All my bags were packed and I'm ready to go. I was already anticipating this trip for a month! 

To where, you ask? Thanks to Papulex Asia, I was off for a weekend retreat back to nature and tranquility in the lush outbacks of Malacca.

Waking up early on a Saturday morning for this roadtrip

After two hours on the road, we arrived our destination – The Philea Resort & Spa, Melaka – at noon.

It was a enormous and superbly furnished eco-resort which boasted authentic pine-log architecture and rustic interior design.

Here are some photos I shot of The Philea's interor :

Lobby/waiting area/drinks area

Bar/Lounge Area

Outdoor concourse

There was a water feature fringing the resort with the MOST amount of Koi fish I've ever seen

These fishes respond to vibration and sound very attentively, as it was their cue to feeding time.

We teased the fishes and tapped the glass walls at different spots so as to confuse them teehee!

Me standing by the pond. You can hardly see the Koi but the school of fishes came in massive numbers.

Jessicat wears : Leopard print laced-back tank by TopShop | Denim shorts by Forever 21 |

Cap in nude by Hard Rock Cafe | Accessories from a bazaar in Bangkok |

Tote Bag from a bazaar in Singapore | High Top Sneakers in white by Converse

It was time to begin our day in Malacca with an ice-breaking and introductory session.

A light brunch was provided before Papulex Asia started the ball rolling.

So happy there was a wide array of Lipton tea!

I'm such a tea fag I almost wanted to take all the sachets to drink later 

A picture with the girls, Shazwani and Ivy during the ice-breaking session

After the introductory session, we were all required to play a game which involved teamwork.

That ever-popular form the longest line with everything and everything you have on you.

My team mate QuaChee and I forming our line

My other team mate Hafiz and I continuing our line!

Being one to be competitive, I removed all my bangles, rings, earrings, parts of my clothes and more LOL

Here are some of the items from our team and the other team

Lining them all up!
 

When it was all over and done with – well almost, as nobody wanted to strip their clothing off haha! – the longest line was measured and our team won!! Hurrah! 

We did well; I'm so proud. The three of us hit it off well in pushing for the longest line. Think EVERYTHING : cellphones, belts, socks, and yes, even shoelaces haha!

With my team mates QuaChee and Hafiz posing by our line of items

Fun times had to come to an end. It was now time for the more serious part of this session.

The sharing session, the experience, the history and our past with regards to this campaign and more.

My essentials for the mini seminar provided by The Philea 

Me sharing a little bit more about myself, my point of view and the battles I fought against acne

All of us Papulex Truthseekers – Team Malaysia!

Once that was over, it was already mid afternoon and our tummies were growling.

Lunchtime was at one of the restaurants in the hotel, with a continental concept – Cravo Cravo

Hafiz and I goofing around while walking over to lunch

Spotted this giant wooden throne with a ship steering helm at the entrance of Cravo Cravo!

Couldn't resist a photo with it.

The continental and Asian fare in Cravo Cravo left me spoilt for choice.

It was amazing how endless the selection can get. Here are some of the dishes from the buffet :

Bite-sized goodness

Carved roast beef

Desserts

Here are some of the stuff I took for myself

I didn't bother taking photos of the main meals as I was already hungry and couldn't wait to dig in

Lunchtime at the long table saw us catching up with each other and talking about everything under the sun.

Before we knew it, it was time to check into our rooms.

Got our room key-card and guest booklet!

The Philea sent us a chauffeur to take us to our rooms which was located at another zone of the resort.

We occupied two buggies to be driven off further into nature!

Bye! We were about to adjourn!

As the buggy drove deeper and deeper into what felt like a secluded bay of pristine forest giants with waterfalls cascading along stone walls and gigantic, lush greeneries engulfing me, I knew this weekend would be the most serene and tranquil one I've had so far this year.

Here are some photos of the short journey to my room:

Along the cobblestone walkway towards the chalets

Beautiful pine-log cabins fringed the gravel path

Roaring waterfalls at the bridge and swimming area

Steps leading towards the bridge

An aerial view of the swimming area (adult and children)

Weather-worn, wooden fence posts covered by damp moss from the morning drizzle

Approaching my cabin shortly!

