Product Review: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter

Product: Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Buy Again? Probably in the summer

I bought the Sweet Citrus option for this product. It’s a nice body butter. Let’s start off with the positives. It’s scent is quite subtle and pleasant. The feel is rich, and while it does feel greasy when applying, the butter actually absorbs quite quickly. I used it over the summer and I haven’t been noticing my dry patches as much. There’s something about this butter that applies very smoothly. My hands don’t feel sticky or greasy at all. I can shower, apply this body butter, and crawl under the covers without feeling humid or sticky. I’ve stopped using it since I came back to St Louis, though, because it’s too weak. My eczema spots are quite rough and while the butter soothes it for a bit, it does not provide long lasting hydration.

I use different moisturizers for winter and summer. Back in California, I didn’t need to do this, but St Louis’s harsh winters forced me to buy a stronger moisturizer. I tried Kiehl’s Creme de Corps, and it was nice, but it wasn’t as effective, either. I will be trying the Creme de Corps Body Butter though. Through trial and error, I’ve found that body butters are a lot more effective than lotions for harsh weather conditions.

Lotions and butters are very different. Lotions are essentially oil and water bound by an emulsifier, whereas body butter will usually include shea butter and two or more other oils. There are multiple ways to process body butter resulting in various effects in greasiness, smoothness, and moisturizing capabilities. Body butters are said to heal dry skin and moisturize at a deeper level. Lotions are said to be more of an additive layer, to add another layer of moisture. Of course, as I mention in every post, everyone’s skin is different, so try things out and see what works for you. Personally I’ve tried lotions that were more effective than some body butters I’ve had, and vice versa. It really depends on how your skin handles the product.

In this particular whipped body butter, the main ingredients are shea butter, argan oil, avocado oil, and white tea extract. As you can see from the title, argan oil is the star oil that the product is based on. Argan oil is believed to contain vitamin E and essential fatty acids. It boasts effectiveness in dehydration, inflammation, and hyper pigmentation. It seems the be the new oil of the year. I purchased a little bottle of argan oil and for awhile, I mixed a couple of drops in my face creams at night and added a couple drops through my hair after showering. It worked pretty well – my hair felt great! It added a layer of sheen and seemed to help prevent more split ends. My skin also felt better – not as noticeable as the hair, but better. However, I digress.

I like this product. I’m going to buy this again for the summer. For now, though, I need to find another effective lotion. This body butter isn’t long lasting enough for my skin during the winter.

New favorite on campus: Music Library

A deviation from skincare to photography! I have to share. To those who are Washington University students, or not, did you know the music library would be so beautiful? Located on the South Forty, It’s a hidden gem on campus. I have studied there when I played with the symphony, listening to recordings and reading from sheet music. Last month, though, Alex and I brought our bride and groom, Estelle and Sean, to the library and the staff was so kind to let us in. Enjoy! See the rest of the set here.

All photos by XL Photography

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Product Review: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

Product: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Buy Again? yes, definitely.

I’ve been using this product for over two years. After multiple trials of night creams, intense moisturizing creams, products way too heavy or too oily, I finally found the perfect, soothing facial cream. Please keep in mind that this may be the right product for me but not necessarily for you. The great thing about Kiehl’s is that they provide samples upon request. Go to any location near you and if you request a sample, they will provide (at least in my experience).

I use this product for both night and day moisturizing. In the night time, I apply it after applying two serums (night time regime to come); in the morning, I mix it with sunscreen during the winter, as the sunscreen doesn’t moisturize nearly as effectively. It’s smooth, it absorbs quickly, and the best part? It’s not too heavy and does not leave my face feeling oily. Too often, when looking for a strong moisturizer, I encounter extremely greasy or heavy creams. I end up trekking to class with a sheen on my face, which isn’t the most attractive look. This facial cream, though, will absorb fairly quickly while maintaining moisture. My eczema has improved drastically since using this product. I no longer develop rashes that cover my face (although independent spots do still form. Still, much preferred!)

I recently started training for the half marathon in April. This means braving the cold windy weather and exposing my face while running. When I showered after the run, I could just feel my skin stretching tight and rashes forming again. Well, this facial cream definitely helped sooth my dehydrated skin.

I cannot recommend this product enough. It’s a staple in my regime and has been for over two years. For those inflicted with eczema, give it a try!

Sweaters and Suede

I love being back in California! The weather is fantastic and there are so many options for food!

Product Review: REN Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk

Product: REN Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk
Rating: 4.5/5
Buy again? yes

I don’t even remember how I chanced upon this product. I think I Eva Chen mentioned it in one of her answers about sensitive skin. Anyways, I do not regret it at all and will be purchasing it again.

When I knew nothing about skincare (I used body lotion as face lotion!!), and I started developing rashes on my cheeks, I refused to clean my skin further than a quick rinse with cold water. I was scared to use a cleanser, because when I did, it stung. As a freshman in college, I was bogged down with studio work and adjusting to college. Stress plus lack of sleep resulted in pretty severe eczema flares on my cheeks. It was unpleasant, and oftentimes when I took a quick nap, I’d slice up some cucumber slices and put them on, or douse a face towel with cold water and just rest with it covering my face.

When I started researching on how to treat eczema, I didn’t find much specifically related to eczema on the face. However, I did find general skincare tips. One was the importance of washing up every night and morning – to get rid of all the dirt and pollution that might be clogging your pores. Exfoliating removes the dry skin cells on your face so that you can access newer skin cells. After cleaning, your face will be ready for the serums and creams to hydrate and moisturize.

