Pink and Undecided: sensitive skin

Food4Skin 16 : M+ Madecassoside Cica Cream and Mask (SPONSORED)

Hey guys!

Okay, before we even get into this post, lemme declare my love for Centella Asiatica *LOL*, no seriously i begin to think that this leaf is a magic leaf because my skin loves products with Centella Asiatica so much - and so does hunny's skin even though he has very very different skin type from mine! I think it's definitely a heaven sent ingredient to save all of our skin from all kinds of problem T.T. Okay okay, before i sound like i'm trying to start a cult for Centella Asiatica, let's move on!

Ofc today i am go review products that contains Centella Asiatic in them ^^ : imma share with your my thorough experience with Charis' own brand products : M+ Madecassoside Cica Cream and Mask!

Charis' M+ Madecassoside Cica Cream and Mask

If you follow my blog for a while now then you'd know that i just recently reviewed another Cica Cream (Cica Cream is a cream with Centella Asiatica as its base ingredient) that i absolutely love and raved about (you can read my review on Natural Derma Project Cica Bio-Placenta Cream here), but there is just one problem with that product : the price >.<. As much as i love the product, i know that not everybody has that kind of budget for skin care - this is why i was super duper excited when i heard that Charis has come up with their own brand of Cica products with much lighter price tag! I am hoping that it could be a substitute (or even replacement) for the expensive cream - and can it? Ofc you have to read on to know the answer :D!

The current line of M+ consisted of two types of products : the Madecassoside Cica Cream (comes in two sizes) and Madecassoside Cica Mask

I won't lie to you, i do have a favorite out of the two and that's what we're going to talk about first : it's the cream!

It claimed to be clarifying, lifting, relaxing and moisturizing. It is suitable for all skin types and can be used all over your face including your eye and neck area (i loveeee all in one creams like this so much! Saves me sooo much time and prevent me from not applying eye and neck cream out of laziness!) and even your body if you want (i'd use it on my face and neck only because other wise you'd be out of it FTL LOL)

This cream can be used daily, day and night time and also suitable to treat troubled skin such a acne prone/ridden skin or sensitive and irritated skin

As we grow older, skin can (and most probably) change too. I am currently in my mid 30s, and while i was younger i thought that i would probably deal with fine lines or early signs of wrinkles in my mid 30s, but trust me - there is no way you can predict what aging will bring to your future :)). I have no fine lines or any signs or wrinkle yet (touch wood, i don't want the choi!) but my skin has became l0x more sensitive (i used to have very oily skin with only black heads problem) and i also suffer from occasional hormonal adult acne, which i never had when i was younger - all of my problem seems to be the perfect candidate for this cream, yea?

Charis M+ Madecassoside Cica Cream - available in 2 sizes : 30ml (normal price IDR 278,000 but you can get it for only IDR 242,000 from my Charis shop) and 50ml (which is IDR 333,000 at my Charis Shop). Btw, for M+ products you will be charged local shipping so no need to worry about expensive shipping even though they are Korean products!

The M+ Madecassoside Cica Creams come in a simple, medical looking (which i absolutely love for my repairing skin cares coz somehow it makes me feel safe hehe) boxes with white and torquise color

Ingredient List

The creams are encased in a toothpaste-like chubby tube, very simple and no nonsense

I would describe the texture to be more like a thick gel as it is very light

It spreads super easily and gets absorbed into my skin like a dream. It is very very moisturizing tho so it does make my skin quite oily after a while, but not in a uncomfortable way - more like i know my skin is getting the best treatment it can get kind of way so i can even use it under my makeup (as it doesn't leave any greasiness nor stickiness behind), i just need to set it properly so my makeup can last all day without melting or breaking up.

I LOVE this cream! Now, i am not gonna sugarcoat anything, in comparison to the previous Cica Cream product that i used, i would say that if you do have troubled skin (acne ridden and or rough texture) then you wouldn't notice the improvement as fast as the twice as expensive product would (because i think the other product dries off my acne and white head as fast and one day while M+ takes about two days to do so), but the difference is pretty small and the benefits are very similar!

There are also other things that makes me prefer M+ than the other product other than the price, that is the packaging. I really am not a fan of jar packaging where you have to use a spatula or your finger to scoop out the product, these squeeze tube type really is a plus for me! Other than that, M+ cream also doesn't make my skin as greasy as the other product, but gives the same amount of (very high) moisturization, so in terms of comfortability on oily skin, M+ won again.