What I'd typically do the moment I arrived

Wow looks like they know me pretty well, putting a giant convex mirror in front of my cabin

Haha kidding! It's obviously a security measure to allow buggies to see each other lest they collide at one of the many bends in this nature resort. 

Quite coincidentally, my cabin was right in front of the gym and the spa. Can they read my mind or what?

My home in the woods for the weekend!

I climbed the wooden staircase; they didn't creak as I had expected it to, and no gnomes were in sight.

Okay, I think I get taken away by fairy tales sometimes.

The moment I stepped into my cabin, my jaw hung with astoundment and I knew for a fact that my eyes were gleaming in delight. Was this really where I was going to be put up for the next two days? 

Here, be amazed for yourself!

My king-sized bed!

My desk!

My bathroom! (It had a  giant bath too, so you can be sure that I had a hot bubble-bath thereafter)

I jumped on the bed, stretched like a yawning cat on my comfy bed and watched some telly

What am I doing? I don't even watch telly. At all.

Perhaps its the holiday mindset that's doing this to me. Haha!

We were required to gather at the outdoor concourse for a treasure hunt game.

Being briefed on the rules before we set-off on our hunt

Here's my task!

I was brimming with energy and adrenalin caught me on a choke-hold the moment I read it.

Always up for a good game, I had one goal in mind – to win this challenge! 

The fastest, most alert and smartest player will win. I hope it'll be me.

(Okay, I didn't know this is how I look when I run. So unglam LOL)

My closest rival was QuaChee.

We always found the next clues at the same time and as a fellow fitness buff, he was pretty darn quick too

We raced to the finish line and sprinted all the way! In the end, he won the challenge.

Great job! Good game, mate 

Perspiring heavily and sapped off our energy levels,

I reckon we were looking like zombie grub by the end of the afternoon

Game over. That was a good exercise. It gave me exactly the rush I needed.

I think I pretty much crashed on the bed by the time I trudged all the way back to my cabin.

But I recharged quickly and dressed down for an evening dip at the giant swimming pool!

It's time to work the cardio in the swimming pool today!

The swimming pool was mine and mine to dominate!

Waddling in the pool like a duck, swimming like a puppy and

lying on my back floating allowing the world to pass me by

Hey, it isn't everyday I just take a weekend away from the busy city to do absolutely nothing but relax.

The team behind Papulex Asia are amazing. Knowing that stress, tension and dirty/dusty city environment does contribute to acne and pimples, this weekend getaway to be one with nature was perfectly what we needed.

QuaChee and I in the pool

Walked back to my cabin after that fulfilling swim and had a long, hot bubble-bath.

I think I fell asleep at some point. Aromatherapy and relaxation does that to me.

We set off for dinner at another one of The Philea's restaurants – Bayu Cabana by the scenic river front and pool side. We had a warm and scrumptious steamboat meal altogether!

All of us!

The desserts stole my heart 

All of us enjoyed the dinner which seemed to keep coming and coming!

The chef kept refilling our steamboat pot and even helped me break open my crab. Yeah, I fail on all levels peeling crabs and prawns. How sad, I know. But he was nice enough to offer!

What's a weekend without good music and a few drinks? I had my favourite

White Russian at Chiillout Bar with some of the rest who was up for sprucing up their Saturday night

I headed back to my cabin a little after midnight.

Spent some me-time writing a few blog posts and surfing all my social media channels before I said goodnight to my fluffy pillows and crisp white sheets. I had the bed all to myself!

Had a good sleep, I must say, as I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

For once, it felt different to wake up to the sweet melody of the birds in the morning, chirping of crickets and opening your windows to the smell of fresh, moist dew instead of being rudely awaken by cars blaring their honks or clanging from a nearby construction site.

Breakfast at another one of their restaurants – Nusantara!
 

Their fare presented an impressive choice of both international and Asian cuisines.

There were so much to choose from and I had breakfast like a King!

