Elianto: Organic Infusion Refreshing Gel Cleanser

I had previously given a review on the mask under its similar range – Organic Infusion.  Read it HERE.

I think it is time to review on the cleanser as well.  I have been using this everyday for more than 12 weeks now.

You may click on all the photos for a larger image.

Before purchasing a product, I never forget to check out its manufactured date.  I am pleased to know that it was freshly released on Jun 2010!!!  See photo below:

I guess with organic products, their shelf life is shorter than those with preservatives (aka parabens).  Therefore, the manufacturers produce in small but frequent quantities.  Which is good for us because we are using fresh products!

This cleanser comes in a semi-transparent gel with a light brown color.  It is almost odorless as it does not contain any fragrance which is great for my ultra-sensitive skin!

I did not get any additional skin problems like zits or reactivation of cold sores, but the cleanser did not really ease any of my current problems as well.  Even the weird rash that I was having on my chin remained there.

Also, I find that with frequent use, the cleanser does leave my skin around my cheeks & mouth areas a little too dry & tight.  At one point in time, the area around my mouth even flaked because it was sooooo dry.  And because it flaked so badly, it made my mouth area a little sore.

I originally already have a dry U-zone (which is the cheek & mouth area), so I guess this cleanser will be more suitable for those with oily skin.

Also, I did a little internet research on the ingredient that sparked a curiosity:

Coco-betaine
This ingredient is generally regarded as a mild and safe ingredient, and for this reason is replacing Cocamide DEA. However, it has been shown to cause allergic reactions in some individuals. This is most likely a result of the manufacturing byproducts amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine, two impurities commonly associated with skin sensitization and irritation. However, studies have shown that coco-betaine’s potential for dermal allergies and irritation can be avoided if the byproducts are low and tightly controlled (source taken from HERE).

Decyl Glucoside
A non-ionic surfactant that’s used as a cleansing agent. It’s gentle enough for sensitive skin and can be used in baby products. It also possesses moisture binding properties that help make the skin feel smooth and soft (source taken from HERE).

Overall, I think this cleaner is on the borderline for me.  Not good, yet not too bad.  I would look for an alternative organic cleanser that can ease my skin problems + not give me dry flaky skin around my U-zone.

No stamp of approval from me on this product.

Elianto: Organic Infusion Rebalancing Face Mask

WHO DARES DENY THE POWERS OF ORGANIC?????????

You know I love Kurt (the girly guy) on Glee???  There was this one episode where his father went something like, “I think your head is turning to mush with all that hair products you put in your hair”.  And Kurt was like, “oh don’t worry about it.  It’s organic”.

Most of us probably never heard of the brand name – Elianto.  I haven’t too, until I was in Tampines Mall on this rare occasion (I hardly travel that far to the east).  They have a booth there on the 2^nd storey.  Now I’m a frequent shopper at Tampines Mall.  NOT because of Elianto.  Geez.  Because of the variety of stuff I can see there!  Read my previous post HERE.

I browsed the products on the Elianto shelf & came across this Organic Infusion range.  What caught my eye was obviously the word “ORGANIC”.

I was particularly interested in the face mask.  I dunno why but among the rest of the skincare products (ie: cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc), the face masks interest me the most.

As I read the product packaging, I feel more & more compelled to get it.

(click for larger photo)

No paraben, chemical & fragrance?

ECOCERT certified?

HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!

*buys one immediately, maybe with a little touch of compulsion but will eventually end up with no regrets*

And naturally, anything that is organic, cannot be cheap.  For a petite tube at 50ml, it cost about $20.  Squeeze a few times & you’ve down the tube by half (just kidding but it does feel that way because the tube is supermodel skinny, if you know what I mean).

The second I reach home, I slap some on my face.

The mask comes in the form of a cream that is smooth & light.  It does not feel heavy or sticky.  Kind of feels like a facial moisturizer, but with a slightly thicker consistency.

Obviously the scent is nothing great as it is free from fragrance.  To me, it smells a little like a Chinese herbs shop.  But others might think it has a sandalwood scent.  Either ways, this type of smell doesn’t bother me.  Who cares about scents when it can do wonders for my skin.

I know the instructions tell you to apply a generous amount, leave it for 20mins, massage in, tissue off & apply toner.  It didn’t even tell you to rinse off the excess mask cream.

I always want to do things my way as there is always this small nagging voice that tells me not to leave any funny stuff on my face.  Therefore, my procedures are as follows:

1)  Apply an adequate amount (why must be GENEROUS?).

2)  Leave it for 20mins.

3)  Lightly massage in using my fingertips in a circular motion.  At this point, some dried cream would have come off your face like bits of dirt.

4)  THEN I lightly wet my face with water & massage some more for another 1 or 2 mins.

5)  WASH OFF with warm water (leaving mask cream on your face seems so… … wrong).

6)  Follow up with the rest of your skincare regime like toner & zit cream or whatever.

I have been using this face mask 2 times a week for a continuous total of 12 weeks.

