One of the benefits of personally knowing a facialist is that you can track not only your skin’s
From tired to baby face: facial with Su-Man
Tag: Su-Man Hsu
Glowing rejuvenation with Su-Man skincare
By far one of the easiest ways to look after your skin, combining it with the ‘me-time’, is to use face masks at home. Depending on your skin type and skin’s needs, integrating a mask into your weekly skincare ritual, is like being your own facialist. =&0=&, is a wonderful, no-nonsense facialist and her skincare products, appeal to women of various ages, but work particularly well for women upwards of 30. This month Su-Man launched her first face mask (notice the new, updated, packaging, which is eye-catching ), a labour of love and skill that took several years to complete, resulting in an effective and potent product that delivers results when the masking ritual is complete. So, what makes Su-Man Skincare =&1=& different from others on the market?
First of all, this mask contains advanced bio-cellulose technology, which mimics the 3D structure of the skin. Su-Man developed an intensive mask, fusing ancient wisdom with modern technology, which rejuvenates, hydrates, plumps and brightens your complexion, even after a single use.
Key Ingredients of the mask:
=&2=&: a powerful, mineral-rich antioxidant that has been used in Asia for centuries, it promotes a radiant, refreshed and soft complexion.
=&3=&: perfectly balanced minerals and vitamins help to revitalise the skin
=&4=& it soothes the skin and helps to hydrate & brighten it.
=&5=&: help to make your skin plumper and more supple.
=&6=&: it is a cosmetic peptide that is often used on sensitive skin, as it helps to decrease the release of the pro-inflammatory chemicals.
=&7=&: smaller in molecular composition than collagen, it penetrates the epidermis, helping to improve suppleness and moisture levels of the skin matrix, going deeper than skin’s top layer.
In addition, the mask also contains =&8=&, =&9=& and =&10=& that help the complexion glow well after you take the mask off, irrespective of your skin type.
When I read through the whole list of ingredients, 31 in total, I did ask Su-Man about certain of them, like =&11=&, which is one of the preservatives, supposed to be least irritatiing, =&12=& ( an anti-fungal preservative ) and =&13=& but Su-Man replied that when it comes to formulation of her products, she is always guided by the principle ‘do no harm’.
The mask comes in a package of four, each sealed in its own, individual pack. Each mask, once you open the exterior pack, comes in three parts – you need to remove & discard a protective layer from one side of the mask and apply it to cleansed, dry skin, carefully applying it over your face and correctly positioning eyes and mouth openings – if you are into mask ‘selfies’ with a slight sci-fi look, then it is a perfect candidate! Once you applied the mask all over your face, peel off outer protective layer and smooth the mask lightly, until it adheres completely to the contours of your face, becoming part of it, for ten to fifteen enjoyable minutes. It has a fairly quick cooling and plumping effect on the skin and doesn’t drip or slide off the face, even if you move around, instead of relaxing in the bath. Once the time is up ( I do leave it on for up to 30 minutes sometimes ), remove and discard the mask and take the time to examine your rejuvenated complexion in front of the mirror, while gently massaging the remaining mask essence into the skin.
One of the things that I really like about this mask, is that it gently hugs and adhere to the contours of the face, via a delicate network of plant-based ingredients and fibres, that aid in delivering smoothness, plumpness and luminosity to your complexion.
During my testing of this mask, I also asked my mother to be my mask volunteer tester and I have to report that we both came back with the same comment – our complexions looked plumper and dewier, even and well hydrated, so much so, that we both went to bed without applying anything else to our faces and woke up with plump, hydrated faces that looked fresh , even though we both went to bed late the night before. This mask can be used weekly, as a quick and convenient mini-facial for revitalising a tired or de-hydrated complexion. Su-Man also told me that you can warm the mask prior to application, by placing it, still in its exterior packaging, in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes ( don’t place it in the microwave !) and then using it in colder, winter months for enhanced pampering ritual, especially if you have been our skiing at high altitudes for example – this one I am still to put to the test, but I am definitely taking a couple with me for my sea summer break.
Personally I belong to the school of thought that certain beauty rituals are better done ‘in private’ and not in front of our other halves, making this mask is a great treat when your other half is away or out or you are having a night in or are traveling with your female family members or girlfriends, for example on a hen weekend or girly getaway. A radiant complexion gives us all a wonderful confidence boost and will make your other half appreciate your radiant glow too.