My breakfast! I couldn't finish it all 

We gathered at the al-fresco lounge and waited for the session with Dr. Hew Yin Keat, a professional skin specialist.

He's also the owner and Medical Director of M.A.C – Malaysian Aesthetic Clinic.

His clinic in Bangsar Shopping Center offers medical aesthetic procedures, corrective skincare and rejuvenation treatments without surgery, fusing science and aesthetics together!  So you know where to go now, aight? 

That's M.A.C (Malaysian Aesthetic Clinic) for you. Call for appointments : 03-20936136

The Question & Answer session was so enlightening!

Dr. Hew was patient, informative, explained so well in layman's terms and had a great sense of humour too

It went on with a rather intense discussion and sharing-learning session from Dr. Hew

Apart from the basic causes of acne, he also imparted us the knowledge of different types of acne, ways to prevent it and how to treat the infection if it spreads out of control.

Dr. Hew also showed us samples of procedures and their before & after results

Why we look so solemn and serious in the photo, is beyond me. Most likely he's showing us one of the most horrible skin conditions he has treated before and our minds were like "OH MY GOSH THAT'S SO DREADFUL".

After the sharing session, they held a quiz for us to test how much we know and have learnt about this entire campaign so far. Then it was time to check out and leave The Philea. I don't wanna go! I'll be fine living here forever LOL

We all headed to Malacca town to do a little bit of shopping and food hunt

I had a wonderful time being a Papulex Truthseeker. It was one heck of a ride!

View my previous blog posts here :

——> Part One

——> Part Two

——> Part Three

…and you're reading Part Four now! 

All of us! Team Malaysia consisting of us bloggers and the Papulex Asia representatives

From knowing and understanding the history of my skin condition, the true root causes of acne, spreading the truth and busting myths about acne, propagating confidence to other acne-ridden people, and introducing Papulex to our readers, of newfound friendship, good food and a fun weekend getaway, I would do this all over again, if I could.

Thank you, Papulex Asia! 

Today I'm going to be revealing what exactly THE POWER OF 3 is.

Once I'm done, you don't need to feel like a rocket scientist to understand what these powerful potions are!

Sugar, spice and everything nice?

Nope! That's the PowerPuff Girls!

The Power of Three will set you free? Witch sisters Rose, Phoebe & Piper?

Nope! That's popular American TV series, Charmed!

So what exactly is the Power of 3? It has something to do with your face.

In fact, these 3 special ingredients act as bold, wise and brave soldiers working together in a unique triple action formulation to treat acne and vanquish them forever! 

Remember both my previous blog posts about discovering the truth behind acne and revealing my ugly acne-ridden past? Today's blog post is a sequel to these three.

It is no complicated strategy to solve a problem. 

Identify the root causes & tackle them from the bottom.

Apply the same methods to solving your acne problems!

By now, you should already know the main causes of acne:

1. Bacterial colonization

2. Inflammation of the affected area

3. Excess sebum

4. Thickening of the skin that blocks your pores

With the Power of 3, this is how acne problems are being solved right at the root of it all!

Allow me to introduce the warriors of the Power of 3 to you!

First up, it's the EU patented ABA Technology 

This is what happens without (left) and with (right) the ABA technology

The EU patented ABA Technology inhibits the acne bacteria (scientific name: Propionibacterium acnes aka P.acnes) avoiding it from attaching to the cells on the outer layer of the skin.

It also helps block the proliferation of this P. acnes bacteria!

The second fighter is called Nicotinamide 

Pink bar shows the percentage of reduction of acne using Papulex

(the grey bar is without Papulex) after two different periods of time

Nicotinamide has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce skin inflammation .

No more redness & swelling! It's natural molecules are derived from Vitamin B3 too 

Our final combatant of The Power of 3 is Zinc PCA 

Pink bar show the production of skin sebum (oil) with Papulex & the grey bar is without Papulex

Zinc PCA is effective in reducing oil and excess sebum & significantly decreases it

After some research, I discovered that Papulex contains ALL THREE of these ingredients!

So there you have it! The answer to all pimple/acne problems. 

