@ Marissa

Make CLARINS LOTUS OIL yourself and SAVE MONEY !! I came across this recipe sometime ago on the internet; I haven't tried it yet because getting essential oils here in naija is not very easy. However, if u have access to the oils, this may save u a small fortune. I'm pasting the recipe exactly as it was poted:

FACE OIL RECIPE:

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LOVE CLARINS LOTUS OIL, IT MAY BE MADE THE SAME WAY, REPLACING THE ESSENTIAL OILS AS FOLLOWS:

1 OZ KUKUI NUT OR HAZELNUT OIL
5 DROPS LOTUS OIL
3 DROPS BAY LEAF OR ROSEMARY OIL
2 DROPS LAVENDAR OR GERANIUM OIL
1 DROP SAGE OIL
1 DROP CHAMOMILE OIL

KUKUI NUT OIL MAY BE REPLACED WITH HAZELNUT OIL IF YOU DESIRE. Mix it up in an amber (dark colored) glass bottle and make sure to shake it up before each use!

Clarins uses hazelnut oil, but I prefer kukui nut oil as it has a longer shelf life. Hazelnut oil should also be refrigerated, so if you choose to use that, keep that in mind. I also replace the geranium oil found in Clarins with lavendar oil simply because I have it on hand, but both work very well.


For those of you who have had luck with DECLEOR YLANG YLANG AROMESSENCE, I have found this to be a great cheap replacement. 

1 OZ. KUKUI NUT OIL
6 DROPS YLANG YLANG OIL
3 DROPS LAVENDAR OR GERANIUM OIL
3 DROPS ROSEMARY OR BAY LEAF OIL

MIX IT UP IN AN AMBER GLASS BOTTLE AND MAKE SURE TO SHAKE IT UP BEFORE EACH USE!
You can substitute the kukui nut oil with hazelnut oil if you like, but it must be refrigerated and made in very small batches as the shelf life is not very long.  I chose kukui nut oil to replace it for preservative purposes, and find it works just as well. 

If you are pregnant or breast feeding, DO NOT use the rosemary or geranium oils, they can be toxic to babies.  I replace geranium with lavender oil and rosemary with bay leaf oil in this recipe when I make it for this reason.
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Hope this helps someone save some money and their skin :

Checking the expiry date on beauty products:

This info is not exhaustive so please add any other useful info you may have for other products not listed. Also, ALWAYS remember to check the expiry date on products BEFORE you pay at the counter. It'll save your skin and wallet a lot of havoc!

For CLINIQUE products the batch number usually contains 3 numbers. the last one means year, the middle one means month.the first letter means production location. so, C81 means it was produced on august 2001. if it's produced on Oct. Nov. and Dec, the middle number will be letter of A, B, or C. for example, AC5 means Dec. 2005.

The first letter signifies the production run that month - A was the first run, B the second run and so forth. The second letter or number signifies the month of production:

1 = January
2 = February
3 = March
4 = April
5 = May
6 = June
7 = July
8 = August
9 = September
A = October
B = November
C = December

The final number indicates the year of production. So A45 means the product was made in the first production run of April, 2005. and all ESTEE LAUDER group products use the same way to indicate the production date. such as EL, M.A.C., ORIGINS, LA MER,  so next time when you buy something, make sure to check the production date first.

As for CLARINS, the batch number begins with the year number followed by 3 numbers standing for the days and another 2 numbers standing for specific batch. for example: 505131: this means it was produced on the 51 days of 2005. so, the 51 days is during the second month, ie, Feb. the last 2 numbers is specific batch number so u don't need to worry about that.

You should also try Clinique Repairwear Day SPF 15 Lotion. It exfoliates ALL layers of dead skin, no matter how thick and still maintains the suppleness of facial skin. your skin will really glow. This is one product that works so well for black girls because of how black skin easily thickens when exposed to the environment, especially sun!!!! In fact, most white(caucasian) and asian girls use this for only about one to three weeks because the AHAs and BHAs in it are SO effective it take off dead surface cells faster for them - the sensitive ones say their skin even starts to smart in the sun after two weeks!!

If ure looking for THAT glow, this is your product. The price may seem steep at first but u probably have to use it twice a day only in the first few weeks. When u get your glow u can use only at night or whatever works for u. And anyway, I can guarantee that this is one product that will make u trash like HALF of your other products. All u need with this is cleanser and toner - simple!! it is DEFINITELY worth your while !!!! --------------AND IT CONTAINS SUNSCREEN!!!!!!!!!!

