Bioxcellent Slenbrn review

During our blogger family trip at Gambang, we were introduced to Bioxcellent range of health beverages. Mr husband got to try Slenbrn berry drinks.

Bioxcellent is a great blend of botanical goodness. Read about harnessing the goodness of phytonutrient from my previous blog post here. The same post also explained about why is it important to make sure the supplementary products you used is approved by GMP. Bioxcellent is also a winner of the Asia Pacific Super Health Brand Excellence. 

Enjoying having Bioxcellent at Bukit Gambang resort

Official website for Bioxcellent
https://www.bioxcellent.com/copy-of-slenderbern-white

So what are the important ingredients?

Raspberry &Cranberry

Image from Google

Besides anthocyanins, other important phytonutrients in raspberries include ellagic acid, quercetin and vitamin C. As for cranberries, polyphenols (particularly proanthocyanidins), vitamin C and flavonoids. These are important antioxidants which has anti-aging and anti-cancerous properties.

Carcinia Cambogia/Malabar tamarind

Image from Google

This is a tropical fruit famous for weight loss effect. These are theoretical effects from hydroxycitric acid  and an increased level of serotonin after consuming this fruit. This results in fat burning, lowered cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Read more about this fruit on WebMD.

Hoodia/bushman's hat

An interesting import from Kalahari Desert, it contains lots of hoopla. This may suppress appetite.


Green coffee

These are coffee seeds that haven't been roasted to maintain the levels of chlorogenic acid which enhances metabolism leading to weight loss.

L cartinine 

This amino acid helps the body produce energy. It is important for heart, muscle and brain function.

Watch this short video about how a great glass of Bioxcellent Slenbrn is made. It boosts Mr husband's energy and helped him through a physically challenging day at Gambang Resort.

I didn't try because I am expecting and also breastfeeding at the same time as stated on their official website. According to Mr husband, it tastes like a fresh berry drink. The color is slightly cloudy pink but it can vary as fresh products are used. 

Personally, the drink is very easy to prepare. And Mr husband just have it before he heads out for some badminton or running. A quick way to get a great beverage to replenish his energy during immense exercise. He likes it how the taste is natural and not too sweet. One important thing to remember is that one needs to drink at least 2 litres of water to wash out toxins and to help with the fat burning process. 

A little setback is that he does feel giddy for about an hour. I have clarified with their product specialist. This is harmless and can happen because increased metabolism rare. And it's recommended for him to consume half a spoon every day instead. I really like their post sale customer service who replied my queries within a few hours.
This is their official contact number.
016-316 3069

As for myself, I am open to supplements which complies to the necessary regulations. Supplements in general are fairly safe for young healthy individuals.  But remember to follow the all the recommended directions. However, for patients who have medical conditions especially lovel and kidney problems, it's best not to consume any supplements without consulting healthcare professionals. 

Bioxcellent is very transparent in this respect by listing out the people who should not consume this product. This includes expecting or breastfeeding mothers, those who have migraine, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic medical illness. Be very careful when certain supplements claim it can cure illness because it's almost always untrue and a lot of permanent irreversible damage can be done. 

Besides Slenbrn, Bioxcellent also has a range of other interesting supplements
-Guot Xcid (help with joint pain)
-W.line fibre(help with indigestion and constipation)
-Tripeptide Colla W. Diamond (maintain youthful skin)
-Cupplus white (for skin whitening and maintaining elasticity)

So how can one get hold on this supplement? It's not difficult to find Bioxcellent range of products because it's sold exclusively through Watson.

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for product certification before proceeding with treatment and stop if side effect ensues.

Bukit Gambang Safari Park review

Bukit Gambang Resort is the nearest and the best theme park around Kuantanese. We have explored both the water park and the Safari when we were both single. Now it's time to return for family fun! There's just too much to write about and I'll focus on the Safari park.

This is a brief itinerary designed for our blogger family trip. A great and fruitful 3 days 2 nights indeed!