For those of you who are have pimples or acne or even know of anyone with a bad pimples/acne phase, it's time to help put an end to their misery. Introduce the Power of 3 to them, okay? 

This weekend, I'll be off to Philea Resort & Spa in Malacca for a retreat to mother nature! 

I'll be finding out more about this acne-busting star products by Papulex Asia during the tranquil escape to the lush forests, waterfalls, fresh air and more. Toodles! 

Hey hey! It's Part 2 of my battle as an acne-fighting superhero again.

LOL that's what they call me… and I embrace the challenge with open arms!

2009

This week, as I promised in this previous (Part 1) post, I will be showing you my ugly past and how acne can be a big time kill-joy for the young, outgoing & vibrant teenaged girl I was.

You think it's bad? Well, try being me. It killed me inside. 

Allow me to show you some interesting statistics about acne.

My bout of acne started when I was 13 years old. Right, just when I became a teen.

My forehead was like a breeding ground of tiny little pimples scattered all over! 

Hello! I am your typical pimple monster sharing a true story

Don't be afraid, for the owner of the blog you're reading had once been me.

Thankfully, I had bangs and I obviously used it to hide my pimples.

But alas, doing so made it worse. The oil and dirt from my hair made my skin condition even more prone to bacteria and even more began to pop up!

2009

I remember how I used to come home crying to mother about how ugly I felt and how much I needed and wanted help because I felt like the most horrendous looking scum of the earth.

Not even joking. I was that adversely affected by it. 

So much so that my family (namely mother, godmom & uncle) did everything in their ability to save me from this emotional and psychological trauma.

Thanks folks 

Slight improvement : 2011

They took me to a dermatologist which gave me a lot of facial sessions. It did improve, but very slightly.

I even had to consult a skin doctor who gave me some very strong medicated cream to apply (which hurt so much btw!) and pills to consume. 

Well, that worked until I realized that I didn't want to depend on medication my entire life.

So yes, I stopped the drugs and the acne came back to haunt me 

Oh. Now you tell me?

Somewhere after highschool, it got from bad to worse.

Can you believe I survived looking like that through high school, college & university being the pimple monster?

Geez, looking back, I must have had a decent level of confidence to get me by! 

Those years were supposed to be your prime days where your looks was something really important (superficial, I know) in the social clique and yes, around boys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised that I even dated at all!

I feel you, dear Superman.

They must be blind or probably see past all that; more than just lil miss scarface. 

Thanks, guys 

I did everything in my capacity but it never went away. Product after product and none of them helped.

I felt ugly, disgusting, unphotogenic and would shy away from the camera or use my then long hair or hands to cover my acne and scars.

2008. Clearly it didn't help. You can still see the acne haha!

Who am I fooling, really? 

My friends & family were beginning to be concerned and said, "Jess, your skin is getting really bad"

SIGH well yeah tell me something new please 🙁

It made me even more insecure and I could never ever take compliments from anyone because deep down, I felt as ugly as a deformed carcass and that all nice words to me are lies and slander. 

Spare me your rubbish.

I'm sorry I couldn't find more (worse) photos from high school and college to scare you with, but if I find them I'll update this post with it.

So why don't I show you someone else for now? 

Beneath all their glam and razzle-dazzle, celebrities have acne too. 

How many of these celebrities do you actually recognize? 

Yup, go ahead. Name them all.

Look, I probably don't know about them, but I had terrible insecurity issues myself.

You try having boils on your face and deep red, painful spots, bleeding scars that would be the first thing everyone sees when they meet you 

Sometimes I wished I was a Muslim living in Dubai where no one can see my face

Boo! 

I'm not even going to try and preach utter garbage about "having confidence" or "don't let acne weigh you down" or "you are beautiful just the way you are" and all the other pretentious crap. 

BECAUSE ACNE DAMAGED ME INSIDE BACK THEN.

You and I know how terrible it does make you look and feel 

I couldn't run away from the fact that everyone saw me as the pimple monster no matter how kind they were to me so as not to hurt me or how nice they were to my face (literally!)