I’ve gone through many different cleansers. I’ve tried Lancôme’s Crème Mousse Confort, Kiehl’s Gentle Foaming Face Cleanser, and more. With those, my skin would still feel dry and tight. They were easy to apply and soothing while cleansing with the Clarisonic Mia, but afterwards, my skin would be a bit pink. When eczema flares on my cheeks, I would wince to even use it, but what can I do? I need to clean my skin. They’re still pretty gentle, but my extra sensitive skin didn’t respond well to them.

I decided to try REN Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk. It is milky, smooth, and soothing. While cleansing with the Mia, it applies very quickly. After rinsing (always gently with lukewarm water), my skin feels great! There’s no tightness at all. My skin feels light and comfortable. I actually look forward to cleaning my face every morning and night! After a couple of weeks, I could see the improvement in my skin. Less red blotchy spots!

No parabens or sulfates! REN has a whole line of products catered towards sensitive skin. I’m excited to try them out.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician or a skincare expert. Everyone’s skin is unique – try different products out and see what works. Always look for gentle, mild, or sensitive labels if you are prone to dryness or eczema.

Eczema Skincare: Current Routine – Morning

It’s a new year, and I want to redirect this blog to something that might be helpful to others out there. From stats of the blog, I noticed my most popular posts were about skincare, especially due to eczema. As someone plagued with severe eczema, I feel you all! It’s annoying and unpleasant and can leave ugly scars. So, look forward to skincare reviews, regimes, and skincare tips!

I’ve been getting quite a few requests to post my current skincare routine. I last posted my skincare regime here, over a year ago in April of 2011. Well, it is now 2013. How is my skin?

It’s a lot better. I get flare ups quite frequently, but due to consistent, controlled treatments, I’ve been able to keep it minimal, visibly at least.

As you can see in this photo, my skin isn’t perfect. I have some faint scars on both cheeks, some blotches, and some scars on my chin. My forehead is uneven with small dents stretched across. It’s not that apparent because of the intensity of the sun, but if you look at my other photos, you can see what I’m talking about. I’m posting this because I’m not wearing any foundation – minimal makeup. In fact, I’m only wearing eyeliner and a tiny bit of eyeshadow.

Some background:

I’ve always had eczema. Since entering college, though, it spread from just inner elbow and knees to my face, shoulders, hips, breasts, inner thighs, and calves. I have some on my hands as well. The most devastating area affected was my face. I developed eczema on my forehead and both cheeks. My right cheek was most affected, though, and when it first flared up in the chilling, bitingly cold winter in St. Louis, it oozed. It became crusty, red, and oozed. I was scared to touch it – don’t even mention washing! This was when I started looking online for a treatment. I had steroid cream for my previous, mild eczema but I was not about to use it on my face. I couldn’t find any useable routine from the internet. I found generic advice – wear cotton, don’t use hot water to wash your face and body, take short showers, etc. I learned about the condition. It’s chronic, related to stress and amount of sleep. I was not surprised – as an architecture student, my time was spent in the unhealthy atmosphere of studio, with as little as 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I didn’t drink much water, ate unhealthy cafeteria food, and was constantly stressed.

I started to try out different skincare routines and brands. I always read reviews online and there is one label I actively look for: sensitive or dry skin. This might be obvious for some, but I took a long time of trying out different products to realize that everyone’s skin is different, and some brands recognize it and make their products specific to each skin type. I used products for oily skin or normal skin. Cleansers dried my skin out. Some lotions and creams just weren’t effective. And some were way too oily. So I started to pay more attention to what I purchased and tried. Samples are a great way to try things out.

Due to requests: will post ENTIRE ROUTINE in the next couple of weeks. From waking up to night time.

Current Skincare Routine: Morning

1. REN Ultra Moisture Cleansing Milk with Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System
Incredibly gentle and soothing.

2. YSL Toning and Cleansing Micellar Water
I use this sometimes if I feel too dry. Use with cotton pad and no need to rinse – serves as a GREAT toner too!

3. Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution by Kiehl’s
Works wonderfully well with previous eczema scars + acne scars!

4. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40
Because sunscreen is very important.

5. Ultra Facial Cream by Kiehl’s 
I’ve used this for over a year. I may mix it with the Josie Maran moisturizer, especially in the winter, as the Josie Maran is very light and doesn’t always keep my face moisturized. I am currently looking for a new moisturizer with high SPF – suggestions?

6. Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado 
Personally, this is too strong so just dab a tiny bit when applying – will be looking for new eye treatment.

Then it’s a bit of eyeliner and shadow, maybe one brush of bronze on each cheek, and I’m off! No foundation, no BB cream, no concealer. Those clog up my pores and removing them at night is never pleasant, aggravating my eczema.

Individual product reviews + usage and night routine to come!

PERFECT way to start new year!

I had to share. As a photographer one of my greatest honors is to capture the story of two people in love. As cheesy as that sounds, I love seeing people in love. In the first wedding we shot, I almost cried because the ceremony was so beautiful. Professionalism stopped my tears to capture moments but inside, I felt, quite simply, happy. On New Year’s day, we photographed a sweet proposal in Sausalito, overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. It was beautiful and a perfect way to start the New Year. By XL Photography