FANCL Facial Washing Powder | Review | peachsbeauty

Hello,

I'm back!

I won't bore you with the details about why I haven't blogged in uh... over a year? Something about getting hitched, knocked up and giving birth to a boy. Ya know, the usual spiel :p. Anyhoo, I can't wait to tell you about all the products I've tried during my hiatus and first off, we have FANCL's Facial Washing Powder. Here's the details:

PRODUCT | FANCL Facial Washing Powder

COST | I can't remember how much I picked up this set for but the powder itself is US$30.90 for 50g/1.76 oz [buy here - affiliate]
ABOUT FANCL | Their main sell is that they do 'preservative-free skincare'. Their lids are 'touch-free' to prevent bacteria and their products are packaged with a 30-day supply to keep their freshness during use. Interesting.

They say:

"Amino Acid to remove dirt and sebum without removing precious moisture from your skin."

"Suitable for all skin types, it is also selectively eliminates factors which lead to skin problems such as old protein which causes dullness and ageing skin."

I say:
The FANCL Facial Washing Powder is the first product of its type that I've tried and it's probably the only powder cleanser that I've ever heard of (that's an actual cleanser and not a facial scrub like Dermalogica Microfoliant or Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains). I think it's also the first and only FANCL product that I've tried and didn't know much about the brand other than that it's good for sensitive skin as it's supposed to not have a lot of chemicals. I've learnt more since then (see above) and I'm definitely keen to try more FANCL products.

The particular set I picked up came with the foaming tool however I read on the website that you can create the same soft foams by making a well with your palm and 'whisking' with your fingers in a circular motion. (See instructions below).

The first time I used the product I was rubbing the foaming sponge back and forth and nothing was happening.. duh, because I was using it totally wrong. To be fair, the packaging was completely in Japanese so I couldn't read the instructions but when I finally looked up how to actually use the product I was amazed at how soft and how much foam was created. It was like soft foam for days!

The foam on the skin feels soft but dense at the same time. It feels like you're washing your face with puffs of clouds - extremely gentle but actually very effective. If you continue massaging the foam into your skin you cold be standing there for days but when you stop, the foam does start to disintegrate slowly. By the time I washed and wiped my hands to take the photo I had lost some of the foam so you can imagine how much I had to begin with. I'll insert an instagram photo that's a better representation of the foam (follow me @peachsbeauty!). I don't know the science behind it but I could feel the gunk coming out of my pores and when you rinse away the foam you're just left with smooth, really clean skin without the tight feeling. If I'm having a particular gunky day I'll go in with a scrub afterwards (I'm loving Aesop's Purifying Facial Exfoliant Paste right now!) for super soft and smooth feeling skin afterwards. You can also definitely use this with the Clarisonic for a more deeper clean. I use the cashmere brush head so it's still gentle but more effective. I have personally never tried to remove makeup with this as I like to double cleanse by going in with a cleansing oil before hand.

Repurchase? YES!

FINAL RATING:
✿✿✿✿✿

I really enjoy using this product and would recommend this for anyone who's in the market to try something different. I believe it's great for all skin types as it leaves your skin its normal state without drying or leaving any residue. It may take a little longer washing your face if you're having too much fun playing with the foam but otherwise it's not any more of a hassle than a traditional facial cleanser.

Have you tried the Fancl Facial Washing Powder or another similar product?! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

P.S. Hello to anyone coming from Fabulous and Fun Life's Monday Makeup Madness 91 Link Up! Thanks for visiting and hope you'll stay a while (:

xox peachsbeauty
youtube | pinterest | instagram | twitter | email | bloglovin'

Prices correct at time of publishing, however may change with exchange rates etc. All products mentioned were purchased by yours truly unless marked by (*). All opinions are 100% honest and my own. Affiliate links are noted. Thank you for your support if you choose to purchase from them.

Review: Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder | my gift to you | peachsbeauty

hi there,

Firstly, hope you've all had a great Easter looong weekend!

I've been hearing a bit about the Suisai Beauty Clear Powder here and there for a while now (it's definitely not a new product) but I've never been able to find a lot of information about it since it's a Japanese product. I decided to pick up a trial pack (15pc instead of the standard 32pc packaging) when I was in Japan to see for myself what this beauty powder was all about. All that I knew about it was that it was a powder, which I assume you mix with water to create a foam that you use to clean your face. It potentially had some exfoliating/deep cleansing properties which would leave your skin smooth and brighter (like all Japanese skincare). If you know any more specific details, e.g. ingredients etc. please leave me a comment!

[Note - I still don't know much about the product but here are my thoughts]

Application... is very simple and self-explanatory. Pour the powder into the palm of your hands and slowly start adding water to it. Rub your hands together to create some foam and gently wash your face in circular motions (or up and down motions.. the motions don't matter haha). Continue for about a minute, adding more water if required (it will keep foaming!), then rinse off. You should end up with quite smooth, clean feeling skin, especially in the pores and not a hint of tightness or dryness.

