Guest Blogger: Back to Basics Skincare by Precious Me

By Wei Ni (Guest Blogger)

As a person who tries her very best to be environmentally friendly, I was most excited to get a chance to review this homemade all natural skincare line by Precious Me!

She’s got 2 very simple but effective product for the skin, an All Natural 3-in-1 Facial Cleansing Powder, Scrub & Mask (suitable for all skin types) as well as a 2-in-1 Natural Moisturiser & Toner (available for 3 different skin types).

I’ve been using these 2 products twice a day for about a week now, and I must say that I am very satisfied with the products. :)Before I get started on the products itself, let’s find out a little more about them. A quick chat with the creator of B2B helps to clear up a few questions I had. :)

1) Why did you get started on Natural Skin Care? What caused you to get interested on making your own skin care?
See Link. (Seriously guys, it’s worth the read.)

2) How long were you experimenting with different ingredients before coming up with your final product?
Since I started making my own skin care 2 - 3 years back, I learned a lot through experimentation and trying out home made recipes from the net. I believe the only way you can truly understand an ingredient is when you physically try out the recipes and test out the end result on your own skin. No amount of reading and research can replace the knowledge you acquire from being hands-on. So, it took me 2 years to go through most of the natural ingredients available, before I had a feel for what ingredients would work better than others. It had a lot to do with the texture and feel of the ingredient, other than just it's purported benefit for the skin. And still it took a few rounds of adjusting the formulas (at least a couple of months) to finally settle at a formula that I was confident in. Even then, my formulas are subject to change depending on customer feedback. I have to say that it is a lot of work and effort, not to mention the sleepless nights thinking about what part of the formula would need adjustment. But I enjoyed every moment of the process as it is fuelled with passion, making it seem much less like work and more like play.

3) Is this skincare line suitable for people with sensitive skin?
It's hard to say that they are suitable for sensitive skin since there are many different ingredients that can trigger sensitivity for different people. Having said that, I am confident that my products would suit most skin types, just as long as you use a little bit of common sense. For example, the "Flower Power" Facial Cleansing Powder is 100% natural and preservative-free and is suitable for all skin types. However, the amount used should vary depending on your skin type. For oily skin types, use more of the powder and make a thicker paste. For Dry/sensitive skin types, use less powder and make a more watery paste. Also, if you have sensitive skin, be very gentle when applying the powder paste to your face. The same goes for the 2-in-1 Moisturizer & Toner, use an amount that your skin needs. More for dryer skin types and less for oily skin types. An important note for those with sensitive skin: Always do a patch test on any skin care product you want to try out for the first time. Apply the product on a small area of your face and see if there are any adverse reactions. If there are none, then continue using the product but if you feel any irritation, then discontinue use. The Trial Sized Sets that I have are great for those who may be a bit cautious, or are first time buyers of hand made skin care.

4) A lot of people are concern with the 'Oil' found in products. Will the oil used in your products clog up pores or cause skin to become more oily?
People are right to be concerned with the types of oil used in skin care products. I use natural oils that are non-comedogenic ( will not clog pores) such as Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil and Jojoba Oil. Furthermore, not only do these oils have fantastic healing and nourishing capabilities, they are also absorbed pretty quickly into the skin, and will not leave a greasy feeling. Because the "Flower Power" Facial Cleanser does not strip your face of the natural oils/sebum (soap products can do that to your skin), it will not trigger your skin to compensate by producing more sebum (especially with oily skin types), and thus giving you healthy and balanced skin. When you use the 2-in-1 Moisturizer & Toner, your skin is toned and nourished, protecting your skin from the natural elements (or unnatural elements in the case of the air-conditioner).

5) As this product doesn't have SPF, is it still safe to be worn alone out in the day without an additional layer of SPF moisturiser?
It depends on how much sun exposure one really is getting. Pearl powder is said to protect the skin from the sun, but of course there is no real scientific proof to back this up. If you're the type that works or studies indoors, drives around most of the time and do not do much outdoor activities, then an additional layer of SPF protection is unnecessary. Think about it, how much sun are you really getting?
However, if you feel that your skin is exposed to a lot of sunlight for extended periods of time, then you may need to have an extra layer of SPF protection. This can come in the form of a foundation, face powder or BB cream that has SPF protection.
By the way, did you know that virgin coconut oil is a natural sunblock? It protects your skin from damage caused by harmful UV rays from the Sun. This is really one amazing oil with so many benefits! It's a pity that we Malaysians are not even aware of this even though it used to be our main cooking oil just until after the world war. see link http://www.naturalnews.com/026433_coconut_oil_health_moisturizer.html for a short and sweet summary of the many benefits and uses of coconut oil. One thing to note though, coconut oil can be comedogenic (when used on the face), which is one reason why I did not include it in my moisturizers. Pity because I find from personal experience that this is truly the most 'healing' natural oil of all.

