Getting Rid of Pimples and massive amounts of acne!

I have been quite busy over the past week and haven’t been able to post anything.

Currently, I am in Japan and doing multiple things. My skin has been going a bit crazy.

Traveling can cause skin problems due to...

1. Climate change. 
2. Stress
3. Jetlag 
4. Change in diet

 and probably many more but so far this is what I can imagine what I am experiencing. 

Luckily I am in Japan so they have a whole bunch of skin remedies. 

Today I will introduce how to cure pimples!

DHC ACNE CONTROL Products.

Personally when I had a lot of pimples I was unable to meet this product... I am very sad. 

DHC has a whole line which contains, face wash, toner, milk, and a spot gel. 

I think this is a really strong product. So I wouldn't recommend this for all skin types. If you have really oily skin this it definitely some thing I would try. 

The price ranges from 800yen~1800yen (approx. 8USD ~18USD)

So I think this is quite affordable!

If you're interested in this item from outside of Japan, you can order it directly from amazon Japan!

NOW...

How I cured my acne problem was by going to a dermatologist. 

I suffered really bad acne on my forehead from 7th grade. 

I used to hide it with my bangs and always touched it because it bothered me so much!

I know these are things you shouldn't do! But I did it still. 

I had a massive amount only on my forehead for a while until I finally went to the dermatologist at 11th grade. 

I LIVE WITH A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ACNE FOR 4 YEARS!! 

During those years, I've tried many products but nothing really worked. 

Thankfully I was able to visit a dermatologist in Japan cheaply, because Japan has national health insurance!!

I got two types of things to cure my acne. 

AKUACHIMU LOTION (I'm gonna leave the romanji spelling)

DEFERIN (romanji spelling)

First I was given the Akuachimu Lotion, which is a really strong alcohol. 

This cleans your skin and infected area. So you're only supposed to put it on the area you have your pimple. 

BUT.... this did not eliminate all of my acne....

SO, the doctor gave me Deferin.

Compared to the Akuachimu Lotion, its a gel so its easier to put on. 

THIS REALLY CLEARED OUT MY SKIN!!!!

4 years of suffering and this cured everything! 

I was never happier!

Deferin does have slight side effects.

1. It can irritate your skin for 2 weeks due to the medicine making your skin dry.

✨However, after the two weeks it doesn't irritate anymore and starts to clear you skin！✨

so don't worry!

(Even after a long period of not using it, this side effect doesn't come back so don't worry!)

2. Apparently this product is not advised for pregnant people. 

So be sure to check with your doctor about that.

In addition...

I looked up the information about Deferin. Apparently its available in the US as well! 

Its called DIFFERIN.

If you're suffering from skin problems definitely ask a doctor if you can try it out!

Although, I don't suffer from massive acne anymore I still have pimples from time to time.

I keep a bottle so I can use it to fight my pimples away!!!

I hope this has helped you! 

Kobi's Bad Skin Habbits, Stop it!

Helloo! It's Kobi


    Since we've been talking about turning our skin around in the last few posts I started thinking about all the bad habits I have that are bad for my skin.

Generally, I try to be good but it's so hard to remember sometimes.

My Bad Skin Habbits

1. I don't drink enough water each day. 

Purportedly, I'm supposed to drink an once of water for every pound I weigh daily. This is hard to do because I'm too lazy.

2. Not getting enough sleep. 

Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of damage to your skin and cause your existing skin problems to worsen.  The number one cause of me not sleeping enough is my laptop, specifically netflix.

3. Unhealthy eating.

Overeating is my biggest sin! I have zero self control when it comes to food and it's starting to get serious. Things like too much sodium, sugar, dairy and alcohol do absolutely horrid things to my face and I've known this for a while but food makes me so happy. I'll need a complete lifestyle change to cut this out.

4. Over touching breakouts.

I need to stop touching and picking at the acne on my face. It's not helping.  It's making things worse. I knew this very well also but it's just reflex sometimes. When you see a foreign object on your face you automatically reach to finger it as a sort of reconnaissance mission to figure out how to properly attack the crap out of it.

