Firsts Tag
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Friday, May 31, 2013 /
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first tweet? I believe it was about a giveaway?
First Facebook profile pic? Picture of a bouquet of flowers.
Do you still talk to your FIRST love? Hmm... perhaps? ;)
What was your FIRST alcoholic drink? Well, if you count the days when I would take a chopstick and dip it into my dad's drink, then a beer.
What was your FIRST job? A research lab assistant.
What was your FIRST car? Honda CR-V
Who was the FIRST person to text you today? My best friend
Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Probably one of my school friends
Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Miss O'Connor!
Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? USA
Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Dannie, a girl in my neighborhood. I haven't heard from her in years.
Where was your FIRST sleep over? At one of my friend's houses in the 5th grade.
What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Turn off the alarm.
What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Classical concert - 4th grade, Mozart's Greatest Pieces.
FIRST broken bone? None
FIRST piercing? Both earlobes
FIRST foreign country you've gone to? Does the US count? or rather, perhaps China, if I'm speaking as a US citizen.
FIRST movie you remember seeing? Titanic. Oh so beautiful.
When was your FIRST detention? Never gotten a detention.
Who was your FIRST roommate? My freshman roommate in college. Or we could count my brother (when he was much younger)
If you had one wish, what would it be? To not just survive med school but also thrive
What was the first sport you were involved in? Swimming
What is the first thing you do when you get home? Check the mail
When was your first kiss? Ooh, that's a touchy question. I actually didn't get my first kiss till college. (I wasn't allowed to date in HS).
Review: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
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| Photo Source FTC: I received a sample of this product. I am not paid for this review. |
I decided, why not? Let's give it a go!
Ingredients (from Drugstore.com):
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Sodium Sulfate
The first thing that I noticed when I squeezed out this product was its super clear, gel-like consistency. Instantly, I thought, whoa, petroleum jelly all over again. Personally, while I think petroleum jelly is an excellent emollient substance, it feels too sticky for daytime use. However, I decided to try it anyway as I trusted my attending physician.
The ingredients list shows several parabens for preservation purposes. Some people may be freaked out by that but for me it's actually kind of relieving. I'd rather have a product that has preservatives but doesn't spoil than a product that spoils really quickly. The natural movement is in hype right now, but when one thinks about it, the thing is that ingredients are there for a purpose. After all, why would the pharmaceutical companies put in additional ingredients, that cost more money, when they can use less ingredients, less distilling and purification steps, and make more money from this?
Anyway, that's my soapbox for the day.
Point being, the water, glycerin, and cetearyl alcohol are all fatty, emollient substances used for humectant purposes. I'm really glad there was no petrolatum - the key ingredient in petroleum jelly that gives the sticky feeling.
Pros:
- Very emollient
- Only made my hands feel sticky for about 10 sec after application
- Made my skin super smooth
- Did not feel sticky afterward
- Price ($4.49 for 2 oz)
Cons:
- None
- (Perhaps no anti-aging ingredients?)
Bottom line, I agree with my attending on this product and its abilities. I would definitely consider purchasing a full-sized version of it. It is a rather simple product with few ingredients but it definitely gets the job done!
Review: Algenist Triple-Action Micropolish & Peel
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| Photo source FTC: I am not compensated for this review. I received a sample of it from Sephora during an order. |
I got a very nice, hefty sample of this quite interesting product recently during a Sephora order. A very interesting product, I must say, a chemical peel. Now, while most people would think extreme from the words chemical peel, I don't know so much.
A chemical peel is used to desquamate (note: layman term = exfoliate) the skin - literally peel back the layers - in order to reveal newer, smoother skin underneath. It is used by people to soften the skin and give a younger apperance, in essence, an anti-aging agent. This is often done using alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs). Similarly, citric acid (think lemon juice mask) can be used in a similar method.
The caveat about chemical peels is that AHAs and BHAs make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Thus, one must wear sunscreen during the day for at least 1 week after application.
In the past, I haven't had much luck with chemical peels (e.g. the Kate Somerville peel really hurt my skin) so I've been pretty apprehensive about using these products. However, recently I had a weird bout of acne around the time of my alma mater's graduation ceremony, so I decided to go for this.
Ingredients (From Sephora):
-10% Alguronic Acid and Glycolic Acid: Dissolve the smaller skin-dulling cells and regenerate smoother, more even skin underneath.
-10% Pumpkin and Pomegranate Fruit Enzymes: Support enzymatic epidermal dissolution.
-Micro-Crystals: Lift off larger skin-dulling cells and buff rough skin to reveal a new, radiant skin surface.
