Health and Beauty Geek » Skin care

Asian Secrets Giveaway!

hbgeek — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:15:26 +0000

Asian Secrets sent their products for the geek to review. I was stoked because I’m crazy with their Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub which I’ve been using for months since I’ve tried it. It’s one of the staples in our bathroom and is included in my weekly shower regimen. I’m excited to try the other two variants of the body scrubs.

From L-R: with Licorice and Mulberry Leaf Extract; with Green Tea and Vitamin E; with Seaweed Extract and Vitamin E

To complement the body scrubs, Asian Secrets also has two variants of Bengkoang soaps. What makes this soap unique is that unlike popular whitening soaps here in the Philippines which uses the usual whitening ingredients like papaya, calamansi or glutathione, Asian Secrets uses a popular whitening ingredient in Indonesia, Bengkoang or Yam Bean or Singkamas. I didn’t know that singkamas has whitening properties too…

Bengkoang (Yam Bean or Singkamas) has vitamin C, flavonoids, and saponins which is a natural sunscreen to prevent skin damage by free radicals. Also, the phenolic substances of yam bean is effective in inhibiting the formation of melanin, so the pigmentation due to hormones, sun, and acne scars can be prevented and reduced.

So if you haven’t achieved the whitening effect that you want, try using one of these Bengkoang soaps, available in Moisturizing Olive Oil and and Natural Antiseptic Betel Extract.

available in Moisturizing Olive Oil and Natural Antiseptic Betel Extract

I love the shape of their soap, easy to grasp…

Asian Secrets Bengkoang Soap

Giveaway Alert!!!

Asian Secrets is giving away an Asian Secrets Beauty Pack to 5 lucky winners weekly! That’s 20 winners for 4 weeks. The beauty pack includes 2 Lulur Green Tea, 2 Lulur Seaweed; 2 Lulur Mulberry; 2 Bengkoang Olive and 2 Bengkoang Betel.

Please take note of the weekly timetable:

Week 1: January 30, 2012 to February 5, 2012; Winner will be drawn on February 6, 2012

Week 2: February 6, 2012 to February 12, 2012; Winner will be drawn on February 13, 2012

Week 3: February 13, 2012 to February 19, 2012; Winner will be drawn on February 20, 2012

Week 4: February 20, 2012 to February 26, 2012; Winner will be drawn on February 27, 2012

Valentine Draw!!!

There will also be a special draw on Valentines Day, February 14, 2012. 14 winners will be drawn to win a special Asian Secrets Beauty Pack containing 14 Asian Secrets items: 2 Lulur Green Tea, 2 Lulur Seaweed; 2 Lulur Mulberry; 4 Bengkoang Olive and 4 Bengkoang Betel.

Note: Only winners who register on Valentines day may qualify to win the Valentine draw.

Mechanics:

1. Like Health and Beauty Geek on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthandbeautygeek

2. Like Asian Secrets on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiansecrets.ph

3. Post this on your status and make sure to tag @HealthandBeautyGeek and @Asian Secrets and your post PUBLIC:

@HealthandBeautyGeek is giving away @Asian Secrets Beauty Pack weekly. Join now!

4. Fill out the form to register: REGISTRATION LINK. You only need to register once.

5. Post a comment with your name and FB status link.

Goodluck!

Philippine residents or international readers with Philippine addresses may join this contest. Weekly winners may claim their prize from Ms. Sheryl Roan at Innovitelle, Inc., Unitel Laboratiories, Inc. (UNILAB), 2^ndFloor Bonaventure Plaza, Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila. Winners must present a valid ID when claiming their prize. Provincial winners will be sent their prize via courier service.

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub – a review

The Benefits of All-Natural Beauty Products

hbgeek — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:22:06 +0000

Let’s face it, with the number of cosmetics out in the market today how can you be sure that you are about to make the right choice? Some people commit the mistake of joining the fad, rushing to join the bandwagon and buying the latest craze in cosmetics only to find out that it is not good for their skin. Yes, a lot of people are guilty of that. Before you start buying everything on the skin counter aisle, it is better to determine first the type of your skin and what it really needs.