5. Not getting enough (any) exercise.

There are tons of excellent reasons why I should work out regularly but I ignore all of them. Exercise is not only good for the mind and body but also for the benefit of your skin! I have no excuse except that I'm reallllly lazy.

6. Bad Stress Management

Stress is bad for your health and studies have shown that it can contribute to all kinds of acceleration in aging. So basically I need to just chill out sometimes.

So these are some things I'm going to have to keep in mind and work on in my journey to better skincare. There are so many variables to getting and keeping healthy skin that I didn't think about before. I thought this was gonna be easy but clearly I'm gonna need a bit more dedication. 

-Kobi

Kobi's Dream Skin Care.

Kobi here! ^_^

So the whole point of this blog is to document me getting my skin in gear and finding that "ultimate skin care routine"

The Quest for the ultimate routine requires a lot of trial and error and research. In my search for "the ultimate skin care routine" one thing that kept coming up was the "Korean 10 step routine".

I had always noticed that skin care was a huge thing in Korea, especially when I went there 2 years ago and immediately noticed the high concentration of skin care ads and skin care shops and brands all over the place. The skin care/cosmetics craze in Korea is something every skin care junkie should experience.

No matter how many of these shops I went into and how many things I bought, I still wanted more and I want to visit Korea again one day just to shop for skin care and cosmetics. It's really something.

So with that experience I had already had a taste of how intense korean skin care can get so I wasn't expecting anything less from this "10 step routine" that I kept running into. I decided to look into it, see what it's about and use it as the basis for my "Dream Routine".

Before I read about it I assumed that some of the 10 steps were a bit more tame and would include basic things like:

step two: wet face.
step four: lather cleanser.
step five: dry face off.

lol. no.

Koreans don't play.

The routine actually includes 10 actual products that you actually put on your face. At first I thought that can't be right. This is pretty freaking intense. 10 steps!!!! #Aintnobodygottimefo'dat! Isn't putting that much on your face a bit too much?

Well, in reality, the products in the step are essentially just 'equipment' your face should use within a reasonable time period to be maintained. Idk if that makes any sense.

Basically you don't do these things every day. You do each step as needed. Within a week, or whatever is appropriate for your skin, you should have included all of these steps.  Some of these steps you do every day but some, exfoliator for example, should only be uses once or twice a week.

So without further ado here's what the "Korean 10 Step Skincare Routine" looks like and how I used it to fit what I want my skin care routine to be in the sequence I would use them:

Dream Skin Care

0 *Gentle make up remover - Bioderma Make-up Remover

1. Pre-cleanse (an oil cleanse is perfect for this step) - DHC Oil

2. Gentle foaming cleanser  - Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser  (anti-aging)

3. Gentle/gel exfoliator (for pores) - Cure Gel Exfoliator

3.1. *Clay/peel-off mask (for pores) - 

4. PH balancing Toner (To restore skin's Ph and remove extra residue) -

4.1. *Conditioning - Hatomugi (This adds nutrients to the skin)

5. Essence (anti-aging) - SKII essence

6. Sheet masks (moisturizing/anti-aging) - I have a variety. 

7. Anti-aging Serum/Ampoule -

8. Eye cream (anti-aging, dark circle correcting) - 

9. Moisturizer/Emulsion (one for day and one for night and update for summer/winter) - 

10. overnight Mask (hydration) - Origins Drink-up Intensive

The asterisks are things I've added myself (^_^)/

Some other Extras and tools that I've added are:

• Good Lip balm/Lip treatment - 
• Sponge for drying face, gentler than face towels
• Sunscreen at least spf 30
• Some sort of spot treatment for the occasional acne
• Spatula for things in jars.

So this is what the list for my dream routine looks like. So far I don't have a complete list of products to fulfill some of these steps but I'll be doing some exploring and trial before I find ones that I love. 

I'll update this list as I find products and, once I have everything finalized, I'll do updates on how often I use each item. I'll also do some reviews and include some "after" pics.