We started our safari adventure by hopping onto the Safari tram! Note that at Bukit Gambang Resort City, one can commute using these trams without using your own car. So sit back and relax. The kids were excited about the bumpy ride. We had Mr Tajudin a very experienced guide to talk us though the 30min safari tour.

Most of the adults went on to an ATV adventure into the Safari. It took some guts and real driving skills to maneuver this machine. I didn't join the rest because it's not recommended for pregnant ladies or children. Mr husband had a great time watching African/Malaysian wildlife close and upfront with the rest of the team. Be rest assured that the ATV course excluded sections with wild predators for obvious safety reasons though.

From African antelopes, water buffaloes, goats to Friesian cows, we got to understand more about these wild lives and watched them in the wild. The more exciting bits were about the predators such as crocodiles, hyenas and lions. Unfortunately, the Malayan tiger was no where to be found in his enclosure.

Luckily, we were then led to the Predator show. Being the first of its kind in South East Asia, these ferocious predators showcased their feeding habits in the big enclosure. Rangers placed pieces of bait in the show area and the animals were left on their own to show the audience what they do. The most exciting part was possibly how the Malayan tiger was able to swim across to feed on chicken pieces.

Shortly afterwards, we moved on to the wonderful birds' show very popular with children. Trained Professor parrot was able to answer mathematical questions and spell words chosen by the audience. Impressive! Baby Bing thoroughly enjoyed the part where a multicolored parrot flew from his hand holding a RM5 note back to the trainer. He couldn't stop reminiscing the moment when we asked him whether he wanted to have the same experience :) And we were all entertained when the 'sexy' flamingoes in cute pink skirts came running across the stage.

The multi animal show was equally interesting. From watching a cute cattle drinking milk from a bottle to white handed gibbon climbing across the rope, the animals were so adorable. I really admired the courage of a young boy holding on to a heavy python. After much coaxing, baby Bing stroke the python at the end of the show (Not that I would dare to do! Ha) I think these shows really taught him how important it is to care for wild animals and their habitat.

There wasn't much time to stroll around because there was just so many animals to learn about! But we did have some time enjoying the company of the marmosets, sun bear and the petting area (chicken, rabbits and goats).

Dinner was also a unique experience- Dining with the white lion! We throughly enjoyed a buffet spread of local and western cuisines with the company of the white lion and lioness. These are African lions and born white, not albino. Knowing that they sleep for 20hours a day, it's not easy to catch a glimpse of them active on the other side of the glass.

The day was not over yet! The exhilarating African Yabara fire show was nothing but filled of stunts. From spinning the fire torches and juggling the torches, the performers also spit and swallow fire! Very dangerous act that I really would not dare to try.

We ended the night with the action filled Tarsan adventure show. The story was about how a group of human was trying to kidnap a sun bear. But the gorilla and Tarzan came to the rescue in time. There was lots of rope swinging, gun shooting and explosion including explosion in the water. Very exciting plot but also a bit scary for the young children but we were warned beforehand and baby Bing was able to enjoy the show. Catch the night safari shows on my Facebook Live.

Fire show 
Tarzan show

There's just so much to write about the safari! I have made a short video. Enjoy and come experience the magic of the wildlife here. Great holiday package and discounts await you. Contact me for details.  Don't forget it's only 40 minutes drive from Kuantan!

I'm glad other bloggers also had a great time at the Safari. Please refer to their blog posts here.

Najah
Halimah

Till then stay tuned for many other product/food review that I received during the trip :)

Bukit Gambang Resort City Official Website

Mytayar.com -car tyre maintenance service in Malaysia

Knowing where and how to get good tyres for your ride is no longer only a man's job. Now that more ladies own their own car, so it definitely comes in handy to know the best deal in town. Afterall, we are not pros in this line of business. All of these are made easy by mytayar.com

Mytayar.com has a collection of car tyre workshops that offers 100% original tyres that's less than 18 months from its manufacturing date. The prices offered are the lowest possible from the workshops involved.

