Winter skincare

Happy winter my m'friends! As we head into the colder climate of endless rain and dry, bitterly cold wind, it will take a toll on our skin. Here's a flatlay of some of the products I've been using. The Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream has been an unchanged staple for the last four years as has been my Lush Tea Tree Water toner. The rest are things that I've been testing, either on recommendation or they're gifts from friends.

Also, the rose is from my garden. It makes me so happy that aphid removal duty with dad has been successful, and they're blooming gorgeously.

The other day my dermatitis plagued skin bled out so I visited my dermatologist Dr Weller again. When I stopped using the steroid based cream for acute treatment, he suggested that I pick up a bottle of La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume. I honestly cannot recommend it enough if you have eczema and dermatitis. It's super rich but non-greasy and hypoallergenic. One application in the morning and one in the evening is enough to keep your skin moisturised. Nevertheless, I'd say it isn't for someone with oily skin, maybe dry to medium skin.

On a side note, if your profession requires the aseptic hand wash on a near daily basis, my doctor said it's ok to calm your farm and alternate between the Chlorohexadine gluconate 2% soap and gentler stuff like Cetaphil throughout the day. I contracted dermatitis because of excessive hand washing in the the hospital labs and the optom pre-clinics.

Another product that I've been loving and using since my Hong Kong trip last year is Holika Holika's Pig Nose Clear Blackhead 3-Step Kit. The name is such a mouth full but it's quite nice really. Like a lot of people, my T-zone (forehead and nose) gets quite oily, especially when it hits exam season. With no time to relax and do a full face mask, this is a quick fix for blackhead and whitehead removal while I'm doing other stuff. The first nose patch is a pore opening toner. The second one is a pore strip you use like normal - add water, plaster it on your nose, then wait for it to dry like a paper mâché before peeling it off with all your icky whiteheads. Wipe your nose clean, then apply the last strip to close your pores and calm your skin. In Sydney, I buy this product at a Korean shop called 'Beautyworks Cosmetica' located near Town Hall station, at 3 for AUD$10.

Another side musing, I wonder if there'll be a chance to go to the Vivid light displays in the city this year. They're looking absolutely splendid from what my friends are saying. Have you been?