Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme

In the recent months leading to this purchase, I noticed an abnormal amount of hair in the drainage when I shower.

Sadly, it has come to a point in time where losing hair is a concern for me. I usually don't bother much about dropping a few strands of hair cause it's only normal, but when I spotted a bunch of hair that almost choked my bath tub's drainage, I AM CONVINCED I need help.

I thought about seeking help from some reputable salons for treatments, but then, I recalled my ultra bad experience with a "reputable" facial salon previously, and decided against it. Brands and reputations are always about how much money is being invested in the marketing and communications to the general public and I am just not ready to put my trust in them.

So happens I was at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital for an appointment and decided to scan the pharmacy for any possible solutions to help solve this problem and lo & behold - this product caught my eye! They were probably having some promotional activities going on in the store, hence, almost half of the shelf facing the entrance was stocked with Furterer products - it was hard to not notice it and with the persuasion of the designated sales personnel, I was sold!

Rene Furterer Reactional Severe Hair Loss Treatment Programme  

This package cost about $130 or $150+ I cannot recall, except that it was more than $100. It's pretty reasonable for the number of things you get in there. 

(Though I am not sure if this exact package is still available as I heard it was a "limited edition" package and the price of it ala-carte style will cost a lot more - I know, sucha marketing gimmick right! But I still fell for it. *sigh*)

What is in there? 

COMPLEXE 5: Pre-shampoo solution

FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO: Shampoo

RF 80: Post-shampoo leave-in treatment

 

You may read the description in the below pictures 

(and you will understand why I bought it - sounds too good to be missed!)

The key here is, it doesn't just STOP hair loss (they don't even bother using the words "prevent hair loss", they use the word "STOP" -how confident?), it strengthens the hair and PROMOTES hair growth.

Now that is what caught me!

Many hair loss products always focus on how it prevents the hair from falling but I have not quite notice those products claiming it stimulates hair growth. So I just need to get my hand on it. 

And to top it off, its compounds are made of Plant Extracts which I felt safe to use given that I AM ALREADY losing hair and I DON'T want any more chemicals applied to what's left of my beloved, precious hair. 

*sob*

Using the words of the Sales Person who sold me this, a hair loss shampoo can only prevent hair loss, it doesn't cleanse the scalp, hence absorption of any nutrients (that may be applied thereafter to the scalp) is minimal, but with this full set, the treatment is complete. 

Complexe 5 cleanse and tones the scalp, making it ready for the nutrients (RF 80) of the treatment to be maximized and fully absorbed, hence more effective.

My Verdict?

Just to get the record straight, I purchased this sometime in April, started the programme for 3 months from May to July and truly, my hair fall quantity in the shower has lessen a fair lot! 

(Update in Dec'13: In fact, I noticed a lot of stray hair falling from my pony tail whenever I tied my hair up. I can only say they are new hair that's grown out not too long ago, hence too short to the caught by the hair tie *relief*)

What I think about COMPLEXE 5?  

I quite like the slightly citrus scent it has. Not repulsive to me, in fact, it was quite refreshing to the nose. 

I did feel some form of a warm sensation when being applied it to my scalp, but it was not stinging, just a light warm sensation which was bearable. The fluid seemed s little greasy to touch but it was not oily.

What I didn't appreciate was the applicator - this pointed opening for pouring the fluid to the scalp. It wasn't convenient to apply and I would much prefer it as a spray head. (But, since it works! No complaints!)

   What I think about FORTICEA ANTI-HAIR LOSS SHAMPOO?

Nope, I completely DO NOT LIKE this shampoo's texture, nor the shampooing experience. 

It is a thick gel form which wasn't quite fluid enough to be worked thoroughly through the hair. I was under the impression that this shampoo isn't going to tangle my hair up in the shower, but it did. So I had to be extra careful in not tugging the hair too hard, fearful that more hair would fall due to the entanglement. I even had to use a conditioner to detangle it.