Nigerian sun is bad for anybody trying to lighten up. Ladies and Gentlemen(Some guys lighten too) please, buy pocket umbrellas and used them to shed yourself when you go into the sun.

I am currently using new makari CLEAR-ACNYL Whitening Cream for acne prone skin and my face looks super. I used CLEAR-ACNYL Whitening Cream in the day time and the Night Whitening Cream at night. Please in addition to your umbrellas use a sunblock on your face/body before you go out. Wish you all a good lightening experience. Ciao:-)

palmers cocoa butter formular with vitamin e is the bomb, no harmful chemicals
also venus skin tone creme is very ok!!

Mercury and Tura Cream

hello house,i am chocolate in colour,pls can any one tell me the cream and the soap that will match my skin?

I can only believe the best safe skin brightening and smooth skin can be achieved by following the tips listed on this site.
http://kenomie..com/2009/11/benefits-of-enhancing-your-skin-with.html

@soldee

sunscreen my foot,black people here rarely use sunscreen na u for nigeria wan use am,for your information your dark skin is your natural sunscreen

[flash=425,344]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TDKaHENSbw&hl=en_US&fs=1&[/flash]

my dear,having dark face sumtimes has to be as a result of xposure to the sun.but for me,its not normal becos i took my time to find out dat it cud be prevented.ther are sun screen  gel that you can use anyday u r saying out of the sun for so long.then dont eva use any HYDROQUINUINE CREAM cs dt worsens the situation.also wen choosen a cream,make sure it is written body and face cream cs the mistake we make most times is using body cream on the face.i ca recommend this body cream 4 u-fairlady moisturising,or multi action beautifying milk.plsssssssssssss dont use alcoholic cleanser on ur face.u can use NOXIMA AT NIGHT  B4 BED.tanx

soldee:


@ Moody Lay
I'm 31 years old and have lived all my life in naija. I travel out only for the holidays, only during summer, and I never stay more than three weeks - 'cos I end up missing home.

I LEARNED about using sunscreen to protect my skin when I was about 16 - then I never missed any edition of Cosmo - thanks to my big sis. (  some of us at home naijas really dont need to leave to be exposed  ). But then I thought sunscreen was for the oyinbos as per their skin is so delicate and prone to aging. I never for the life of me thought that dear old african skin needed any special care. I actually thought all I needed was to play with make up and I'll be fine. Now however, I'm a lot wiser. The earlier u take care of your skin, the longer it'll look better.

I know ure not recommending bleaching products for anyone, I neveer said u did. I only have a problem with your implied assumption, that if i want to get rid of dark grey shades it means i'm trying to ", use different soap or cream to lighten their face "

The topic of this thread actually stresses BRIGHTENING as opposed to lightening.

Like Suze says, naija has harsh sun all year round. Depending on where u are, u may need as much as an spf45 sunscreen, and those things are not even pleasant to use! imagine putiing that gunk OVER your regular face creme !!

Again, this thread is to help us dark skin beauties explore what works for black skin. A lot of info out there is for caucasians and asians. This is just a simple home-grown opportunity to share and help ourselves. So ladies please keep the skin and product info coming. Lets not turn this thread into a scoring ground.

[b]Meanwhile I had a local body polish treatment this weekend - WOW-. Its called halawa, done by hausa natives. It involved taking ALL the hair off my body with some sort of sugar dough - like 100 times less painful than sugar waxing!! then my body was scrubbed down with a local scrub (I'll get the ingredients list) and then I was POLISHED head to toe with a fragranced tumeric concotion. U wont believe the effect - I no fit shout!!!! So good I'm going to post the details here! The defuzzing must done by an expert sha, but the scrub and polish can be easily achieved by DIY. Amazing what local remedies can do for the skin - talk about Spa Experience - and for just 3k!!!
PS - It was done in my bedroom so I just walked int[/b]o my bathroom and showered off.

Please also post any local remedies here o

hi there i am so interested in the massage
pls where are you based
and can you get the cell no of the people that do it?
thanks

Meanwhile I had a local body polish treatment this weekend - WOW-. Its called halawa, done by hausa natives. It involved taking ALL the hair off my body with some sort of sugar dough - like 100 times less painful than sugar waxing!! then my body was scrubbed down with a local scrub (I'll get the ingredients list) and then I was POLISHED head to toe with a fragranced tumeric concotion. U wont believe the effect - I no fit shout!!!! So good I'm going to post the details here! The defuzzing must done by an expert sha, but the scrub and polish can be easily achieved by DIY. Amazing what local remedies can do for the skin - talk about Spa Experience - and for just 3k!!!
PS - It was done in my bedroom so I just walked into my bathroom and showered off.

