Hallelujah! Nexcare 3M Acne Patches really WORK

When I first got wind of these, and for the life of me I can't remember where, I thought, "nah.. too good to be true". But online review like that of Supergirl's, and the great price of about RM4 for 7 patches at Watsons decided me on giving it a go.

That and the fact that I had two of those big cystic style pimples starting - on my forhead and chin - and would try anything short of exising them to prevent them from reaching maturity.

And hoorah! These babies actually work!

What they are
According to the Nexcare facebook page,

"This product was originally a medical dressing with 3M patented Tegasorb to absorb wound pus when nurses in Taiwan experimented cutting them into small pieces to place on their acne! The birth of yet another 3M innovative product: Nexcare Acne Patch."

Doesn't that just smack of "Eureka!" to you? I just love it.

Physically they are clear, slightly yellow silicone disks in two sizes (for this pack of 7 pieces).

How you use them
On cleansed and dry skin, before treatment products, moisturiser or makeup, place the patch stick-side down directly on the pimple you want to kill. Hold in place for a bit and it should stay on well enough. Apply treatment and / or moisturiser around it.

How well did they work?
Pretty darn well actually! I only used these at night (as a disc shape bump on my face would just be odd), and just one night was enough to greatly shrink the pimples down and have them on the run! Hoorah!

I also placed one over a pimple I had popped (yes, yes, I'm a bad girl) and this helped drain and heal it well overnight.

Where is it found?
You can find these in Watsons, and my guess is Guardian too (although I've never seen them there). There are intro packs of 7 pieces for about RM4, and there are full sized packs that are far more economical if you want to keep using these regularly. Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact number of pieces, or the price (sorry lah, getting old lah), but I worked it out and found the bigger packs to be more bang for your buck. But the larger packs were sold out at Watsons (what is with that place lately? Have you guys noticecd how poorly stocked its been?).

Update: The boxes of 36 patches are retailing at RM11.90

Superhero Product: Oily Girls, Salvation is Nigh!

I love this product. I love it so much I want to marry it and have little matte babies. At long last, the holy grail of my long quest to solve my oil-control problem is in my grasp. And bless them they sent me two tubes of it too. Yes ladies, OC Eight Oil Control Genius really does WORK.

Ok, not for the promised eight hours, but this is MY skin we're talking about here. My uncontrollable fount of grease skin. But this baby, this wonderful, wonderful baby.. it keeps my skin in control for almost FOUR hours. Yes! FOUR hours. Unreal! Unheard of!

How does it work? Why does it work? How well does it work? The full review is here. Go read it. You must.

Superhero: Anti-Redness Eye Drops

While anti-redness eyedrops can be used to hide the sins of the night before by clearing up those bloodshot eyes, they actually have a few alternative uses that make them a must-have in anyones beauty arsenal. Plus, it's cheap!
(Whassat you say? The pic is misleading? Sorry.. couldn't resist it. =P)

The brand name most commonly heard for anti-redness eyedrops is Visine (US), Eyedew (UK) or Eye-Mo (for Malaysians), but really any eye drop that contains tetrahydrozoline hydrachloride will work. The chemical functions as a vasoconstrictor - reducing the size of the veins in your eyes - thus minimizing redness. So, now you have your eyedrops, here's how it can be used (apart from lubricating your eyes that is).

Hide the blemish
The same chemical that reduces redness in your eyes, can also reduce redness in an irritated blemish. Simply pat the drop onto your skin and wait awhile for it to work. It won't completely eradicate the redness (your skin is a good deal less porous than your eyeball), but it will help reduce the redness and allow you to conceal the blemish more easily.

More intense eyeshadow
You could just use tap-water, but isn't this so much more convenient and hygenic? Simply squeeze a drop onto your brush, and dip it in your eyeshadow (on the side, so you don't spoil all of it), and apply for incredibly intense eye-colour. Applying shadows wet also really brings out any shimmer, metallic effect, or sparklies your eyeshadow may have. This also works fantastically with loose mineral eyeshadows. Plus, the glycerine present in most eyedrops helps to seal the eyshadows in place making them last longer.

Liquid eyeliner
Moisten an eyeliner brush, and dip into loose pigments to create an instant liquid eyeliner. Set the line with translucent powder, or with more of the dry pigment for budge-proof eyeliner that will last and stay in place until you choose to take it off. This has worked brilliantly on my oily skin, but I won't gurantee its staying power if you sweat or get caught in the rain as I haven't tested it yet.

Warnings
Because I'm recommending the use of this product, I feel a certain degree of responsibility for its use. I'm sure all of you read warning lables, but just in case - do not use this product in your eyes if you use contact lenses. Not even if you put it in before using your lenses. The eye-drops constrict blood vessels, thereby reducing the flow of oxygen to your eye. Contact lenses further reduce the amount of oxygen your eye receives. Using both at the same time could seriously damage your eyesight.

One more thing, just because it isn't red doesn't mean it isn't still infected. Be careful when using eye drops, hydrocortisone cream or any anti-histamine cream to reduce swelling and redness. The blemish may look better, but it's actually still there. You need to keep treating even though the symptoms are gone.

Superhero Product: Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel

This Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel is one heck of a superhero, and both Kahani and I love it to bits. There are just so many ways to use this gel!

I love using it on days when I only want a light moisturiser. As it's gel, it's non-greasy and is absorbed into the skin really quickly. It's also fragrance free with no added colour or alcohol, which means that it has less irritants, a great bonus for sensitive skin.

I also use it as one of the main ingredients when concocting my aspirin mask, and so far it's worked beoootifully. You can take a look at Kahani's recipe for homemade aspirin mask here.