Thankfully, the Sales Person did also recommend me to another shampoo which was made of Plant Extracts - (KLORANE anti-hair loss range). And said so long as the shampoo was made of plant extracts, it was going to be compatible. 

But. I have my own set of comments to the KLORANE range as well, and will pen them down when I have the time to, in short, the shampoo was better than this Furterer's one but the conditioner was a nightmare, and I have not touched the conditioner since! (I have since been using a regular conditioner (in the likes of Sun Silk and Organics etc.) being mindful of not having the conditioner come too close to the scalp since that was not "Plant Extract". 

Anyways, it all worked out well, with me finishing 1 tube of Furterer, a few bottles of KLORANE anti-hair loss shampoo and Sun Silk Conditioner in that 3 months of treatment. 

What about RF 80?

This post-shampoo leave-in treatment comes in an ampoule form, where you need to break it open in a piece of tissue  and work it into the clean scalp after shampooing and towel-drying your hair.

(I can't quite comprehend why it has to be glass! What if the bits of glass fall into the liquid and I ignorantly rub it into my head? *kiasu Singaporean*)

It was lightly scented, but I can't put a finger to the scent, it's not as strong as the Complexe 5, just a slight fresh scent. More fluid than the Complexe 5 and felt like ""thickened" water (like glucose water?) 

Frankly, this RF 80 works! BUT (and there's a but!) the ampoule form of packaging really sucks because, how do you start applying that into your scalp after you have just broken off the top part? *sigh*

So I poured bit by bit of that solution into my palm of 1 hand, and using the tip of my fingers from the other hand - I patiently worked the whole tube to cover my entire scalp. Tedious process that takes about 5 - 7 mins. I would have much preferred a spray head form! Oh well - the results are most important! 

 

In Summary 

Although the application part and shampoo part sucks, this product DID DELIVER what it promised to deliver over that 3 months (for me, that is). So it was well-worth the effort! In fact, I continue to maintain a clean scalp by using the Complexe 5 without the RF 80 (though I ought to be more diligent and use it once to twice a week). 

Please feel free to leave your comments and share your experience on your personal hair fall solutions. :)

Cheers!  

Presenting the Ultimate Black Liquid Eyeliner Challenge!

  (This is an overdue post, but it's better late than never...)

Some of my favorite things include make-up; and of make-up, the black liquid eyeliner is my favorite. 

An eyeliner can make alot of difference in the way you look and so, out of the blue, i decided to do a little experiment, to find "The Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner!"

In the following images you will come to realise that my eyes aren't the best eyes to deal with when to comes to applying eyeliners because, even though i have double eyelids, the lids are hidden lids, hence, when my eyes are open, my lids usually overlaps the area where the eyeliner is being applied. 

This makes finding the right eyeliner crucial for me cos the wrong one just "dirties" my entire eyelid as soon as i blink.

My usual choice of eyeliners are those from Faceshop and Etude House and i have been using these 2 brands for a long time as they gave me what i needed; but with the recent introduction of more and more brands, i was pretty tempted to deviate from my usual choice and try a new brand. 

I don't have the ability to buy every black eyeliner i come across, so i simply went to various make-up counters and sampled them on the back of my hand.

Here are the few selections:

Testing begins:

 Spray water and rub

 Now in order to verify that this is the most lasting formula (unbiasedly), i did a run test as well!

Yes, another of my favorite thing is to go for long runs, and usually, i don't wear make-up for such activities, but for the sake of testing the eyeliner, i removed all other make-up from my face leaving only the Etude house liner (and i didn't even touch up the liner which was applied early in the morning). 

So now, after the 8km run, which lasted 57 mins (this is sucha a poor timing!)...

I was really excited to see if the eyeliner smudged, and so i took a self-taken photo of myself under the florescent lighting of HDB void decks.

This is the result of the eyeliner - did it smudge?

It really stayed in tact and DID NOT smudge!

Under the yellow lights at home, this shot is to show that my lids are hidden lids that overlaps the eyeliner area.

And I am proud to say, there was indeed NO SMUDGE (not even below the eyes)! 

