Lesson 2: ACNE!!!! What is it, how to prevent it and debunking myths!

Hi guys! I'm back with yet another beauty lesson. This time around, I will be going through all the nasty stuff about ACNE.

Well, to say the truth, I don't have too much of an acne/pimple problem and I feel extremely blessed! However, I do get the odd pimple here and there and do try to combat my farm of black and white heads (ewww!) So when I attended the lecture, I was really eager to learn some tips and tricks and to share some info with you guys.

So...what is Acne?
I always separated the term acne and pimples/blackheads and sorts, and I was surprised to know that acne is the term for all of them!

Acne vulgaris, aka acne, occurs when the oil in your skin (produced to keep your hair healthy and protected) together with dead skin cells, clogs your pores. This clogging can cause blackheads, whiteheads and pimples/zits!

There is a certain bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, that feeds on the oils on our skin (yucks) and produces some by-products that are super irritating to our skin. This is when it gets inflamed, red and develops into pimples, with visible pus or without. 

So basically, the oilier your skin, the greater the likelihood of getting acne (girls, think when you get your period). Of course, it gets worse when you don't exfoliate or cleanse your skin regularly to get rid of the dead skin cells and bacteria. So it is very important to cleanse and exfoliate regularly to prevent or improve acne.

I do suffer a fair amount of blackheads mostly on my nose and chin and try to combat them by manually getting rid of them (aka squeezing). I have tried those nose pore strips but I'm no fan of those cos they hurt like hell and does nothing for removing the blackheads. booyah.

Anyway, to better explain acne, I invited Dr. Neal Schultz to have a little chat with us!

 
What I took home after class!

This nasty P. acnes bacteria can be killed by benzoyl peroxide, tetracycline group and other antibiotics and antibacterial components. Products with a suitable percentage of benzoyl peroxide will help kill the bacteria responsible for inflamed spots.

Blackheads and whiteheads can be cleared by using products with Salicylic Acid (AHA), Glycolic Acid (BHA) or both to have the best effect. These are chemical exfoliants effective in clearing the skin of dead skin cells and oil. Scrubs with tiny beads small enough to clean your pores can also have a good effect to remove dead skin.

To be honest, I have used a tube of cleanser with both AHA and BHA and felt that it did not do anything great for my skin. I'm not sure if I'm an anomaly or did not have a serious enough problem to see a difference, or I just wasn't paying attention to the differences! But I am much more concerned with the ingredients of products before getting them now, that's for sure.

Treatment and Prevention
As we now know that oil, bacteria and clogged pores causes acne, we can combat these problems with the right tools and products.

First, remember to exfoliate to remove excess dead skin cells. This will lower the chances of having a clogged pore. Same goes for the oil. The P. acnes bacteria lives off the oil on your face and by minimizing the oil, the bacteria cannot cause all the trouble! Also, don't touch your face with dirty hands!

Picking your zits incorrectly can bring you more pimples as you not only can push the bacteria deeper into the skin, but spread it elsewhere too! I remember back in the days when I used to pick at my pimples and more just popped out the next few days. I was left with scabs on my forehead and extra pimples (boo..). Fortunately, I have grown out of that bad habit.

Debunking myths
Acne cannot be cured!
Acne can definitely be cured. Topical treatments include topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide and exfoliants can help kill bacteria and dissolve the oil away from the skin. For a more severe case, oral antibiotics and Accutane can help drastically. Accutane stops your skin from producing oil, and if there is no oil, there is no acne!

You should not use makeup to cover acne.
You definitely can cover acne with makeup, but more importantly with the appropriate kind. Take note of the terms 'oil-free', 'water-based' and 'non-comedogenic' (does not clog your pores).

You shouldn't squeeze your pimples because it will cause scarring.
Not quite right. You really have to injure quite deep into the skin to cause scarring. The darkness and marks that we see after picking at our spots are more like discoloration and pigmentation than scarring. It will go away, but it takes quite some time and maybe products to make it go away quicker.