Just key in the car model and my location, I was led to a result page that had all these tyres listed- Michelin, hankok, continental, Goodrich and Dunlop just to name a few. Unfortunately, there were no network workshops around the kuantan area yet so I have to search for workshops around KL area.

I decided to get continental tyres. That will cost RM255.41 each tyre. To confirm my booking, there's a deposit of RM12.77 each tyre purchased. This price included Tyre(s), rubber tubeless valve(s), installation, off-wheel balancing after trade-in of current tyre(s). Free Alignment check when one buys 4 tyres or more.

After adding the item to my cart, I then proceeded to checkout. Add in the discount code if any. Payment can be done easily through internet banking/PayPal/credit card. Easy peasy. No worries getting any counterfeit tyres or old tyres. What happens if I find a workshop that's cheaper? Contact Mytayar.com because they are more than happy to involve the workshop as a partner.

As you can see from the map, the network workshops are mainly from the west coast of peninsula and concentrates around the KL area.

That's it! After payment I then contacted my workshop to schedule an appointment. Just be a bit careful to call within 10 days because the deposit is not refundable and your purchase will be considered invalid if you do not contact your workshop within that period.

My tyres were then changed by the professionals. All brand new and original! I always believe that good tyres and car maintenance service are important for obvious reasons- for the safety of your loved ones and yourself while riding in the car. This is why I choose mytayar.com to help me to get the best service at the lowest price.

Another section that I like the most about mytayar.com is their educational section.


Not only does it teach me about the technical terms used for car tyres, but it also includes information such as when to change your tyres by looking at the age of the tyre and the tread depth. Even tips like how to clean the tyres, and the importance of maintaining enough air pressure.

Dear folks, I hope this will remind you the importance of getting your tyres maintained and changed regularly especially for the upcoming holiday season.

Pampering facial treatment for pregnant ladies at Vogue Clinic

The ever enlarging belly makes me feel unattractive and kind of clumsy at times. Especially the awful breakout due to hormonal imbalance. Regardless of comments about how cute the bump is..ha.. I'm in need of a pampering session to look and make myself feel good. Expecting mothers commonly worry about how safe certain beauty treatments are. I'm hoping to shed some light on this.

I have just gone through a great session at Vogue Clinic with Dr Darren Teo and his team. Firstly, please let your beautician/physician know that you are expecting so they can plan for suitable treatment accordingly.

Vogue Clinic
36-3 Jalan 30/70A Wisma Rapid, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
018-234 2128
https://g.co/kgs/3i8zvX
Official website
http://vogueclinic.my
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/vogueclinickl/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/vogueclinickl/

Facial treatments are generally safe in pregnancy. I had an enjoyable facial cleansing and scrubbing by trained nurses. Firstly, there's no disruption from my cute baby Bing when my face was cleansed for at least 5 minutes. Lol. This was then followed by a good scrubbing to exfoliate with the help of gentle yet effective microbeads.

Read this comment from Dr Lynch on BabyCenter about facial in pregnancy.

My face was then steamed for 10 minutes to open up the pores to prepare for exfoliation. Steaming just the face is perfectly safe in pregnancy but wrapping and steaming the whole body is not. This is why sauna and spas are not recommended for pregnant ladies. Afterwards a good suctioning was done to clear or loosen up the sebum and dirt. Mechanical extraction is just what I need for this face full of acne. This is because many acne products are not safe for pregnancy use.

The big no nos in acne fighting products during pregnancy includes retinoid acid which can cause deformity in the growing baby. Others such as salicylate and benzoyl peroxide have not been studied extensively (because the ethics committee will not pass this type of study using pregnant women to experiment about the safety of these drugs!) But they can be used sparingly and are fairly safe. If you have strong fear and worry, you can always avoid these too.

After a thorough extraction, my pores are finally free of impurities. The areas with comedones are so smooth and clean :) I would say this is a fail safe way to clear off acne (but must be done by the professionals to minimise the risk of scarring). Read this article to know about about acne extraction. 

