It's now the peak of cold season here in Manila. Well, maybe not as cold as the winter, autumn, or spring weathers in 4 season countries, but if you grew up in a tropical country and experiencing a 25 degrees or less weather is seriously heaven! We joke a lot about our 2 season weather which is hot and hotter.

Cold weather also means drier skin. I'm experiencing my usual skin dilemma which is dry and itchy skin, but a lot worse now. Before, moisturizing lotions and body butters works okay during seasons like these, but for some reason my skin has become more drier now (maybe age became a huge factor). That's why I decided to try body oil and found The Beauty Bakery's All-Purpose Chocolate Oil Mist.



Claims: All-purpose body oil mist absorbs instantly yet leaves a seductive sheen that protects the outer layer of your skin. It contains a generous amount of Cocoa butter and Coconut oil for efficient skin hydration.

Active Ingredients: Cocoa butter, Coconut oil, Seaweed Extract

Size: 200g

Price: Php 499.00 (approx. US$ 10), got it on sale P380.00 (approx. US$ 7)

Where to buy: BeautyMnl



First thing: It smells like vanilla and chocolate, I love it!! I love vanilla scents and I can't stop smelling the bottle when I received the package and I can't stop sniffing my hand when I tried it.


The product is in a glass bottle and plastic spray and spray cover. I just got sad when the spray died after a few pumps. :( So I have to transfer the product in a different bottle.



 The consistency is just like any other body oil products and also takes time for your skin to absorb the product. The smell is amazing. I can't emphasize how I love the smell and that I keep on smelling my skin. The scent stays on your skin but it's not overpowering nor it will irritate your senses. It's just faint and sweet.

As for my skin dryness, it didn't made my skin plump or moist after using it for sometime and still looks rough. But it did help alleviate the scaling, itchiness, and the very tight skin feeling. And though my skin doesn't look (and feel) smooth, I noticed that it has a faint glow. I'm really crossing my fingers that this product will somehow make my dry skin go away in the long run. I'm not actually expecting drastic changes in a short span of time since this is a natural product; as natural products takes time to see the effect compared to chemical based products.
 
Another thing to love is that The Beauty Bakery is a homegrown brand (100% Philippine brand). I love our local brands that makes quality products and sources their raw materials locally. It's a win for everyone.



And since the sprayer died, I used my old Skin Inc serum bottles which has a dropper and I find that it's easier to use this way. And since the bottle is small (only 5ml), I was able to experiment by adding jojoba oil and noticed that the scent became less prominent and the absorption became slightly faster. I'm planning to add sunflower oil next time.

What's your favorite body oil?

Happy holidays, everyone! Finally found time to squeeze this last post for the year. It's quite busy juggling work, holiday shopping, family events, meeting up with friends, and holiday traffic too! Ugh!</End Rant>.

Since the holiday season started, everything really went hectic and you have to do things fast⏤including your skin care.
Claims: Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel contains 98% mineral water from Iceland and contains other botanicals that penetrates deeply and supplying ample cool and rich moisture in the skin. It also contains mineral-rich seaweed and plant extract from Iceland, which is abundant in minerals that help in maintaining healthy skin.

Ingredients:
Mineral Water, Phenoxyethanol. Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Betaine, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract, Butylene Glycol, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Propylene Glycolm, Cetraria Islandica Extract, Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laminaria Japonica (Seaweed) Extract, Water, Fragrance

Size: 150ml

Price: PhP 320 (roughly US$ 7) in Althea
The Saem Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel has now become my to go body moisturizer. It’s so easy to use and apply because the consistency is like gel to water. It’s like ice melting on your skin. Compare to regular lotions, it only takes a few seconds to apply and dry the product.



The packaging is also cute and ergonomically made. It’s easy to hold and dispense the product. It really works when you’re on the go.

It has a lemon scent, which I actually don’t like. It’s like the lemon in car perfumes and not the real lemon. Since I was a kid I always get dizzy whenever I ride cars with lemon perfumes in it. But that’s just me. If you like (or doesn’t mind) this kind of scent you’ll definitely like Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel. Though the scent fades after a minute or two.

I tried using this as a face moisturizer but I got small bumps after few days of use and my face became so oily that I have to blot several times. I think it has an ingredient(s) that my face is sensitive at or it’s just too hydrating. So I tried using it in my body and it worked fine. The Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel penetrated quickly in the skin and it feels like a skin serum/essence afterwards, no sticky and oily feeling. It’s actually a perfect day body moisturizer for humid and hot weather. But if you live in a cold and dry place, I don’t think this will work. And when I say hot and humid it’s around 34-38 degrees Celsius with around 70-98% humidity.

But for overall hydration, if you have a dry skin like mine, it’s still not enough. You can still see dry patches in your skin minus the tight, tingly and itchy feeling. You have to use a more moisturizing product at night to protect and prevent your skin from further dryness.

The Saem Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel is a good alternative for aloe and bamboo gels if you live in a tropical country like me. It really saves you from that icky feeling during the day and still gives you a nice amount of skin moisture.

What’s your favorite Soothing Gel?

First post! (Yey, finally!)

I was looking for a light, oil-free day moisturizer for my face, since most of the available moisturizers in the market are giving me either a painful break out or a horrendous oily face. Looking for a day moisturizer is really challenging especially if you’re living in a country where it is very hot, humid, and polluted. And having an oily, dehydrated, and very acne-prone skin makes things even worse.

While I was doing my research—Google(ing) every product that I think will work—I found Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel in Althea. I was actually skeptical at first because this aloe gel is not made specifically for the face but it is actually a multi-purpose aloe gel like most aloe gels in the market. But still, I decided to give it a try since I can use it in my arms and legs if it will not work in my face.








Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel is also perfect as a body moisturizer because it’s a gel and not a lotion or cream, so it will never give you an icky feeling throughout the day. Trust me, this really works in Manila’s scorching hot and sticky humid weather. Since I always stay under the heat for work—though in shade—my skin usually gets drier and red but this product also helped my exposed parts moisturized and less irritated from the sunburn. FYI: this is not a sunblock and will not protect your skin completely from UV. So always wear your sunblock. ;) I also noticed that I itch less now from my dry skin and whenever I scratch my skin (I know it’s bad but I can’t help it sometimes *sigh* ) I don’t see that white scratch marks anymore.

 Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel product info:
According to Innisfree: “Contains 93% extract of Jeju organic aloe flesh. Aloe gel-like flesh inside the leaves contains more amino acid and moisture than its leaves and any other parts of aloe, which helps soothes the skin damaged from UV rays and heat while providing intensive moisture to the skin.”

 Ingredients:
ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, MADECASSOSIDE, CITRUS UNSHIU PEEL EXTRACT, ORCHID EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, CAMELLIA JAPONICA LEAF EXTRACT, OPUNTIA COCCINELLIFERA FRUIT EXTRACT, MENTHOXYPROPANEDIOL, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, WATER, CARBOMER, TROMETHAMINE, PHENOXYETHANOL



 Other use for Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel:

• If you don’t like sticky hand creams or lotions, you can make a DIY hand gel. In a small tub, mix a drop or two of your favorite moisturizing essence/serum and Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel. Mix it well.
• If you have a dry hair ends, you can apply it to the dry parts. It’s like a hair essence without the stickiness. Though you need to brush it several times.
•  If you have a mild rash, aloe can help soothe the redness.
• And many more. Just research what aloe can do for your skin. ;)

 Have you tried Innisfree Aloe Revital Soothing Gel too? What are your thoughts?