And there you have it!!! Kobi's take on the Korean 10 Step routine. I'm pretty optimistic and I really hope it woks out. Did I find the ultimate skin care routine? Stay tuned to find out ;) Thanks for reading.

-Kobi

Makeup and Skin care

Hello, this is Aya!
I have been extremely busy running around helping out with interviews and getting ready to go to Japan!
I have internet on the plane so just took the opportunity to write away!
Literally didn't have anything planned, so I am going to write about two makeup things I use.

My focus today will be eye👀✨✨makeup! 

 I used to use normal waterproof mascara and eye liner but it really was hard to take off, since it doesn't come off with normal makeup remover (especially waterproof mascara). But you don't want to leave you eye makeup on, so you try a much stronger one.

For some people that might just do the job and they can just rest away, but for me my eyes always got dry AND I really didn't like the fact that I was rubbing my eyes a lot to remove my makeup! Eye skin is super delicate and I would really rather not touch it...

SO I found the dream item for people like me which is the....

✨1DAY TATTOO REAL LASTING EYELINER✨

and....

✨Dejavu mascara series✨

The amazing thing about both of these product is that they both come off with hot water! 

But thats not it! It does not smudge with sweat not with hot water! 

Ever since I met this product I've been addicted. 

I've used it in the summer as well and still no smudge or panda eyes! 

IN ADDITION.... The mascara has different types! The volume increasing, length increasing, brown... and they all come off with hot water!

The product works like a film on your eyelids or eyelashes. I am assuming that the product becomes loose or detaches from the skin when in contact with hot water. (Gonna look more in to it) 

I really recommend this product for people like me, who doesn't like the excessive makeup remover for eye makeup, touching skin in eye area, and just want to take off the makeup FAST.

Thanks! 

Kobi's Skin Condition

Kobi Here (^_^)/


So I wanna do a post about my current skin condition. I wanna talk a bit about what problems I'm dealing with, what I don't like, what I want and what I want to get rid of as far as my skin is concerned. I'll also include a few pics to give everyone an idea of what's going on with my face.

This could also serve as a "before" because if everything goes as planed the condition of my skin is gonna improve drastically. ;)

• Dry Skin: So my first major problem is dry skin. This is something that I need to manage better. There's not much you can do about dry skin since it's genetic I think, I dunno, but I do know that it is something you can take care of. 

Here's what the internet says are the basics of taking care of dry skin:

1. Drink more water. (hydration starts from within): Check :)

2. Use a humidifier in the winter (Dry air=dry skin): I broke mine :(

3. Use a gentle Cleanser (So you don't strip your skin of moisture): Check :)

4. Use a rich moisturizer, oils are good for the winter: Check :)

As far as the basics are concerned I do a pretty good job but there's so much more that can be done that I just don't do. But I will.

• Large Pores: A lot of people have this problem and it's one of those things that is very difficult. It is preventable and it is possible to minimize the look of pores, according to the internet.

How to reduce/prevent large pores:

1. Exfoliate. Get rid of excess dirt and dead skin cells that might clog pores. :(
I have an exfoliator (pictured below) but I don't use it as often as I should.

It's the Cure Gel Exfoliator from Japan. Thanks aya! <3

2. Clay masks. Clay masks work to unclog pores and manage oil but I never do this. :(

3. Retinol and glycolic acid (stimulates collagen production and can tighten pores) I didn't know. :(

4. UV protection. UV damage can enlarge pores over time. I don't play when it comes to sun protection.  Check :)

5. Chemical Peels. These can reduce the size of pores overtime. But it's too scary so no. Maybe later when I'm more pro. :(

Picture of my pores: 

• Fine lines and wrinkles: Wrinkles are scary. When they appear, that's when you know sh!t is getting real. I always thought wrinkles wouldn't show up until my forties. lol. Not the case. They started and I'm not happy about it. 