*HAPPY*

Indeed this is "The Ultimate Black Eyeliner!

This is my choice Black Liquid Eyeliner! 

The Etude House Oh My Eye Line!

 I hope this serves as a helpful post to all those out there who are seeking for good liners. Give this a try!

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner Review

Now let's talk about the much raved about Etude House Wonder Pore Range.  The name itself is already enticing isn't it?

Etude House 

WONDER PORE FRESHNER

THE ADVERTISING

 

 Source

Testimonies measuring the effectiveness of this product:

68% claims it has made their skin softer.

64% claims that their coarse skin has became smoother

59% claims that their skin shows increase in luster & radiance (sparkly sparkly twinkle)

58% claims that their fragile, thin skin has became more moist

55% claims that their skin elasticity has improved (highly springy)

 

THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

  This product is the total solution for pore care, preventing enlarged pores, less firmer skin and skin troubles by eliminating what hurts the skin from within. 

 

7-in-1 Solution - Like WOW!

Check-Check! (Who should use this?)

 - If you are one of those suffering from itchy skin,
 - If you have sudden, unexpected skin trouble,
 - If you feel there is over secretion/production of sebum,
 - If you feel your pores are gradually becoming wider

 

Directions (pretty clear)

1. Apply on cotton pad then swipe it over the face (like you would for a toner), once in the morning and once at night.
2. Pour it into a mist-spray bottle and refresh yourself with the mist anytime of the day.

 Ingredient List:

MY COMMENTS

I like that it claims to deliver these 7 solutions all-in-one:

1. Deep cleanse pores, 

2. Mantain ph4.5 ± 1, 

3. Control large amount of sebum, 

4. Minimises appearance of pores, 

5. Refine skin tones, 

6. Keep elasticity of pores, 

7. Moisturize form inside out.

Afterall, who doesn't want to have clean, even, firm, and well-hydrated and balanced skin that is not oily?

PLUS:

It is 6-FREE: NO parabens, mineral oil, artificial fragrance, artificial pigments, talc and animal ingredients.

 

DOUBLE PLUS:

Its use of Traditional Korean Herbs & Plant Extracts that includes

- Korean Pasque Flower, Dandelion, Chrysanthemum, Hinoki Cypress Extracts to treat acne, inflammation with their anti-bacterial properties,

- Rose Geranium Burnet, Lotus Flower, Gambier, Cinnamon Extracts to suppress over production of sebum by tightening pores.

TRIPLE PLUS:
Look at the price? - 15,000 won for 500ml!

INGREDIENTS-WISE:

Top 10 (which usually constitutes the majority of what the product is made of)
Water, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Alcohol Denat, Glycerin, Buylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Sea Water, Peg-660 Hydronated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate

11th and after - includes all that herbs and plant extract, including Hyaluronic Acid.

I feel comforted seeing Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract listed as 2nd on the list because after doing some online research, it reflects the following benefits (in summary):

- an anti-radical power that slows rate of aging and even has repairing actions &
- an excellent anti-inflammatory agent which can provide relief to skin certain conditions.

Read more about this from: Source

MY VERDICT?

After using this for a little over a month, this is my say:

  - I absolutely loved the bottle, the fact that you just place a cotton pad on top of the pump, pump and you have it ready for application. Convenient. Neat. Clean. Hygienic.

 - The scent was not repulsive, in fact it was very light and acceptable.


- It did seem to clean my pores well cause I feel squeaky clean after wiping my face with the cotton pad though it did sting a wee-tit-bit (probably because of the alcohol content), but after 1 week or so, it was fine.

 - It didn't actually remove my blackheads - I still did my manual extraction, but applying this after the extraction did soothe my inflamed skin.

 - It left a fresh feeling that was balanced (no tightness felt)

 - No outbreaks or allergic reactions were recorded

 - And using it with Skin Malgem was superb cause this helps soothe and cleanse and that helps deliver some acid to exfoliate and moisture. 

BUT.

