Hi Picky Fam, kalian pasti sudah tahu bahwa cleansing atau membersihkan wajah merupakan skincare routine yang paling penting kan? Nah kali ini kita akan bahas sedikit tentang micellar water, produk pembersih kulit yang tidak perlu dibilas dengan air.

📚 Sejarah
Micellar water pertama kali diformulasikan oleh Bioderma Laboratory, sebuah perusahaan farmasi Perancis, pada tahun 1991. Hal ini dikarenakan air keran di negara tersebut mengandung banyak mineral yang berdampak buruk untuk lapisan barrier kulit. Sejak saat itu, micellar water terus meningkat popularitasnya.

💧 Apa itu micellar water?
Micellar water adalah pembersih wajah yang terbuat dari campuran air yang telah dipurifikasi dan micelles (molekul minyak yang sangat kecil). Micelles adalah surfaktan yang berbentuk seperti bola yang memiliki 2 bagian, yaitu:
- kepala hidrofilik (suka air) untuk melarutkan kotoran
- ekor lipofilik (suka minyak) yang berfungsi untuk mengikat dan mengangkat sisa-sisa make-up, sunscreen, debu, kotoran dan minyak berlebih pada wajah tanpa merusak kulit dan membuat kulit jadi kering

Beberapa surfaktan yang tergolong lembut dan biasa digunakan dalam micellar water adalah disodium cocoamphodiacetate, polaxamer 184, polyaminopropyl biguanide, PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, dan hexylene glycol.

💁🏻‍♀️ Siapa yang dapat menggunakan micellar water?
Micellar water cocok digunakan untuk semua jenis kulit, termasuk kulit sensitif dikarenakan formulasinya yang sangat lembut.

✨ Tips penggunaan micellar water
1. Micellar water WAJIB digunakan dengan kapas untuk hasil yang optimal
2. Dapat digunakan sebagai step pertama dalam metode double cleansing
3. Membersihkan dan menyegarkan kulit wajah setelah berolahraga atau saat sedang dalam perjalanan jarak jauh
4. Alternatif pembersih wajah di pagi hari

Apakah kalian pengguna micellar water? Apa sih produk favorit kalian?

Micellar Water 💧

Keeping our skin microbiome ‘happy’ is essential for healthy skin. When it is thrown off balance, various skin conditions may occur. That’s why biome-friendly skincare products have been getting a lot of attention lately.

Before you decide on buying one, let’s take a look at what skin microbiome really is and how it can benefit our skin.

✨ Tips ✨
• Product with a combination of pre-, pro-, and post-biotics potentially gives a more optimal result.
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle plays a part in preserving balanced microbiome—exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, limit alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and so on.

So, what’s the verdict? To buy or not to buy?  Or perhaps you’re already using one right now? What’s your favorite biome-friendly skincare product? 🧐

🦠 Skin Microbiome 🦠

Hi Picky Fam, hari ini kita bahas soal eksfoliasi yuk!

👩🏻‍🏫 Apa itu eksfoliasi? 
Eksfoliasi merupakan suatu cara yang dapat dilakukan untuk mengangkat sel-sel kulit mati dari permukaan kulit. Eksfoliasi tidak termasuk dalam langkah skincare yang wajib dilakukan karena pada dasarnya lapisan kulit terluar kita dapat mengelupas secara alami (proses yang disebut dengan deskuamasi) setiap 28-30 hari untuk regenerasi sel-sel kulit yang baru.

Namun, polusi, hormon, stres dan usia dapat mengakibatkan melambatnya deskuamasi, sehingga terjadi penumpukan sel-sel kulit mati yang menyebabkan berbagai masalah pada kulit wajah, seperti kulit kusam, kasar, berjerawat, pori-pori tersumbat, kerutan, hiperpigmentasi, dll. Nah, disaat kondisi kulit kita seperti ini lah saatnya kita perlu melakukan eksfoliasi.

📚 Apa manfaat eksfoliasi?
- Membersihkan pori-pori yang tersumbat
- Mencegah timbulnya jerawat
- Meningkatkan kemampuan kulit menyerap produk skincare
- Mencerahkan kulit
- Menstimulasi produksi kolagen agar kulit lebih kenyal dan tampak awet muda
- Menyamarkan bekas jerawat (hiperpigmentasi)

💁🏻‍♀️ Jenis-jenis eksfoliasi
1. Eksfoliasi Mekanik (Physical Exfoliation) 
- Menggunakan bantuan partikel-partikel kecil (scrub) atau alat pembersih wajah 
- Bekerja dengan cara mengikis permukaan kulit terluar
- Tips: hindari produk yang terlalu kasar atau tajam yang dapat merusak permukaan kulit wajah

2. Eksfoliasi Kimiawi (Chemical Exfoliation)
- Menggunakan bahan kimia yang bersifat asam (AHA, BHA, PHA) maupun enzim buah-buahan (bromelain, papain, dan pumpkin enzyme)
- Bekerja secara perlahan untuk memutuskan/melarutkan ikatan yang berperan sebagai perekat sel-sel kulit mati
- Tersedia dalam berbagai produk skincare: toner, essence, serum, krim, masker

🗓 Seberapa sering kita perlu mengeksfoliasi kulit wajah?
Sebenarnya tidak ada aturan yang pasti mengenai hal ini. Semua tergantung dari kondisi kulit, produk yang digunakan, serta reaksi kulit. Pada umumnya, kita dapat memulai dengan melakukan eksfoliasi sekitar 2-3 kali dalam seminggu. 

