Beauty Review : Clarins' beautiful mommy-to-be treatment

Starting 6 months preggy, tea start sakit area tulang rusuk, belakang... kadang2 tea lenguh2 dekat area kaki, paha, sbb tea still maintain active at the gym.... luckily, tea takde mengalami any leg cramps waktu malam, even now dah 30 weeks++, well, maybe experience setiap orang lain kot... jenuh tea mencari tempat yang boleh massage the whole body sbb backpain masa raya aritu... ye la... masak macam2 dari pagi sampai malam, campur ngn jalan2 rumah sedara mara lg, long hours journey.... lepas try once dekat clarins ni, tea puas hati sbb back pain mmg ilang terus for 1 week.. lepas tu minor2 je laa sakit yang mmg bearable... pastu, immediately after treatment tu, kaki tea rasa ringan sangat2 nak berjalan & even tea buat tu hari selasa petang, and usually Tuesday lunch hour tea buat kelas weight lifting (bodypump), esoknya tu mmg takde muscle pain langsung!!! mmg genius laa treatment nie...

Before tea going to the details of each products used, any additional tips & of course the price, tea nak summarize sket the "activities" masa treatment tu....

1. they explain what the products they're going to use throughout the treatment... they will inform you what type of treatment they gonna do according to your pregnancy progress.. kalo 1st trimester, lain method... kalo 2nd trimester, lain method... kalo 3rd trimester, lain method (fully manual, no machines used).... then lepas tu terus tukar baju/ pakaian yang sesuai for treatment lah kan...

2. Inspection time!!! they inspect your whole body & skin.... samada ada stretchmark ke tak, water retention, skin condition, hydration, discoloration, specific products needed for target areas etc.... masa ni, diorang akan advice what u can do at home to speed up healing /recovering process/ alternative home remedy...

3. Body scrub... diorang akan scrub dulu badan.... utk make sure treatment product & oil tu menyerap...

4. Body scrub lagi skali kat shower room & quick fresh shower utk remove scrub....

5. Body Rocking... lepas shower, diorang akan buat body rocking.... ala2 melenggang perut la... tp dia buat seluruh badan.. tujuan??? diorang cakap, to create space for the baby & relaxing the mommy....

6. Massage start!!.. diorang massage sideways, utk mengelakkan kita sakit belakang, since baby pun dah besar...

7. lepas siap massage, they will hydrate your skin dengan body serum, then urut chest area dengan sapu bust lotion, then diorang sapu "minyak angin" kat kaki utk relaxing, lastly, diorang sapu cologne utk refreshing & aromatherapy lah....

Anyway, during my first visit, they did briefed me on the products they're going to use through out the treatment...  Their products are natural-based & i love the smell too... tp mahal laa so tea takde plak beli product dia... cakap je direct kalo diorang promo2.... kate tak bawak duit & tengah budget...

1. Smoothing body scrub for a new skin (with Bamboo powders)...

best scrub nie, jatuh chenta tea sbb mmg lembut je & betul2 clean... bau pun of coz sedap...

2. Body Scrub glove....

yup, after the first scrub yang dorang buat, kita masuk ler dalam bilik mandi  utk scrub lagi skali & mandi pakai shower gel... (still dalam massage room tu jugak, mmg ada bilik mandi private).. sebenarnya yang clarins nyer glove scrub bukan rupa camnie, tp sbb tea teruja sgt dengan how convenient this glove scrub, tea pun cari alternative glove scrub kat the body shop utk pakai kat rumah everyday... serius best.... pakai glove, tuang bodyshampoo & lumur2 kat badan cam biasa.. tak perlu pegang scrub & tak terpelanting ke sana sini....

3. Tonic Bath & Shower Concentrate

Ni utk shower gel... dia actually boleh pilih either calming or tonic... diorang rekemen yang toning utk tea pakai, and of course, tea prefer this smell too... calming tu cam tak best sangat.... cecair pencuci ni pun sangat pekat... guna sikit pun cukup.... mmg highly concentrated kot...

4. Tonic Body Treatment Oil

yup, mmg tea suka bau ni, sama cam bau tonic bath & Shower tu jugak rasanya... tujuan oil ni utk moisturize & of course, toning your skin & body & avoid stretchmark... the masseurs guna minyak ni utk massage upper body tea... meaning, dari perut ke atas.....

5. Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil...

anti-water retention oil ni plak digunakan untuk hips & below..... kira seluruh kaki tea diorang massage pakai minyak ni lah...

6. Bust Beauty Firming Lotion

lepas abes massage, diorang sapu lotion bust beauty ni kat chest area tea... mmg diorang massage kat sini jugak...

7. Renew Plus Body serum

yang ni diorang sapu seluruh badan tea lepas abes massage....

8. Energizing Emulsion for Tired Legs..

lepas sapu serum kat atas... diorang sapu "minyak angin" ni kat kaki tea... supaya ilang letih & ringan utk berjalan...

9. Eau Dynamisante

yang ni last diorang sapuuuuuuuuu.... kat leher, belakang badan etc... kira minyak wangi la... sedap bau dia... 

