Proactive Acne Treatment Review - Does It Work?

My husband recently bought a set of Proactive Acne Products during a promotion in the store. My husband has very oily skin and is proned to breakout especially when the weather is very hot and humid. After using Zenmed for a long time, he decided to take a change to try out Proactive since it has always been very well raved for acne skin.

The set comes with a Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner, Repairing Treatment and a free refining mask.

The renewing cleanser is made with new, exclusive micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide. It feels like a scrub and the granules seem to work around the nose area, helping to remove dirt, excess oil and dead skin. Amazingly after two weeks of usage, the blackheads found on my husband's nose were greatly reduced. He experienced slight peeling.

The revitalizing toner feels cool and it works very well for removing impurities and excess oil. I tried the toner on my skin too, it feels refreshing and clean.

The repairing treatment feels like a light cream and slight stinging could be felt for the first few days. Hubby commented spots were smaller the next day.

The refining mask was actually a saviour for lazy person like him. He loves how well it can work as an overnight mask and keeping his breakout under control.

He gave Proactive Acne Treatment set a 4 stars out of 5. The set he is using will be finishing soon and I asked if he would continue a second purchase, he said with a BIG "YES!". From what I see, this proactive set actually also help to lighten his acne scars slightly and in my opinion, it could get a little bit drying, so it is best to combine this treatment with a waterbased mask to moisture the skin.

For your information, it comes with a 60 days guarantee. If, for any reason, you're not delighted with Proactiv, simply return the bottles (even if empty) within 60 days of receipt for a full refund of the purchase price, less shipping and handling. 

If you need to find out more about Proactive Acne System products, please check out their website: Proactive Acne Products

Toly Moly Snail Cream Review

I bought this set in Korea last year and it was only recently I started to use. I was convinced to buy a set after seeing all the hype about "SNAIL" cream in Korea. You might be thinking "WHAT? SNAIL cream???" Did they kill the snails and make them into creams? To be actual, it should be snail mucus (slime) that they leave behind when they crawl. In fact, it has been a treatment that has been used since ancient greece and Korea is definitely not the first country to come out with this treatment.  It was known snail extracts soothe, regnerate and heal skin. It could even delay aging! Sounds amazing right?

The cream was rather sticky when I first applied on my skin. However, it did make my skin glow after applying and cream was absorbed quickly. The eye cream felt rather more like a gel instead. It did not make much difference for the first week of trying. However, on the second week, I got a little breakout. So I believe this cream was quite rich for my skin. I bought the same set for my mother in law, it works great for her skin! She commented wrinkles around eye area were lesser and even pigmentation was lightened. WOW!!! After hearing what she fedback, I decided to continue though there was a slight breakout. Instead of applying it every day, I apply thinly once every two to three days now. My skin feels brighter, but it did not give amazing effect like what was shown at the Toly Moly Shop.  My neck lines were lighter too and there wasn't any breakout.

Would I buy again? Probably Not, but I would love to try other brands of snail creams in the market.  

Tony Moly Intense Repair Live Snail Cream [Anti wrinkle & Whitening & Skin Repairing] Skin repairing & nourishing cream with filtrated musin (mucus) ingredient form living snail snail mucus filtrate 31,500 mg (Concentration 70%) / 6 skin irritating elements free formula

Questions And Answers To Stretch Marks

It is common to get people asking me about stretch marks, so I have decided to create a topic to answer everything about stretch marks.

What are stretch marks?
Stretch marks or striae (singular stria), as they are called in dermatology, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. It is usually purple or red in color when they first appear and over time, it will turn more into a silvery-white color. They are caused by tearing of the dermis,  which is the middle layer of our skin. Dermis is the elastic part of our skin that allows it to retain its shape even when we move, stretch and grow.

Where do stretch marks appear?
Stretchmarks can appear on any parts of the body. but are most likely to appear in places where larger amounts of fat are stored. Most common places are the abdomen (especially near the navel), breasts, upper arms, underarms, back, thighs (both inner and outer), hips, and buttocks. For example, a person who went through a quick growth spurt when they were younger could possibly have stretch marks on their legs; a woman who experienced breast growth during puberty or pregnancy could have stretch marks on their breasts; a person who is doing a lot of weight training could experience stretch marks in the areas where their bodies are building muscle.

Will stretch marks disappear?
Stretch marks will not disappear completely and are usually permanent marks on the skin.

Can I get rid of stretch marks completely?
There are creams in the market that can help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks greatly. The best way to deal with stretch marks is to prevent them from appearing by keeping your skin and body healthy. Exercise also helps. It depends on where the stretch marks are. If they are on your legs, then run, jog, walk, or do any kind of leg movement daily.  Make sure you keep your body hydrated and nourished by drinking lots of water. Have a balanced diet to get proper nutrients. Apply sunscreen. (Remember it's very important!)

Can laser treatments and chemical peels help to get rid of stretch marks completely?
Laser treatments and chemical peels help to a certain extend in getting rid of stretch marks. However, that will cost A LOT of money. If these treatments did not work well for your skin, it actually causes your skin to be more sensitive and sometimes the after procedures could actually your skin more prone to pigmentation.

Are stretch marks bad for me?
Stretch marks do not affect your body or skin in any ways.

Who are the people that will get stretch marks more easily?
Stretch marks may be influenced by hormonal changes associated with puberty, pregnancy, muscle building, hormone replacement therapy for transsexuals, genetic, weight gain, weight loss etc. Even men and teens are also not spared from getting stretch marks.

Can medicine affect you on getting stretch marks?
Yes it can. Medicines like steroids can contribute to stretch marks as this can adversely affect the hormone balance of the body.

