"You Look Young"

Wow Mom! you look young(ish)...this is what my son Josh said when I got home. I finally found time to go to the salon for my much needed rebonding. The reason why I had been delaying this rebonding thingy is because I was soooo scared that if I had my hair rebonded, instead of it being straight it would turn out freezy. Why you ask? Because it was also Josh who said that I looked like a witch with my jet black hair and he wanted me to go back to my color which meant bleaching. And did you know that when you have your hair rebonded you're not suppose to wash your hair for 3 days. Yikes...3 days of itch, smell and all. But despite the fact, I wasn't looking forward to wash my hair. You see when I went to Tony & Jackey, they didn't really want to do my hair because of its condition. They didn't want to use their (korean) products but opted for L'oreal Extenso instead, and that means a more expensive one. And they still did not guarantee that I was to have silky straight soft hair. And with their parting words: "After you wash your hair and you find something wrong, don't panic, just give us a call and will fix it for free." What encouraging parting words...so I really didn't look forward to washing my hair. Thank God it turned out ok, i'm back to straight soft hair, and as Josh would put it I look young(ish).

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Still Busy

'Twas a very busy week for me. My sister and her husband arrived from the US for a short vacation. I have been tasked to bring them around, meet with our other relatives, some shopping, a trip to the beauty salon, trip to Belo, etc. You know how it is when Pinoys come home, they squeeze everything in their two week stay.

she's the one at the extreme left

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We're still on with our fitness thingy...if ever we can't jog or bike, Josh makes it a point to play an hour of badminton. Good thing he's still very much into it, and has maintained his diet too. Way to go Josh!

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We attended the birthday celebration of Kuya Rey, of course the day won't be complete without picture(s). Even if he was the celebrant, we asked him to take our photo, (to borrow Edna's words, "pang friendster din yan") haha.

Gina, Rhea, Edna, Me, Cuz

**It's really a problem if you don't have to post all the happenings, you tend to forget everything, or you cannot get yourself to write a decent post, it's like there's so much to share, yet few words come to mind....haaaaayyy!**

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Jog Josh Jog!

Summer vacation officially starts today for the kids, though they have to be back 2 more days, 17th for Josh's Reading Diagnostic Test, (he was one among the five picked by the teacher to participate) and the 27th (Josh) 28th (Ish) to get the report card.

Today also marks the start of our fitness thingy. We went all the way to Mall of Asia (MOA) to jog. It's more like jog...walk...jog...walk... It's actually a first for the kids so I don't wanna force them. We only did 3 kilometers and they've survived it, although Ish and the Yaya (nanny) did a short cut, cutting down the 3 km by about 200 meters. I encouraged Josh to finish it (he needs it badly) which he did. We are happy that they love it and we don't need to drag them into doing it.

HELLO TO A HEALTHY SUMMER! yay!

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I Said Popcorn

Great! Everyone got POPCORN, and I got NOODLES...I wanna watch a MOVIE too YOU know! Crap! Crap! and more CRAP! ggggrrrrrr...end of story!

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Busy

I'll be a busy momma nowadays, well only until Friday. It's my kids exam week, yes their finals, and i'm busy helping them out reviewing. School's gonna be until Friday...hurrah! It means:
1. i can go chill out even on weekdays
2. less internet time (i'm using my son's laptop, mine's really jurrasic...i should be doing something about the wifi here, apparently it does not work on d-link, but works on apple which only has one slot)
3. go on regular fitness with the kids this time, maybe jog instead of biking over at MOA every other day
4. watch Gilmore Girls with my daughter
5. play PS2 with my son
6. cook meals for my family (a breather for my angels)
7. bake cookies, lotsa lotsa cookies
8. and the list continues...so I won't run out of blog topics

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Mark the Date

Justice, AnP, Moi and Cuz
Friday, a day set to meet "the AnP". I say "the" because she was the one who inspired me to start blogging in 2004. I remember my friend Y asking me if I was familiar with blogs, and I said WHAT? WHAT'S A BLOG? So Y shared with me AnP's site, and there was no stopping since then. I was excited at the same time nervous about meeting AnP for the first time. I remember telling my friend G in YM that I felt so inferior coz AnP really writes well and she is a very smart lady. I even shared my nervousness with Cuz. Forgive me AnP, but that was how I really felt (**blushing**), not for anything else but I was really intimidated by the way you write and of course your accomplishments too.

