Skincare-holic's 2010 Avoid List

As requested by some readers, I decided it would be good to do up a list of products that did nothing for me, was a waste of money or made my skin sensitive (i.e. redness, burning/stinging sensation). As with all other skincare products, these products might do wonders for your skin but not work for mine. For the record, I have combination, sensitive, dehydrated skin. Click the product name/picture to see my review.

The Face Shop Salon Effect Pearl Collagen Mask Powder. 

The name and what it touts to do was what made me attracted to this mask. I thought I was going to get an at-home facial. But this mask burned and made my skin red. I washed it off after a minute as the stinging was just not tolerable. I notice that The Face Shop makes masks with a lot of perfume/fragrance in them. Perhaps the only thing worth getting is the Raspberry Slim and Life Collagen Eye Patch, which happens to be one of my 2010 favouites.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment

This was a total waste of money. Really, save your money and get a better scrub with better quality and quantity. The tube is tiny and it is not that cheap for just a few usages.

Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF50+/UVA28

This sunscreen was greasy on me, did not absorb well and made me look and feel like an oil mine. It was
chucked aside after a few usages. I'm sure there are better sunscreens out there. Such a waste as I always thought that Cetaphil was a good brand with dermatological background and not just merely marketing hype.

La Mer The Radiant Infusion

Another expensive product with no effects on my skin. This La Mer Radiant Infusion really burnt a hole in my pocket and I was praying hard that it would work. After this La Mer experience, I am convinced that nothing can be done with pore size (I already knew with all the articles out there, but I harboured some hope!) and I will not be wasting money again, regardless of what the next sales assistant says - this product was supposed to give radiance, clarity, minimise pores and tone skin. A good toner would suffice, I still don't get why there is a need for this product. Perhaps for some marketing reasons? The Hydrating Infusion would make more sense since it serves a more definite purpose but I wasn't going to burn another hole to buy a hydrating lotion/serum with a nice name - Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Lotion seemed cheaper and worked. I liked Creme De La Mer though and it is one of my 2010 favourites.

Proactiv Renewing Cleanser

I included this here because it didn't suit my skin. It made my skin sensitive. However, it might be good for oily, acne-prone skin, which it was designed for.  I don't hate this product but I avoid it now, even though I still have a good amount of it left.

Review: Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment

A while ago, I saw an advertisement on the Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment. I thought this might be a good product to try especially since I enjoyed the warming effect of the Kose Exfoliating Massage Gel.

I was quite disappointed with the Neutrogena Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Warming Treatment as I thought it didn't warm up a lot and the heat only lasted for a short while, making the effect seem a bit useless as I felt it wasn't warm for long enough to open up my blackheads for removal. Given Singapore's warm temperature, this product only succeeds in warming up to a few degrees which is very little, especially after a hot water bath.

The only saving grace is the little beads that can exfoliate the blackheads away, however this is present in all other scrubs so there is no need to get a warming treatment just for the scrubbing effects.

I find that this product didn't really work for me at all. I felt that it was a bit of a waste of money. I would suggest getting the Kose Exfoliating Massage Gel instead. At least it can be used for the entire face and warms up more and for a longer time.

Rate: 2/5

Review: Neutrogena Deep Hydrating Mask

Product Information:

It is an intensive facial treatment mask that replenishes and restores moisture for deeply hydrated and bouncy skin. Shaped to fit the face, each mask instantly boosts skin’s moisture level 12 times with a penetrating Vitamin C formula, leaving skin soft and dewy with a healthy glow.
-Provides instant and long-lasting moisturization
-Deeply hydrates skin cells to leave skin bouncy
-Improves skin texture to leave it soft and smooth with a healthy glow

 My review:

I really like the Neutrogena Deep Hydrating Mask. It is non-sticky and the mask essence is of a watery consistency, unlike most masks that have more sticky and thick essence. This mask is my all-time favourite mask and the mask that I will always reach out for whenever I need some extra moisture.

Niu Er once said on the Nu Ren Wo Zui Da show that masks with thick essences usually have lesser good ingredients which are beneficial for the skin as they contains thickening agents that make the essence more sticky. Some people like these thick essences but in fact, it is the same as using corn starch to thicken the sauce when you are cooking. So, I always prefer masks that are more watery or cream based (like La Mer).

So the Neutrogena Deep Hydrating Mask is one good example of a mask that does not have thick and sticky essence and it really does its job well. I have tried many kinds of masks, including My Beauty Diary and Watsons brand masks but the Neutrogena Deep Hydrating Mask still trumps all of them in terms of hydration (I will not compare this with La Mer as it is in a totally different price league).

After 15mins and massaging in the remaining essence into my skin, my skin is plump with moisture and does not feel like there is a film over my skin (this happens with masks with thick essences). It is easily absorbed and massaged in, and my skin does not feel heavy even if I follow up with my usual skincare routine. I always travel with a few pieces of the Neutrogena Deep Hydrating Mask as it provides the moisture my skin needs in dry cold countries or in the airplane or air-conditioned hotels that 'suck' moisture out of my skin.

Maybe one little bad thing is that this mask does not have eye flaps. i know some people prefer eye flaps but I am okay with not having them as I usually do stuff while masking

I think this mask is affordable at the offer price of S$1.95. I bought 100 pieces during the last offer (*No joke!!). The price seems to have risen to S$2.95 when I last visited Watsons, so I'm really glad I stocked up.

Rate: 4.75/5