Personally, it has worked fabulously for me.

I was having these small pus-zits around my face & some were trapped underneath the skin which looked like bumps on my face.

By the 2nd time I used the face mask, those irritating bumps that were beneath the skin actually resurfaced & looked ready to pop with the yellow pus head that sticks out, but of course I don’t pop them & leave them alone to heal on its own.  Popping pimples always will leave a dark-colored mark.

Around the 3^rd week, the zits have reduced significantly.  I wouldn’t say that it’s a miracle and ALL the zits are gone.  This is not some miracle product.  But the zits are much much lesser, it goes away quicker & the frequency of reappearance has also reduced.

Also, my face tends to feel tight & dry especially around the cheek & mouth area (which is also known as your U-zone), but after I slap some of this organic face mask on, it takes away all that dryness.  Quenching my face with its with moisturizing effects.

It is not heavy, so I didn’t break out into zits or blackheads.  IN FACT, it made my pores look cleaner!!!  Or it could be because I did Step 4 above & all that massage that I did to pamper my face has also rubbed off all the dirt in my clogged pores. hmmm…

This is definitely going to be a PR (Permanent Resident) in my bathroom cabinet!!!

*heart feels with deep love*

Before I end this blog post, I also looked up some of the ingredients on Google:

(click for larger photo)

The thing that I’m not so keen about is that it contains some alcohol ingredients in there.  And we all know what alcohol can do to your skin.  It dries it out!  I’ve done a lot of research on the internet & a lot of skincare websites state that it does too!  But when there are so many other goody ingredients in this face mask, I think I can close 1 eye to the alcohol contents.

Nice ingredients are like:

Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride
This is derived from coconut oil and glycerin.  It can quickly penetrate the surface to condition the skin / hair & provides a lightweight and non-greasy barrier of lubrication.  It also helps enhance the delivery of vitamins, pigments and other active ingredients contained in a solution so that they become evenly spread out and fully absorbed by the epidermis.

Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
It has wonderful soothing and cooling properties while at the same time, it contains anti-viral and antibiotic properties to boost the health of the skin and acting as a general tonic as well.

Sounds good, right??

On a last last final note, remember to do a patch test each time you purchase a new product!!!  Even if some products are using organic or natural ingredients, you will still need to do a patch test!  You never know if you might be allergic to some essential oils or any food products (like almonds?).

Personally for me, I will definitely give this face mask a Berry Mii stamp of approval.  =D

Weekends at Tampines Mall

I know it’s only Wednesday.  But I’m looking forward to my weekend already.  Are you looking forward to it too????

I am beginning to love Tampines Mall.

I never thought that it would be bustling with activities & so jam-packed with people!!!  I love the life & action that Tampines Mall has to offer, except for creatures below the age of 12 because that just has an OMG scary factor of 9/10 for me.

On 1 of my trips there, these 2 kids were screaming & yelling & fighting with each other over one of those kiddy rides.  And 1 kid pushed the other kid over the ride, which caused him to land on MY FOOT.  I almost ended his life by stomping on his little head, but I resisted.  Firstly, because I noticed that his gorilla-looking father was nearby & I could not tackle a size larger than me by 10 times.  Secondly, it was not worth getting my Adidas sandals dirtied with brain juice.  Sigh.  So, that left my little pinky toe throbbing in helpless irritation & there was nothing I can do about revenge.

It’s like someone inflicted pain on me but I cannot punch him back in the face because I feel like I will get a red card or something.  This is similar to footballers who get injured in rough tackles, but they still got to grit their teeth & bear with it.

I am telling you.  It is sheer agony.

I have a feeling that my future kids will be monsters.  It is going to be karma for me.  The more I hate kids, the worse their characters will be.  Oh Lord, I pray for my soul & migraines.

Anyway…

During my previous trips to Tampines Mall, I found a very interesting Korean-inspired clothing store called Miss Emily, if I’m not wrong, it is located either on the 2^nd or 3^rd storey.  The clothes fit my twiggy body nicely & the prices are affordable.  I bought like 3 tops & 1 flowery pink dress.  Best of all, they cost less than $100, but also because they were having a promotion at that time.

Gossip Time!!! You know what, I think in future I shall be brave & take a photo of the stores.  I actually held back doing that because there was once I was attempting to take a photo of this store in Bishan Junction 8 & the sales assistant RAN out and stopped me.  She was probably paranoid that I was trying to steal their clothing designs… *rolls eyes*… But then again, the lady boss of that store was acting all high & haughty when I shopped at their store a couple of times.  There was once when I asked for a new piece & she went into the storeroom but came out with the display piece & trying to pass it off as a new piece.  I knew it was the display piece because the same thread was loosened at the exact same spot on the shirt!!!  The argument that happened after that was another story.  Sigh.  Such dishonest sellers kill the trust with us consumers.  Anyway, that store has closed down & moved elsewhere, but I don’t know where.