But you know what? AnP is one person who will not make you feel inferior. She is very down to earth, can laugh out loud if she wants to, "kulit" is her favorite word. We spent like a lil over 3 hours just laughing, she is really funny. She talked about her family, her life in Germany and many more, not a dull moment with her really.

Later that night, we were joined by Justice (the 100 words per minute lady), so you can just imagine how fun the night was. Thank you so much ladies for the wonderful time we shared and looking forward to be with you again.

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Are You A Pleaser?

It is every girls dream to have a perfect family, and it's our tendency to resort to different things just to make it happen. There is a common factor among us girls that stand out, that is us being PLEASERS. We aim to please everyone but ourselves. There is really nothing wrong about pleasing others, but sometimes we overdo it to the point that we lose who we are in the process. We expose ourselves to failure coz all we think about is how to please everyone around us.

To be happy with everyone else, we need to be happy ourselves. We should learn to once again love who and what we are, be able to say NO to things that does not please us. We don't need to sacrifice ourselves just to be able to please others.

I was once a pleaser, I still am, but I already know my limitations. I am lucky that I have N who understands my needs and supports them. I have children who understand that when I say NO it's really NO, of course with a little bargaining =) Now I have time for myself. They let me go out and meet my friends,
N supports my love for belly dancing and it has never been an issue to him. (If you only know how excited he was when I had my first dance performance...he took a video, a video with only me in the frame, haha) There are a lot more things that I can do, but of course I know my limitations. It's really a matter of knowing where and when to stop to be able to have a harmonious family.

Source: here

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New Best Friend

Introducing: Smashbox Compact Anti Shine. An ANTI-SHINE product in a portable mirrored compact for oil control touchups anywhere. Matifies skin without disturbing your makeup or causing build up, and it won’t clog pores. Contains tea tree oil to help combat breakouts, aloe to soothe and calm, and vitamin e to help repair skin damage.


I found out about this product from the makeup artist hired by our latest bride. I overheard them talking about this anti shine thingy, and having a face that shines heavily due to too much oil, it got me interested. I asked about the brand, how it's applied, and if there's really truth to what it claims. Good thing it's available here in the Philippines at Beauty Bar and I was able to get one for myself. Now i'm enjoying the product, the oiliness didn't really go away, but somehow it was minimized or should I say i'm 1/4 shiny now. It worked well with the mineral makeup im using. I really didn't follow the instructions given, but did some what ifs...like putting/rubbing the product before putting on foundation, and it did work, it wasn't sticky at all. Thanks to this new innovation, I feel pretty with a lesser shine!

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All In A Day

my nieces Hannah & Cheska, my nephew David, (kids of my brother) and N clowning on the side
It was Dad's birthday on the 14th, we went to bring him flowers. If you noticed that heart on top of the flower, that was made by Hannah (my niece). A day before Dad's birthday, she knocked on my Mom's door showing that heart cutout. Mom thought all the while it was for her, but when she asked the lil girl, she said it was her birthday present for her Lolo (grandfather). Hannah is really a very sweet girl. On her dad's (my brother) birthday, she made a card and included the ribbon she got from school and told her dad, "here's my bday present for you."



w/ Mom, my sister Mimi (1 who was recently operated on) and my brother Toto

V-Days are now spent with the family and the rest of the household. We all went to Mall of Asia to celebrate. I had to drop by Toy Kingdom to have the gameboy micro we bought in December checked. And guess what?




I was walking to the counter quite in a hurry, didn't notice that there was a protruding fiber glass, got hit by it. Excruciating pain I tell you, I almost couldn't walk. I related the matter to the girl behind the counter, asked for the store manager, but took them a while before somebody could attend to my needs. But everything changed when I took out my camera and started taking pictures. It was like all of a sudden everyone was there, from the store manager down to the security and all. They started moving the stuff that hit me, and I had to stop them. Now you can see their panic striken faces, and got more attentive to my needs. Maybe they thought that the reason why I took pictures was for something else, while what I had in mind was really for the blog, hehe, but those photos would come in handy in case something else happens to me, but thank God i'm OK. I did not expect this to happen, among all shops at Toy Kingdom. It should be child-proofsafe (thanks KK) and all, considering there are a lot of children running around. It's really negligence on their part and it has to take one person to get wounded for them to realize that they could have trimmed the edges and make it a bit rounded to avoid accidents. And this is what I don't like about Pinoys, they take everything in stride and only take action if you yourself has taken action like taking pictures, maybe create a scene or something...arrrrggghhh!

