My Current Obsession - Nature Republic's Aloe Vera

Nature Republic is the leading Aloe Vera Soothing Gel distributor in Korea. I am obsessed with the 92% aloe vera plant in this gel for such a low price! A 300 ml ounce bottle that can be used for both men and women on any part of the body as a soother and moisturizer. I definitely suggest it for those with sensitive skin and psoriasis being that it is hydrating. I actually prefer using aloe vera, the natural plant that helps all kinds of skin types rather than using chemically developed lotions.

Compared to the other aloe products that are on the market, this is the closest to all natural that you can find. It feels as if you are gliding a gel version of the aloe vera plant on your skin which is pretty amazing. The best part is the low price for the big quantity that you are receiving. The only con would probably be the fact that it is a product you have to scoop from meaning you'll have to use something else to scoop the aloe out and wash. It would be a lot better if it was from a squeeze tube, but it is a product that I would buy and have bought for family back at home. 

Beauty Review – First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser

This is probably the one product from First Aid Beauty (from what I’ve used so far), that I am not a fan of. This face cleanser is a whipped texture that becomes creamy with water, or so they say. I gave this product a try because it claims to calm redness and is PH-balanced, so it will help to maintain a natural acidity of the skin which reduces flare ups and reactivity.

I did not use the product enough to see that, but I did use the product a few times with my Clarisonic Plus. It might be that it did not blend well with my Clarisonic Plus, but I was turned off by the smell of the wash. I am a bit picky when it comes to my face wash. I believe that if I’m using a bad smelling product on my face, others will be able to smell it, not an attractive factor. Therefore, I try to eliminate that factor and this product got the boot. 

I admit that it was soft on my skin and I did not break out to it, but it did leave my face a little drier than usual. I don’t recall feeling an immediate change in my skin after using this product, but it may be different for you. If you aren't looking for a product that works well with your problematic skin of psoriasis, eczema, and such, I suggest skipping this product and move on to the next one. That is, unless you like the smell of this face wash. 

Korean Traditional Eat - Fermented Black Garlic

Fermented Garlic, black garlic, is a Korean Traditional Eat which tastes nothing like a garlic. It has a soft, mushy texture which can be hard to consume for many because of its peculiar texture and tangy kick. Similar to a vinaigrette, this fermented black garlic is a health food that is one of the best. When consumed on an empty stomach, it helps to detox and gradually facilitate in the healing of psoriasis. Because it is shown to help build a strong liver, it is suggested to have three or four cloves every morning. You can also incorporate this garlic in your everyday meals to decrease the strange taste and still absorb all the nutrients.

I have been consuming fermented black garlic for over a month now. I have been able to see a change in my psoriasis with it getting better. I definitely recommend this simple detox for anyone who is looking to clean out their system because it does help. Furthermore, it will help to regulate your daily bowel movements so it is worth downing a few cloves as if it's medication. My trick is to quickly wash it down with lemon water!

My Current Obsession - Innisfree Almond Sugar Scrub

I am absolutely in love with this all natural sugar scrub from Innisfree. Innisfree is one of my favorite beauty stores in Korea for their all natural products that is great for the skin. The Almond Sugar Scrub is perfect for those with sensitive skin like me. It is one of the most gentlest scrubs that I have used thus far. Made with sugar and almond, this almond paste scrub has bits of almonds that helps to rub off dead skin cells in the most gentle way possible. It is extremely soft to the skin, but the only bad thing is the not so appealing smell of the scrub. Aside from that, it is a definitely recommendation on my hands that is great for those with psoriasis and other skin conditions as well. 

Story of My Life – Psoriasis

Many people do not have a good understanding of psoriasis unless of course, they have it. Even with psoriasis, many are unsure of how to care for their skin. I’ve had psoriasis for almost ten years now and it took me quite a while to get used to.

