How-to: Unclog pores in 40 minutes or less - At-home facial for the At-home Mom

When your babies have learned to sleep on their own and you can get at least an hour away without them waking up, you know it's time to ease back into the life you once had before they came along.

For myself, I waited until they could sleep through the night (about 1 year for each) to return to my nocturnal activities. This includes pampering my skin with weekly at-home facials. And since my HG facial oil  no longer had any HG effects, my nose was clogging up with blackheads as badly as during my pre-skincare days (aka uni). Yeah, I didn't wash my face until I was 17. Get over it.

Anyhoo, within the last couple of months, I have perfected my routine to the point that I feel it works better the salon facials I have been to. Here's how it goes:

Step 1. Oil Cleansing Method

If you don't know OCM, Google it. It's awesome. To save time, I do it before showering. 10 minutes of massaging the oil firmly into the skin, focusing on the clogged up areas. Do it like you're prepping your chicken for the oven. Within 5 minutes, I can sometimes feel bits of gunk dislodging already.

Cheap and good extra virgin coconut oil

I use coconut oil for this. Now, for OCM to work on your skin, you have to choose the right oil. Because I have dry skin, coconut oil works pretty well. I have tried olive oil previously but it was too drying on my cheeks and broke me out. Mineral oil works ok too, but maybe I'm just biased from all the disreputation it has. Besides, coconut oil is edible, so it's fine if it gets in your mouth from overzealous rubbing.

In case you're wondering, I usually pre-cleanse with a makeup remover if I do have makeup on. I just don't like the idea of rubbing the emulsified makeup back into my pores.

Step 2. Exfoliate

After the massaging is done, I jump into the shower. Since my skin is dry, I don't rinse the oil off immediately, but that's just me. Instead, I exfoliate with a good scrub.

Expensive stuff, probably wouldn't buy it again

 I like to use a manual exfoliator, so it also works to cleanse off some of the oil from the massage. I suppose if you prefer chemical exfoliators, you would do this step after showering.

Now, because not all exfoliators work as cleansers, I find that quite abit of oil will still remain on the face. So it is important to wipe off the oil with a hot (or warm) towel until there are no traces of oil left on the skin, as per the original OCM. This has made a huge difference in how many blackheads accummulate on my nose during the week. This is a must especially if you don't plan to cleanse or use a manual exfoliator.

Step 3. Extract

After softening oil clogs and opening pores, it is time to extract. It has always been the case that I take great pleasure in digging out/removing stuff from various orifices and surfaces. Thus, it is no surprise that this is my favourite step. There is so much fulfilment and satisfaction in evacuating gunk from places where it should not be and I take great joy in the process.

This cheap tool can be bought for less than $2

To those who say I don't have pores: don't be ridiculous. Everyone has pores. And look what's in it? That's crap that shouldn't be there. With softened skin and opened pores, these babies slide out like maggots from stale bread. Just make sure to get the extractors that have rounded, not flat edges. I have used those before and have torn my skin countless times. Not fun.

Step 4. Clarifying Mask

I know the OCM is supposed to already be deep cleansing, but I needed to use this up anyway. And I found that it probably has helped to lessen my blackheads.

Any regular clay mask should do

  If you find your skin clean enough and you don't think you have excess sebum, you could probably replace with a hydrating sheet mask or something. Either way, it just feels nice to use this as an excuse to go read a book, watch a quarter of a Korean drama episode, or contemplate life in general.

For those with dry skin, prepping with a hydrating mist or rosewater should help reduce the tight afterfeel. Or if you're like me, go for products suitable for sensitive/dry skin. I have heard good things about Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque, which I'm dying to try next.

Step 5. Complete your regular skincare routine

For those who didn't do the hydrating mask in Step 4, you could do this at the end of your routine, depending on what type of mask you use. But since my routine is pretty intensive, I usually skip this. I would like to note, however, that I apply more of my anti-acne products to counter the agitation I've done to my skin during extraction.

