Product Review: Biotherm Aquasource Nuit - Super hydrating

What is it? 

Aquasource Nuit is Biotherm's high density hydrating jelly meant to be used at night (a.k.a moisturiser). According to the description on the box, our skin loses the most water during the night. The main active ingredient used in Aquasource Nuit is P Antarctica. It is an micro-organism with the ability to retain its water in icy conditions in the Antarctica. The extract of P Antarctica concentrated in Aquasource Nuit help the skin's regeneration while maintaining optimal hydration. 

How much is it? 

It retails for C$48 for  50 ml bottle.  I got mine for around C$50 as part of the Aquatrio promotion at Sears.

Where to get it? 

All leading drugstores and department stores carry Aquasource Nuit. Look out for the Aquatrio promotion for great deals. Aquatrio contains the cleanser, toner and moisturiser for just C$50!

How to use 

Apply small amount to entire face and neck. Use at night.


My experience

I have been using Aquasource for a while. I thought I would give Aquasource Nuit a try since the store ran out of Aquatrio with aquasource. I was a little hesitant at first as I was worried that the richer formula would result in an outbreak. Aquasource Nuit is actually pretty light in texture and smell. It is quickly absorbed by my skin and leaving it soft and supple within seconds of application. I have used it for 2 days and my face feels nice and soft the next morning. So far, I have not had a breakout so that is a good sign.


My verdict

I like the bottle and how it dispenses the hydrating jelly. It is so much more hygienic than Aquasouce where I have to dip a finger into the bottle. I also like the texture, fragrance and how quickly the product is absorbed. Most importantly, I like the effect the next morning. My face feels more hydrated than using Aquasource.

I definitely recommend using Aquasource Nuit at night. I will continue using Aquasource Nuit every night until I finish this bottle.

DIY Beauty - A Healthy and Natural Hair Mask Using Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO)!

I have heard that coconut oil is great for the hair since young. It has been used by Indians for many years and they have one of the healthiest looking hair. I have always hesitated because I thought the coconut smell on the hair will put me off.

Recently, I bought a jar of virgin coconut oil from Wholefoods since it seems like that coconut oil is not such an unhealthy oil after all. In fact, it is almost as healthy as Extra virgin olive oil. While extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, coconut oil has a high smoke point so you can do all that frying and deep frying with coconut oil which you can't do with extra virgin olive oil.

I tested out my Virgin Coconut oil hair mask last night.

My experience

I used 1/4 teaspoon of Virgin coconut oil. Do note that virgin coconut oil is a soft solid at room temperature but becomes a liquid at temperature higher than 25 ºC (78 ºF)  To melt it, I just place that coconut oil on my palm and give it a quick rub and  it turns into liquid right away. Next I applied the oil first on the ends and slowly up my slightly longer than shoulder length hair. I did a little scalp massage at the end (when my hands are not so oily). After that, I just use a hair clip and clip it up in a bun for 1.5 hours while I surfed in the internet. I read on other sites than 20 mins is probably enough.

My Virgin Coconut oil hair mask experience turned out to be more pleasant than the one with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The coconut oil dried quickly so within minutes the oil feeling on my hair was gone (though it still looked oily). The coconut smell which I was hesitant about for many years, turned out to be a non-issue even for the 1.5 hours. I think the amount is probably too little to make my hair smell like coconut so that turned out great.

It took 2 rounds of shampoo to get rid of the oily feeling in my hair so a little coconut oil is enough otherwise you will need many rounds of shampoo to get rid of the oily feeling.

The part that I really like is the shine and the silky feeling when I blow dry my hair. My hair also feels really soft. My hair still feels silky, soft and has lots of shine after 24 hours.


My verdict

I absolutely love the Virgin Coconut oil hair mask! It is AMAZING! It is definitely much better than the Extra Virgin Olive Oil hair mask. The effect is so good that I am going to use this once a week.

I am definitely ditching all commercial hair mask for the all natural virgin coconut oil. It is healthy (with no preservatives and other chemicals) and it is cheap! A 414 ml (14 Fl Oz) bottle of Dr Bronner's Whole Kernel Virgin Coconut Oil was C$10.99! It has a shelve life of 2 years without refrigeration and you only need 1/4 teaspoon a week. Imagine a weekly hair mask for 2 years for a price of only C$10.99! Give it a try and I am sure you will be spreading the word around like me. :)

Health Food Review - Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+

I have been drinking Manuka Honey for a few years now. I first heard of it in 2006 when a friend of mine was sharing during a group lunch about this wonderful product called the Manuka Honey. She said that her young children used to fall sick pretty often. Since she started giving them a teaspoon of Manuka honey every day, they had not fallen sick for the past year. That sounded pretty amazing to me as I was falling sick almost every other month then (not sure if it was bad office air or flu season).

A few of us bought a bottle of Manuka Honey each right after lunch. My personal experience was great! Although I was not as conscientious about drinking a cup of manuka honey every day, I did not fall sick as often. In fact, one of the very first thing I looked for to put in my pantry when I moved to Canada was Manuka Honey.

What is Manuka Honey? 

Manuka Honey comes from the crisp white flower of the manuka bush, which grows in remote, unspoilt areas of New Zealand. The Manuka Honey from only a few of these areas contains the special unique non-peroxide anti-bacterial activities.  This is what sets Manuka Honey with high activity levels (more than 10) apart from the normal honey or even low grade Manuka Honey (less than 10).


Why drink Manuka Honey with high activity levels? 

It is one of nature's most useful aids for natural healing. It supports the body's natural healing process by:

• Supporting digestive health
• Assisting the body's natural healing of minor wonders, ulcers, infections
• Soothing throats
• Enhancing general health & energy 

There are many brands of Manuka Honey and many activity levels available. I have tried a few different brands and different activity levels and found the Manuka Honey with activity levels between 12 to 20 ideal to maintain general good health.


Why Wedderspoon Manuka Honey? 

When I moved to Canada,  I bought my first Manuka Honey from the drug store. A 250g bottle of Manuka Honey (12+) for C$60 + 12% tax!!! Super expensive! I did some research on internet (blogs and forum) and found some recommendation to get Manuka Honey from Whole Food Market. I did and I have been buying the Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+ from Whole Food Market ever since. It is sold as a food item (i.e. NO tax) and it's only C$29.99 for a 500g bottle! It is even cheaper than the discounted price of C$33.92 in Wedderspoon's own website.

My Experience

The Wedderspoon Manuka Honey tastes good even when eaten on its own. I can't say the same for other brands of Manuka Honey. Usually, the taste is quite strong if you eat it. Why do I eat the honey instead of drinking it? I find that eating a teaspoon of manuka honey three times a day is more effective to ward off a pending sore throat than drinking 3 glasses of honey. Some times, I even eat a tablespoon of manuka honey 3 times a day and I feel so much better the following day.

Ideally, I should drink a glass of Manuka Honey every day. When I do that consistently, I do not for the entire period. I also noticed that my complexion is much better. My skin is clearer with a healthy glow. Some times, I forget to drink the Manuka Honey and I just increase the dosage if I feel that I am falling sick or my throat starts to feel scratchy, especially after BBQs.


My Verdict

My personal experience has been extremely positive and I highly recommend the Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey. It is the most cost effective way to maintain good health and good skin. Try it today and let me know if it works for you.