Have anyone tried using those skin moisture meter device to test hydration level of the skin? Do they actually work and are they accurate?

Do moisture meters work?

My skin has always broke out here and there but I never experienced such a breakout before. I had terrible maskne since the beginning of the year due to constant mask wearing when going out. 

I just wanted to share my routine and the progress I made so far. Using my knowledge of skincare and products available to me, I came out with this routine to target my acne and acne scarring.

For this routine I focused on a few things 
- Exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and promote cellular turnover 
- Skin brightening actives to brighten and fade hyperpigmentation
- Strengthen skin barrier to prevent further breakouts

The morning routine is quite straightforward, I use Micellar water instead of cleanser because I don’t want to over strip the skin. For the night routine, I always double cleanse and I use either the sheet mask or the sleeping mask, not both at once. 

I feel like my skin has cleared up a bit, feels less congested and the scarring has definitely faded slightly. This just shows that even the best routine takes time and commitment, so don’t give up. 

Let me know how your progress is going too. Any questions, comments or suggestions are welcome too 💕

2 Month Progress + Routine Sharing 🥰

It’s almost like getting a Hogwarts letter, can’t wait to see what it is about 😬. Did you get your email?

I got accepted into Picky Creators!! 🥹

Long read ahead, just sharing my (brutally honest) journey about Picky and Instagram

Ok, so I’ve joined this app since October 2020. I initially downloaded it because of the ads I saw on Facebook and I wanted to know more about skincare for my skin. Since downloading the app, I fell in love with the community and I learned more than I expected about skincare

At first I was just a casual user, occasionally joining giveaways and discussions. Of course I didn’t win anything back then. But through the encouragement of the community (and the enticing giveaways 🌚), I started to become more active as I wanted to reach SPS status (there was no PS back then) and, of course, win some giveaways. 

So I just started posting reviews with photos, there were quite short and in hindsight not really good 😅. But surely enough I won my first giveaway by February 2021 (It was the Rovectin Lotus Water Cream). About a month later I won my second giveaway and that was when I decided to create my skincare Instagram account to post my reviews (cuz clearly my friends don’t really appreciate them 😂). 

When I started my Instagram account, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t know how to take aesthetic pictures or write captions and put relevant hashtags. It was definitely a learning experience for me, and I learn by taking inspiration on how other people are doing it.

After a few months I had gotten the hang of it and like many others I started applying for affiliation programs when I reached like 600-800 followers (Wishtrend, YesStyle, Stylekorean). I was accepted for all of them of course but looking back now I kinda regret it so soon because reality is you get a lot of emails regarding these and like there’s not much point if you’re not 100% committed to being an influencer, you’ll barely get any commission (if any) for doing these with a following that small, and there’s also not much benefits to it. Not to be discouraging but these were my experience

Also it was fairly easy to reach 1k followers on Instagram but after that it is going to be an uphill climb. I can say my post engagement dropped significantly and my follower growth rate is super slow after 1.5k. Therefore you will need to consistently engagement with the community and that takes commitment. 

On the other hand with Picky, I received my PS badge as soon as it was announced there was such thing. Then finally gotten my SPS badge back in August 2021. Honestly, I just keep trying out products and writing reviews as well as making my reviews better. I also started winning giveaways a lot more (I’ve won 16 in total so far) which helps with my Instagram growth. So, if you want to make full use of this platform, I highly suggest to create an Instagram skincare account because you’ll need to post reviews there anyways and getting more followers do land you extra perks, such as brand pr 🌚

I basically just continued my routine for Picky and Instagram until two months ago. I decided to take a short break from all this because I had accumulated too many products till it became slightly overwhelming and I want to spend some time actually using them up, and also because my uni work was getting more intense. 

I guess I’m slowly getting back into it now and I’m writing this also as a reflection to myself, to remind myself of the passion I have for skincare and to try out new products at a healthier pace (no hoarding). Basically this is my journey so far, and hope you enjoyed my sharing.

Feel free to comment below or connect to me on Instagram @halleysburrow if you have questions or just need a skincare buddy.

My Journey As A Skincare Reviewer (so far) 😅

Has anyone tried Bakuchiol as a retinol alternative? Does it work better for sensitive skin?

If so, any product recommendations?

Thoughts on Bakuchiol?

Wishtrend

YESSTYLE: HALB0FF

- My major complain if I really have to nitpick would be the bottle. I’m not sure about the larger version, but this one has no stopper so it sometimes can get messy and not the most hygienic

Overall, this is definitely a holy grail product for me. This is my second bottle and I highly recommed to try this out, especially you have sensitive skin

Product claims
- This is a LHA infused serum from Rovectin’s clean line
- Key ingredients 
✨ 85% Neroli Flower (Bitter Orange) Water: Anti- inflammatory and skin soothing
✨ Glutathione: Anti-oxidant and anti melanogic
✨ Niacinamide: Skin brightening
✨ Capryloyl Salicylic Acid (LHA): Like BHA (oil soluble) but with bigger molecules, more suitable for sensitive skin
- Also include hyaluronic acid, allantoin, panthenol and beta glucan
- Targeted for reducing dark spots and blemishes
- Comes in 15ml and 50ml bottle
- 100% Cruelty Free and Vegan formula