Seriusly, nak list down products yang diroang pakai pun dah rasa letih... hahahahhahahahha.. of course, tea tak beli laaa product dia... tea beli satu je, yang tonic oil tu... sbb lain2 cam tak perlu punnn.... energizing emulsion?? tea pakai minyak mastika jeee........

IMPORTANT note!!!!

One thing u must remember kalo nak try out this clarins package, the price is RM288... tea add up 1 body scrub treatment sbb nak make sure the treatment products menyerap betul2.... rugi je bayar mahal2, tp kulit tak serap products kan? lagi satu, please make sure masseurs yang buat tu yang berpengalaman ek, i have my own preferred therapist/masseurs... sbb tea ada try 3 times, and ada terkena skali masseurs yang tak best and tea sakit pinggang lepas treatment tu, sbb dia tak betulkan katil massage tu masa treatment, terlalu lama baring terlentang (patut slightly inclined), and she set the bed temp slightly high, so tea tak selesa during some part of the treatment... anyway, overall treatment is good, cuma uols kena careful with the bed setting & communicate to masseurs, some masseurs listen to the customer, some others just nak siapkan keje aje...

Beauty Oils...

Tea blom ader mood nak menulis mengenai New Zealand South Island and Melbourne trip... tea tpaksa memendam minat travel tea buat masa nie, sbb dah 30 weeks and counting down.... makin cuak sbb due date makin hampir... berat makin bertambah, isk isk.... and thank god, still no signs of stretch mark kat badan... cuma tea ada sikit water retention at my lower part of the body... skang ni, tea makin religiously menggunakan natural oils utk beauty, sbb makin concern with unnecessary added chemicals to my skincare/bodycare routine... di sini tea share a lil bit ape oil yang recommended dan not advisable to be used ekkk...

Oil ni multi-purpose.. u can use it for cooking, for beauty, to improve skin hydration, prevent stretchmark, massage baby, massage oil, hair oil, or even as supplements...


AVOID - Baby oils

nama lain bagi baby oil nie mineral oil, paraffin.... Plis plis plis... kalo boley, avoid pakai baby oil nie... it's really produced by the petroleum/crude oil refining... usually the waxy residue.. used for production of base oil... em, base oil ni ape lak? it's the same oil for producing our car's lubricant oil, cam Shell Helix, Petronas Syntium... dengan kate lain, engine oil la... er... korang sanggup ke sapu engine oil kat baby?? nooooooo....


BEST - Natural Plant Oils..

i think today tea tak sempat nak cover really details on all available plant oils, tea cuma akan review few plant based oils yang tea pernah pakai je kot...

#1 Olive Oil (Extra virgin olive oil)
tea mmg suka Olive oil nie, paling best untuk cooking... normal olive oil sbb murah sket, extra virgin tak sesuai utk cooking sbb harga yang mahal & all the vitamins will be degraded /lost during high temp cooking... so, better pakai olive oil biasa aje utk masak or skang ni tea pakai normal palm oil/ minyak sawit je utk masak...  tp utk kegunaan direct, tea akan pakai extra virgin olive oil  utk makan dengan salad, as supplement... kalo utk kecantikan, tea paling suka extra virgin olive oil utk moisturize the hair... sbb ia menyihatkan rambut, hilangkan frizziness, and most importantly, sihatkan kulit kepala & avoid hair loss... tea ada jugak gunakan olive oil utk sapu kat badan... but i prefer extra virgin coconut oil sbb bau yang lagi besttttt..... dulu tea cam takut2 nak pakai olive oil kat rambut sbb takut bau tengik, but then bila tea pakai, ok je xtengik & rambut condition better... yang brand bawah ni tea beli kat jusco RM32 for 1 liter or you can choose smaller size RM13 untuk 250 ml...

#2 Coconut oil /VCO (or opt for extra virgin coconut oil)
Tea start pakai coconut oil ni bila pregnant masuk 7 bulan ari tu @ 28 weeks.... asal2 nya tea beli extra virgin ni utk supplement aje tp memandangkan at cold storage or jusco sebotol 500 ml rega RM33, kalo 250 ml plak RM18.5.. kat kedai cosway cheaper by 4 ringgit, 500ml for RM29 (same brand cam dalam gambar nie) and bau yang ni pun yummy. brand lain tea tak suka sgt sbb cam tengik sket... tea pun decide utk gunakan minyak ni utk stretch mark oil & perineal massage (kalo taktau ape tu perineal massage, sila google)... supplement VCO & perineal massage ni penting utk assist normal delivery nanti.. i need to start taking VCO  masa minggu 30, then use it as massage bila masuk minggu 34 onwards.... tea gunakan VCO ni as skin moisturizer & stretchmark oil waktu siang, sbb murah & very moisturizing.... utk tido, tea prefer something yang bau lebih calming & tea pakai clarins' tonic oil....

#3 Argan Oil
Dulu tea ada pakai argan oil as my hair, face & skin moisturizer.. but honestly, extra virgin coconut oil & extra virgin olive oil is wayyyyyy much much cheaper & better... it's ok kalo korang nak pakai argan oil, but for me, why pay more for something inferior? lain ler korang dok morocco / area mediterranean/african where this oil is abundant and cheaper kan?