If you'd really like to take it up a notch, use the beauty powder with your Clarisonic or other facial cleansing tool/brush. Apply the foam to your face first then clean away. It will leave your skin feeling so soft and like every single bit of gunk has been extracted out of your pores without stripping your skin of its moisture or natural oils.

Scent... is soapy?

Results... were very surprising - surprisingly good of course. I really didn't know what to expect with this product since I wasn't able to read anything on the packaging or find any solid information online. I found that the smooth, clean pore feeling lasted for a week with a gentle scrub during the week to get rid of some of the dead skin buildup (more of an issue for me with my dry skin).

Recommend... this for anyone and everyone! It really is quite amazing how it's able to be so deep cleansing but extremely gentle at the same time. I really like the packaging as well so you know exactly how much to use and it's literally made for travelling.

Name: Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder
Price: Y1,000 for 15pc in Japan or $32.95 for 32pc at BlushMeUp bit.ly/1K69SSg (0.4g in each pod)
Rating: ✿✿✿✿✿

Have you ever tried this beauty powder, or something similar? Every comment on my April posts counts as an entry into my Birthday giveaway on 30.04.15!

xox cheng

youtube | pinterest | instagram | twitter | email | bloglovin'

Prices correct at time of publishing, however may change with exchange rates etc. All products mentioned were purchased by yours truly unless marked by (*). All opinions are 100% honest and my own. Affiliate links are marked by (~). I always try to find the most affordable option with shipping to Australia. Thank you for your support if you choose to purchase from them.

talkback thursday: february skincare

I have gone through all the phases.. makeup, skincare and bodycare. Now I'm happy to give away makeup and bodycare because there are only so many mid-tone brown shadows one person needs and bodycare only does one thing: to moisturise your body but with skincare.. I can't let go. I have to try every cleanser, moisturiser, mask etc. out there to find the perfect skincare routine. I end up switching products every other day, which causes my skin to freak out, which I try and attack with really hard anti-acne products which leaves me super dry and more broken out until I finally come to my senses and stop using everything except cleanse, tone and moisturise.. that is until I find the next IT skincare product to try and the vicious cycle begins all over again.

So, I have decided to come to a compromise: I will stick to ONE skincare routine every month. You should really give skincare products 4-6 weeks to work before moving along so I think it's a good compromise. This month I'm trying out the following products:

AM ROUTINE
Michael Todd Skin Defender AHA Creme Facial Cleanser
LUSH Tea Tree Water
Naruko Rose & Botanic HA Aqua Cubic Moisturizer
Naruka Magnolia Brightening & Firming Eye Cream
Naruko Creme of Jing Cheng

PM ROUTINE
Lush Ultra Bland Cleanser
Clearasil Daily Clear Vitamins & Extracts Daily Wash*
LUSH Tea Tree Water
Naruko Rose & Botanic HA Aqua Cubic Moisturizer
Naruka Magnolia Brightening & Firming Eye Cream
Naruko Creme of Jing Cheng

As you can see the only changes are the cleansers so I'm still keeping it pretty simple. No AM/PM serums, no AM/PM moisturisers.

After a month, we'll see how I go and look forward to some reviews!

x peachsbeauty

Holla at me:

email: peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com

youtube: peachsbeautyfamily

bloglovin: peach

twitter: @peachsbeauty

instagram: @peachsbeauty

pinterest: peachsbeauty

* This product is in a blank tube because it was provided for a blind review by beautyheaven before the product was released. 
Everything mentioned in this post was purchased by yours truly unless otherwise stated. My reviews and thoughts are always 100% honest. Thanks for reading! (:

Review: Lush Dream Steam Steam Tab

The Dream Steam Steam Tab (DSST) has replaced the Tea Tree Toner Tab (TTTT) as my favourite Steam Tab (I know they only sell the two now which is a shame, they used to sell other ones like.. Moon and Sun?). I used to love the TTTT because I usually only remember to steam my face when my skin's feeling all congested and gross so tea tree oil is perfect for that with all its antibacterial properties. Even thought I have used Dream Steam many times before but I just realised that it has Tea Tree Oil in it too.

How I use it:
* Fill a bowl on a flat surface (table) with about 1 cup of hot boiled water (200mL), pop in the tab and watch it fizzle away. I will then get my towel, tea tree oil, iPad so the water can cool down a little bit. I add a few extra drops of tea tree oil when my skin's feeling extra yuck.
* Place your freshly cleansed face over the bowl. (Make sure it's free of any makeup or cleanser residue. I like to exfoliate before a steam as well.) If it's too hot, just wait a minute!
* Then, place a towel over your head to create a .. tent? Making sure that it covers your entire head and bowl all around.Relax and enjoy the lavender and rose scent (they are fairly subtle but they're there).
* You can stay in this position for as long as you like until you not longer get any steam.On average I'd got for 15 minutes.
* When you're done, you can splash your face with cool water and pat dry and/or pat dry and use a ' pore tightening' toner such as Lush Tea Tree Toner or even Witch Hazel. I have no idea if this does anything but in my mind my facials work like this: cleanse off dirt, exfoliate dead skin cells, steam out gunk from pores, close pores with toner to prevent gunk from getting in... It's a psychological thing. Please feel free to correct me if you have any scientific information of what a facial actually does.
* When the water is cool, funnel into a reuseable spray bottle (I get mine from Daiso!) and use a facial mist/toner/refreshing spray. Keep it in the fridge and it'll last for a week. Just in time for another facial/steam (:

