Mikan's Sanctuary

I'll continue the previous post about homemade ingredients for skincare.

I think before I continue, I have to put some kind of disclaimer over my natural homemade skincare. Patience and routine is the key here. Don't expect to apply masks or such and get the instant result overnight--even the dermatologists' said 'magic cream' won't work overnight and in one application. You have stick to the routine schedule and do it without fail, and in several weeks, your skin will show some improvements. Hell, when I started using my face oil, I couldn't see any result until after several months after.

So yeah. Sometimes I have that stubborn breakouts, like, when the old ones are still halfway healed, the new ones attacked. When it happened, I either increase the homemade treatment intensity, or take a shortcut (cough) and applied Benzolac salve. It's bad in long term, though, since Benzolac made my skin as if the acne was burnt despite its speedy healing. So I only use it when I'm desperate enough. But in normal condition, I think the natural ingredients' properties are enough to heal and maintain your skin. Moreover, it won't give any side effect (except, well, if you have allergies to said ingredients, such as nut allergies or such). Just rotate the ingredients you are using every two or three weeks so as not to saturate the skin.

Now let's get back discussing the next ingredients.

• Honey

How amazing honey is? Go to Google and search 'honey for skin care' and you'll get enough article to get you busy reading for the whole day. Adding honey in my face mask mixture leave my skin supple and hydrated, and the antibacterial properties help fight acne and breakouts. My mother also use honey and lemon mixture for face mask for her age spot and she said it helps.

I usually use honey as the mixture for my face mask concoction, since using honey alone is quite messy and sticky and runny. You don't want that sweet liquid drops everywhere. Plus, honey is super rich and moisturizing. Having an acne-prone and super oily face I am, I sometimes wary of putting something too rich on my face because it can be easily turned into breakouts, so I always do the extra skincare step (face masks, scrubs, additional moisturizers or lotions or emulsion and such) at night before sleep, because during sleep, our skin will absorb all moisture more than during our waking hours.

• French Green Clay Mask

Clay mask is wonderful for healing troubled skin. Each type is for different type of skin, and the French Green Clay Mask specifically is for the oily and acne skin. I use this clay mask as the base for my face mask concoction. Add about one full teaspoon of clay mask powder and mix with other liquid (honey, lemon juice, essential oils, potato juice, etc). Clay mask helps to increase the skin's absorption rate of other mixed ingredients. However, many people use it wrongly. Keep in mind to let the mask sit until only the surface is dry while still a bit damp under, because if you wait until it totally dries and cracks, the mask will instead absorb the skin's moisture. We don't want that, do we?

Here's my usual clay mask recipe:

• About one teaspoon of clay mask powder
• A dash of cinnamon
• Little bit of honey
• Or potato juice 
• If I'm too lazy to grate potato, then, lemon juice
• Two or three drops of my face oil (I currently use Golden Jojoba Oil mixed with Frankincense essential oil)

...well, no set amount, as I normally add the liquid gradually until desired consistency (thin enough to smother generously on my face, thick enough not to drip when on my face). Since I always hate having leftover concoction, I only add small amount of each ingredients and add either honey, potato juice, or lemon juice (too much liquid = had to add more clay powder to thicken = too much leftover). Two or three drops (or one pump) of oil, a dash of honey, you get me. Apply generously to the face, let it sit for 15-20 minutes or until the surface doesn't stick to your finger anymore but still a bit damp. Wash with cold water.

I usually use this clay mask concoction interchangeably with the fermented oatmeal face scrub. It's important to rotate what you put in your face, so your skin won't be saturated with the same properties over and over again.

•  Potato

I've mentioned potato several times previously. This versatile vegetable is not only delicious however we cook it, it's also good for the skin. I notice my skin is brighter, fading black spots, smaller pores, and fading scars. It helps soothe the swelling acne, too.

How to use?

• Wash and peel one potato. Slice it paper-thin. Put on clean face as mask, cover all of your face (including the eyelid). Wait for 15-20 minutes (close your eyes, take a short nap, listen to music, thinking about the universe, whatever floats your boat. Just relax). Take it off. You can leave it as it is, lightly pat your skin to let the excess moisture absorbed, or wash your face. 
• Don't have the skill to slice it paper-thin with only knife? Grate the potato. You can either use the pulp and juice as the mask, or use the juice for your mask mixture. If you can only purchase the low quality potato that contains more water, you only need half, or 1/4 part. Plus, using the pulp may be too messy and annoying to apply, thus, just use the juice. Squeeze the grated pulp through fine mesh, sieve, or cheese cloth to drain the juice. If there is still too much water, wait for a moment until the condensed part is settled at the bottom. Carefully throw the top part of the liquid without disturbing the settled sediment, and use the juice with the sediment part.