Su-Man Facial Glow Rejuvenating Mask
Facial with Su-Man Hsu
This year I have read many great reviews and mentions of
facialist
Innovative skincare from Su-Man Hsu: part two, products
People who develop skincare have to wear a lot of hats and face many challenges but I find it particularly interesting when different philosophies get combined and together produce powerful results. Su-Man Hsu was born & raised in Taiwan but she has spent many years working in Europe and when she developed her skincare products ( six in total to start with because six is considered to be a perfect number by Chinese people ) she combined the best of Eastern and Western practises. You start with the simple packaging, white paper boxes with the golden ‘S’ and purple ‘Su-Man’ lettering and then you get the products out, not necessarily expecting to be surprised but then you start testing the products you notice the smell and the texture and your journey of this skincare ( ” An elegant warrior that dances on your skin until the light shines through” alluding to Su-Man’s ability to combine two passions, for dance and for skincare ) begins in earnest.
Purifying Cleansing Gel-Oil, 125 mls, £40 ( suitable for all skin types ),‘: what surprised me from the word go’ was the texture of this cleansing oil – it looks a feels like a slightly thicker moisturiser but as soon as you apply it you notice the beautiful glow that it imparts on the skin. This cleanser is a hybrid, combining the oil and the water-based-gel and aims to clear the make-up and the dirt from your skin thoroughly, yet without stripping the skin. The gel-oil easily glides over your skin, feeling as if it is melting into it. Wintergreen, rosehip and dragon’s blood extract ( you can read in more detail about the ingredients in part one here ) is clean the pores from accumulated impurities and help protect your complexion from the environmental aggressors we all experience daily, whether we live in the city or in the countryside. You can use this product to remove your eye make-up and it works well on removing mascara as well ( I tend to wear one coat, so in my experience this cleansing oil is truly effective at removing it, as well as the eye-shadow ).
Apply a pea-sized amount to the dry skin and massage it in, ‘waking up’ & energising the circulation. Then rinse it off with warm , not hot water ( as you add water the clear gel-oil turns from clear to white colour ) and pat skin gently dry. You will notice a subtle glow to your skin, even before you apply your serum or moisturiser.My skin felt soft to the touch – a first step in the skincare routine in the right direction.
Another practical point is that the lid is twistable, so you can use it in the shower or pack it into your beauty bag in the suitcase without the worry that is will leak.
Su-Man Hsu Exfoliating Facial Polish, 125 mls, £40:
Innovative skincare from Su-Man Hsu: part one, ingredients
It’s always interesting to review skincare products that are developed by an experienced facialist, especially the one who combines Eastern and Western practises, like Su-Man Hsu. I have heard a beauty editor talk in hushed tones about Su-Man’s facial technique and results achieved and recently saw her work magic on women getting onto her treatment bed, one after another, at Su-Man’s stand at the Anti-Ageing Show in Olympia yesterday. With her petit dancer’s frame, beautiful unlined face with not a blemish or imperfection in sight and wearing a mask, like a dentist, she vigorously massaged women’s faces with her wonderfully nimble fingers and the skin came alive before your eyes. Watching Su-Man in action, from the sideline, you also can’t help but notice Su-Man’s work practise: she hardly stops for breath, attending to every client, focussing on them as if there was no-one else around in that moment in time.
It took Su-Man eighteen months to finalize her formulations and make sure the products were ready to be launched ( that’s after years of practising her massage technique and mixing her own lotions and potions in her own kitchen, to use during the treatments that she gave to her clients ). The actual skincare product formulations were created by Taiwanese and French specialists, so like with her facial treatment, Su-Man combined the best knowledge and launched six products last year. Originally I thought to write one article, telling you about Su-Man and reviewing her product line but the more I used the products, the longer the article became in my head, so in order to make it worth your while, I thought I would tell you in a little bit of detail about core product line ingredients in part one and then review Su-Man’s products in part two.
– Dragon’s blood ( don’t evoke a Chinese warrior slaying dragons in order to make sure you remain young and beautiful. It is used in five of Su-Man’s products, excluding Rehydrating Toning Essence )is a red resin sap that is extracted from the Sangre de Drago tree that grown in the Amazon rainforest. It helps to protect, heal the skin, as well as increase skin’s protective barrier, elasticity and firmness.
– Coffee extract ( used in Exfoliating Facial Polish ): in addition to its anti-inflammatory and firming properties, coffee helps to ‘wake-up the skin and helps reduce puffiness ( it has diuretic properties when it comes to our body ), dark circles and redness.
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