NEW EDIT: WHY IS THERE... A STAR ... A ⭐.. S.T.A.R....  ON MY BADGE?????????🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩❤❤❤❤❤   I CANT BELIEVE IT!!   
THANK YOU PICKY SQUAD...I never meant to use my misfortune as a gain, but... but... looks like star has aligned for me! 🥰   

i was only sharing a skincare tip for desperate times, hoping someone else might benefit from it. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Original story:  i was diagnosed with covid19, and has been staying in hospital for almost 2weeks, everyday fighting for a gasp of air & live. 

my o2 count has been very low for weeks, and what's worse, the chest hacking cough which was part of the "deal"  just sapped whatever vitality out of me.

just wanna say that my lip balm saved my skin from being ripped. 

every night, the only thing i did was to apply thick coat of moisturizer all over face, around eyes, and then topped with 3cm of lipbalm....i also didn't hv any other toiletries with me. 

so here are some uncensored pics of my ugly mug. 😉

oh and i inserted 2 pieces of tissue over my face before doing a double o2 breathing device to further reduce chaffing when i cough, which slides the plastic mask around my skin further tugging at it. believe me, those 2 stupid looking tissues helped!

chaffed skin from wearing double oxygen masks

I have oily/sensitive skin that tends to get easily irritated/dehydrated due to rosacea & acne.  I’m also a using various actives and acids to help treat multiple skin issues.  Those actives can sometimes cause skin dryness and random bouts of irritation.  That’s why I NEED skin-friendly toners in my life.

To me, a great toner must not only provide deep hydration, it must also be able to boost skin barrier functions to help protect, sooth, calm inflamation & heal.

As I love applying them all over my face, eyes and lips, I need them to be formulated WITHOUT:
🚫drying alcohols
🚫essential oils - im sensitive to a lot of EOs.
🚫fragrances - can trigger more irritation when my skin is not in good condition 
🚫AHA/BHA - i love them, but not on eyes & lips, and certainly not for everyday use.

💜 Say hello to my new HG...TIA’M VITA B5 TONER checks all of my above requirements ✅

➡️ TEXTURE: thick, slippery waterbomb with just the perfect amount viscosity to be applied with my palms. glides smoothly.

➡️ ABSORB: surprisingly quick for a plump juicy full-bodied toner

➡️ LAYERS: 3 to 5 layers. i also like to soak a compressed sheet mask with this toner and let it sit on my face for 5mins. This calms my flare-ups so much, leaving my skin feeling chok-chok without feeling tacky. 

➡️ SMELLS LIKE: faintest whiff of green apples+berries.  disappears immediately

➡️ FEEL: My skin just loves this toner.  Out of all toners I've gone through, Tia'm Vita B5 easily wins Ms. Congeniality award for bringing a balance of soothing, calming, long lasting hydration with a hint of moisturization. 

I have a lot of toners on rotation, and this is the one ive been reaching for more & more because it is so skin-friendly. i can use this even on most sensitive days. Using this toner on retinol nights or on AHA nights makes sense as it helps reduce dryness & irritation. 

I didn't expect to love this product so much. The packaging looked so clinical, minimalistic and unassuming that it totally flew under my radar when compared amongst other "superstar ingredients list" toners out there... there's no 7 types cica in here...no 90% mugwort or 8 types HA either, yet i'm loving this more than many of other super famous ones.  The ingredients in this toner are humble, hardworking, efficient team players that gets the job done quietly in the background. 

👎🏼it is bad that this toner is so grossly underrated 😭.  more ppl should know about this item!  
everyone could do with a gentle, skin barrier supportive toner like this in their stash 💗

i forgot to mention 
$ THIS TONER IS SUPER AFFORDABLE !!!$  
Even though i won this bottle from picky giveaway, I would totally purchase it with my own money🤩


➡️ NOTEWORTHY INGREDIENTS:  
Panthenol - soothing, hydrating & moisturizing, anti-inflammatory & skin protecting
Betaine, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen - all excellent moisturizing ingredients
Matrixyl & Argireline - improving the look of fine lines & wrinkles.