• Cinnamon

The more you read, you perhaps wonder more and more whether I'm writing an entry for skincare or some bizarre cake recipe. You and me both, mate. But we have to admit that what's good as our food is also good to be applied topically. Cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial, and it's good to reduce the acne swelling and redness, and if used regularly, can dries your acne. However, bear in mind. Never, EVER, apply the cinnamon powder as it is to your skin because it BURNS. Like, IT BURNS AS IF YOU'RE WALKING ON THE HOT FIRE EMBERS only the burnt one is your face instead of your feet AND THE BURNT FEELING STAYS. Even when you add it into your face mask mixture, don't add too much. Use sparingly. Like maybe a dash or as much as the tip of your spoon. Perhaps 1/5 part of your mixture, at max. Before I own french green clay mask, I mix 1 part of cinnamon with 4 parts of rice flour and honey until desired consistency.

• Green Tea

No, not that super bitter green powdery stuff used as mixture for just all kinds of food and beverages, but the leaves (or tea bags, for the cheapskates like me) that makes sheer light green liquid when brewed. I rarely use this for face mask mixture. Instead, I let the tea sit until cool, and put into spray bottle. I use this as face mist before putting my make up, or slip the bottle into my bag and spray whenever I feel tired, or hot, or greasy (from the amount of oil buildup in my face). However, I rarely do this anymore, since I have to change the tea water every two days. Plus, I don't have fridge anymore. It's just too troublesome. But if you can manage changing the tea for every two days and have fridge so you can put your bottle inside when not used, then go for it.

I think that's about it, all homemade remedies I've tried until now. There are actually more remedies if you search the internet, from the normal one like apple cider vinegar to a slightly unsettling one like banana skin (!!) to the bizarre one like toothpaste (.....) I just haven't had time and chance to try the rest (though personally I don't dare using toothpaste. That as much chemical as the prescribed spot treatment). I'll discuss about face oils in the future. Hope you like it! :3

YES I KNOW THE TITLE IS A BIT MOUTHFUL. THANK YOU.

Based on Miyu's request on twitter, I decided to share some of the home made face masks recipe I quite often use.

Before we start, I guess I should tell you my face skin condition.

• It's super duper oily, like it would be shiny only two or three hours after I wash my face from the oil build up as if I constantly smother it with a cup of oil;
• full of deep scars and black spots from years of acne;
• big pores, as if I perpetually stab my face with nails those witch hunters usually use;
• and still, breakouts here and there.

Have you ever heard that saying they usually said to cheer you up when you were an awkward early teenage with too much hormone excess and face like the surface of your favourite rice crispy chocolate bar? "It will be gone when you grow up". Yeah, no kidding. I'm 26 now, I've been fighting acne since I'm 11, and more than likely will still be.

Thankfully, I can still have the pleasure to enjoy the rare weeks of having clean skin. Usually it happens when I religiously (trust me this is not an exaggeration) treat my skin with all my might, clean my make up without fail, and when my hormones decide to be civil and not fucking me up. Those days are usually what lift my spirit and encourage me to keep up with my treatment during my low days.

I think, part of me was fed up with splurging my money on trying out different acne treatment products. Dermatologists are expensive as fuck and needs constant visits. The cheap drugstore products are either give no more particular effects or leave quite undesirable side effects. So then I switched to natural treatment since last year, starting from the face oils, and then move up to face wash, masks, and scrubs. Let's leave the face oils for next entry and we'll hit on the ingredients we could find in our kitchen (or, in any supermarket's aisle). Since I kinda forgot each ingredient's properties, I will only write the effects and such so apologize in advance (and anyway, you could find the explanation on each ingredient's properties all over the internet.)

So here we go. Some natural home remedies that I've tried.

• Lemon.

