Tag Archives: skincare

The Little Pot That Tells Me to Have a Great Day

Posted in beauty, Lipstick, Uncategorized by
NEOM Great Day Wonder Balm jar and box on marble, beside pink and cream faux peonies

It arrived in my basket by accident, next to someone else’s Christmas present. It’s turned out to be the best little treat I bought just for myself.

I found NEOM’s Great Day Wonder Balm the way I find most good things lately — completely by accident, while I was meant to be doing something else entirely. It was December, I was deep in Christmas shopping for everyone except myself, feeling frazzled in that specific pre-Christmas way, and this little pot ended up in my basket. What actually stopped me was the label: Have a great day. Not “smells nice.” Not “for dry lips.” Just a small, direct instruction, sitting there in gold lettering, at a moment I badly needed one.

I’d wanted NEOM’s candles for years, and I finally got their Christmas one that year too — which, sadly, met an early end when the glass cracked and I had to throw it out for safety’s sake. I was genuinely sad about that candle. But it’s this small, unglamorous pot of lip balm that’s quietly outlasted it as my actual favourite thing in the NEOM range.

It’s the last thing I put on before I start my makeup. Every single time, without fail, there’s this brief moment — maybe two seconds — where the scent hits and I actually feel lighter. It’s such a small ritual, but it works on me the same way every time, with the little pot’s instruction to have a great day.

What’s actually in the pot

Under the marketing, the balm is a proper little formula: sweet almond oil, shea butter, beeswax, castor and olive oils holding it together, and a blend of eight essential oils built around wild mint (spearmint and peppermint) and mandarin. NEOM has always been fairly serious about using genuine essential oils rather than just synthetic fragrance dressed up as aromatherapy, and you can tell — the scent doesn’t smell artificial or trying too hard. It smells fresh with a faint sweet orange blossom scent with mint and extremely moisturising.

Why it’s not just marketing

Here’s the part I found genuinely interesting when I looked into it: your sense of smell is the only one of your five senses with a direct line into the limbic system, the part of your brain handling emotion and memory. Sight, sound, and touch all get routed through a kind of relay station first. Smell doesn’t. It goes straight in. Which is a scientific way of explaining why a two-second sniff of lip balm can shift your mood before your brain has even worked out why.

The two ingredients doing the heavy lifting here both have real research behind them, not just NEOM’s word for it. Mandarin belongs to the citrus family, and citrus scents have been shown to stimulate the release of norepinephrine — a neurotransmitter tied to alertness and energy, which is a large part of why citrus scents feel so instantly “wake-up.” Peppermint has an even more specific track record: multiple studies, including work using EEG monitoring on actual drivers, have found peppermint aroma measurably increases alertness and reduces mental fatigue, alongside boosting mood and short-term memory in the process. So “wild mint and mandarin… to make you happy” isn’t just a nice sentence on a box. It’s more or less a summary of the neuroscience.

The lipstick photo

Close-up portrait wearing pink Chanel lipstick over NEOM Great Day Wonder Balm, smiling softly

The photo of me wearing lipstick is the balm doing its job, underneath a Chanel lipstick I love. It’s not a groundbreaking beauty discovery — balm under lipstick is hardly new — but there’s something about this particular pairing that makes me smile every time I catch sight of it in the mirror. Maybe it’s the mint waking me up before the day’s even started. Maybe it’s just the lovely smell. Either way, it’s earned its place as a genuine daily habit, not just a Christmas impulse buy that got lucky.

Ginseng Essence Water: An Ancient Beauty Staple in Asian Skincare

Posted in beauty, Skincare, Wellbeing by
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water bottle and box on marble with peonies

Long before “essence” appeared on a single skincare label, it existed as a practice, not a product. Beauty waters made from fermented rice, tea leaves and root extracts were part of ancient Chinese skincare rituals, prized for softening and brightening the skin, and the tradition travelled into Korea over a thousand years ago, during the Goryeo Dynasty, where ginseng, green tea and rice water became staples of court beauty routines. Ginseng essence water, in other words, is one of the oldest beauty ideas we have. What’s changed is that we can now measure why it worked.

