy oily. I don't really sweat a lot, but my hair tends to be oily after a long day, even in a temperature-controlled environment. So I use this shampoo at least 5 days a week. It does not dry my hair even when it strips it clean. It leaves my hair feeling fresh and light.

Professional Salon Care Shampoo - This is from their premium line. It's more expensive and I tend to have biases for more expensive products. I force myself to like stuff just because they're expensive lol. I mean, I am a scrooge and when something costs more, I convince myself it's worth every cent just to get rid of the guilt. This is more moisturizing than the clarifying shampoo. It's also recommended for salon treated hair. I just don't order this as often because... I'm a cheapskate. Also because I need thorough hair goop cleansing every day. 

Strengthening Plus Shampoo - Okay. I can't exactly vouch for the strengthening bit. I tend to lose a lot of hair for reasons I am yet to understand. So, I can't really say much about strengthening properties. This is an okay shampoo, nothing remarkable, but still overall better than regular supermarket brand shampoos.

Moisturizing Plus Shampoo - Like the Strengthening Shampoo, this does not foam so much. It takes a while to get used to shampooing without the suds. Nonetheless, this is overall better than sulfate-laden shampoos. This is more moisturizing than the Clarifying variant but you'll still need a separate product for conditioning. 

Anti Dandruff Shampoo for Men - My usual supplier had no other shampoo but this and I was in a hurry so bought this and then regretted it. This can be drying, heck what do I expect from a dandruff shampoo? I guess I was expecting this would work somewhat like the Clarifying shampoo. But no, this leaves residue and does not clean as nicely. As for dandruff, I discovered mine is triggered by product build up, which thank goodness, the Clarifying Shampoo solves perfectly. So this isn't something I recommend.

Treatment Products & Conditioners - I still go for supermarket brands. My hair can be unruly and Human Nature conditioners still lack the right balance of smoothness and lightness. I use their sunflower oil, which makes my hair smooth, but it can be too heavy. Actual conditioners in all variants tend to not get absorbed, they don't coat the hair so they're pretty ineffective. The mask and the daily treatment products work fine, almost at par with popular brands, BUT they can get expensive for hair as thick and long as mine. So. I'm still waiting for HHN to release something awesome for their hair conditioning line. 

Now that I've outed myself as an HHN hair care addict, let's finally review the Shampoo Bar.

I've been meaning to switch to eco-friendly shampoos. And while Human Nature is already doing an amazing job with its environment advocacies, I was still bothered by the thought of all the plastic bottles I've thrown away the past years. 

I had the chance to use a shampoo bar from some fancy brand that my sister uses. (Forgot the brand, sorry.) And it was life changing. My hair didn't need conditioners, nor major combing efforts. My hair was tame and smooth right after shower, which was honestly strange. It was a little scary, to be honest because I've never seen my hair behave that way. I was expecting all my hair will fall off in one go. It was too good to be true. I was convinced to finally switch to shampoo bars, but I decided I'd try other *cheaper* brands before I made a commitment. 

I ordered from a local brand which claimed to sell handmade soaps and shampoo bars. I checked the reviews and most of them were singing praises. Except for one which said the shampoo bars were actually soap and warned people not to order. Long story short, the shampoo bar I ordered turned out to be just soap. I now use my second bar as a hand soap. The couple of times I tried them on my hair, I'm reminded of that one time in my childhood when my nanny used body soap on my hair and I ended up crying because I couldn't brush it after showering.

Fair warning: don't buy from nondescript brands with no labels. Shampoo bars are formulated differently from soap bars.

I then ordered from a trustworthy looking store on Shopee. The shampoo bar turned out to be a real shampoo bar, thankfully. Foamed nicely, cleaned my hair, and didn't feel like detergent. The problem was, it melted too quickly. The P50 bar only lasted for a week. That's P200+ for a month. Compared to my go-to Clarifying Shampoo in a bottle worth P320 that lasts for 2-3 months. 

After trying several other cheap brands, I finally gave up and checked the recommendations from snooty beauty enthusiasts. They were recommending shampoo bars worth 4 digits and were said to last at least half a year for their shoulder-length hair. There was no way they'd get me to buy their shampoos. 

I don't now how I missed Human Nature. They of course, of all brands, would carry shampoo bars. Affordable shampoo bars that last a decent amount of time and are not detergent pretending to be shampoos. So I ordered. 

I just got out of the shower and I'm a happy customer. The end.

Human Nature Natural Shampoo Bar clarifies as nicely as their bottled shampoo. I was lowering my expectations and was thinking it could at least be like the poorly foaming variants, but no, this bar foams up thickly. There's a technique though. What I do is wet the bar a bit, bubble it up on my hands and then apply the suds on my scalp. It takes more time than using liquid shampoo from a bottle. And I don't recommend it for people who are always in a rush.

My hair is not as tame and nice as it was when I used the shampoo bar from the fancy brand. But it's also nowhere near the broom-like mess that it was after using fake shampoo bars that are in reality just soap. It feels and looks clean. No overpowering smell. No heavy residue. No sticky after-feel.

I'm definitely going to commit to this product. After the pandemic though, if or when schedules no longer feel like a never ending Sunday morning (am I the only one who actually enjoys the no-rush-ness of this extended quarantine?) I'll probably go back to the bottled Clarifying shampoo. Or stock up on both and use the bar for lazy days and the bottle for crazy days. 