This product is gifted to me by picky. This does not influence my review. 
#pickyreview
#gopicky
@go.picky
@tiam_global
#trytiam

Tia'm Vita B5 Toner

Odile Monod just posted this on her IG account.

Ive been searching for a sunscreen exactly like what she describes on her review. 

and yes, i've already asked her permission to share it, but, please also go IG to watch the video of her sunscreen swatch. I can only post a few screenshots here. 

This sunscreen is on the expensive side in my country, but for very sensitive skin suffering from abrasion of daily mask wearing, and i'm thinking...this could be a good one to use, just on the lower half of yr face (to save cost), and yr regular affordable sunscreen on the top half of face. 

see the 3 screenshots of the video swatch in comments

OMG, Sunscreen specially for face mask wearers!!

Rocesea, I'm born with it!

On good days I've been praised for having rosy cheeks, but i was also teased mercilessly whenever it goes out of control and the flare-ups made me look like a bumpy over-ripe tomato 🍅.

My triggers include:

▪︎🔅🔥🏖♨️heat - the weather, cooking in kitchen, sauna/steam room/getting into a hot steaming car also feels like sauna & using hot water when showering 

▪︎❄❄ extreme cold & cold wind beating on my face - i don't get much cold weather here so no big deal

▪︎🍷🥃 alcohol - dodged mostly now that i don't go out for "social drinking"

▪︎🌶🌶 spicy food - help! my biggest weakness!

▪︎🚬 smoking - i don't smoke but my face turns dull red when ppl smoke near me

▪︎🏃🏻‍♀️🤾🏻‍♀️exercise - omg, overripe tomato mode if i get too gung-ho
 
▪︎😡😳☺Emotions - not an exaggeration but i can't control the flushing when stressed, upset, angry, embarassed, or laughing too much

▪︎💄skincare ingredients containing:
     - minty ingredients that imparts cooling effect like menthol/mentha
     - essential oils like mentha oil, tea tree oil, bergamot oil & other citrus oils...basically, the more i could smell it, the worse my flare-up becomes,
     - ingredients that give out very strong scent like tamanu oil, mugwort aka Artemisia, some ginseng products (im so sad, these ingredients can be so good but finding a non-irritating one is too much hassle),
     - too much fermented ingredients, esp products with the word "Probiotic" on their label
     - overusing AHA products or using high percentage of glycolic acid gives me dark red flushing & rebound hyperpigmentation,
     - going too high percentage with VitC (20% ascorbic acid = 💣💥),
     - overusing retinol...love you but again, less is more,
     - harsh, high ph cleansing products,
     - overuse of products containing too much denatured alcohol.

the trigger list kept piling up as i try new products or explore the "power of whatever trending ingredients"... when wil i ever learn? 😅😅😅

however, the DOSAGE does MAKE a DIFFERENCE... small amounts of something can be fine, even beneficial.  anything too overpowering can upset the balance and cause flare-ups, even seemingly innocent plant base ingredients, which ironically are the ones that causes the worst reactions.

nowadays, i'll always check ingredient list before buying products.  anything that boasts “empowered by 9 different plant oils & plant extracts”, “98% snail mucin”, “supercharged with 80% probiotic with fermented this & that" ...thank you, next!


💌 HELPFUL SKINCARE INGREDIENTS 💌
Along the way, i found me some lovely ingredients that's said to help control or reduce redness including :

🌱🌼green tea (aka matcha) & chamomile (aka aka azulene aka  guaiazulene)
Very pleasant, but mild effect, too high % triggers more redness

🍋VitC (Ascorbic acid, not citrus extracts/oils)
My frenemy...it's a love-hate relationship.  after playing around with different percentages, 15% gives best result without triggering irritation & flareups.

