Hello, my name is Coreenna Ong. Welcome to my blog!
One of my favorite quotes is by Gerarde, the renowned 15th century English herbalist. He said, “God of His infinite goodness and bounty hath, by the medium of plants, bestowed almost all food, clothing and medicine upon man.”
As a teenager, I found out by chance that besides adding flavor and nutrients to food, herbs can be used in skincare to get rid of pimples. You see, after my ‘O’ levels, I suffered from a bout of acne breakouts. After trying all kinds of medication and over-the-counter anti-acne treatment, my skin became dry and reddish and my acne condition did not seem to improve. As a last resort, I turned to herbs. I figured if there are herbs that can get rid of sore throats, stomachaches, etc, surely there are herbs that can get rid of pimples as well, right?
So after some hasty research, I threw together several Chinese herbs which were supposed to have detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties, boiled them with water and simply used the herbal water like a facial cleanser-cum-toner everyday. Surprisingly and happily, the concoction worked and my acne cleared up progressively over the next few weeks.
That experience plus more than a decade of working hands-on with herbs almost everyday made me realize how true Gerarde’s remark is. I’m grateful for this opportunity to discover the amazing qualities of herbs and botanicals in skin care.
Through this blog, I hope to be able to share more about what I’ve learnt with you. Plus, I think this is also a great way to stay in touch with my friends and customers!
Peace and God Bless.
Love,
Coreenna
Hi Coreenna,
Love your blog. Very informative and intelligent. Keep up the good work!
Love,
Liz
Answering on a blog commonly is not my thing, but i’ve spent an hour on your web site, so thanks for the hot info Greetings.
Your story sounds good… wonder whats the ingredients(herbs) u put into that original anti acne liquid?
Dear Elison,
The original ingredients are herbs which I bought from Eu Yan Sang. They include:
1. Bai Jiang Can (dried silk worms)
2. Niu Bang Zi (burdock seeds)
3. Tao Ren (Peach Kernel seeds)
4. Ku Shen (
How to prepare:
1. Wash the herbs.
2. Crush the tao ren and niu bang zi
3. Soak all the herbs in water for 30 minutes.
4. Bring the herbs, including water used for soaking herbs to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Allow to cool completely.
6. Strain to remove herbs. Store the liquid is a clean, dry bottle. Store in the fridge and use within 3 to 5 days.
7. To apply, simply pat onto your face after cleansing. Pat until your skin has absorbed the liquid completely.
Hope the above helps!
Love,
Coreenna
Thanks for your comments. Glad you have enjoyed my blog.
Dear Coreenna,
Thanks so much for your quick and prompt reply! I will try that on this coming wkend and shall let u know of the outcome!
BTW, i got ur book, nature’s spa which holidayig in Kota Kinnabalu, Sabah Malaysia. Ur book is very interesting and i found myself hooked.
I tried out the Almond Milk Mask. It was good, felt skin smoother and less sensitive. Instead of adding warm milk, i actually replaced with natural yoghurt. Works well!
I love the almond meal so much that i’ve been using it as a cleanser (with yoghurt as a cleansing base). I find it mild and gentle as a exfloliant.
I’m going to try the imperial whitening mask and jade lady lightening mask too.
Can i use a mask every night?
Dear Elison,
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Glad that you like my book and find the recipes useful. I shall also try out your adaptation of the almond milk mask recipe with natural yogurt! Thanks for letting me know!
As for the masks, the imperial whitening mask is pretty strong. Since your skin is sensitive at the moment, i would suggest that you start with once per week. The jade lady lightening mask is more gentle so you can use it more often, say up to 3 times per week. In the beginning, go slow and build up your skin’s strength gradually to adapt to these masks. E.g. Use a mask on alternate nights, and a different mask each time. If you find that your skin can handle it, you can then increase the frequency of masking.
Love,
Coreenna