10/10 recommend. Price: P250 for a 70 g bar. They only have 1 variant at the moment, Zesty Vanilla Delight. Oh, they also have an anti-dandruff shampoo bar for men, I'm not trying that though. 

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA Review

As mentioned in a previous post (over here), I am a huge fan of Deciem. I've tried several products from The Ordinary line, and while some didn't particularly work for my skin type, I still believe in the brand. My skin's really overly sensitive and overall just a pain to deal with.

Deciem is known for amazing products, and their popularity is further augmented by their dedication to good customer service. They reply to personal DMs over at Instagram, and anyone can basically request for a personalized skin care routine. It's easy to be overwhelmed by their expansive product line, but you can trust them to give you a simplified routine so you can properly address your skin issues. 

I remember asking Deciem about which products to use for my skin issues: dark spots, blemishes, fine lines, and dullness. My personalized plan was: a Retinol/Retinoid for general skin overhaul, Niacinamide + Zinc for blemishes, oil and texture, and Alpha Arbutin for dullness and dark spots. It's been over a year and I've only recently remembered to order Alpha Arbutin. (I've reviewed the other products over here.)

So. Alpha Arbutin. My first brush with the product was in the early 2010s. It first gained popularity as the safest whitening/brightening ingredient in cosmetics. Hydroquinone and tretinoin are still the most effective, but both are nowhere near safe. Alpha Arbutin is wildly popular in geisha-whiteness-worshipping Japan. And when it comes to cosmetics research, I'm all for Japanese science. So in the past years I've bought all things whitening with Alpha Arbutin in it. 

Trivia: there's another form of Arbutin used in whitening cosmetics. There's Beta Arbutin, which is the cheaper form. It's also a whitener/brightener, but is not as potent as Alpha Arbutin because it's not as stable.

What is Alpha Arbutin and why is it the safest whitening/brightening ingredient?

Quick answer: It's a whitening extract from bearberries, blueberries, and cranberries. 

What it does, like Kojic Acid, Vitamin C, Licorice extract, etc., is that it prevents melanin formation. Melanin is the skin pigment, and it forms when the skin is exposed to the sun. Whiteners prevent this process from occurring by blocking tyrosinase enzymes so no pigments are formed.

What makes Alpha Arbutin the safest is that unlike other acids and extracts, it does not irritate and dry the skin. This is because its active component is released slowly into the skin. When it comes to skin care treatments, gentle and slow is always the way to go. 

It is also a stable form of Arbutin. Unlike other ingredients that need to be packaged in light-protective containers, Arbutin is not photosensitive. You can use it twice a day, morning and evening. It also does not make the skin photosensitive.

And because it's just an overall amazing ingredient, it goes well with other actives. Well, most actives. You can use it under makeup, with other skin care products, with no negative product interactions whatsoever. 

My experience.

I was pretty sold before purchase because I have so far not seen a single negative review about The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. Even people from my Facebook groups: the Good Skin Crowd and Asian Skincare Junkies.

Nonetheless, I was a little apprehensive with the formula. Hyaluronic Acid can be sinister. Some people have bad experience with it, claiming it only temporarily moisturizes the skin and that it causes long-term drying. I have super oily skin, but dryness is also a problem from years of neglect and ignorance using harsh products.

So I've been paranoidly observing every square inch of my skin since Day 1 of applying the product. I wanted to be sure there aren't signs of dryness and irritation.

I'd like to report that this product lived up to my expectations. I had brighter, more even, and surprisingly calmer skin. I made sure not to use other products except for sunscreen in the mornings. No peeling, redness, allergic reactions. Not even pimples during my period.

Now I don't promise this can cure acne. All I'm saying is that this didn't trigger new ones from forming even with HA. This calmed my skin for some reason, probably tweaked the pH or the sebum production, I honestly don't know. My skin is simply more even both in tone and in texture. 

Recommend?

Absolutely. I'll update this as soon as I finish the bottle for a final verdict. Laters ~

Belo Night Therapy Whitening Vitamin Cream + Belo BB Cream Review

I am not a fan of Belo products. I've never used one that did not irritate my overly sensitive skin. 

Belo is the patron saint of skin perfection here in the Philippines. And so when Dra. Belo's daughter announced that she was releasing a product line that's affordable and readily available at grocery stores, I was elated. I knew it wasn't going to be as potent as the ones they prescribe at their clinics, but I had such high regard for their reputation that I expected their products to be really good. 

I've tried their soaps. The blue and pink ones. The whitening one dried my body skin. The whitening and moisturizing one still dried my skin. I've tried their deodorants. The one the promises to make the skin pretty. Dried and irritated my armpits. I've tried their lotions. The papaya one and the kojic acid one. The papaya one dried my skin also. The kojic one dried and irritated my body skin. My sisters also buy from their product line. And they experience the same thing. I was handed down a spot bleaching lotion, the one that comes in an orange tube. Did not lighten my dark spots at all. Just dried my skin.

I don't know if it's just my our skin. My body skin is usually resilient and does not dry out that easily. Or maybe it's the Belo formulation really. I notice they use Kojic Acid on almost all their products. And that's one product that my skin just does not tolerate well. So it could just be my skin that's the problem. 

Anyway, the reason I still keep buying Belo products is because it's Belo. I still haven't given up on the Belo promise. I've tried their prescription products, the ones you can only purchase at their clinics. And their Bleaching products did well without irritating my skin. They're not labelled, but if I remember correctly, the actives were mostly Arbutin, HQ and Tret. 

Also, Belo products often go on sale on Shopee.

