It's the new year and you know what I'm so excited about? People telling me my skin looks so good! You can't imagine how happy that makes me feel and I'm here to tell you that the Flawless Rejuvelite Acne Control facial is giving me that glow. Literally a glowing facial, mamas! Look at the mask Flawless uses on me:
Look at it glooooow!
There are four Rejuvelite Mask facials Flawless offers: Oil Control, Acne Control, Age Defy, and Whitening. Each facial uses a different kind of LED light energy to address your specific skin concern. Since mine has always been controlling my acne, that's what I tried.
To be very honest, I was skeptical about this facial. I mean, light can cure my acne? Get out of here. But I read up on it, read dozens of reviews from happy beauty bloggers and credible beauty editors, even looked up scientific papers on LED therapy (check out my research here), and so I gave it a go.
The Flawless Rejuvelite Acne Control Mask Facial is a full treatment that will take about 2 hours. It starts with cleansing, steaming and pricking and then the cold Oxygenating mask is applied to my face for 15 minutes.
Here comes the LED mask part. For my skin concern, blue light was used for me. Blue light kills pimple-causing bacteria and calms and soothes inflammation. I'll have to admit that I lay under that blue light-emitting mask, I was still a doubter. I guess I was so used to physical manipulation that to just lie quietly under light was unnerving.
After 15 minutes of my LED light therapy, I was free to go. I didn't notice anything different right after (maybe because it was dinner time and I was hungry) but I woke up the next day looking glowwy. Yep! I looked great. I thought, "Nah, it's just the usual facial."
But when I had that glow even after two weeks, and then the few pimples I had calmed down and disappeared and no new eruptions occurred even a month after my facial, I was convinced! I am now a LED light therapy enthusiast! I highly recommend it and if you should ever try a facial this year, mamas, the Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Facials are a must!
Every subsequent Rejuvelite facial I got made me even more smooth and young and glowing. Look at me now (this is just my phone camera):
The Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Facial is P1,100. There is a faster and more affordable option, the Flawless Rejuvelite InstaFacials (Calming, Boosting, Healing, and Firming). Each is only 30 minutes long and just P480. That's what I want to do next!
From the oily, pimply woman I've resigned myself to look like forever, I now look so much younger and better because of my glowing skin! Thank you so much, Flawless!!! Thanks so much for sponsoring my blog and my skincare last year, thank you for believing there was a beautiful woman under all those pimples and scars and wrinkles, and thank you for convincing me that beauty inside and outside can co-exist and be a wonderful thing.
I'm so happy my skin is so much better. I feel a new confidence and, now more than ever, I can't wait to conquer 2018!
There are some things you never want to need to review. These are usually medication, medical equipment, hospitals (unless you're there to give birth), and funeral homes. But the time has come for me to use our latest medical machine because every December, my family comes down with a bad cold and cough and this year is no different. Everyone, except Iñigo, came down with a nasty cough and cold. Vito, Piero and I had a really horrible time breathing.
Thankfully, our new machine is amazing and really helped ease the breathing of Vito, Piero and myself. Thanks so much to the OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801!
A couple of months ago, I went to the press launch of this nebulizer (I wrote about the event and details of the machine in this post). We already have a Devilbiss nebulizer at home so I wasn't really supposed to buy a new one.
But the more I thought about the new OMRON nebulizer, the more I wanted it. So we got one!
It's really the smallest thing. It fits in my hand. It's also so light so when Kuya Vito needed to nebulize, I can ask toddler Piero to get the OMRON nebulizer because it's so magaan.
It's also really quiet, so if you have kids who are scared of the loud noise nebulizers make, try the OMRON. Of course, may ingay pa rin yung compressor pero it's really more of a hum. You can even use it on one kid while their siblings are sleeping and the sound won't disturb the other kids.
It's also really easy to assemble. I also like how deep the cup is. My kids and I sometimes lean back on pillows kasi when we're nebulizing (see first photo). Dun sa dati naming nebulizer, because maliit yung cup, you tilt back a little and the medication spills out. With the OMRON one, my kids can rest on pillows while nebulizing na. Hooray!
And at just P3,280, the OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801 is not an expensive nebulizer at all. It's available at leading drugstores. Buy na, mommies! Sulit ito. I highly recommend it!
