Swathy

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo {Product Review}

Swathy · July 2, 2011 · 13 Comments

I am a big fan of the skin care line by Biotique but the hair care line is more of hit and trial. I have used the Biotique Musk Root and it was fab. I have bought the Henna powder but did not use it yet. And, I also have the Watercress Conditioner which is amazing and I also bought the Mountain Ebony Hair Serum which I am not sure I like or not. The shampoos overall have not impressed me at all. I have used the Green Apple, Walnut Bark, Soya Protein and Kelp (which I am reviewing). And, none of the shampoos have really impressed me. The reason I bought Kelp was that it doesn’t have any SLS as opposed to all other shampoos which has SLS.

Price: 159 INR for the bigger bottle

My Experience

This is probably one of the few shampoos in the market which doesn’t have SLS in it. So, I was very much attracted to the product. But, unfortunately, my experience with the shampoo wasn’t so great. It did clean my hair thoroughly but left it feeling squashed and limp and I wasn’t at all satisfied. It felt a little rough and dry too. I am not sure it will suit oily hair coz I think it will leave it looking completely limp. So, overall a disappointment!! I also wanna get rid of the shampoo (any takers :D).

My Recommendation

I would not recommend any of the Biotique shampoo to any one. Their masks and scrubs are amazing but the shampoos are not at all good. A sad thing for me to say coz I really love the brand!!!

Steam and Skin {Skin Care}

Swathy · July 1, 2011 · 7 Comments

Of course, you must have heard that steaming is amazing for your skin. Well, yes, it is. Why? It deep cleanses the skin by removing the dirt from the pores. One can make the steaming process exciting by adding herbs to it like tea tree oil for acne prone skin, eucalyptus oil for people prone to headaches and cold or even tea leaves for a simple refreshing feeling or you can give yourself an aromatherapy session by adding essential oils to the water. Apart from just simply hydrating the skin, the essential oils would also work on your skin and provide various benefits depending on the ones you have used. But, there is a time limit for the steaming process too.

Dry Skin: 1-2 minutes (at max 3)

Normal / Combination Skin: 5 minutes

Oily Skin: 10-15 minutes (depending on the dirt clogged in your pores)

Now, one more thing to remember is that steaming your face is not a routine work. It is a therapy and like all therapies, it should be done regularly for maximum results but not daily.

Dry Skin: once in 2 weeks

Normal / Combination Skin: once in a week

Oily Skin: at max. twice in a week

The reason why I have combined normal and combination skin is because of the fact that combination skin has both dry and oily areas. So, if taken for less time, the dirt and oil in the clogged pores wouldn’t clean well and if taken for more time, it will lead to patchy areas.

Beware of taking steam more often than necessary. Why? Excess of everything is bad and excess of steaming will cause your skin to become dry and dry skin is more prone to aging. Regular steaming is advisable for clearer skin. So, stick to the time lines and be regular to reap the benefits.

One more word of caution for people under 25 who think they have not yet reached the age of aging. Aging is a process and not an age. It can begin at any time depending on various factors like your hormonal balances, your diet, your skin care routines, medicines and supplements taken by you and finally on the environmental factors like sun, rain, wind, pollution, dirt, time spent in air conditioned environments and dependency on technology and gadgets. So, if you think that since your skin is not aging right now, a little deviation form the skin routine is possible. Think again. Everything you do with your skin will show once you reach the age of 35. So, it is best to start taking care of it at whatever age you are.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer {Product Review}

Swathy · June 30, 2011 · 2 Comments

The moisturizer is supposed to be followed after the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth and Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic. Before starting on with the review, I would like to say that my skin reacts very differently to the moisturizers as opposed to other skin care products. They either make me sweat or leave me dry. I don’t know why my skin behaves so errant in case of moisturizers. You must have seen a conspicuous absence of reviews on moisturizers except Dabur Gulabari which I liked more as a hand cream and Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing Lotion which suited me quite well but only after quite a few hit and trials as I have mentioned in my review.

And, to write this review, I have taken almost a month because I was confused whether I liked the product or not. Many hit and trials were again in the order because I simply didn’t feel like writing it off and I sincerely believe that moisturizers are something you can’t give an instant opinion on. Kindly check for the prices and other product information on the Liz Earle website. And, I am also very grateful to Andrea for being so patient with me and allowing me so much of time to post my opinion on the product.

Ingredients

I have the smaller sample version of 15ml so the ingredients are not listed. So, I shall just mention the ones which are key ingredients: Borage and Avocado Oil, Echinacea, Beta-Carotene and Natural Vitamin E.

My Experience

I have the moisturizer suitable for combination/oily skin. Since I have told that the skin tonic was too heavy and felt sticky on my skin, so when I followed the moisturizer, my skin had become sticky and oily. And, to top it, I had taken out a very huge quantity of the product so overall, my first time was a disaster. Then, in the consequent uses, I understood that only a half pea size amount of the product is actually necessary for the entire face and neck. But, I could still not continue using the moisturizer on the skin tonic. So, I started using it with simple green tea. I sprayed green tea on my face and followed up with the moisturizer.It felt very light on the skin and not at all sticky. It made my skin soft and supple and kept it that way till the next wash whether applied in the morning or at night. I am not sure of the repair it had done on my skin coz my skin is just as it was. But, probably it did preserve my skin coz lately I haven’t been eating and sleeping properly at all (which is a very bad thing!!!) and still my skin feels soft and chubby like it was. But, the fine lines under my eyes are just like they were and not sleeping properly is not really helping them so I am not going to blame the moisturizer for that. Though, I had the oily skin variant of the moisturizer but I felt it was a little heavy for my skin otherwise nothing wrong with it. May be I am using a bit more than what I should.

My Recommendation

Yes, it is a nice moisturizer but price is a downfall!! And, you would love it once you come to know the amount of moisturizer you need for your face and neck. A bit more and it will become heavy otherwise you wouldn’t feel like you have applied anything on your skin which is something very few products can do.PS: Product sent by brand for consideration.