That history is part of why I chose Beauty of Joseon’s Ginseng Essence Water for this month’s feature. But the bigger reason is more personal. Ginseng was my mother’s root, quite literally. She never called it skincare; she called it health. She’d keep a thermos of hot water on the go, ginseng root and ginger steeped in a mug and topped up through the morning, switching over to oolong in the afternoon. It wasn’t a ritual to her, just what you did for your body as you got older. It’s taken me until my own fifties to understand that she may have been onto something the research is only now catching up to.

What the science says about ginseng essence water

Ginseng’s reputation as a general tonic is old news. What’s newer is the specific evidence on skin. A 2025 study on ginseng peptide extracts found they reduced inflammatory markers and reactive oxygen species in skin cells while measurably boosting collagen synthesis in human fibroblasts, and held up in 3D skin models exposed to UV damage, restoring barrier proteins rather than just masking damage. A separate 2026 review of five years of ginseng research describes its bioactive compounds acting on inflammation, pigmentation, barrier function and skin regeneration all at once, which is a wide net for one root to cast.

For women specifically past 50, there’s a second, less-discussed body of research worth knowing about. Multiple randomized, placebo-controlled trials have found ginseng reduces hot flashes and improves quality of life during menopause, alongside measurable gains in sexual function and wellbeing. Crucially, one review noted this happens without shifting estrogen or prolactin levels, and without any observed increase in breast cancer risk, which matters given how often women are (rightly) cautious about anything that touches hormone pathways. On the skin side specifically, fermented ginseng extracts have been shown in vitro to encourage procollagen formation while inhibiting the enzymes that break collagen down, and to reduce pigment spots, both of which are exactly the two things most of us are trying to manage by our fifties: firmness and even tone. You can read about the serum I’m using to reduce dark spots here

Why it earns a place in the routine

None of this makes ginseng essence water a miracle in a bottle, and I’d be wary of anyone who tells you it is. But it does mean the appeal isn’t just nostalgia or marketing. There’s a plausible, increasingly well-documented mechanism behind why this ingredient has stayed in beauty routines for a thousand years, and why it may matter more, not less, as skin ages. The Beauty of Joseon formula is straightforward: ginseng essence tapped in after cleansing, before the rest of the routine, doing the quiet work of feeding the skin barrier rather than sitting on top of it.

I like that my mother’s thermos of ginseng and the pink box on my bathroom shelf are, in the end, the same idea, just applied differently. She was managing something from the inside. I’m borrowing the same root to help manage it from the outside. I suspect she’d have approved of both.

About Me – 2026 update

Posted in About by

What The Scented Abode is now

I’m in my fifties. My relationship with my skin, my scent, my routines — all of it has changed, and keeps changing.

Menopause does things to your skin that nobody really prepared me for. Cataract surgery made me rethink my entire cleansing routine. And the beauty industry, which has historically talked almost exclusively to women in their twenties and thirties, is only slowly catching up with what women over 50 actually need.

So I write about that honestly. What works for skin that’s changing. What the beauty industry gets right and wrong about ageing. The Asian skincare philosophy I grew up with, handed down from my mother — and now, because Asian beauty is everywhere, my daughters can experience it too. We share our discoveries, and that is a joy of new shared experience I didn’t expect.

The fragrances that smell different at 55 than they did at 25 — and why that’s not a problem, it’s a blessing. Scents I’ve loved transport me to a particular time. New scents mark a new era.

This is not a site about fighting age. It’s a site about navigating it with as much knowledge, pleasure and good scent as possible.

What you’ll find here

Fragrance — reviews, recommendations, gift guides, and the occasional meditation on why a particular scent matters.

Skincare for women over 50 — honest reviews, ingredient deep-dives, and the things I’ve actually learned from my own skin’s changing needs — including the products I discovered during cataract surgery recovery that I now use every day.

Asian beauty wisdom — I’m Taiwanese-British, and I grew up with handed-down wisdom from my mother. I’ve spent years seeking out Japanese skincare, researching the premium brands she preferred, and exploring Asian beauty philosophy before finally embracing it fully. It was worth the wait.

Longevity and wellbeing — my mother and father have both passed on, and losing them made me realise how much I had taken my health for granted.

That loss gave me a quiet determination to live as fully as I can — with mindfulness of body, mind and spirit. Not in a relentless self-optimisation way. In a “this is what’s actually making me feel better at this age” way.