Belo Essentials Night Therapy Whitening Vitamin Cream

This is paired with a day cream. Both promise to whiten and revitalize the skin in 7 days. Ingredients include skin vitamins (Vitamins A, B, C, E?), Glutathione, Kojic Acid, and Gigawhite. Glutathione is contested by a lot of skin experts to not be an effective whitener when applied topically, though I am no expert to judge, I mean, it's still in most skin whitening products. Kojic Acid, as mentioned earlier, is not compatible with my skin, but is an effective whitener. Gigawhite, I think, is Belo's secret concoction, though you can easily find whitening extracts in the ingredients list: Morus Alba Root Extract, Achilea Millefolium Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Veronica Officinalis Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Malva Sylvestris Extract.

So I did not dare to use this on my face. I was too scared of the Kojic acid content. I bought this for my neck, which was showing signs of distress from recent sun exposure and aging. The skin on my neck is usually resilient. I've used Ponds products on it without any problem - if I used the same products on my face, I'm sure to get half a dozen pimples the following days. So I used this on my neck. And I was again heartbroken to find that this still isn't the Belo product for me. I developed a rash on my neck, which went away when I stopped using the product. There were also a couple of pimples along my jawline where I also applied this product. 

The upside: I now use this on my arms. And it seems to be working fine. No signs of irritation. I wish I bought the day cream instead so my arms can enjoy further sun protection during the day. But I guess I'm finishing this jar before I order that. 

Bought this for less than P200 ($4) for a 50g jar on Shopee.

Belo Intensive Whitening BB Cream SPF 50 PA++++

My skin does not tolerate Kojic Acid. I do not know why I bought this product when it so obviously contains Kojic Acid. Maybe because it was on sale? Maybe because I was running out of BB cream? Maybe I thought I needed sun protection of some form? Probably because this was on sale. Anyway

I lowered my expectations on this product. I actually braced myself for an onslaught of pimples so I only put this on my forehead which does not scar that much. When my forehead remained clear after days of using this, I went ahead and applied it all over my face. This didn't break me out. 

This is a BB cream, but this feels and looks more like a tinted sunscreen. It's very light. Almost translucent on the face. Has very minimal coverage so if you have spots to hide, you'd need a separate concealer for that. What this does is unifies the tone. This also does not make my skin feel oily compared to Korean BB creams. 

I am yet to see if this delivers the Belo promise of flawlessness. I don't really use this daily as I'm mostly at home during this pandemic. 

Bought the small one for less than P200 ($4). Tube lasts for about 2 months with daily use.

Recommend? Yes.

Amway Artistry Ideal Radiance Serum & Essence Concentrate Review

 A little back story: my sister was invited to this event. They were told it was for a free Chinese language workshop and so my sister went. She was disappointed to find out it was conducted by a Singaporean group whose main agenda was to sell Amway products. LOL. I don't know if any Chinese phrases were taught, but she came home with samplers of Amway products. 

She gave some to me. And so we're here to review. (The marketing trick was effective, you see, I'm here reviewing their products!)

So I'm not really fond of multi-level marketing products. Avon cosmetics are okay, sometimes they are at par with non-MLM brands such as Maybelline, Ponds and Olay. I have no negative experience with products per se, it's that MLM employs immoral tactics and that's something that does not sit well with my consumption practices. Posting this video to open eyes:

I discourage people from supporting MLM brands. I've been putting off this review for weeks because I don't want to contribute to MLM popularity. I realized I could just post that video up there whilst reviewing their product. Because honestly, these particular Amway products aren't bad. And maybe Amway can send me some more from their premium Artistry line. LOL

The Ideal Radiance line promises "Brighter, Lighter, More Lumious Skin"

The samplers I got were the Complexion Serum Concentrate and the Spot Essence Concentrate. The first one targets "early signs of discoloration like blemish marks, dull areas, and blotchy, uneven skin tone." The Spot Essence targets "stubborn age spots, dark spots, and UV spots." Directions for both are the same: "Pump 2-3 times onto your palm. With your fingertips, smooth over face and neck."

Both product samplers came in 0.75 ml and 1 ml sachets. Not exactly enough to see miracles. Nonetheless, I'd like to commend both products. Because both did not irritate my skin. I used the Complexion Serum Concentrate first, only at the parts of my face that do not get pimples. My skin did not itch nor show signs of irritation. 

The first thing that impressed me was the fragrance. I usually don't like products with fragrances, but this line smelled divine I forgot the fragrance might irritate my skin. Reminds me of Versace Bright Crystal without the signature vapor-like aftersmell. It smells like a toned-down, Bright Crystal with a fuller aroma. It's also quite an experience to apply on the skin. It feels luxurious. I know the smell has a lot to do with that effect. But the texture is also noteworthy. 

As for product effectiveness, again, the samplers were too tiny. I think it took a week each to consume the products. Right after my nightly application, and upon waking the next day, skin felt soft, plump and smooth. Skin also appeared brighter, but I have two pimple marks in the area that I was hoping to fade with the products, but they did not budge.

Nonetheless, I liked the line so much that I was willing to (gasp) make a purchase. Thankfully, they didn't have any on Shopee. LOL. (Hi, Amway, sponsor me?) I researched online and (gasp) prices range from $35 to $70+, which converts to P1,750 to P3,500+. So, no, not buying. (You can still send me some, Amway.)

Now, do I recommend purchasing? Nope. Out of principles. Did I like the products? Yep. I'm simply not paying that much.