-Botanical Anti-Inflammatories: Minimize redness and irritation.
Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Algae Exopolysaccharides, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Algae Extract, Glucosamine HCL, Galactoarabinan, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Urea, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Magnesium Oxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
I've had pretty good results with Algenist's sunscreen in SPF 50. I've also liked their alguronic acid formula, along with the fruit enzymes, which are used to desquamate the skin. The micro-crystals (aka beads) in the formula mechanically desquamate the skin and the anti-inflammatories are nice. The glycerin, jojoba oil, etc all help out with hydrating the skin without drying it out. The fragrance didn't seem too overpowering.
Pros:
-10% Alguronic Acid and Glycolic Acid: Dissolve the smaller skin-dulling cells and regenerate smoother, more even skin underneath.
-10% Pumpkin and Pomegranate Fruit Enzymes: Support enzymatic epidermal dissolution.
-Micro-Crystals: Lift off larger skin-dulling cells and buff rough skin to reveal a new, radiant skin surface.
-Botanical Anti-Inflammatories: Minimize redness and irritation.
Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Algae Exopolysaccharides, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Algae Extract, Glucosamine HCL, Galactoarabinan, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Urea, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Magnesium Oxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
I've had pretty good results with Algenist's sunscreen in SPF 50. I've also liked their alguronic acid formula, along with the fruit enzymes, which are used to desquamate the skin. The micro-crystals (aka beads) in the formula mechanically desquamate the skin and the anti-inflammatories are nice. The glycerin, jojoba oil, etc all help out with hydrating the skin without drying it out. The fragrance didn't seem too overpowering.
Pros:
- Did not make my skin hurt
- Great desquamation power
- Made my skin feel super smooth afterward
- Lightened my skin after 1 week of use
- Did help clear up some acne
- Scent not overpowering
Cons:
- Price! $75 for 2 oz. That is absolutely ridiculous. Even my 0.1 fl oz sample goes for $3.75 by itself. And that's just a week's worth of use. Ridiculous.
Overall, I think this product is quite excellent for those who can afford it. I think it is a great product that can be used for acne, anti-aging purposes, and all-around skincare for the long-run. However, for those who are on a budget, I believe that I've achieved similar results with simple lemon juice-cucumber juice face masks. Thus, there are much cheaper alternatives.
Contact Dermatitis Decontamination Advice!
Yesterday the plumber came to unclog a couple of my drains. Since my condo is pretty old (think ~40 years old), there are definitely parts that need maintenance.
Yes - the plumber did a great job. All the drains were unclogged and great. However, the adverse effect was not good. To my skin.
Look at this:
These pictures were actually taken after my skin got a lot better - when the rashes had subsided about 60%. At the height of them, they were angry red pustules that were super itchy and painful.
What are these?
These are the product of contact dermatitis - which is what happens when the skin contacts irritants such as drain cleaners and other solvents. It sucks. Yeah.
What have I been doing to help out my skin?
Yes - the plumber did a great job. All the drains were unclogged and great. However, the adverse effect was not good. To my skin.
Look at this:
What are these?
These are the product of contact dermatitis - which is what happens when the skin contacts irritants such as drain cleaners and other solvents. It sucks. Yeah.
What have I been doing to help out my skin?
- Body wash (not in picture): Changed to papaya + oatmeal. Buy a giant papaya at the store for $3 and take out the fruit. Blend it till it becomes a puree and then store it in sections in the fridge (separated into individual baggies). Then, when you need it, just take out 1+ baggies as needed and heat up the puree as needed in the microwave. Mix some oatmeal in with it. The thing is that papaya and oatmeal are soothing ingredients that are very good to the skin. They are, after all, two very simple ingredients - just papaya + oatmeal!
- Benadryl Itch Cooling Gel with 0.45% Camphor: This product smells terrible (due to the camphor) but it creates a cooling gel sensation that takes your mind off of the itch.
- Benadryl Cream - 2% Diphenhydramine hydrochloride + 0.1% Zinc Acetate. This is a skin protectant that helps get rid of some of the itching. I bought the generic version of it because literally (1) it had the same ingredients as the Benadryl cream and (2) it was $3 cheaper. Lolz.
- Mometasone Furoate Cream 0.1% - This was actually a prescription-grade glucocorticosteroid that really helps out the skin. It is stronger than all of the OTC creams I've ever used. My doc basically prescribed it to me last year when I had another crazy rash from a plant. She told me that basically I could use it whenever another such rash popped out. Thank goodness it hasn't expired yet, so I could it use it for this problem!
Anyway, these are things I'm doing to help out my rashes. It's really sad that I have them but at least these help!
~Lucia
