There, a rare picture of me sans foundation/concealer/powder a.k.a war paint. I have spots and acne scars and discoloration and new pimples and comedones; I feel somewhat uncomfortable showing you my naked skin, but you know what? I always remind myself that 'Hey, it could be a lot worse'. Sometimes when my skin acts up due to change in climate, dirty air, lack of water, lack of sleep, hormonal dysfunction, I look at pictures of worse skin days and tell myself 'See, it's not that bad today'. =)
With absolutely nothing on my skin, I thought it the best time to show you how it looks like right after cleansing my face with maNara Hot Cleansing Gel. I've never tried any cleanser, heck, ANY PRODUCT like it before. The first time I tried it, I'd thought there would be just a little warmth from rubbing the cleansing gel between my fingers, but no, there was obvious heat on my skin! :O
I was surprised (but not alarmed) coz the more I massaged, the warmer it got. But it wasn't uncomfortable at all, it was more like an inviting embrace one would encounter when one enters a sauna and gets hit by the wave of warm air. That kind of feeling that makes one go "ahhhh...". That reminds me of my first time at an onsen in Japan, that moment of relief when the warm waters enveloped my tired body and soothed my soul.
I've actually never heard of maNara before because, you know, the Japanese have wayyyy too many great products that are kept for their own community. But now that the brand wishes to share this secret with us, it's easy to see why maNara Hot Cleansing Gel is the Number 1 cleansing gel in Japan! Welcome to Singapore! 😀
Come, allow me to show you how to enjoy the luxury of a spa facial in your own home.
I kept the explanation short in the above diagram, so here are extra notes for you 🙂
- Ensure your hands and face are dry, the hot cleansing gel will not work on damp/wet skin. An oily face is fine though, I’ve tried it at the end of an oily day and my face is always oily in the morning haha
- Slowly work the cleansing gel in upward circular motions using your fingertips. In my pictures I use my palms, but that’s because I had to keep my fingertips clean to press the camera shutter LOL
- Your skin will warm up and the heat retained for about 1 minute, after which you should rinse it off with water. 20 splashes should be sufficient.
- Oil-based cleansers should never be allowed near eyelash extensions as the oil can dislodge the extensions from the root. So far none of my lash extensions have been harmed from the use of maNara Hot Cleansing Gel. It is perfectly safe for eyelash extensions!
Besides The Heat
What makes maNara Hot Cleansing Gel (international readers can purchase it here) different from other cleansers is that it basically combines the functions of 7 products into 1 – makeup remover (okie, for me 6 then), cleanser, booster, serum, pore care, exfoliator, and thermal care.
It contains three main plant ingredients - golden root extract, multi flora and fruit extract, and artichoke leaf extract that work to tighten pores. The gel formula eliminates oil without stripping your skin, and what keeps the skin moist after cleansing is a myriad of beauty ingredients such as Vitman C derivative, Hyaluronic acid, Hydroquinone derivative, Astaxanthin, Squalene, collagen-supporting ingredients and more.
It is free of harmful additives like coloring, synthetic perfumes, mineral oil, ethanol (yes, thank you!!), paraben. I wonder how they incorporated the yummy citrus scent though, I absolutely adore it.
A good cleanse really is the best thing you can do for your skin, and the citrus scent and warmth of maNara Hot Cleansing Gel makes waking up in the morning a little less painful. I would highly recommended this product, both for its efficacy and fun thermal experience 😀
You can make your order on the maNara Asia page, click here for English and click here for Mandarin, free shipping provided.
If you are not in Singapore nor anywhere in Asia, you can get the maNara Hot Cleansing Gel here:
This was written in collaboration with maNara Singapore.