Story of my life: It took me a while to figure out that I got psoriasis because I was only a teenager when I got my first signs of psoriasis on my scalp. My family of course, didn't know what it was and assumed it was a rash that would go away by chopping off my long black hair. So what did they do? Chop off my long black hair and when I say chop, I mean give me a boy's buzz cut. Unfortunately that did not work and I went to at least ten different doctors to find a cure. As the years pass and the stress increased, it has gradually made its wait through the rest of my body, reaching all parts of my body. I am currently struggling with minor patches of psoriasis on my arms, legs, stomach, back, scalp, butt, and even the face. It is quite a struggle to hide my imperfections every day, but I have learned to love my skin and take care of it to minimize the outbreaks. I try to stay away from steroid medications and topical creams, so what I do includes the following:

• Moisturize daily – I was never a fan of lotion until I have started to use it daily a few months ago. I didn’t believe the difference it actually makes on my skin, but it does help to ease the pain and pulling of the skin. The best time to moisturize is after a hot shower when your skin becomes dried. Be sure to pat dry your skin rather than pulling.
• Take cool showers – This is a difficult one, especially in the winter, but it is important to not take extremely hot showers. Taking hot showers will irritate the skin and make your psoriasis worse. If needed, take a warm shower and rinse off with cold water.
• Eat healthy – Psoriasis is due to a bad liver which means it is important to maintain a healthy diet. Skip the soda and unhealthy foods which include fried and oily items. Eating healthy will help your liver which helps your psoriasis. You will notice a difference in the texture of your hair and it helps to lighten the flakes.
• Stay away from alcohol – Once I drink, I have an immediate breakout the next day. I start itching a lot more and its just uncontrollable. Aside from my 21st birthday, I have not drank for years now. I am not going to lie, I have been drinking lately because it is my last few weeks with my friends in America so I sacrificed my skin a bit. Surprisingly, my breakout was not as bad as it used to be, shows that I have been building my internal system. Yay!
• Get a full eight hours of sleep every night – This is extremely important for good health and beauty of course. I always stress the importance of getting a full night of rest and I am known for the girl who will not go out just to sleep by 12am. After all these years, it shows on my face with minimal eye bags and dark circles. The best part is I know it works for my skin because on the nights that I stay out until 5am, my skin is irritated and I scratch all night long. 
• Wear gloves to sleep – This is extremely important for those who are like me and scratch a lot. Wearing gloves at night will help to reduce the amount and the intensity of scratching. I have had so many bloody sheets from scratching nonstop, but the gloves actually help to control the itching. It’s like having chicken pox every day.
• Dont wash your hair every other day – The trick for those with psoriasis in the scalp is to wash your hair back to back and skip a day. This pattern will help to reduce the number of flakes found in the hair. 
• Go to the beach – Whenever possible, stay in the salt water which helps to clear up psoriasis. Trust me when I say, it works like magic. My psoriasis always clears up in the summer time and its the best time for tanning which helps to clear up the white spots after my psoriasis patches disappears. There is also the option of tanning beds in the summer, getting in some UVB rays for your skin. I've only done it once but because I am able to control my skin, I try to stay away from the tanning beds. 

The next time you see someone with red spots or flaking in the scalp and skin, don’t assume that they just can’t care for themselves or they have an infectious disease. Psoriasis is not something that all can live with, but it is something that I have no choice about. The best treatment to psoriasis in addition to topical creams is to reduce stress. Unfortunately, living in the New York area, it is impossible to do so. The next best medication—MOVE. This is exactly what I will be doing to see if there is a change for my skin. As for the rest, good luck! 

Beauty Review – Yes To GOOD SKIN EVERYTHING

Finally doing a review of the Yes To splurge that I got a while back that I am absolutely in love with. I usually have problems with different products within a line, but there is not one product that I am not in love with in my purchase.

My absolute favorite product of all that I purchased is the Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes that won a Fitness Beauty Awards of 2011. This product is absolutely amazing and 8 bucks for 30 towel is quite a bargain. I am in love with the fact that it is all natural, and soft on the skin. I’ve always had a problem with makeup removing towels with it either not working too well or burning my eyes. These blueberry wipes work absolutely amazing, removing all eye makeup with just one wipe, no running reside left behind.

As for the face washes, I have used both and I am a bit bias in regards to the face wash. I love the Yes to Tomato Clear Skin Daily Clarifying Cleanser even with the peculiar tomato smell. With long use, I do feel a change in my skin, being smoother and shinier. It provides enough moisture to my skin that I can even skip the face lotion at times. It works extremely well with my sensitive skin, a true recommendation. As for the Yes to Bluberries Smoothing Daily Cleanser, I’m not a big fan of the milky texture which makes me use the product a little less. Because I am not all that crazy about aging, I don’t use it as much to see the difference in my skin, but I do feel immediate smoothness with use.

Lastly, the Yes to Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel is so soft to the skin, and surprisingly there is no smell from the carrots. The wash is so gentle and smooth that it just glides onto your skin and is a great exfoliater.  I am absolutely in love with this wash and it works so well with my psoriasis. 