Keep in mind that a product that works well for your friend may not work for you. If you are suffering from acne or has very sensitive skin, consider switching to all-natural beauty products that are made only with organic ingredients that are mild and does not contain any harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin.

Known for its gentle and healing properties, natural skin care products works well on various skin types but is ideally perfect for those that are sensitive. People don’t realize that irritation is often caused by the skin’s reaction to a strong content such as chemical and this can be prevented through the use of products that contain ingredients from Mother Nature.

If you are unsure about this, consult with your dermatologist and discuss about the possible products that will work for your skin. The key here is to identify the ones that are good and bad for you. Remember to not overspend on products especially if you are not sure about its content.

With a background in the field of Banking and Finance, Isabel recently discovered her passion for writing and became a freelance writer since then. Currently working for revisor priser, she believes that these articles are the best way to share information about accountant prices.

Bare Naturals No Break-Out to Make-up – a review

hbgeek — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:01:32 +0000

Bare Naturals No Break Out to Make Up soap is an emu oil based soap. I have positive experience with emu oil based soaps in the past so this made me buy this soap without hesitations. I bought the soap from Bare Naturals for Php 159 for 135 grams.

Bare Naturals No Break out to Make Up

NO BREAK-OUT to MAKEUP
Anti-pimple, Acne mark remover, Emu Oil Skin Perfecting Soap, recommended for Oily Skin

An anti- skin break-out soap, it has tea tree oil and real tea tree leaves with anti-bacterial action; best for pimples and other skin diseases.
Fortified with the finest grade of emu oil to nourish and make the skin glow with health! With omega 3, 6, 8 and anti-bacteria properties.

Mildly infused with calamansi and papain for gentle skin lightening.
With sweet envigorating scent of pink grapefruit

I have oily skin so this is perfect for me. What made its mark is the addicting scent of grapefruit, it’s refreshing. I have no break outs while using this soap. This also gives a very good lather and I find the nodes a fun addition in using this soap. It doesn’t sting on my skin and does not make my skin dry. When it comes to lightening or whitening effect on my skin, I didn’t experience any whitening results when using this soap alone.

23 Whitening Beauty Products containing mercury banned by FDA

hbgeek — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:55:27 +0000

23 more whitening beauty products containing mercury were banned by Food and Drug Administration. As you can recall, some Chinese beauty products were already banned last year due to the same reason, they all contain mercury in excess of the legal limit.

Miss Beauty Magic Cream

At present, the 23 banned whitening products are manufactured from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong. FDA warned the public that excessive amount of mercury is harmful to the nervous system and kidneys. The number 1 whitening product with the highest level of mercury is Miss Beauty Magic Cream which has 28,600 ppm.

Below is the complete list of skin whitening creams banned by the FDA:

Miss Beauty Magic Cream
Miss Beauty Excellent Therapy Whitening Cream
Dagette and Ramsdell Underarm Lightening Cream
Lanmeirou 12 Days Whiten and Speckle Removing Suit
Berglotus Spot Removing Series
Yoko Gentlemen Cream for Men
Jonathan Clearing Facial Spots 12 Day Cream
The Flower Woman 7-day Whitening and Spot and Night Set Cream
Sara Glutathione Sheep Placenta Whitening and Anti-Spot Cream
Aichun Beauty Green Tea Whitening Speckle Removing Series Cream
Aichun Beauty Whitening Freckle Day and Night Cream
BIB Night Cream Whitening Cream
Pretty Model Whitening and Freckle Removing (Day Cream and Night Cream-Set)
Pretty Girl 10 Day Special Cream
Pretty Girl Green Cucumber and Ginseng Cream
Liliki Whitening Day Cream
Liliki Whitening Night Cream
New Miss Beauty Magic Cream
Jiaoli Rejuvenation Essence 10 Days Speckle Removing
Jaio Liang 7 Days Eliminating Freckle AB Set
Jiao Liang 10 Days Eliminating Freckle AB Set
Beauty Girl 6 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Whitening Cream Egg White and Tomato 3in1
Beautiful Dream Whitening Anti-Speckle and Anti-Acne Kit