What it does:
* Tea Tree acts as antibacterial for your skin
* Rose absolute calms redness (and boy do I have redness)
* Chamomile and lavender relaxes and calms the mind
I feel for myself the scent of lavender just instantly makes me feel like the weight has been lifted off my shoulders - a weight that I usually wouldn't even know was there. I usually use the steam tabs when I do a facial and facials usually makes me feel pretty relaxed anyway. The steam might also be good to do just before you go to bed, as part of a nightly ritual once a week or fortnight.

Deets:
* Available at Lush stores and online
* $2.50 for each tab

Ingredients:
Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Bicarbonate), Citric Acid (Citric Acid), Perfume (Perfume), Lavender Oil ((Lavandula angustifolia)), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), Citronellol (Citronellol), *Geraniol (*Geraniol), *Limonene (*Limonene),Linalool (Linalool), Rose Petals (Rosa damascena)

Rating:

✿✿✿✿✿

What do you like to use as part of your at home facial?

x peachsbeauty

Holla at me:
email: peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com
youtube: peachsbeautyfamily
bloglovin: peach
twitter: @peachsbeauty
instagram: @peachsbeauty
pinterest: peachsbeauty

Everything mentioned in this post was purchased by yours truly. Thanks for reading! (:

Skincare Routine - Winter '13 // Skincare Sunday #2

If you've read my latest TalkBack Thursday (#2) post, you'll know that I've discovered two products which I believe has been keeping my skin clear lately. So, I'm going to share with you my current skincare routine for Winter 2013. Hope you enjoy!

Note: I started doing this exact routine two weeks ago when it started getting very cold and my skin got very dry and flaky. I have been using the majority of these products for two months, I just switched out my toners two weeks ago.

MORNING ROUTINE
Cleanse | Sorbolene + warmish micro-fibre cloth ( not shown as I had people over and they were already giving me weird looks when I started lining up my skincare products...)
Tone to remove | LUSH Tea Tree Water on a Daiso Cotton Pad
(I used to use Witch Hazel Toner)
Tone to add | SK-II
Eye roller | Aphelia Dark Circle Treatment Essence *
'Serum' | 4 drops Rosehip Oil + Aphelia Whitening & Lightening Creme *
Eye cream | Aphelia Beautifying Eye Creme *
Moisturiser | LUSH Celestial

NIGHT ROUTINE
Remove makeup | Maybelline Express Care Eye Makeup Remover
Cleanse | Michael Todd Honey & Oat Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser + Clarisonic
Daiso Cold Cream + Q-tip to remove any excess eye makeup

Tone to remove | LUSH Tea Tree Toner on a Daiso Cotton Pad
(I used to use Witch Hazel Toner)
Tone to add | SK-II
Eye roller | Aphelia Dark Circle Treatment Essence *
'Serum' | 4 drops Rosehip Oil + Aphelia Whitening & Lightening Creme *
Eye cream | Aphelia Beautifying Eye Creme *
Moisturiser | LUSH Celestial

REVIEW
Love using Sorbolene in the morning as it's super gentle while the cloth provides some very mild exfoliation (dry flaky skin be gone!) LUSH Tea Tree Water is more gentler than Witch Hazel but still feels refreshing. Just started using SK-II and my skin might be firmer.. but we'll have to see if there are any real results. I have reviews on the Aphelia products *: here. I discovered LUSH Celestial last year when I moved to Melbourne in the middle of Winter and my skin freaked out by being super dry, sensitive, itchy and red. Celestial is perfect for anyone which sensitive and irritated skin. It just covers and smooths over your dry patches to really calm them down. It is a bit on the thick side and doesn't sink in super quickly but it really is for skin that is dehydrated and irritated. It smells to me like vanilla ice cream (:

The two products I believe that have truly done wonders for my skin and stopped my breakouts are ... Michael Todd Honey & Oat Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser + Rosehip Oil. They are the only two products that I started using when my breakouts stopped and I have never tried them before. Of course, it could be the routine as a whole but as soon as I started using the Rosehip Oil, my skin felt different immediately. From that first day, my breakouts stopped and I just felt like my skin was being nourished and treated with kindness (sounds strange but that's just how I personally felt). Not sure exactly what was happening on a cellular level, on a medical perspective but I can only say what I saw and what my skin felt like.

Michel Todd's Honey & Oat Cleanser just leaves your skin feeling super smooth, especially used with my Clarisonic. It removes all traces of makeup, doesn't dry out your skin and uses organic ingredients. I didn't want to believe the hype. I heard all the sponsored reviews but this is the first MT product that I've tried (purchased 100% by yours truly) and I really really like it. I have picked up a whole lot more products from the website and Ozsale and I can't wait to start trying everything.