As my breakout was too extensive, we had to postpone my mesotherapy and skin booster treatment. I was then given chemical peeling instead. Not all chemicals used in suitable for pregnant ladies. But the following are safe. Firstly glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane) was applied to exfoliate. Lactic acid (derived from milk so it's very mild and safe) was then used to reveal a smoother and fairer skin. Read here to understand more about chemical peels in pregnancy. One of the downsides included stinging during application which was alleviated by a mini cooling fan.


A nice cooling layer of 100% organic aloe vera gel was then applied after the peel was washed off to ease off the discomfort and soothe the skin. LED light was also used to repair the skin. I wrote in detail about the LED light in my previous post.


It's essential to avoid sun exposure and use sun protection for the coming week because the the skin will start to peel slowly. New skin is invariably smoother, fairer with even complexion and produces less sebum. But it is also very seen sensitive and one should handle it with care.

 A good facial leaves one with clear and smooth skin. Absolutely in love with the pampering I received. At least I don't have to live with this terrible pregnancy breakout. Hope that now you understand more about facial treatment during pregnancy and will not deprive your skin with the care it needs.

Misu E Spray - 3 in 1 pregnancy safe skincare and sunscreen

Having to juggle between work, baby Bing and my second pregnancy, I'm always in need of more sleep. But a good skincare regime is still important in order to maintain healthy glowing skin.

Misu E spray is the product that I have been looking for. Hailing from Japan, it is the land of refined beauty technology and the Japanese really have great skin.

Not only does Misu E Spray moisturise the skin, it also whitens and protects the skin against harmful UV light. In addition, all the ingredients used are suitable for pregnant ladies.

This article from What to Expect talks throughly about pregnancy safe sunscreens. It also provides some good examples of sunscreen safe for preggers and babies younger than 6 months old. The take home message is the active ingredients should be zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

These are the other main ingredients used in the product.

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil (safflower) and Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive oil)

Safflower and olive oil are edible oils which are also excellent skin lubricant and conditioner that make skin smooth and soft.

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract (bearberry)

A berry bears love to feed on, it has brilliant skin brightening effects with antioxidants that maintain youthful skin.

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil (grape seed oil) and Epilobium Angustifolium Extract (fireweed/Willow herb)

As natural antioxidants, they also have anti-inflammatory effects that will control breakouts.

Candidum Extract (white Lilly)

Besides a great emollient, it also promotes skin healing.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract (liquorice)

As explained in my previous post, Glabridin helps to diminish the appearance of under eye circles and uneven pigmentation. Licochalcone, on the other hand, maintains the oil balance on our skin. Read about the related post here.

Organic Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (green tea)

Green tea smells great and also has antioxidant, anti-UV and skin conditioning properties.

This excellent concoction of natural and plant derived product is also combined with the power of SPF 50! One spray and simple spreading completes my skincare regime for the day with the effect of instant whitening.

Can't stress enough the importance of preventing photoageing. Look at how much the skin suffers comparing protected vs unprotected skin.

This simple YouTube demonstrates how to use Misu E Spray.

Get your very own Misu E Spray with this 5% discount code MisuESpray_DrAngel_5 before 31 July to reap the benefits of free postage for West Malaysia during the launching promotion. Contact Wechat allen416chong for purchase. 

Let's go on a shopping spree with Mall Dash

Shopping now is easier than ever! If you don't enjoy online shopping and still love to walk around the shopping mall, Mall Dash is definitely a great app to have.

I downloaded the MallDash app using Google Play. Within a few seconds, I logged on using my Facebook account and tada the information about 50odd shopping malls all across Malaysia is within my fingers' reach.

Even for Kuantan town itself, the East Coast Mall is listed! I can browse for all the available discounts and all the available stores with a few clicks.

What's more interesting is that I can even 'dash' to from one point of the mall to another using directions provided on the app. Great for someone like me who just can't remember my way around the place.