Biore UV Perfect Protect Milk Review

 I have been neglecting my skin the past months. And I am aware of all the repercussions. I have sun spots and my fine lines have multiplied tremendously. Stress levels have gone through the roof that it's been hard just doing basic skin care.

I'm not really a fan of sunscreen, although I know I should be. I just have never found anything good. Like, once in a while, I'd stick to a product, and then weeks later I'd finally have the courage to admit it's what's causing my breakouts. So for sun protection, I'd go for face products with SPF. My foundation, BB cream, concealer, powder and blusher will have some form of SPF. And because I know they're not enough, I'd have physical sun protection in the form of hats, fans, glasses, face mask, scarf, and obsessively avoid the sun so I'm almost always indoors. (I know, you can still get sun damage indoors! I know.)

The older I get, the more I regret not looking for a sun protection product that works for my skin. I guess it's just I've basically given up because nothing seemed to work. They're all gooey, uncomfortable, and makes a mess of my makeup. I mean, my face is already oily to begin with and sunscreen just makes it oilier so nothing stays put.

The closest to okay product that I've used is from a Korean brand. It's in a wide, yellow tube. I have poor memory so I'm guessing it's from Innisfree. It was okay in that it makes the skin look fresh and bright, and cream foundation sticks well to it. The problem is it's so difficult to remove. At the end of a long day, I'd really just prefer washing my face with soap and be done with my face. But this sunscreen requires an entire routine for taking it off: oil cleansing, toner/micellar water, and then soap or a foaming cleanser. Otherwise, washing with just soap leaves the face feeling like there's leftover glue inside the pores. 

Other sunscreen products I've tried just makes me break out right off the bat. Sunscreen can be expensive so I really don't bother anymore.

Until recently. My skin had been begging me to finally get something for sun protection. I was still in a crappy mood, so I ordered whatever my Shopee seller had in stock. Which is this:

Biore has a good reputation. I've used Biore products in the past and they were okay. Not remarkably good, but I don't remember breaking out or having a crazy skin reaction. This product in particular boasts of PA+++ and SPF 50+ so I have high expectations. 

It has 3 varieties: Moisturizing, Cool, and one other variant. I chose the cool one because with sunscreen, comfort comes before anything else. I was worried the moisturizing one would be too sticky. 

This product is cooling, alright. It has menthol, which does a good job providing some heat relief. The problem is that it stings my eyes. So I need to close my eyes during application. I'd do one side of my face first and close that one eye, and then wait a bit, and then do the other side and close both eyes. I have sensitive eyes so. 

The finish is good. Most other sun protection products I've tried either go on transparent or with a shiny finish. This one goes on matte but bright. Almost like a cream to powder finish and feel. It also looks natural, no white cast, though to be honest, I have not tried it under flash photography. 

What surprised me about this product is that it performed quite well under stress. I was in the middle of a crazy situation with this on my face from 1 PM to 1 AM (roughly 12 hours in total) and this product did not break me out. I was really expecting to get rashes, and tiny itchy pimples, which usually happens when I let a product stay on my face for too long. I looked in the mirror before washing my face, and surprisingly, this was still intact. No rash, no pimple, no irritation, whatsoever.

Okay, I just checked the bottle, and guess what: it says it has an anti-bacterial formula. That explains. 

Let's examine the list of ingredients:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol, Water, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Lauryl Methacrylate, Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Talc, Glycerin, Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Polysilicone-9, PEG-3 Dimethicone, Menthol, Fragrance, BHT, Tocopherol, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Phenoxyethanol, o-Cymen-5-ol.

As you can see, there's Rice Germ Oil for anti-bacterial purposes, Vitamin E for anti-oxidant protection, and Glycerin for moisturization. 

Removal is not a pain. This goes off with my regular soap. (I know, I should stop using soap on my face! I know.) Sometimes just to be sure, I use Wonderpore toner after washing my face to see if there are traces of this product on the cotton ball - there usually ain't any.

It cost me less than P300 or $6 for a 25 ml bottle. For everyday use, this could last for a month or two. It takes about four to five drops to cover the entire face.

I highly recommend this product for daily wear. I am yet to try it under heavy makeup or flash photography, so I'm updating this post when I finally do. Update later.

Vitamin E Whitening Soap Review

 

So this image pretty much sums up what this soap is about. Whitening. Moisturizing. It makes all sorts of unrealistic promises like removing wrinkles and acne scars, reducing freckles, etc. I'm extremely paranoid when it comes to skin whitening products from Thailand especially after discovering that Renow D has mercury.

I don't remember exactly, but this soap managed to find its way into my Shopee shopping cart, probably because I was trying to fill my quota for some promo or something. I wasn't expecting much from this soap as I've used several Thai soap including the ones with the funky names like vampire soap and snail white, none of which delivered actual whitening, brightening, or vampire transformation.

I'd hate to admit it, but this soap has got to be the most effective whitening soap I've tried so far. Well, I haven't used my go-to local papaya soap in recent months, so I'm probably a bit blindsided. But this thing comes close to perfection.

I've been out under the sun for like weeks on end and my complexion has suffered. My arms, nape and feet are 3-4 shades darker than my body and face. I've been taking oral whitening stuff, which has not really done anything remarkable about my sunburn and dark spots. This soap did not bleach my skin back to how white it was, but my dark areas are now 1-2 shades darker than my sun-protected skin and that's only by using the soap for a week. 