Makeup Review - Cover FX

I recently discovered Cover FX, a pricey but great makeup line created by dermatologists who understand the difficulty and strives to have clear skin, without the use of makeup. This corrective makeup is half skin care product, half makeup which helps to improve your skin with wear this means any skin problems (psoriasis included). It is absolutely amazing and works wonders with the skin. With daily use, the skin will gradually clear to the point where it is flawless.

Aside from being an amazing product, it is the only makeup line I know that contains my natural color without having to mix. Cover FX offers a pink and yellow undertone mix because there are people, like me, who do not have a complete pink undertone, or a complete yellow. With that said, I am able to find a color that blends well with my skin and provides me with a more natural makeup. It blends completely well to hide any psoriasis marks I have on the face or any other part of the body, it just takes a bit of time.

I do have a few dislikes about this makeup which is the foundation being very thick. It takes a lot of blending out with a brush and I am not a fan of using a brush because I do not like streak marks and I feel brushes do not provide me with an even coverage. Aside from having to use the brush, I feel that blending takes a bit more time, especially if I want to hide a psoriasis marks, but it does hide extremely well. Product can even hide tattoos! In addition to the natural texture of the product, I had a problem with the concealer which comes off to be dark, but lightens as you blend. Because it required more blending than normally, I felt that the thick texture caused me to pull at my eyes and other areas a little too hard.

At the end of the day, I still have not found the right product that works with my face completely. I have found many products that compliment my skin and works well with it, Cover FX included. I do recommend, if you are interested in giving it a go, to pick up the Cover FX Clear Prep Primer which will also help clear up your skin. It works well with other products and I definitely replaced my all natural Korres primer for this. A bummer, but I absolutely love this line. 

Beauty Review – First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

I am absolutely in love and obsessed with this brand. First Aid Beauty works extremely well for those with psoriasis, eczema, sensitive skin, anything problematic. One of my absolute favorite products from First Aid Beauty is the Facial Radiance Pads that exfoliates, tones and brightens the skin with no chemicals. Using these pads once or twice a day will help to promote a clear face, reduce visible pores, and even diminish the appearance of fine lines. I love how it is so gentle on the skin, but it works with my skin to promote beauty.

With sixty pads at a price of $30, it is a little pricey for everyday use twice a day being that it is just an additional way to tone and brighten the face. The best time to buy these pads is when Sephora is doing a kit on their website where you get other First Aid Beauty products to try. Either way, it is still one of my absolute favorite products from First Aid Beauty. I would much rather swipe a pad through my face rather than pile on the cream and lotions. 

Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System

Being that I love makeup and I am always on the lookout for new foundation, I discovered the Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System at Sephora the other day. I actually heard about air makeup prior to seeing this product, but you have no idea how excited I was about it. I am in love with the fact that those with psoriasis and other skin problems like me are able to conceal their marks with a light makeup.

I hate the feeling of coloring all over my face which I feel like sometimes when I’m applying makeup. I love the thought of having a tanner look with just a few sprays, love being able to spray everything on and walk around, knowing my makeup will stay in and does not crease. Simply prime and spray in a circular motion and the color will glide on yoru face. I even love the highlighting color that makes my face look instantly slimmer. The only problem is the price. The price of $225 will get you the makeup system which does not include the makeup which ranges from $30-55.

I do believe it is a great investment if you wear makeup daily. I am definitely trying to not splurge just to get this system, extremely excited about it. I do have a problem with their blush color that is a little sticky on the face, but I love how you can brush color onto your lips and wear it as lipstick. For now, I will just make a few more stops into the Sephora store to fall in love with the product to the point where its enough to make me buy one! 

Beauty Review – First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

I am not big on lotions and moisturizers because I usually have a cut from my psoriasis which will give me an unwanted tingle and burning sensation when I pack lotion onto my skin. Being that I have psoriasis, I must constantly moisturize my skin and keep it hydrated. First Aid Beauty is a brand developed for those with skin problems like me, as well as sensitive skin, eczema, dry skin, patchy skin and such. Their Ultra Repair Cream is my ultimate favorite because it is so gentle on the skin.

When I first got the Ultra Repair Cream, I assumed that it was meant for the body, since I bought the 12 ounce jar, but I am glad that it works on the face as well. This repair cream is so light, it absorbs into my skin quickly which doesn’t leave me with the greasy feeling that I get from most lotions meaning no shiny face.  With use of colloidal oatmeal, shea utter, eucalyptus oil and ceramides, this repair cream provides me with instant relief which helps me to stop scratching—ultimate plus for those with psoriasis.