In the Klang valley, one can also browse through the many shopping sites to get information about opening hours, parking rates and available brands.

Planning to eat out? Many stores also have their menus included in the app so one can even plan for the dishes and budget early on.

What are you waiting for? Get your own MallDash app using my referral code AngelHo338

Sign up now to get RM25 shopping vouchers at a few outlets of your choice.

Skintelligence skincare products review- hydraderm deep cleansing emulsion and facial firming masque

Skintelligence is a US company that produces skincare products that are based on plant extracts. Now that I'm expecting our second child, the hormonal imbalance and chronic sleep deprivation has wreaked havoc causing a massive breakout. I'm hoping skintelligence will calm my irritated skin down. The two products that I'm going to share are suitable for expecting mothers and I'm going to analyse the ingredients in detail.

Skintelligence hydraderm deep cleansing emulsion

This emulsion is gentle on the skin but cleanses the skin effectively from impurities and makeup without clogging the pores. I love the hint of floral scent which also helps to soothe my nausea. The smell of lavender is not too overpowering either. It's like a daily cleansing milk that doesn't rip moisture from the skin.

The important ingredients are:

Aloe Vera

It helps to keep the skin moisturized, rejuvenates the skin and makes it smooth and firm.

Allantoin

This has anti-irritant properties, which soothe the sensitive and inflamed skin.

Chamomile Extract

This is a great anti-oxidant which brings anti ageing properties, as well as calming the skin.

Lavender Extract

Lavender has soothing benefits for the skin. These benefits help cleanse and protect the skin, while also helping to support normal skin tone and balance.

Geranium Extract
In addition to its cleansing action, geranium helps to maintain the balance between dry and oily skin, also helps to soothe skin, leaving your skin feeling invigorated.

If you squeeze your eyes, parabens are the last two ingredients that came on the list! Didn't I warn you all about paraben? So why am I using and reviewing a product with paraben?

Actually paraben is widely used in cosmetics and skincare products. There are worries about it causing cancer but there's no definite proof. Some maybe allergic to paraben so those with ezcema should be cautious about this. Having said that, Mr husband has eczema but can use Simple face wash that has paraben in it. Find out now about paraben here (in Mandarin though).

Skintelligence facial firming masque

This is a special mask and can be used once or twice per week. 12 to 15 minutes each time. A very small price and little time to pay to get clean and youthful skin. After cleansing and a warm bath to open up the pores, I massaged the masque in circular motions evenly across the face. After 5 minutes or so, the masque dried up and the whole face felt tighten.

Remember not to talk or smile during this time. It rinsed off easily with water. Unlike other masque which needs to be peeled off (and it's messy because it doesn't come off in a piece). My face instantly felt firmer and soother after a single use. It even removed my blackheads.

Most of the ingredients are similar to the cleansing emulsion.

Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract

Rich in enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and natural plant compounds, aloe vera keeps the skin moisturized, soothes and rejuvenates the skin.

Geranium Extract

Geranium cleanses and helps to maintain the balance between dry and oily skin. Geranium extract also helps to soothe irritated skin leaving your skin feeling invigorated.

Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil

Lavender extracts are good sources of antioxidant phenolic acids and flavonoids that soothes the skin. These maintain normal skin tone and balance.

Humulus lupulus (Hops) Extract

Hops extracts contain a number of flavonoid antioxidant compounds including xanthohumol, isoxanthohumol, quercetin, and rutin. These support the skin’s extracellular matrix, thus maintaining the skin’s natural firmness and elasticity.

Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Extract

Acts as a soothing, skin-conditioning agent. It also helps to maintain the skin’s normal oil balance.

Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract

Witch hazel is a natural cleansing agent that helps to sanitize and invigorate your skin. Additionally, witch hazel can help support the skin’s natural barrier function to keep the skin hydrated.

Those interested in purchasing these product please get it from here. New customers can get great discounts using code 20OFFMA by 31 July.