#4 Grapeseed oil
yang ni pun senang beli from cold storage... tea tak pernah pakai, but its also full of vitamins & good for skin moisturizer... paling penting, banyak vitamins dan antioxidants utk awet muda... ni mm masuk dalam checklist tea lepas beranak nanti boleh ler ganti VCO dengan grapeseed oil nie... disebabkan its less oily than VCO, it's really suitable for skin moisturizer & mudah menyerap... tak mahal pun, sbb boleh beli kat jusco or cold storage je... grapeseed oil ni sesuai utk those beauties out there with oily skin... so, mmg tea aim nak beli lepas deliver, as my skin will return back to normal- oily/combination kot... masa preggy, mmg kering sket muka tea skang nie, so i have to switch temporarily...

#5 Rosehip oil....
since it's high in vitamin E (dan quite expensive), tea beli 30 ml aje utk scar serum & for topup vitamin E for my tummy utk elak stretchmark or selulit... :-)
tea beli dekat pharmacy... pakai sikit2 aje... kenapa sesuai utk scar? sbb ia kaya dengan vitamin E, natural vitamin A, essential fatty acids, vitamin C... boleh digunakan few drops utk add to your normal moisturizer utk boost antioxidant properties... and by the way, Miranda Kerr swears by using rosehip oil utk mengekalkan kecantikan kulit & avoid stretchmark, she delivered 10 pounds baby kalo tak silap tea, and still no stretch mark at all...

okay tu jer buat skang nie... tak larat nak menaip....

Exercise during your pregnancy~~

most people kat malaysia ni sangat2 laa sceptical pasal wanita yang rajin exercise, especially when she's pregnant... masa tea kat gym, doing my routine exercise, out of nowhere ada plak makcik yang sound tea selamba "you tak patut eksesais, ada kawan i bleeding at 27 weeks..." dia dengan kawan dia cakap tu dengan muka serius, muka cam annoyed and bila tea tanya, your friend tu bleeding masa tengah buat exercise jenis ape, tiba2 dia bleh plak reply, "oh, dia bukan bleeding masa eksesais, tp sbb mmg rahim dia lemah," dalam hati tea, oh well... tea cuma cakap, in sha Allah, kalo kita tau apa kita buat dan berhati2, semua selamat...  by the way masa 1st trimester tu mmg tea reduced exercise, a lot, cuma eksesais dalam 2-3 kali aje seminggu... and bila dah masuk 12 weeks onwards, tea increase back to my normal routine, eksesais dalam 5-6 kali seminggu, tp moderate intensity...

for the mommies and mommies-to-be, bawah ni tea attachkan link guidelines from the ACOG (american college of obstetricians and gynaecologists)... baca dulu guidelines ni baru boleh consider exercise ekk, just to be safe n sure... sila click link bawah nie...

ACOG guidelines for exercise during pregnancy

as for myself, there are few tips dan nasihat yang tea follow sebelum consider continue workout during pregnancy...

1. Consult your doctor/ gynae - and believe me, tea jumpa sampai 3 docs ok utk make sure tea selamat utk eksesais... huhuhuhu... but, their normal reply would be, "if you already regularly exercises sebelum nie, just continue what you're doing... reduce the intensity a bit and stop when your body tells you to" another is,"bagus u exercise, just careful with risk of falling, weight training is the best for you dan selalu buat squat utk help your delivery nanti"
2. Bgtau your gym instructors / class intructors that you're expecting... they'll definitely more than happy to give options/ ajar/ bagi tips on how to exercise safely... even masa kelas pun, diorang akan monitor you closely, especially kalo ada step2 yang ada risk of falling...
3. Avoid contact sports.. sbb risk of falling & berlanggar ngn orang la... contoh cam menunggang kuda, main netball etc..
4. minta nasihat dan tips dari kawan2 yg mmg regular gymmers and otai2 exercise masa pregnant... bg tea, their tips and kata2 semangat laa yg bagi tea motivation to stay fit for mommy and the baby.. biasanya mereka yang experienced saje yang tau the dos n donts...
5. beli buku2 exercise masa pregnant.. banyakkkkk snagat choices kat kedai kinokuniya or mph or popular tu.... pilih je satu.. takyah beli banyak2... lain2 info tak cukup, cari kot internet
6. baca dalam internet of course... 

okay, bawah ni tea share sket benefit yang tea dapat stakat ni..... 