Now, know that I still do not recommend this soap. Why? 1) Because I can't read Thai script. 2) Because like Renow-D, this Thai product has no proper labels. 3) Because products that work this well in such a short period of time has got to have some suspicious ingredients in it. 

I'm not saying this probably has mercury or hydroquinone or whatever. I'm just saying there's no way for me to disprove it until FDA issues a statement re this product.

It's still best to steer clear of products from online sources that do not undergo rigorous testing from proper government agencies. I got this soap for P60. And though it's effective, affordable, and convenient to buy, I'm waiting a full year before purchasing again. Better safe than sorry. 

Alpha Arbutin KB Silver Soap Review

I never fully understood how soaps could cost a couple hundred bucks. I mean, P100 for a regular sized bar soap is expensive, considering you can buy good quality soaps from Japan for P50-80. KB does not care about explaining the inexplicable. In fact, its 60 gram soap, (regular soaps are 135-180g) is priced at P120-P300 depending on the seller. That's double the price for half the size. 

Considering their arrogance, er confidence, you'd think the product must be something. 

This isn't the first time I've tried KB Silver Soap. Probably the fourth? And because I'm a sucker for sales and marketing promos, this is probably not the last time I'd buy. I bought this 60g soap for P55, still expensive but in my mind at the time of the promo, it was a good deal.

The box says it has Alpha Arbutin + Hyaluronic Acid + Collagen. 

Alpha Arbutin- I've come across this wonder ingredient countless times. It's often marketed as the safest whitening ingredient, with kojic acid powers minus its drying effects. I've used countless alpha arbutin products, and for some reason, I have nothing to show for effectiveness. I don't know. It isn't that I expect a lot from a star whitener, but I've seen more amazing results from local papaya soaps. 

Hyaluronic Acid - This is controversial. I remember how this was once touted as the best moisturizing ingredient that the world has seen. And yet in recent years, it's been proven to cause long-term drying effects on skin. I remember reading a paper showing how hyaluronic acid tricks users into thinking it moisturizes the skin by drawing out moisture from inside the skin towards its outer layers, effectively drying the inner layers while temporarily moisturizing the outer layers. IDK though. I need to find that paper. But Lab Muffin has discussed this in her blog. 

Collagen - Like glutathione, this is supposed to be taken orally for it to take effect. I do not know why it's on soaps and lotions and topical products. Nonetheless, KB claims this is from fish ovary peptides "to maximize body's collagen for supple and firm skin."

The box explains that it's main ingredient, Alpha Arbutin, is a skin brightener that works by blocking epidermal melanin biosynthesis. So I guess what it really does is prevent darkening by preventing the skin from producing dark pigments.

Other interesting ingredients include:

• titanium dioxide (sunscreen)
• lactic acid (exfoliant)
• citric acid (exfoliant/brightener)
• honey extracts
• vitamin A
• vitamin E
• vitamin C

Box instructions say you're supposed to rub this on the skin using a special loofah. Rinse. And repeat. I use this directly on my skin, let it sit for a bit while I apply hair conditioner and brush my teeth. 

As mentioned earlier, I am yet to experience extraordinary magical stuff from something this expensive. What I can back up though is that this soap does not cause crazy levels of dryness you'd get from kojic and bleaching soaps. This also has a pleasant smell, no artificial, sickeningly sweet smell. The smell is hard to describe, but it reminds me of milk and babies, probably the secret reason I keep buying despite not seeing immediate results.

KB has another soap that go by the name Gold Premium. Judging by the ads, it's like the Silver soap but with more whitening ingredients like Kojic Acid and Soybean Extract. Unlike the Silver soap though, it isn't expensive, it's crazy expensive at P475+ for a 135g bar. I'll review it as soon as I chance on a promo. I'm waiting for it to go below a hundred bucks. That's the most I can do for soap. 

Hello Glow All Natural Whitening Set Review

A couple of posts back, I could've sworn I'm so done with derma kits and rejuvenating sets. It's the mercury/tretinoin/hydroquinone (and sometimes kojic) content that I'm so done with, imagine my pleasant surprise when I found out about Hello Glow. 

It's rather off-putting that it's a brand under Ever Bilena Cosmetics. Nothing wrong with the brand, just, you know, it's forever associated with a certain female dance group and you can't help but feel worried about its quality. Ever Bilena is now endorsed by my favorite local beauty queen, so I try to remind myself that product quality has nothing to do with celebrity endorsers. Anyway.

I ordered Hello Glow on Shopee on the sole basis of it promising that it's "safe for sensitive skin, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding women." It's literally printed on the box. While other rejuvenating kits promise more or less the same thing, Ever Bilena is a rather large cosmetics company, and I don't think they'd risk tarnishing their decades long existence by lying about its product contents. Rejuvenating kits from fly by night cosmetics laboratories have nothing to lose. Ever Bilena, despite being associated with a certain female dance group, has billions at stake.

What's in the box?

The same stuff you'd find in other rejuvenating brands: soap, toner, night cream, and day cream that functions as sunscreen.

SOAP

It's decently wrapped in its own plastic packaging, unlike other rejuv soaps that come in cling wrap. The label says 4-in-1 whitening soap. Promises to restore, exfoliate and whiten. Contains papaya extract, kojic acid, and glutathione. I'm not that excited about using papaya extract on my face, I've tried half a dozen other brands of papaya soap and all have broken me out. Same worries about kojic acid. Arbutin is okay, it's supposed to be the safest whitening ingredient in the market. Glutathione, I've heard a derma say, is pretty useless as a topical ingredient. At the back, it shows that its base is coconut and palm oil, and I do find the soap very moisturizing indeed. It also has lychee and peony extracts. 

