Beauty Talk – The Urban Clinic

I have been blessed with relatively good skin, I must say. At least from the outside, there isn’t much to complain about my skin. However, if you look closely at my skin, I have very sensitive skin and my skin is really thin. Therefore, there is a limit to the amount and type of treatment I can put my skin through. As I have mentioned before about how my skin gets into breakouts and hives during specific treatments, this is usually a main concern for me.

I was invited to The Urban Clinic for a consultation with Dr Yanni Xu at the end of October last year and she very patiently listened to all my concerns about my skin. As compared to Jason’s skin, my skin is on the dry side and highly sensitive so it shows very much when I get a blood rush after a long day of work, or post workout.

The Urban Clinic

TUC is located at Raffles City Shopping Centre, just outside the clinic is the taxi stand. Jason and I love how the clinic doesn’t feel and look like a clinic with its modern and edgy interior.



Super cool entrance and always greeted by the friendly staff.



This is one of my favorite area because it’s almost like I’m preparing to go on a Moulin Rouge stage, HAHA. This is where the assistant will remove my sunscreen before taking 3D photos for the consultation.

Dr Yanni Xu

This gorgeous lady is Dr Yanni Xu and aside from her qualifications and awards lays lies a doctor who is passionate and down to earth. She is patient and sincere, almost like a sister that I never had. Most of all, she has flawless skin, which I thought was an important asset as a role model to her patients. I was really inspired to achieve the same flawless skin that I always thought I’d never achieve.

Before every scheduled consultation with Dr Yanni, her assistants will use a super cool 3D camera to document and analyse my face. During the first consultation, Dr Yanni Xu prescribed a fully-customised set of treatments to target the specific problem areas, which for me were was the bumps on my forehead.

Well, the above photo (taken in mid Oct last year) was already a filtered image so you can only imagine how bad it looks in person. I cannot recall since when, but the bumps had been bothering me for a very long time. The redness made the bumps look worse post workout or at the end of the day after work.

Excel V Laser

Among other treatments that was prescribed to me by Dr Yanni Xu, which includes Lasemd (you can check out Jason’s blog entry for more info), Excel V is my favorite!

TUC is one of 10 clinics in South East Asia to have the Excel V laser. This superior USA technology is the newest and best for treating “red” skin conditions such as acne and rosacea, which is perfect for me since my skin gets red easily.

The coolview handpiece handpience on Excel V is a green laser and improves by closing the abnormal blood vessels that cause redness, inflammation and flushing. Laser genesis is another function of the Excel V laser that stimulates collagen whilst gently removing pigmentation and redness from skin. This mild laser in combination with patented “Ara peel”’ technology produces immediate radiance and anti-aging of skin. Over 2 treatments, my skin tone looks more radiant, glows and most importantly, the redness and bumps on my forehead has lessened sooo much!

Me looking mighty happy after Excel V laser because there is very very minimal downtime. There is no numb cream needed, very minimal discomfort and laser only takes around 15 – 20 minutes!

I have gotten many comments saying that my skin looks more glowy and radiant now and here’s a last photo to share my progress!

Left photo was taken after a workout, photo on the right was taken after a full day of work and workout in the midday (with face washed once post workout). This is what I meant by the redness post workout and after a long day. However, there is only redness on my cheeks in the photo on the right, very minimal on my forehead now! The bumps are also a lot less visible which is very very ideal! :P Coupled with the basic products from TUC, I’m very pleased with the results as of now and will continue to go for treatments with Dr Yanni too!

TUC also provides other treatments and you can find out more over at the website.

252, North Bridge Road

#01-15

Raffles City Mall

Singapore 179103

(next to the taxi stand facing Chijmes)

Phone: +65 62540407, +65 62540419

Email: info@tuc.com.sg

Beauty Talk – Dermagold skincare range just for me

I have always had sensitive skin since I started getting my own skincare products and going for facials. I found out that I actually have very sensitive skin when I started getting hives too often during facial and aesthetic treatments. My skin also reacts to certain skincare brands and their products pretty quickly and I have a bad habit of buying a whole range of products because I wanted them to look uniform and for the fear that different brands used together may have negative effects.

So last year, I found the perfect skincare range for my skin and they have been working superb for me! The main reasons why I love how Dermagold products are really good for my skins:
- no more breakouts just before time-of-the-month
- acnes/pimples are settled without having to squeeze them out
- products are super gentle to my skin
- my skin cleared up immediately after the first week of usage

Dermagold

Have I mentioned the founders of Dermagold are 2 beautiful doctors, Grace and Luping, driven by their search for the perfect skin solution and bolstered by their medical backgrounds. They believe that skincare is personal and so their products have been specifically crafted to manage Asian skin types and are suited for the humid, tropical climate of Singapore.