With a little self maintenance, you can prevent stretch marks easily. You can restore skin elasticity by following the right procedures. It could even be healthier, firmer and tighter than before! You can check out this recommendation: How to get rid of stretch marks for reducing the appearance of stretch marks.

How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks

Stretch Marks usually appear when skin changes shape too quickly. When you are going through extreme weight gain, weight loss or pregnancy, your skin will stretch and when it is overstretched, the fiber in the middle layer of your skin(dermis) will tear and cause scarring.

Fresh stretch marks appear initially as red lines and then slowly fade to a pale white color over the course of several months. It is easier to prevent stretch marks from forming.

How To Prevent Stretch Marks

Apply Creams and Lotions

Keep skin hydrated. Use viscous natural oil/lotions containing cocoa butter. It was known to prevent stretch marks entirely. However, always consult your doctor before applying any cream on your body because it can contain ingredients that may be passed to unborn baby or into breast milk.

Drink lots of water

Drink six to eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day. Water is the best source to keep skin hydrated and supple. Do take note not to count coffee, tea or caffeinated soda as part of your water intake.

Take Vitamin A, E & C – Supplementing these vitamins may help increase the strength and elasticity of the collagen within your skin and reducing your chance of forming stretch marks. Vitamin A can help to repair skin tissue, Vitamin C helps in collagen production like oranges, Vitamin E is believed to strengthen the skin's elasticity. Food rich in Vitamin E are avocado, green leafy vegetables and nuts.

Do not panic even if you have stretch marks appearing, it does not mean you can't eliminate the appearance of stretch marks. The earlier you treat them, the better your chances of making the stretch marks disappear.

There are creams in the market that can help to flatten out the ridges and furrows of the stretch marks. Stretta Stretch Mark Cream is a doctor-formulated cream designed to minimize the appearance of stretch marks on the body.

Stretta Stretch Mark Removal Process

Step 1(Remove):Stretta works to strip layers of dead and unwanted skin, allowing new, healthy skin to take its place.

Step 2(Repair):Centella Asiatica (a key ingredient in Stretta) helps to promote collagen, and once the collagen network is rebuilt the skin begins to tone and rejuvenate. Stretta is a combination of esthetician-grade Glycolic Acid, natural collagen enhancing extracts, and peptides designed to significantly reduce the visible ridges and discoloration of your stretch marks by triggering more rapid-than-normal collagen and elastin creation.

Step 3(Rejuvenate): Combining organic ingredients and effective healing agents, it will continue to rejuvenate your skin, making it completely renewed with other combined organically ingredients like aloe vera, witch hazel and vitamin E.

No matter what kind of stretch mark you have now, from light thin lines acquired during pregnancy to old white marks that have been with you for years. Stretta has shown promising results in treating scars and pock marks from acne. Best of all, they are offered rather inexpensively and discretely. All with a money-back guarantee.

Women With Stretch Marks !!!

Eeeee!! Stretch Marks!!! I screamed out loud when spotted my first stretch mark. Like any other woman, I do not want STRETCH MARKS!!! :(

Stretch marks or striae (singular stria), as they are called in dermatology, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. They are caused by tearing of the dermis, which over time may diminish, but will not disappear completely.

Stretch marks are often the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth. Stretch marks may also be influenced by hormonal changes associated with puberty, pregnancy, muscle building, hormone replacement therapy for transsexuals, etc.

One thing for sure, more than half of the pregnant women will develop stretch marks during pregnancy. It is usually around the abdomen area, thighs, hips, breast and even backs! However, don't think in a manner that stretch marks only happen to pregnant women. It happens to women who are not as well, especially if you going through an extreme weight gain or loss.

Hence, it is always better to start some prevention for stretch marks to form earlier than late.

ABC juice - Apple + Beetroot + Carrot

Recently, I have this craze drinking this so called ABC juice. I feel it is definitely worth your while to know this little secret of mine! Not only it did help my menstrual problem, it also makes my skin glow with radiance. Hey, I am really not kidding! It's really beneficial to take this juice every day. I swear this juice will help to improve your skin by drinking it daily.Not only that, it gives you other benefits too.... I have done some researches.......

- Great to strengthen immune system especially if you want to assist your body against cancer and other diseases.

- Regulate blood pressure

- Detox

- Assist hay fever sufferer from hay fever attack

- improve bad breath due to indigestion and throat infection

- Good for eyesight

- Good for liver, kidney and pancrea diseases.

- Help to improve skin condition like acne problem.

It's very simple to make this juice. All you need is just 1 Apple, 1 Beetroot, 1 Carrot and blend everything with a fruit juice processor and that's it! You will have one tall glass of nice, sweet and healthy miraculous juice! Try it!

Mandi Lulur Scrub

Purbasari & Sumber Ayu Scrubs!!! I swear I love them!!!

It is a kind of traditional indonesia body scrub and I really love it because of the creamy texture combined with the grains inside. Slathering the creamy texture on my skin was really comfortable, not too drying nor oily. It removes the dead skin, leaving only smooth and fairer skin. Unlike most scrubs, it is mild and won't make your skin sensitive. I use it almost every alternate days and I heard it was great for bride to be for achieving smooth and radiant body skin. For those with body acne, this scrub does help to exfoliate your skin gently to prevent clog pores.

It comes with different flavours like milk, pearl, papaya, bengkoang and many more..... Best of all, it is really cheap when I bought in indonesia, bali. Probably around 1USD(approximately SGD 1.30) for a tub of 250gram shown in the picture. I do not know where you can get it in your country, but do keep a look out for this scrub when you are in indonesia the next time.

For those of you who are living in singapore, I saw these scrubs selling over at a few places(Parkway parade, City Plaza & Ang Mo Kio). It was around the range of 3 for SGD 10.