Life at home — food, the garden, the cats, the things that make ordinary days feel considered and good.

A note on why I write

I write because I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

When I was recovering from cataract surgery, I searched for beauty advice written by someone who’d actually been through it. I found almost nothing. When I was navigating menopausal skin changes, I wanted someone who understood both the science and the pleasure of skincare — not just a list of products. When I wanted to understand Asian beauty philosophy from the inside rather than as a trend, I had to piece it together myself.

So I write it. For myself, and for anyone else who’s looking for the same thing and can’t quite find it.

If that’s you — welcome. Pull up a chair. There’s a lot to talk about.

Find me here too

📌 Pinterest: pinterest.com/thescentedabode 📸 Instagram: @thescentedabode ✉️ Get in touch: hello@ravenintegrated.com 🌐 ravenintegrated.com — where I write about marketing and AI

Home » skincare

Cataract Surgery & Skincare: Discovering new anti-aging products

Posted in beauty, Make-up, Skincare, Spa & Self-care, Wellbeing by
Waterless cleansing routine with Curel makeup remover

Cataract Surgery and elevating my skincare

I wanted to share this post with you as I found that whilst there is plenty of information about what a cataract is and how to treat it in terms of surgery, I found that there was very little written about skincare, make-up for women and how to navigate skincare during the recovery process.

About the surgery – I am very short sighted and as I mentioned in my previous article I relied on multifocal contact lenses and varifocal glasses. But recently, the prescription kept changing so after some appointments with the consultant and optician, I decided to have Multifocal cataract lenses (intraocular lenses or IOLs) paying a premium and going through the surgery through health insurance instead of the NHS in the UK. The procedure would be about a month apart, fist the left eye then right.

Navigating the weeks following cataract surgery meant being careful to follow the advice, antibiotic eye drops that tapered from four times a day down to one.

Navigating hygiene, healing, skincare after Multifocal Lens Surgery

I had given a lot of thought during the lead-up to the operation in terms of how I would need to update my skincare routine. I didn’t want to take any chances during recovery, so I searched for an effective cleanser that did not need water. I found individually wrapped Neutrogena wipes.

Neutrogena makeup removing sachets
Neutrogena sachets, a hygienic way to cleanse after cataract surgery

The surgeon said standard care was fine, but in my marketing career, I’ve learned to mitigate any risk is the key to a successful launch—or in this case, a successful recovery.

In fact the recovery in terms of my sight returning was rapid, by the following morning, I could see rom the eye that I had the surgery and within a week, my sight was better than the eye (with contact lens).

It was however a challenge in terms of skincare, because I needed to maintain hygiene by ensuring no water would get into my left eye, having been told for years during my time wearing contact

lenses that tap water included water borne bacteria, I wasn’t going to take any chances until my eye had fully heald. The surgeon avoid getting water in my eye for a week, but I decided I would keep my eyes away from water for at least 2 weeks. And by the final week of my eye-drop schedule, I attempted to return to my “normal” routine.

It was January, and my skin was vulnerable, the cold air outdoors would leave my face feeling taut red and stinging, I realized that returning to my previous routine with water was making my skin taught and uncomfortable. I could start wearing make-up by week 2, but I worried about removing make-up especially any make-up around the eye.

Cleaning without water: Why I Switched to Curel during recovery

This is where my recovery journey turned into a discovery for my daily life. I realised that if my skin was this sensitive during a medical “stress test,” it deserved a more sophisticated, less aggressive approach every single day.

The Mature Skin Revelation On my return from work one evening, I made a quick stop at Boots drug store on my way home and looked for a cleanser that would be gentle and need no water. I had previously used the foaming Curel cleanser, which is very gentle but needed water. I found the brand also has a waterless product called Curel Makeup Cleansing Gel. Instead of water and rubbing, this gel uses Ceramides, which would help to repair the skin barrier while swiping away heavy sunscreen make-up and impurities. The gel is highly effective, and felt like “comforting” sigh of relief to my stressed skin.

A Bee-Powered secret: Using IUNIK propolis for Mature Eye Care

To compliment this, I focussed on the most delicate area: the eyes. I traded my old creams for IUNIK, a Korean brand featuring Propolis. This “bee powered” ingredient isn’t just for healing; it has anti-aging properties. Proplis acts as a natural antimicrobial shield while deeply hydrating to prevent fine lines, a perfect cream to use during the immediate days after surgery.