It didn't seem to control my sebum-over production problem, nor add moisture to my skin cause even when I use it as a mist several times throughout the day, my skin just gets shiny after a while (as per usual). My skin tone remains the same. My pores are the same, didn't grow bigger, and didn't grow smaller. The key is it is clean!  

AND WELL,

For a product from Etude House, containing all those ingredients & at that price, I must say I am impressed  and will certainly continue to use it (yes! with Skin Malgem)

I don't expect it to lighten my pigmentation (c'mon it's just a toner!) or minimise my pores (hello, this is not a magic balm, even magic balms may not help big pores! Try laser yo!) I expect it perform like a toner - to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. And that is exactly what it did for me. And perhaps, it did reduce the rate of pores being enlarged too.

Overall, I am one happy user of this product!

Cheers!

Etude House Skin Malgem Review

Some of my buys from my recent Seoul Trip includes staff from Etude House, Faceshop, Innisfree, Nature Republic & Laneige and somemore, and I thought it would be a pity to not review them, so I am going to do this part by part. And here is the first. Let's look at Etude House's buys!

Skin Malgem

Skin Malgem & Wonder Pore seems to be the 2 star products in Etude House. 

I was somehow very tempted to get my hands on these though I do not usually buy skin care products from Etude House (seems to target a younger crowd!).
It must have been the advertising messages that's created this hype in me.

THE ADVERTISING

  Let's look at some descriptions of Skin Malgem from their advertising & online results:

"Triple-acting treatment combines the benefits of a moisturizer, cream and essence in one bottle for superb hydration that provides immediate relief from skin dryness, while boosting skin's moisture level at the same time. Hypoallergenic formula promotes a clear and pure complexion, while select pore-controlling ingredients minimize pore size for a smoother and more refined surface."

Source

Formulated with 3 main ingredients - Fruit mix, Panthenol, Orchid extract 

"Fresh, Smoother, Moist, Deep Moist, Essential"

   - makes skin feel luxuriously soft and look radiant

  - removes dead skin cells and makes skin soft, smooth and elastic

  - effectively soften and remove blackheads, deep sealed dirt and oil from the pore

>>Paraben free, artificial pigment free, benzophenone free, animal nature material free, mineral oil free.

  

"Emulsion"

 - creates clean, clear, transparent and illuminating skin

- exfoliates old and delivers moisture to create smooth skin

- all-in-one product with [Emulsion + Essence + Cream].

- Babassu seed extract spreads without sticky and protects while delivering moisture.

>>Paraben free, benzophenone free, animal nature material free, mineral oil free.

Source 

THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

  맑음 [mal:gəm] 

the Korean word for cleanness, clarity and pureness. Skin Malgeum hypoallergenic toners promote clean, clear and pure complexion with moisturizing and pore cleansing formulas.

Here's what I roughly figured out from the above Korean words (based on my "broken-Korean" translation, yes, this is a disclaimer that I may not be 100% accurate): 

- The abundance of beauty essence (in the ingredients) applied to dry skin can deliver nourishment and hydration at the same time, keeping the skin deeply moisturized.
- The abundance of nourishing ingredients containing Soybean that enriches the skin
- Free from (I suppose): Paraben, Artificial pigment, Benzophenone, Animal Material, Mineral oil.

*Made of (IN BLUE):
Fruit Acid that eliminates old/aged top skin layer
Panthenol (Vitamin B5) that delivers and retains moisture
Orchid Extract that gives skin a radiance (on its own)

Instructions:
Pour an appropriate amount on your hand or cotton pad and apply it to skin in a gentle dabbing/tapping motion. Finally, press it in with the palm of your hands all over your face. (For extra dry spots, pour some amount on soft cotton and use as a mask. Leave on for 30 seconds before removing and dry areas will be kept hydrated for a longer time. Should there be no dry spots, using the product alone without will be sufficient to add moisture to the skin.)