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So Many Wonderful Things

When Ish was younger and asked what she wants to become when she grows up, she would say EAT & SLEEP! But nowadays, she talks about becoming a lawyer or a journalist. Reading her latest post , she has taken a step on realizing her dream of becoming a writer. I am encouraging her to become a lawyer too, coz none of us has followed the footsteps of my Dad. She also plans to spend half of her college life in the US. I was overjoyed when she shared with me her dreams of what she wants to be in the future, not the EAT & SLEEP lil girl anymore, but with BIGGER dreams. Go Ish!

I'm so happy with my new template. I've been looking for a free template that has the 2 sidebars on the right for a year now. I even attempted to install a wordpress theme but in vain, I just couldn't understand how it works. I also thought of hiring the services of a pro, just to be able to get the look that I want. Anyway, I did a lil tweaking on the codes of my new template though, and took me 2 days to figure it out, almost giving up again. But looking at how my blog looks like now...ahhhh! finally I have the "look". Thank you so much. Oh thank you to haloscan for their recent comments widget, now i'll be able to read comments on past entries without having to check on them one by one.

I finally met Nina and her sister Gigi. Nina is based in the States and is here for a vacation. It's really fun meeting cyber friends in person, they're like family, it's like you've known each other all your life. You don't feel any awkwardness seeing them for the first time. We had lunch at Gerri's Grill at Promenade in Greenhills, then went for a lil shopping at the tiangge. It's like shopping, catching up and chilling out with an old girlfriend, that's how I felt with Nina. Thanks for the Vanilla Lace Nins =)
Gigi is the one beside me, Nina's beside Cuz.

I attended the PTC (Parents Teachers Conference) last Saturday and there's a lot of reasons to be happy too. Kids are doing good, and have improved a lot especially Ish. The elem-HS transition thingy is now gone. My only problem though is their being talkative...it has been the problem since day 1 of school, maybe one day I'll just put a tape in their mouths, whatcha think? harhar

For 16 years now, I've always gotten flower/s from N on Vee Day, isn't that sweet! Really i'm overjoyed, the romance hasn't stopped, i'm still excited getting flowers from him, and I can see the excitement on his face when he hands it to me every valentines day, not because he wants to see the reaction on my face when I open the envelope that includes shopping moolah, harhar. He's gotten practical you know, why buy a bunch of flowers when you can convert some of it to shopping moolah, right? Oh isn't he sweet? Thank you so much Sweet!





I saw Gretchen B at Makati Shangri-la Hotel last Sunday. Gosh she is very pretty and very thin. I expected to see a Gretchen B with a bunch of security guys in tow, an air headed Gretchen B, a snobbish Gretchen B. But the Gretchen B I saw last Sunday was the opposite. No bunch of guys in tow, but only her partner TonyBoy, she looked meek though, no traces of being snobbish. Oh wait, why is this part of my entry? Oh well, it's wonderful to see a person projected by the press as like this and like that but is the exact opposite, even if only for a night or two.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

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Imelda Collection

We were at the launch of the Imelda Collection last Friday, in one of the buildings in Makati. She really had beautiful creations, one of a kind, and very classy. When you see her collection, one will not believe that she got her supplies from 168 Shopping Mall in Divisoria as seen on TV. Everything was done intricately, the colors were superb, some of the collection bearing the "signature shoes" with her personal signature engraved.

I was not able to buy one, coz my mind was set on the price she said on TV which was something like 800php. Nope, I didn't find anything tagged at 800php, probably because we were there on the 2nd day of the launch. Her price ranges from 2200php to 14,000php just for the costume jewelries. I told N that what you are actually paying for is the signature shoe with her signature engraved, and not the beads or the materials that she used. I still want to own one of her collections.... and that means, I better start saving now.

