Hey guys, I'm off work today, but I can't sleep. So I'll be spending this wake state of mine in sharing with you one of my beauty/makeup finds. If you're like me who has a very reactive skin, I hope this helps you out in some way. :)
I had asthma when I was a kid. Fortunately, it went away during my high school years. But up until today, I still am careful with potential triggers. I make sure I stay away from them in order to prevent a sudden asthma attack. Thankfully, I haven't had any, since, I believe, 7 years ago. And the last one was, I would say, a mild one, not life-threatening. However, some 5 years ago, I developed skin allergies. According to my dermatologist, it's usually expected for patients who has a history of asthma to develop skin allergies later in life - and that "later" for me was 5 years ago. Since then, I have become more careful not only about what I eat or drink or do (yes, I cannot engage in running or any strenuous activity), but also about what my skin gets in contact to. I know, it's a bummer. On the bright side, I have learned to read labels on whatever I buy and I became a bit more knowledgeable about skincare or beauty ingredients that do more harm than good to the body.
It is a process, a trial and error. My stash consists of products I consider my holy grail, and products I can't and shouldn't use also known as "to be given to mom". Yes. I give everything else that does not work for me to my mother. :) No wastage, yeah?
One of the products I have tested and proven safe for my uber-sensitive skin is this translucent pressed powder called Sebum Out Finish Pact from the Korean brand W.Lab.
As you can see, it comes in a white packaging with its full product name written on the lid. You can already tell what this product intends to do with its straightforward naming. Yes, it is for controlling sebum, and it is to be used as the final step on your skincare/makeup routine, hence the term "finish pact". :) I like how the manufacturer kept their labeling simple and straight to the point. And the best part? It does what it says it will do. Based on my experience, It keeps the shine out for 4-5 hours. I don't wear foundation, so I just use this on top of my sunscreen and I'm good to go. It looks white on the pan and comes translucent once applied on the skin. It removes the shine and excess oil. It mattifies the skin well but without the heavy feeling I usually get from other mattifying pressed powders, all thanks to its amazing ingredients list. Its COSDNA analysis revealed the following.
Pretty amazing, right? Just one red mark for dimethicone which thankfully I am not allergic to, and a yellow mark for fragrance. Funny thing is, it doesn't smell anything to me, or at least, not as strong as the other ones I've tried that just makes me sneeze at first smell. It's safe to say, it almost smells like nothing. And those gem powders and plant extracts? Golden!
This powder is very light on the skin. It doesn't cake up. It's very thin and smooth on the face. The most important part is, it doesn't break me out. It doesn't give me clogged pores, or whiteheads, or blackheads. It was heaven when it did not give me any itchiness or redness the first time I used it. Up until now, it doesn't, and so this is a keeper. :)
The only thing I would change in this product is the sponge that comes with it. I wished they have put in a cotton powder puff, or maybe something like the ones they use in cushion foundation. The one that comes with this pact is the latex sponge which I usually see makeup artists use as wet sponge. I don't know, it just does not feel very light on skin. It tugs, and I just don't like the friction it creates when I use it. It's best to use a powder brush or a cotton powder puff. And as you can see above, the sponge is nowhere to be found. I threw it away.
I bought mine online for about $4 in June of last year. There's still some left on the pan as you can see. I bought a new pressed powder from another brand and I've kept this one stashed into the depths of my cabinet till now. Lol. This is one of my treasured finds, and one I will always go back to using when I run out of "safe" powders to try. After all, anything meant for using on sensitive skin is always hard to find.
Hope this helps those who are looking for products that are safe for sensitive skin. :)