Egyptian Magic Cream Review

Hello ladies!

I have recently been lucky enough to come across this product, the Egyptian Magic Cream. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now, and I'm so glad I tried it.

Egyptian Magic Cream

Image taken from: https://beautyarmy.com/egyptian-magic-skin-cream

Apparently, there's been a lot of buzz about this product, and it's been endorsed by top celebrities like Madonna and Kate Hudson. To be honest, I only heard about it when my *soon to be* mother-in-law asked if I've tried it already. She then gave me a generous sample from her 4 oz jar purchased in the States.

I was really hesitant at first, because the words "magic cream" have a very negative connotation for me. Most of the time, these products are loaded with steroids or mercury or other scary ingredients, including hydrogen peroxide (agh!) that make them effective skin lighteners but VERY toxic and harmful.

I decided to learn more about it online, and although the labeling looked kind of weird to me, I learned that the ingredients are all natural:

 Olive Oil ( Olea Europaea oil), Beeswax, Honey, Pollen, Royal Jelly and Propolis Extract 

Here's the product description:

Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream, the People's Choice, is a phenomenal healing balm with legendary powers due to its unique mixture of all natural ingredients derived only from living plants and organisms. Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream, The People's Choice, has been on the market since August 1991 with a solid track record, a loyal word of mouth following, and twice the healing power for half the price of conventional skin creams.

Suitable for all skin types. 100% natural.

This miraculous all-purpose formula will amaze you. This non-greasy blend of all natural ingredients serves an astounding variety of purposes. Use it on your face as a night moisturizer and eye cream. Apply as a split end mending hair conditioner and defrizzer. Try it as a lip balm and as a healing nail and cuticle conditioner. May be used to smooth rough areas and treat conditions like eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Egyptain Magic All Purpose Skin Cream has antibacterial properties and contains no toxins, making it a perfect stretch mark prevention cream for use during pregnancy. May also be used to soothe redness, fade scars, and even heal blemishes. 

And here's how to apply it:

For Best Results: Take moderate amount and rub in your palms until it takes the form of oil. (It helps the skin absorb effectively.) Apply over your skin gently. 

AGAIN, and I cannot emphasize this enough, ALWAYS be careful when you try new stuff, especially if the brand is unknown to you and if they contain words like "MAGIC" or "SUPER" or suspiciously say "PLUS" or "MEDICATED". If you can't read what it says, like if its all in chinese, stay away from it. A lot of chinese creams are loaded with mercury.

Hydroquinone is a pretty strong steroid, and though steroids can be used on the face for eczematous conditions, it is used sparingly, for a limited time, and the least potent steroids are prescribed by doctors. They should NEVER be used as a skin care product because steroids cause thinning of the skin and will permanently damage your skin! You'll know it's a steroid when you stop using it and you break out. It will also eventually cause permanent pigmentation and darkening of the skin. If you suspect you've been using a steroid containing product, go to your dermatologist to help you.

Mercury is TOXIC to your skin and to your kidneys and other organs. I can't even imagine how these people can sleep at night after deliberately putting POISON in their products!

Here's a site with a pretty concise list of products containing these harmful chemicals. I'm pretty sure there are more out there not listed here. The rule is, if you're not sure, don't put it on your skin! Like anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

After all the research and the endorsements I've read from celebrities and beauty magazines, I decided that the Egyptian Magic Cream was safe and worth a try. Here's how my sample looks like:

Another warning: there's a lot of fake Egyptian Magic Cream products going around especially online, so be careful where you get your product.

As you can see it is light yellow and very thick. It is more of a balm than a cream actually. Some people have compared it to petroleum jelly. That's where the similarity ends. Petroleum jelly stays thick and greasy, and is pretty much used only as a barrier to seal moisture into the skin. This product melts in your hands (as you can see above), especially when you rub it on your palms. It does feel quite greasy initially but it doesn't feel heavy on my face at all. Unlike petroleum jelly, it is slowly absorbed into the skin.

The product smells like cooking oil. Don't worry if you find this unpleasant, because it's not very strong and only smells that way in the jar. In my hands, I couldn't smell it at all.

I incorporated this product in my routine by substituting it for my nightly moisturizer. After applying my retinol and anti aging product, I apply a layer of it all over my face, including my under eye area and lips. I saw an immediate effect on my skin the first time I tried it. When I woke up, the product had been completely absorbed. My skin felt soft and very smooth, and it looked as if my skin was glowing. Other people noticed this too, and I got the exact same comment for one of the pictures I posted online. It gives your skin this natural sheen without using makeup. I had a stubborn sun spot on my cheek and I noted that it has lightened after only a few days. I even notice that I need less concealer for my very dark under eye circles. I had a few acne scars and they are GONE completely.

I love, love, super love it. If I were stuck on an island with only one product, I would definitely choose this. There are so many ways that you can benefit from this cream. It heals scars, soothes burns, moisturizes the roughest patches. People with eczema say it works wonders for their condition. You can even use it on your hair. It is safe enough to use on babies! When I get pregnant, I'll use this stuff to fight stretch marks.