Mr P agrees!
P.S. Vito and Piero are feeling much better. Me na lang. Alam niyo naman, nanay kasi, laging pagod at walang pahinga. Please pray I find a kasambahay soon! Thanks so very much!
It's no secret that I've been battling acne for the last three decades. Because of Flawless Face & Body Clinic, my face is finally clear!!! Smooth and radiant for the first time in the longest time. Does this mean I've been cured? Well, no. I still need my monthly facials to manage my acne-prone skin. Notice I now say "acne-prone skin" and not "acne-ridden face." I'm soooo happy!
Anyway, since I'm still an oily-skinned woman (yes, even though I'm already 41), I'm here to share with you how I manage to look fantabulous even though my skin had suffered from oil, breakouts, dark pimple spots, and ice-pick scars. How? With the right makeup!
You'll be happy to know that I don't use a ton of products, too. Here they are, my tried-and-tested makeup for oily skin:
Primer
I only use primer when I have a whole day of events or when I have a speaking engagement. Primer creates a smooth base by filling up pitted scars and fine lines (acts like masilya haha) and also makes makeup adhere better, longer. I've tried a few primers. The Bobbi Brown Skin Smoothing Pore Perfector, P1,780, is my favorite. Two thumbs up for helping me look pore-less, line-less, and scar-less.
Available at Bobbi Brown boutiques
Foundation
A huge perk of my job back then as editor at Calyxta.com was we Calyxta girls could sample the tons of products our beauty website sells. I've been happy with Maybelline Dream Mousse foundation until one day, testers of L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR foundation dropped at Calyxta HQ. I tried it and our art director, Ming, said, "What are you wearing? You look great!"
This was a huge deal for me, guys, because when I was working at Calyxta, I couldn't do reviews that showed my face—I had sooo many pimples and dark scars. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR foundation, P700, covered that all up! Even better, the foundation dries to a matte finish and my face stays shine-free all day long. I love it!
Concealer
For really dark spots and for those days I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep (and when you're a mother, you never get any of that!), Pink Sugar Our Lil Secret Concealer, P349, always rescued me. Pink Sugar is a local brand. Yes!!! Support local!!! I love that it's local because its formula takes into consideration our tropical climate. This concealer covers all blemishes and it stays on those blemishes all day. This concealer does not budge! It comes in a tiny tube but that's okay because it's a thick product. Just a tiny bit goes a long way. I love it!
Eyeliner
This is another fab find. I love the Malissa Kiss Super Black Ultra HD Eye Liner, P349. Malissa Kiss is a Thai brand. I used to skip eyeliner because it always smudges. Always! I always end up looking like a raccoon. But here comes this liquid eyeliner from Thailand, sporting an extremely fine point that makes for precision lining. The ink dries quickly so blinky-eyes me won't even need to fan my eyes for the liner to set. And when it sets, it's there forever. I love it!
Eyebrow Pen
Behold—the Malissa Kiss Super Shape Ultra HD Brow Pencil, P349! It's so easy to use. Just brush up brows with the built-in spoolie, then draw on your arches with the crayon on the other end. The crayon is waxy so it acts like a pomade and keeps brow hairs in place. Best part? The crayon is deeply pigmented, smudge-proof, sweat-proof, and oily skin-proof. I love it!
Pressed Powder Innisfree No Sebum Blur Pact, P759, is a revelation. It really does blur imperfections so that I look like I'm glowing (not shiny!). I use this to set my makeup and then I find that I don't need to powder my nose anymore, no matter how long my day is. The fine powder made from Jeju clay combined with other minerals absorbs oil and controls oil production, too. It's so amazing. I love it!
Blotting Paper
For extra hot days or if I want to freshen up, I don't even need to bring out my powder. I just use Happy Skin Tickled Pink Skin Perfecting Absorbent Charcoal Blotting Sheets, P149. It's my favorite because it's huge. When you have oily skin, it's oily everywhere, not just on the nose. So I appreciate how big the paper is because one sheet is enough to suck up the oil on my entire face. I love it!
