I noted that whenever I moved to another country, one of the things that is majorly reacting and adjusting to the move is my skin! I remember when I started my expat life in Singapore after being offered a job there, in a few months of settling in, my face broke up so badly, I didn’t even want to leave the house to meet up with my friends. It was not just mild to moderate acne breakouts. Some will even think I got some skin disease because it was really bad. My family visited me 4 months after my move to Singapore during Christmas break and they were so surprised at how I looked. My face was really horrible. I was already panicking because five months after December of that year, I will have my wedding in the Philippines and I wanted to have a clear skin on my wedding day. Thankfully, I managed to have my acne-free skin before my wedding with the help of Dr. Z and Dr. Aivee Teo with a weekly treatment at their Aivee Clinic at Paragon Orchard. If you want me to share how I cleared my acne in Singapore, let me know and I will blog about it.
Now, in my move to Oman in 2019, my skin started acting up again. It didn’t help that the regular skincare and makeup products I usually use in Singapore are not available in Oman. Plus the weather here is really harsh to the skin. When I arrived in April, it was started to get very hot. I even have chapped lips and lots of flakiness in my skin like I have never had my skin experienced such dryness before. The environment was also very dusty and without a proper cleansing products, my skin was started to get clogged. Also since I cannot hardly find any of the face products I previously are using and being based far from the city, I kept experimenting with new skincare and makeup products that I will replace my previous skincare and makeup products. With all that experimentation lead to worsening of my skin condition. My skin was so confused if it was dry or oily or dehydrated or sensitive or all of the above. On top of acne, I was having eczema flares too. The winter weather starting at November and December didn’t help at all too. Gosh, my skin seems to more sensitive with the change of geographical location than the actual person moving to a new country!
One of my holy grail skincare products is Paula Choice Skin-Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I can’t seem to find that here and shipping products here can be so inconvenient especially I was transferred residences several times in my first year here. But after months of scouring through the internet for good skincare products and trying out different acne treatments in a bottle (and resulted to more skin issues), I discovered Sae Skincare online. It looked promising and decided to order their products.
SAE SKINCARE
Sae Skincare is a family owned company with a mission to improved skin health by providing advanced skincare backed by science. The company was started in 2015 and founded by their CEO, Ms. Sarah. Their products are made in UK. They ship worldwide and I am glad that they are based in GCC.
I contacted Sae Skincare through their business WhatsApp number. They will asked your skin concerns and if you are willing to send a photo of your skin so they can better assist you in finding a right product for your skin. I shared my skin concerns and they will give you advice on what products would be suitable for you. I love that the service is so personalised.
I choose to try the 8% Niacinamide Toner, 2% Peel Salicylic Acid Lotion, Intense Repair Skin Perfecting Night Oil with Argan Oil, Hydrating Gel B5 with Hyaluronic Acid and Calming Pink Clay Cleanser. I was excited when the package was delivered in my house. It was beautifully packed and the packaging of items was so lovely. I love the minimalist clean branding in their glass dropper containers. The box contains a paper of a personalised skin regimen for the buyer, wrapped in a large black ribbon with the company’s logo. I was so happy to find freebies with small glass dropper container for me to try too.
After using it for a month, I saw my skin improving. My skin became less clogged. My hyperpigmentation from acne breakouts were slowly fading. My skin became more hydrated and smooth. My skin responded well to certain products from Sae Skincare that helped cleared my acne. I purchased again and tried out the 2% Exfoliator Salicylic Acid Lotion.
After almost 6 months of usage, I am happy to say that my skin is now acne-free and all thanks to Sae Skincare. I noticed one time when my 2% Peel Salicylic Acid Lotion was finished and I haven’t repurchased yet, my skin was started to be clogged again with starting signs of milia and acne on my chin. I was glad that the products I ordered arrived in a few days so I was able to control another impending acne breakout. After months of use, here are my favorite Sae Skincare products and how I use them:
- 2% Exfoliator Salicylic Acid Lotion
This replaces my Paula Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. It works perfectly. I used it every other day. The bottle advised to use it two to four times a week. My skin wasn’t sensitive to the Salicylic Acid so it works perfectly. On the early days when my skin was still in full pimple mode, I used the 2% Peel Salicylic Acid Lotion daily without causing my skin any redness or irritation. I don’t mind interchanging the 2% Exfoliator and 2% Peel, both works well for my skin though if I were to choose one, I will get the Exfoliator. I used every night after washing my face with Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser. I tried applying it before by dropping the liquid in my fingers and swipe it all over my face like what I did with Paula Choice BHA Liquid but with Sae Skincare Salicylic Acid, I realised it is best to soak the full facial pad with the dropper and wipe it allover my face
2. Intense Repair Skin Perfecting Night Oil with Argan Oil
I am in love with this facial oil! Before in Singapore I make my own facial oil. I used to buy a bulk of jojoba oil in an online shop called Singapore Soap. I would put it in amber glass dropper container and put drops of essential oils like lavender, lemon, rosemary and other essential oils that I would purchase in the same shop. I would make facial oils and body oil too. I couldn’t find a shop that sell good carrier oils in Oman. I tried a few shops here but it didn’t give me good results. I even used olive oil from supermarkets on my face and that didn’t work out well. So I am glad Sae Skin got this wonderful facial oil. Some people with acne prone are scared of using facial oils because they think it may even cause more acne but so far with jojoba oil and now with Sae Skin Intense Skin Perfecting Night Oil, it doesn’t cause me to breakout. I apply this daily at night. I put 3 small drops on my palm and massage it all over my face. I even mix it with my foundation sometimes if I am going to a party or apply a bit on my nose & cheeks after makeup for an extra glow.
3. Hydrating Gel B5 with Hyaluronic Acid
This is a great serum moisturiser to use morning and night. It is very light and doesn’t feel sticky at all. It absorbs well in my skin. It make my skin feels plump and healthy. I would interchange using this with my Cetaphil Moisturiser or I would use it before applying the Cetaphil Moisturiser if I need more hydration.
4. Calming Pink Clay Cleanser
This can be used 3 ways: cleanser, make-up remover and mask. I prefer to use it as my once-a -week mask. I would get 3 heaps of clay with its scooper and put it in my palm. Then I was add a bit of water on the clay and mix it together in both palms. I would apply allover my face. I will wait for it to dry. My face would look like a funny pale tomato face for a few minutes which my kids find so amusing when they see me. Once it hardens, I would wash it with lukewarm water and my face feels so smooth and healthy.
I am so glad I found Sae Skincare here in Oman. It is such a life-saver, a face-saver! Goodbye Acne! Hello Happy Skin!
If you want to order and check out their prices, head over to their website: Sae Skincare
You can also check their Instagram page or contact them at message them in WhatsApp #+968 9770 7019