Monday, April 22, 2013

Return of the missing HaZe...

Hello?? Anybody home???

*wipes off dirt and grime off blog*

Yep, I'm back. After almost a year of not blogging. Too many has happened since my last entry, career change, expanding family and growing children... I won't even attempt to tackle them all in one go.. but hopefully, if I can manage to blog on a regular basis from now on, I'll fill you in bit by bit. As crazy as life gets, that writing itch has not left me, and I pray it never will. Hence the sudden entries such as this to break the silence.. hehe.

So, what's new?

Well, as of the last quarter of 2012, I did a complete 180 degree career change. I went from property line, to aesthetics (cue shocked gasp). An utterly different whole new world at first, but as I go along I realize that at the end of the day, the concept of work and business is really the same, no matter what the genre may be. I mean, I've met a guy who used to sell fish and cars, and is now an aesthetics sales rep. And a damn good one, too. If he can do it, why can't I?

So here I am, in one of the most prestigious shopping malls in KL dabbling in marketing and management in the aesthetics industry. Despite being a newbie, I've always had an interest in aesthetics and beauty. Previously, I was more into skincare and cosmetics... partly out of curiosity and partly driven by the need to beautify my acne-prone plain jane self. It has always fascinated me how some women can go out looking absolutely gorgeous au naturale, sans make-up. I've always assumed that some people are just blessed with good genes and overall unproblematic skin, but now that I'm in the business of beauty, I've come to realize that most still had to do some form of "maintenance" to look that good, whether its the right skincare, some anti-aging treatments, a proper prescription facial or at the very least, a specific combo of a healthy diet and supplements.

Anyway, the past couple of weeks have been abit trying for me. I've started to cut down on breastfeeding as a way to help my 1 yr 9 mth old toddler wean off breastmilk. As expected, the hormonal changes have wreaked havoc on my skin. Suffice to say, I started to re-live the "wonderful" days of teenage skin -- the acne, the sebum, the pores.. yikes. It was so bad that even my 5 yr old daughter pointed out my flaws... in public. You gotta love a kid's point blank straightforwardness, right? huhu.

I had to do something, anything, and pronto! My next facial treatment is weeks away, and early next month there's an event I need to look great in. I turned to the doctor I'm working for for help. She suggested that I try out the clinic's brand new Repair & Renew Signature Facial. It consists of a transdermotherapy serum from Dermclar, formulated with natural active biological ingredients to target those pesky pimples and acne scars; and the SRS e-CO2 mask, famous for its wondrous healing and tissue regeneration properties.

At first I was abit skeptical about this facial. Truth be told, I've been through enough facials and skincare with way too many disappointments to believe any one product can have such an amazing effect on my skin. There are just too many serums out there... how would we know what works and what doesn't? And a mask that regenerates skin tissue? Sounds too good to be true. But since the pesky acne was starting to interfere with my work and social life, I decided to have a go at it.

Here is my honest-to-goodness experience.

First, my make-up was removed and my skin was cleansed thoroughly. Next, the therapist applied a mild chemical peel to remove the dull, dead skin. As the peel was applied, I felt a tingling sensation followed by a slight sting that quickly subsided as the therapist fanned my face to make me more comfortable. After 3 minutes, the peel was washed off with water.

Next comes the interesting part of the facial. The therapist took out one vial of ACNOL serum from the Dermclar Biological range to be applied on my face. I was told that this serum is a good anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory product that helps heal acne wounds and scars. Perfect for the my skin's current condition. The serum was applied topically, bit by bit, one area at a time, using an iontophoresis machine. This machine's mild electric current helps skin absorb applied serums and vitamins better as it stimulates circulation and allows the serum to penetrate into skin's deeper layers.

ACNOL Dermclar Biological Serum
Iontophoresis Machine



What's interesting is what happened immediately upon application. My acne started to heal, almost instantly! The impurities came out without having to go through painful extractions, and the wounds began to heal. I know, coz the curious cat in me asked for a mirror and I watched the results myself. The big big pimples I had before the facial shrunk to half its size... hurrah!

SRS e-CO2 Mask


Once the whole vial was finished, came the final step of the facial. The infamous e-CO2 mask. Each mask came in a pack that consists of e-CO2 granules and gel that is then mixed together to form a glue-like paste. This mask paste was then applied thickly and evenly to my face, and left on for 30 minutes. Almost instantly, I can feel all the inflamed skin from the healing acne wounds start to subside. My skin felt soothed and I even managed to catch a few winks while I waited for the mask to do its magic. After half an hour, the mask is then removed by applying a gelifying foam that transforms the mask into an easy-to-peel gel. I immediately asked for a mirror to see the results... and boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

The results:

NOTE: The Before photo is with make-up on, After is without make-up


The open wounds from the healing acne was completely healed! The wounds closed up, and looked as if it had taken a week to heal, not 30 minutes. All the painful pimples, both new and old have shrunk/subsided, and my pores have shrunk dramatically. Plus! My skin tone and pigmentation has improved... All that's left is a fresh and shiny, dewy new skin that made me look like I had a nice weekend of R&R in a spa. All this, in a facial no more than an hour. I was so, so happy with the results!

I went home smiling from ear to ear that day. I couldn't stop bragging about my skin (which is really saying something coz I'm usually my own worst critic). What's even more surprising is that even after a few days, my skin feels softer than it felt immediately after the treatment. Continuous regeneration perhaps? Dunno... but whatever it is, I'm lovin' it! For those who have been plagued with acne all their life, you should definitely try this facial out. Me, I'm already planning my next one.. hehe.

For those who're interested to find out more about this facial, you can do so by calling Faceworks Clinic at 03-2144 0080, or check out their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FaceworksClinic. I highly recommend you get a proper consultation with Faceworks in-house aesthetic physician first to decide what's the best treatment for you.


Till next entry then, my lovelies, toodles!