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gross make that G-R-O-S-S

I was with my sister when she was roomed in to the OR for her scheduled operation. She had myoma and they had to take it out. I don't know what came to me that I asked my uncle, (the anaesthesiologist) if I could watch the procedure. Luckily I was not allowed. Well, since I was not allowed to watch, I just went back to the room and took a nap. Mom and BIL went home to get some stuffs so I was left alone. I started imagining things, SCARY! Good thing I was really very very sleepy and it wasn't long I was off to dreamland.

Kriiing, krriiiinnng, I was awaked by a phone call, it was my uncle. He asked me to go to the reception area of the OR. When I got there, he had with him some sort of a basin, with the bloody fibroid(it was really big, as in really big), and the ovaries in it. I quickly covered my eyes with my hand, occasionally doing peek-a-boo in between my fingers. He wanted to show it to me, and I was like NO! I don't like to see it. And he said, "oh I thought you were brave, you even wanted to watch the procedure."

It's good that I didn't insist on watching, I know I could get inside if I insisted really. With just a glimpse of it, my imagination went wild to the point that I almost vomitted while having dinner. But on second thought, I could have taken a look. Then losing weight wouldn't be a problem (my tummy is really bulging). The easiest and fastest way to lose weight without really trying, right? WRONG! What if my imagination runs wild for months? Then I'll be D-E-A-D!

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Because of YOU BLOGGING

A Tag from Leah .

Because of blogging:

1. I bought a book on html codes...did I learn something from it? NOPE, I always get a headache whenever I start reading.

2. It kept me awake til 5 in the morning trying to understand the html codes, in the hope of having a new look (template). It was a success, i'm now able to tweak around if I want a new look.

3. I'm beginning to love Adobe Photoshop, not for anything else, but making my banners and that of Cuz'

4. I've made online friends, some I already met, the rest I want to meet someday.

5. I have kept record of what I have been doing, it would be fun to read it when I'm old and grey.

6. I'm bestfriends with the camera. I always bring it with me, as much as possible I want to include photos in each posts I make.

7. I am able to express myself more, maybe practice my writing skills if there's any.

8. I am able to share and update family and friends with what's going on in our lives.

9. It's like I've become an internet addict, online 24/7, always in front of the computer, good morning laptop and good night laptop, you know that sort of thing =)

10. I've become a misunderstood individual, the "bad guy", because of some nameless rants that I've written.

11. I realized that my life was interesting, despite the change in url "some" people were able to track me down, people who do not make themselves known, people making issues out of nothing, etc.

I think that's about it...Now let me hear what blogging did to you, calling calling...

1. Cuz
2. Pao
3. Francesca

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Where's My Beautiful Dress?

Grrrrrr!!! I'm sure I placed it here, somewhere. Hmmmm...Have you been looking for that dress you wore a couple of months back but couldn't find it anymore because of a cluttered closet? I was once a clutter queen, especially in the closet department. I'm the type that wouldn't want to throw/giveaway out-dated clothes, clothes that haven't been worn in years, clothes that don't fit, clothes that I'm guilty of throwing or giving away because of guilt of how much I bought them, things like "I can't throw them away, it was given by blah,blah,blah." But I'm happy to say that I'm no longer like that, and I have improved so much in organizing my closet. I remember I posted a picture of my closet in one of my entries.

Here are some tips to help you organize your closets:

- Sort and separate. I group together the same type of clothes. Example, put together all sleeveless shirts in one shelf, long sleeves shirts in another shelf, etc.

- You do the same for hanging clothes too. Like items should be hanging together.

- Colorize! This makes the closet look appealing. Uh oh, I need to be doing this, my closet is not in living color. By doing this, you will see what colors you have a lot of, and what you are missing. It makes sense, right?

Now you will be able to "shop" in your closets and find new outfits, it will be easier to mix and match and put together outfits you didn't know you had.

Source: Click here

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TOTAL Update

before-------------------after 18 days

after 4.5 months

It might not really show in the pictures above, but the truth is, there is really a very big improvement on my face. I can see it and others too, in fact i've gotten some positive comments. But it's still nothing compared to what you see on TV, I mean the results and all ( we all know that it's computer manipulated or some lighting effects). But I am so happy, not only with the results, but I have learned to religiously take care of my face. I've taken it forgranted until I decided to use this product. It has not been in my daily routine to cleanse and moisturize, but now it has become a part of me. Isn't that great?

