Leo Dimilo
Tonya Lachey
Dianna GThe Indispensables - Extremely Basic Beauty Needs
July 19th 2006 03:01
For those brave souls who resisted every advertisement and campaign for beauty products, kudos to you all! Intrinsically, behind all the glitz, glamour, manipulation, and propaganda, there are only a few cheap beauty basics we need on our dressing benches to take care of our bodies properly.
For those of you who prefer a natural look, who don't like to pile (oops, I mean, apply) masses of chemicals on your faces, and who refuses to spend hard earned cash on fancy cosmetics, here are a few basics that will get you through the day:
Vaseline
Bless Robert Chesebrough, who put tonnes of petroleum jelly into little jars and delivered it to every household worldwide. Till today, Vaseline is still the most useful item in the home. Not only can it be used on dry patchy knees and elbows, to tame that horrid sun burn, as lubricant when in dire need, it can also be used as a lip balm. It's a handy little thing to keep around the house and in your handbag.
Sorbolene
The most useful and cheap beauty item in the market today. Everybody should have 5 litres (which will cost you a whopping $10) of this baby in their house at any time! It's best used as a body lotion, but can double up as a handcream, or even a cleanser (for sensitive dry skin). You can rub this lotion anywhere and won't see a side effect no matter what skin type you are!
Although using it as a cleanser (apply, rub into skin, then wipe off with cotton pad) is very effective, even getting rid of makeup, it has a tendency to leave a heavy residue. So beware!
Cetaphil
The most effective, under-recognized cleanser on shelves is Cetaphil. Its packaging is unassuming, as it lingers in the bottom shelves, overlooked by shoppers in favour of other fancy colourful cleansers. For around $7, the Cetaphil cleanser is ideal for all skintypes, especially for those with overreactive sensitive skin.
It can even be used as a shower gel (no matter how basic one gets, soap is NOT good for you!) for a deep clean, very good for those who don't wash their backs properly and end up with little pimples!
Tea Tree Oil
The ingredient that most anti-blemish treatments can't go without is tea tree oil. It's a natural anticeptic that dries up your skin and gets rid of bacteria. For those naughty people who squeeze pimples, if you INSIST on doing this travesty, make sure you press a cotton ball of tea tree oil tightly on the popped zit straight afterwards!
It's a great spot treatment for temporary pimple dramas. Most tea tree oil formulae (15% pure tea tree oil) can be irritating and make your skin flaky (sensitive skin beware!) , so it's important to dilute it in some water before applying. I find that the Body Shop's tea tree oil forumla is more gentle than the ones you get at the chemists.
It smells beautiful too, so a few drops in the bath can give you a fresh, anticeptically clean fragrance!
Sunscreen - VERY IMPORTANT!
I am guilty of not wearing sunscreen everyday, especially in winter, but I have no shame in preaching to others that it's the right thing to do! According to Dr Brandt (he's Madonna's dermatologist so we gotta do what he says!) , UV rays are reponsible for 8 out of 10 wrinkles! So if we apply everyday, we'll be 80% more youthful than our contemporaries in 50 years time! Whoo Hoo!
We don't need to be reminded that the UV rays can get us through rain, storm, and overcast, so it's not just summertime when we need to slap it on! Not only does it prevent skin cancer, it saves us a bunch of money on laser surgery when we get all old and crinkly. Alot of sunscreens are heavy and clogs pores, for those with sensitive skin, it MUST be removed immediately after coming home, or your pores will suffer!
I find that Hamilton's sunscreens (I like the sensitive skin SPF30 ) are the best ones for a good price ($10 for a bottle to last a year) at the chemist. It feels a bit oily when you first apply it, but settles in nicely on the skin under makeup and blocks the sun extremely well!
Head & Shoulders
Best shampoo on a budget in my opinion. A 2-in-1 as well, so no more of those cumbersome "waiting for the conditioner to work, fiddling with two bottles" thingy. It's also pretty good at getting rid of dandruff, but still a pretty useful number even when your hair is problem free. It's quick to use as well, which means not only do you save MONEY, you save TIME, which is also like money, but more like time......
Talc Powder
We've all grown up using this puffy powder and it's all too familiar with our nappy bottoms. Other than preventing nappy rash, grown ups can use these for the sweaty armpit, the oily scalp (of a blonde only!) and the occasional deodorant ( I think it smells sexily clean...).
I like Johnson's baby powder because I've had it since I was a baby, so there..