Tell me I'm beautiful and you'll be putting Pinochio to shame

So instead of propagating moralistic words, I am going to help you find a cure.

Something that ACTUALLY WORKS.

2012. Me now. Free from acne!

If there wasn't anything to save me from my agonistic bout of acne back then, I'll make sure you have something that does to get you out of your misery.

And that's why I've been approached to be a Papulex truthseeker and I'm now part of the Lead the Way Blogger challenge by Papulex Asia.

Please do vote for me on the official Papulex Facebook page here 

if you think I deserve it  

1. Click – LIKE on the Papulex page first

2. Click – Malaysia

3. Click – Week 2

4. You'll see me & the vote button beside me!

So what do you think?

After years and years of my relentless, merciless battle with the four letter word (A-C-N-E, mind you!) I'm just glad that it finally subsided. About bloody time it did! 

Now, with the birth of Papulex, I just want you and I to feel one thing… and one thing only.

Good morning dear readers!

Odd question, how many of you noticed (from the photos or having met me in real life) that I actually used to have bad skin?

Long-time readers would probably know how disastrous my skin used to be as I once had a lot of pimples and have been fighting acne problem for several years. 

Today, I am FINALLY free of acne. But look closely, you can still see my oily skin & scars on my cheeks.

(In this photo, I have tried to conceal it with make up)

Is my oily face & scars on my cheeks clearer?

(In this photo, I have less concealer on)

But if you never noticed, it could mean that I'm either really good with my make-up and concealers to cover up the acne haha! 

Thanks to the folks at Papulex, a leading pharmaceutical expert in Asia Pacific that specializes in Dermatology, I'm going to begin opening up a personal battle of my life that you probably didn't know of –

For those of you lucky people who never knew what acne is nor have experienced it, acne is the name given to the various dermal outbreaks, such as pimples and blackheads, which are commonly experienced during adolescence.

While acne, in most instances, diminishes and disappears by the early 20s, for some unfortunate individuals the symptoms of acne can persist long into adulthood. 

Here's a simple diagram on how acne occurs on the skin surface

Now, we all know that there are many theories (and many myths) as to what exactly causes acne but one of the stronger arguments is that acne is largely influenced by your genes.

Main question of today –

CAN ACNE BE INHERITED?

Answer –

Yes, you can inherit acne.

After doing my research, here are some cold, hard facts!

 Numerous studies have been conducted in order to correlate acne with genetics. A 1999 study from the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that individuals who suffer from adult persistent acne are four times more likely to have adult relatives who also suffer from adult persistent acne than individuals who do not.

Similarly, a more recent study has demonstrated that individuals with a parental history of acne experience acne at a younger age than those without (sourced from the book 'Heredity: A Prognostic Factor for Acne').

The same study suggests that certain symptoms are significantly more prevalent when the father or mother alone experiences acne.  

According to The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a study on twins has also suggested that acne is significantly based on genetic factors as opposed to environmental, lifestyle or other factors.

So basically, you can’t avoid inheritance as it runs in the gene pool.

Yes, I know it’s an unlucky thing to have but it’s something you have to live with it.

I would know, I’ve lived with it almost all my life  I know, such an unfortunate soul, right?

However, there is a smart way to strike a balance between nature and nurture.

And that's when skincare comes in too. I’ve discovered that there are ways to manage and combat this problem with some simple solutions.

I'm embarking on an interesting mission to help everyone have better skin & to ensure that nobody is misinformed about acne 

Having done my research, here are the top 5 common misconceptions that I'd like to myth-bust!

Myth #1 Acne is a contagious disease.

You can't get acne by touching another person's acne or sharing food with a person with acne

Myth #2 Acne spots are due to bad hygiene.

You should resist the temptation to repeatedly cleanse, treat and fuss over your acne as it will aggravate the skin

Myth #3 Acne problem is a teenage problem

Adult acne happens too. It affects a diverse range of people from teens, pregnant women, adults and even the elderly

Myth #4 Chocolate causes acne

Nonsense. Enough said. 

Myth #5 Pop the pimple and it will go away

Picking it will leave open sores vulnerable to bacteria and infection, worsening your condition

So where am I going with this, you wonder?