💜Niacinamide
Amazing!  2-5% inside any product as supporting ingredient is sufficient. 10% serums or higher backfires.

🍀centella 
yes it does help, but "centella water" or "centella extract" doesn't do much, in fact too high amount of these triggers redness, i need the active compounds of centella like MADECASSOSIDE, MADECASSIC ACID, ASIATICOSIDE & ASIATIC ACID in for visible results.

⬇️⬇️⬇️ and then there's my holygrail ⬇️⬇️⬇️

❤ AZELAIC ACID ❤
this is my recent discovery...i've been using azaleic acid for abt 6mths now, and this ingredient is helping the most!  it gives good result if i were to use this serum alone and no other help above to calm redness, 

BUT, what works BEST is...

💯❤   THE COMBO   ❤💯
when i combine various helpful ingredients into my skincare routine, my rosecea was tamed down to the best I've ever seen. 

using a mild low ph cleanser, greentea/camomile toner, centella-niacinamide serum with madecassic acid, vitC in the morning, azelaic at night.

besides calming redness, the combo routine helps even out skin tone, regulate sebum, fade away acne scars, control acne, makes skin supple and give it a healthy glow.

if there's 1 product in my routine i really recommend for other rosecea sufferers, it will be this ⬇️

💕Cos de Baha AZ serum💕
i really love CBD azelaic acid 10% as it's gentle but effective mid-strength dose, suitable for beginner, quite low to no irritating effects. it's also formulated with other helpful ingredients to further calm tone down redness like niacinamide, aloe leaf extract & panthenol.

• niacinamide helps in brightening, calm skin redness & evening out skintone
• aloe is soothing, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory & healing
• panthenol - this ingredient is so underrated, it has great anti-inflammatory & skin protecting abilities.

The texture is also really pleasant. it is a slightly viscous water base serum with almost no scent. it is slippery, spreads & absorb easily without leaving sticky residue so i can even use it in the morning combined with vitamin C. 

Does anybody else suffer from rosecea? what are your HG products?

Redness: How I Beat the Beet

My answer to the above question is posted in picture below.

And here's the boring details in writing. Dunno if anybody'll read it but here goes 😆😆😆
                             ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°


I hv oily/sensitive skin that tends to get easily irritated & becomes dehydrated due to rosacea and acne. Im also using a bunch of actives+acids to treat skin issues. So my opinion below is based off my skin type and all the quirkiness that goes with it.

These 4 hydrating toners are formulated WITHOUT the below ingredients and are suitable to be applied all over my face, including eyes and over the lips:
     🚫 drying alcohols
     🚫 essential oils
     🚫 fragrances
     🚫 AHA/BHA


💚 PURITO CENTELLA UNSCENTED TONER
(aka BFF)

▶️ TEXTURE: most lightweight of this bunch, has a very light slip, thicker than water. Easy to apply with palms as it isn’t too runny like first-essences. 

▶️ ABSORB: very quickly, within 30-40secs

▶️ LAYERS: I can easily do 5-6 layers if i need to, as it is so light &  absorbs so quickly. doesn’t build up sticky, just avoid nose area on last few layers & it'll be fine.

▶️ SMELLS LIKE: a hint of leafy smell, very mild. Disappears completely when it’s dry. 

▶️ FEEL: Hella calming & soothing. While it is hydrating, it is not the most hydrating of this lot. This gets A+ for taming my rosacea flare-ups.  When the weather gets too hot and I turn into a ripe tomato, this is the toner I reach for throughout the day to help reduce inflammation. 



💜 KLAIRS SUPPLE PREPARATION UNSCENTED TONER
(aka SEXY MOODY LOVER)

▶️ TEXTURE: slick waterbomb. More slip & a bit thicker than Purito. 
Just a hairline thinner compared to Tia’m, can't really tell them apart unless i apply 1 on left side & the other on right side of my face and smear liquid around. 