If you'd like to see full reviews on anything I've mentioned today just leave me a comment below!


ps. Don't forget to enter my Aphelia Cosmetology The Origin of Beauty Skincare Set GIVEAWAY: here !

xx peachsbeauty

Thanks for reading! Holla at me:
email: peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com
youtube: peachsbeautyfamily
bloglovin: peach
twitter: @peachsbeauty
instagram: @peachsbeauty
pinterest: peachsbeauty

Products marked with * were provided for considerations. Opinions are always 100% honest. Thanks for reading (:

My Acne Story // Talk Back Thursday #2

I want to talk about my acne story because I discovered a couple of products which have been keeping my breakouts at bay and I’m not particularly sure why… because they’re not products specifically for acne-prone skin. I will be showing you my current skincare routine on Skincare Sunday - you can follow me on BLoglovin' or GFC (sidebar) so you don't miss out! But first things first…

My Acne Story
My story starts when I was about 12 when this little girl turned into a young lady. You know what I’m talking about: the P-words. Puberty and Periods. I tried everything: OTC acne skincare, GP, anti-biotics, contraceptive pill, prescription creams, Proactive, dermatologist, Roaccutane…
• OTC stuff did pretty much nothing.
• The Pill kept the acne from being as bad as it could have been and I’m still on it.
• Prescription creams probably were working but it made my sensitive skin, really dry and irritated and I just wasn’t patient enough to stick with them.
• Proactive actually worked really well on me and got rid of a lot of my acne until it started to irritate my skin. This was when they first started out and didn’t have alternative salicylic acid alternatives to their 3-step BP treatment so instead of using it less frequently e.g. every second day or nights only, I stopped using it all together. More on this later (:
• Dermatologist did nothing until she prescribed me Roaccutane… which did nothing. See below.
• Roaccutane unfortunately did not work for me but I might have jinxed myself by saying that, given my luck, I of course would in the 20% of people for which Roaccutane just does not work. Anyway, jinx or not, it didn’t do anything while I was on it. I simply went from having combo skin to normal skin, lips were a bit dry but nothing some cheapstick couldn’t fix. My skin did not freak out and erupt into cysts as I have heard from some horror stories, which was why I was reluctant to try Roaccutane in the first place. My skin pretty much started getting better from day one and I had perfect skin for the year that I was on the drug. It all went downhill about six months after I finished the treatment (beg. 2012 – after a decade of acne) and at this stage had pretty much given up and was thinking that I’ll just live with acne for the rest of my life… it’s not going to kill me. I don’t think it was as bad as my teenage years but I always had some of pimple somewhere on my face at any given time.

Last July (2012) I moved to Melbourne for a month. The BF was moving there for work and I thought I’d keep him company for a month because we had free accommodation and I was on my uni break. That month, I broke out the worse I have ever broken out in my entire life… concentrated around the sides of my face but generally everywhere. I blamed it on the diet because we ate out every weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and what happens after you eat out... you have dessert – San Churro, Max Brenner, Coco Black you get the idea. So I didn’t think anything of it and it eventually got better when I went back to Sydney for my final semester and even when I was working full time 10 hour days, studying full time and writing a research paper, I didn’t break out as badly as I did while I was in Melbourne.

Last December, I moved to Melbourne for good… and the nightmare began again. I just started breaking out… everywhere. We weren’t going out every weekend. Sure we cook different food to our parents but if anything, traditional Chinese cooking is way oilier than what we were eating. I cut out meat for a week. We cut out preservatives. I cut out dairy, gluten, soft drinks, sugar… didn’t make an ounce of difference. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the diet (although I still eat as healthy and as balanced as I can). Maybe it was the skincare - I tried natural aka Lush, I tried harsh aka alcohol and acids, even my trusty Phisohex didn’t have a huge effect. Eventually I tried Proactive again because I kept thinking back to how Tiffany D from YouTube loved it for so long and so I thought maybe if I give it another go it’ll work for me again. So off I went to the Proactive counter and picked up the pack for dry skin. If you want to know my Proactive routine, then just leave me a comment below and I’d be happy to let you know how I used the products in my Dry Skin Pack. The routine worked to clear up my wide T-zone acne but I still getting some painful ones on the sides of my face. (I’m not blaming Melbourne but… seems a bit more than coincidental…)

Eventually I figured out they were hormonal/cystic/stress/diet related. I was already drinking lots of water, cutting out sugar, eating less meat, dairy etc. and I wasn’t about to start hormone therapy... so again, I was at a loss. Then one day, something clicked and I just thought, I think it’s about time I started being nice to my skin for a change. Keep it simple, keep it consistent, keep it gentle. So after a lot of research, this is the routine that has been working for me for the past month, morning and night without fail (I think when you start seeing results, you just don’t ever want to break the trend no matter how tired you are) and I’ve had three pimples in that time. (That’s crazy! I usually get three a day…)

Current update: although I don't have any active pimples (at the moment) I am still left with a scarred face. I have acne scarring in both texture and colour, redness, huge pores, blackheads, whiteheads and blocked pores when I slack off on the exfoliation, but that's the least of my worries since Winter has so kindly crept up on Melbourne, I now have seriously dehydrated, scaly, irritated, peeling skin. It's just all fun and games for me. lol. I'm definitely finding the Melbourne Winter much colder and dryer than in Sydney, however I already knew that when I came down last year and had to suffer the worst (cystic) acne while having super dry, itchy, red, irritated skin. ... I seem to also be developing some kind of stress rash on my forehead and eyebrows (of all places) that just seems to itch.