The soap is rather underwhelming. I wore make up one time and it failed to remove my sunscreen and BB cream. I had to use grapeseed oil and tissue to completely clean my face. Nonetheless, the soap did not break me out, which is outstanding in my book. 

TONER

Another outstanding product is the clarifying toner. It contains Ethyl Alcohol, so I was expecting it would dry my skin out, but it surprisingly didn't. It also contains Apple, Skullcap, Saxifrage extracts, which are new to me. It also has kojic, arbutin and glutathione for whitening purposes. I enjoy using the toner because it smells so nice. It doesn't sting. My skin feels clean and moisturized after using it.

DAY CREAM

This is an SPF 30 sunscreen with moisturizers and apple extract. Nothing remarkably good about it. I mean, when it comes to sunscreen, you can only really hope it does what it's supposed to do. It's quite sticky, but although it feels thick, it smells light and fruity so it sorta compensates that way. I've used it under make up once and it didn't blend well because this day cream does not really absorb into the skin, it sits on top making for a muddy scenario. 

NIGHT CREAM

This is the product I liked the least. Mainly because like the day cream, it's thick. It does not absorb into the skin. For some reason also, this breaks me out. Whenever I put this on my face, I wake up with 2-3 pimples on random places. I checked the label, and I'm guessing it's just a bad mix of all the fruit extracts and whitening stuff and the thick cream base. I now use this on my neck on nights when I know I can stand some stickiness.

Do I recommend this? 

I think this would work on normal to dry skin. The set works well in moisturizing the skin. Even though it didn't deliver on a couple of its promises (micropeeling, glass skin, skin brightening, etc.), it did make my skin look and feel healthy. This would probably work perfectly on people who live in low-humidity areas. I also feel like this is perfect for people who are not really looking to get crazy white, but needs just the right amount of glowing suppleness. 

Price: Around P250 for a kit that lasts for a month. 

Usana CellSentials Minerals + Ascorbic Acid Review

Hello, my open-minded friends.

Okay. In case you have not seen my other MLM product review, here you go: USANA POLY C REVIEW. In case you did not click on the link, here's a disclaimer: I AM NO MLM MARKETER. I happen to have gotten bottles for free from my mom and because there's an ongoing health scare I took them. Know that I, too, am as close-minded as you are. 

So, CellSentials. I'd tell you right off the bat: I honestly think that MLM products are ridiculously overpriced. Nonetheless, I feel like out of all MLM health supplements, USANA products are the most decent in terms of effectiveness and safety.

A 28-pill bottle costs P950, making it P33.93 per pill. Most other multivitamin+mineral brands cost about half to a quarter of that price. Revicon, Centrum, and Kirkland are all below P20 a pill. Maybe it's the research and product development, maybe it's the premium quality ingredients, maybe it's MLM - who knows why it's double to quadruple the price of other similar supplements. 

Buuut we're not here to criticize their business ethics, or the morality of MLMs. We're here to see if the product is effective or not. 

Looking at the label, this pill contains the following:

• 56.25 mg of Magnesium - for general health (immune support, blood pressure regulation)
• 56.25 mg of Calcium - for bones and teeth
• 150 mg of Ascorbic acid - for wound healing and collagen production
• 48 mg of N-Acetyl L-Cysteine - for detoxification and production of glutathione
• 750 mcg of Boron - for building bones and muscles
• 5 mg of Zinc - for fighting viruses and bacteria
• 75 mcg of Chromium - for improvement of insulin sensitivity
• 125 mcg of Iodine - for production of thyroid hormones
• 50 mcg of Selenium - for metabolism and thyroid function
• 500 mcg of Manganese - for metabolism of cholesterol and carbohydrates
• 500 mcg of Copper - for formation of red blood cells
• 10 mcg of Vanadium - for regulating blood sugar
• 12.5 mcg of Molybdenum - for breaking down toxins in the body
• 750 mcg of trace minerals - random good stuff

For P33.93 each intake, you are not getting robbed. Maybe you are, but you are getting a good dose of good stuff. I need to remind myself that I got this product for free. Sorry.

So yeah. It's a good product overall. It's not to be taken in an empty stomach because of its Zinc content. Trust me, you'll get headaches. It's also best taken with food and its partner pill. Usana has a separate pill for vitamins, which I will be reviewing next. 

Bottomline: If you have the money to spare, this is possibly the best mineral supplement out there. I mean, they claim to be the most effective, and I feel like taking their word for it. My only issue is that, like USANA POLY C, the CellSentials line have no desiccant, so pills are prone to spoilage especially in hot and humid environments. 

Usana Vitamins Poly C Review

So I'm still on my oral supplements adventure. This is partly triggered by the ongoing pandemic. I'm trying to take as many health supplements as I can heh. I know, I'm aware this can get counterproductive considering how the liver has no pain receptors and therefore has no way to tell me that my beauty pills are wreaking havoc in my system. So now we're here, down this rabbit hole of multilevel marketing supplements. 

I am no fan of multilevel marketing. I mean, if anything, I enjoy MLM hate memes as much as any other MLM victim. I just happen to receive some bottles from my mom. And because of the health scares, I'm like, yes, give me health pills. 

This won't be a hate post. I'll try my hardest not to post MLM hate memes. I'll try to review the product like it does not have a tinge of overpricing and deceptive marketing. I'll try my hardest to make this as wholesome as possible. 