I have been using M+ Madecassoside Cream nonstop since i receive it, it really helps my skin to recover especially after my hormonal periods, allergy flares and post holiday skin (i brought it to my Jogja trip too and it really helps keeping my skin calm as my skin can act up during holidays due to change of temperature, dust, sun exposure, etc). I love it so much i consciously opt to use it day and night - normally i would only use these type of creams at night as i prefer creams that already contain SPF during the day, but i would suffer the hassle of having to add SPF on top just because i see skin improvement twice as fast when i use it twice a day.

Another thing about Cica creams is that i notice even though it speedily helps me with my acne/whiteheads problem, it doesn't dry out my skin at all (like most acne products can), instead it gives my dehydrated skin deep moisturization so my skin is very supple and youthful now!

And like i mentioned earlier, i use this cream on my hubby who has very dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin (he almost never get any acne on his skin and his skin is almost poreless so it has no texture) and it works just as wonderfully, leaving his skin deeply hydrated and mochi-like!

So it's safe to say that i stan this cream and i would highly recommend this to all skin type, i don't often have the confidence to recommend a skin care to everybody as all skin are different and might have different reaction to one product, but seeing how it works on both hunny and i.. i would actually tell you all to give it a try and i'm pretty confident that you'll like it as much as we do!

In love with M+ Madecassoside Cica Cream, it definitely has found its permanent place in my skin care routine and it's one of the rare skin care products that i would willingly repurchase with my own money!

Now let's talk about the second product : M+ Madecassoside Cica Mask !

So it has pretty much the same claim as the cream but as it is a mask, it's a lot more concentrated and potent.

M+ Madecassoside Cica Mask comes in a pack of 5 sheet masks, normal price is IDR 192,000 but you can get them for only IDR 167,000 in my Charis Shop, which making each sheet mask costs IDR 33,400, a pretty standard price for a medicated type of sheet mask

The pack comes in a white and turquoise box that is their signature colors

Ingedient list

I get this image from Charis' website but trust me, it is not an exaggeration, that IS how much serum each pack contains! So much that you can actually reuse the leftover serum to soak a tissue sheet in it and it will become another sheet mask! I personally prefer to use the leftover serum all over my arms and legs, it gives such a deep moisturization that even hunny's super dry legs becomes supple and hydrated!

As it is marketed to be used in compliment of the cream, it expected the feeling and result to be similar (but amplified) to the cream, but ofc i am always 100% honest with you and i have to tell you it's actually has very different result than the cream. Don't get me wrong, it's GOOD, and if you have dry or very dehydrated skin, your skin will THANK YOU if you use it - but i must admit that it is way too rich for my skin type and it overwhelms my skin.

The serum of this mask is really thick and i must say that it is the stickiest sheet mask that i ever tried >.<. I know that there are people who rinse their face with water after applying sheet mask (like Oline) because they have sensitive skin and if they do not rinse, they would have breakout. This never happened to me before. No matter how moisturizing and sticky the sheet mask i tried before, i managed to leave it be and i never had any obvious breakout afterwards. I tried to do the same with this sheet mask but after only half an hour or so, i just couldn't take it anymore and i had to rinse it off with water because it's so sticky and uncomfortable for me (it's also sticky on hunny's skin but not to point where it becomes uncomfortable).

I also immediately got a bump the next day after the next use, always a sign of a product being too rich for my skin. I didn't give up and decided to give it another try afer my skin calmed down *LOL*, this time i immediately rinse it off after taking the sheet off (FYI, even after rinsing the serum off, my skin becomes super oily and sticky only an hour or so later, this is how crazy moisturizing it is). On both times that i try the mask, my skin does become super smooth and velvety, but even after rinsing off immediately, i get a bump under my chin the next day - that is when i decided that the sheet mask is simply too rich for my skin.

I would say that the sheet mask is still amazing, it makes my hunny's skin suuuper good - so if you have normal, dry or dehydrated skin, i would highly recommend to give this mask a try. But if you skin is oily and sensitive like me, beware that it might be too rich for you - i would suggest you try the cream instead!

And that concludes my full review on both M+ Madecassoside products! If you are interested in any of them, don't forget to get them only at my Charis shop so you can save some bucks!

Also tell me, have you tried any Cica products? How do you like it for your skin? Do you agree with me that Centella Asiatica is amazing?