1. reduced morning sickness.. emm.. mmg tak dapat hilang 100%, tp mmg setiap kali lepas eksesais, tea akan buang angin through sendawa and kentut, banyaakkkk... and then, mmg sangat2 lega dan kurang muntah or loya2... ada sekali tu, 1 week tu tea stop exercise sbb ramai orang saiko bahaya eksesais ni, and the result is, tea muntah sampai >4 kali sehari, tea jadi melepek aje cam roti, and rasa nak MC aje seminggu tu.... seriously, mmg tak larat... and the following week, tea eksesais balik & i get my energy back.. 
2. elak gestational diabetes & darah tinggi... okay, maybe because i'm still in my 2nd trimester, then tea tak bole komen banyak dalam hal ni, tp Alhamdulillah, setakat ni, my blood pressure, HB, glucose mmg normal range... i'm pregnant in my 30s, of course tea risau with all the complication with pregnancy at later age...
3. control weight gain within doctor's recommended weight gain chart... haa... yang ni penting, kalo kita terlalu gemuk, of course doctor akan buat macam2 test sbb probability kita dapat macam2 penyakit masa pregnancy ni sangat tinggi...
4. elak water retention!!!... bila kita pregnant, of course kita akan sembab merata2.... tp bila kita eksesais, kita akan berpeluh dan increase our blood flow circulation... sbb tu orang2 yang eksesais masa pregnancy ni, jarang yang sembab melampau2....
5. elak cramp!!! haaa, yang ni mmg tea tak pernah alami sepanjang pregnant setakat nie... tp ramai kawan2 tea dok complaint diorang kalo kena cramp, mmg sampai esok pun boleh rasa sakit lg.... some people cakap cramp ni sbb deficiency in iron, calcium or vitamin D... but i think stretching exercise yang kita buat masa yoga, taichi, warm up, cool down mmg sangat2 menolong...
6. posture badan elok masa berjalan, kurang sakit pinggang... even dah 5 bulan, tea blom jalan kengkang lagi.. hahahhaha...
7. beranak normal... bila eksesais, otot kita kuat, stamina dan jantung kita kuat utk push.. especially bila masuk 3rd trimester, the best exercise is brisk walking... 
8. recovery lepas bersalin... yup, i'm talking about recovery from luka bersalin... beza antara badan yang ada otot dengan yang penuh lemak is, otot ada collagen utk baikpulih sendiri, tp lemak??? how? that's why luka jahitan utk orang yang rajin exercise cepat baik, di samping improved blood circulation yang turut sama menolong dalam baik-pulih luka....
9. slim balik lepas deliver dalam masa pantas... yes, i'm talking about getting your pre-pregnancy weight within 10 weeks lepas deliver....
10. mengurangkan simptom2 lain cam back pain, insomnia, varicose veins... kalo tea nak list kan simptom2 ni mmg berjela2 laa posting.. heehhe...

well, tea sangat harap2 dengan berkongsi sikit ilmu nie, tea dapat beri sikit kesedaran kat kawan2 supaya kita jaga kesihatan kita dan baby....  tea tanak tengok statistik obesiti kat malaysia ni meningkat... huhuhhuhu mengharu kan!!!!!

- marina / green~tea -

Vitamins for Your Skin

hmm.... selama ni kita ingat vitamins consumed orally kan, rupa2nya ada jugak vitamins yang better applied topically.. maknanya, lebih effective kalo kita sapu... ada yang bagus utk disapu, tp beracun bila makan berlebihan... ada juga vitamins yang jadi anti-oxidant bila kita makan, tp tak beri efek apa2 bila kita sapu di kulit (contoh - folic acid)... di bawah ni tea susun jenis2 vitamin yang paling bagus untuk kulit (boleh check dekat ingredients dalam setiap skincare yang kita beli.... pengambilan vitamin dalam skincare ni sama dengan well-balanced diet, tak boleh amek sejenis aje... baru laa cukup nutrients required for the skin kan???

Vitamin A - Retinol, retinyl palmitate, retinoid, Retin-A, Tazorac
One of the best anti-oxidants, anti-irritants, anti-aging ingredients available. cuma apabila kita mula2 pakai skincare yang mengandungi retinol atau retinyl palmitate, kulit kita akan jadi kering & sedikit sensitif pada cahaya matahari... cara untuk mengatasi masalah ini? pakai MOISTURIZER & SPF!!, within 2 weeks, in sha Allah, kulit akan pulih lepas mula memakai skincare yang ada retinol or retinyl palmitate ni malah akan bertambah2 improve, brighten etc...  retinyl palmitate ni version vitamin A yang stabil dan biasa didapati di farmasi atau Watson... while retinol pula kurang stabil & biasanya hanya boleh diambil di bawah pengawasan dermatologist untuk treatment acne & anti-aging & juga eczema... vitamin A ni sensitif dengan sunlight, so, better beli product dalam botol yang gelap, tak telus cahaya & simpan di tempat sejuk & gelap..
Contoh product yang ada Vit A as one of their key ingredients:  ROC

Vitamin B3 - juga dikenali sebagai Niacinamide atau nicotinic acid
Produk Olay banyak mengandungi vitamin jenis ni sebagai Key ingredients.. jadi tak hairan laaa produk olay sangat bagus & highly recommended among the dermatologist... Niacinamide ni terkenal dengan fungsi anti-irritants (skin calming effect), merawat hyper-pigmentation, dan juga skin-communicating ingredients... maksudnya, niacinamide ni akan memberitahu sel kulit utk berfungsi seperti sel2 yang muda (kawal kelembapan, kurang kedutan, dan increase circulation... continuous application akan increase ceramide & free fatty acids, so keanjalan kulit increase laa... cuma ada sesetengah orang tidak sesuai dengan vitamin B3/niacinamide ni & biasanya mereka akan jadi breakout, or rashes; tp itu cuma % yang kecil aje la.... so, apabila anda try produk Olay & ada rashes, berkemungkinan anda alergik dengan Niacinamide, tp kalo tak alergik, this is definitely the best ingredients for you!!!

