White Bath whitening foam bath from Beauty TCM

I was approached by Beautytcm.com to review a sample of their product - White Bath shower cream. Its the 2nd bottle in the picture above, labeled White Bath. BeautyTCM as I found out from their website, is a Malaysian company that originally started out with hair care products in particular hair loss products.

However, as my hair isn’t thinning, I opted to try the whitening body wash instead. It promises to have “immediate results” in that the skin will immediately look lighter upon using the shower cream.

The product comes in a white bottle that looks rather like a milk bottle. The cream is a white liquid and only very little is necessary as it is very emollient. The fragrance added is rather strong so if you are allergic to scent then you might have a problem with this. I would have preferred if they stuck to smells from the essential oils that seem to have been included in the product. It washes off easily and doesn’t make the skin feel dry, which is good.

The results are supposed to be immediate but I’m afraid I was unable to test this claim, as I am very fair to start with. While I did see a little lightening when I tested it on my hand (washing one hand with the cream) I cannot say for sure because my skin tone is naturally very light. Maybe prolonged use will help?

The White Bath shower cream is available from Beautytcm.com and retails for RM48 per bottle. I can forsee it lasting quite a while because you really only use very little. If skin whitening is your concern, then you might want to give this one a shot.

Important Tip: Use Sunscreen!

As the picture shows, it is never too early to use suncreen on your face and body. Now, I’d be the first to admit that I’m not always as religious about using sunscreen on my arms and legs but for my face, its a top priority every single day.

Its a fallacy that if you refrain from going out into the sun, you don’t need sunscreen. Or, that if you stay home with all the windows and doors closed, you don’t need sunscreen. Closing your windows and doors and staying indoors doesn’t prevent the UV rays from reaching you. So yes, maybe you won’t tan, but your skin isn’t protected from UV rays either.

And for anyone who indulges in anti-aging creams and cures, its best you start now with sunscreen. That is the best anti-aging cure you can hope for because it is a fact that the sun’s rays and UV rays damage the skin and causes skin to age and in extreme cases, skin cancer. Sunscreen blocks or filters these harmful UV rays thereby reducing the skin damage and therefore acting as an anti-aging measure.

I found this very helpful article about sunscreen and what kinds of sunscreen one should look out for. This other article about sun protection too is very insightful. In gist:

• Use a sunscreen that blocks or filters UV-A and UV-B rays. These are broad spectrum sunscreens.
• Use a sunscreen that is SPF15 and above. According to reports, there is no evidence that very high SPF will actually protect your skin more but here in the tropics, SPF 50 is the norm. The Japanese have their own system of rating sunscreens with PA+++ for the highest and PA+ for low ratings.
• Reapply often especially if you are going to be out in the sun. However, for practical purposes, I can only see this reapplication for the body for most of us who work will have our faces made up and thus, reapplying sunscreen isn’t much of an option.
• When applying sunscreen do not forget areas like your neck and ears. Men or women with short hair tend to forget the back of the neck and the tips of the ears which can burn easily.

For myself, I use L’oreal UV Perfect sunscreen for my face because thus far, it has worked best for me and it blocks both UV-A and UV-B rays. Biotherm Sunfitness isn’t bad too as its non-sticky. My foundation too has SPF. For my body, I use the one by the Australian Cancer Council. Its only available for purchase in Australia.

This post was actually prompted by my discussion with a friend about using sunscreen. I was appalled that anyone would not use sunscreen because I’m a great proponent and advocate of using sunscreen if not for beauty, then for health reasons. I’ve read some articles that say that sunscreens may not be all that good for you because of the chemicals, but in general, the pros have thus far outweighed the cons.

So, slap on the sunscreen. When you are 50, your skin will thank you for it!

Edit: This tip applies equally for both men and women. If you don’t use any other skincare on your skin, use sunscreen. It does make a difference.

Picture courtesy of vamcmag

Massage away cellulite

Summer is here and with that means sunning yourself on the beach, if that’s your thing. Some women are afraid of showing off their body or legs in swimsuits or short skirts because of that dreaded orange peel skin effect caused by cellulite. Even the late Princess Diana was not spared the horror of cellulite, if you remember the infamous photographs taken of her legs after exiting from a gym.

If you stroll into the pharmacy, your mind will boggle at the many creams and gels telling you how to get rid of cellulite just by using them. With research, it is established that massage is probably one of the best ways to get rid of cellulite and stretch marks. Massage promotes blood circulation which breaks down the fatty deposits.

An interesting new method of getting rid of cellulite is being promoted by a glass rubber massager. This Massager operates on the basis of vacuum suction, to keep the skin in place while a cellulite exercise is being performed on the affected area.

Many people have proclaimed to have great success with this rubber glass massager which can be done on yourself. Some people have said that a cellulite diet helps remove cellulite but at the end of the day, only massage has been known to remove or rather, reduce the appearance of cellulite. The before and after photographs show the effectiveness of this rubber glass massager.

This rubber glass massager is retailing for $29.95 for 2 and you can now use a promotional code “rgppp” which you can enter at the checkout to get them for only $19.95 + shipping. Great savings to keep your legs looking smooth by the beach or pool!

Review: Bath & Body: Eucerin Sensitive Skin Protective Wash lotion

I was given this bottle of Eucerin Sensitive Skin Protective PH5 Wash Lotion by a friend. Another friend had told me lots of good things about this brand and I was really wanting to try it. She uses this wash lotion all over, even as a facial cleanser!

I don’t go as far as to use it as a facial cleanser, but I really like this for use in the shower. It has a light powdery citrusy smell which I find very refreshing. At least it is not loaded with all the fragrances you get in shower gels.

I could not get information on this anywhere else but on the German site of Eucerin, so if you can read German, then you might want to read more about the product here. Otherwise, this is a rough Google translation of the page.

This is a very mild cleanser that is good for those who have sensitive and dry skin, or have problem using soap cleaners. It has a PH5 which is close to that of natural skin and helps protect the skin barrier from drying out as soaps usually do.

I found that if I use it, my skin does not feel tight and dry after I shower, but instead, I feel comfortable. It lathers up well and a little goes a long way in the shower. I think its about RM20 for a 400ml bottle but am unsure of the exact price. However, I know that it isn’t cheap as far as shower stuff go. I mean, you could probably purchase a commercial brand for a lot less than what you’d pay for this. But this will ultimately be so much better for your skin.

As I said above, my other friend uses it as a facial cleanser too and finds it mild enough to be used on her face. I have not personally tried it as I’m using other facial cleansers for now. But she is very experienced so I trust her judgment on this one. Give it a go if you want to. Ultimately, if it works for you, you save a lot of money!

I have squeezed out every last drop from this freebie bottle given by my friend and am now thinking of picking up a bottle for myself. I don’t usually rebuy shower gels so you can be assured that I do think its excellent stuff! This is easily found at our local pharmacies including Guardian and Watsons so watch out for when it goes on sale.

Pros: Cleans well, Skin does not feel dry, good for sensitive skin

Cons: Rather expensive for a shower gel

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