My very own concoction – Dermagold

This is my main skincare range. I only used my own toner but the rest are: (from left to right)
- Botanical Gel (link to blog post of Botanical Gel)
- HA Booster
- Radiance Cleansing Milk
- Sheer sunscreen
- Miracle C+ (link to blog post of Miracle C+)
- Hydra Recovery Gel

So, after cleansing with the Radiance Cleansing Milk daily, I use my own toner before reaching for the Miracle C+. After which I use my own eye cream and then go on to Botanical Gel (if I have any problematic spots), to HA Booster and Sheer Sunscreen (for daytime usage) and straight after Botanical Gel to the Hydra Recovery Gel at night.

Radiance Cleansing Milk

I was recommended the Radiance Cleansing Milk because of my sensitive skin. This cleansing milk is gentle to the skin and contains sea buckthorn, which is a power house of nutrients with multiple uses due to its protein building amino acids. Vitamins B1, B2, K, C, A, E and folic acid, over 60 antioxidants, healthy fatty acids, etc.

Miracle C+

Still one of my favourites, you may find out more about the Miracle C+ here!

Botanical Gel

The other favourite and can’t-live-without would be the Botanical Gel and this works like a miracle so find out more about what the Botanical Gel does for me here.

Hydra Recovery Gel

The Hydra Recovery gel was first introduced to me when we brought it along with us to our trip to Seoul last November. I have combination skin and it’s usually dry on the outside. The dryness tend to worsen whenever I get to a colder, dryer climate. The last trip to London got my skin cracking up every single day and I could not leave the hotels without my moisturizer in my bag and I reapplied it every hour. During our Seoul trip, J and I used it day and night and miraculously, I did not even need to reapply even though Seoul was much colder and dryer than London! There is aloe vera gel and aqua (water) among other ingredients which hydrates and calms dry, inflamed, scalded and sunburnt skin! I now use the Hydra Recovery gel only at night or after a long day under the scorching sun.

HA Booster

The HA Booster is 100% pure Hyaluronic acid which will boost skin hydration and suitable for all skin types, especially skins showing signs of aging. I love the effect of the HA Booster because the texture feels very light and watery-like yet my skin is hydrated with just one pump every morning! I never leave home without the HA Booster too!

Sheer Sun Protector

I have been on a lookout for suitable sunscreen for my skin and stopped my search ever since I started using the Sheer Sun Protector. It looks creamy because of its colour and but the texture feels otherwise. It is light on my sensitive skin and doesn’t whiten my skin like some other sunscreen I had used before. There is no ‘sunscreen fragrance’ and provides my skin with a protective layer from the harmful UV rays. I never leave home without the Sheer Sun Protector too!

Dermagold has launched their online store and it's super convenient to purchase my skincare products now! Head down to www.dermagold.sg to have purchase yours! :)

I'll also be doing a giveaway on one of the Dermagold products on my IG (@limaranagustina) so do look out for it and stand a chance to win one of the items from my concoction! Have fun and all the best! :D

Feel free to email me if you have any enquiries about the products! Or you may also drop by at Hadara Aesthetics Boutique to try the products too.

Hadara Aesthetics Boutique 

23 Lor Telok

Singapore 049035 

Contact number: 6969 3022 

Opening hours: 

Mon-Fri: 10am to 8pm 

Sat: 10am to 2pm 

Closed on Sun and PH 

Website: www.dermagold.sg

Email: info@hadaraaesthetics.com

Beauty Talk – Hadara Derma-calm Facial

My skin has always been very thin and sensitive I’m always very skeptical about going for facials because I’ve had an outbreak of hives once after extraction was done. My entire face was swollen, red and it was itching so bad I will never forget that unpleasant experience. Since then, the thought of going for facial still scares me sometimes.

After having used Dermagold during our Seoul trip last year, I decided to go ahead and give the Derma-calm Facial a shot after consulting the doctor (and co-owner of Dermagold) and it was to be customized according to the needs and condition of my current skin. Besides, all products that are used during the facial are Dermagold skincare, which immediately puts my mind at ease.

The Hadara Experience


We were greeted with an uplifting Hadara signature scent upon entering the boutique. It is a blend of organic aromatic oils especially concocted for Hadara in collaboration with a clinical herbalist. This signature scent never fails to soothe my senses and brings my mind to a complete relaxation mode, ready for a good ‘sleep’! :P

The therapist then ushered me into one of the rooms to get ready for my facial.

Hadara Derma-calm Facial (60min)

This facial is calming and soothing, specially designed for sensitive skin like mine. It was sooo good I fell deep asleep, undisturbed almost throughout.