6) How did you come up with the name Precious Me?
Well...I wanted a simple name, nothing too fancy... but at the same time convey the message that the ingredients used in my products, as well as our own skin & body are Precious. Most of the time, because we are so caught up with our mundane lives (work, what movie to watch, which shoes matches the dress, etc etc), we forget that we, i.e our body, spirit, mind, well-being and health, are the ones that deserve more attention. If only we could treat our bodies and health with more respect, and give more thought to what truly is beneficial for our system, I'm sure we would all be healthy and wise! I just feel that sometimes we (and this includes me as well) can get too caught up in the materialistic world that we forget the truly precious things in life, those that can never be bought. We get caught up in quick beauty fixes, quick slimming fixes, expect instant results and crave for instant gratification so much so that we end up harming our own bodies, spirits and minds in the long run. So in a nutshell, I came up with the name Precious Me because I wanted to remind people of what is really and truly precious. Not in the ego-centric, narcissistic sort of way, but in the spiritually enlightened sort of way (do you get what I mean? –Yes, I do!-). I believe that you can only respect others if you respect yourself, and you can only love others if you can first love yourself. Although this sounds so simple, it is something even I have to deal with and remind myself of on a daily basis.

7) Based on the info of my skin, what made you decide that Rejuvenate Me was the best moisturiser choice for my skin?
You mentioned that you have combination skin type, some parts oily and some parts dry. This is actually the most common skin type, and I believe this is so only because we tend to over strip our skin's natural oils every time we wash our faces with soap. Thus, certain areas tend to compensate for this by over-producing sebum, while other areas cannot due to lack of the presence of oil glands. "Rejuvenate Me" is the mid-range of the 3 types of moisturizers, meaning that it will have less natural oils than "Nourish Me" but more than "Spot-Less". It is formulated for normal skin, and people with combination skin actually have normal skin (if only they did not keep stripping their faces with too much soap-based cleansers). So with the right cleanser and the right amount of moisturization (from the natural oils), your skin will balance itself out naturally!

Alright, now that you’ve read all that, let’s talk about the products itself!

They came all neatly wrapped up in bubble wrap.

Flower Power Cleanser double bubble wrapped due to the fact that the bottle is made out of glass.

The cleanser.

Comes with a little information slip.

The claim: Free of synthetic ingredients, your skin will show remarkable improvement within a few days. The skin is left refined, toned and purified. The gentle action when applying and removing the cleansing powder helps to remove any dead cells from the skin, thereby promoting a younger and clearer looking skin. Nourishes and refreshes dry skin without over-stripping the skin's natural oils. Balances oily skin. Heals & clears congested or acne prone skin. Rejuvenates mature or dull and tired skin.For sensitive, add more water to the powder so as to make a more watery paste and very gently apply onto face.

The truth: After a few days of use, I must admit that my face does feel softer, smoother and clean. In fact, after the very first use I could feel that the cleanser thoroughly cleanses my skin without over-drying it and doesn’t leave a filmy feeling after washing it off too (some cleanser have that feeling in an attempt to keep the skin hydrated)! So far, I haven’t had any additional break outs, and the whiteheads I do have on my face are actually slowly and gradually fading away. The only issue I have with this is the bottle, the bottle’s opening I find is a tad too big and I keep overpouring the powder out and I usually can’t pour it back in because my hands are already damp. If there was a sieve of some sort, it’d definitely help. :)

The moisturiser.

As I have combination skin, she suggested I get the Rejuvenate Me moisturiser suitable for Normal/Mature/Combination Skin.

The claim: It's everything you could ever want in a facial moisturizer! This carefully concocted combination of Aloe Vera, Pearl Powder, Natural Oils & Plant Extracts will deeply nourish & heal your skin without leaving it greasy, while Witch Hazel Extract (a natural astringent) tones and minimizes blemishes. It is the witch hazel extract that gives the moisturizer it's dark brown colour, but this in no way will affect the colour of your skin! In fact, the pearl powder it contains will brighten up your skin, just one of it's many benefits. This moisturizer is packed full of the most luxurious ingredients you'd need to get healthy, clear & glowing skin. Get ready to say good-bye to dull, tired, blemished, dry, shiny, or aged-looking skin!

The truth: Though I got a teeny tiny little sample bottle, I must say that the little bottles goes a long way. 2 small pumps was all I needed to cover my entire face and neck. With all the oils in this moisturiser, you’d think that it would leave your face feeling greasy and oily, but that is not the case at all! The oil absorbed very quickly into my skin, leaving it feeling refreshed and moist. Not at all greasy or oily! The blemishes on my face I must say are slowly fading away, and my skin is actually slowly becoming brighter as well! Of course it does help that I love the smell of lavender that is left behind on my face, it’s really refreshing and rejuvenating. :)

All in all, I think that if you’re looking for a homemade, natural skincare product for your face, this is definitely the one to get! It’s all natural, so you know for sure that your face is getting the freshest, most natural possible ingredients. Treat your body well, and it will treat you well in return.
To feel the full effects of all facial products, you have to use it consistently for about 6 months to see actual results as that is the time that it takes for your skin to truly replenish and heal itself.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Precious Me, to find out more about their products and if you have any questions about the products itself, you can always contact the blogshop owner directly. She’s incredibly helpful and friendly. :)

Right now, they are having a promo on their 2 products. You can get them both at an special YSK readers-only price of RM150 including shipping (instead of RM158)!

Password: I'm a YSK reader!

What’s the cost of your face really? Especially with a product that is all natural, you’re sure to reap the benefits.

If you’re not sure how well the products will work on your skin, there’s always the Trial Set at RM32. :)

Till next time!
Wei Ni out.
xoxo
Edited by YourShoppingKaki