Vitamin C - Ascorbic Acid, ascorbyl glucosamine, sodium ascorbyl phosphate
Haaaa... vitamin ni adalah sejenis anti-oxidant & proven to increase collagen production!!... kalo korang perasan, kebanyakan minuman collagen akan add vitamin C utk increase collagen drink effectiveness!!! dah ler bagus untuk di makan, di sapu pun bagus!!! vitamin C jugak boleh reduce discoloration (even skintone laa), strengthen skin barrier & repair process, & merawat kulit from sun-exposure. Must remember!! Vitamin C ni mudah oxidized... so, kalo kita nak beli product yang ada Vit C, kena tengok packaging jenis dalam botol kedap udara & ada pump utk keluarkan product, jangan beli yang jenis dalam bekas calit2 celup jari, sbb Vit C dalam product tu akan rosak & tak berkesan....

Vitamin E - Tocopheryl Acetate, alpha-tocopherol
Still considered as one of the Best skin anti-oxidants superstar... bagus consumed both ways (orally & topically). Sbb Vitamin E ni banyak sangat faedah dia, tea taruk dalam bentuk points laa ek : -

• Menjaga epidermis from UV damage
• Increase keberkesanan SPF yang kita pakai
• Reduce free radical formation due to UVA rays & stress..
• Menghalang oxidation fatty acid dalam sel kulit (yang menyebabkan kerosakan sel)
• Menghalang kulit daripada de-hydration & menguatkan sel kulit
• Menyeimbangkan skin natural oil (lipid)
• Reduce effect of sunburn

Vitamin E ni banyak didapati dalam bentuk oil (yer laa, dah dia jenis oil-soluble).. contohnya, cocoa butter, Olive Oil, Argan Oil... tea sendiri memakai Argan Oil 3 titik max sebelum tidur... takleh banyak2 titik nanti jerawat batu tumbuh sebijik... huhuhuhuhu

Vitamin F - commonly known as linoleic acid.. :)
Still the best vitamins for your skin... considered as Essential fatty acid, so, penyapuan product yang ada linoleic acid nie, mmg akan increase skin moisture, anti-oxidants, anti-inflamatory & increase skin barrier function... kiranya vitamin ni menyeimbangkan skin's natural lipid & skin emmolient, biasanya menjadi moisturizer's emmolient properties...

Vitamin B5 - Panthenol/pantothenic acid
vitamin ni sangat2 bagus untuk acne sufferers... yang ada jerawat or blemishes la, selain dari tu, ia menolong untuk skin hydration & menyembuhkan luka....
Contoh2 product yang ada Panthenol - Olay Total Effects, Regenerist...

Vitamin B12 - yang ni untuk psoriasis sufferers... or eczema... payah kot nak cari skincare yang ada ingredients ni, tp buleh dapat from dermatologist kot...

Vitamin D - naturally produced by your skin dengan kehadiran UVB... so, even pakai sunscreen, your skin still can produce vitamin D...

Honey- Sangat2 kaya dengan Amino Acid, Anti-oxidants, peptides, anti-inflamatory... tea pakai honey ni untuk pelembab bibir selama 15 menet... lepas tu basuh... mmg bibir jadi lembab & pinkish... dulu bibir tea jadi hitam sbb alergik dengan lipstick maybelline, so, tea treat balik kulit bibir tea dengan lip balm ROC (malam sblm tidur) dan juga madu (lip mask selama 15 minit).... lagi gelap warna madu ni, lagi banyak anti-oxidant dalamnye....
















Argan Oil ni kaya dengan macam2 vitamin (especially vitamin E)

Pumpkin oil pula kaya dengan Linoleic acid (Vitamin F), Carotene (natural source of Vitamin A) dan beneficial enzymes utk skin's natural exfoliation..


Okay, setakat ni dulu coretan tea... In sha Allah, bila ada additional ilham lagi, tea akan sambung mengenai ingredients2 lain pulak.. e.g. anti-oxidants, skin communicating ingredients, Emmolients/Skin identical ingredients, anti-irritants, anti-bacterial (acne treatments)

XOXO
- marina / green~tea -

Basic Skincare Routines & the vitamins it needs~~~

yer, yer.... nak posting pasal kecantikan, tp diri sendiri takde laa cantik mane pun... kuang kuang kuang... tp bg tea "Beauty is an effort", so, untuk nampak cantik, tak apa kita berusaha, selagi cara itu halal & dibenarkan.. :) biar laa orang nak kata kita maintenance tinggi ke ape... yang penting, kita tau kita lambat kedut banding ngn orang yang too ego untuk mengaku/berusaha untuk maintain cantik...

apakah bahan2 yang basic kita perlukan untuk daily skincare kita??? kadang2 cam rimas gak kan nak tempek sampai 7,8 jenis product every morning & evening... tak campur lagi dengan mask yang kena pakai every alternate day or seminggu sekali... bagi tea, there are 5/6 steps that is essential for your skincare routine:-

 # 1 Cleanser - ada 2 main choices, either cream cleanser or foaming cleanser... tea pakai cream cleanser, sbb foaming cleanser akan buat kulit tea area hidung cam gelupas2... maklumlaaa, kulit dah agak matang... so, bila switch to cream cleanser, the problem is solved!!! tp untuk oily skin, it's better to use foaming cleanser.