As the name implies, Poly C is a Vitamin C product. We all know what Vitamin C is for, but just in case you live under a rock, Vitamin C does the following:

• Supports immune function
• Supports eye health
• Supports collagen synthesis
• Maintains bones
• Maintains gums
• Maintains teeth
• As an antioxidant, helps fight free radicals that make people old and ugly
• When taken in high levels with Glutathione, bleaches the skin

So Vitamin C supports and maintains all sorts of stuff. What makes Usana different, according to Usana, is that their Vitamin C stays in the blood in higher levels than Vitamin C formulations of other brands. 

Aside from 600 mg of Ascorbic Acid, Poly C also has the following:

• 65 mg Citrus Bioflavonoids - a good mix of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory stuff
• 7 mg Rutin - helps with eyesight problems, weight maintenance, and blood circulation
• 3 mg Quercetin Dihydrate - also an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory

Usana products, for some reason, do not have desiccants (moisture absorbing packs) in their bottles. Considering they package their products in bottles of 56 - 120 pieces, which takes months to finish, it would be wise not to let their pills be exposed to moisture inside the bottles. Unless, of course, they think you'd just buy another bottle in case the pills go bad after a few weeks.

The pills are larger than your regular pills or capsules. So they're tad bit harder to swallow. They do not smell funky. Well, they do after a few weeks inside the bottle. 

Are these effective? I can't tell for sure. I take Poly C along with KB Glutathione for skin bleaching purposes, and I do not really see any effect at week 4. But then maybe it's because I'm often out under the sun. I also do not see any glow I used to see while taking Gluta with Vitamin C pills. But then maybe it's because I've been staying up late recently. 

Poly C does not make my tummy hurt. I get random headaches, but it could be from something else. Sorry, this review is too inconclusive it's pretty useless. Ha. I mean, I don't really have anything extra special to say about Vitamin C. 

The Good: it's free. Ha. It does not make my tummy hurt. Also, I'd like to believe the MLM marketers that this is premium Vitamin C, so it does its job better than other brands. 

The Bad: it's expensive when it's not free. This sells for around PHP1,200 for a bottle of 120 pills Making it PHP10 per pill. Most Vitamin C brands in the market sell for PHP5 to PHP8 a pill. Also, NO DESICCANT!!!

BOTTOMLINE: I'M NOT BUYING, BUT I'D GLADLY TAKE ANOTHER BOTTLE FOR FREE, THANKS.

KB Glutathione Review

3rd on the series of oral glutathione reviews. (Mulan review here. Tathion review here.)

As mentioned previously, I was meaning to purchase Relumins glutathione, my absolute favorite of them all oral gluta brands. However, I keep getting distracted by sales and clever marketing tricks. I'm currently on KB Glutathione, and so I'd probably finish this whole month before actually getting Relumins.

This isn't my first time to take KB. I think for most of 2010/2011/2012 I was on this pill. I was generally satisfied with KB, but back in the day, I was fair. I had even-toned fair and bright skin and KB did its job in making it glow. I've taken KB in recent years for a month a couple of times only to discontinue because of inconvenience.

Quick review: KB lightens skin, but for some reason, it makes my skin look a pale shade of yellow/peach. While it used to be okay because I'd dye my hair blonde, and yellow/peach skin looked amazing with blonde hair, I now would rather go with a more neutral/blue shade of bright white skin to go with my jet black hair. Yellow just looks dull and sallow on older skin and darker hair.

I'm guessing this yellowish tinge isn't exactly from the glutathione, but from the Rosehips. IDK. I'm really just guessing. This yellowing doesn't happen with other brands. I find that with Relumins, my skin is more on the neutral/blue shade. And the only difference with KB is that it comes with 500 mg of Rosehips. I also did an experiment a while back - for an entire month, I only took the Rosehips, and found that my skin did turn yellowish.

I could really go without the Rosehips, but my stingy self wouldn't let me throw it away. Also, Rosehips is a good source of Vitamin C and antioxidants. The yellow tone fades as soon as I stop taking it anyway, so I guess I'll just take it along with the glutathione.

You might be wondering why I keep buying KB in spite of it turning my skin an unwanted shade of yellow. Answer: it often goes on sale. It remains to be the cheapest brand that actually delivers noticeable effects on the skin. Never mind the yellowing, it's still bright and even-toned skin.

Average market price is P1,200 (both online and at Mercury Drugstore) for a 30 day pack. It was selling for P199 for a 10 day pack, so I went and bought a 50 day pack for only P1,000. Now you see why I forgot about Relumins. I will remember Relumins after 50 days when my skin has gone yellow again.

BOTTOMLINE: I recommend KB Glutathione with Rosehips for younger people who can get away with a yellow undertone. It does look amazing for people with mestiza features, as KB brings out the peach tones in the face. Older people or those looking to get a more neutral shade of fair skin should look at other oral glutathione brands.

4 stars out of 5.

Tathione Korea Whitening Capsule Review

My attempt at bleaching my skin via whitening supplements didn't go well weeks ago. Review of Mulan 4in1 Whitening Capsules here (summary: I broke out due to the lactose content!) So I decided I'd try another brand. I then ordered Tathion Korea Whitening in 50 mg Capsules online from my trusted beauty store. 

They go by 50 mg packs, and so they're tiny, tiny capsules that are easy to swallow. Also, because they're 50 mg, you'd need to take a handful to see any effect. 