Eating chocolate will make you break out!
There is no scientific evidence that show that certain kinds of food can cause people to break out. It actually varies from person to person. Chocolate may be tested to make a person break out but scientific experiments have found no significance in it across the board.

However, consistent eating of food containing high amounts of iodine causes acne. Shellfish contains iodine but non-regular eating of it won't cause anything.

The best time to wash your face after sports.
Actually, it is best to wash your face before doing sports. This is because you most likely will use your hands to wipe the grime and sweat away and this action pushes the bacteria and dirt into your skin causing you to breakout. 

That's all I have for you guys!

Next lesson will be on Suntanning and SPF~

Lesson 1: Anti-ageing – Facts vs. Myths

Cheers,
HL

Blue Monday

HongDae/MMMG Anguk/Seoul 

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Life has a funny way of spiraling out of control. 

Monday must be the one greatest moderate villains in the universe.

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Nursing the Monday Blues,

Tiffany ☁

The Silver Yarn Project

This post is kinda like a shameless plug for my boyfriend's FYP (final year project) – The Silver Yarn Project.

The Silver Yarn Project is a youth movement celebrating stories of our seniors. No longer should we neglect the relationships we have with our elderly. Take the first step and learn more about them today.

When we say seniors, we mean our grandparents, or even our elderly aunts and uncles. 

In the modern age, it’s often too easy to attribute a lack of communication with our seniors to a generation gap. This is why we’re inviting everyone, especially youths to take the first step to speak to their seniors and learn about their lives.

As we listen to their stories, we discover parallels within our own lives. The same hopes as dreams, the same fears and insecurities. These remain across generations. The project aims to bridge the communication divide between the young and old and bring them closer.

Find out more at thesilveryarnproject.sg
And like them on their Facebook page! 

Cheers,
HL

Lesson 1: Anti-Ageing – Facts vs Myths

I have some interesting news. I am taking an elective science module – Beauty and the Myths – this semester in school! This module (by the School of Biological Sciences), like its title, demystifies the many beauty products and claims with scientific knowledge and backings.

As this module occurs once a week, I will be sharing the knowledge that I have taken home with you guys. I will not be including every single thing from the lecture, but more of what I think is relevant plus other more important info that I have researched on before sharing.

So let's get on with it!

Ageing Skin

When your skin ages, so does the connective tissue beneath it. When this happens, your skin loses strength, elasticity and a reduction of collagen production and hyaluronic acid (forming wrinkles). Oil glands produce less sebum and this makes it harder for the skin to keep moist, resulting in dryness and itchiness. A more mature skin also heals slower than younger skin making it more susceptible to infections. Our faces lose fat (and natural lipids that retain moisture) underneath our skins and sag.

The 7 signs of Ageing skin:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Rough skin
• Uneven skin tone
• Dull skin
• Visible pores
• Blotches and age spots 
• Dryness

It is widely-known that we should always protect our skin from the sun by lathering on sunscreen-laden products, or physically via an umbrella or hat. This is because sun damage contributes to almost 80% of skin-ageing where the collagen and elastin in skin are broken down due to the UV radiation (mostly from sun and also from artificial sources). It causes a premature ageing of our skin.


Mr. McElligott here has been driving his truck to work at the same timing almost daily. After almost 30 years, this was what happened. The side of this face that was perpetually exposed to the sun showed extensive skin damage. [Source]




Hyaluronic Acid (HA)
Important jelly-like substance that helps transport all the nutrients from your bloodstream to the skin and can be found naturally in the human body. They can be found in the highest concentrations around the eyes and joints. HA can be produced in the lab using bacteria and is used in food/cosmetics to help retain moisture and is crucial to the structural integrity of the collagen matrix in the skin. It is an effective topical humectant and is also mostly known as an effective moisturizer and some use it as a healing agent for burns, ulcers and wounds.