Atorrege AD+ Cool Lotion

I use this with the Atorrege AD+ Acne Spots over my T-zone to protect against probable breakouts. Works well for me. I don't usually have any residual redness by the next day.

So there you go, your easy at-home facial in under an hour. Would love to know if it works for you too!

Review: IMM Garden Plaza - Wet & Dry Playground

I apologize for the drought in my posts, the fault of my hectic study schedule. But don't expect me to keep this up...I will only have breathing space for the next couple of months. Which happens to coincide with school holidays, so hopefully I'll have more stuff to write about!

Such as our lovely outing today at IMM. Since the Garden Plaza was revamped, this is our second time bringing the kids to the new playground. Gone is the tall treehouse slide (which, sadly, I never actually got to go on), but which was replaced by some awesome new installments.

Check out the wet playground.

E1 and E2 were blessed with good weather

Before we came earlier in the week, I hadn't known there was an awesome wet playground. E2, who absolutely loves water, was longingly toddling over and chanting "water, water". Of course, he threw a tantrum when I said he couldn't go in because we didn't bring a change of clothes. This time, we came prepared!

Interesting and varied types of fountains and sprays

I don't think you would find another playground as empty as this

I don't really know what's so captivating about this trough but the kids really loved it

While the slide doesn't look very exciting, it's actually quite daunting since the sprays are quite strong. E1 only dared to go on it twice, while E2, as much as he loves water, didn't dare to go on it at all.

The best part of it was how uncrowded it was, and that it's free! And to those who don't know IMM, there's 2 hours unconditional free parking. Of course, I can't say how bad it'll be on the weekends but given that it's currently school holidays, it's still pretty neat that there were less than 10 kids the entire time we were there (I counted 7, including my own). This was a much nicer experience than the one at Gardens By the Bay or the Bird Park and Zoo, which I felt were either too uninteresting or too tough for the toddlers. Here, I was happy to let the kids roam wild while I took cover under the shade. The downside was that there is no changing rooms for adults, so I couldn't join them even though I had brought my stuff (my big kid heart wanted to go on the slide, really). But there's a nice boy and girl shower area for kids under 6.

And while waiting for the wet area to open, the kiddos were happy to run around in the dry playground.

Kor kor don't leave me behind!

The tall slide is decently high enough for the daredevils, while there are two smaller ones for younger kids. There's also other fun stuff like a mini glider that I didn't get to snap, but I assure you that this is way more fun than your average HDB playground. And there's a huge tent to provide shade and shelter from inclement weather.

Verdict: Will definitely come here again, and again, and again
It's free, not as crowded as other playgrounds, and there's free parking: what's not to love? And if you're lucky enough to have babysitters, you can dump the kids there while you shop at the multitude of branded outlets, do groceries at Giant, or spend your savings at Daiso. And then when everyone's tuckered out, choose from a variety of restaurants for lunch/dinner before heading home.

The wet playground opens at 10.30 am on weekdays and 10.00 am on weekends. Closed every first Wednesday of the month for maintenance. 

Review: Botaneco Garden Body Wash

I just love me some new organic stuff to try! Ok this one's way overdue. My bottle is half-finished haha. Let me bore you with history behind the purchase of this product...

Some of you may have come across my Sukin review. This is the bodywash I stock up on. But I was looking for a handsoap that didn't cost an arm and a leg, since E1 loves to pump soap like it's free whenever he washes his hands (and boys being boys, I make sure he washes his hands a lot). I don't think he's turning into a clean freak so much as he finds pumping and lathering soap a novelty. Which was why when I was looking for a cleansing agent, I decided to go big and get a shower gel/bodywash. After all, what's so special in handsoap that you have to use it exclusively for your hands? As far as I'm concerned, bodywash washes equally well and gets rid of oil and grime.

