What To Buy From Iherb

Sometimes online shopping is fun, and sometimes the mere thought of going through the entire (vast) selection of products is just so tiring. Iherb is a site that I've been obsessed with lately and it strikes me as one of those sites that lie in the tiring realm of online shopping so I thought I'd give you a hand. I want to talk about Iherb because I'm really very impressed by the selection, quality, pricing and speed of shipping (international shipping is USD$4!!!) - I really think that they're a great business and deserve to be shared with the world and I'm not being paid or anything.

So, first things first. Head to www.iherb.com. This is what you see.

Admittedly, the site looks somewhat shady, what with the comic sans iHerb.com logo. But have no fear, they're really reliable!

1) Start surfing - iherb's like an online supermarket + pharmacy. I've really only scoured the Bath & Beauty section, but there's plenty of food and supplements to be found.

2) Add things to cart or wishlist.

3) Check Specials to see what's on sale for the week and Trials for super good deals like 50c lipbalms. There used to be Freebies where the lipbalms come free but it seems that they've been incorporated into Trials.

3) Checkout and choose shipping! I usually choose Singpost shipping (yay Singapore!) because it's incredibly affordable at USD$4, and allows me to purchase up to 14 pounds of items. I've never gone above USD$50 for any of my... 8 previous orders (yupp! iherb addict!) so I'm not entirely sure what the tax systems are or if there are even any. It seems as though the price you see at checkout is your final cost. Also! Singpost shippings says that it takes 4-8 days to arrive but in my experience I usually get my items in 5 days which is incredibly quick considering it's literally flying across the world from North America to Singapore! I've even had my parcel delivered on a Sunday before too though I think that was a one off event. Amazing amazing service.

4) Iherb stores your credit card information, so you can click reorder or just check out a next order without re-entering credit card information again which makes it uber convenient (and potentially dangerous for impulse buyers like me).

5) Sit tight for your very well packaged parcel! All liquids are taped and ziplock bagged, glass is wrapped in meters of wrapping paper, and there's usually a weird free gift like measuring tape or stationary.

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So now that the how to's out of the way, let's move on to what I've actually bought and what's good (and not) to purchase. Not all of what I've bought is in the picture, just the bits and pieces I had within arm's length so that I don't come off as a crazy person who buys too many things.

The beauty products available on Iherb have reviews that make them sound like products God himself made and beamed to earth and that makes me kind of want everything (ha, sucker) but it would do lots of good to take the miraculous reviews with a pinch of salt.

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THE AWESOME

Organic Extra Virgin Oil is super yummy, can be a cooking oil replacement, used as butter and apparently helps to increase metabolism rates and improve memory. Can also be used as a makeup remover (comodogenic though, so not advisable), hair conditioner, body moisturizer... the list goes on. It's also really expensive in Singapore and incredibly hard to find so I really appreciate finding it at such a reasonable price on Iherb.

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is an acquired taste. I have come to be able to just mix just this and water and drink it as a juice of sorts. It's supposed to help with heart burn or indigestion, also can be consumed in the morning to cleanse the body. I've read of people using Apple Cider Vinegar in DIY toners, even as shampoo! Make sure you get the Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother (make sure the vinegar is cloudy) as the Mother is supposed to be the beneficial part! This can be found in Singapore supermarkets quite easily, but a bottle is easily around the SGD$10 mark.

There was a point in time I figured that my acneface was due to a poorly functioning liver. As that period of time was before my intensive thesis year, I decided to try some supplements that targeted my liver and the Now Foods Liver Detoxifier & Regenerator had the most positive reviews. I liked it enough to purchase a 2nd larger bottle, and I did feel like some of my acne cleared up, as well as increased energy levels. I wouldn't go as far to call it a miracle in a bottle, but a healthy functioning liver ensures a clean body! Milk thistle supplements like these cost a bomb in Singapore, upwards of SGD$80 for a bottle of the same size for reference.

