The Legend
It's been said that in ancient royalties (not only in China but also in many other nations) pearl has been used widely among the nobles as a beauty ingredient. The presence of pear powder in today's various beauty products prove that beside the myths, there is also science behind pearl's magical properties. If you are curious about what's in pearl powder, our friend Google has better answers than I do but to sum it up, it has various types of amino acids, calcium and other beneficial stuffs. It's understandable since pearl is the condensed nutritious fruit that an oyster spends his whole lifetime nurturing.
The few products that I have used that claims to contain pearl powder are: face masks, primer/bb cream (Maybelline Baby Skin reviewed in my previous post) and loose powder. Recently I have bought a few grams of raw pearl powder which quality and origin I cannot testify because the price and packaging varies tremendously! So for the moment being (since it does work) let's just assume it's real pear powder.
After a few uses I can notice a slight difference in the color and texture of my skin. My skin became somewhat fairer and more even toned. It is hard to say whether it is due to the use of pearl powder or other factors, which could be:
1. The skin care set that I've been on for the past month - also gives me very pleasant result,
2. Herbal drinks I've been consuming regularly, almost replacing my water consumption,
3. Birth control pills - which claims to have hormonal control for glowing skin.
But rest assured! The same experiment was conducted on my mother's almost 60-year-old, aged dull skin. The result was phenomenal and she became instantly a believer. It visibly brightened her skin.
So what skin benefits do pearls really have and how to best use them?
Pearl benefits:
The prime benefit of Pearl is whitening. Whitening here means restoring back your original shade not bleaching and changing the color of your skin a shade lighter. It's so effective you can notice the difference after a week or just a few uses. Of course some might be led to believe the brightening effect is due to the residue of the white powder on your skin, just like putting powder on your face... trust me, no one scrubs their face more thoroughly than I do. Neither can you accidentally leave it on as it's pretty coarse and rough to the touch.
The second benefit corresponds exactly to my need: oil control! I am convinced that this product is more beneficial for oily combination skin (yay!). Since it's a calcium rich powder, it tends to absorbs all your oils. Also the various types of amino acids in it would arguably takes care of all your large-pores related problems. However there are ways the dry-skinners can still get the most out of it (like my mummy), especially the brightening effect which so many Asians crave for.
You can find endless ways of combining and mixing Pearl powder with other ingredients to create face masks: PP with egg white, PP with honey, aloe gel, oat meal, banana, cucumber, etc... all these mask mixture are meant to be worn for approximately 20 mins. Is it long enough to soak up all the goodies from PP? Logic tells me no, and it also tells me a few pretty obvious ways that you might like to consider. This is what I did and how I got instantaneous results (on myself and my mama skin).
Application
1. Overnight pearl facial:
With the today's urge to pamper your skin 27/7, cosmetic companies especially Koreans have created a new product commonly called "sleeping pact". It is easily understood as a "sleeping mask" which means that instead of wearing it for 20 minutes you leave it on overnight. On the few nights of the week that you do use it, you can miss out the night cream, the serums and what-have-you's that often accompany this last step. In a way you can view it as a treatment "night cream" for short. For my Pearl sleeping mask I simply add a few pinches of the PP, a quarter of a teaspoon or a few drops of honey as you don't want to attract hungry night creatures while you doze soundly into your dreams, the actual sleeping mask and tadaa! The best sleeping mask to use with it would be a very moist and hydrating gel type since the Pearl is super dry and dries out quickly. The mask will have pleasant smell and a decently stable texture to last you the night. The overnight packs that I use: Laneige sleeping pack, Watson's collagen night mask or anything I can find.
2. Pearl extract- night cream: (I know sounds like an OTC over the counter product)
You guessed it! Simply mix Pearl powder with your most luscious moisture rich night-cream. I have this nightcream that's so thick I barely use it. It's only suited for the driest and coldest winter months. In warmer seasons, this cream is ideal to be mixed with Pearl powder. If you have super dry skin, try adding a few drops of facial oils such as Bio oil or vitamin E oil (a few that I know but I guess there are plenty more out there in the market).
Failures: tried and disliked
My failed attempt was mixing PP with olive oil. It was a terrible mixture because they didn't blend at all! It keeps separating and form patches on my face. I have tried egg white and the smell made it unbearable! The mixture also dried out very quickly leaving the skin tight and dried. I cannot say if it did any good to my skin but the experience was bad!
Apparently you can do the same thing to your body but the practicality of it doesn't look very plausible to me. I cannot think of any other possible way other than staying naked and covering the mixture over your body in the bathroom for 20-30 minutes. I guess that's what Oriental celebrities have been doing to achieve a porcelain-white complexion. Alas I don't have the time and (personal) space to try this yet but I have seen real people of flesh and bone who have done it and got oh-so-pale!
The fairness of a lady
Oriental women are obsessed with being fair. Some even go to the extend of bleaching their skin. I understand the hype since it's so well promoted in Korean/Chinese entertainments. The idea for a woman being as fair as the moon has existed since ancient times because beside the idea of flawlessness, fairness also represents wealth and luxury. Rich and wealthy people stayed indoor, the poor stayed in the sun to work the land. Today's notion of wealth have changed... but not for women. They still consider fairness to be the ultimate beauty.
I believe the quality of the skin and the even skin-tone is more important than being fair. Saying that I really don't understand the sorrows of the tanned ones. A few times that I got really tanned - it didn't bother me as much the Asians around me - especially the men! Shut out others' concept of beauty and embrace your own uniqueness. Whatever you do safety comes first!
Personally I don't tan but I don't freak out either if I got a shade or two darker (well I did go nuts last year when my face got burned so bad my skin literally peeled off like a snake!). I do sun bathe without spfs early in the morning (when I manage to wake up early enough) and in the afternoon to get those precious vitamin D (somehow I still believe I can grow a few inches). Don't fear the Sun (except 10am-4pm) if it tans you, that's what Pearl Powder is for!
No comments:
Post a Comment