Anyhoo, I chanced upon this bodywash during my endeavour. The first thing that attracted me to it was, of course, that it is touted as organic.

Ah ha, but if you read the label properly, it specifies that it is merely enriched with ECO-certified Inca Inchi Oil and aloe vera. Meaning the other ingredients are probably not organic.

And true enough, there's still other stuff in there that I can't pronounce, and it contains parfum. The good stuff seems pretty low on the list. But at least there's no added silicones, parabens and colorants. Just in case you're wondering, Inca inchi oil, plukenetia volubilis, is also known as mountain peanut (how is that not cute) and is native to South America.

The gel itself is colourless and smells wonderful. It's something of a clean, fresh floral scent that shouts "atas bathroom". At least 2 people have passed compliments on the scent.

After my initial infatuation with this product, I went out to inspect the other products in this range. This one is Orchard (Grape Seed and Bergamot), but they also have Garden (Macadamia and Ylang Ylang) and Forest (Sunflower and Rosemary). I ended up purchasing more Garden and Orchard - just personal preference. The Forest one smells too herbally. I was even hugely tempted to try the haircare range but decided against it after studying the ingredient list.

The biggest test of this product for me is in whether it would cause any problems for delicate skin. So far, both E1 (eczema) and E2 (under 2yrs) have used it with no reactions so it's safe to say - this one's a keeper.

Verdict: Rave
If I didn't like this so much, I wouldn't stock up on it hey? This makes a good handwash that I don't fuss too much about if E1 pumps it all over the countertop. The best part of this? The price. Even at the regular retail price, it's $9.95 for 620ml. That's not too bad for an organic product. But when Guardian has its 3-for-2 sale, that's $6.66 per bottle, which in my opinion, is an awesome deal.

Review: Badger Balm Rose Damascus Rose Face Oil

Wow it's been almost 2 months since my last post. Well that's what happens when life gets in the way. In a fashion, it's also good - you may infer that I haven't been spending money. Nor have I received any gifts, aww.

But there comes a time when I come across something that sounds and looks too enticing to pass up. I decided to purchase a bottle of Badger Balm Rose Face Oil when my Jurlique one was (finally) finishing up. For the uninitiated, Badger Balm is a US brand that first made its mark with their all-natural, super moisturising body balms. These come in beautiful vintage tins a la "Zambuk" style, but prettier. I have yet to try any, but the chest rub and sleep balms look lovely, and everytime I walk into the shop, E1 starts sniffing all of them because they "smells goooood". They also have a delicious-looking range of lip balms (lavender & orange, it's you I'm eyeing).

Anyway let's not get distracted. Look how pretty the packaging is. Yet this is a no-frills bottle of face oil. As you may know, rose oil is bloody expensive. But this is probably the cheapest face oil I've ever invested in. More on that later.

Look at those ingredients. You could slap on a brand name and sell it for 10 times the price. In fact, if you do a quick search, a well-known brand does have a rose facial oil, and they don't even declare the full list of ingredients. The carrier oil for this is jojoba, which is better than most branded non-natural oils out there (many use mineral oil). On top of that, there's baobab, pomegranate, lavender, rosehip and chamomile oils. Can you feel how excited I was just looking at this?? I will say though, that rose oil is potent (and like I said, expensive) and only a small amount is needed, hence its position in this list.

What sold me was their commitment to genuine, quality products. How could you not want roses handpicked at dawn and steam distilled the very same day?

However, the first thing I noticed, and dislike, about this, is that it's a pump bottle. I've always bought face oils that come with a dropper. For one, it's difficult to control the dispensed amount with a pump. Another albeit frivolous reason is, it's much more luxurious and pampering to drip something precious for your equally precious face, don't you think? Just adds more indulgence to the whole experience.

