This is my story #nofilter

It took me a while to finally get down to writing this post. It covers so many reasons for why I started oasis, and the values that guide the brand and its formulations. This is more than just a passion for me; it has changed the way I feel about my skin, my lifestyle consumption habits, and greater awareness of the broader environment. 

Yes that is my photo above and this is my story #nofilter

Skin Woes be me

Everyone, I was an acne sufferer, and I blame it all on the dreaded Hormones. I was a happy bouncy kid till I hit 15, and it all went downhill from there. I started to get these red and angry breakouts that caused so much grief and embarrassment, and no amount of Oxy-10 spot treatments could dry them out fast enough. They just kept coming, and I was piling on concealers to cover them like there was no tomorrow. The more products I used, the more sensitive and dry my skin got. I started to scour the internet for stronger medicines to control my discomfort - well, you know how that cycle goes..

Over the course of the next 18 years (there I’m almost revealing my age!), I went through everything possible. Steroid creams (Elomet was my holy grail), retinoids, bi-weekly facials ($300 a-pop!), drying lotions (made me look like a dried up prune), antibiotics (that affect the liver over the long term), laser treatments, AND I almost committed to a fraxel-laser (the procedure that literally creates micro-holes in your skin to force it to recover with new skin!) in my desperation. Nothing worked, and I was dying to find ANYTHING to just tell my skin to calm the f*** down! So if you are suffering from painful breakouts that keep on coming back, believe me when I tell you I FEEL YOU. 

So what happened?

Since I have tried virtually every chemical I could, why not give this natural remedy thing a try? Here comes the sweet part of this story - my husband was the one who encouraged me to try and make my own skincare. So for my birthday, he bought me natural skincare books! I opened the first book and was hooked. I also started to research online for good reference books (I highly recommend The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. It's available online and at Kino).

Soon after, we travelled to France and sourced for as many organic ingredients as we could to bring back to Singapore to commence my experiments. 

(Our ingredients continue to be sourced from France because of the abundance of good quality organic ingredients plus the EU is super strict on regulating the farming industry, which includes sustainable practices as well YAY!)

Project Save My Skin

It all began with creating a facial oil. I LOVE OILS! It is so good for your skin because it gets absorbed much quicker than the rest, plus it is so full of antioxidants and vitamins. The reason why some people feel that oils make their skin breakout is because they are using the wrong oil for their skin. Refer to this post for a more detailed explanation on choosing the right facial oil for your skin. 

Using a light Argan blended with Chaulmoogra oil (yes this is the InstaGlow), I gradually felt my skin becoming more balanced, less oily and generally more comfortable. What I have come to realise from my experience is that once I controlled the oil production (which worsens during that time of the month), my pores started clogging less, resulting in lesser breakouts. I coupled my skin treatment with 3 times a week clay masking - which are fine cosmetic clays mined from their natural environment, and activated by adding water. Clays are amazing because they really detoxify your skin - going deep into your pores and getting all the dirt out. Plus it gently removes dead sebum and renews the skin surface. I love adding a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar to the mix because it targets bacteria that causes acne, eczema and all the rest. I encourage you to get creative - add lemon, turmeric, tomatoes - anything in your fridge! 

The Verdict

After making the switch, my skin is totally different today. I have stopped all antibiotics, creams and even facials. This is not to say that my skin is flawless because it is never going to be that way - hormones will continue to plague and pores will still get clogged. But it has truly made all the difference to me - and that is why I am so committed to building up oasis:skin, and to create fully natural, non-sensitizing products for people who are not blessed with good skin. 

I will now conclude with this quote:

Be good to your skin. You'll wear it everyday for the rest of your life

- Renee Rouleau

If you have any questions or want some advice for your skin, comment below or write an email to contact@oasis-skin.com. I am happy to help in any way I can!