u/datgrapefruit

Always felt that I either looked underdressed or like I was trying too hard with my outfits. So I thought I had the type of body that couldn’t pull off lots of things. Finding out I’m SC changed my view and helped me appreciate my body. I’ve been experimenting with simple, elegant pieces in softer fabrics and it’s been eye opening seeing how well they compliment my body. I see the beauty in “balance” now. But the thing is, I love the y2k aesthetic which is a style that can easily overwhelm my type. So right now I’m trying to figure out a more toned down and classy version of it and hopefully I can achieve something that appeals to my aesthetic while keeping to SC recs

Hi I got my current bottle from Naruko’s Malaysia site. However they don’t ship internationally so you’ll need to use a package forwarding service. It’s true that it’s quite hard to get it nowadays. I used to be able to get it from Shopee or Yesstyle.

The toner soothes and hydrates my skin quite well and makes my PIE less obvious. It’s quite close to holy grail status. Though I’m not really sure if it brightens my skin because I rely more on azelaic acid for that.

Yes, most of my pimples were inflamed. I went for facials to have them extracted but it didn’t solve the root of the problem. Many pimples would form again by the next appointment. It was always a very painful experience because the esthetician would spend more than an hour squeezing every square inch of my face. With my current routine though, I hardly get inflamed pimples anymore so I’ve stopped going for extractions.

Hi, personally I use a few drops for all over my face. But for some people, Melano CC might break them out if they use it everywhere so instead they use it as a spot treatment. You can try testing on one side of you face first. :)

Hi! This sunscreen has a thick consistency and is sticky upon first application. It forms a satin-like sheen on my face, which gives my dry skin an amazing glow. It does not feel greasy, just a little heavy. I wouldn’t recommend it for oily skin types.

It’s hard for me to say if the sunscreen dries down completely. It does sit securely on my skin and doesn’t move around when I sweat. But if I bring my hand towards my face and press it, a shiny residue appears on my hand. So it’s fine as long as I don’t touch my face. It has zero whitecast because it does not contain zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

I wouldn’t call this sunscreen cosmetically elegant though, maybe cosmetically tolerable. For me, it is an acceptable trade off for the high spf content, modern UV filters, and no alcohol content. And I do get complements with this sunscreen on so that’s a plus.

Hi, thank you so much! I showed my stylist pictures of subtle dark brown hair that I found on @haum_handeul on Instagram. My stylist communicates with me in Mandarin and chose this colour which he calls 黑茶色, which translates to black tea colour. The colour is very natural and dark, and only required a once all-over application on my Asian hair. In indoor lighting, it is a neutral black-brown colour. In sunlight, it looks warmer and more bronze.

I only added azelaic acid after my moisture barrier was healed. By then, I had a routine that kept my skin moisturised for long periods of time and kept my barrier strong. I used products that contained many humectants, emollients, and ingredients that make up the natural moisturising factors (NMF) in the skin such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin. I started with melazepam, which is 20% azelaic acid, straightaway with once a week use. Then slowly I increased the frequency to nightly use i.e. once a week for 2 weeks, then three times a week for 3 weeks. I just went slow and observed my skin closely throughout the process. Before long, my skin was able to tolerate nightly use.

Amazon US sells it! I use ezbuy’s ezship service to get it shipped to sg. I didn’t need a prescription.

It’s sold on Amazon US. I use ezbuy’s ezship service to get it to sg :)

Thank you so much!

Thank you!!

Thank you so much! You’re so kind 🥺

For vitamin C, it’s best to apply before moisturiser. As for waiting time, there’s no one answer. It might be more effective if you wait for 10-20minutes, or it might not make much difference at all. No one really knows for sure. Personally, if I have time, I will wait around 15 minutes. If not, I would just wait until it’s dry during busy mornings.

It stung moderately at the start and I had to introduce it slowly (started with once a week then progressed to nightly use). I always made sure that the previous layer of skincare had dried down before applying the cream. It minimises the sting. To be honest, after using it for a while, it still stings a little bit. But I don’t mind it at all and I have sensitive skin. It’s magic in a tube for me and has helped a lot with preventing acne and hyperpigmentation. There’s also emollients and occlusives which are wonderful for the moisture barrier and as the last step of my pm routine.

Thank you! The toner helps to soothe my skin and it is a good hydrating layer in my routine. It is slightly viscous, spreads easily and feels a bit velvety. There is a strong floral smell though which takes time to get used to.

Yes it helps with PIE a bit. After I apply, my red spots appear less red during the day! I just really adore the ingredient list. There’s a lot of humectants, 5% niacinamide, licorice root extract and tranexamic acid.

Oo delicious! Your comment made my day, thank you so much. Thanks for sharing your experience too, I’m so glad your skin is healing now :)

HAHA hi fellow beige/brown/potato sack colour uniform. I graduated already but I used to be from Bukit Timah jc :)

I agree about the gunky feeling, that’s why I don’t usually use moisturisers in the daytime. What I like to do instead is to apply 2-3 layers of slightly watery but very hydrating products (mostly Asian toners and essences!) then apply sunscreen. Sunscreens usually have ingredients that help to form a film on your skin in order to protect you from the sun. In my experience, this also acts like a lightweight seal over the watery layers I’ve applied previously, thus helping to keep them in the skin! This is the best workaround I can think of for tropical climates.

Thank you! I’m really flattered

Thank you! Fortunately, I don’t have any pitted scars but I do still have many red marks (PIE) though they are quite faint. They faded a lot with time and moisturising (healthy barrier = faster healing) but honestly the marks are still quite pesky and can remain on my skin for up to a year.

I think the general consensus from current research is that only laser treatments can remove PIE effectively. But that is not an option for me because of the cost. There is however, a lot of anecdotal evidence that ingredients like Vitamin C, niacinamide, ceramides, licorice root extract, azelaic acid, snail mucin, tranexamic acid, retinol, etc. will help. I agree that these ingredients help because I have some of them in my routine too. However, in my experience, it’s more of a subtle and temporal effect. Once I cleanse my skin at the end of the day, the marks appear redder again. So, my best bet for fading red marks is just time and patience.

Hi! I find it on Amazon US then I use ezbuy’s ezship to ship to sg

Hi, I got my sunscreen from nordicexpatshop.com. Unfortunately, the shipping is very expensive so I bought a few items with friends to split the cost!

Thanks for asking! I don’t use tret or any retinol products anymore. I might try it again in the future for anti ageing purposes