That aside, the second thing I noticed was the smell. If you are hoping to get a blast of rosy fragrance like Jurlique's range (I was), then you will be sorely disappointed in this oil (I was). This has a very herbal scent distinctive of raw oils. I once made my own blend of jojoba, lavender and some other oils - smelled almost exactly like this. I don't dislike it, but it takes some getting used to. And if you're really good with your nose, you can actually sift out the lavender and rose somewhere in there.

Beware, this is a very greasy oil. It is, after all, meant for dry skin. A 3/4 pump is enough for my entire face and neck (don't want the jowls of a bulldog now, do we) and takes a relatively long time to absorb. It was slightly off-putting at first, but I realised my skin needs this. And after I layer on my serum and heavy-duty moisturiser, the smell isn't obvious. I would dare say, interestingly, it actually enhances the fragrance of my Jurlique moisturiser.

But of course, the biggest question is, does this product work? One word: Impressively.

After 1 week of using this, my dry patches at the jawline have disappeared and my cheeks feel softer and smoother than it was before, which I didn't think was possible. The bumpy bits around my chin have evened out and -get this- it held my skin up even in the wake of my first period in 1.5 years. I'm particularly prone to hormonal breakouts that I now know is probably associated with extra-dryness. I had a few spots threatening to develop into full-blown pimples but this oil kept that under control (before this, I had one pimple on the chin).

I'm completely sold.

Verdict: I've found my HG oil!

This is definitely a keeper, for so many reasons. Besides giving me smooth, glowing skin, it doesn't break the bank like the other branded ones. It can be yours for a princely sum of S$27.90. Yes you read that right. Like I said, it's the cheapest face oil I've ever bought, and costs 1/3 the price of Jurlique's. How could I not love this?

I was bummed that ironically I couldn't find this in the States when I was there a month ago. I'm dying to try out the cleansing oil, which isn't stocked at the Unity below my house. They also have a limited range here, but for those with less dry skin, you may want to check out the Argan oil range. Some other products I'm keen to try are the sunscreens and the rose body oil (for stretch marks). The good thing is if you order more than $100 worth of products, they do cash on delivery, so I may not have to scour each shop for the products I'm interested in. At this rate, I may actually hit the price mark!

Check out their range here.

Review and compare: MooGoo Eczema and Psoriasis Cream

My trip to Oz resulted in the discovery of this cream that was recommended by the pharmacist. Before I begin, some background...

Those of you who have been following this blog (thank you!) know that I'm always on the lookout for new products since E1 suffers from bad eczema, triggered by sensitive airways, ie every time he gets some allergic respiratory symptoms, he also gets eczema. But, unfortunately,  I too had a brush with the weirdest and one of the most severe cases of eczema ever experienced for myself. Before our trip, my finger pads and some bits of the fingers broke out in horrible dry patches, worst on the left hand. I deduced it was stress-related since I had been rushing 2 assignments prior to leaving and was chewing my brains out over 2 more that were due at the end of the trip. Later on, the dry patches started peeling off, turning leathery, sometimes bark-like, and reducing my sensation by half. I also developed a small fissure on my right index finger (meaning the skin split, yes ouch).

Anyway, this was my hand at the beginning. The skin was dry, peeling off, and it hurt. In a hypersensitive way, kind of like when you scald yourself.

This was painful, literally

So in addition to looking for my next HG cream for E1 (we ran out of Physiogel and didn't bother restocking), I needed something for my poor fingers.

I had initially bought a tub of John Plunkett's Eczema Cream. It was a weird little concoction with fish oil and therefore smelled godawful, but I had to return it after I realised it was expired. The chemist recommended MooGoo, but unfortunately, they were out of stock.

Now, I took that as a good sign of it's popularity and efficacy, and I wasn't put off looking for more stockists since we coincidentally were tasked to bring back some MooGoo Moisturising Cream for a friend (she wanted 4 bottles and everywhere we went, we only managed to get 1 or 2 bottles).

Anyhoo, I eventually found the cream (scroll down for specific locations) and tried it on myself, religiously applying it 2-3 times a day.

