Beauty Regime

Someone asked me how I was getting my skin so smooth.  I was about to answer Bobbi Brown BB cream, but honestly, when my skin's been bad, that BB cream has not been enough.  Not even the Kat Von D foundation, which is supposed to cover up tattoos, has been enough for the bad days.

And just saying thanks didn't seem right because they asked a genuine question.  So, here's the list in order of steps:

Rohto Hada Labo Oil Cleanser
Biologique Recherche Cleanser
Biologique Recherche P50 exfoliating toner
Paula's Choice exfoliating toner.
A313 Vitamin A pommade.

Rohto Hada-Labo Goku-jun Hyaluronic Milky Lotion 

Marcacuja Oil
Japanese sunscreen

Although I've spent more effort on skincare than might seem mentally balanced, I have to say, I got really sick of time and money spent trying to treat my acne and scars when I got them, which has been often, and decided to spent time and money on preventing them. Plus, if my skin is good, I feel good about myself, and if my skin is bad, I don't.  So, it's worth it for me.  

 And, thanks to two websites, www.skinandtonics.com, and www.carolinehirons.com, I finally, finally, finally got the answers I needed.  I have to credit these posts in particular: 
http://skinandtonics.com/category/guides/skin-care-guides/

I also love Caroline Hirons Cheat Sheets, which you can see to the right on her blog.  She has a fantastic, no-nonsense style that makes perfect sense.    

The thing is, my skin is also prone to the same cystic acne and dehydration of which the Skin and Tonics blogger complains, so I keep going back to her blog to freshen up my know-how.  That said, I do find her collection of products a bit excessive, so I've tried limiting my own choices to those most effective for me.  At most, I've added a backup exfoliating toner for an occasional change: Pixi Glow Tonic.  But as a rule, I'm not a fan of hoarding products and rotating them.  At most, a second version of the same thing should be enough for a break, not 4 or 5, and only for the 1 or 2 products you find most essential.  For me, that's the exfoliating toner.  So, I bought the Pixi Glow Tonic as a backup for days my skin felt a little too sensitive for the P50.   

Finally, there are budget versions of all these products, which I believe Caroline Hirons can give you on her youtube channel.  If you dig through the skinandtonics guides, you can find some budget options there too, like the Cerave Face Wash (didn't suit my skin, though). 

Should You Use Baking Soda For Acne?

Short Answer: NO!

Re the baking soda: DON’T DO IT. Contrary to what most people think, extreme cleansing such as you’d get with with baking soda, a household cleaner, by the way, can actually aggravate acne.  This is because you need some moisture in your skin to add a barrier to bacteria, irritants and infections.  Over-cleanse your skin, and you lay yourself open to more acne, not to mention rebound oiliness.

Don’t you want a perfect complexion like Jaehyo?  Bet you a 100 won his dermatologist and beauticians aren’t letting any baking soda near that creamy-smooth skin. 

Alkaline v. Acid

And, baking soda makes your skin more alkaline.  But, you actually want a your complexion to be at its natural 4.5-5.5 acid level because that acid mantle kills bacteria and protects you. If you make your skin more alkaline with a product like baking soda, you reduce your skin’s own protection against acne-causing bacteria. 

Source: http://www.balancedsaltsolutions.com/ph-ageing-page

Personally, I find images like this gross, but it makes the point. 

A Plan

What would help more for exfoliating and cleansing, is to use a cleanser with a skin-level ph, such as Cerave* followed by a salicylic toner and then a water-based moisterizer.  If your skin is really oily, try OCM instead of a regular cleanser to get it back in balance, but still use the salicylic toner and the water-based moisterizer.

Source: http://www.insonnetskitchen.com/the-oil-cleansing-method/

There are alternatives that I’ll get into in later post.  But yes, the basic mix is castor & olive. 

A Second Plan

Another alternative, should you want to do mask treatment, is plain yoghurt.  I recommend the full-fat from happy, grass-fed cows kind, because a happy cow will produce healthy dairy. For a yoghurt mask, after cleansing, just rub yoghurt into your skin - in fact, you can do this all over before you shower - and then wait about 20 minutes.  Then wash off, and continue with your skincare routine, salicylic toner and moisterizer. Yoghurt has the same ph level as skin, 4.5-5, and so it’s good for helping your skin to its perfect ph. 