A little product goes a long way and I think I have a couple of months to go before I run out of my sample, but I will definitely be purchasing more before that happens!

Have you tried the Egyptian Magic Cream? How did it work for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts :-)

Thanks for reading this!

Best Sunscreen: La Roche-Posay SPF 50 Antihelios XL Melt In Cream

Hello ladies! As I mentioned in my previous post, good skin care consists of effective cleansing, moisturization and protection. Today I want to talk about the third part of that routine: skin protection. 

When I was younger, the only time I'd slap on some sunscreen is when I'm about to hit the beach. I hated that heavy, greasy feeling that made me break into sweat, not to mention that thick white cast it leaves making you look like a kabuki lady. 

Nowadays, though, sunscreens are a requisite to delay aging and to protect my extra sensitive skin, since I have been using retinol and AHA's. 

UVA and UVB

So what do you look for in a good sunscreen anyway? To answer that, you have to understand what it's meant to do. Sunscreens should keep the sun's ultraviolet radiation (or UV rays) from reaching your skin. There are two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. Both cause premature aging and increase the risk for skin cancer. 

UVB rays are the ones that cause sore, red skin after prolonged sun exposure, or what we call sunburn. Most sunscreens offer only UVB protection. UVA on the other hand penetrates the skin more and cause wrinkles and leathering of the skin, predisposing to premature aging due to prolonged sun exposure. They also cause sun spots and photosensitive skin allergies. 

Sun Protection Factor (SPF)

Another important consideration is the sun protection factors or SPF. What do these numbers mean anway? That number tells you how long it protects your skin from turning red, which also depends on how fast you react to the sun. For instance, if it only takes you 10 minutes to get sunburned, multiply that with the SPF and that's (theoretically) how long you can stay in the sun before getting red, in this case, 150 minutes or about 2.5 hours. If it takes longer for you to get burned, then the protection lasts longer. 

You can also think of SPF as percent of UVB rays filtered. SPF 15 filters 93%, SPF 30 97% and SPF 50 98%. If you notice, we're talking UVB rays here, and SPF says nothing about UVA protection. 

Picking your sunscreen

Knowing all these things then, you need to pick a sunscreen with BOTH UVA and UVB protection. If it just says SPF, then you're not getting enough UVA protection, which as I mentioned is the culprit causing skin aging. You may not be getting red, but your skin cells are definitely still affected by that sun exposure.

If you're just staying indoors most of the day, experts say an SPF of 15 is usually enough. Primers or moisturizers sometimes contain this amount of SPF, so you may not need an extra layer of sunblock. For longer periods out in the sun, pick sunscreens with a higher SPF. 

Do you need sunscreen even if you're just in the office all day? Experts say yes, you do. Glass windows usually filter only UVB and let UVA rays through. Even fluorescent lights emit a considerable amount of UV radiation. So unless you're working in complete darkness, don't skip the sunscreen. 

Of course, there are also other considerations when picking sunscreen, including sheerness or finish, hypoallergenicity, fragrance, water resistance and staying power. These factor differs between brands, and it could be frustrating to find a sunscreen which fits all your preferences.  

La Roche-Posay Sunblock

Now I want to talk about my favorite sunscreen, sometimes described as the holy grail of sunscreens, made by La Roche-Posay. This one is La Roche-Posay SPF 50 Antihelios XL Melt In Cream. This company hardly spends on advertisement because the product really speaks for itself. Since it's made in Europe (France) it adheres to stricter standards in terms of product safety, and is not tested on animals. 

If you visit their website, here is their product description:

Very high, broad, photostable UVA/UVB protection.
Optimal SPF 50+ protection reinforced against UVA rays (stricter than the European recommendation) thanks to patented filtering system Mexoplex® combined with La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, soothing and antioxidant.
In a new, more minimalistic dermatologically-tested formula: fragrance-free, paraben-free, lighter in chemical filters*, nickel tested (nickel levels guaranteed lower than the threshold for allergic reactions in sensitized subjects), non-comedogenic.
- Luxurious, moisturizing, ultra-comfortable texture. Easy to apply. Suitable for dry skin.
- Very high water resistance.

And here's the list of ingredients:

AQUA / WATER

C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE

GLYCERIN

ALCOHOL DENAT.

BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE

TITANIUM DIOXIDE

PENTYLENE GLYCOL

BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE

STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER

CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE

PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAETHYLHEXANOATE

PROPYLENE GLYCOL Here's how the sunscreen looks like:

The color is whitish with a very pale beige tone. It's very light, glides and spreads very smoothly, and is not oily. I saw one blogger test the product by placing an drop over a blotting paper, and no oil "bled out" into the edges. Like all sunscreens, it still had that "clay like" smell, but was very mild. No other fragrances added.

After spreading it out evenly and letting it set, you can see that it's very sheer, and no white cast is left. My skin just looks moisturized. It leaves a matte finish, non greasy like other sunblocks, and serves as a decent primer.

On hot and humid days, this sunscreen doesn't increase my sweat like other brands. Because it is water resistant, it stays in place even when I perspire and doesn't "run".