I'm still looking for a mascara. When you have oily skin, the mascara smears on lower lids every time lashes brush against the oil. Yep. Think about eye makeup remover—what's it made of? Oil. And oil on my skin is abundant. So the search for mascara continues! If you have any recommendations, please share!
Now I want to happily say that as my skin improves with every visit at Flawless, I've found that I no longer need makeup. Oh yes, it's true! Shout out to my derma, dear Dr Boyles of Flawless SM Light, for taking care of my skin! I am super grateful. She walked me through my Flawless treatments—first the Advanced Acne Control Facial with Salicylic Acid Peel when my skin was volcanic; next was the Glycolic Acid Peel when my skin had calmed down, and now my Rejuvelite Facial (Acne Control) to maintain my now-almost-perfect skin!
We still need to address my ice-pick scars, and for that Dr Boyles recommends the Fractional Needling Therapy (FNT), which celebrities regularly get. It's a therapy that uses micro needles to resurface skin and push powerful skin-nourishing serums deep into the dermis. Because needles are involved, there's downtime—your face will be really red for days, which is why I haven't said yes to the FNT yet because as a working mama with no yayas and maids and who picks up my kids every day from school, I don't have the luxury of hiding away from the world as I wait for my face to heal. I should've done it during the ASEAN holiday!!! If I ever do FNT, I'll update you!
Meanwhile, I'm already happy with my pimple-free face and content that my fab makeup finds helps me achieve that flawless look!
Big confession: Before I get any treatment done, I devote a ton of research to it, but when I went to Flawless Face & Body Clinic for the Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Facial, I had been so busy I just said yes to it without knowing what it was. So when my aesthetician positioned what basically was a lamp on my face and I was bathed in blue light for 15 minutes, I went, "Okaaaaaaaay, what's this supposed to do?"
What just happened was my first every LED therapy. LED means light-emitting diode. These diodes are in the mask and they emit infrared light. There are different kinds of wavelengths per light, which is seen in the color of the light. Here's the list:
White reduces inflammation
Red promotes good blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
Amber stimulates production of collagen and elastin
Blue kills acne-causing bacteria on the surface and deep in the skin
The light is not your usual light because this penetrates deep into the skin and causes skin-beneficial reactions. And nope, this light doesn't damage skin at all. Because my main skin concern is acne, I agreed to the recommendation of Flawless to try the Flawless Rejuvelite Mask Acne Control Facial.
As you can see in my photo above, the light is blue. Blue light is beneficial to acne sufferers like me because it kills the bacteria present on the skin and also the ones deep in the layers, the bad bacteria that cause all the cystic acne that's so painful! I will admit that 15 minutes bathing under blue light was, well, not thrilling for me. But when I read the report made by the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that blue light therapy does wonders to pimply skin, I was sold because I love science!
Here's the excerpt from the article on the NCBI website: "Phototherapy with visible light, specifically blue light, has been shown to improve skin condition in cases of acne and blemishes.4 It is further reported to control the condition before an outbreak occurs. This blue light therapy is clinically shown to control acne without harsh chemicals or prescriptions and improves the skin’s appearance. "
I'll do a proper review soon since I just started Rejuvelite and I want to see its full effects after a week or so. Meanwhile, to learn more about the LED light therapy that Flawless is offering, read this and then maybe you should give it a try! Right now, a few days after my first Rejuvelite Mask Facial, my skin looks really glowing. I think I've found my new favorite Flawless treatment!
I'm 40 years old and while I like to think I look good for a middle-aged mama, I know I definitely am a middle-aged mama. I like my laugh lines, how my eyes crinkle at the edges when I smile. What I don't like? My jowl. I now have a double chin!!! It comes with getting older, I know, I know, but I want my jaw back!
Funny because when I was super young and skinny, I also didn't like my jaw because I have a long face so some people called me "mukhang mangga." Coupled with my huge teeth, I was also called "mukhang kabayo." People are cruel, I've long accepted that.
As I grew older and put on weight, my face widened and so my face didn't look so elongated anymore. Plus, braces fixed my teeth so hindi na ako mukhang kabayo. Then I hit my 40s and my jaw softened, my chin doubled, and... Oh well. Ganyan talaga pag tumatanda. Collagen, which is what makes skin look plump and young, and elastin, which is what keeps skin nice and tight, these break down with age and that's why bumabagsak ang face and neck, boobs, tummy, basically lahat. Ganyan talaga!
