Some Review on Tanamera & Madara

I'm neither beauty queen nor beauty expert, but would just like to share...

TANAMERA

Here are some of the Tanamera products that I've tried recently - the Scalp and Hair Revitaliser (hair conditioner), Scalp Cleanser (shampoo), Mild Facial Wash and Rose Floral Water.

1. The Scalp & Hair Revitaliser

The conditioner has a very pleasant fragrance. It's said to be made of 100% plant-based ingredients. The conditioner is mild yet effective to tame down frizzes and reduces tangles.

Usage-wise, the conditioner needs to be left on the hair for about 5 minutes and the portion depends on the length or thickness of your hair. When my hair used to be at shoulder length, I'd use about 5 pumps per application.

From my experience, this conditioner works generally well. Unlike normal hair conditioners that aren't scalp-friendly the scalp, this one doesn't irritate the scalp.

2. Scalp Cleanser

The shampoo has a mild citrus-like fragrance. I could feel that it cleanses the scalp very well by taming down greasiness. No doubt that a bit of oil is crucial, but excessive oil often causes hair to look flat and limp.

It's best to use the shampoo together with the conditioner, or the Hair Treatment Cream, or both. Especially if your hair has undergone chemical treatment such as perming/straightening/colouring. From my personal experience, using the shampoo alone without the conditioner made my then chemical-treated hair a little dry.

I cut my hair short recently, and only partially-straightened (intended to be so). I'm sometimes lazy to apply conditioner on my hair. But it's ok so far, maybe because my hair is in a better condition compared to when it was long.

3. Mild Facial Wash
One of the key ingredients of this facial cleanser is hibiscus. The texture of it is just as described by its name - mild.

I've got a combination skin of oiliness at the T-zone, while other zones such as the cheeks are neither oily nor dry.

In order to create better balance, I prefer using the facial wash in the morning while the Tanamera black facial soap is reserved for the evening. The Black Soap is more suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.

4. Rose Floral Water (or distillate)

The lavender water that I bought previously is almost finishing. This time, I decided to try the rose water instead. The rose water has a much stronger scent compared to lavender.

I only use the floral water as toner. So far so good.

MADARA

A post on the Madara Ecoface Deep Purifying Foam is long overdue as it's been a while ago since I bought it.

Availability

This product is not widely sold, and is limited to mostly organic skin care shops such as Body Bar (the one I went to is located at Tropicana City Mall in PJ).

Features

The Madara facial foam is certified organic by Ecocert. Among the ingredients used to make the facial foam are rose water, calendula, chamomile, yarrow and Baltic St John's wort. Madara comes from Latvia, formerly part of Soviet Union.

The facial foam is surprisingly very nice! I like it because it's very mild, smooth and didn't hurt my eyes even some of it entered my eyes on an occasion when I carelessly didn't close my eyes when in the process of rinsing. Each wash takes 2 pumps of foam.

How did I land myself with Madara

There's this day when I went hunting for facial wash. I randomly went into Body Bar to have a look. I asked the sales person what's suitable for sensitive skin, yet cleanses effectively. And preferably free from harsh chemicals such as Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

A Soon-to-be-mom? I'm not

I must have worn the wrong type of dress that day, as I was mistaken for being in maternity. The salesperson told "... there are two types of facial washes.... the foam and the gel.... since you're in your maternity, I'd recommend the foam because it's gentler because your skin may be a little sensitive at this stage...".

I didn't try to correct the salesperson that I wasn't pregnant (I wasn't even married then), I just kept quiet and said "Ok, I'll try this". Luckily the salesperson spoke softly and my then-bf-now-husband who's together with me in the shop didn't hear it, or else imagine the possible blush on our faces.

Cost

Price-wise, it's inexpensive on the whole. It's not very cheap either, but reasonable. RM88 for a bottle of facial wash (not the Lancome, Shiseido or SKII category) may sound a little costly, but the fact that a bottle lasts for more than 6 months means on the average, it's RM14.70 monthly. Even the average price of a normal tube of facial wash from the drugstore costs between RM14 - 25 each, and lasts for 1 or 2 months.