1. Skin is first cleansed, followed by a award-winning scrub (Harpers Bazaar most gentle scrub award 2014).

2. Very simple extraction was arranged for me with minimal pain I could almost sleep through.

3. My skin was then soothed with a cold hammer therapy and recovery gel to restore and calm down the sensitive areas right after the extraction. This was my second favourite part!

4. After the cold hammer therapy, this is my favourite part of the facial (actually maybe I have another favourite part at the last part of the facial too!)! The therapist used an air-spray called Cleopine Air-spray. The Cleopine ampoules and air spray are invented by a Korean doctor. It is manufactured using a patented technology and it is FDA approved as a food substance. (it can be sprayed safely into the mouth too!)

Cleopine ampoule are especially suitable for sensitive skin and is penetrated into the skin using a special nano-technology air spray.

What is Cleopine made of?
- fermented peptides from mushrooms grown in korea 

- nutrient extracts from pine trees in Korea 

- high quality mineral salt 


Benefits of Cleopine: 
- whitening 

- anti-aging 

- anti-wrinkle 

- moisturising 

- improved skin tone 


Hadara Sparkling Eye Therapy (30min) 


The next part of the facial is the Eye Therapy and is especially suitable for people like me with tired eyes or people who uses the mobile phone and laptops for long hours.

Benefits:
- Stimulates blood flow to the skin, muscles and capillaries in the areas around the eyes, helping to drain excess fluids, reduce sagging areas, tone the muscles and nourish new cell growth. De-stressing the muscles that cause crow’s feet. 

- Activates the pressure points around the eye sockets to help release tension in the visual system and increase the flow of life energy to the eyes. 

- Enhances penetration of products into the skin for maximal effectiveness 


The last part of the facial includes a mask and super-good massage!

I really like the fact that my therapist did not leave me alone at all times. I hate it when I go for facials and have to wait alone helplessly (especially after the machines used had stopped beeping). Over at Hadara, my therapist made sure I was not left alone for more than 2-3 mins. I was attended to all the time, and the session ended right on time (very important for me as I always have pt sessions planned before and after), I cannot afford to let the session overrun without me pre-empting my clients. So thumbs up! :D

The final clean and fresh look of my skin (minus the slight redness due to sensitive skin, which cleared up within the same day). My day continued after the facial, without having to deal with people staring at a red and swollen, freshly-out-of-facial face or people asking me what happened to my face! I love it! ☺

We quickly grabbed a photo with the beautiful owners of Hadara before we left for work too!

Exclusive promotions

Because you have all been soon supportive, there is some exclusive discount just for all of you! :D

1) 8% OFF Dermagold Sensitive Skin System
This system consists of:
- Delicate Skin Cleansing Mousse
- Delicate Skin Toner
- Miracle C+ (star product of Dermagold with 18% Vitamin C)
- HA Booster (100% Hyaluronic Acid)
- Hydra Recovery Gel [won award for: NUYOU Suncare Awards 2015 - After Suncare (Face) and SHAPE Suncare Awards Aftersun Care For Face (Most Moisturising)]

Validity: Valid till 30 September 2015

2) Purchase 3 Hadara Customised Facials for S$399 (U.P. S$450) AND receive 3 x S$50 Hadara Cash Voucher
Hadara Customised Facials include:
- Hadara Power Facial (whitening / anti-aging)
- Hadara Acne Clear Facial (acne)
- Hadara Derma-calm Facial (sensitive)

Validity: Valid till 30 September 2015

There is also a special promotion for all tertiary students and more details can be found on Hadara's Facebook page! :)

Specially designed for Singaporean skin, Hadara provides a very good range of Dermagold skincare which I love very much! Do pop by and grab a few to try if you are around the area!

Hadara Aesthetic Boutique 

23 Lorong Telok #01-01 

Singapore 049035
 

Contact number: 6969 3022
 

Email: info@hadaraaesthetics.com 

Website: www.hadaraaesthetics.com 

For other promotions and giveaways, feel free to like the Facebook page of Hadara and Dermagold, and follow them on Instagram, @dermagold_sg and @hadara_sg too! :D

Beauty Talk - Vitamin C for healthy skin

Many of us take Vitamin C orally, be it chewable or tablets regularly, but how many of us actually realized that our skin needs Vitamin C when very little of the oral Vitamin C reaches the skin when orally ingested.  Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation and environmental pollutants can accelerate skin aging by degrading collagen and triggering oxidative stress in the skin. Fortunately, the anti-aging benefits of a time-honored remedy used by ancient civilizations to heal their skin can help overcome these undesirable effects. Vitamin C is an essential component in the body’s production of collagen and a potent antioxidant that can help rejuvenate aged and photo damaged skin.  When incorporated into your daily skincare lineup, well-formulated products containing vitamin C can provide a range of benefits that keep your skin younger-looking, longer!  Some of the benefits of C: 