I know I've been talking a lot about skincare lately but that's because it's the only thing that's been plaguing my mind since I moved to Melbourne at the beginning of the year. I haven't bought any makeup since the Priceline 40% OFF sale and even when I do buy makeup, I don't get super excited anymore because I know that it'll look like crap if my skin underneath is all ... eurgh. So, now you've read all my woes, let me know yours! What keeps you up at night? And if you have none, well let me know too so I can envy you haha. Share your happy life tips and spread the joy! (no really, I need some tips to reduce stress - but I think that's a topic for another TalkBack Thursday...)

Want to know what has been keeping my skin clear for the past month? Stay tuned for Skincare Sunday!

TalkBack Thursday is a weekly blogpost series where I pick a topic of discussion that I may have some queries about and hopefully you'll join in the conversation and TALK BACK AT ME (:

xx peachsbeauty

Thanks for reading! Holla at me:
email: peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com
youtube: peacshbeautyfamily
bloglovin: peach
twitter: @peachsbeauty
instagram: @peachsbeauty
pinterest: peachsbeauty

Aphelia Cosmetology + GIVEAWAY! // Skincare Sunday #1

Today I'm doing a review on some products Aphelia Cosmetology sent me and there'll also be a giveaway so keep reading for details!



Products mentioned:
Fusion Herbal Dark Circle Treatment Essence
Oasis Acne Treatment Essence
Luminance Whitening & Lightening Creme
Peony Advanced Beautifying Eye Creme Specifically For Eye Fine Lines

What you could win - Giveaway prize!

The Origin of Beauty Set includes:
- Peony advanced eye cream anti-wrinkle and fine line eye cream
- Fusion dark circle under eye treatment redresses the appearance of dark circles under eyes, lightening and brightening the eye area
- Merlin ultimate skin perfecting cream for wrinkles and fine lines with 10 oriental concentrates complemented with 5 modern cosmetic essentials
- Luminance for diminishing pigmentation, dark spot, redness, age spots, sun spots and redress acne scarring. Perfection in skin perfection for even skin tone
- Oasisa potent defence against acneand adult acne.
- Purify Classic a cleanser prized for its sebum removal and make up removal. It promises transparency and radiance to fatigued skin

2 ways to enter ~
1-BLOG (using rafflecopter)
2-YOUTUBE
a. Subscribe to peachsbeautyfamily
b. Like my Skincare Sunday: Aphelia Cosmetology video
c. Leave a comment on the video telling me what if your favourite skincare product/tip/method

Giveaway Details:
| Aphelia has made this giveaway open to Australia only - sorry my international readers :(
| If you are 16 or under, please get permission from your parents as I will require your address if you win.
| Aphelia Costmetology will be responsible for sending out The Origin of Beauty set.
| This giveaway ends on midnight 30th of June, 2013 AEST (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra you know).
| The winner will be drawn shortly after and announced on my blog, twitter and instagram. I will also email the winner and they have 48 hours to respond with their address. If I don't hear anything from them in this time, I will pick another winner and again they have 48 hours.
| NOTE: This giveaway is running on both youtube and my blog, which means that yes, you can enter at both places. It also means that the ONE winner may be either someone who enters from the youtube video or someone who enters through rafflecopter on my blog. There will not be a winner drawn from both places.. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to leave me a comment/email/message if any of the rules or details of the giveaway aren't clear to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck guys and I look forward to reading all your skincare tips!

xx peachsbeauty

email: peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com
youtube: peacshbeautyfamily
bloglovin: peach
twitter: @peachsbeauty
instagram: @peachsbeauty
pinterest: peachsbeauty


Products featured in this post were provided for consideration by Aphelia Cosmetology. Reviews and opinions are always my own and 100% honest. Thank you for reading.

TalkBack Thursday: DIYs + Suga Scrub

(because I don't have the answers to everything)

Every Thursday I'm going to ask you lovely viewers a question. There may also be a chance to win something [:

I have been very into DIYs lately. Everything from crafts to skincare to home decor, you name it. I have always been quite crafty and enjoy making this with my hands such as quilling, cross-stitching, knitting, etc. but I haven't had much time lately to participate in these fun activities. Instead, I have turned to DIY skincare which is a bit more productive and it's good to know exactly what ingredients you are putting onto your skin. So, I instagrammed/twittered this picture today - the only two ingredients you'll need for an amazing DIY homemade body scrub - oil + sugar!

follow me on instagram + twitter : @peachsbeauty

Oil

I use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil and sunflower oil; sometimes using one, two or all three of the oils I have on hand. Other oils you can use are almond oil, extra virgin coconut oil and vegetable oil, but basically any oil that you have in your kitchen will do. I'm still experimenting with the  mixture to see if any one or combination of the oils provide more moisture for the skin, so I'll keep you updated.