The God of all clay masks the Queen Helen Mint Julep Masque is my ultimate favourite clay mask in terms of effectiveness vs cost. I've repurchased this time and again, and considering that Watsons sells it for SGD$10, I'm really happy to be able to purchase it for only half of that price! I love the minty smell, and also am fascinated by all the oil spots pulled out by this mask after. I'm gross that way.

Alba Botanical Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask is a very gentle, slightly tingly face mask that requires only 5 mins (say the instructions) on the face to let the papaya enzymes do their gentle exfoliating work, and then washed off to reveal brighter smoother skin. It's not a traditional clay or cream mask, rather it's an interestingly green gel that gives off the most wonderful pineapple scent. I like to leave it on longer than 5 mins, and even when left on for half an hour I saw no adverse effects. Though I can't say I saw smoother or brighter skin, I did find that it was extremely easy to extract any whiteheads/bumps after using this mask and my skin was indeed softer. Some might say that the enzyme works the same way as an AHA, but I don't find glycolic acids make extractions easier.

If you're not into face oils yet, the Mad Hippie Antioxidant Facial Oil is a good place to start. It is mainly argan oil, and is chock full of other beneficial fruit extracts. It's not too heavy an oil, and absorbs quickly leaving smooth, soft skin. I use this under makeup in the day time with no problems. A plus is that it smells of citrus heaven!

Ever heard of the wonders of Vitamin C when applied topically? If you haven't, Vitamin C brightens the skin substantially and increases collagen production in the skin. If you aren't using a vitamin C product, you should probably give it a go. However, be careful because Vitamin C breaks down very quickly when in contact with water (quickly: a week or so) and turns yellow (has oxidized). Imagine paying big bucks for a Vitamin C serum that goes bad in a week or has no control over the preservatives in the serum? Also there are close to no cheap vitamin C solutions on the market. Now Foods Vitamin C Crystals Powder allows you to DIY your own Vitamin C Serum for cents. It's literally the Vitamin C Crystals, a humectant (glycerin, hyaluronic acid) and water. And you can control the intensity of Vitamin C in it. This bottle will last you forever and ever.

Another DIY serum can be made with Doctor's Best Best MSM Powder. Apparently it does wonders for ice pick scars. I didn't want to buy a MSM cream because it would contain all kinds of fillers so I opted for the pure way. Pinch of MSM powder, drizzle water, apply to face. My one serious ice pick scar hasn't filled out, but given that it's 3 years old I didn't expect it to. What I've seen is that it's gotten shallower. I've seen even more improvement using the Hadacrie, so I have high hopes! Apparently ingesting MSM also helps with energy issues as well as softer skin - this is extremely bitter and I could not find a way to mask the bitterness so I've stopped taking it orally.

Bee Naturals Queen Bee Facial Polish is a powder that can be mixed with any face wash to form a scrub. The idea is simply genius because I have no favourite scrubs and I can just shake (the packaging is like a seasoning powder, neat) this powder into my favourite face wash for a good scrub. It smells like lavender, has a texture like baking soda so I assume that it's a micro-exfoliant. I was wowed the first time I used this, it was so gentle on my skin I assumed it wasn't doing much, then I washed it off and looked into the mirror. BAM my skin was so much brighter and even toned, I haven't seen my face so clear in eons. Highly recommend this.

I've been wanting to try the Real Techniques brush collection for a really long time. I'd been eying the collections on iherb because they're the cheapest I could find anywhere, even in London they're more expensive. So when the iherb had a 20% off all Real Techniques brushes (yes you heard me right, 20% off the cheapest retail price), I jumped at the opportunity to purchase the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. All. Expectations. Met. Regret. Not. Buying. More. 

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THE DECENT

Source Naturals Skin Eternal Serum is a very recent buy of mine and is supposed to be anti-aging. Yupp, I've hit the 2-5 and anti-aging starts now. It apparently contains the same ingredients as a certain Dr Perricone Wrinkle Product but at a fraction of the cost. It's feels extremely nourishing and seems to plump out my one deep laugh line, but does leave my face with a shiny layer so I prefer it for night use only.

