Swathy and Sky

You are here: Home / Archives for Beauty

Beauty

Why do natural products break you out? {Skin Care}

· · 13 Comments

Have you started using a new product which has instantly led to breakouts on the skin? When you start using a new product, it is always advisable to do a patch test so as to know beforehand whether the product is going to suit your skin or not. Let us be frank and say that we often assume that the product is going to work and do not do this patch test. In over-the-counter products, not doing a patch test doesn’t really make a difference because almost all the products contain same ingredients and do not affect the skin adversely. The problem starts when you either use an entirely natural product or a medicated drug prescribed by the dermatologist for anti-aging purposes or for addressing the problem of wrinkles or even acne. These are highly concentrated products. In such cases, a patch test done on the hand may not be effective so it is advised to do the patch test on the skin behind your ear.
  
Potency of the product and its effect on the Skin
The medicated products have high concentration of chemicals which are useful for the skin but in higher doses, these useful products may well become harmful. For example, retinoids are great for wrinkles but cause photo-sensitivity and can also make the skin sensitive if used too often and at wrong time. So, read the product literature properly and use the products only when advised. Such products are restoratives are usually supposed to be used at night and compliment with other products so that the concentration of the products is not too high. In case of medicated drugs, do not dilute the products. Just use less of the product to make your skin used to the product.
Similarly, if you have a natural products which is made up of original essential oils, your skin may react to the high concentration of EO’s. In such cases, it is always best to go from a lower dose to a higher one. You can dilute the product with other complimentary product and use it on the skin. When your skin gets used to that concentration, you may increase the concentration to a higher level or continue using at the same level if you see benefits.
Acceptance of Product by the Skin
When we keep on changing the products very often on our skin, our skin sometimes becomes really sensitive and stops accepting new products and reacts in the only possible way it can – by breaking out. Thus, if you skin is showing any such behavior, review all the products you have lately used and stick to ones which compliment each other.
Also, if you are trying out a new product, do not change it as soon as it break you out. It might be just a phase of skin where skin is getting used to the change in the product so give your skin a little bit of time to get adjusted and decrease the amount of product you use as I have mentioned in the above case. Test out the product for a month at least before discarding it. Generally, a rest period of two to four weeks is required to determine if your skin is accepting the new product or not. If after that, there is no change, you should definitely discard the product.
And, also remember, consistently changing the product can also cause your skin to become sensitive and unreceptive to the new products you introduce to the skin. So, keep your skin care routine simple and minimal.
Did you face any such problems with any product you have changed?

Garnier Light Fairness Face wash {Product Review}

· · 9 Comments

Price: Rs 70 (I guess!!!)

Ingredients

 

My Experience

Ok, so my first experience with the face wash wasn’t very good coz it always used to dry my face. As far as I remember, this is my second purchase of the product and I wasn’t very keen on using it either. Anyways, so when I first used it, the result was same – it used to dry my face horribly. My skin used to feel stretched and tight. So, obviously, I stopped using it. But, then, I had to take this one along with me on one of my short tour. And, since I went to Bangalore at that time, the results were completely different.My face wasn’t dry at all. Instead, it looked soft and visibly brightened and I needed to follow with the moisturizer but it wasn’t that necessary either. And, then, again I went back to colder climate and the result was a bit of dryness. So, the conclusion is that this face wash works only in tropical and coastal climates. So, if you have dry, mature skin or live in colder climate then this is not a product for you. Otherwise, it might be a good buy.But, let me warn you about the fairness claims that its not so great!!! Just a little brightening. If you want a fairness face wash, Lakme Perfect Radiance gives better results. And, this doesn’t remove tanning, either!!!

PS: Ok, so why is the packaging torn from the middle. Check out in the last pic, you will find how much of the product is wasted!!! And, since I like to get the maximum out of my money, I always make sure to cut the packaging from the middle (if possible) and use up the remaining product. Imagine every product of yours gets wasted in almost similar amounts so whether it is a face wash or a face pack or a scrub or even moisturizer, try to cut the packaging and use the product which you can’t squeeze out!!! And, this left over product served me around 5-6 face washes :O
Also read reviews from the same brand:

Garnier Wrinkle Lift Anti-ageing Cream

How do I control my temptation to splurge?

· · 18 Comments

We are all humans and we get tempted. As the saying goes “Temptation is the curse” and it happens to the best of us. So, I just wanted to share how do I control mine?
  • I have my priorities listed regarding the products I try. For example, I am not even an amateur in makeup so that saves a lot of my money!!!
  • I have only a few categories of products which attract me. For example, I like to dabble in face masks a lot but not all face scrubs snatch my attention. I like to try out hair masks which are supposed to be applied before shampooing as I feel its a better value for your money and gives better nutrition to your hair and saves me a lot of time too in the bathroom!!! I do not generally get attracted by face washes and least by face moisturizers but then, I do like to switch body and facial oils. I hope you get the general idea.
  • Not all brands attract me!!! For example, I have never bought a VLCC or a Jovees or even Shahnaz Hussain (I bought one but it was so horrible that I returned it at once, it was a sunscreen, sorry for the strong words but I can’t be gentle about that product) coz they don’t simply seem effective enough for me. Then, there is Fab India which initially attracted me but whenever I go to their stores, I come out empty-handed. And, then, there is Biotique which is pretty much a debatable brand but still I like its products simply coz they attract me and also, they work for me. I wouldn’t talk about Lush, TBS and other high-end brands coz I don’t have that much of pocket size. A few splurges during my birthday and spirit uplifts is different though 😀
  • So, list out the brands which really attract you and you feel will work on you. No point spending on brands which do not attract you but you have read good things about unless it addresses some specific skin issue you might have.
  • Another priority is the ingredients or natural products. I tend to go for herbal products more so you would find more of Biotique and none of Neutrogena unless you are talking about sunscreens. So, decide if you are comfortable with having certain ingredients in your products!!! For example, I am fine with parabens but not with SLS/SLES in my face wash or shampoo and I am still searching for a good shampoo.
  • Ok, here is another thing about ingredients. If a product claims to have sandalwood and saffron at a mere pennies cost then you can be sure its hardly there. After all, saffron is the costliest spice in the world!!! And, then the gold scrubs or diamond facial kits at a cost of Rs 500 – 1000 doesn’t make sense to me. I do not find those products genuine so I tend to skip such products.
  • Spending money has become even more easier with the online shops available which deliver goods to our doorstep and you can order at one click so you should be extra careful there with the credit cards and other forms of smart money you have!!!
  • I am a patient shopper most of the times. As I said, not many brands attract me but when something catches my eye, I try to spend sometime mulling over the product and deciding if its worth or not unless its something very much affordable. I try not to spend even 50 bucks unnecessarily. No, its not caution or miserly tendency but its about not accumulating unwanted products and then forced to use them!!!
  • I don’t know if this works for you or not but I have noticed that when I do not do impulse shopping, generally, the products, more or less, work for me. That is one of the other reason why I try to avoid impulse shopping.
  • And, there is one more thing. There are some products in the market which are worth their prices so splurging on them makes sense because they really do wonders to your hair and bodies. One of such brands is Kerastese which I desperately want to try but the price ranges are too huge so I am saving up for it 🙂
These are somethings which I consider when I spend money. But, when it comes to reviewing of the products, I am generally more open to options but I still have my own priorities listed in that too. Reviewing well-known brands is safe but I do tend to take my time when I am considering new brands and a lot depends on how much they attract me too. Temptation does play a part, after all 😉
How do you spend and splurge?