Sugar

I use brown sugar as it's gentle enough to be used on sensitive skin. Feel free to use regular white sugar, table salt or even sea salt for a more abrasive scrub. For a foot scrub, I would recommend using sea salt to really work the thicker skin on your soles.

Ratio

I use a ratio of 1.5:1 oil to sugar as I do like my body scrubs a bit more oily, feel free to play with the ratio and be aware that this can vary from 1:1 to 2:1 just depending on the abrasive ingredient you use and how oily or 'scrubby' you prefer it to be.

Method

1. I mix this concoction once a week to keep the ingredients fresh, but I would say it probably won't have trouble staying good for at least a month. Because I make such a small quantity at a time (only 9 tablespoons of oil to 6 of sugar) I just keep it in a ziplock sandwich bag. It's easier to mix as well - hold the opening closed/zipped and shake like a maraca.. to mix the sugar with the oil. As it's only for personal use, I'm not too fussed about appearances but if you're making it for someone else, just store it in a small glass jar, pop on a label and a ribbon and voila - amazing homemade gift. P.S. I do this about 2/3 times a week and my mixture will last at least a week.

2. Take a warm shower or bath. Scoop some product into your palm, not too much because it will just go flying everywhere and start rubbing on your skin. As a general rule - be gentle. I like to start on my knees for no particular reason. Then I move in small circular motions down towards my feet and then up onto my thighs, switch legs, both ass cheeks, torso, left elbow and arm, right elbow and arm - you get the gist. Finally I take some mixture and add some sea salt (that's when I remember to bring some into the bathroom with me) and do a bit of a foot scrub. PLEASE hold onto something for this! Or just sit on the floor when you're doing it. I know someone your talented folks are amazingly coordinated, unlike myself, but body scrub + tile floor/bath tub + one foot off the ground is a recipe for disaster. Just be careful.

3. Finally rinse off - and while you're doing that rinse the bath tub too and the handles and anything else you've touched. Unless your roommate likes having their balance tested on an oily surface when they get into the shower, this is just a considerate thing to do. I generally do a quick rinse because I like the 'oily' / moisturised feeling on my skin and it give a kind of glowing effect as well, like you just used one of Lush's massage bars. Bonus, no need to moisturise with a body lotion/butter. But if you don't like the feeling or you prefer to use a moisturiser with a nicer scent, then rinse a bit more thoroughly. Don't forget when you're drying yourself to just pat dry with the towel.

So that's as far as my beauty DIYs go. It is so easy, cheap, makes your skin feel amazing (bf approved) and I guarantee you will have everything you need. I have been doing a lot of research on recipe but have yet to put many into action..

I want to know all your DIY secrets! It can be crafty, beauty or home decor related - anything that can be handmade at home. Leave a comment with a link to a blogpost or video or simply just tell me in the comment itself.

Look forward to hearing all your wonderful ideas! xx

peachsbeauty.blogspot.com 
shop | candybop.com 
instagram | @peachsbeauty 
twitter | @peachsbeauty 
fb | facebook.com/peachsbeauty
email | peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com

TalkBack Thursday #1 (+ Giveaway)

(because I don't have the answers to everything)

Every Thursday I'm going to ask you lovely viewers a question. There may also be a chance to win something, as with today's post!

Q: Are there natural alternatives to pHisohex wash and/or Benzoyl Peroxide gel?

Background Story: Ever since I came down to Melbourne my skin has been absolutely freaking out. This isn't the first time either, last time I came down for three week, I suffered two and a half weeks of absolutely horrible skin! And by that I mean, clogged pores, irritated skin, bumps, breakouts, redness, blackheads (although they've always been there). When this happened I turned to my three HG anti-breakout products:

1. pHisohex anti-bacterial wash.
I was first introduced to this cleanser by my GP many many years ago in my high school years. I really enjoyed its effects but my curiousness got the better of me and I have moved on to 50 different cleansers since then. SO when my skin had a freak out last time I was in Melbourne, I turned back to my trusty pHisohex and saw great results.