New Proactiv now available in the Philippines

hbgeek — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:02:20 +0000

At some point in our lives, we have experienced having acne, and it’s the worst! Getting rid of acne is another story because there’s a lot of trial and error with acne treatments that work for our skin. My acne horror story was when I got an allergy from a facial I availed in one of the facial centers in the mall. It’s really horrifying for me because I had clear skin since adolescent years and suddenly had acne at my early 20s. I tried various over-the-counter products and my last resort was to consult another dermatologist at an expensive clinic. She gave me a beauty kit along with regular facials and voila, clear skin again. But I have to shell out a significant amount of money before achieving results. Later on, I found out from an officemate who’s also having break outs that she’s using Proactiv to solve her skin problem. She’s very proud to say that Proactiv is very popular among Hollywood celebrities like Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, etc…

New Proactiv

I took note of Proactiv and has been under my radar just in case I experience breakouts again. While browsing through Watsons, I just noticed that there’s a New Proactiv available at Watsons. The New Proactiv now contains advanced microcrystal benzoyl peroxide, which is designed to work faster and gentler.

New Proactiv with micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide

As a word of advice, invest on Proactiv for your skin problems because after all, it’s the No. 1 Anti-Acne system in America and now in the Philippines. Here’s one satisfied user of Proactiv:

The 30-day kit 3-step system is Php 2,495 which consists of 60 ml. Renewing Cleanser, 60 ml. Revitalizing Toner and 30 ml. Repairing Lotion with free 1 Refining Mask and Face the Fact booklet.

New Proactiv 30-day kit 3 step system

The 30-day kit 3-step system is Php 3,995 which consists of 120 ml. Renewing Cleanser, 120 ml. Revitalizing Toner and 60 ml. Repairing Lotion with free 1 Refining Mask and Face the Fact booklet.

New Proactiv 60-day kit 3 step system

New Proactiv is exclusively available at all Watsons stores and SM Department Stores nationwide. 30-day and 60-day kits come with a Money Back Guarantee. Please note that this refund is facilitated by the Customer Service hotline (02) 729-2222 (and not thru Watsons or SM branches).

No related posts.

The importance of using a hand cream

hbgeek — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 04:37:14 +0000

We often pile up beauty products in our face, trying out every new product that’s out in the market that promises to keep our skin young, pimple-free, wrinkle-free and vibrant. But sometimes, we often neglect other parts of our body such as our hands. Have you paid attention to your hands and used a hand cream lately?

Our hands, though it’s not the first one to be seen in public, is also one of the most noticed parts of the body. Every time we meet somebody and do a handshake, that person can feel our hands, and it’s so embrassing if it’s dry and cracked sometimes, right? Hence, the importance of using a hand cream. It’s important to use creams that are targeted to specific parts of the body because different parts have specific needs. And our hands need all the moisture it can get because it has the least oil glands that’s why it’s more prone to dryness and peeling. Our hands is the most exposed body part to all elements, we use this for holding things (rough or smooth, hot or cold, wet or dry, etc..). Frequent washing also strips off the skin of moisture, so aside from using lotions, it is also wise to use moisturising soaps to work hand in hand with the hand cream.

Choosing the right BB cream

Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub – a review

hbgeek — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:32:57 +0000

I first encountered a Lulur-based product from Venus & Mars with their Lulur soap. Lulur is an ancient beauty secret originated from Central Java that’s said to effectively whiten skin and leaving it soft and smooth. Luckily, Lauren hosted a giveaway last year and I won this along with the Celeteque Facial Wash.

: Asian Secrets Lulur Whitening Body Scrub

I wasn’t able to use it right away because I just gave birth and still nursing but now, I’m ready to pile on skin care once again.