This pictorial pretty much tells it all:
1. You can use this as a 2-step system:
First >> Fresh, Smoother (Allow for absorption by wiping on skin) then
Second >> Moist, Deep Moist, Essential
2. Use as a spot mask for dry areas, leaving it on for 30 seconds
3. Using it as a face mask (pouring at least 15ml on face sheet and apply)
4. Use a a mist to spray on whenever the skin feels dry

MY COMMENTS 

 

And solely my own 

(Believe at your own risk!)

I must say the advertising/product claim IS indeed convincing.

Not only does it consists 6 different bottles to suit ANY skin type requirements, it also formulated with 3 main, awesome ingredients, free from 5 of those not-so-nice ingredients & to round that all up, there are multiple uses (spot mask, mask, mist etc.). It claims to exfoliate dead skin cells, keep the skin clear & moist (translated in my brain = translucent skin) And the price being 12,000 won makes it feel like a waste NOT to buy it.

It makes for a value buy, seriously. 

BUT.

We don't know how much of those cool ingredients make up the product. It could be all water and alcohol, with just enough of those cool fruit extracts to "claim" it's mainly made up of them (see below ingredients shot). The fruit extract starts from the 5th element onwards, which I suppose is still not too bad since it's within the top 10.

And I find the description to be a little vague because all 6 bottles have relatively different textures. (e.g how do you use Deep Moist as a mist when it is so thick?!)

When I did a search online before buying the product, I couldn't find any good recommendations on how to use it. But now that I visited the store and roughly tried them all, here is my opinion on it's usage, in relation to their multiple methods of using it.

Use like a toner (via cotton pad):
Fresh (liquid form) - Combination/Oily Skin since it has sebum-controlling effect
Smoother (liquid form) - Normal to Dry Skin
Moist (STILL a liquid form) - Normal to Combination / Oily Skin
Essential (liquid form with oil so solution needs to be shaked before use) - Extremely Dry Skin 

Use like an essence (via hand):
Deep Moist (thick consistency liquid form) - Dry Skin

Use like a moisturizer (via hand):
Emulsion - All Skin


Use as Spot Mask / Mask - A mask is mainly used to restore moisture or deliver hydration to the skin. So I reckon Moist/Deep Moist to be the ones because of its fluid consistency (yet not watery, whilst the rest are more like "water" consistency) Moist claims to have hyaluronic acid that keeps moisture locked in- sounds good isn't it?
*Though the sales staff said ALL can be used as mask!

Use as a Mist - A mist is mainly used to refresh dry spots instantly, control excess sebum and so I reckon Fresh/Smoother/Moist/Essential as the ones. Essential has a mix of oil in there which will aid extreme cases of dryness.  

SO, MY VERDICT

Even though I have combination skin, I went for the Deep Moist one because felt I my skin needed ALOT of hydration. I liked the way it felt watery enough to be applied as a light veil over the face, and yet thick enough to be used as a mask to restore moisture on dry areas.

It has a fresh and nice scent that was not overwhelming. Being alcohol and acid, I expected it to sting a little when applied on my face, but it didn't. In fact, for the first application, I did not even finish my routine with my usual moisturizer (just a toner beforehand + this) and it did impress me a little cos I woke up to a face that was neither too dry, nor too oily. It also did provide some comfort to my face in terms of hydration when I used it as a face mask. (Not the best, but for the price of it, it was fair) No damage or negative reactions were recorded. 

Having said all that, it did not work wonders for me, as my skin and pores stayed pretty much the same. What it did for me as merely to maintain and not to exfoliate or help clear up the previous built-up dead skin cells, blackheads.(Perhaps it only did light-duty exfoliation in terms of ridding the daily build-up of skin cells, preventing it from accumulation?)

Overall, the experience was pleasant and I still continue to use it as a step 2, after my toner and sometimes as a mask. It adds a nice cushion in my usual routine before I apply my does of AHA as a step 3 and my skin was alright, in fact, less stinging. 

For a product of this price - I think it IS a good buy. I will recommend it for light-duty usage and maintenance!

Since this is a pretty long entry, I will continue my review on Wonder Pore in a separate post!

Cheers!