 # 2  Toner - remove traces of impurities & instant hydration after cleansing. yang SK-2 ni tea tak pakai, tp tea taruk gamba kat sini sbb ingredients dia bagus, cuma yang tak best dengan toner ni ialah harga dia... it's very unreasonable in my opinion...

 # 3  Exfoliant - sun exposure, oily skin menyebabkan kulit kita menebal & banyak dead skin cells yang tak shed-off... so, you need this exfoliation; typically AHA or BHA... AHA is glycolic acid, BHA is salicylic acid... tea ada beli cleanser yang dah ada AHA/BHA terus. it's more convenient & i can skip this step... kadang2 baru tea scrub muka pakai serbuk beras, tp takleh kerap sangat, just 2-3 times a week kalo nak scrub muka ekk.... skang ni tea gigih perabiskan stok dermalogica toner sbb tea nak switch to Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion.. dia ni 2-in-1.. can be both exfoliation & toning your skin.. jimat duit i.. kihkihkih....

 # 4  Serum / targeted treatment - depends what u really need, either for acne treatment, whitening, anti-ageing, or jenis all-in-one... there are sooo many good serums out there... currently tea pakai Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair since last year, untuk anti-aging tp suprisingly, side effect pakai serum nie, jerawat2 dah segan nak naik kat muka... love it!!! siang tea pakai olay's regenerist serum (beli time sale, RM 35 aje sebotol... nak tau kenapa? wait for my review in my future posts~~!!

 # 5  Moisturizer - the basic 3 group of ingredients yang MESTI ADA dalam moisturizer is the anti-oxidants, skin-repairing substances & also skin communicating ingredients... okay, you must've noticed that i use olay products, sbb bg tea, product from olay ni sangat sesuai dengan kulit tea, it's full-packed with beneficial ingredients (anti-oxidants, skin communicating ingredients & skin repair ingredients) with a cheap price tags!!! 

 # 6 SPF - yang ni paling utamaaaa!!!!! the main cause of signs of skin-aging, pigmentation & wrinkles are the UV rays!!! so, bg pendapat tea, u need at least SPF30 untuk pakai everyday & mesti topup time lunch hour, especially bila kita basuh muka untuk ambil wudhu'.... kat bawah ni contoh2 SPF yang bagus & tea recommend pakai.. if you're dry or normal skin, boley try Olay's UV blocker... sbb SPF ni ada avobenzone dengan banyakkkk anti-oxidants & skin communicating ingredients, kenapa utk dry/ normal skin aje? yes, it's because of avobenzone which tends to make your skin a little bit oily, tp kalo anda ada kulit kering atau normal, mmg bole pakai sunblock ni... untuk yang kulit berminyak, boley try skin aqua by Sunplay pulak, they both have SPF50, tp sunplay ni guna ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate instead of avobenzone dalam olay tadi... ingredient ni bagus & tak menyebabkan kulit berminyak... mana satu pilihan hati? tepuk pipi tanya poket.. hehehhehe

okay, setakat ni dulu coretan tea.... my next posts will be Vitamins for the skins - Antioxidants, Skin Communicating & Skin Repairing Ingredients... :)

XOXO

- marina / green~tea -

Body care - hygiene, exfoliation, & hydration...

oopss, agak lama tea tak update blog ini... oh well... the Busan, South Korea posting still dalam status "draft", hehehe nak wat canne, asik tangguh2 aje tulis blog.. takde mood lagi nak touch-up posting Busan tu, tea post pasal topik feveret tea lah.... skang tea nak bercerita pasal Beauty specifically, Body Care...

complete body care ni tak se-simple yang kita fikir kan.. yang paling penting, basic hygiene, then baru kita buat additional treatment.... For hygiene purpose, tea rasa perlu highlight bahagian shaving, exfoliating & body wash...

mmg kaum wanita agak malu2 nak bercerita pasal topik nan satu nie... it's about membuang bulu2 yang tak diingini (cth: kat ketiak... hehehhe)... the best so far bagi tea ialah dengan menggunakan epilator.... i tried waxing & plucking sblm ni, shaving tak pernah laa sbb ibu tea selalu pesan never ever guna shaver sbb nanti bulu ketiak tumbuh segar cam rumput plak.... waxing & plucking ni effect dia sama aje dengan epilation... kira cabut sampai ke akar.... waxing tea stop sbb mahal nak maintain or continuously guna, plucking plak meletihkan tangan & taking a lottttt of my precious time... bila tea kenal mesin epilator ni, removing hair mmg sangat2 cepat, pantas, mudah & yang penting, tahan lama... kalo shaving, maybe u kena shave every 2-3 days... tp when you epilate, seminggu - 2 minggu++ baru bulu2 start tumbuh balik.... & dia tumbuh halus2 aje, tak kasar2 cam shaving... okay, below is contoh epilator, tp tea beli jenama Philips dekat Watson aje price dalam RM119 xsilap tea... tea beli lamaaa dahh & epilator ni mmg tahan lama... no need blade replacement or anything, cuma bateri/ plug in aje... tea rekemen uols beli yang jenis rechargable tu, jangan beli yang ada wayar..