I thought it was a good cream, but the smell was slightly off-putting. So I went out and bought another tube, but this time in the old formula. So, these are the hauls:

Left - Old formula; Right - New formula

Ingredient-wise, they are quite different. Where the old formula has sage oil and chamomile, the new formula has elderberry, marshmallow, calendula and coconut oil. Both feature aloe vera, almond oil, olive oil and Vitamin E as the excipient ingredients.

Both have yummy ingredients

As mentioned, it was the smell that distinguished them for me. Where the old formula smells herbal, which I suspect is the sage, the new formula smells like a mishmash of ingredients and while not unpleasant, is not what could be described as pleasant. It reminds me of stale bread. If you can stand the first 5 min of it, it does dissipate after a while.

The new version (right) looks like coffee cream..mmm....not

The feel of each formula is different as well. Both, however, have medium consistency and is easy to spread. The new formula is greasier and takes longer to absorb, but it did feel more moisturising after the 5 min mark.

And that's probably what helped make a difference in my fingers. This is what it's like now, 2 weeks after the initial onset:

Almost normal

but still peeling

Note: I was using the new formula when I was still in Aus. Of course, this is actually not a fair comparison because I did not control for factors such as temperature, humidity and activity level (I was washing alot more dishes there, yes while on holiday - don't ask me why). But I did think that it helped to control the symptoms and prevented further peeling.

What sold me was when I touched E1's skin and it was remarkably softer and smoother, almost like E2's, who has been blessed with silky smooth toufu skin - obviously my genes. Even GY commented that E1's skin has been much better, even though it was only apparent when we returned to Sg.

Verdict: Ravenous Raving
This is the cream that I will stock up on and ask every friend who is coming back from Oz to get for E1. Since the moisturising effects of the new version appear more lasting than the old one, I will save the new version for him and keep the old one for my own use. He has developed a sweaty-boy-smell anyway and I don't think the odour of this cream is noticeable on him. For extremely dry areas, though, I would still use the new formula.

I got these creams from major chemists like Go Vita and Amcal, ranging 18-19 AUD for a 120g tube. If you live there, you could also easily get it online direct from the company for a good price.

For locals, MooGoo ships internationally with a shipping fee of 10 AUD. Stockists can also be found here. Take note that this is marketed here as Irritable Skin Balm. But if you are after this particular product, be sure to phone ahead as not all outlets may sell the full range. The price is also approximately 1.5 times that of Aus, after adjusting for exchange rate.

Review: Lip Ice Sheer Colour Lip Moisturiser

Recently, I got to lamenting over my bunch of lip products that I've been hoarding for quite a long time (as in years, yes I know: eew). Part of it is GY's fault. Men don't like to kiss product-laden lips and my guy in particular hates anything on anywhere. The other part is my own fault. I'm too lazy to apply lippy when I know it's going to come off in a few hours and I'll have to reapply it after my meal (because I live for food right). So I'd rather spend more effort on doing my eye makeup than putting on lip conditioner, lip liner and lipstick.

Anyhoos, since I'm still battling dehydration, my lips get dry frequently; although not chapped and bleeding like during winter, thank goodness. So I thought it would be a good idea to check out lip balms. To my pleasant surprise, the trending thing recently (ok last year, for you fashionistas) is tinted lip balm. How perfect this sounds for lazy low-maintenance busy mums like myself. Protect your lips while having some colour that belies the sleepless night you just had.

Sure enough, there's tons of products to choose from with a plethora of shades and promises of improved texture, hydration and staying power. So I had to filter products based on the following factors: cheap and accessible (ie drugstore), colour, staying power, ingredients, transfer.

After doing my online research and hovering along the drugstore aisles, I narrowed it down to these 3: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter, Nivea Soft Rose Lip Balm and Lip Ice Sheer Color Lip Moisturiser. It's obvious which one I went for. In any case, Revlon was too brightly coloured for everyday use; Nivea had pretty bad online reviews. So let's cut to the chase.