As I hit my mid-30s, I started using anti-aging skin care. Now, it is always good to have a good skin care regimen, okay? But skin care products don't really get to the structure underneath. So at my ripe old age of 40 (hahaha), I began looking at treatments that will address that concern. Ayoko kasi magpa-face lift, no. So habang hindi pa bagsak ang fez ko, asikasuhin na natin ang potential/developing concerns!
So when I heard about the Thermolift therapy from Flawless, I looked it up. Thermolift is non-invasive radio-frequency heat therapy. That means no surgery, no injections. I like that very much! I'm so scared of surgery!
Thermolift uses radio frequency waves to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin. This heat stimulates and remodels collagen production, which results to firm and bouncy skin again and a contoured face. Hooray!
At the Megamall clinic of Flawless, I met with the resident dermatologist. She looked at my face and she said na okay pa naman ako. In fact, what she wanted to treat first was my acne scars. But since I was there to try Thermolift, she said that while my face was still young-looking for a 40-year-old woman, the skin on my cheeks and jaw area have started to sag. Started pa lang naman so hindi pa issue, but she agreed that prevention is better than cure so I was whisked off to a private room to get prepped for my first ever Thermolift therapy!
Grid lines are applied on the treatment areas to guide the doctor.
My eyes are red because I was crying na. It was painful! Next time I do this, I'm asking for topical anaesthesia.
The derma used setting #3 on me. A higher setting of 4 and above will give you more visible results but the derma said it's my first time so she wanted to know what my pain threshold is. Also, hindi pa naman daw masyado slackened ang jaw and chin ko so kaya pa ng lower setting. So ang ginawa na lang niya is lower setting but she passed the Thermolift wand several times.
Masakit siya huhu as in umiyak ako sa sakit. As in, after she did one side, I wanted to go home! But after she did one side, I really felt my chin and cheek tightened. I FELT IT! So the nurse brought out a mirror so I can see for myself. See above. Jaw bone now visible. Cheek tightened. As you can see, I'm also red, but that's all the redness that will happen. Hindi ka masusunog. After my session, nag-shopping pa nga ako sa Megamall!
So let's look at my face immediately after my Thermolift! Here's the before-and-after photos:
Kita niyo ba ang difference??? I know it's ever so slight. That's because I don't really have a huge problem yet with sagging cheeks, slackened jaw and double chin. But, ako mismo, nakita ko and naramdaman ko na may difference talaga.
And here's what I look like now:
Sharper jawline
No double chin
It's been a month after my Thermolift and I can say that it really works. I want to do this every 6 months!!! Thermolift starts at P14,000, though, so dapat may budget. The fee will also be determined by how large the area to be treated is. So in my case, jawline lang. Next time, I want to include my cheeks, mouth area, and neck.
If you want to try Thermolift at Flawless, the treatment is available only at the Megamall and Eastwood clinics. Also, it will be good to set an appointment first so that the dermatologist can look at your face and see if it's Thermolift you really need. Kasi may ibang treatments pa ang Flawless that address sagging skin (like Acculift), so you want to explore your options first. In my case, I know Thermolift is my preferred skin-lifting and facial-contouring treatment!
We just survived the school year's first quarter, mamas! It wasn't so bad—it was only bad for me because I was sick almost all of August and could barely help my kids Vito and Iñigo review for their end-of-quarter tests. I was so worried they'd not do well because I seriously had to get as much sleep as I could (after chores and work) or else I'd get even worse. So I couldn't prioritise helping my kids study at all.
Well, mamas, I shouldn't have worried! They did well on their exams. As their mother, I'd like to think it's because they're smart. And they are! They make me so proud! But intelligence needs to be cared for. As a mommy, I need to nurture and cultivate and nourish and encourage their brain development with good books, documentaries, the right games and apps, lots of conversations (mamas, admit it: answering all those why's is not easy!), and of course proper nutrition.
And candy.
What are these healthy gummies???
Say whaaaaat?
