I have a confession to make...
I completely neglected to take care of my skin over the summer!
After I finished my last round of skincare products (in maybe June or July), it was the perfect opportunity for me to use up the sachet samples I accumulated the last few years. All was going well until my skin started to break out all over.
I thought maybe going the simple route [just washing my face with water and not put anything on] my face would help. Alas, it did not. Ultimately I gave up trying altogether. But school was starting and I really did not want to go anywhere with my face looking the way it did.
I had been meaning to go to Naruko earlier to buy a new set of products to use. I wanted to try the Tea Tree line for a long time now because of one of my besties raves of it. But since it's started to get cooler here, I had a difficult time choosing between products for oil controlling & acne fighting or moisturizing. In the end, I decided to go for the former choice because I chose to go shopping right after my facial appointment. At the time I felt like treating acne and the red spots were top priority! Whether this was a bad decision in the long-run...we'll have to wait and see soon.
My haul in all its glory! I did make a big dent in my wallet with this one. But I think it was worth it. It seems like it's doing good stuff for my skin. Plus the Naruko store in Brooklyn had (might still have?) a special GWP promotion at the time. I think it was something along the lines of...spend $30 and get a free mask(s), spend $60 and get a free $25 product, spend $100 get a $10 off coupon. Since the necessities that I chose were close to the $100 mark anyway I decided to add an extra toner [Rose Astringent Lotion] to my total to get the $10 off. What the heck, right! I'll need it in the future anyway.
Top row, L to R: Rose Astringent Lotion, Tea Tree Oil Out Night Gelly, Narcissus Total Defense Repair & Relaxing Eye Mask*, Apple Seed & Tranexamic Acid*
Bottom row, L to R: Raw Job's Tears Supercritical CO2 Brightening Cream, Narcissus Total Defense Night Brightening Serum*, Tea Tree Oil Out Balancing Serum, Tea Tree Oil Out Toner
*GWPs
I also bought the Tea Tree Acne Clay Cleanser with a coupon I got from them. [I forgot to take a photo of it, so sorry!]
Ah! Heads up to those who are in NYC/Brooklyn and want to purchase from the store rather than order online. I found that the prices in-store were all +$1 whatever is listed on naruko.us ...I'm not exactly sure why it is this way (maybe to make up for shipping) but just to let you know! The boutique does add tax. I've never ordered through their website so I'm not quite sure how it goes with tax there. Also, if anyone is the type who likes to look around by themselves...I warn you to be patient there. Like almost all other Chinese beauty stores I've been to in NYC, the SA(s) really like to follow you around and make sure you are being helped. If somehow you can get away from them pestering you, in the end, you'll eventually have to ask them for help to get your products anyway.
Of all the products that I bought, I only started to use the basic ones.
Toner & Serum
Moisturizer & Gelly (Sleeping Mask/Pack)
Even though I've used tea tree infused products in the past, I still cannot really get used to its scent. Other than that I have really come to like my new skincare goodies. I seem to have a lot fewer breakouts and clogged comedones compared to how it was a week ago. I wish that Naruko had an actual moisturizer (gel/lotion/cream consistency moisturizer) for the Tea Tree line rather than its milky lotion (which I consider a toner, but the SAs all tell me otherwise).
Both photos are unedited.
Sorry if they scare anyone...
One week earlier & Current skin condition
Please excuse my dark circles! Anyways...back to the main point here!
As you can see the red spots have almost all completely disappeared within the week. I noticed there are fewer breakouts on my forehead and chin (but not completely...sigh..my chin is always the problematic area). My face hasn't felt this soft and smooth since April! I hope this is here to stay and not just a temporary stage *knock on wood & cross my fingers!*
However, I'm having a difficult time trying to decide whether this is because of the new skincare products or if the facial really did help my skin. Perhaps both contributed equally? What do you think?
So the story goes...
During a dinner party/get-together, my mom's friend (or my childhood friend's mom...for this post I'll refer to her as Auntie F) and practically everyone else noticed how badly I was breaking out.
Drink more water, one said.
Clean your face a lot, another told me.
And so the comments and friendly nagging advice continued.
Auntie F for one reason or another suggested why not I go do a facial?
As I usually tell her, "heh I don't have the money for that!"
