For this installment of Local Finds Thailand, I am presenting to you 3 affordable skincare items that I purchased from Watsons: a multipurpose balm, a face toner, and a hand & nail cream. All of which I’ve been using for many months now and can attest to their awesomeness! :)

Fix Organic Paw Paw and Manuka Honey Balm

Fix Organic Paw Paw and Manuka Honey Balm is a multipurpose balm made from Paw Paw (papaya), Manuka honey, and coconut oil. All ingredients are certified organic with no chemical additives so it is 100% safe to use anywhere on the body including on the lips. The papaya (with its papain enzyme) helps in skin exfoliation, the Manuka honey is great for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits, and lastly the coconut oil provides intense moisture to the skin.

It can be used in so many ways. For example,

to replenish moisture on dry, chapped lips, and cracked skin
to ease pain and heal cuts, scrapes, burns, and wounds
to relieve itchy and irritated skin

Basically this is a handy balm that I grab whenever I have skin problems! When I have dry lips from wearing too much staining tints, I apply a thin coat all over my lips at night and would always wake up with soft and supple lips. When my hands are so dry from washing them so many times a day, I mix it with my nighttime hand cream and massage my hands together and I’d wake up with softer hands. Also lately when my face is dry and peeling from acne medications, I dab a little bit of this balm on the dry spots and overnight they’re gone. One time I had a severe itch on my ankle from a mosquito bite, and this balm relieved me from the itching pain in minutes! The only small con is it has such a thick and sticky texture so you have to melt it between your hands/fingers before application. The stickiness will remain sticky for some time, too, so I like to use it at night. Other than that, it is truly a multipurpose product that I think everyone should always carry one with! :) [Made in Australia]

Bancream Tropical Essence Star Fruit Toner

For the last few years I have used nothing but my homemade apple cider vinegar (acv) as my face toner (cheap and effective). The smell is terrible I admit but over time my nose kind of got used to it and it never bothered me anymore. The acidity of the vinegar helps balance the skin’s pH so it retains its acid mantle to fight off germs while simultaneously dissolving away dead skin cells. For anyone suffering from blemishes and acne marks, I highly recommend looking into making your own acv toner as it has helped me tremendously in getting my skin back to its healthy self again.

This star fruit toner works in a similar way to the acv as it also contains high amount of AHAs. For anyone who prefers buying premade fermented toner, then I think this is a good alternative. Many people reported its unbearable smell but to me, I don’t know, maybe I’m so used to the much more terrible smell of the acv that the smell of this star fruit toner doesn’t even bother me at all. In fact, I barely smell anything from it! I’ve been using both the acv and star fruit toner in rotation. I like to think that my acv is more of a heavy-duty toner whereas the star fruit toner is more of a gentler approach. Fermented apples, fermented star fruits, well, I love ’em both! :) [Made in Thailand]

Yoko Mixed Berries Hand & Nail Cream

Working in an infectious disease lab, my hands are exposed to rubber gloves and harsh chemicals all the time. Certain parts of my hands have also become hardened from handling too much pipettes and lab equipment. They are constantly dry and I have to moisturize them whenever I can. I go through hand creams like I go through water. I’m starting to think that I can finish a tube faster than anyone can! I have so many hand creams I’m currently using and this Yoko Mixed Berries Hand & Nail Cream is my newest addition. The best part of this cream has to be the scent! It smells like yummy berry yoghurt. So good I wish I could eat it. :D

It is formulated with all kinds of skin-loving ingredients such as mixed berries, shea butter, sweet almond oil, and collagen proteins. Texture-wise, it is very smooth and slightly silicone-y so it massages well into the skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves a slight matte finish which is something I prefer in a hand cream. I hate it when hand creams rub off and cause oily smudges all over the next thing I touch! I like to mix a little bit of the Fix Organic Paw Paw and Manuka Honey Balm with this hand cream so my hands are conditioned all night long. :) [Made in Thailand]

I like it when I stumble upon hidden gems from my local beauty supply stores. I get to discover so many amazing products with prices that won’t break the bank. Please stay tuned for my next installment to see what I’ll discover next!