What started as a necessary skincare routine after surgery has become my go-to for aging gracefully. By treating my mature skin with the gentlest of products, “zero-rub” care required for medical recovery, I’ve found a routine that doesn’t just clean—it restores.

Nuxe nourishing dry oil for unpredictable weather

Posted in beauty, Skincare, Spa & Self-care, Wellbeing by

 

It’s been snowing this weekend, in the middle of March! when it’s supposed to be spring. The unpredictable weather has caused all sorts of problems in my garden, the daffodils which were just starting to bloom have all died, and the cherry blossoms are looking all very sorry for the snowy blizzard conditions. Not that I’m complaining too much, the house is warm, and we are enjoying the snowday in watching films on Netflix.

The weather and central heating have made my skin blotchy with dryness. Whenever this occurs, I use a facial oil to boost the level of moisture in my skin. If you’d like to make your own facial oil, there’s an easy recipe here

Last year, for my birthday, I received

a lovely multipurpose oil from the French beauty brand Nuxe.

It boasted many uses, from adding shine and moisture to your hair, reducing stretch marks, alleviating dry flaking skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, it truly is an amazing multi-purpose oil.

With so many uses, it means that it has reduced the number of products in my bathroom cabinet.

I use it as a light body moisturiser, a quick spritz after a shower means it locks in skin softness and prevents dry, cracked skin. It is so quick; I don’t have to wait for the oil to sink in before getting dressed because it’s a dry oil.

On my hair, I spritz it into my hairbrush after blowdrying so that it protects and adds shine to my hair and seems to make my hair between washes last longer.

On my face, I can use it by mixing it into my moisturiser and add extra oomph to combat the recent cold weather.

The ingredients in the oil all have skin benefits. There are no less than seven botanical oils, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut, borage, macadamia and argan oils and is free of preservatives, silicone or mineral oils.

The scent of the oil is a warming fragrance like a comfort blanket, or a warm hug and reminds me of vanilla and sandalwood. It is described by the brand as orange blossom, magnolia and sweet vanilla.

Hmm, even though I love making a facial oil because this has so many uses, I think this is going to be a permanent addition to my skin care routine.

Enjoy!

Spring clean your skin with Grapefruit 

Posted in Skincare by

Sunshine and spring weather has finally emerged and is making me feel it’s time to give my skin a spring clean.

I love the scent of Grapefruit and on a recent trip to the high-street, I purchased this lovely tube of refreshing Grapefruit skin sorbet from The Body Shop. The scent is uplifting and energising. Since my budget did not stretch to getting any further skin treats, I decided to make my own refreshing bath soak and skin scrub in one.

This is the simplest way to get the scent of grapefruit to fill your bathroom and give skin a refreshing spring clean.

All you need is half a grapefruit. Just squeeze the juice into a bowl and mix in a large helping of rolled oats (I had porridge oats in my store cupboard), next add in a teaspoon of Green Tea leaves, since I’d received a gorgeous tin of White Peony Tea, I used this to ensure the antioxidant benefits found in Tea would make its way onto my skin.

To add moisture, I added half a teaspoon of Jojoba oil to the mix.

To boost the scent of the grapefruit, I added Bergamot essential oil. You can add any citrus-scented essential oil that you have to hand if you don’t have grapefruit.

Add the zest of the grapefruit skin by grating it with a fine grater.

By now this mix looks clumpy and can the smell of Grapefruit and the citrusy scent has already filled my kitchen with its wonderful aroma.

You can now use it as a skin scrub or use it as a bath soak.

So that the small bits of the porridge do not float around the bath, I filled some empty tea bags. You can order these empty tea bags online or use a tea infuser.

These tea bags with fresh ingredients will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

Just hang the tea bag under a hot running tap in the bath and the aroma of Grapefruit and all the lovely ingredients that have been used in this mix will infuse the bath water with its scent and goodness.

There’s just nothing like a good soak, except perhaps smoothing over the Grapefruit souffle body lotion to complete the experience.