: Asian Secrets Body Scrub

On my first use, I followed the instruction to apply the scrub on dry skin. I used to apply body scrubs on wet skin so that was the first time I applied scrub on dry skin. Upon application, the creamy consistency of the scrub made it easy to apply. Using my hand, I scooped out a dollop of body scrub to apply on my body. After application, the scrub already dried up on parts that I first applied it. Washing it off took longer, maybe because of its moisturizing properties that reminds me of rinsing Dove soap on my body.

Asian Secrets

On my succeeding uses, I applied it after I washed with soap and water (not comfortable applying the scrub on dry skin). I can still feel the exfoliating properties of the bead scrubs and the cream just glides smoothly on my skin. I don’t think there’s any difference between wet and dry application so just follow what you’re accustomed to.

Some notes:

I just want the beads to be larger, like the beads on St. Ives scrubs, the size of the beads on this product is mild enough that you can even use it on your face.
I can instantly feel my skin’s smoothness after use. No need to apply lotion.
I don’t like the scent though, I prefer fruity, sweet scents. This one has floral scent.
I checked the price at Watsons and it’s a steal at Php 80 a tub.
With its whitening properties, I have yet to see the results but I make sure to pile more product on my problem areas like elbows, knees, armpits and groin area. When it comes with whitening, patience is a virtue.

Venus and Mars Lulur Soap – a review

Nanay Earth The Flowers and The Bees Premium Lotion – a review

hbgeek — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:43:15 +0000

Nanay Earth is an online Multiply shop that also sells natural products for the skin. They have facial masks, creams, lotions and soaps, most of the products contain emu oil. Having a good experience with emu oil-based products, I decided to try The Flowers & The Bees Premium Lotion after emptying a tub of Vanilla & Co. Whipped Buttercream.

Nanay Earth The Flowers & The Bees Premium Lotion

You’ll fall in love with it the moment you dig your hands in it – a new addition to your skincare collection and daily routine. With its premium formula containing almost everything you wished for such as virgin coconut oil, cocoa butter, emu oil, rosehip seed and grape seed extracts, jojoba oil, and other skin-nourishing ingredients, it truly rejuvenates your skin overtime. The funny thing about this is that people around you will first notice positive changes, and not you.

Its sweet fine scent drives men crazy as they will never get enough of you, ever! If you like noses, this one is for you! This gives you only good compliments and nothing else. And as they say, this is SEX IN A BOTTLE!

The lotion comes in a 250 ml. pump bottle for Php 250. Not bad for something that uses natural ingredients. It has a watery consistency but my skin easily absorbs the lotion. The lotion’s color is somewhat chocolate-y which complements it’s sweet chocolate-y scent too. From the ingredients listed above, it indeed moisturizes my skin well and left me smellin’ good too. And yes, it’s safe for pregnant women.

Where to buy: http://nanayearthco.multiply.com/

Vanilla & Co. Organic Cocoa Whipped Butter and Whipped Buttercream – a review

hbgeek — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:39:56 +0000

Since my pregnancy, I’ve dreaded the day I’ll see stretchmarks in my tummy. So I searched for recommended products online and health and beauty stores until I zeroed in on Vanilla & Co.’s Organic Cocoa Whipped Butter. I chose cocoa butter because it’s a natural antioxidant that clears and smoothes the skin and is frequently used for treating dry skin and stretch marks. It has vitamin E that will be beneficial for my pregnant skin. I also considered trying out Shea Butter from another online seller but it’s too expensive, so I first tried the most affordable one.

Vanilla & Co. Cocoa Butter and Whipped Buttercream

Organic Cocoa Whipped Butter:

Our truly raw and organic Cocoa Butter (theobroma cacao) contains generous amounts of antioxidants and has a naturally long storage life. Boasting a high level of tocopherols (Vitamin E) and moisturizers, it is highly recommended for the prevention and lightening of stretch marks. Due to its healing properties, our organic Cocoa Butter is also a great treatment for chapped, dry and itchy skin. Every jar of Vanilla & Co. Organic Cocoa Whipped Butter contains a whopping amount of 50% organic Cocoa Butter.