*Images taken from www.babiestravellite.com, www.onlyoz.com.au, www.epinions.com, www.thebodyshop.com, www.epharmacy.com.au, www.drugstore.com, www.britsuperstore.com and are used soley for commentary purposes only
For those of you who prefer a natural look, who don't like to pile (oops, I mean, apply) masses of chemicals on your faces, and who refuses to spend hard earned cash on fancy cosmetics, here are a few basics that will get you through the day:
Vaseline
Sorbolene
Although using it as a cleanser (apply, rub into skin, then wipe off with cotton pad) is very effective, even getting rid of makeup, it has a tendency to leave a heavy residue. So beware!
Cetaphil
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
It can even be used as a shower gel (no matter how basic one gets, soap is NOT good for you!) for a deep clean, very good for those who don't wash their backs properly and end up with little pimples!
Tea Tree Oil
Body Shop Tea Tree Oil
It's a great spot treatment for temporary pimple dramas. Most tea tree oil formulae (15% pure tea tree oil) can be irritating and make your skin flaky (sensitive skin beware!) , so it's important to dilute it in some water before applying. I find that the Body Shop's tea tree oil forumla is more gentle than the ones you get at the chemists.
It smells beautiful too, so a few drops in the bath can give you a fresh, anticeptically clean fragrance!
Sunscreen - VERY IMPORTANT!
Hamilton's Sunscreen SPF30 for Sensitive Skin
We don't need to be reminded that the UV rays can get us through rain, storm, and overcast, so it's not just summertime when we need to slap it on! Not only does it prevent skin cancer, it saves us a bunch of money on laser surgery when we get all old and crinkly. Alot of sunscreens are heavy and clogs pores, for those with sensitive skin, it MUST be removed immediately after coming home, or your pores will suffer!
I find that Hamilton's sunscreens (I like the sensitive skin SPF30 ) are the best ones for a good price ($10 for a bottle to last a year) at the chemist. It feels a bit oily when you first apply it, but settles in nicely on the skin under makeup and blocks the sun extremely well!
Head & Shoulders
Head & Shoulders 2-in-1
Talc Powder
Johnsons Baby Powder
I like Johnson's baby powder because I've had it since I was a baby, so there..
*Images taken from www.babiestravellite.com, www.onlyoz.com.au, www.epinions.com, www.thebodyshop.com, www.epharmacy.com.au, www.drugstore.com, www.britsuperstore.com and are used soley for commentary purposes only
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Comment by Sisi
I've found that a similar handy dandy product to Vaseline is Lucas' Paw Paw Ointment, which actually smells pretty yummy too...and my favourite face sunscreen is Sunsense Daily Face, which is kinda like a tinted moisturiser with SPF30 ...it's the only beauty product I use religiously to be honest
Comment by Bunbury
Thanks Sisi! You're making me blush! Your beauty routine will ensure you will stay young and beautiful always!
It's great to know you always put on the SPF30, I only know few who rigorously apply sunscreen
Comment by Sisi
I used to hate sunscreen cos most smell really weird and chemicalish but Daily Face is pretty much odourless, which is why I like it. It's really the only product that's had me applying sunscreen everyday, even in winter
Comment by Bunbury
Though I've always avoided tinited moisturizers because I have this fear that it will block my pores. Is this Daily Face light or is it sort of heavy? If it's good then maybe I'll try it out....
Comment by Sisi
If you're worried about pores, I've never tried it but I've heard that Dermalogica make a sheer tinted moisturiser with SPF15 that's easy on the pores, but apparently it's a little bit sparkly
Comment by Bunbury
The other thing is I don't wash my face in the morning cos I'm a dirty dirty girl so I don't know if the tinited moisturizers will screw me for good...@_@....
But I'll definitely have a look at the Daily Face....
You shoud be writing this blog Sisi!
Comment by Sisi
As for not washing your face, I don't always get time to wash my face with cleanser before I leave home in the morning but when I get to uni I splash my face with water in the bathroom between lectures and pop on my Daily Face then
Comment by Cibbuano
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what's up with vasoline? I thought I read that it's the base in most moisturizers, so you might as well use it?
Comment by Bunbury
Sisi, you are a prime example of the girl on the go, so extremely efficient!
Cibby, it is pretty tempting to just use it as moisturizer, i actually tried that as an experiement once, and it was pretty yucky. When the wind blow, there'd be little particles stuck to my face. But that was a long time ago...