We all need a happy cow in our lives.  

Conclusion

Don’t cleanse your skin with baking soda!  Just don’t.  Follow the basic skin care plan described above - I’ll write later on how to fine-tune it more - and strengthen your acid mantle so you can smile like Jaehyo here.

*With all products, patch test them first. Put a dab on your wrist or just by your ear where any reaction won't show, and wait 24 hours.  If you have sensitive skin, do it a few days in a row to be sure. 

Beauty Queen: Diane de Poitiers

If you're loved by a handsome king 17 years younger than you, and he gave you the crown jewels, spent all his free time at your house and signed his royal decrees with your name and his, you're practically his queen, right?  That's how Henri II viewed Diane de Poitiers, his maitresse en titre (yes, that was an actual court role), even though he was married already to Catherine de Medici, a woman his own age, and who was the actual Queen.  Yet the lovely, chic, and, it seems, unchanging, Diane, also known as Madame de Valentinois, entranced Henri, first when he was the "spare" after his brother the actual heir, then when he was the Dauphin, and continued to entrance Henri while he was King.  Diane never lost her hold on the king despite their age difference.  And, we are told, she never lost her looks nor glamour no matter her age. 

Frankly, even nowadays, a woman 17 years older than her boyfriend or husband is not that common.  Sure it happens, but, on the upside, we have things like Botox and Pilates and plastic surgery to keep us looking fresh and pretty enough for a younger man's notice. [Being super rich and powerful also helps.] What could a woman in the 16th century, a time notorious for dirt, smell, and short lifespans, possibly do to keep young?  And can we safely emulate her methods today to get the same results?

Let's see what HRH Princess Michael of Kent, Madame de Poitiers' descendant and biographer, has to say about her famous ancestor's anti-aging secrets.  

First, broth.  As in chicken or meat broth.  If you don't know the benefits of broth, find them here. Oh look: bone broth keeps skin and bones supple and healthy and generally improves digestion.  Smooth skin and flexible joints give an elegant, fresh appearance.  Healthy digestion strengthens the immune system, saving a person, and, crucially, their complexion, from debilitating illness.  

Second, lots of healthy exercise in fresh air.  For Diane de Poitiers, this meant a couple of hours horse riding every morning.  And horse riding improves balance, flexibility, and strength, while burning calories. 

Here is Diane looking sporty in an allegorical portrait by Francesco Primaticcio: 

Third, wash with cold water.  Really cold water.  Boosts the immune system, improves circulation - which helps keep your natural hair colour - and tones the skin and muscles. [Good luck with this one.]

Fourth, make your own anti-aging masks and hand treatments.  According to Princess Michael, Diane used melon juice, crushed young barley, and an egg yolk mixed with ambergris, a type of whale vomit. 

If you like the sound of that mask, and you can get the ambergris, which happens to look like this: 

 (picture via this wholesaler), try it. Or, you might just save some time and look at Paula's Choice for some masks and serums instead.  The real point is, use something, don't be lazy.  

Painting by François Clouet.

For the hands, Diane used a mixture of mustard, honey, and almonds, or simply lemon and sugar, probably as a scrub as well as treatment.  (It helps to have a maid to massage this in for you, and do other things like scratch an itch or pick up the phone.)  

Finally, fight gravity.  Diane de Poitiers did this a lot by riding and generally being physically active, but she also slept in as upright a position as possible, practically sitting up against pillows, to prevent creases and wrinkles in her face.

(This is Westie Lim. He's filling in for Diane since there is no portrait of her sleeping upright. )

With all these ways and means, Diane kept her looks and excellent health well into her 60s.  

Painting by Francesco Primaticcio.

Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice, which you should totally seek before trying any of these methods, especially horse riding, cold water bathing, and ambergris.  And be smart: do allergy tests for the masks and other things mentioned before grinding them up, mixing them, slathering and finding yourself exploding with hives.