Whipped Buttercream:

Our Organic African Shea Butter came form the hardwork of devoted African women co-op groups under Fair Trade and organic certification standard. It is still made in the traditional way without the use of chemicals. Shea Butter is effective in its soothing, restorative and regenerative properties. Its even highly recommended for skin ailments such as relief for blemishes, sunburns and eczema.

Our truly raw and organic Cocoa Butter (theobroma cacao) contains generous amounts of antioxidants and has a naturally long storage life. Boasting a high level of tocopherols (Vitamin E), effective moisturizers and healing properties, our organic Cocoa Butter is also a great treatment for chapped, dry and itchy skin.

I used the Cocoa Butter on my tummy twice a day after every bath, in the morning and in the evening. At first, I didn’t like it’s nutty heavy scent but it’s grown on me after everyday use. It’s non-sticky and the cocoa butter melts on my tummy in an instant. And the verdict, 34 weeks and no stretchies! My OB mentioned it too that I still have no stretchmarks.

I also got the Whipped Buttercream for me to try as my body lotion, got the Sweet Pea Vanilla scent. I had a hard time choosing from the buffet of scents available but since I love vanilla and Bath and Body Works’ Sweet Pea, I chose this scent. The lotion is somewhat creamy and thick but is absorbed by the skin quickly. The scent lasts long especially if you layer it with BBW Sweet Pea too. As for its moisturizing properties, I’d say it’s on average because I still get dry skin here and there.

I love that the two Vanilla & Co. products come in a tub so I can scoop it out till the last drop.

Organic Cocoa Whipped Butter 180 grams – Php 249

Whipped Buttercream 180 grams – Php 199

Website: http://vanillacompany.multiply.com/

is a natural antioxidant that clears and smoothes the skin. It is frequently used for treating dry skin and stretch marks. Cocoa butter is a natural source of vitamin E as well as a benificial treatment for chapped hands, feet, lips, pregnant skin and other skin irritations.

Cocoa butter contains no petroleum, preservatives or harsh chemicals. It is grown mostly in Ghana and is from the Theobroma cacao tree.

Ponds Pure White Deep Cleansing Foam with Activated Carbon – a review

hbgeek — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:46:19 +0000

Any Filipino teenager has been familiar and used any Ponds product at some point in their lives. It became a household name for beauty products, it’s a drugstore brand, it’s cheap and it delivers. But as years go by, we found and used other products, some are even expensive than Ponds. In the recent years, Ponds has evolved and from one variant, it released new range of products that cater to everyone’s special needs.

A recent TV commercial from Ponds shows the Ponds Pure White Deep Cleansing Foam with Activated Carbon. Activated carbon promises to remove deep-seated dirt and detoxify the skin from impurities. I wasn’t sold at the TV commercial but when I saw this product in the grocery with its sleek black packaging, I snagged a tube, yeah packaging counts!

Ponds Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam

I’m not surprised to the idea of carbon or charcoal used in beauty products since Korean beauty products use this ingredient too, I find it effective just like my Beauty Credit charcoal nose patch which effectively pulls away whiteheads and blackheads.

Now, for the Ponds Facial Foam, the cream is silver in color I only need a pea-sized amount to make a lather on my face. I don’t really like the scent though, it’s more masculine to me compared to the Ponds White Beauty product I used prior to the black one. After rinsing, it really left my face squeaky clean but without feeling tight. No breakouts after weeks of using this product every night.

However, I noticed that my skin became dry and lacked that glow and moisturized effect. Maybe because of oil control properties of this product.

If you want to try Ponds with Activated Carbon, you can buy the Php 5 5-gram sachet. My 50-gram tube costs approximately Php 80.

The Pond’s Big Beauty Sale