Wrinkle Management:

1. Protect from the sun. No. 1 cause of wrinkles. I do this. Check :)
2. Get enough sleep. Um. I'm going to try. :(
3. Sleep on your back. I'm literally trying but it's like literally so hard. :(
4. Eat well. I think I do okay with this. Debatable. :/
5. Stop Squinting. I have glasses. I don't wear them. Fail. :(
6. The list goes on and on as far as wrinkle care. There are various topical treatments and supplements one can do but I don't do the vast majority of them. D:
Here's a more complete List. 

Pic of My Wrinkles:
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Brace yourselves 
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omg

• Dark Circles: This is a common problem and many people have it but my life would be soo much better if I didn't. 

How to Reduce/Prevent Dark Circles:

1. Stop molesting your eyes! The skin around your eyes are really thin, be nice. I forget. :(

2. Get enough sleep. I will one day but not at the moment. :(

3. Get Exercise/Do a eye socket massage thing (gently). Sigh. :(

4. Invest in a good eye cream. I don't like the one I have :(

Pic of My Panda Eye:

_____________________________________________________

Okay as you can see I've done a bit of research on how to help with the problems I'm having. I'm not completely clueless. It's just so hard to remember what to do, what not to do. 

If I had to grade myself on my skin care dedication I would give my self a D+. However, I am getting more strict with my skin care and will be able to check off all the things on my to do list so I hope I'll have some dramatic "after" pictures to show the world. 

Stay tuned!! 

-Kobi 

Shiseido Simple Start For Wrinkle-Smoothing Benefiance Set Review

Hi guys this is Aya.

I've had a pretty interesting day today, interviewing and watching the Red Bull vs DC united.
Really exhausted but the blog must go on!

SO, today I want to talk about the...

✨SHISEIDO✨

✨Simple Start For Wrinkle-Smoothing Benefiance Set✨

I've known about Shiseido from my childhood, since its one of the biggest cosmetics company in Japan.
One interesting thing I actually found out about this product is that its actually marketed towards America (possibly other countries too??) but what I want to say is if you try to buy this in Japan, you would have to import it!

I have been using this product for a month now and I adore it❤️

ANYWHO... the main thing!
The set comes with 4 items.

✨ 2.5oz (75ml) Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam✨

✨3.4oz (100ml) Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener Enriched✨

✨1oz (30ml) Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion SPF 18✨

✨0.16oz (5ml) ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate✨

The order you use this item written in the instructions but I want to write it because me being a newbie to skin care had no idea when to use the ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate.
So briefly after you wash your face with the Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam, you apply the Balancing Softener Enriched and THEN the ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate. Finally you put on the Day Emulsion, but I slightly replace this with something else at night (Will explain in this post!).

1. Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam!
The cleanser looks like this 

It contains small beads? I'm not exactly sure what to call them but small particles that exfoliates your skin. I added the full picture of my hand to make sure you guys can see the size of the particles. 

The instructions say you foam it up in your hand and wash you face. I did that but felt like the particles were too harsh. Especially because at the time my skin was extremely sensitive. SO I went my own way and decided to do this!

FOAM FOAM FOAM!

I literally foamed it to the point its super creamy like whip cream! The amazing thing about this is that you can actually save the amount you use every time you wash! 

After foaming it up the little particles dissolve so you won't feel the particles at all. 

I LOVE THE SMELL! It has a perfumy scent and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! ❤️❤️

How is feels after washing:

It actually feels amazing. I actually have not noticed any tightening of my skin. (Especially compared to the other products I've used in the past) However, I would not just run off without moisturizing it.

!I recommend using this product after I removing all your makeup!

2.Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener Enriched

This is like a lotion/toner (different countries have different ways of saying it).  This also has the same perfumy scent (just in case you guys wanted to know). Instead of using cotton balls or pads to apply this on my face, I use my hand. I just feel like it gets absorbed better that way.

3.ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate

Not exactly sure what this does, but apparently it helps the your skin absorb the benefits from the moisturizers, helps fight anti-aging etc. (This does not have the perfumy smell as the others, it does seem the have a faint scent but its hard to identify because its such a small amount)
Umm... I literally do not know an exact thing I can say about this. I do feel like it does help my skin feel moisturized, but I can't say since I have not used the products without it yet. Since they only provide a small amount of this product once I run out, I will update on how my skin changed without the product.

4. Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion SPF 18

So as the name of this product says this is a day time cream. I love it because it has SPF in it. I tend to be lazy and forget to wear sunblock. So this is perfect for people like me! Although, I do believe the SPF is weak to go out for a long period of time under the sun, but if its for a short time why not?
Now this product is for day, so what do you do at night? Do you just stick with the first three steps? I personally would not advise that, since I do believe without the cream your skin would get dry. I think you can use any cream you feel comfortable with to replace the Day cream. I use Shiseido Aqua Label Cream EX, but since I want to focus on the Set, I will not talk about this. Possibly in another entry I will review it!

✨OVERALL✨

I absolutely Love this set. I love the smell and the effects. I do feel like my skin got smoother and balanced. I used to have skin that made me constantly fear about breaking out, but I actually feel confident with my skin after using this product for a month. I don't have wrinkles that are visible or realize at the moment so I am not sure about its effects towards wrinkles, but the moisturizing effects it gives definitely makes me feel like this is a great ANTI-AGING product!

How long do the products last? 
I think it lasts quite long. I mean I have been using this product for a month and i still have quite a lot left. Surprisingly the ULTIMUNE which only has 5ml has survived the month! Although, it seems like it will finish soon. For the other products, it seems like it would last me about another month. I can't see how much is left in the other ones but the toner looks like this as of now...

I think this is pretty good cost performance. 
The set is $45.50 (at Sephora, which is the place I purchased this). 
Do I think its worth buying? Yes, it lasts more than a month and I am absolutely loving every single bit of this set! 

Kobi Intro

Helloo!!

 This is Kobi. Along with Aya I’m starting to take skin care seriously. (Getting old will do that to you) I’m trying to go from complete noob, using all kinds of random products that I’m not 100% satisfied with, to becoming a skin care guru with a stable routine that actually works. I hope this will inspire others to do the same.

A little more background about my care:

I’m really only using what I have handy. Things my mom bought or that I already have lying around. It’s okay but it’s just the bare minimum and it’s not really making much a dent as far as results. I’m gonna be updating my routine in the near future because I want to have flawless, doesn’t need foundation skin.

Current Routine:

1. Make-up remover/pre-cleanse - DHC Cleansing Oil

Aya got me this from Japan! It's great and I'll definitely keep it when I update my routine.

2. Cleanser - Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser

 

I also like this and will keep it. It’s very mild and perfect for my dry skin. However, it’s only usable on winter skin. I’ll have to get another one with more foaming to use in the summer when my skin gets a bit oilier.

3. Conditioner/Toner- Hatomugi Skin Conditioner

 

I first heard of this from the blogger Bubzbeauty who I adore so when she tells me to get something I get it. Aya got it for me from Japan. I’m not terribly sure what it’s supposed to do or what it is exactly, but it helps with moisturizing so I love it.  :D Will keep.

4. Anti-aging - Olay Regenerist Micro Lifting Serum and Eye Lifting Serum

My mom got me these at Marshalls so I use it just because it’s what I have at the moment. Although I’m not sure if I notice any results, I just use it mainly for prevention rather than wrinkle reduction since I don’t have m(any) wrinkles. I think I'll skip these when I update my routine because I’m not sure if I like them. I don’t know what to look for as for as anti-aging goes.

5. Moisturizer- Coconut Oil

It’s cheap. It works. It’s organic. There was a coconut oil trend last year so I jumped on it. The only problem is I can’t use it when the summer comes around cuz it’s just gonna be way too oily. So I’ll update with a new summer friendly moisturizer.

Well that’s basically it. I also use some sheet masks sometimes but not regularly enough to call it a part of my routine. I’m trying to get on the same level as makeup/beauty guru’s on youtube. They have their skin game on point and I really look up to them. If they can do it we can too right Aya?