HA is also used as a filler for a less invasive cosmetic procedure that is temporary.

Popular brand that uses HA: Hada Labo

Collagen

Being a large complex protein, it is unable to penetrate the skin. Even fragments of it or smaller molecules are unable to go through the skin... which means... topical collagen has no effectiveness. 

Vitamin C, however, increases the production of collagen. But in order for it to work, you need a high concentration (expensive) of it and it needs to be in an acidic environment. Vit C is highly degradable and exposure to air (opening the lid of the product) exposes it to oxidization quickly. It is best to have a regular consumption of Vit C (not in abundance as it will only get washed out) in its natural form as it could be a source of anti-oxidant as well.

Other good-to-knows
"Dermatologist tested" or  "Clinically tested" can mean a whole many things. It could be that this product has been applied to a patient's skin in a clinic or a real clinical study. It gives the consumer an impression that the product is reliable and "tested".

"FDA-approved". When a product is FDA-approved, it has to mean that every step of the production of it is proven to be safe, valid and effective. However, cosmetics products are not allowed to include this approval in their labeling to prohibit against false claims or it acting as advertising.


Alright! That's all I have for you today. Hopefully it is of any use to you guys :)

The next lecture would be – Acne and Pimples.

Cheers,
HL

Seoul Edition : The Book Society

The Book Society - HongDae/Seoul

If it's possible, i'd like to have a quaint little shop just like The Book Society. I'll sell nothing but zines - zine of funny propaganda, zines of extended heartache and longing, zines of fascination and lampoons. They can be the most ordinary of things - of flowers, of cats, of trees, or stranger's backs; they'll all have a space one place, one day, in a little shop filled with people's tiny thoughts.

That's would be nice.

At meantime, I'll try my hand at making a zine... one day, one day. It can't be hard, right? Maybe one day, I'll find my little world condensed into zine form in a little shop somewhere, maybe here, waiting for curious guests to find it stacked amongst it's many shelves after hours of browsing and when

they stumble upon it they'll go

"Oh!".

That's exactly what my experience at The Book Society. An inspiring little place - a little whimsical and it's easy to get lost in. I spent a good hour browsing through their extensive collection and came home happily with the first issue of AVEC.

The Book Society

Mapo-gu, Seoul

Hapjeong 371-4102

(alight at Hapjeong Station, Exit 7, walk down Seungil-gil, turn left at 2nd alley)

Tiffany▲

Weekends : Nouvelle Vague

Originally, I wasn't planning on introducing the band. All I wanted to blog about was this song, which is, in my opinion, THE perfect tune for Sundays. Unfortunately I can't 'cos of the pesky copyright hawks that have swept all available audio copies of the song off the internet so... here we are.

Nouvelle Vague - which means "new wave" in French, à la the eponymous 60's "new wave" French cinema movement (hence the sexy french cinema screen sirens on the covers)  is a band that does bossa nova covers of punk rock, post-puck music popular back in the days. I feel a little need to introduce the band simply because i'm sure it'll make your sunday better! Like pancakes-in-the-morning-better. Sweet la-dolce-vita better. 

Nouvelle Vague - Making Plans for Nigel

Have a good day!

Tiffany ♫

Etude House: Baking Powder Cleansing Foam Moist / Holika Holika Baby Bloom Foundation

I finally ran out of my huge bottle of Philosophy 3-in-1 facial cleanser, and honestly it was quite average for me. And so I went on a facial cleanser hunt on Qoo10, formally Gmarket Sg! If you are in Asia and have no idea what is Qoo10, here's a clue.

Recently, I'm quite into Korean/Japanese cosmetics and skincare and I somehow feel that they suit our asian skin better (and they are more affordable!). Searching through pages and pages of Korean brands from the trusty seller – World Cosmetics, I decided to try these two items.

Etude House Baking Power Cleansing Foam Moist and the Holika Holika Baby Bloom Foundation in 02. I received two sachets of Etude House Milk Talk body wash in 'Choco'.