Secondly, exfoliation!!!! dulu tea selalu guna gula + olive oil untuk scrub but it's too messy laa in my bathroom selepas scrubbing tu... tea pernah jugak try salt scrub, tp serius ada pedih2 dekat kulit masa pakai, thus i'd prefer the sugar scrub... then tea pakai shower scrub or loofah cam gambar bawah nie for quite some time... bertahun2 jugak laa...




then, beberapa bulan lepas, kawan tea ada rekemen sabun susu beras... effect dia sama cam scrub jugak, mmg hilang daki2 badan & tea tak perlu guna deodoran sangat dah skang nie... cuma perlu cautious, jangan pakai sabun ni setiap kali mandi, sbb dia cam removing cell kulit, so kalo pakai kerap sangat, nanti kulit jadi kering... tea rekemen pakai selang sehari saja.... sabun susu beras ni tea beli dekat pasar malam kampung tea aje, dalam RM 19-20 aje sedozen.. tp kakak ipar tea cakap, dekat perlis cuma RM10 sedozen...but i dont mind paying twice the price, sbb mmg still murah kan... dekat KL ni, diorang jual sampai RM 5 seketul... huhuhuhuh, mmg tea takkan beli laaa dekat KL nie... cekik darah.... sabun susu beras yang tea pakai ni rupa dia camni: -

err... sape2 nak beli, sila usahakan sendiri la ek.. hehehe, blog tea ni tak jual barang laa buat masa nie.. not planning for it yet...

next is bodywash.. erm.. for now mmg tea minimumkan penggunaan chemical... so, untuk mandi, tea stick dengan baby johnson's body wash & shampoo... it protects from moisture loss & mild to skin...

As for Body treatments, tea slalu pakai body lotion johnson calming & for intense hydration masa travelling, tea mmg sapu nivea body cream cam dalam pics nie... yang lotion calming tu mmg sedap sangat bau dia & soothing untuk dibawa tidur.. kalo nivea tu plak, mmg my skin saver la, sbb dia cepat sangat repair kulit tea & elakkan kulit jadi gatal2 & flaky especially kalo tea travel time winter...

another body treatment yang tea sangat2 suka is Massage, tea biasa buat ni every weekends or 2 minggu skali... sbb tea sangat suka exercise & sibuk dengan kerja ofis... then massage is my way of treating my body from the hard works.. it promotes better blood circulation & relaxing your muscles...

Next body treatment yang tea regularly buat is Sauna.... tujuan sauna ni untuk remove all the toxins (free radicals, uric acid) and also promoting blood circulation.... tea buat sauna ni 2-3 kali seminggu... skali sauna tu cuma dalam 10 - 15 mins aje... Sedikit tips mengenai sauna, you must take shower, before & after sauna.... Sebelum sauna, uols kena amek quick shower for hygiene purposes & to make sure takde traces of lotion or bedak or anything yang boleh clog the pores... sbb bila sauna, the pores akan membesar & kalo kulit tak bersih, nanti dia clog liang2 roma tu... another reason is hygiene, sbb sauna ni tempat awam, so it's better utk bersihkan dulu badan sebelum duduk bercampur2 dalam sauna room tu... 

selepas Sauna, mmg kena shower properly la... sbb bila kita sauna, all the toxins dah keluar bersama peluh2 tu kan, so, untuk make sure toxins tu washed away, please please please laa cepat2 bilas badan dengan air immediately lepas Sauna... kenapa cepat2? sbb bila body cooling down and peluh mengering, toxins yang dah keluar tadi tu akan meresap balik through liang2 roma yang terbuka tu... Cara untuk mandi lepas bersauna, mula2 shower badan dengan air suam.... then gradually reduce the water temperature, pakai ambient temperature water aje la.. sbb cold shower ni akan tutup balik liang2 roma yang dah terbuka semasa sauna tadi... :) there are some tips for Sauna, tea summarize laa senang ek...

1. quick shower untuk bersihkan badan/ hygiene
2. sapu conditioner or oil dekat rambut utk elak dryness
3. sauna for 10 -15 mins
4. shower dengan warm water, then gradually reduce water temp... 

okay, Happy trying!!!! \^.^/

usaha2 tea menguruskan badan... soooo many!!!