Other oral glutathione brands go by 500 to 1,000 mg servings per day. To get the same results, you'd need to take at least 10 Tathione capsules per day, or 3 to 4 capsules before meals.

Tathione initially looks like a cheaper alternative, considering it only costs P8 per capsule (I bought mine on sale for P6, if I remember correctly.) Plus you have the option to buy per piece. But because you need to take at least 10 per day, it amounts to P80 per day, or P2,400 per month for a daily dose of only 500 mg. Rather expensive, considering that other brands costs P1,800 for a daily dose of 1,000 mg. 

Why I like it though is that, 1) I didn't break out. 2) While I did not see any noticeable difference in my complexion because I was mostly under the sun while on this pill, my skin felt nice to touch. 3) It's a Korean brand, which to me, is gold standard when it comes to product trustworthiness. 4) It's an established brand - I've been reading reviews and recommendations of Tathion from as far back as the early 2010s. 

I've only been on this pill for exactly a month. And I only have good words for it. Other people swear by the glowy, bright effect they get from this pill. However, due to the price and hassle of having to take 10+ capsules a day, I don't think I'll be ordering a new batch. I'm going to go back to Relumins.

I mean, I was going to go back to Relumins, but for some reason, I ended up ordering KB Glutathione. Read review here. 

Mulan 4 in 1 Whitening X30 Review

I'd like to mention this early on that I think the packaging and overall branding is poorly, poorly, poorly designed.

So it's quite clear that the branding is trying to capture the Oriental pale skinned princess vibe. They seemed to have tried to make it look like Disney Mulan to capture attention, without making it look like Disney Mulan to avoid trademark issues. I think it's... crass. But I bought it anyway, so I guess I'm crass myself.

I was meaning to buy Relumins, the only oral glutathione product that has worked satisfactorily on my skin. But this thing was on sale from the same online store, and someone I sort of know has amazing skin who swears by this so I bought a bottle just to see if it works despite its crappy packaging and unbelievable price (P250 a bottle for a month use!)

This product has got some very clever marketing tricks up its sleeve. Not that these tricks are purely evil, but it's simply not a nice thing to do, you know, when you try to sell something by making it look like something that it isn't.

1) The Mulan brand name and the Mulan cartoon that sorta resembles Disney Mulan. If I were at a physical store and I saw this bottle from a few meters away, I'd think, oh hey look, Disney now sells whitening products. It's an effective way to capture attention, but also an effective way to get people suspicious of your products.

2) The "X30." I mean, if I were a skincare newbie and I saw this on the bottle, I'd think this meant it's 30 times more effective than another product. A closer inspection would show that there really isn't anything about it that justifies an X30 label. (Addendum: Ha. So I guess it's there to mean, there's... dun dun dun dun... 60 capsules inside for a 30 day consumption? Ha.)

3) And then there's this:

4) Front label says it contains Pearl Whitening 6,000 mg. Back label says it contains only 100 mg of Pearl Powder per capsule.

5) Front label says it contains Premium Collagen Peptide 15,000 mg. Back label says it contains only 250 mg per capsule.

6) Front label says it contains L-Glutathione 6,000 mg. Back label says it contains only 100 mg per capsule.

7) Front label says it contains NAC booster 3,000 mg. Back label says it contains only 50 mg per capsule.

So, as you can tell, this product employs weird weird ways of getting people to buy it. I'd say this should be called out. Unfortunately, the Health Supplements Industry allow such practices with no legal consequences. This is exactly why brands can sell milk as a beauty product (for collagen and strong bones), when it's really just the usual powdered milk that kids drink - yes, those have Vitamin E, D and collagen too. Or why networking companies are free to sell coffee as a beauty product (with antioxidants and anti aging components), when it's really just the usual instant coffee mix with a tiny, unverifiable amount of powdered herbs.

Anyway, because there is no actual law against it, we are not complaining. I just wish beauty product manufacturers would get a little honest, you know. Why say it has 6,000 mg of Glutathione when it only has 100 mg per capsule? Are consumers supposed to right away understand that they get 6,000 mg worth of that ingredient after taking 60 capsules? 

So I figured I'd just take 2 capsules a day, and not expect anything amazing. I can't really say it whitened my skin, because I've been out under the sun the entire month I was using this. What bothered me is that I was never without a chin pimple every single day I was on this beauty pill.

BOTTOMLINE

Not recommending this. Sorry. I should've gone by Relumins. If it helps though, the woman who did recommend this have amazing amazing skin for someone in her 40s. Again, I was out the whole time I was on this so I can't say anything positive regarding its whitening effectiveness. I also found out while writing this that Mulan has lactose, which breaks me out.

If you're looking for something to whiten your skin, go by Relumins. If you're broke and looking for something cheap for your oral whitening needs, try Daiso Beauty White. Doesn't whiten as effectively as Relumins, but it does make the skin bright.

1 out of 5 stars.

REDEEMING QUALITIES

*FDA Approved
*Halal Certified
*GMP Certified
*Affordable at P250 per bottle
*might work for those with generally fair skin and have no lactose issues

So I guess I'm saying, I didn't like it at all, but it works for some and you don't really lose much for the price. Still 1 out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY

PREMIUM MULAN Collagen Peptide + Pearl Powder + Glutathione + NAC 60 Capsules 500mg

Click here.

Relumins Advance Nutrition Gluta 1000 - Reduced L-Glutathione Complex - 30 CAPSULES

Click here.

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