▶️ ABSORB: abt a minute.

▶️ LAYERS: 2-3 layers, I don’t do more as this toner is significantly more hydrating & moisturizing than Purito. Can feel a hint of tack too, if overdone.

▶️ SMELLS LIKE: ‘clean’, like a bar of soap, very mild, disappears almost immediately

▶️ FEEL: Very hydrating, moisturizing & skin plumping. Has some skin brightening & anti-aging properties.  However, when I’m having flare-ups, this is the toner I avoid.  For some unknown reason, when my skin is ‘down’, this toner would cause further irritation.  No such problems when I’m not having flare-ups though.


💙TIA’M VITA B5 TONER
(aka Loving Nurturing Mother)

▶️ TEXTURE: Same waterbomb quality and the same beautiful slip but just a touch fatter than Klairs, so slight I couldn’t tell them apart if I did not do side by side comparison on my face.  However, this one finishes less tacky compared to Klairs.

▶️ ABSORB: a bit faster than Klairs, but gives the longest lasting hydration and the best balance between hydration and moisturization amongst the 4 toners. 

▶️ LAYERS: 3 to 5 layers.

▶️ SMELLS LIKE: ghostly whiff of green apples+berries, almost undetectable, disappears immediately

▶️ FEEL: My skin just loves this toner.  It brings a balance of soothing, calming, long lasting hydration with a hint of moisturization that’s missing from the very lightweight Purito. This prep my skin the best for retinol or vitamin C.  Applying this toner before or after an AHA product also helps minimize any redness, dryness or irritation.


🧡 COSRX PROPOLIS SYNERGY TONER
(aka GENEROUS RICH AUNT)

▶️ TEXTURE: a hint more viscous than Klairs and Tia’m. 

▶️ ABSORB: slowest amongst the 4 but by no means bothersome. 

▶️ LAYERS: 2-3 layers. Can build up slightly tacky if I go overboard... I feel like combo to dry skin types will really appreciate this slightly more occlusive qualities of this one.

▶️ SMELLS LIKE: Has a very mild sweet scent of honey, yum! The smell tempts me into doing more layers than i should😆

▶️ FEEL: The most moisturizing of the bunch.  I really appreciate this one for its anti-inflammatory & soothing qualities. Doesn’t do much for my rosacea flare-ups. Helpful for soothing pimples.

If your Toners are People in yr life, who would they be?

THIS PRODUCT IS NOT FRAGRANCE FREE
im not allergic to all fragrances, but this is one of those that gave me problems.  
this product stung and irritated my skin. i suspect its the bergamot oil. now im using it to moisturize my body instead.

very light gel moisturizer that&#39;s pleasant for combo or oily skin, also good for humid weather as it absorbs fast, if they are not sensitive to this product.

like a lot of pure vitC product, this serum oxidises quickly. the clear transparent serum started turning slightly pale yellow around 3rd month after opening (see pic#3: serum at beginning stage of oxidation).  so i always use quite generous amount to finish it before it turned brown.  i even use this occassionally on stretchmarks around tummy to help fade&#47;lighten the marks. it did not fade the marks totally but alternating this serum with a retinol helped lighten it significantly and improved texture of skin.

other than this, it&#39;s a good &amp; VERY AFFORDABLE ascorbic acid serum.

This version i got is the 2021 updated formula with Arbutin added in.

my fave VitC serum to date.  this clear, colourless serum has a thin slightly oily feel, spreads easily. i use this every morning after toner, applying a very generous amount as this serum starts oxidising around 3rd month after opening, so there&#39;s no point being frugal with application (yes i do keep it in fridge inside its box). 