If you like citrus scents read my latest post about how it helped me through myopia and menopause related Cataracts : Lemon Verbena

January detox

Posted in beauty, Skincare, Spa & Self-care, Wellbeing by

January detox

After what I can only describe as two weeks of indulging in lots of food and drink, my body feels bloated and my skin feels itchy from the dry heat of central heating.

White Peony Tea

I received a tin of this lovely Wheat Peony tea for my birthday last year and it has become a favourite of mine, since it it not just refreshing, but has many health benefits as it’s packed full of antioxidants.

The tea is reputed to help kick-start a sluggish metabolism, protect from free radicals and therefore promote healthy glowing skin.

If you want to try this tea, the one I’m drinking is from Whittards.

Just follow the brewing instructions on the tin. The temperature should not be boiling, but around 80 degrees Celsius, so as not to destroy any of the goodness from the tea.

Charcoal Face Mask

Since my skin is in need of some help, I’m also treating it to a deep cleanse with L’Oreal’s Pure Clay Detox Mask. Whilst it would be great to get a beauty treatment facial, my bank balance, post-Christmas is definitely needs reigning back. So whilst this is a budget buy from the high-street, I think it’s very effective and the treat is the time it takes to sit back and relax while the mask takes action.

This charcoal based face mask, has a deep cleansing action on my pores, and because it’s quick drying, you can almost feel it drawing out the impurities as it dries and has a light refreshing floral fragrance.

Orange Ginger & Cinnamon Skin Scrub

This is a lovely home-made recipe which is so easy to make, you can use brown sugar if you don’t have Dead Sea salts, follow the recipe here .

Lush Yuzu and Coca Shower Cream

I love the scent of oranges and this shower cream is filled with the citrusy scent of yuzu and Coca. Waking up and getting myself to work has taken a huge amount of effort last week, so this shower cream has been the perfect way to wake up to a zingy start to the day. You can find out more about the benefits of yuzu fruit here.

With this little cleansing routine, starting from inside and out, it’s the perfect way to feel energised for the new year ahead. Wishing everyone reading this post the very best for 2017!

Home Made Gentle Eye Make-up Remover

Posted in beauty, Fragrance, lifestyle, Make-up, Skincare, Spa & Self-care, Wellbeing by

Update (May 2026): 

DIY Eye Make-up Remover

This is a quick and simple recipe for making your own gentle eye make-up remover.

Why Choose a Homemade Eye Makeup Remover?

In a world of complex ingredient lists, returning to basics is often the kindest thing we can do for our skin. Many commercial removers contain harsh alcohols or synthetic fragrances that can strip the delicate eye area. By creating your own gentle solution, you control exactly what touches your skin—ensuring it remains hydrated and calm.

The 2-Ingredient Recipe (Rosewater & Oil)

The beauty of this tonic lies in its simplicity. I have found that a 50/50 split of pure rosewater and a light carrier oil (like almond or jojoba) creates a dual-phase remover that rivals any luxury brand. The rosewater soothes inflammation, while the oil effortlessly dissolves even stubborn pigments without the need for rubbing.”

All you need is some good quality oil, Rosewater and Glycerin.

Make it in small batches as the ingredients are all natural and there is no preservative so it is best to make it fresh every few days, 50ml should last between 3-4 days if you plan on using it every morning and night.

Ingredients:

20ml Rosewater

20ml Jojoba oil

10ml Vegetable Glycerin

How to make:

Pour the Rosewater, Jojoba Oil and the Glyercin in a small bottle. Shake vigorously to combine the ingredients. This recipe is very similar to the home made Micella Water recipe which I wrote about a while ago. You can see the post by clicking this link.

As you can see from the test below, I applied a very dark colour pallet of eye shadow, eye liner and mascara and used the home made version on one eye lid and compared this to the Clinique Eye Make-up remover that I occassionnally use.

Home Made Eye Make-up remover test

I was surprised as the Clinqiue remover was good, I’ve always used this as it’s non-scented and wipes away Make-up with only a couple of swipes. But the home-made version took off much more make-up with just one swipe. Result!

Better still is that it cost considerably less and smells lovely because of the Rosewater.