Yes! I give my kids candy, too! All work and no play make my kids dull boys. So it's not all homework and study—we play a lot, too. It's not all fruits and vegetables—we eat fun stuff, too. But because I'm a sneaky mama, I make sure that some of the sweets they eat are good for them. So hooray for my new mama find: Scott's DHA Gummies!
While Vito practiced his Chinese strokes and his brothers drew, I surprised them with this!
Zoom in to Iñigo hahaha
I discovered Scott's DHA Gummies a few weeks ago at the KidDiscovery event at Glorietta. I really thought it was just multivitamins, which is cool, but when Iñigo and I found out it's actually gummy candies, we were like, "No way! And it's yummy, too!" We popped quite a few in our mouths during the event because, being candy, you don't have to limit yourself to just one. But, being candy, I still had to limit my kids' access to three a day—a reward of sorts for when they finished their homework.
So let's break it down, why Scott's DHA Gummies is good for kids (and for grownups, too haha).
1. It is full of DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), an essential fatty acid for healthy brain development for babies in utero and for normal brain growth in children.
I dunno if your obstetrician prescribed fish oil vitamins to you while you were pregnant, but mine did, because fish oil is a good source of DHA and she wanted to make sure my babies' brain development in my womb was fully supported.
Now that my kids are outside my body, I still need to nourish those big brains of theirs! With DHA, their rapidly developing brains function better at learning, paying attention, holding memories, and solving problems.
2. It's perfect for kids who are lactose intolerant and don't like eating fish.
As you might be aware, a lot of milk now are fortified with vitamins and minerals, yes, even with DHA. But some kids don't like milk, can't finish a full glass of milk, or are lactose intolerant. If this is your kid I just described, they can still get lots of DHA from fish. But some kids don't like fish either! What to do to get them DHA??? Through the yummy gummy candies that is Scott's DHA Gummies!
3. The gummies are soft, chewy and delicious!
No fishy taste. No medicinal taste. Just soft and chewy candy love! Scott's DHA Gummies are available in orange and strawberry flavors. Three gummies are all your child needs in a day because just three gummies provide 15% of the recommended intake of DHA+EPA daily. Each gummy is microencapsulated with a patented technology that locks in the goodness of fish oil without the unpleasant taste and smell.
"Can I have mo' pweease?" "Just three a day, Piero!"
Heehee! The kids DID NOT POSE for these photos, mamas. They really do love their Scott's DHA Gummies and I do love how I'm such a good mommy—making them happy with sweets while promoting their brain development. Mommy of the Year!
Scott’s DHA Gummies is available in packs of 3 (a daily dose at P24.00), 15 (five days of healthy sweets at P117.50, and 60 (good for 20 days for just P433.00). You can find Scott's DHA Gummies at Mercury Drug, Watsons, and leading supermarkets nationwide.
Mommies, I had such a fun afternoon with other mamas when Sanicare invited us to a lovely little party to welcome Bianca Gonzalez-Intal as their first ever brand ambassador.
L-R: Shari Macainag, Bianca Gonzalez Intal, Sarah Tirona and me
Sanicare is a line of kitchen, bathroom and personal care paper and cotton products. So that's kitchen towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, and the like. In my home, we've been using Sanicare maybe around 5 or 6 years ago. When we had kids and our grocery receipt now featured items like lots of wet wipes and paper towels, my husband Vince decided we needed to look for quality items that are still affordable. Para hindi masakit every time we pulled out a tissue or wipe! Like, seriously, why are kids such a messy affair???
Bianca, being a first-time mom, is now acutely aware of keeping her home clean and using hygienic products. And even though she probably earns more than an average mom does, that doesn't mean Bianca doesn't care about cost. She made sure she picked Sanicare kasi affordable ang products nito. But even though hindi sila kamahalan, sobrang excellent ang quality.
I can attest to this because I'm very maarte with the stuff I use. Sanicare paper is very soft and smooth, sarap to use, but hindi siya madaling mapunit. The baby stuff are free of harmful ingredients like parabens, alcohol and perfume. The cotton they use is 100% cotton talaga —walang halo na ibang materials. The towels are extra-absorbent and are free from chlorine and other bleaching agents, plus they are made from 100% virgin pulp.