The reason why I'm hesitate to go back to this cleanser again this time is because of its ingredients, including Triclosan, Sodium benzoate and Benzyl Alcohol. Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent used in many consumer products including deodorants, toothpastes, mouth washes and obviously skin cleansers. Health concerns include increased allergic reactions, hay fever, disrupt functioning of thyroid hormone and oestrogen and there has been some research which says that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream to accumulate your body "/. Sodium bonzoate is a preservative which has been used for more than 100 years (mostly in foodstuff) and does not seem to have many adverse side effects, especially when not consumed. The chemical does react to heat, so be aware of that. Benzyl Alcohol is an organic compound used as a preservative in soaps and perfumes, among other products. Side effects includes itching, redness, irritation, site anaesthesia and hypoesthesia and is not approved for use on children under six months and pregnant/new/trying/breastfeeding mothers as it can have negative effects your foetus, your breast milk and your newborn. (some scary thoughts there)

This is obviously very basic information about the ingredients but if you would like me to do a separate more in-depth post of them, let me know, or you can do your own research if you like. Although, having said that, reviews on the actual pHisohex wash have been mostly positive, apart from those who found it too harsh, to whom I say, start by using it only once a day for 30 seconds. So, if there are no alternatives, I have to go back to using this wash but only for when I have really bad breakouts.

2. T.N. Dickinson Witch Hazel
I use this product as a toner and it works amazingly to cleanse and tone without irritating or drying out my skin AND it's all natural. Enough said. Of course you can use any witch hazel but this is the most accessible for me. Witch hazel is a plant and the liquid is distilled from dried leaves, bark and twigs. When used on the skin it can help tighten the skin and treat inset bites, stings, itching and irritations. If you want to try this or already love it as much as I do and you would like to win a free bottle, just leave an answer to my question in the comment box. If you don't have a solution to my dilemma, I'd still love to know any skincare tips you have!

3. 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
There is so much controversy with PB that I won't even try and get into it. Basically I started using it as I found it to be effective for my breakouts and so did the makers of acne.org, Proactiv etc. However there seem to be many negative effects including dry, flaky, red, swollen, painful skin, itching, peeling, burning sensation, bleaching and possibly cancer-causing. This is obviously fairly scary, especially since I do use the 2.5% all over my face to prevent and cure breakouts. I would definitely like to find an natural alternative to BP so give me a holla if you have any tips!


Now I know I've said all these negative things but I am a realist and I can't just hope that if I stop using these two products or ALL products with chemicals/parabens/preservatives etc. that the world will be a better place and we will all live happily ever after. I just want to know if there are indeed more 'natural' alternatives to my HG breakout-fighting products and if there isn't and you love pHisohex and BP as much as I did then I'd love to hear from you as well!

So, let me know your thoughts and I look forward to reading your comments :) xo
Don't forget, leave an answer to enter the giveaway for a bottle of the T.N Dickinson Witch Hazel. Rafflecopter will be used to draw a winner on Wednesday midnight (Sydney time) to be announced on next week TalkBack Thursday blogpost. Good luck!

All products were purchased by yours truly.

peachsbeauty.blogspot.com
shop | candybop.com
instagram | @peachsbeauty
twitter | @peachsbeauty
facebook.com/peachsbeauty
email | peachsbeautyfamily@gmail.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skincare Sunday: Skincare routine when your skin goes kablam!

(I'm counting on the fact that it's still Sunday somewhere in the world!)

SO, something has been breaking me out lately! and causing congested pores! (how dare they!) and I have to confess that I have no idea what it is because I'm a serial trialler-of-new-products-everyday. It might not even be one product, it might in fact be a bad combination of two products, in any case I have stopped using EVERYTHING. yes everything. I am going back to basics. back to cavewoman style. back to the old soap and water. but of course with some additions to quell the skincare lover within me (who got me into this mess in the first place - angry face - ) So I hope this helps anyone who is finding that their skin is just not behaving and just like a rebellious teenager, you should take away instead of giving more (I have no idea where that analogy came from .. maybe I was that rebellious teen haha). If you haven't figured it out already I have SUPER duper sensitive skin... (confession alert) I breakout from getting my eyebrows waxed..not a full blown breakout but definitely bumps ... so any sort of trauma to the skin (and boy does my skin get traumatised easily) causes planets or perhaps hills (mountains are too pointy) to form in that area | I will stop rambling now and tell you what I have been using (and will continue to use for another week or more, depends)

Skincare Routine: Day

| Cetaphil & water
| Garnier Anti-dark Circle Roller
| Garnier UltraLift Anti-wrinkle Roller
| Shiseido The Skincare Eye Moisture Recharge
| Avene Eau Thermale Spray
| L'oreal Triple Active Day Moisturier - dry skin

Skincare Routine: Makeup Removing & Night

| Lancome Bi-facil or Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover & cotton pad (not too fussed, sorry not pictured)
| Yes to carrots Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser & Clarisonic (with sensitive head) | Garnier Anti-dark Circle Roller
| Garnier UltraLift Anti-wrinkle Roller
| Shiseido The Skincare Eye Moisture Recharge
| Avene Eau Thermale Spray
| Avene Eau Thermal Skin Recovery Cream

tips and alternatives below :)