1 whole dropper on dry face &amp; neck, another 1&#47;2 dropperful on collar, shoulder &amp; chest, massage it for 2-3mins to aid absorption and lymphatic drainage at the same time. as this serum feels like dry oil, it glides easily. need around 5-8mins for it to absorb because im using more than most ppl😅 after i massage in this serum, i&#39;ll go make coffee and prepare breakfast to give time for it to sink in. after that i&#39;ll go back into my room to finish off with other serums, moisturizer &amp; spf.

the 15% ascorbic acid combined with panthenol (soothing ingredient), is the perfect concentration for me. it does not irritate my skin, even if i accidentally apply on slightly damp face before toner fully dried off.

this serum recently updated their formula (see pic#1) Arbutin is added in and i really appreciate it as it&#39;s another skin brightening ingredient.

nothing bad, except perhaps the syrupy texture could be slightly thinner to make it easier to spread over dry face for those who can&#39;t use this over damp face.  but i am happy with this product and hv found ways to make it work.

this is my holygrail product. ive never used any azelaic acid product before &amp; incorporating this serum into my routine is a total gamechanger. 
1. it controlled my hormonal &amp; maskne breakouts
2. lightened new acne marks over time
3. controlled rosecea redness

i apply this every morning together with a vitC serum and started seeing amazing results from 3rd week onwards...at first it wasn&#39;t noticeable, but after my period was over and i noticed there wasn&#39;t any crazy breakouts, i started suspecting it is the azelaic acid&#39;s magic touch. its been 5mths now, and the magic kept repeating itself almost every month. i do still get a pimple off and on, but they clear up much faster than before, and new pimple marks dissappear quickly whereas before, the marks would stay forever.

texture: it&#39;s a clear viscious syrupy gel that doesnt spread very easily if applied on dry face. i prefer applying on damp face as it is easier to spread, but for the first few weeks i hv to work the formula onto dry face, as it made my skin itch if i apply over damp face.

after 2-3weeks of adjustment, i could now use this serum on damp face without feeling itchy. i use 2-3 tiny droplets all over cheeks, chin and temples. i love that it doesnt feel sticky and absorb quickly if you don&#39;t overapply. and most of all, this formula doesn&#39;t irritate my sensitive skin after a short period of adjustment.  

i introduced this serum to my friend, who was getting irritation from using a 20% azelaic ointment, and she was really happy that this serum gave her results without the irritation. so i&#39;d definately recommend this to anyone who want to introduce an azelaic acid product into their routine. it is medium strength, very well formulated with soothing ingredients to minimise irritation.

👎🏼it is bad that this toner is so grossly underrated 😭.  more ppl should know about this item!  
everyone could do with a gentle, skin barrier supportive toner like this in their stash 💗

i forgot to mention 
$ THIS TONER IS SUPER AFFORDABLE !!!$  
Even though i won this bottle from picky giveaway, I would totally purchase it with my own money.  I&#39;ll also try out more of Tia&#39;m&#39;s stash particularly the AC fighting Oil-free Cream because it looks like this could be another HG item.🤩

I have oily&#47;sensitive skin that tends to get easily irritated&#47;dehydrated due to rosacea &amp; acne.  I’m also a using various actives and acids to help treat multiple skin issues.  Those actives can sometimes cause skin dryness and random bouts of irritation.  That’s why I NEED skin-friendly toners in my life.

To me, a great toner must not only provide deep hydration, it must also be able to boost skin barrier functions to help protect, sooth, calm inflamation &amp; heal.

As I love applying them all over my face, eyes and lips, I need them to be formulated WITHOUT:
🚫drying alcohols
🚫essential oils - im sensitive to a lot of EOs.
🚫fragrances - can trigger more irritation when my skin is not in good condition 
🚫AHA&#47;BHA - i love them, but not on eyes &amp; lips, and certainly not for everyday use.

💜 Say hello to my new BFF...TIA’M VITA B5 TONER checks all of my above requirements ✅

➡️ TEXTURE: thick, slippery waterbomb with just the perfect amount viscosity to be applied with my palms. glides smoothly.