My experience
- The texture of the serum looks thick but is actually very lightweight and absorbs into the skin nicely without too much stickiness
- There is no fragrance or any scent at all 
- Upon application, there is no tingling or stinging sensation 
- I use this serum every other day at night.
- Even though it says it can be used daily, I wouldn’t recommend for sensitive skin
- Since the start of mandatory masking, I have always struggled with clogged pores. Like not full blown acne but small irritating ones
- My skin is sensitive and does not tolerate Salicylic Acid (BHA) well and they tend to cause redness and irritation
- After using this for a month, I can see significant improvements in my skin in terms of texture and brightening

- 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁: Immediately upon applying I can feel a warm sensation, feels like those spicy plumping lip gloss. It was not too uncomfortable but definitely feels hot. I don’t see much difference in my pores but it did made my skin feels softer 

Overall, I guess this is fine for a mugwort mask but feels kinda gimmicky with its claim. Although I didn’t get a negative reaction from this, I’m not sure what causes the warm feeling. Therefore, it is good for those who want to try new things but proceed with caution 

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔
- This is self heating mugwort wash off mask targeted to unclog pores
Key ingredients:
🍃 10000ppm Mugwort Extract to nourish and soothe irritation 
🍃 Green health complex: Blend of 11 green ingredients, aim to strengthen skin barrier and promote skin health.
- 100ml product per jar
- Made in Korea 

𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆
- 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: Comes in a mossy green matte packaging, very minimalistic. There is a plastic cover inside but mine got stuck to the lid. Does not come with a spatula
- 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Has a gel cream formula with bits of green particles which can feel a bit gritty. But overall has a smooth texture
- 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁: Smells heavily of mugwort. Very strong herbal scent
- 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: I apply an even layer onto clean dry skin using a silicone spatula. Be careful to avoid sensitive areas like the eyes. Leave on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off with water.


- I really don’t like the packaging. For a moisturiser with such a fluid consistency, I don’t understand why it is in a jar
- They provided a tiny scoop, but I still think the application is not as hygienic as I would like
- It is quite expensive for the amount of product you get and what it does
- The formula also contains silicones which is not preferred by some

Overall, I do enjoy it as a basic everyday moisturiser and it does what it claims to do. I think its texture and hydration makes it suitable for pretty much all skin types

Product claims
- This is a lightweight moisturiser with a texture between a gel and a cream
- Key ingredients 
✨ 63.7% Green Tea Leaf Water: Great for soothing and antioxidant properties
✨ Panthenol: Soothing and calming properties
- Recommeded for all skin types
- 70ml of product

My experience
- Firstly, the colour of this product reminds me of condensed milk or cream pudding
- The texture of this product is quite unique. True to its name, it has the lightweight properties of a gel and also the nourishing feeling of a cream
- There is also no distinguished scent to it as it is fragrance free
- On application, it instantly hydrate and nourish the skin without feeling of heavyness
- Good to layer over other skincare or use on its on, works well under makeup too
- Leaves a dewy finish on the skin
- I use this daily in the morning and evening

Because this product is fragrance free, there is a noticeable raw and herbal smell. Also Centella Asiatica tend to have a fishy smell, which is very noticeable in this product.

Product claims
- Contains predominantly Centella Asiatica Extract with some moisturizing ingredients 
- Centella  Asiatica aka Gotu Kola contains amino acids, beta carotene, fatty acids, and phytochemicals
- Predominantly used to calm down irritation and accelerate wound healing. Great skin soothing ingredient
- 100% natural formula and plant based formula

My experience
- I predominantly enjoy using it as a mask by soaking it in cotton pad and leaving it on the skin for 15-20mins
- Also works well as an everyday toner
- It leaves the skin cool and hydrated with no sticky feeling
- For me this product is fast and effective for relieving redness and irritation 
- The packaging is also very minimalistic and aesthetically pleasing

- There isn’t anything bad about the product for me but I haven’t used it long enough to verify the other effects 

Overall, this has definitely become a staple in my routine because it works well and layers nicely with other products too. So i recommend this for those who has dry and sensitive skin who needs a bit more tlc

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔
- This is a multipurpose essence that targets hydration, soothing, brightening and antiaging
Key Ingredients
✨ Low molecular hyaluronic acid, glycerin, beta-glucan, ceramide for moisture and hydration
✨ Centella Asiatica, madecassoside, green tea, chamomile and mugwort for soothing and calming
✨ Niacinamide and Licorice root for brightening
✨ Also contains Adenosine, collagen, and peptides
- 150ml product per bottle
- Made in Korea 

𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆
- 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: The packaging is made of white frosted glass, the minimalism makes the product feel super luxurious 
- 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: It has true essence texture, where it is thicker than toner but lighter than a serum, has a bit of velvety feel  
- 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁: Fragrance free and no noticeable scent
- 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: I like to apply 2-3 drops using my hands. Mostly I use it after toner but it can replace that step and be used on its own too 
- 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁: There is an immediate slight cooling and hydrating feel when I use this product. I would describe it like having a glass of cold water after an evening jog, but for your face. 
- 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Very hydrating 💧💧💧💧
- 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵:  Despite its thicker consistency, it absorbs really nicely into the skin and no stickiness 