This comes in a standard twist-up tube that's slim and compact. What intrigued me is that it is colour-changeable. This is in no way groundbreaking, but I have never tried any such products before and it just sort of appealed to my curiosity. This range comes in 3 variations: fragrance-free, strawberry, and shimmer. I chose the fragrance-free version.

The other reason why I chose this over Nivea is the ingredients. It contains natural emollients -hello shea, macadamia oil and jojoba!- as opposed to Nivea which had mineral oil as the first thing on the list. So while this balm also contains mineral oil, it is listed way further down the line, after the yummiest ingredients.

So here's the exciting bit. As you can see, the product itself is clear.

And here's my lips. Naked and dry. My lips are considered quite nicely pigmented but most of the time I just feel it's blaah.

Before

After

After one swipe, there's a tinge of colour. Being curious about the effect, I decided on one more...

2 layers

Ho what is this sorcery! My lips are now pink! Ok the scientific explanation is that these colour adaptive cosmetics react to the pH level of the skin and hence changes in colour. Cool.

The downside is there is no variety of shades to choose from. I actually abhor this shade of pink as I find it too cutesy-bubblegum-I-love-rainbows-and-hearts. But. It actually looks pretty natural on me since I have pink tones.

Excuse the big nose

The upside of this product is that it is very moisturising and doesn't feel sticky or greasy like the lip balms of last millenium. While the product doesn't stay long on the lips (I think it was just over an hour), the hydrating effects persist so at least I don't actually have to reapply till a few hours later.

My biggest concern really, is transfer, since I love to kiss my kids and snuggle up with them. I don't like to contaminate their skin! So how did this fare?

Kiss test

Wipe test

As you can see, this is not transfer-proof although it does take a firm swipe to get most of the product off. Slightly disappointed in that, but it only confirms my suspicion: there is probably no tinted lip balm in the market that is completely transfer-proof.

Verdict: Rave
For the purposes I had set out to achieve, this product has met each criterion to a decent standard. And for it's price at $6.10 (RRP $7.60 at Watsons), it did exceed some of the expectations I had. If you are more interested in colour though, I would recommend the Revlon Lip Butter as other reviewers have rated it highly in terms of staying power and colour payoff.
As for myself, I would continue to use this product when I go out, and stick to a colourless lip balm at home.

Rant: SG50 experience

Usually for National Day, we would spend the evening having a nice meal at someone's house and enjoying the parade from the comfort of an air-conditioned living room. This year, being the nation's golden jubilee and all, we decided to do something different and pretty unique. Because who doesn't get excited over the promise of extra grand fireworks? For the best views, one would think of camping out at the tallest hotels, but that would cost a bomb. And rubbing sweaty arms with thousands of other people? No thanks.

The genius idea was to boat out to the Marina Bay area and enjoy the spectacular lightshow from there. Not many other people would be able to say they viewed the fireworks from sea, where you get a panoramic view of all the fireworks. Except, it's on a boat.

It's only a problem if you don't have sealegs - and I have none. Just 5 minutes reading a book or my phone in a moving vehicle and I'm almost puking. I seriously have no idea why I agreed to this. Perhaps it was in the naive hope that the waters would be still and the sea breeze adequate to calm my vestibular system.

E1 does look a lil sickish doesn't he

In all honesty, the first hour or so was fine. Even without the antiemetics, which I couldn't take because I am still breastfeeding, the forward surging of the boat was tolerable. Then once we anchored, the constant vertical oscillations, punctuated by rocking waves in the wake of other boats, made me empty out my Gong Cha lemon juice with white pearl and a half bag of ginger candy.

By 7pm, I was totally incapacitated.

I had already relinquished E2 and the sling to GY, who dutifully fed both boys their dinner, while I waited out the next hour down in the bunks. Fortunately, they seemed to have already grown their own little sealegs and was spared the misery of their landlubber mummy. Before I went down, I did manage to catch the awesome aerobatic displays, which all the boys enjoyed.