With the lovely (inside and out!) Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, who hosted the event
You know what makes me love Sanicare even more? Dun sa event, Marketing Director Lea Sio Pacis revealed that the brand started as products her dad invented for her mom. Yes, Lea is the daughter of Sanicare's inventor, and yes, Sanicare is a family business. Lea said her mom has very sensitive skin and being a mommy, syempre, her days were filled with keeping her home and her kids clean. Problem was the products she used those days made her skin sugat-sugat kasi allergic siya. Lea said her dad couldn't let this happen to his dear wife so he made products that were soft, durable, and didn't have harmful chemicals. Sanicare! Grabe, diba? Aanhin mo ang Taj Mahal, supposedly the world's best physical demonstration of a man's love for his wife? This is waaaaaay better!
So anyway, speaking of husbands, it was Vince who discovered Sanicare Interfolded Hand Towels. We use it everywhere! Sa dining table, may naka-park na pack for wiping up spills and wiping down messy mouths and hands. For the kitchen, I use it to cover dishes that I heat sa microwave so that the inside of the oven won't get messy from the splatters.
And since we're on the topic of Sanicare's many uses, Beach Born entrepreneur and fashion and travel blogger Sarah Tirona of The Fashion Eggplant, Rory & Sloane entrepreneur and beauty blogger Shari Macainag of The Misty Mom, and myself were invited by Sanicare to share how we use their products.
Sarah was in charge of the mommy hacks. She also showed us the fabulous Large Cotton Buds that were shaped so that it doesn't penetrate the ear. No need to worry about harming eardrums, mommies!
Shari shared her beauty and grooming tips using Sanicare products. For example, when she applies makeup and her mascara smudges, the Mini Cotton Buds can get that smudge off your face without ruining your makeup.
Meanwhile, I shared 10 ways I use Sanicare kitchen towels in my kitchen and dining room. I'm not going to list here what I made chika na to the mommies at the event. Para fresh, I'll list a few more of my kitchen hacks!
1. Clean mushrooms. Washing mushrooms will make them absorb water. A moist paper towel helps clean dirt from mushrooms better.
2. Dry meat before seasoning and cooking. Thawed meat or washed meat must be patted dry first so that salt and pepper and other seasoning can adhere to it. Patting meat dry before cooking also prevents spectacular oil explosions.
3. Heat bread in microwave. Bread should be reheated in an oven or toaster but when I'm in a hurry, I use the microwave. I just wrap/cover the bread/pizza/pastries in a damp towel first to prevent it from drying out.
4. Clean stovetop after cooking. Since ako ang labandera, I don't want my cloth towels to get greasy. Spraying isopropyl alcohol on the paper towel helps to break down the grease!
5. Dry the inside of my kids' water bottles. I just roll up a towel like a straw then poke around inside the bottle.
6. Absorb oil drippings from fried food. Layer two towels in a dish, put the friend food there to rest, then transfer the not-so-oily-anymore pritong pagkain to a serving dish.
7. Absorb excess oil from pizza. Just pat, pat, pat!
Aaaaand here are the mommies enjoying the super delicious food at Makati Diamond Residences and the fun games that Bianca and Stephanie made everyone do.
Every mommy went home with a big tray of Sanicare goodies. Hooray! Thanks, Sanicare!
To see what happened at the event, here's a video from one of the mama bloggers who attended my workshops before (hi, Reign!):
So ayan, mga mamas, get Sanicare products na! I'm listing down the complete line below and I added a few comments on some of them. Funny kasi very comprehensive na yung product range, diba, but being kikay us, Sarah, Shari and I asked for cotton pads (square or circular and embossed!) for removing makeup. Sanicare said they'll consider it! Kikay mamas, rejoice! I really love Sanicare. Sobrang sulit, sobrang galing, sobrang recommended ko and ni Bianca Gonzalez Intal pa! Bili na, mga mommies!