I purchased the Aura Cacia Organic Tamanu Oil when I read about Tamanu Oil as the one magical oil that will cure all my skin problems. It's supposed to help fade pigmentation and dry out acne yet moisturize the face at the same time (how that works I'll never know). What I do know is that it's a very thick GREEN GREEN GREEN oil that tints my face green. Helloooooo Wicked Witch of the West. It also stings my eyes if it accidentally seeps in. It did moisturize my face but took all night to sink into the skin and is simply impossible to use in the day if I was heading out. Also did not see much improvement in the pigmentation and acne but who knows, it might work for someone else!

Aura Cacia Harmanizing Grapeseed Oil is an oil higher in linoleic acid than oleic acid. An oil with high linoleic acid is good for acne prone skin because skin deficient in linoleic acid cause sebum to stick to the skin and hence result in clogged pores. It is also an astringent oil (yup, huh what? was my reaction as well) it might possibly dry out skin as well. I like the light texture of grapeseed oil but since I haven't done much testing the jury is still not out on this. Good oil and affordable enough to play around though. 

Heritage Products Castor Oil is also another affordable oil to play around it. Used in oil-cleansing (to mix with carrier oil for a deeper cleanse) and with a multitude of other uses such as eyelash conditioner.

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THE OKAY

Morningstar Minerals Derma Boost Rejuvenating Spray Mist has rave reviews but I never actually saw the benefits. It sure is refreshing though and strangely enough, when sprayed on aching/tense muscles from sitting too long at the computer, alleviated the tenseness.

Nubian Heritage African Black Soap Bar is supposed to be great for acneface. I don't find that this cleanses particularly well and I feel like I end up with a filmy layer on my skin after using this bar soap on my hands. What I do like however is the super intense orange (?) smell that this soap seems to be infused with. For a few months my entire bathroom was scented when I left the soap exposed. Even if you don't use this as a soap, it's great as a room scent!

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THE NUH UHS

Don't buy the Life Flo Health Retinol A 1% Advanced Revitalization Cream unless you've used retinols before. I've been dealing with extreme skin sensitivity the past month or so and though I don't physically get any reactions when I use this product, I think it damaged my skin barrier/thinned my skin such that my skin reacts to anything and everything. By react I mean a great red rash that evolves to dry flaking rash and that was not a pretty sight.

Derma E Refining Vitamin A and Glycolic Toner is highly highly scented. So much it made me stare at my cotton pad for a while before deciding to use this on my face. Not the best toner I've ever used, the glycolic acid in this didn't seem to have any effect. Then I read Paula Begoun's review on it that said that it's potentially irritating and harmful to the skin and that the glycolic acid content was too low and at the wrong PH to work so I. Binned. It. and moved on with my life.

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WANTS

I'm still on a perfect oil hunt so the exotic oils like the Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Oil and Acure Organics Marula Oil have really caught my eye. On the other end of the spectrum, I'm also tempted to try the Mayumi Squalene which is supposed to mimic sebum on the skin so that the skin doesn't overproduce sebum. The Badger Company Damascus Rose with Lavender and Chamomile Antioxidant Face Oil just sounds and looks so luxurious. It is supposed to be a dupe for the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate but I already have the Kiehl's so I'm holding off for now.

In the exfoliation department, the Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle seems to be a favourite of many of the skincareaddiction thread redditors. The Earth Science Active Age Defence A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator also seems like an intriguing product that combines both AHAs and BHAs for the complete exfoliation experience.

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Ahhhhh so many wants so little cash and only one sensitive face. I hope I've managed to sieve out some of the more exciting products in the beauty department as most of the posts I've read online seem to concentrate on food stuffs.

If you are intrigued by any of the products I've posted about and are a first time customer at iherb, feel free to use my referral code JMH090 which gives you USD$5 off your first order, or USD$10 if your order is USD$40 or more. I have no idea what it does for me (probably earns me cents I guess?) but it's definitely savings for you!

Have fun shopping and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!