• Reduce the appearance of brown spots and other types of sun damage
• Helps boost healthy collagen production (hello, firmer skin!) 
• Reduce inflammation and irritation, both of which cause a cascade of damage 
• Fade post-breakout red marks by improving skin’s natural healing response 
• Increase the effectiveness of your sunscreens and boosts your skins defense against UV exposure

Dermagold Miracle C+

The star product of Dermagold, Miracle C+ is a silky smooth high performance concentrated 18% Vitamin C Ester serum. Multi-functioning product with anti-oxidant, anti-age, anti-pigment, anti- inflammatory and anti-wrinkle properties. Formulated in a base of hyaluronic acid to boost, protect and restore skin. Another good news is that it is so suitable for oil control!

The texture is light and smooth so I really love it! It contains ingredients like organic herbal infusion, aloe vera, jojoba oil, etc and is paraben-free!

Well the good news is that you can win a dual prize for whiter and brighter skin which includes the Dermagold Miracle C+ ($69) and a Hadara Essential Facial ($98) (worth a total of $167).

All you need to do is:

1. Like Dermagold.sg (www.facebook.com/Dermagold) Facebook page 
2. Like and share this post (Only public shares valid) 
3. Tag 3 friends and Tell us why you would like to win the prizes in the comments box below this post

Contest ends 12 April 2015. Winners will be announced here on Dermagold's Facebook page on 20 April 2015. Good luck! :P

*Do note only public shares and those living in Singapore are eligible

Beauty Talk – DermaGold Botanical Acne Gel

My skin have always been quite clear, except for mild breakouts during the time of the month. And because my skin had always been rather clear, these little breakouts tend to annoy me as they get pretty obvious at times. All my life, I have not used an acne gel before! I had only tried using the 3M Acne patch which I only use at night, because the patch could look very visible and obvious if I leave them on during the day.

I got introduced to DermaGold and their products last year before J and I headed for our Seoul trip. They provided me with a range of products suited for the colder climate and for the first time, I did not have to bring moisturizer out to apply and reapply every other hour when we were in Seoul! Also, my skin adjusted easily back to the hotter climate after the trip. I was so impressed because I have very sensitive skin and very prone to getting hives upon pressure (on my skin).

Back to the acne topic, I was then given the Botanical Acne Gel (which is their current best selling acne product!), among a full range of skincare from DermaGold. Dr Grace explained to me its use and that it is a herbal gel that contains natural ingredients. I was very excited to try it on the moment I got home after cleansing.

I tried it on the first week and my acne dried up and clearer within a few days! Besides the fact that I have to moisturize more (since my outer layer of skin is dry) since the Botanical Acne Gel contains alcohol which will dry the affected spot/area, it also helps me curb the bad habit of me squeezing the pimples/acnes out!

So I decided to do some tracking to make what I said credible. These photos were taken a day apart, at night after cleansing and under the same room light (please ignore my tired eyes and eye bags) and notice the red spot, that is one of the usual headless pimple that I get nearing the time of the month. These 3 photos were taken using my iphone 6 plus and no other editing besides mild light adjusting was made to make the photo lighting look similar.

Day 1 - acne pops and is slightly inflamed and red at the surrounding

Day 2 - surrounding redness subsided and acne dries up

Day 3 - acne totally died up and left with the scap

Within 3 days, my acne dried up and with constant moisturizing (I use the Hydra Recovery Gel at night and HA+ Booster in the day, all from DermaGold), my skin restored its texture and the pimple eased within a day, at Day 2. The best part is that, if you happen to have a problem area like the forehead, you may also use the Botanical Acne Gel on the problematic areas!

The texture is light and easy to apply! 

The DermaGold Botanical Acne Gel is available for sale at the Hadara Aesthetics Boutique and you may also enjoy some promotional offers by quoting our names. I will be writing about the facial that I did with Hadara but meanwhile, you may refer to J’s blog if you are interested to know about his facial treatment.

Quote ‘Jason&Limaran’ for the following offers:

1. Hadara Special 25% off 1st time trial (ala carte price) 10+10 promo for Hadara Power Facial/ Sparkling Eye Therapy/ Hadara Derma-calm Facial (valid till 31 Mar 2015) 
2. Buy any 3 DERMAGOLD products to enjoy 10% discount (valid till 31 Mar2015)

Remember to like Hadara Aesthetics Boutique on Facebook and follow them on Instagram (@dermagold_sg)!

Hadara Aesthetics Boutique 

23 Lor Telok 

Singapore 049035 

 

Contact number: 6969 3022 

Opening hours: 

 Mon-Fri: 10am to 8pm 

 Sat: 10am to 2pm 

 Closed on Sun and PH 

Email: info@hadaraaesthetics.com