Yeah, lemon is quite expensive here. But if you have a fridge, you can put the leftover in an airtight box and keep it in the fridge. A wedge of lemon (1/16???) is enough for one time face treatment--be it the for the mixture of your mask, or use it as it is. Or you can utilize the rest for your lemon infused water, or mixture for your green smoothies. Lemon can help reduce the oil buildup, reduce the acne's swelling and redness, and brighten the skin. Just make sure that when you apply lemon as it is to your face, don't leave it more than 10 minutes and wash your face right after so it won't irritate your skin. Also, you might want to avoid using lemon right before you do your activity under the sun all day, because as all citron does, it can make your skin photosensitive.

How to use Lemon?

•  Standalone, as face scrub: Wash your face first and pat it dry. Scrub your face with a wedge of lemon (around 1/16 part). Squeeze a little to ensure the juice is coming out. Be careful not to pop it up when scrubbing on your breakouts as there will be a serious case of blood and pus splatter everywhere (also it stings. A lot). Let it sit for 10 minutes. Wash your face with warm water (or cold one, if you're a lazy ass like me and has no hot water tap, doesn't matter). Use once or twice a week.
• Face mask mixture: Before you put the liquid of your choice as a mixture of your face mask, add some drops of lemon juice (again, from about 1/16 part). Be careful to other ingredients' composition, though, because applying a too liquid face mask will be a mess.

• Oats

Ever heard that commercial gimmick about how oats can absorb the excess fat and cholesterol in your body and took it out? That's more or less like it when we use oats on our skin: we want to absorb the excess oil, dirt, bacteria, and a bunch more of other things out of our skin. Plus oats has some properties that I forgot what (I'm sure by now you started to raise your eyebrow and cursing about how trashy this piece of entry is) that is good for the skin but anyway oats is love, oats is life.

It's better to use the natural rolled oats, but if it's too expensive/difficult to find, the normal easy-to-cook oatmeal is fine. Some people claim of getting breakouts when they use the instant oats, some people are fine, so you might want to take that into consideration.

How to use oats?

•  As face wash: If you're wearing make up, please use your choice of make up remover first. Use this step to replace your regular face wash. Mix a teaspoon of oats (use your own estimation, after some times you will know how much is needed for your face) with water. Some people directly mix it on their palm. I prefer to mix it in a small bowl or dessert cup or something like that. Squeeze and crush a bit until the water is clouded and no longer clear. Take the oat pulp and use it as scrubs on your face until all pulps are used. Pour the oat water little by little to wash the pulp out of your face while you scrub and massage the water to the skin, until all is used. Some people prefer to leave it as it is, some people like to wash again with cold water, depends on your preferences. Because it's quite rich, I prefer to use oat face wash at night before sleep.
• As mask: Oats can be used as the base or thickener for your face mask. Mix 1 tablespoon of oats with all the liquid needed (honey, lemon juice, some carrier oils, essential oils, rose water, or potato juice) until desired consistency. Or you can just use oats and water. Spread evenly to your face. Wait for about 20 minutes, or until it doesn't stick to your finger anymore when you touch, but still quite damp. Splash water until the mask is damp enough, scrub for 2-5 minutes. Wash with cold water. Or you can wash with your face wash if it still feels sticky--especially if you use honey. Use 2-3 times a week at night before sleep.
• Fermented mask: I once read an entry about using yeast to ferment the mask before used. She compared it with the pitera stuff in SKII people all raged about (though my sister once ridiculed me about how pitera is from rice and oat is not rice, well) and I can tell you the skin feels cleaner and more supple when I use fermented oats instead of regular one. How to make: In a glass or ceramic bowl (never, EVER, use plastic bowl because the fermentation process won't be perfect), mix one or two tablespoon with water, just enough to make a porridge-like consistency. Add a dash of yeast (I use the regular Fermipan), like, as much as the tip of your spoon. Mix well. Cover with plastic or foil sheet, tie with rubber band, leave it for 2 hours. It will be stickier with that usual smell of tape. Spread evenly on your face, let it sit for about 20 minutes or until the surface is not sticky anymore but still quite damp. Splash some water, scrub it away for 2-5 minutes. Wash with water until there is no more oat bits on your face. You can use your face wash too, if it feels not clean enough. Use twice a week at max.

SHIT IT'S A LONG-ASS POST I'M SURE BY NOW YOU'RE THINKING THE WALL IS MORE INTERESTING THAN MY ENTRY. Okay let's stop here. We'll continue later.

Off and go.

Let's start with the most staple one: Face Powder.

I don't like loose powder in the past. I mean, I know that loose powder is less vicious for troubled skin than pressed or two way cakes, but it's impractical travel-wise. I have to open the cap carefully or I'll look like I vomit beige-colour powder all over the place.