Like I said before, I'm on a mission to discover and spread the truth about acne. I’m affirmative that everyone reading this right now knows at least one person with acne and bad skin, right? 

To be honest, I'd like to know the complete truth – learning about different skin types, what really causes acne and how to address this issue. 

I'm proud to say that I will be joining the cause as a truthseeker to fight acne and shed light to others who are currently facing acne problems or even know someone with this problem.

Long story short, I'm out to help people with acne-prone skin to get out of this damned problem.

WHY?

Because I know how terrible it can be, how ugly you can feel

and how much time you take to try to make yourself look better.

I've been there, and done that.

Thus I'm participating in the Lead the Way Blogger Challenge by Papulex Asia.

Log on to Papulex's Official Facebook page to know more about this cause!

I may be free from acne now, but my scars remain 

(You probably can't see it. Pro-tip : Black & white does wonders for acne scars!)

Stay tuned to my next article as I will be opening up and sharing the ugly truth on my battle with acne.

What I faced everyday living with it, how severe it was and how it made me feel throughout the whole ordeal.

Be prepared for some ugly photos of my acne-ridden self as well! 

What to expect? Well I looked something like this –

Yeah, very ugly right?

Well, I got through it. I survived 

Guess what I have been undergoing for the past month? It's this technology called the IPL treatment

Like many girls out there, I've always wanted permanent hair removal – EVERYWHERE.

Underarms, legs, pubes, wherever there is unsightly hair. You name it & we want it gone.

Blame the female race for making it a major faux pas to have bushythick canopies of hair.

Why isit a BIG no-no?

You have your answer right there.

So, I began searching for a good, effective IPL treatment (and one that actually works & doesn't burn a big hole in my wallet!) and after much surveying around beauty centres, I found the best one of the lot!! 

I found that My Body Secrets offers IPL treatments for hair removal (underarm, legs, pubes.. etc) and most importantly?

They guarantee results in their package of 5 sessions.

Me undergoing my 1st session 

Don't know what IPL is?

It's short for Intensive Pulsed Light which is a technology aimed at producing light of high intensity during a very short period of time that can be used to permanently reduce the total number of body hairs in a certain desired region of your body.

My Body Secrets always recommend wearing sunglasses/protective goggles

to ensure that the light does not enter the eyes

I have already undergone 3 out of 5 sessions and I'm very happy with the results thus far!

My hair is now so fine and I can hardly see it 'cos it hardly grows anymore.  SO OVERJOYED!

In fact, after the 2nd session I can already begin to see excellent results. Yup, it's that effective!! 

Taken during my 2nd session last week

Prior to this IPL treatment, I usually shave/pluck/wax once or twice a week 'cos I hate the sight of ANY hair on me (besides the ones on my head of course).

Best part was, after the 2nd session, I did not shave nor pluck any hair off my underarms for A WHOLE MONTH because there were hardly any hair growing! What's there to pluck, man?

Almost hairless already, only after the 2nd session!

Will definitely update you guys again after my 5 sessions are completed.

Though I can safely say I do not need to trouble myself to wax/shave/pluck anymore! 

Oh and My Body Secrets is currently having promotions for a limited time.

1. Their first trial is only RM45 now!

2. Promo price is now 60% off the original price of RM2000 for 5 sessions

3. You can pay by instalments for your package

4. There's a student price too! 

Call +603-6142-4898 to ask any further questions or check out their Facebook page for more information

It's super-worth it and effective! Go and experience it for yourself, okay?

Trust me, it works! I am personally undergoing it myself and I can definitely testify that it does wonders! 

 Fun Facts 

IPL hair removal is cheaper and faster than laser hair removal

IPL can also be used as a skin treatment 

Skin treatment? Yup, that's what I'm undergoing too. Find out more in my subsequent post! 🙂 But for now,

Quickly call them and enquire about their IPL hair removal promotions/package & you can finally……

SAY BYE-BYE TO YOUR DISGUSTING BODILY HAIR ANYWHERE!

I mean it!