Tag: productreview

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Review

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There are other posts in this blog on skincare products. I have reviewed some of the best Paula’s Choice products for acne. I also have reviewed Mario Badescu Drying Lotion before. This time, I will review the Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum. If you are interested in this serum, make sure you read this before you make your purchase.

Mad Hippie Vit C Serum
Trying out this new serum. Satisfied so far!

I have been using serums every now and then to improve my skin. Before discovering this brand I have been using Skin Inc‘s serums, which I realize now are very pricy relative to other brands. Skin Inc serums were very good as well and I have nothing bad to say about it. However, if you use them regularly and use them up very fast, you may want to consider something more affordable.

What is the Mad Hippie brand? 

Mad Hippie is a skincare brand from Portland in the States.  My guess is the name comes from the reputation of Portland as a hipster city. This brand takes safety and health very seriously. Hence, their products are rich in the following ingredients: antioxidants, peptides, bioavailable vitamins, and alpha hydroxy acids. This is in contrast to other commonly used ingredients in mainstream skincare products like parabens, synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals, etc.

mad hippie vitamin c serum_ingredients

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Review: How do I like it? 

I really enjoy the light texture of the serum. It is very fast absorbed into the skin. The smell is also very nice and not overpowering: a fresh, citrusy fragrance.

How to use Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum? 

I use the Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum twice daily, morning and night. It is the first thing I put on my face after washing my face. 

In the morning, use this serum before moisturizer and sunscreen. The combination of high antioxidant serum and sunscreen is very effective in combating the photoaging effect of the sun’s UV rays. You can read this article from Real Simple to find out more.

At night, I use this serum after cleansing my skin. I do not use toner, so this is the first layer in my skincare. Then I layer moisturizer and a sleeping mask on top. 

What is the serum's effect on my skin?

The Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum works wonderfully on my skin. It really evens out my skin tone. And this is a big win for me because I tend to have a long lasting redness from acne. The serum also makes my skin brighter, more radiant, and fairer. Moreover, the antioxidant property helps to combat small breakouts even before they appear. Therefore, I have been having fewer breakouts now. However, it cannot help much with preventing the big cystic pimples. It does help with a faster recovery from those cysts nonetheless.

Is Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum value for money?

Very much! It is relatively cheaper for a serum. Especially when compared to other brands like Skinceuticals CE Ferulic which can cost S$258 (NT$5520) for 30ml. The efficacy of this serum also makes it the top skin care product on my shelf that I use day and night. 

The brand’s proposition of safety and natural ingredients also makes this product worth a try. In Taiwan, this product is available at iherb.com for NT$829 (30ml bottle). I did not take note of the price that I paid at COSMED but it may be cheaper when there is a discount.

Should you buy Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum? 

If you are looking for a Vitamin C serum to add to your skincare routine, I highly recommend this serum. It is affordable and very effective. Do read up on reviews for this product though, as each person has a different skin type.

Update on May 2022: I have purchased many bottles of the Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum so far (5+), and my verdict for this product remains the same. I love this product even more now!

Learn more about acne, skincare and lifestyle for skin health with me!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Product Reviews

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When it comes to products for sensitive skin, we often have doubts whether the products will actually work. If they do, amazing! If they don’t, I will give them away to friends who use them or throw them away. I am lucky that I found these three La Roche Posay Effaclar products that work for me. They are formulated in France and I got to know them from review videos on Youtube. At the time of writing, I have been using these products for almost 2 years. I reviewed best Paula’s Choice products for acne in my other post. In this post I will give you La Roche Posay reviews specifically on the Effaclar product range. I will explain these products based on the order of how I use them.

effaclar_products

Effaclar Duo (+) to unclog pores

The Effaclar Duo product has a plastic packaging which I like very much. This is because unlike metal tubes, the plastic packaging is very durable. That is, it will not break and leak. You can also cut the tube open when it is almost finished and get the last few drops out.

On the product, it reads “Corrective, unclogging care, anti-imperfections, anti-marks“. I use it right after putting on moisturizer. Personally, I find it useful in keeping my breakout under control. It also helps to reduce blemishes and the occurrence of whiteheads and blackheads. Over time, it also claims to help correct imperfections on the skin. I can attest after using this for some time that this product improves my overall skin condition.

For those curious about ingredients, this contains:

  • Procerad: ceramide that protect against appearance of red or brown marks from breakout
  • Niacinamide: anti-inflammatory, soothe the skin
  • Piroctone Olamine: combat bacterial growth
  • Micro-exfoliating LHA: unclog pores

Effaclar K(+) to regulate oiliness on skin

I use this in addition to the Efflaclar Duo. Honestly, if the benefits from Effaclar Duo are sufficient for your skin, you do not need this. However, I like to be thorough in my skin regime. Also, I was looking for another product that can boost the efficiency of Effaclar Duo.

The product reads “Oily skin, renovating care, anti-oxidation, anti-sebum 8hr“. I use this because I get oily in my T-zone during the hot summer day. This helps to prevent clogging on my T-zone and regulate the sebum glands.

This product contains:

  • Antioxidant Vitamin E: shield the skin epidermis
  • Anti-sebum complex (carnosine + airlicium): protect the skin with proteins
  • Micro-exfoliating LHA: unclog pores, prevent excess sebum from oxidising into comedones

My only complaint about Effaclar K(+) is the metal packaging. This is because the tube can easily have dents and the product can easily leak out from them. Nonetheless, this does not happen very often but it happened before. Especially when I pack it in my bag during my travels.

Effaclar A.I. to spot treat acne

Effaclar A.I. is my weapon against those fat, pus-filled, angry pimples. It is a targeted breakout corrector. You just need a tiny amount of it, apply it on the pimple, and the pimple gets dry really fast. Hands down, it is the most effective targeted pimple cream I have ever used. I have tried tea tree oil ointment and Oxy cream / benzoyl peroxide before and none works as well as this one. Other products tend to be effective the first few times you use them and the efficacy dwindles over time. Also, benzoyl peroxide irritates my sensitive skin whereas Effaclar A.I. helps to spot treat the acne without irritation.

Ingredients in this product are:

  • Niacinamide: stops the evolution of breakouts
  • Piroctone olamine and glycacil: purifies the bacterial source
  • Micro-exfoliating LHA: activate the skin’s regeneration process

Should you get La Roche Posay Effaclar products?

These products are hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and non-comedogenic so they are safe for acne prone skin.. And most importantly, these Effaclar products work really well for me. Plus, small amount goes a long long way. I am reasonable when applying them on my skin, not too stingy and not too much. In my case, I use up Effaclar Duo and Effaclar K+ within 7 to 8 months. Whereas for the Effaclar A.I., since I only use a small amount of it topically on each pimple, it lasts me for a few years.

Explore more about skincare and acne with me!