I love that it is very sheer and goes well with my makeup. It is also hypoallergenic and doesn't clog pores. This is a big plus for me since a lot of my previous sunscreens tend to cause me to break out. It just lets the skin breathe. It's also probably because of this that it doesn't cause my face to sweat more than usual.

What are the cons of this product? In itself, I'd say it's almost perfect and I am definitely sticking to this brand. Unfortunately, it's quite expensive and isn't widely available. Mine came from a french pharmacy when my boyfriend did a European tour. It's available online though, and I hear some dermatologists sell it in their clinics, so you can ask yours.

What is your favorite sunblock? Have you tried other products from La Roche-Posay? I'd love to hear your thoughts :-)

Thanks for reading this!

Home Made Remedy for Falling Hair: Coconut Oil and Castor Oil

I recently made a post mentioning one of my hair troubles: falling hair. The main culprit was rebonding for so many years. Initially, my hair was so thick that I didn't really mind all the hair loss until I noticed that my hair was beginning to thin out. I really freaked out! I didn't want to go bald. I decided to stop having my hair chemically treated, and began to look for a way to grow back my hair.

I did a lot of research, and found out that there are a lot of natural cures to fight hair loss. I guess this wouldn't be as effective for those who really are genetically predetermined to lose hair, ie alopecia areata. However, since my hair loss is due to chemical exposure, I figured that some TLC would help.

I came across tons of blogs about homemade cures and remedies for falling hair, but I decided to try out two ingredients which were readily available to me.

The first ingredient is virgin coconut oil. I bought one made by Prosource from the local drugstore and it was quite cheap. There are so many ways to use virgin coconut oil. It is used topically for hair and skin care, and can also be ingested to improve blood cholesterol levels. It's so convenient to have a bottle around, to rub on very dry skin, remove stubborn makeup, and just pamper your skin before taking a bath.

Virgin coconut oil is very mildly scented, and does not make me break out. It is a definite must have as a beauty staple.

Speaking of Prosource, I also LOVE their Virgin Coconut Oil Soap. I have been using Dove for years, because I have sensitive skin, until I tried out their soap. It is much more gentle than Dove, less scented, but it bubbles up really well and it made my skin sooo soft and supple. I really feel the difference after bathing with this soap. Downside is, it's a bit more expensive and gets used up faster. But it is still so well worth it. You don't even need to put lotion on when you use this soap. That's how good it is.

If these products are not available locally where you are, you can check out their site here.

* Prosource product images taken from http://www.hktdc.com/manufacturers-suppliers/Prosource-Int-l-Inc/en/1X07QK93/)

The other ingredient I used was Castor Oil. I just bought a small bottle from the drug store. It is very cheap, and a small amount goes a long way. Castor oil is known to promote hair growth, and is also popularly used on eyelashes and eyebrows. I dab a little along my lash line and over my eyebrows before I sleep. This stuff is sooo sticky but is odorless, and has not irritated my skin. Like coconut oil, it is also being used in oil cleansing methods. I prefer to just keep it on my hair.

I started using castor oil when I had a "grooming accident" on one eyebrow, and I was desperate to grow it back quickly. I decided to try it on my lashes too. My eyebrow filled in quickly, and I notice that my lashes are fuller now, with new growth on parts that were bare before. I just use my pinky finger for this, but you can use a cotton bud. Some even use washed empty mascara tubes, but I'm just too lazy to wash all that gunk off my used ones.

I mix 3 parts virgin coconut oil and 1 part castor oil in a small atomizer, give it a good shake, and spritz it onto my hair. I use a thin comb to part my hair in small sections, to make sure that stuff gets into the scalp. You don't really need a lot, just enough to cover your scalp. Then I give myself a good scalp massage, wrap my hair up in a bandana, and leave it on overnight. When I wash it off in the morning, my hair feels healthier and invigorated. Downside is, it takes two washes to get all that oil off.

For good measure, I also used hair fall repair shampoos and conditioners by Dove and L'oreal, just to minimize possible hair fall caused by hair care products. To tame my unruly hair, I used Lauat Leave-On Hair Conditioner from Watson's.It contains lauat, gugo and virgin coconut oil, all herbal ingredients which are traditionally known to promote hair growth. They also have a shampoo in this range of products, but since I already had two brands of hair fall repair shampoos, I decided not to try it anymore.

I'd give this product a 4 out of 5 since it did help control my frizzy hair, and didn't weigh it down so much.

I did this VCO + castor oil routine about 2-3 times a week. Within 2 weeks, I noticed that my hair loss was reduced significantly (I would say more than half AT LEAST). I also noticed A LOT of baby hair growing within a month. That's why I decided that it was finally okay for me to go back to the salon and have my hair straightened again, this time with a less harsher method.

I've stopped doing this routine since then but I'm really happy with the results. If you decide to try this, I hope it works out as well for you :-) I think the best thing I did was to stop the chemical rebonding altogether. All this work will be futile if you keep subjecting your hair to what caused it to fall in the first place.

Have you tried other methods to control hair fall? I'd love to hear them :-)

Thanks for reading this!