And now that summer is here for those of you in the northern hemisphere (it's summer all year long here in Kuala Lumpur), I'd recommend you keep a tube or bottle handy when you hit the beaches. It's a great relief for sunburnt skin.

During a visit to Singapore last year (which always seems hotter than KL), my face was practically burning after a day out on Orchard Road. Fortunately, I brought a little tube with me (which I had cleverly chucked into the fridge earlier), so I slathered it on after cleansing. It really soothes the skin, and helps prevent it from peeling and getting all flaky. Lovely.

And ooh, guy friends have also said they use it as a hair gel. How more multipurpose can you possibly get?

FOTE also claims that their gel provides relief for insect bites, chafing, minor burns and so on, but I haven't personally tried the gel for those purposes, so no comments there.

In Malaysia, this aloe vera gel can be bought at most drugstores for cheap (below RM15). And it even comes in various sizes (brilliant people in FOTE, I tell you) for you to choose. From the huge 340gm bottle (which simply lasts forever), to the 170gm tube, to the travel-friendly 56gm tube (which goes,everywhere with me).

How else do you use this superhero gel? I'd love to know.

Kahani: Aloe vera gel also makes a great base for mixing with mineral foundation to make a tinted moisturiser.And for the UK girls, I found out that Holland & Barretts have a great AVG for reasonable prices.

Superhero Product: Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

Girls will understand (I hope) when I say that I try to match my bag to my outfit. Which means that in an average week, there will be a fair number of bag switching. At the very least, from working bag to weekend bag. And then back to working bag. Which means that not all of my stuff gets effectively transfered from Bag A, to Bag B, to Bag C.

Which means that I usually manage to leave makeup behind, be it my MAC Blot Powder for touch-ups, or my L'Oreal Delicieux MAT in True Rose blush, or whatever. Especially when I'm in a mad rush in the mornings (I am so not a morning person).

However, you will always, and I mean ALWAYS, find these Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets in my handbag no matter how devoid it is of other makeup items. (Lippies are a different story though, and for another day.)

I simply cannot imagine a day without these amazing blue sheets. Just so you know, I have pretty oily skin. And being a journalist means unpredictable hours and schedules. And I cannot face an insanely long day with an oil-slicked face. No matter how devoid it is of makeup, the least my face deserves is to be oil-free.

And these sheets sure soak up every last atom of oil and grease off my face. For that, I deem these blue blotters worthy of a Superhero title.

Back from an outdoor assignment in the heat of the afternoon? Never fear, superhero blotter is here.

Priced at about RM8.00 for a pack of 60 sheets, this Superhero can be purchased at most drugstores in town. My little trick is to stock up during sales when it can go for as low as RM5.00 a pack, to ensure I never run out of blotting superpowers!

Superhero product: Vaseline

My little tub of Vaseline has done a fair bit of travelling. Everywhere I go, it goes.

Why?

Because I consider it my superhero product. This little tub of petroleum jelly can be used as a lipbalm/gloss, spot treatment for really flaky skin, stubborn makeup remover etc etc etc.

Beauty blogger Jen even uses Vaseline when cleaning up her eyebrows.

I love that a huge tub can purchased at almost any drugstore for pretty cheap and I am sure the list of how Vaseline can be used can go on and on.

How do you use Vaseline? I would love to know.

Kahani: It's great for dry cuticles and hangnails too!

Superhero product: Johnson's Head to Toe Baby Wash

What makes a product a "Superhero"? To qualify as "my hero", it must:

1. Have multiple superpowers
2. Able to come to the rescue in times of need
3. Look good, smell good, feel good.
4. Be available and affordable (sorry no superhero analogy there).

Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash meets all the above and more. A discovery I'd never have made without the lovely and resourceful ladies at Makeupalley (MUA), this miracle product is a must-have staple with me in all my globe-trotting adventures.

To discover its superpowers

Multiple Superpowers
This baby certainly has super product power! It is my holy-grail (MUA speak for the product that will end the search for perfection) daily facial cleanser. Rubbed onto a dry face it dislodges all but the most stubborn of waterproof mascara and eye liner. A second wash (I subscribe to the two-step cleanse regimen) cleans up the last traces of makeup leaving my oily skin squeaky clean. It is also part of the daily routine that has solved my acne problem (will post more on that later).

The wash also functions as a weekly clarifying shampoo, shaving gel, makeup brush cleaner, and (of course) a body cleansing gel - eliminating the need for many expensive products. Of all the above functions, I only stray from it as a body wash because I do so love my bath-time indulgences.

To the rescue
This product is also my saviour when I travel. Its multiple uses enable me to get past those pesky liquid travel restrictions, even in the incredibly strict UK airports. As a believer in the one-bag travel rule that enables me to by-pass luggage check-in (saving me time, and money) any product that helps me save luggage space is certainly, my hero.

When hopping across Europe, I have also used the detergent to hand-wash laundry and as a bubble bath.

Look good, smell good, feel good
Okay I'll grant that it's not the prettiest of products, but it isn't that embarassing either. And it certainly smells good! It has a light fresh scent with warm undertones that remind me of chocolate apricots. And as a cleanser and shaving gel it feels good going on and leaves skin clean without residue or dryness.

Available and Affordable
More of a problem than you'd realise unless you move countries every few months is finding the same product in the same formula. Johnson's is an international brand that should be available almost everywhere (although in Scandinavia, it's known as "Natusan") and in the exact same loveable formula. And of course, it's affordable... even in pricey England. I bought 2 large bottles (with the pump) for under £3 at Boots thanks to a BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free) deal.