Because there is a big price difference from the 6 ounce and 12 ounce jar on the Sephora website, I suggest getting the 12 ounce jar if you plan to use it on your body. It’s the better offer and I’ve tried to pick up the 12 ounce jar numerous times before, but it was sold out in stores and unavailable online. I learned to stock up!

The Things We Take For Granted - Sleep

So it wasn’t until yesterday when I was catching up with a group of good friends that I realized the importance of something most of us don’t get enough of. My friends who are practically insomniacs (both guys and girls) were the ones who had dark circles. I was trying to figure out why I was the only one who did not have such dark circles since I’m older than most of them and my life is pretty darn stressful as well. The answer: sleep.

For those of you who have psoriasis, do you ever feel like you’re extra itchy after a sleepless night? When I’m low on sleep, I feel like a cranky monster which makes me enflamed and extra itchy. Doctors have told you countless numbers of time, you need your rest and trust me on this—they are right.

We all laugh when people say “I need my beauty sleep,” well sleep does maintain beauty. The reason why I have less, almost no dark circles is because I force myself to sleep a full eight hours a day. Yup, I’m known as the party pooper who heads in early while every stays out and chit chat, just to get my beauty sleep. How does it feel? Definitely worth it now that I’m aging!

Aside from dark circles, beauty sleep helps to clear up acne and retain moisture in your face. When you are sleeping, your skin cells are working to heal, as well as the rest of your body, therefore it is important to get a full night of rest. Just make sure you don’t oversleep because you’ll get headaches like I’ve done before. Don’t sleep all day either because it’ll only make your body more tired than you really are!

Please, this blog is not only for women. There have been so many guys that just fall short of looking good because of dark circles. It's not a good look, so men, watch your sleep as well. When we say we want the ideal man, we women mean it-we want the ideal man. Mister Perfect.

Problematic Foods for the Skin

For those of you who have skin problems, which include psoriasis, eczema, acne, rashes and such, it is important to watch what you eat. It is best if you can cut out such foods from your entire diet but I admit, it is difficult to cut these foods from your life. It has a proven record to help your skin out in the long term which takes a lot of determination. I suggest cutting down the amount that normally consume, that’ll help control your skin a bit.

It’s one of those cause and effect games. Because you’re consuming these foods, the effect shows on your skin. From the outside in, the foods get absorbed into your system which plays an effect as to how it comes out.

• Shellfish – Any seafood with shell exterior is known to irritate your skin, which includes, but not limited to shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, clams, crawfish. After consuming shellfish, many people will start to itch. A lot of people believe they are allergic to shellfish, but that's not the case, its a general reaction for all, stronger for some than others. If you have a skin problem, this will only cause you to be more irritated which leads to you scratching. Any type of scratch is not good for the skin because you are transferring the germs from your fingernails to your skin which can cause it to infect.
• Beef – Red meat is not good for open cuts because it will end up leaving scars all over your body. Anytime you get an open cut, from falling or from scratching, refrain from eating beef. The rarer it is, the darker and less likely your scar will fade away. Another major problem of consuming beef is the breakouts that many people have. Beef is one of those tasty but deadly foods.
• Duck – Duck is known to be "poisonous" for the skin, it falls under the category of shellfish. Duck causes a lot of irritations so do avoid duck when you have an open wound because it will take longer to heal. Eating duck will make you itchy, but not as itchy as shellfish.
• Chocolate – This sweet thing made from oil causes many breakouts and of course the more you eat, the worse your skin gets. When I say chocolate, I mean chocolate everything—chocolate candy, chocolate cake, hot chocolate.
• Spicy Foods – Consuming spicy foods will cause your internal body to be “flamed.” What I mean by flamed is having internal heat in your system. When there is internal heat, your body will start to feel more uncomfortable and find ways to release this heat. Ever feel a few extra break outs or canker sore is developing when you eat spice? Or maybe even having trouble with a bowel movement? That’s the cause and effect chain of spicy foods.
• Sour Foods – Having an irregular balance to your body’s ph level by eating too much sour foods will cause your stomach to cringe. I haven’t quite figured out how sour food has an effect on the body, but it’s one of those things that you just need to balance out.

Moral of the story is to balance out what you eat, everything has it harms and benefits for the body. Try not to eat too much of one thing—at least not all at once. If you’re able to control your diet and eat a healthy meal 24/7, you will see a change in your skin. The better you treat your body, the more it will reflect on your skin.