➡️ ABSORB: surprisingly quick for a plump juicy full-bodied toner

➡️ LAYERS: 3 to 5 layers. i also like to soak a compressed sheet mask with this toner and let it sit on my face for 5mins. This calms my flare-ups so much, leaving my skin feeling chok-chok without feeling tacky. 

➡️ SMELLS LIKE: faintest whiff of green apples+berries.  disappears immediately

➡️ FEEL: My skin just loves this toner.  Out of all toners I&#39;ve gone through, Tia&#39;m Vita B5 easily wins Ms. Congeniality award for bringing a balance of soothing, calming, long lasting hydration with a hint of moisturization. 

I have a lot of toners on rotation, and this is the one ive been reaching for more &amp; more because it is so skin-friendly. i can use this even on most sensitive days. Using this toner on retinol nights or on AHA nights makes sense as it helps reduce dryness &amp; irritation. 

I didn&#39;t expect to love this product so much. The packaging looked so clinical, minimalistic and unassuming that it totally flew under my radar when compared amongst other &quot;superstar ingredients list&quot; toners out there... there&#39;s no 7 types cica in here...no 90% mugwort or 8 types HA either, yet i&#39;m loving this more than many of other super famous ones.  The ingredients in this toner are humble, hardworking, efficient team players that gets the job done quietly in the background. 

➡️ INGREDIENTS:  
Panthenol - soothing, hydrating &amp; moisturizing, anti-inflammatory &amp; skin protecting
Betaine, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen - all excellent moisturizing ingredients
Matrixyl &amp; Argireline - improving the look of fine lines &amp; wrinkles.

This product is gifted to me by picky. This does not influence my review. 
#pickyreview
#gopicky
@go.picky
@tiam_global
#trytiam

the cream format is not my favourite, it is utilitarian &amp; feels sticky.

i prefer serum type of product, but it&#39;s not a big issue...I know this is a prescription product and not a beauty product, so what&#39;s most important is for the formula to be effective rather than being &quot;loverly &amp; feel spa-like&quot;.

i see very good results just after 3-4 weeks of very conservative use, so i&#39;m very happy be in a long-term relationship with this Azelaic Acid cream.

I was previously using a 10% concentration from Cos de Baha and was really happy with the results, my rosacea &amp; acne has been controlled &amp; my PIEs were lightened... they&#39;re not all gone, some older marks are still there...

So i decided it&#39;s time for step2...i upgraded to this Skinoren 20% concentration, hoping to see even better results. 

I&#39;m almost 4 weeks into this cream. I was using this only once every 3-4 nights. I can&#39;t go faster as it is high strength for me and using too much too frequently usually give me opposite results (skin inflamation, more pimples &amp; rebound hyperpigmentation)

for the first 2weeks, i used this cream on top of moisturizer to buffer &amp; help my skin build tolerance.

Acclimatisation was fairly easy. Skin feels just slightly dryer than usual.  I top up moisturizer frequently throughout the daytime and stopped using AHAs in the meantime. I still continued with my VitC, Salicylic acid &amp; retinol, but dialed down the dosage whenever necessary to prevent skin dehydration and irritation.

On the 3rd week, i changed sequence...i applied this cream after hydrating serum, and top up with moisturizer.  Having it closer to my skin does make it feel more potent. I felt slightly itchy but not uncomfortably so. I woke up with smoother skin, less visible pores and less textural irregularities on chin, cheeks &amp; inner undereye area. Face feels slightly dry... my sebum has been tamed. 

i washed my face with a pinprick amount of cleanser... i wanted to wash the cream away totally and double up on hydrating toner &amp; fed my skin 2 layers of moisturizer. I skipped VitC serum just to be extra cautious. 

Going fwd: I&#39;m very happy with this cream so far...i do see quicker and more visible results from the strength upgrade... will continue with this routine once every 3-4 nights &amp; slowly bring back my AHA into weekly routine if and when my skin is ready for it.

chlil2002