Before I switched to Make Over face powder, I used NYX Stay Mate But Not Flat Powder Foundation (damn forgot the tone. It's either Natural or Soft Beige) and I must say, this is the best powder foundation/pressed powder I've ever tried. (Note that I haven't tried other high-end cosmetics due to the limitation of money). Like, it's everything I asked for in a pressed powder. Smooth, light, good coverage but not cakey or clogged or--I don't know, mask-ey or something? There's only one downside, though. It was too soft that the cake is easily to crack and broken, and ran out far too fast than I normally have. (okay okay, two downsides). Not even 5 months and I already need to repurchase.

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation. Not my picture. Threw the empty case loong long ago.

I know, I know, make ups supposedly not being used for too long after opening. Ideally even, maximum is 12 months after opening. But less than 5 months for a pretty expensive face powder is too much for me. I mean I still have other things to purchase, y'know, and the money's limited. So with much hesitation, I went to a journey to find its replacement.

(please allow this aspiring writer to sometimes use poetic sentences)

I've heard Make Over brand long ago, and based on the reviews, I deducted that the quality is not that far from NYX. Only, it's local brand and is easier to acquire. There's a pretty big Make Over outlet at PVJ, close to my current place, but y'know, being a bundles of awkward introverted nerves I am, it's difficult to enter a comparably quiet store. Especially when you know the SA will follow you and recommend this and that and such but you know you won't buy anything because you don't have the money. So I never visit the store and actually swatched by myself.

Make Over Silky Smooth Translucent Powder in Porcelain (01).

Well long story short, finally bought the face powder and I fell in love instantly.

Since my crappy camera won't do the justice--image from the website

It came in a nice sleek elegant and sturdy pot packaging, not too small and not too bulky, with enough amount of powder. Tbh, the amount of powder I'd get for the price is the first thing that made me decided to pick this lololol. I mean for IDR 120-ish, you sure want something that goes a long way. The screwcap isn't loosening even after more than a year. The minimalist brand typography over black background gives the image of quality and professionalism.


Yes, it came with a sponge powder puff, but mine's broken since long ago and I used powder brush ever since. The puff is soft and kinda cotton-y surface and soft to the skin. However, I noticed that using powder brush spread the powder more evenly and gives better finish look.


The powder texture is so soft, silky, doesn't left any chalky or powdery or big particle residue on my skin, as if it's not there but you know it's there because it improves my skin complexion and made it less shiny (being the 'muka kilang minyak' I am...) Among the available 4 shades (01 Porcelain, 02 Rosy, 03 Champagne and 04 Toffee) The Shop Assistant recommended shade no. 01. It's the fairest shades.

At times, when my face skin tone is getting darker, it feels like the shade is too fair but once I apply, it doesn't look that way. The powder is indeed sheer and translucent (and honestly, doesn't give much coverage for flaws) but it does give better balance and improves overall complexion to my face. It's also light and spread easily, a little goes a long way. It's been more than one year and despite the daily usage, I still have, like, 1/4? 1/5? left.

... yeah. That much left.

So here's the thing.

After the make up shopping damages I did when I went to South Korea back in February, I reaaallyy want to start reviewing make up/skincare again. I did it in the past, like, once or twice in a blue moon whenever I got new make up hauls, but due to my limited allowance, I couldn't do it as often as I wanted to.

But I guess all my make ups and skin care regimes currently can make up quite a decent amount for a 'regular make up blog' lol. The thing is I only have my 3MP phone camera with me and it's TOTALLY crappy. The images always either darker than it should, unfocused, or showing a totally different colours. It's annoying. And how could you make a decent make up review entry if your pictures cannot even represent the right color? I mean isn't that what people are looking from a make up review entry--for some real swatches?

But eh. Devil may care. If I keep letting myself being held back by trivial things, I would never be able to make an actual step.

So that's that, then. I guess I'll post some make up reviews.

For teaser, I'll post my whole South Korea trip haul last February. Excuse the quality. Took the picture at night, and I can't replicate it again now because I gave my Mum's and sister's to them already, and I have used some of the mask sheets.

.... Yeah. That much. Exclude the samples lol. BUTBUTBUT I swear my friends bought more than me.

Top row is for my sister, mid row is for my Mum, and the rest are mine.

I'll list one by one later perhaps.

Break a leg.