Product line:
Kitchen Hygiene Line
1. Kitchen Towel Regular
2. Kitchen Towel Jumbo
3. Facial Lunch Napkins - I think kaya siya "facial lunch" kasi pwede siyang table napkin and panyo!
4. Mood Dinner Napkins
Personal Hygiene Line
1. Facial Tissue Boxed
2. Facial Tissue Travel Packs
3. Cleansing Wipes - I can't live without these! Here's my review.
4. Cotton
Bathroom Hygiene Line
1. Bathroom Tissue 2-ply
2. Bathroom Tissue 3-ply
3. Interfolded Hand Towels - I love these, too! Like I said, it's the very first Sanicare product we bought. I think it's the most versatile because you can use it sa bathroom, sa dining table, sa kitchen! If you must buy just one Sanicare product, eto na yun!
4. Disposable Toilet Seat Cover
5. Handipack
Baby Care Line
1. Baby Wipes
2. Baby Underpads - This is the newest product and I'm excited to use it because we're toilet-training Piero. I always use an underpad when I let the toilet-training kids sleep without a diaper.
3. Jumbo Cotton Balls
4. Cotton Buds Mini
5. Cotton Buds Large
I'm knocking on wood while I type this: My skin is finally clear. Sana hindi mausog haha but because I'm more religious with my skincare and I've gone back to Flawless for facials and consultations, I think it's safe to say that. I'm still not flawless but my skin is smooth and pimple-free for the first time in years. Hooray!
My journey to smooth, acne-free skin only began in July 2015 even though I've had pimples since I was 13 (so for 27 years now!). My pimples calmed down when I entered my 30s so I thought, "Yey, puberty finally done!" Of course I knew full well that puberty is only during the teen years but I couldn't understand why I was riddled with pimples well into adulthood. But when I turned 30, my skin magically cleared up. Pimples only cropped up during the first trimesters of my three pregnancies. Otherwise, my skin was smooth and pimple-free.
Then exactly two years ago, my skin flared up again. It was hideous. It affected everything—I stopped attending blog events (unless required by sponsors), and my blog sponsorships slowed down when potential sponsors met me. I think my bad skin turned them off. I had to do something about my face! Just look at what it looked like back then:
Cheeks inflamed with pimples.
Flaky skin everywhere.
I went to clinic after clinic but it was only in Flawless that my skin cleared up. At first, I had to go every 10 days for my Acne Control Advanced Facial (review here). Then it became every 2 weeks, plus my dermatologist at Flawless, Dr Boyles, prescribed an additional salicylic acid peel. Then I only needed to go once a month and now I get a gentler peel, which is the glycolic one.
Getting my Flawless facial two weeks ago. So pink!
But this year, I got so busy because of my work at Calyxta that I couldn't go to Flawless regularly anymore. Well, a dermatologist is like a dentist—you're supposed to visit them just twice a year unless you have a skin problem. It's a good thing then I became more diligent with my skincare—which included Flawless products—so even if I skipped my facials, my skin seldom broke out.
Thanks so much, Flawless, for making me pimple-free!
Okay, I'm still not flawless. Naka-makeup ako sa picture na yan but at least walang bulubundukin na sa mukha ko. Flat and smooth na so concealer takes care of my dark spots—acne scars and sun spots. I still have my ice-pick pimple scars. And because I'm 40, there's sagging already, plus fine lines around my eyes and laugh lines around my mouth.
Dr Boyles said I can now try Fractional Needling Therapy (FNT) for my scars. I still haven't decided if I should do that because... I dunno, maybe it's because I'm already 40 so my scars don't actually bother me. What bothers me is my starting-to-sag skin, like my eyelids, my jowl, my neck, my tummy, my boobs, my butt haha For that, Flawless said I can try their new Thermolift Therapy. It's supposed to tighten, lift and contour skin. Will decide this week on what to do!
The Flawless Acne Control Advanced Facial is just P980. Additional peels like salicylic and glycolic peels will cost more. Click here to find the Flawless clinic nearest you. Follow their Facebook page to get news on discounts and promos.
This post is brought to you by Flawless Face & Body Clinic.
Hi, everyone! I'm Frances. I'm the author of Not Invisible. I'm also a lifestyle and parenting writer, a book editor, the co-founder of Lean In Manila, and I have a day job in corporate communications. When I find time away from my busy life as all mentioned and as a wife and mom, I blog here.
Welcome to my blog! It's a 16-year-old honest and safe space for working moms, mothers of boys, and feminists (I just described all of myself). Thanks for dropping by!
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