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Tease Me Not...Please

Did you know that I'm a sucker for "koreanovelas"? As much as possible I don't like to miss an episode shown on TV(I only watch koreanovelas on GMA 7, I'm a certified kapuso). But that's not my worry anymore since N gifted me with a portable DVD player for christmas. Now I can get to watch it on the player, BUT forgive me, I buy the original pirated copies at Quiapo for only 50 pesos(they say it's original coz it came from China)...what can I do? I really don't know where to buy the original copies. When you go to Quiapo, you'll be overwhelmed by the titles you see, everything is there, from desperate housewives to america's top model. Just be careful though, keep your eyes and ears open for raids, you might be one of those picked up.

Have you ever experienced being teased by your partners the moment they see you in something they find funny or inappropriate? When N saw me in that headband, he couldn't stop laughing and started teasing me, sarcastically saying, "oh what a nice piece in your head". He did it non-stop, even until now, when he remembers it, I still get a teasing. Now I don't wanna wear it, I can't take the teasing anymore, it's just too much. Is there something wrong with the headband? Or it's me? Oooops, don't bother to answer, harhar!

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Hot Spots

I guess all of us want to have a spic and span home...here are a few things that may do the trick...I need all these pretty bad, even if you say we just moved to our new home =(

"Now what is s Hot Spot? When you walk into a room, the Hot Spots are the first thing you see, and when left unattended will gradually take over. Here's how we can find some hot spots in our homes. Take a walk around the outside of your home. Look for that "hidden" clutter you walk past every time you enter your front or back doors. You know, the boards leftover from an old project, the paint bucket that didn't get thrown away, the old furniture that has sat in the rain for a couple of years, the broken ladder or wheelbarrow that is too scary to use, or the broken bicycles, trikes, sandboxes, and other toys that your kids have outgrown.

See how much of this clutter, the both of you can haul out as a team. Do you have a lot of stuff in your yard that you want to fling?"

Come on, let's all do this together, I know it's hard, but when will we start? Not tomorrow or in the days to come...but TODAY...LET'S GO!

Source: click here

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Belly Dancing & Yoga

This is the reason why I look forward to Mondays and Fridays. Belly dancing class gets exciting more and more. Since we already had our first dance performance, teacher said that it's high time that we do "advance". "Advance" means having to incorporate a lil of yoga to our routine, to be able to be more flexible. There are a lot more benefits of doing yoga which I hope to achieve. Like improve more on my posture, increase my endurance and energy level, be able to have a sound sleep, improve balance, and most of all the flexibility factor. These are just but a few, and I hope to achieve more. For first timers like me, arrrrgggg, it's an agony, body aches all over, but it feels good and gets to be very relaxing. What a start for year 2007!

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MIA....I'm not

Oh dear....when will my internet connection be back to normal? As it is, it takes a hundred years for pages to load, especially blogger. Much as I want to make daily posts, make comments on the blogs I read daily, I just can't. So if I don't figure out in your comments section guys, it doesn't mean that I don't check on you. I just can't regularly wake up early, connection is faster in the early mornings, say 5 a.m., and i'm like zzzzzzzzzzzz at that time....okie?

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Tomatoes...Oily skin

Yeah, I saw it on TV one time...it says tomato is a remedy for oily skin. That got me interested...you see I have the most super duper oily skin, that type that you can fry or something, uh-huh i'm not kidding. Even if they say that you should be thankful that you have oily skin as it delays ageing, I get bothered all the time. It's every girl's dream to have a polished look, the one that you see on the pages of a magazine...shine free. So after seeing that thing on TV, I started looking for home remedies for oily skin in the net, and here's what I found that I want to share with you. I got particularly interested in the tomato thingy that I'm gonna try it =)

"Many of us tend to look at oily skin as a problem. Sebum is produced by the skin to protect and moisturize it. What is essential is the right type of oily skin care so as to have just enough oil on the skin. Most of the time, you can resort to simple home remedies for oily skin, be it simple face masks or fruit extracts. Learn the essentials of oily skin treatment so that you can enjoy your smooth skin for a long time, sans the problems of blemishes and breakouts. The advantage of having oily skin is that it shows age slower than other skin types.