✨ Tips
- Gunakan moisturizer untuk menjaga kelembaban kulit.
- Setelah eksfoliasi, kulit cenderung menjadi lebih sensitif terhadap sinar matahari, jadi jangan lupa pakai sunscreen ya!
- Bagi pemula yang belum pernah menggunakan produk eksfoliasi sebelumnya sebaiknya mulai dengan produk yang lembut & memiliki persentase kandungan acid yang rendah.

Menurut kalian, eksfoliasi itu penting atau nggak sih? Apa produk favorit kalian?

Eksfoliasi ✨

Hi, I’m still in my never ending search for a suitable sunscreen for my oily, acne-prone skin. I want something lightweight that absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave your face extra shiny after a few hours of application, preferably no white cast as well. 

Please help a girl out! Thanks a lot ❤️

☀️ SPF for oily, acne-prone skin 🕶

ROVECTIN Clean Forever Young Biome Ampoule
🌱 Vegan  🐰 Cruelty-free 

💰 Price: USD 36 &#47; 50ml

👩🏻‍🔬 Key Ingredients:
• 7-layer Dual Biome Complex (plant-based probiotics + prebiotics): restore and strengthen skin barrier’s integrity
• Adenosine + Niacinamide: boost collagen production and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Panthenol: pro-vitamin B5 that hydrates and soothes the skin
• Rose of Jericho extract: a desert-growing plant known to survive in extra-dry environments that provides deep hydration
• Eggplant fruit extract: rich in lupeol that helps calm irritated skin and improves uneven skin tone

🧴 Packaging:
It comes in a cool shade of dark blue glass bottle. The dropper is pretty sturdy. However, it does get a little messy when you put it back in as some of the product might drip out of the bottle—not a big deal tho. (Rovectin explained that this minor issue can actually be solved by adding a plastic detail at the opening of the bottle, but they decided otherwise as to reduce plastic waste.) 

💧 Consistency:
A lightweight ampoule that is easily spreadable. It also absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn’t leave any tackiness afterwards.

💭 Thoughts:
Upon application, the product gives a rather cooling sensation that soothes the skin. The formula really delivers ample hydration, creating an instant suppleness to the skin. On days when I don’t feel like wearing moisturizer in the morning, I use 3-5 drops of this ampoule after applying a splash of hydrating toner and that’s it. Surprisingly, it provides enough hydration for my skin throughout the day.

I can’t really say anything about its anti-aging claim cause I’ve only been using it for a week. But, this product contains several great ingredients to address that particular concern, such as niacinamide, adenosine, citric acid, tocopherol (aka vitamin E). Plus, I did a little digging and in-vitro studies show that some of the probiotics in this product, such as lactobacillus &amp; lactococcus ferment lysate, help to stimulate collagen synthesis—just what our skin needs to ward off visible signs of premature aging.

the finish may be overly shiny for some people, especially those with oily skin.

key ingredients: 8 types of hyaluronic acid, astaxanthin, centella asiatica, fig fruit extract, ceramide

UV filters: ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, tinosorb m, tinosorb s, polysilicone-15

• lightweight gel texture
• no white cast
• non sticky
• no pilling
• non eye stinging

my favorite sunscreen now comes in new packaging 🫶🏼✨ this is just the perfect sunscreen for daily use. i usually skip moisturizer before applying the product since it already provides enough hydration for my skin. the finish may come off as too dewy for some people, but i don’t mind at all as i can top it off with translucent powder to tackle the shine afterwards.

the white cast may become obvious on skin with darker color.

key ingredients:
hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, inositol,
panthenol, betaine

UV filter: 100% zinc oxide

• light lotion-like texture
• non sticky
• no pilling
• non eye stinging

my very first physical sunscreen. it glides very easily on the skin and doesn’t take long to blend. it leaves very minimal white cast that imho acts like a primer with a subtle blurring effect that helps to even out the complexion. the finish is less dewy than the watery sun gel one.

My very first retinol that immediately becomes my holygrail skincare product. I don’t know how many bottles I have emptied so far, maybe 5? I usually use 3 drops in the evening. It is very lightweighted and absorbs pretty quickly.

Avoskin uses actosome retinol that is considered mild compared to other retinoid products. This is definitely a great option for those who want to start incorporating retinol into their routine.

This product really improves the texture of my skin (didn’t noticed it at first until some of my friends told me so) and helps to fade hyperpigmentation. As long as I can remember, I’ve never experienced any dryness or stinging. But whenever I feel like my skin’s a bit tight, I’ll skip it altogether for a few days. Pairing it with niacinamide is a good idea as it helps to tone down retinol’s side effects.

key ingredients: 
andong yam root extract, coconut fruit extract, rice extract, soybean extract, oatmeal extract, sweet almond seed extract

i’ve been using it daily ever since i received the package. it melts my light make up really well. the cleanser has slimy snail mucin-like cream texture that felt nice on the skin. it leaves the skin soft, smooth and moisturized post rinsing. 

on the first trial, i double checked with micellar water afterwards just to make sure that all the dirt, sunscreen & makeup residue were properly removed, and it seemed like the milk cleanser did a pretty good job.

stellamarselie