I’ve been using Rosewater for many years now and I don’t think there is anything better than this gorgeous smelling scented liquid.

simple ingredients for eye make-up remover

It has been nearly a decade since I first shared this recipe, and its relevance has only grown for me. Following my recent cataract surgery, I had to be incredibly mindful of what I used around my eyes. After the initial recovery period where makeup was off-limits, returning to this gentle, 2-ingredient remover was a sensory joy—it provided the cleanliness I needed without any of the irritation of synthetic brands. While I have continued to experiment with high-end products since then (which I’ll be sharing soon in a dedicated post on eye care for mature skin), this homemade classic remains my trusted baseline for sensitive days.

Refreshing herb tea foot soak

Posted in At Home, beauty, lifestyle, Skincare, Wellbeing by

This is the easiest recipe to make at home which will revive and refresh tired aching feet. I had all the ingredients in my garden. Better still, the only cost involved was just the use of the pre-made little tea bag pouches which I got online. One hundred of these little pouches ready to fill with tea leaves, herbs or anything which you want to infuse or soak in hot water.

For this refreshing herb tea foot soak, I simply picked a small bunch of mint leaves, a few sprigs of rosemary and some lavender buds which were still flowering in the last days of summer.

A dash of Dead Sea salt, which I already had in my cupboard and a few drops of Peppermint and Lemon Essential Oils, and Orange Blossom Water all mixed roughly together in the tea bag pouch.

Soak in a bowl of boiling water for as long as you want and pour into a warm bowl of clean water. Ready to soak tired weary feet.

I know this seems like quite a bit of effort, but after a long day at work, I like the idea and ritual of preparing something a little indulgent, a little bit of me time to indulge in. The scent is uplifting and has this magical way of transforming the  room into a scented retreat.

Feet are now soaked and feeling light and refreshed. Hmm now for that pedicure, a colourful treat for my toes.

Dead Sea Bath Soak ingredient for DIY Foot Soak
Peppermint, Lemon and Carshalton Lavender Essential Oil
Easy to make Rosemary, mint and lavender foot soak

Because everything will be coming up roses – Rosewater Facial Wash

Posted in Spa & Self-care by

Rosewater Facial Wash

I love the sent of roses.

Yesterday I finally got around to planting the two rose bushes purchased a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t got round to putting them into the garden as the previous weekends had been busy and the weather had been, well pretty unfriendly.

So when I looked out of the window in the morning, there was no more excuses. I dug the soil, as it had been wet, the ground was soft and much easier to dig. With some bonemeal to sprinkle into the earth around the rose bush, I patterned down the earth around the two rose bushes.

I can hardly wait for the first rose buds to appear. The rose bushes cost just the same as a bunch of ready cut roses from the Supermarket, but hopefully, they will yield a lot more blooms throughout early summer and Autumn. I chose fragrant varieties in deep pink and white.

Rosewater Facial Cleanser

Meantime, in the bathroom, I’d run out of face wash. I prefer to wash the day’s make-up off with soapy cleanser, somehow the foaminess feels so much more refreshing than just the Rosewater toner/cleanser that I use afterwards.

Since I have a bottle of Doctor Bonner’s Castille Soap (baby wash version) waiting to find a use in my cabinet, I’m using this for the first time to make a batch of facial cleanser. As it is supposed to be non-scented, it will make a good base for a natural facial wash, though it still has the scent of Castille soap.

I’ve combined this with Rosewater along with Jojoba Oil and the scent of rose along with Jasmine makes the facial wash a floral sensation.

Here’s the ingredients:

1/4 cup Doctor Bonner’s baby non-scented Castille Soap (you can use solid or liquid)

1/4 cup Rosewater

1 teaspoon Jojoba oil, 1/2 teaspoon Rosehip Oil*

4-8 drops of your chosen blend of essential oil (I’ve chosen to use a 10% dilution of Jasmine Absolute and Rose Geranium)

Making the facial wash could not be easier, just combine all the ingredients in a bottle shake vigorously to combine and put a cap on.

I use this at night to remove make-up and afterwards use the Rosewater and Witch Hazel Toner. Just wash face until all trace of make-up has gone. It is quite watery, though if you use a muslin, simply squirt a bit on a damp muslin and rinse until clear.

That’s it, and best of all it’s all natural and can be customised to suit your skin

*I have chose Jojoba Oil and Rosehip oil as these have great anti-aging properties. You can use Coconut or Sweet Almond or any other natural oil best suited to your skin instead. Experiment until you get the right consistency you prefer

Rosewater Facial Wash