Please also post any local remedies here o




gurllllll! i no fit wait for the details plssssssssss

Try some sheer butter mixd wit funbat A.it givs a smooth result.

Don't really understand why people would want to get lighter, dark skin rocks. Blemishes don't show as much on dark skin. I really hate winter, cos it makes me lighter (little irritating zit marks start showing up). Anyways, if your skin is naturally light and became dark cos of the sun, hormones, etc - then I totally understand your pain.

Didn't go through the previous posts, but every woman of color ought to use sunscreen or a lotion with spf 15-30, depending on the sunlight intensity where you live. I also heard Otentika has pretty good skin lightening products, you could check 'em out.

@ soldee
Thanks for the info. . . never knew about that. My Clinique foundation was produced A19 (January 2009?) - hope that isn't too old.

Soldee,that 'halawa' u talkin about.Hw cn i get ds done?I live in Edo state nd wuld luv 2 knw where i cn find people dt do it.thanks

here are some natural way ways to brighten the face egg whites ,lemon juice and honey as face mask.white aspirin mixed with few drops of water can also be used to exfoliate.

solde,where are you and what of the recipe for halawa!!!

ajike
pls where can i get that sugar scrub thingy done

need help? being having dark face. need to clear skin b4 meeting my husband.need quick results. [color=#770077][/color] HELP HELP HELP

you should visit this topic

[b][b]https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-313268.99999.html#bot[/b][/b]

waistline:

need help? being having dark face. need to clear skin b4 meeting my husband.need quick results. [color=#770077][/color] HELP HELP HELP

this is a NATURAL ,SAFE and real, i use it myself, infact i tried it this morning.people should quit using all these chemicals and bleaching creams and go for something natural,as these things in the long run will affect and mess up the skin.

get some honey and white flour, mix together and form a semi thick paste and rub on your skin,leave it on your skin for like 15 to 20 mins, then take your bath with mild warm water,works wonders

thanks. you sure this works . well i sit here with flour and honey on my face my kids think am insane.well at least i can lick it anyway i didn't want anything to bleach just rid of dark marks which appear on face of recent.

yep it does,natural stuff work and are less toxic than all those synthetic stuff,the only thing is that you might have to pay more attention to your eyes,the skin under your eyes,you cud apply more of the mixture there so that it blends with the rest of your face

ok,thanks,how often must I do this in the week.

@Ayo84, is this strictly for face or can b apply to d whole body, i mean from neck downward.

I used this weekend and it is very effective but my question is can i still use the left over?

Ayo84 pls where are u?

There are safe ways to bright and make your skin smooth . It only asks for your patience .
Here is the easiest way : press cucumber , take that liquid mix with some milk , soak yourself in half hour everyday.
Cucumber makes your skin bright , remove dead cells . Milk is wonderful natural moisture .
I am sure you will get beautiful bright and smooth skin . 

Hello nairalanders,pls can anyone tell me where I can get aveeno sunblock lotion for face spf70? I used it and it worked wonders for my face,and it also did a very good job as a sunscreen.haven't found it anywhere else,and the ones I've found are expired.does anyone know any shop in lagos that stocks this sunblock lotion? And not the expired ones pls!

I'll b so grateful for ur feedback.thanks!

Hello Ladies! (And gents if there are any)

I was reading through this post and I have to agree with Soldee. Sunscreen is the number one step in maintaining any complexion, especially in this Naija Sun. I've been a faithful sunscreen user for 6-7 years now and I cant go back. In fact I force everyone in my house to use it self. I know what you mean by wanting to brighten your skin safely and gently,. You need to exfoliate regularly and find gentle creams with arbutin, licorice, and vitamin c C. I've also been using papaya soap now for a while and it has worked wonders on my skin.

Living in Nigeria I've found that it can be hard to find products so I find do-it-yourself recipes online to make up my beauty routine. The one recipe that has never failed is a yogurt and honey mask. 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon of native honey. Put this on your face for 30 min or an hour and wash it off with warm water. I promise is you do this at least 2 times a week you won't regret it.

I also had same problem until I started using fair and white soap(AHA). It depends on ur skin type and colour there are diff types. I now use a very mild hand and body lotion(tho I got it from the states).the change was amazing. Only made me realise that all these chemicals called cream do more harm than good. Then try as much as possible to stay away from the sun. Sure u ll get positive result.