Also, at Tampines Mall, I discovered they carry this brand – Elianto, which offers the Organic Infusion range that is free from paraben, chemical & fragrance.  Woooo… organic, right???  Organic is supposed to be healthy & safe & all kinds of lovely.  I have bought a cleanser & a face mask from this range.  I had bought a body lotion & some hand creams from another range.  I KNOW I’M BEING PSYCHOTIC WITH ALL THESE SKINCARE, but I cannot help feeling like I need to save my aging skin!!!  My reviews will be coming up pretty soon!!!  I have been using them for quite some time already.  You may take a look at Elianto’s website HERE.

Recently, Kiehl’s has opened on ground floor right beside Macdonalds!!!  They were holding a contest of Spot-The-Difference which I had recently posted up on my blogsite HERE.  I first read about them in Her World magazine on the Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

The product write-up was so good that I decided to visit their outlet.  I met this very cute girl called Janelle.  She provided lots of useful information about the various products, gave suggestions & recommended products that are suitable for my skin.  I was comfortable with her service as she was informative & not pushy.

The best part???  She gave me some samples without even me asking for them!!!  Well, ok, I only asked for a sample of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, but she gave me other samples as well.

(click photo for larger image)

Generous, hor?

I have been using all these samples for the past week or so.  They seem to last more than a week as the contents inside are quite generous!!!  It is really great that they are given out samples for consumers to test out first before deciding to get the real-size.  My reviews will be coming up pretty soon too!!!  This is so great that Kiehl’s is giving out samples because I have CRAZY sensitive skin & very prone to getting  eczema at the corner of my chin.

I was looking for a photo of what eczema would look like & found this photo from Dermnet.com HERE.  See below:

What the hell???

It looks like this person put a vacuum cleaner over the mouth while it was switched on.

(O_O)

The only thing that feels like a pity is that Kiehl’s prices are REALLY REALLY… REALLY high & that is the only thing that deters me from getting their products.

The Midnight Recovery Concentrate alone costs like…. SGD$90.

A 15ml eye cream costs about SGD$50 or more.

Their facial packs cost about SGD$60 or more.

(this baby is soooo cute!! I got this photo over the internet, can’t trace the source though)

My friend in the US has been using their products for a long time & she has been satisfied ever since.  People in the US will of course get Kiehl’s at a more affordable price.  Lucky them.

I also did some internet research on its products & there were mixed reviews on almost all its products.  Same for me too, but I’ll leave my reviews to another day.

Oh oh… I WANT TO COMPLAIN!!!!  A shout-out to the Mango outlet at Tampines Mall.

I am VERY VERY VERY disappointed with Annie Lye.  She’s the auntie with the getai hairstyle.

I admit I am very particular about purchasing clothings.  I will prefer to have a new piece that hasn’t been tested by others.  God knows what kinds of armpit sweats are on the jacket or people picking their noses & wiping the sticky snot on the clothes, etc etc.

This auntie Annie told me that the jacket was a display set, since I really loved the jacket, I was ready to make an exception provided there were NO DEFECTS.  I examined it & found that the sewing was out of place on the front of the jacket.  When I pointed it out to her, you know what her response was???

She said, “Only this part, right?  The rest are still ok”, and then she pushed the jacket back to me over the counter.

Excuse me???

ONLY this part???

The friggin Mango jacket costs like SGD$99, okay???  What do you mean by ONLY this part???  Why should I pay 99 bucks for a defective jacket????  Other customers paid $99 for the same jacket with no defects.

*fumes*

Since there is a defect, you should at least ACKNOWLEDGE it & asked if I still wanted to accept it.  NOT push it back to me like it was nothing or like it costs 99 cents.

UGH.  Mango should probably send her over to “Can You Serve?”

On a last note, me & my friends got fixated with these teenagers playing some dancing arcade game where they do this stepping moves.

Sorry for being ‘uncool’, but do these dancing arcade machine games have a name???

These teens are SO GOOD that they did this 2-player round of game where they can even exchange places.  Don’t get what I mean?

The guy in pink was originally on the left as shown below:

Then as the music progressed, they step-danced & were required to cross over to the other person’s platforms.  So in the below photo shows the black-shirt guy on the left this time & the pink-shirt guy on the right:

I can’t believe that they managed to multi-task at cross over while step-dancing & looking at the screen & getting high sorry, HIGH is an UNDERstatement, should be INSANELY high combo hits of 400++!!!!!  The directional arrows on the screen were flashing so fast that I cannot even identify any shapes!!!  If I were to try this stage out with another friend, I think we will both end up in a twisted mess.

HOW DO THESE GUYS DO IT?!??!

1,000,000,000 practise hours on the arcade???

Over SGD$100,000,000 spent on practising???

I am so impressed with these guys.  They put the cool in step-dancing arcades, while spending hundreds of dollars training for this thing.  If I was a parent, I would prefer my monster kids to spend their money on this arcade instead of throwing it all on alcoholic drinks.

This should be declared a sport & be included in YOG or the Olympics.

Isn’t Tampines Mall eventful???