Etude House Baking Power Cleansing Foam Moist

I have heard from beauty YouTubers about the powder of baking powder as a gentle and effective exfoliator and I was so excited when I came across this product! There were many highly recommended reviews on the item site and I had to get it. I got myself the Moist version, which comes in a pretty peachy pink tube (as compared to the normal version which is a blue tube) of 150ml. That is a lot of product! Another thing that I like is the light fresh scent that reminds me of Gatsby products.

The product creates quite a dense foam, which I think gives a good clean into the pores.

I am a week into using this and so far so good! I was having breakouts on my cheeks probably due to the excessive eating of festive goodies >< and I feel that this leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean but not totally striped of moisture. I also have been using the Hada Labo hydrating lotion after!

Cost: SGD10.60 inclusive of shipping from Korea
Price in Etude House outlets in Singapore, definitely higher, at SGD16.90!

Next up! Holika Holika Baby Bloom Foundation with SPF 30 PA++

What caught my attention when I first saw it was: Oh wow, it's in a big bottle. This foundation, costing SGD15.40 contained 45ml of product. That is quite a bit for foundation! I quickly swatched it and it smelt like....BABY. Baby powder to be exact :S It's not an off-putting smell to me but it could be a little strong for others. The smell fades off relatively quickly.

The consistency of this product is likened to a BB-cream – not too fluid and more 'gel-like'. The darker option #02 is still too light for my complexion, and so I use half a pump of this and the other my Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (which I felt was a little too dark as it oxidises).

This foundation when used on its own, is quite thick and hard to spread around the face especially if you have a dry complexion. It works best over a well-moisturized face. Coverage-wise, it has quite a medium to high one. I love that it has SPF 30 PA++ which means I can use a moisturizer without SPF in it when I like!

Overall I am enjoying this foundation when I mix around with other ones as it is too light for me :( However, it does not leave my face too dewy and yet not too matte. Will update as I use more of it!

Frank Ocean/Tame Impala

We're a week + 1 day into the new year and I hope everyone still feeling fresh and new! Never mind if the weather's kinda crazy these days. (It never behaves the way we want it anyway, no?)

As we move further and further away from the beloved 2012, the cool quotient of things discovered in 2012 plummets faster than you can say 'last year' and fades into a dark oblivion, until someone else points it out and make you realize, oh, I really did miss out on some really good things in 2012 huh? This lag normally takes a good 6 months to culminate but I'm feeling it right now, 8 days into the new year. 

I first heard Frank Ocean's Channel Orange someday in  2012 and didn't thought much of it. When it came out tops in many of the "Album of the Year" lists, I gave the album a second spin and finally understood why it's good. Channel Orange sounds like a more subdued and minimalistic version of Neptune's sleek jams and riches that once dominated airwaves circa 2003-2004. If the R&B of those years were an endless MTV of luxurious lifestyle of champagne and candy girls, the first half of Channel Orange exists as an honest introspection to the vanity and emptiness of the obscenely rich (Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Sierra Leone) while the second half laces the usual drugs, sex and a stinging heart with references to really spiritual stuff (Monk, Bad Religion, White). Whoa pretty deep there isn't it. Impressive or what? Great story-telling matched with a great, great voice. 

Tame Impala's Lonerism ranks high in 2012's lists and I'd recommend "Elephant". I'm not a big fan of the rest of their songs but Elephant gets my feet tapping all the time! Forgive me for saying this but I think the lead singer sounds like John Lennon. I always imagine the Beatles jamming to this tune in their preppy suits, which is funny, 'cos unless the Beatles are floating in space, the image really doesn't go with Lonerism's psychedelic soundscapes. 

Listen to Channel Orange here and Lonerism here.

Tiffany♫

Hair care update: Garnier Neril Anti-dandruff shampoo saves the day!