Okay, today tea nak bercerita mengenai my effort towards weight loss!!! I have tried several alternatives utk menguruskan badan since 2009... tea sufferred jugak laaa dengan komen2 pedas kawan2 sekeliling... so, agak tercabar hati ini & tea jugak concern on my health sbb tea ni ada keturunan diabetes... takmo laaaa kena kencing manis~~~ uuuuuu..... well, bawah ni antara effort yang tea try untuk reduce weight starting from 70 kg... then slowly to current 52 kg & believe me, the best one still exxercising~~ it realeases stress & proven reduce weight banyak & tone my body: -

first time usaha menguruskan badan is herbalife!! mahal okehhh, RM 1200++ untuk supply 1 month, then unfortunately for me, perut i takleh tolerate dengan herbalife ni, tea taktau apebenda yang tea alergik, but i suffered from acute gastritis, bayangkan,  tea kena diarrhea >20 times a day!! T_T mmg sadis.... sampai tea kena papah ke klinik & injected with anti-cramps... tea suffer from diarrhea throughout recovery jugak, tp tak sekerap >20 kali sehari tu la, recovery time is about 1 week....

Premium Beautiful.... yessss... tea salah sorang mangsa MLM.. tp setakat beli satu set korset tu la.. takde laa join group jual2 tu... but i bought the set for RM2300!!! mmg laa cantik pinggang ramping pakai tu.. tp lama2 pakai kulit2 pinggang yg kena besi tu jadi lebammm.. hodoohhhhhh.... pastu sbb dia dah displace lemak dari area pinggang, lemak2 tu naik kat lengan!!! can u imagine, pinggang ramping tp lengan perkasa cam ahli gusti??? lepas 6 months jugak pakai, tea dengan berat hati stop pb.. gigih ok pakai sbb dah spend ribu riban.... huhuhu.... turun tak banyak pun, sekilo aje.. perabih borehh.... one of my biggest regret is buying this korset~~~ sorry, but it's just my opinion...

teh pelangsing badan (tercirit2 makcik meluru ke toilet.. huhuhhuhu)... then tea stop~~ yang brand ni oke laa cirit sekali sehari aje~~ kalo brand teh herba orang kampung tu, aiyooo, bertubi2 tea serang toilet... so, tea pun stop laaa, sbb rasa cam tak sanggup je~~

i bought few exercise equipment termasuk cross trainer... tp mmg puas hati laa pakai, sampai rosak cross trainer tu pakai for 3 years++.... but lesson learnt, i never trust takasima brand dah pasni, sbb equipment dia senang rosak, berkarat.... so, untuk mini gym baru kat rumah ni, tea equipped it with a threadmill; brand reebok... it's the most reasonably priced threadmill.... in my next post, i'll share tips how to choose a threadmill for your home & cross trainer... yang penting tahan lasak, & good dimension & value for money, another thing, tepi threadmill tu kena prepare 1 spray bottle & a small towel utk immediately cuci threadmill lepas pakai... sbb yang merosakkan getah threadmill tu sebenarnya peluh kita sendiri.... untuk make sure threadmill tahan lama, then u need to do proper maintenance ya!!

somewhere in 2009, i started gym workout at kerteh... tea buat aerobic dengan kak atikah tu.. kalo kat kerteh, mmg dia glemer lah.... tp tu la, asik on off on off aje tea ni, kurang berdisiplin, but i still managed to reduce my weight from 70 kg to 64 kg within a year....

i also tried Blood Type Diet!!!~~~ kalo nak tau lebih lanjut, click aje sini.... ---> Blood Type Diet tea takleh explain sini sbb it's a topic of its own, panjang cerita nya....

Bawah ni plak gambar2 contoh classes by Les Mills yang mmg tea attend kat gym~~ reason being i followed classes is to have fun when i workout!!! and instructor2 pulak akan betulkan teknik2 dan posture badan semasa kita workout tu....

bila tea start pindah ke KL, tea pun teruja tengok ofismet tea yang highly motivated to do their workout routine daily... ada yang prefer early morning before office hour tu (since kelas takde masa nie, all of them just do the normal machines workout, weight lifting, threadmill etc), ada yang prefer workout time lunch hour (time ni banyak option kelas), ada yang after office (time ni pun banyak kelas offered)... tea join gym TTFC sbb bawah ofis ni aje kan & TTFC subscribed with Les Mills nyer workout class, sama cam Fitness First... I love all the bodycombat, sh'bam, bodystep, bodyvive, bodypump, semua2 laa!!!! instructor2 dia sangat happening!!  that's what motivates me to do my routine workout daily!!! seriously, i love the lively class, the warm and chatty fellow gymmers, the beat and music & the sweating!!! we even sometimes join the 3 hours workout by kevin zahri or aerobicthon held by FISAF 

Honestly, this healthy lifestyle yang brings back myself to ideal shape & weight masa anak2 dara dulu, well actually, even better!!! dulu zaman anak dara seluar tea saiz 26 oke... now i can fit to size 23 or 22 inch!!!... kui kui kui.....that's why i tell u, even better kannn!!! berat anak dara dulu 56, now im 54 kg, tak jauh beza, but the size mmg beza & u know why??? because of my muscle mass!!! sekilo fat, tak sama volume dengan sekilo muscle... tak caya??? tengok gamba bawahh~~~ bawah nie comparison pix of 1 kg fat & 1 kg lean muscle~~ see it to believe it!!! now u know kan????

In Sha Allah, in my next posts, i'll elaborate more on type of exercises ek....  what classes being offered, and what kind of exercise to suit your body & weight target... till then~~~


XOXO,
marina / green~tea