Admittedly, the view was great

SIL2 was the only other casualty, since she is also still breastfeeding. SIL1 was blessed enough to have taken the anti-motion sickness pill and seemed to have enjoyed herself. MIL, despite claiming that she doesn't do so well on boats, appeared to be thoroughly loving the experience, tossing out expired food and making Sports Illustrated poses on deck with the sea spraying her hair and dress. The husbands were totally in their element, lead by Captain FIL who expertly commandeered our little vessel through and around all the nautical traffic.

So after sleeping off (or trying to, for the most part) that hour preceding the whole point of the trip, I got up just in time to witness the first few displays - and promptly regurgitated the rest of my gastric contents.

Then came 8.15pm and I managed to stay lucid enough to enjoy the mesmerising SG50 fireworks:

Verdict: No regrets, but never, ever, ever again

It's 11pm. The kids have KO-ed, I'm starving, and I'm still experiencing residual vertigo. This is worse than the time I downed seven tequilas and two 151 shots during our wild party days. I'd have to rethink that cruise vacation I had been considering for a long time. And next time I want to see fireworks, I'll just book myself into that nice tall hotel and treat myself.

Oh, and Happy Birthday, Singapore.

Review: Sukin products

In the blink of an eye, one month has passed since my last post! Been busy with the exam, then mum's surprise birthday bash (which was a partial success), looking for things to write about....which brings me to this. I'd been using some new Sukin products that I am now finally getting around to review - the shampoo, body wash and cream cleanser.

Shampoo

This is a big bottle

As with other organic brands, this one is sulphate-free, so it lathers minimally. I've gotten used to sulphate-free shampoos so the lathering is enough for me and I even find it relatively rich for an organic shampoo. I've even gotten GY to use it, whose reaction to it is the standard "it's ok" response. But I use this every other day (remember, scalp and roots only!) and I don't think my hair has been this healthy for a long time. I also love the scent, which is a citrus and vanilla blend, that is signature to almost all their products. The only problem I have with it is the pump, which I find rather weak (yes as in, bo lat).

The shampoo is a clear, gooey liquid

Body Wash

See how the packaging is exactly the same?

It comes in the same packaging and has the same consistency and scent as the shampoo. In fact, there was a time after my maid swapped the bottles after cleaning the shelves that I, with the visual acuity of a naked mole rat, lathered the body wash into my hair and didn't realise it until I was rinsing it off. When applied to the hair, it rinses off squeaky clean, whereas the shampoo leaves a healthy coat of moisture. Anyway that's not really where it's supposed to go. I use poufs with my bodywashes, so with this, there's an acceptable amount of lather. 1 pump is enough for my whole body, but I usually use 2 for a more indulgent experience.

Even the stuff that comes out looks and smells the same??

Cream Cleanser

I'd been looking for a smallish cream cleanser for use when travelling and/or staying at mum's house and this was perfect. It's surprisingly thick and feels slightly heavy and greasy to apply. But it does wash off easily and doesn't leave that oily film behind. The scent retains the strong vanilla note but with less hints of citrus, making it almost smell like cinnamon. Which is a weird thing to be putting on the face in my opinion. Nevertheless, it's pleasant enough to use and leaves my skin soft and plump.

The cream is pretty heavy and thick

Verdict: Raves
Of the three, the shampoo and body wash are definite keepers. They are half the price for double the amount of the brand I was using previously - Akin. When on offer, both products go for $20+ for each 1ltr bottle, which is a steal considering the purity of the ingredients. But while I won't be replacing my Jurlique cleanser with the Sukin cream cleanser any time soon, it is admittedly a cheap alternative for travel purposes - around $12 for 125ml.
Sukin can be found at selected Unity, Guardian and Watsons outlets, as well as other independent health stores. Check it out here.