Oily skin

Oily skin is characterized by shine and enlarged pores. On account of the high levels of sebum, the skin has a greasy shine and tendency to break out into acne. This is because oily skin tends to attract more dirt and dust. Oily skin can be a result of heredity or hormone levels. Generally teenagers are plagued with oily skin and acne breakouts. But sometimes-oily skin can continue way into adult years.

With age the flow of sebum decreases and the skin becomes less oily. Humidity levels can also be a cause for excess oiliness on the skin. Other causes can be cosmetics or birth control pills. Since there are more sebaceous glands around the nose, women with oily skin will notice that there is a tendency to develop blackheads around it. Some women experience oily skin only in some areas. This is a condition of combination skin.

Oily skin care

The first basic rule for oily skin care is to keep it clean so as to kill acne-causing bacteria. It is essential to unclog the pores with exfoliation to prevent breakouts. Washing your face with warm water and cleanser is preferable to using harsh soaps. Warm water helps in keeping the skin oil free. Antibacterial cleansing lotions can also be used to keep the skin acne-free. Mild acne medications have a drying effect on oily skin.

Choose cosmetics and facial care products with care. Oily skin make up items must be water-based since oil-based cosmetics can aggravate the oiliness and create blemishes. Clay masks and mud masks work well for oily skin. They remove the excess oil that is found in the skin. But do not excessively dry the upper layer of the skin with chemical products. Use of harsh products can leave the skin feeling taut and dehydrated. This may be counterproductive since the skin will produce more oil to compensate the loss. This is a reaction called 'reactive seborrhea', where the oil glands work at a frenetic pace to compensate for the loss of natural oils.

Treatment for oily skin

There is no magical cure for oily skin. Regular care and appropriate treatment of oily skin can go a long way in keeping it clean and blemish free. Massage your face with upward and outward motions when cleansing it. Using warm water to dissolve skin oil while washing it is a good treatment for oily skin. But do not use very hot water as it can strip the skin of essential oils. Do not expect results overnight. What is required is a holistic treatment of oily skin - internally and externally.

White or pink clay masks gently cleanse oily skin of excess oil. The darker brown clay masks are stronger and more effective on very oily skins. Apply a clarifying face mask couple of times a week.

Aromatherapy oils such as lemon, rosemary and cedarwood are said to be effective in treating oily skin. A few drops of any of these oils combined with lanolin can be massaged into the skin.

Topical Vitamin derivatives with ingredients such as tretinoin and isotretinoin are prescribed by dermatologists to tackle sensitive oily skins.

Products containing Benzoyl Peroxide also form part of the treatment for oily skin. They unplug pores and reduce bacteria.

Antibiotic creams and lotions such as erythromycin and clindamycin are effective in treating blemished oily skin.

Lotions containing AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) can help oily skin become softer and smoother.

Home remedy for oily skin
Fruit acids have shown a positive effect in oily skin treatment. They remove oil from the skin and yet retain the moisture. Home remedies such as cucumber juice, lime juice and yogurt are effective in keeping oily skin under control. A mask of Aloe Vera, crushed strawberries and yogurt is an astringent for oily skin. Keep it on for about 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Some simple home remedies for oily skin:

1. Puree 1 egg white, 1-tsp. Lemon juice, 1-tsp. Mint and ½ cucumber and apply it on the face for about 15 minutes.
2. A puree of fresh tomatoes works wonders on oily skin.
3. A facemask of tomato, lemon juice and oats must be applied on the cheeks, forehead and chin. Scrub your face with warm water. This home remedy for oily skin is ideal for blemishes.
4. A clay mask is yet another home remedy for oily skin since it draws out excess oil.
5. If your skin is excessively oily, mix in a few drops of eau de cologne. This not only helps keep oiliness away but also helps in refining the pores of the skin by acting as astringent, thereby preventing acne.

Take a diet that is rich in proteins, with plenty of leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. Restrict sugar and high-fat foods and junk food. Supplement your food with wheat germ, nutritional yeast and whole grains, beans and nuts. Drink plenty of water to keep the skin hydrated and flush out toxins.

Source: Click here

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