cleansers

| Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - dry sensitive skin
| Avene Eau Thermale Extremely Gentle Cleanser (& cotton pad)
This is similar to Cetaphil in that it's a semi transparent, no-water-required formula. It does not claim to remove makeup. I use these two in the morning or when I have not worn makeup that day.
| Garnier CleanSensitive Anti-tightness Cleansing Milk
| Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil-Free Make-up Remover
There two are similar however the Garnier formula is more runny. They are both no-water-required formulas and claim to remove makeup. I would only use this for light makeup days such as tinted moisturiser or a light BB cream, or used in conjunction with another cleanser for heavy makeup days, that is foundation and powder.
| Pond's Cold Cream
This is a classic and I love it. I use this the same way as I do the two products above, so getting some on a cotton pad to wipe away makeup. This is a cream formula so it's thick and on some days it just feels too much but usually it's okay. I love this for removing stray eye makeup. Just get some on a cotton bud and gently swipe under your eyes to remove mascara/liner/shadow you didn't even know was there. Because it's a cream, it'll remove without tugging the skin.
| Yes to Carrots Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
This is a good cleanser and makeup remover (especially used with the Clarisonic). I use this when I have medium makeup on, medium foundation and powder. If I am wearing heaving makeup or find there is some residue I will use one of the no-water cleansers afterwards. This is the most gentle physical exfoliator I have ever tried. The exfoliating beads are tiny. It's suitable for everyday use. It doesn't scratch your skin. "Cleanses and Refreshes" - that's what it says. That's what it does. I just realised this.

creams

| L'oreal Triple Active Day Moisturiser - dry skin
This is a simple, no-fuss moisturiser which i bought for $3AUD at the Priceline Pink Dot sale and I'm kicking myself so hard for not buying 10 backups because it's discontinued and I love it. Seriously kicking myself. At the time I was thinking -dry skin- meh. I don't have dry skin ... well yes I do (thanks roaccutane). It's a nice balanced cream texture, not thick or greasy at all. Just moisturising ... nothing fancy, no SPFs or anything but there's SPF in almost everything else nowadays anyway.
| Avene Eau Thermale Skin Recovery Cream
I love this cream for night time as it's very calming and moisturising. Even when my skin is normal I like to give it that extra boost at night, where I'm not worried about it not sinking in instantly because I'm not going to be putting any makeup on top. For times when my skin gets cranky, like now (or when I accidently eat mayonnaise .. which I'm allergic to) this is perfect.
| Skin79 Dream Girls BB
| Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser - oil free
I like using these two products as it allows my skin to breath while providing some coverage as opposed to thicker BB creams (such as the Missha Perfect Cover BB - which has great coverage but it is thicker) or a foundation (which can irritate my skin even more and feel eurgh).
| Za True White Day Protector SPF 26
This is a good sunscreen for people who work in offices as it's hydrating (this is the new formula with the pink text) which is good for any centrally air-conditioned environment and it only has an SPF of 26 so it's enough assuming there is no direct sunlight in your office and glazing.
| Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid PSF 55
This is a great sunscreen for outdoor people who like to wear makeup as it's also a great makeup base. I decide which sunscreen I use depending on what I'm going to be doing that day but I do like both as they feel good on the skin. That's really most important when your skin is feeling blah.

miscellaneous

i took these out of the bathroom but them forgot to photograph them ... -_- (no comment)

| CURE Natural Aqua Gel
This is a gentle, water-based exfoliant suitable for the most sensitive skin (that's what the website says and I have to say that I agree!) There are beads which exfoliant instead the gel reacts with the skin (somehow) and turn dead skin cells into these white bits of gunk (like rubber shavings but white) which of course you rinse of to leave (i guess) new skin. I believe it works because the more I use it, the less dead skin cells I have piled on my skin, the less white bits I get ... well that's my logic anyway. Just make sure you rinse the product off very well otherwise if you to rub your skin, the white bits will appear.
| Simple Deep Cleansing Face Mask
This is quite gentle and it uses natural clay but it doesn't feel tight like a normal clay mask at all. It has a white lotion consistency but just thick enough stay on your skin as a mask (although I wouldn't call it thick at all). This product baffles me as I don't know how it works to deep cleanse your skin, even though I do feel like my pore are cleaner afterwards. I guess I'm just used to hard, tight, grayness of other clay masks which this is nothing like and totally took me by surprise. Just don't leave it on for more than 10 minutes (it recommends 3) as it starts to feel weird and disappear. But that's hardly a con if it takes less time to use ... unless you're like me and you just tend to forget things ...

tips

| If you have sensitive skin, use products which say are for sensitive skin .. I'm as much as cynic about product labelling as the next person but if you at least stick to products which claim to be for sensitive skin then you are heading in the right direction
| Try to steer clear from alcohol. Alcohol can be an ingredient in any product but predominantly toners and some moisturisers. So stick to alcohol-free toners - I have tried both the Neutrogena and Simple ones which I love. I didn't show you because I didn't have any on hand because I was not ready for this :(
| Try and look for non-comedogenic products which basically means they don't clog the pores .. but they don't always not .. just saying
| Finally, LESS IS MORE

So that's about $50 worth of my two cents ... -crickets- ... (I know don't give up my day job right? Haha. If only I had one)

xox smile and be beautiful