Last July, I wrote a post about my dandruff problem and a possible shampoo that I thought would solve my problem. The Dermaveen Oatmeal shampoo, albeit super-duper nice smelling and left my hair light and clean, did not solve the problem. I continued to have dry flakes, mostly concentrating on the top of my skull and forehead.

But now, about 6 months later, I come back with some good news. I have possibly found a shampoo worth raving about for my scalp condition. I don't suffer from an overly oily scalp and I would say I have a 'combination-type' scalp. It is occasionally more oily and on some days it is dry (and gets even flakier). I have been using this particular shampoo for a few months now and am onto my second bottle. To tell the truth, it works. My hair is (I would say) more than 90% clear of dandruff (not that I had a severe problem in the first place).

My miracle shampoo is....(cues drumroll)...

The Garnier Neril hair treatment SHAMPOO ANTI-DANDRUFF shield in frequent usage.

The shampoo comes in a 200ml bottle, quite little for a frequent-wash shampoo, but I guess it adds to the credibility and pow-wow factor. It surprisingly lathers quite easily and has a slightly medicated scent to it. It does not, however, leave me with the most luxuriously silky hair but nothing a little conditioner won't fix! Now that my scalp is much more stable, I tend to deviate shampoos once every two days (so I don't use it up as fast!).

It comes also in a tonic form to up the game to the next level. Garnier Neril also does a hair fall series so don't get mixed up by the similar packaging!

I'm so glad to have chanced upon it while browsing through the Venus Beauty nearby, and purchased it at SGD5.50 for a 200ml bottle. If you're in Singapore, and want to try it, check it out at the various supermarkets/Watson's/Guardian/Venus Beauty!

Hope this helps!

cheers,
HL

Good Morning!

Good morning! Sundays are great for pancakes with really liberal amounts of berries and syrup. 

Have a sweet, sweet day!

Tiffany ☀

LC-A Korea

Taken with LC-A/Lomography CN400

Spent a good 9 days with the family in Korea and I thereby conclude that I'll never travel in winter again. My tropical body just can't take the cold! I reached a new level of sloth by relying mostly on the LC-A throughout the trip, simply because it was just wayyyy to hard to adjust lenses and settings on the DSLR with gloves! Thankfully, the pictures on film turned out to be more amazing than it could ever be.

For film of choice, I used Lomo's Color Negative 400. The bluish tint of the film gave a very nice contrast against the frost and accentuated the blueness of the sky. The richness in color could also be a result of the very vacation-friendly LC-A - the camera is the King of Vignettes! All in all, I think it's great film to use, especially if you like your pictures bright and blue. Really happy with the photos :)

Tiffany☃

Drinks on me

Hand-dripped Latte at Alice&Dorothy (Hongdae/Seoul)

Drinks at Maison Ikkoku 

Tea (& new specs!) at Henry Congressional on it's last day of operation

Happy new year lovelies! Sorry for the short hiatus. The whole of December was split between exams, birthday preparations for my man and a long, snowy holiday in Korea. 

1) 

Korea has a really strong coffee-drinking culture. There are so many coffee houses everywhere in the city! It's been said that Alice&Dorothy has the best hand-dripped coffee in Seoul.....but I was pretty disappointed. Which was such a waste since it's such a nice little cafe! A more detailed post up soon!

2)

Had a drink at Maison Ikkoku on new year's eve before heading out for the annual firework outing. I really like that place. It could be the false sense of intimacy that the no-menu principle brings - the bartender concocts a unique blend according to your tastes and safe to say, the drinks were really palatable. Or, it could be the odd emptiness during my hour of visit, or the dim lighting that seemed perfect for a little swirl of the wine glass and candidness.

3)

2012 was the year I learnt to drink tea. I thank the English weather for leading me down that path and pssst, i'll make a little confession - I'll pick tea over coffee anytime. I hope to be drinking tea (or coffee) with more people this year! 

Getting my blogging momentum back!

Tiffany ✌