Hello, my loves. Entries have been delayed as – once again – the husband and I have been traveling (typing this on the plane back to KL, to be honest). Alvin had to go to Manila for some meetings at the home office and I decided to tag along so I can do some errands and meet up with my friends. (A post on this later, maybe?)
But enough with the excuses/update and on to the topic of this post!
Before we left for Manila on the last week of February, I was trying out Mentholatum‘s new range of cleansers called Botanics.
The launch of this new range was quite timely since I have been experiencing some changes when it came to my skin. I’ve always had Sahara-dry skin but recently, I have been having on and off oily days.
I even had yet another break out on my chin in early February. Eeep!
It was right around that time that I decided to try out the Botanics range to see which one will work for me.
They have quite a wide range of products to deal with every skin type. The cleansers themselves come in three types:
Face Wash (Tube Packaging)
There’s the Hydra Whitening Face Wash that should work well on all skin types and has Arbutin and Agave as ingredients, while there are two variants that work well with oily and combination skin – a Deep Cleansing face wash that contains Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang and a Pore Refining kind that contains Rosemary and Witch Hazel.
For people with dry skin, there’s also a Hydrating face wash that contains Calendula and Jasmine.
They retail at RM14.90 for 100ml. Not bad. Not bad at all!
LIQUID CLEANSERS (PUMP PACKAGING)
For people who are particular with hygiene (#SorryNotSorry), Mentholatum also came out with two face wash variants that come in a pump-type packaging:
- the Deep Clean face wash that contains Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang (like the tube wash variant mentioned earlier – just different packaging)
- and the Moisturising and and Brightening cleanser that has Rosehip oil as an ingredient.
They will look oh-so pretty on your bathroom sink but will be a pain to bring if you’re traveling though. The difference in packaging will set you back just a few ringgits more at RM21.90.
FOAM CLEANSERS (PUMP PACKAGING)
Last but certainly not the least are the foaming cleansers that I would normally shy away from due to my then-dry skin. But now, I also have an excuse to try them out. 😉
They also come in a pump and come in two kinds – Oil & Blemish Control (contains Tea Tree & Ylang Ylang) and Whitening (contains Narcissus & Aloe). Just in case you are new to the whole skin care industry – if you have dry skin, steer clear of foaming cleansers. For people with oily and combination skin, they might just become your new best friends.
They retail at RM25.90 – the most expensive in the range but for a good cleanser? That’s still considered extremely affordable.
So what did I think of the range?
I got one of each type to take home and try. The Hydrating Tube Face Wash (Calendula and Jasmine), Oil & Blemish Control Foaming Face Wash (contains Tea Tree & Ylang Ylang), and the Moisturising and and Brightening Liquid Pump Face Wash (Rosehip Oil).
Since I have only one face and it’s been having problems as of late, it took me while to get to try all three.
Hydrating (Tube)
I admit that I only used the Hydrating variant once. I took a bit of the product for a photo, tried it out on my face, then gave it away to a friend who’s been experiencing changes on her skin as well. Now that she has dry skin, this would be of better use to her.
After trying it once, I noticed that it is quite effective in getting through the bits of makeup that the makeup remover must have overlooked. 😉 You get a squeaky-clean feel after that I really loved, though.
Oil & Blemish Control (Foam)
I was actually excited to try this one since foam cleansers were always a bit of a mystery to me. I did try some before and found them to be too drying back in the day.
This one, however, is quite different.
Like the Hydrating cleanser, you also get a squeaky-clean feel. Not to be confused with that feeling of getting your skin stripped clean, though. I actually felt that I didn’t need to use a toner after this. But of course, I still did. Cleaning my face has always been an obsession.
Moisturising and and Brightening (Liquid Pump)
Delivers both in the moisturising and brightening departments. I also love the light fragrance of this product. Normally, rose-scented products can be too sweet or too girly for my taste but this one just has that floral-clean scent that I’m really into.
Bonus: Face Masks
Who doesn’t love a good sheet mask? They are a must for me when I’m traveling as they are a fuss-free way of taking care of my skin. Yes, I use them on the plane. I may have traumatised a couple of flight attendants in the process.
I apologise.
I try to use them as a often as I can at home too. So I may have a pile of them somewhere in our home. A girl can never have too many sheet masks. 😉
I was given the Mentholatum Botanics Brightening and Firming Mask (contains Rosehip oil). It was rather soothing to my tired skin and was such a treat to use. It fits my face perfectly and unfolding it is quite easy – no tearing since the material for the sheet mask itself is quite durable.
The light scent is also another plus.
There you have it. My thoughts on this affordable skin care range.If you want to give them a try, you can head on to any Guardian branch near you.
More later.
Love,
Carol