#Pink

5:02:00 PM
3 Comments

It’s not Magic, It’s Better, It’s Bio Oil!!

allergic skin cure

When #Pink told me that there's a blog writing contest held by Bio Oil, I jumped the gun and told her, “I’ll write something!!”… Been meaning to write about Bio Oil since the day it saved my face from the yoga mat accident (laying face down to dirty mat is a BIG NO NO, girls), but you know me, ~~laziness~~ work always gets in the way hehehe… But honestly I was just trying to find a good angle to tell my story, you know, since it’s a competition and all…

But universe, although helpful most of the time, surely has a twisted sense of humor... When I was contemplating how to best write this post, it gave me the final push I needed: another allergic reaction. Exactly like the one the yoga mat caused. LOL.

Apparently I’m allergic to dust. And mind you, I’m not being a cry baby, the allergic reaction is so bad, my face is swollen, reddish, raw, and the worst part of it all, the icing to the cake that is my sorrow *dramatic background sound*, it itches like mad. Sigh.

And with that cue *rubs palms*, here’s my story...

Hubby and I went to the mountains to attend German Shepherd International Sieger Show 2014 last weekend. Stayed in one of the hotels there. It was a very nice hotel, if you’re into vintage thing which I’m not, but regardless, it was spacious and most importantly, clean. It was, after all, the best hotel in the area. Long story short: we checked in, got a room on the 4^th floor, hubby didn’t like the view, asked for another room with forest view, got another room on the 5^th floor, walked up, met one room-boy whom said “but room 504 isn’t ready yet”, proceeded to wait in the room, found it clean and made, called the receptionist to confirm and he said “oh, the room IS ready, go ahead and have a good rest”.

So okay, I went ahead to nap, but the moment my head touches the pillow, my face started itching (should have listened to the room-boy *sigh*). Ignored it for a while, but when hubby started scratching too, I called the house keeping and asked them to change the sheets. Alas, the damage was done. My face was already swollen red, but knowing what to do this time, I immediately applied my trusty Bio Oil, massaged it in thoroughly and just in a matter of minutes, the itchiness subsided.

But of course, Bio Oil is no magic. It’s not one of those products which claims to whiten your skin overnight (imagine the amount of chemical it takes to do so *shudder*). Bio Oil takes its time to heal and turn my skin happy again. This time around the allergic reaction started on Saturday, and it’s now the next Tuesday and my face is no longer swollen or itchy, it’s still a bit reddish and raw (most part is peeling off now, seriously hard to restrain my finger from picking on it *sigh*), but it’s already so much better compared to several days ago, thanks to Bio Oil.

So!! Are you ready to meet my hero?

Bio Oil comes with a tuck-flap box and screw cap bottle.Orange is obviously the main color of this product (not complaining, LOVE orange!)

I guess they should add one more there: helps with itchiness caused by allergic reaction LOL.

They claim to be "non sticky" but in my case, my face gets a bit sticky and oily after application. This sensation lingers a bit, but then it's okay. Normally I'd put a thin layer of Bio Oil right after shower in the morning, leave it for maybe 10 minutes, then start with my sunblock and then loose powder to help with the oiliness...
At night I don't really care, I lather my face (and wherever I feel roughness on my skin) with Bio Oil, I'm going to sleep anyways, and I love how good it makes my skin feels in the morning.

Almost finish this bottle now.

It's light-orange-colored, but looks almost clear when poured onto your palm. It's a bit runny (so be careful when you pour it, I had some accidents when it dripped LOL), but with a little consistency. It's oil after all.

Now this is when I'm supposed to show you my before and after shots. However, please understand that although I'm a blogger, I'm a human first. Just like the next gal, I HATE taking photos of myself looking ugly LOL. I do have some photos we snapped during #Pink's birthday celebration, however they don't really represent the state of my face that night because #Pink's digicam had the soft skin filter on. LOL.

I also have to say that currently my face is STILL healing (from the 2nd round of allergic reaction), so the following photos are proofs from the first round.

See here you'll see my swollen face. It's 10x worse IRL.
Said this once and I'll say it again, whomever invented Camera360 and all those filters deserve special place in heaven. LOL.

My (swollen) bare face. No makeup. Just severe allergy reaction vs. Bio Oil.

Thank goodness I found Bio Oil because not long after I had to do a fashion show along with my fellow bloggers. As you can see here, my face is ALL OK. Some of you might say, yeah yeah, foundation hides everything, but let me tell you this, if your face is severely swollen and red and raw, no matter how good the foundation you're using, it won't help LOL.