Normally she'll say "It's not THAT expensive" or "Tell your mom to treat you!"
Strangely that night she actually offered to treat me to one herself...which definitely caught me out of the blue.
Of course being the type who finds it hard to turn down people...I awkwardly accepted.
After a few days, Auntie F called and told me the time and place for my appointment.
After class Friday, I went to my very first facial at a place in Chinatown.
They have quite a few stores here in NYC, so they must be doing something right.
I thought perhaps they'll help me with whatever problems that were causing the eruptions on my face.
They asked me to change into a tube shirt/dress and told me to lie down.
Simple enough directions. But I was still pretty nervous.
One: Auntie F told warned me beforehand that the first facial will hurt. Her son (yes her son) could testify to that.
Two: I cannot handle pain AT ALL.
The beautician put a gel on my face and massaged it around before she wiped it all off.
If I'm right...she was probably cleansing/taking whatever was on my face prior.
Then she applied some sort of sheet mask and I assume I lied there for at least half to one hour.
During that time I also felt steam being blown onto my face, which I think was to open my pores up.
This segment of the facial was the most relaxing. I took the advantage to take a short nap.
In the middle of this part, she came in and gave my shoulders a massage.
It was strangely comfortable and painful at the same time.
When the lady came back again she started to press a tool on my forehead.
At first, it felt like someone was just scratching it.
But then it became very painful...almost like piercing pressure.
I like to think I endured it pretty well.
Until...she started to go toward my more sensitive areas like the eyebrows...then toward one cheek and the other...then my nose, chin, and upper lip area.
If I was the only one there I would have screamed. Of course...that wasn't the option.
I held it in. I unknowingly teared up. I was twisting the towel they gave me. And I even dug my nails into my palms to divert pain.
But boy was Auntie F not kidding when she said it'd be painful.
After the extraction portion...every little touch/movement around me made me flinch.
I couldn't even relax my face for the beautician to tidy up my brow area.
All the pain was over in maybe 15 minutes? Or it could have been even shorter...
She went on to put some kind of alcohol? gel substance all over my face.
It stung SO BADLY...Especially because she opened up so many wounds from the extraction.
Thankfully, there was one last part to the facial.
The clay mask! The second most relaxing part of the entire facial.
I think I had it on for about another good 30 plus or minus some minutes.
Finally, the beautician removed, cleansed, and moisturized my skin.
When I got home and got a mirror to look at...I was a little horrified taken aback.
I had a feeling this wouldn't be some miracle facial treatment.
I just didn't think it was going to be so bad.
In addition to the redness and bumps I had before I went in, I had like a bajillion other NEW red dots all over my face from the extraction.
To make matters worse, I had to go out for a family birthday dinner afterward and even my 7-year old cousin was asking me "Mandy...what's wrong with your face? o.O" (In these exact words and with the same facial expression!)
AWKWARD...!!! How do I explain what happened to my face to an elementary school child?\
Now what's done is done.
All I can do now is hope the redness and dots will go away with time. (Quickly, please! I beg you!)
Or else I don't know what I'm going to do =.=
It probably isn't all their fault but this has officially scared me away from facials for a long time.
Before & After
Left is how I looked the next morning (or yesterday morning to be exact). The redness went down substantially. To accurately depict how bad my skin was...just think where all those dots are across my forehead, nose, upper lip, and chin area was MUCH redder and way MORE apparent. It kind of looked like some sort of aftermath from a skin illness. (Maybe that's why my cousin asked what happened to me? The dots weren't bumps like acne.) On top of that, new pimples are forming now too *sigh*
Right was made possible with a little magic called photoshopping or more specifically the healing brush tool. I did nothing more than just 'erase' most of the spots. (Not even edit the colors, which is what I normally do to my photos.) Once upon a time...about 4 months ago, my skin did look like this. For some reason over the summer, all havoc wreaked on my face. I have yet to figure out why or how to fix it. I can only hope now that it'll be better once the cooler weather sets in here in NYC.
For the time being, does anyone have any suggestions on how to calm acne or what I could do about these red spots leftover from the facial treatment?
Is this side effect normal of these "treatments"?
I'm open for any suggestions now...really! & Kudos to anyone who read through all this!
