All About Skincare ft. Asian Beauty Products!

Update 04/22/2018: My skincare routine has changed quite a bit since I made this post. Planning to make an updated one soon!

Growing up and throughout my teenage years, I never had an real issues with my skin. Aside from occasional pimples, I never had acne even though I never washed my face before bed (I know, shame on me). I even got complimented on my skin sometimes. Boy, how the tides have changed. A few years ago, I started getting more frequent breakouts. While my acne is pretty mild still, it occurs often. I always have something going on with my face. Because of my tanner complexion, there is usually scarring involved even after a spot heals.

I went through life always thinking I had oily skin. I bought makeup and products meant for oily skin. Recently, I came to the realization that maybe I was depriving my skin of the oil it needs to be healthy. I now think my skin is combination (a little oily in the t-zone, dry on my cheeks) and dehydrated. Anyone who does a little reading on skin will tell you that when you strip your skin of its oils, it will overcompensate and produce more oil, causing you to breakout. I luckily don't have any issues with pore size and I don't have blackheads.

Asian beauty products have been gaining a lot of popularity, especially the whole "Korean 10-step beauty routine". Sometime last year, I decided to give it a try. The whole point is instead of trying to find miracle products that have everything you could ever possibly want, you layer multiple products that each add something. I won't go too much into it, since this is just about my routine, but you can read a little more about in this post /r/AsianBeauty. My skin still isn't perfect by any means, but I do see improvements in texture and the areas that don't breakout are pretty nice. I figured someone might be interested in all the stuff I hoard (lol). I know I'm always on the hunt for my next "holy grail" product!

I should note that I buy most of my Korean skincare products from either Jolse or Amazon. Insert typical "I'm not sponsored, but I wish I were" comment here. :P You should be careful when ordering from Amazon though, as there can be a lot of fakes or expired items. Just be sure to check the reviews. Jolse, or RoseRoseShop, another popular Korean beauty website, are great. Shipping is free, and you always get a lot of samples when you order. They do ship from Korea, though, so it will usually take about a week or so to arrive.

Another thing I highly suggest is to use cosmetic spatulas with products that come in jars. You should wash your hands before applying face products, but I still don't like using my fingers to pick up product just because there can still be bacteria under your nails, which could contaminate all of your products! I bought this pack of 100 disposable cosmetic spatulas, but I wash them and reuse them, so I still have a ton left.

Cleansing #

I'm sure I don't need to tell you how important it is to thoroughly cleanse your face at the end of the day, especially after wearing a face full of makeup. Like many others, my preferred method is using two-step cleansing, first using a emulsifying oil cleanser, than a soap. It's important to note the pH of your cleanser, especially if you use chemical exfoliants (which I'll address later in this post). Using the wrong ones can be extremely stripping to your skin! Both the cleansers I use are the perfect pH.

1. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - This is my second container. I love it and it's a huge tub. It lasted almost 6 months for me.
2. The Face Shop Blemish Zero Bubble Foam Cleanser - This has salicylic acid, which people say actually doesn't help when it's in a cleanser since it's not on your face long enough to do anything. Regardless, it's pretty gentle and I like it.
3. Hada Labo Tokyo Hydrating Facial Cleanser - I use this if my face is feeling dry.
4. Foreo LUNA Mini - Honestly this was an impulse buy, I only use this if I feel like I need a deeper cleanse. It's supposed to be less abrasive than even the most sensitive Clarasonic, and more hygienic because of the silicon bristles.
5. Konjac Sponge - The Julep one pictured is one I got for free and haven't used. I currently use this set I got from Amazon.

Daily Routine #

My morning and night routine aren't as crazy long as some I've seen, but it's getting there. I pretty much do almost the same thing in the morning at night, with the exception of the sunscreen just in the morning and I only occasionally use the AHA and BHA in the morning if I have time (since there is 20-30 min. wait time after using them before applying other products); I use the AHA or BHA every night. Some nights I just wanna go to bed so I skip the AHA/BHA altogether. I also use a different 'moisturizer' during the day and night.

1. Mizon Daily AHA/BHA Toner - This toner is a pretty huge deal in the Asian beauty community. It's a very good toner to prep your skin's pH for AHAs or BHAs and it's almost ALWAYS out of stock. I luckily found it available on Amazon a while ago, but it's currently unavailable.
2. Thayer's Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Rose Petal Formula - Great natural alcohol-free astringent. I use this in the morning after washing or sometimes after my AHA/BHA at night.
3. COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid - This is a pretty good daily AHA. AHAs are generally for dry skin since it's water-soluable, though they're great for surface exfoliation if you have sun damage/dark spots.
4. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid - I just have the deluxe sample, though I'm eager to try it.
5. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid - I alternate days using the AHA and this. BHAs are oil soluble, so they're said to reduce sebum and help hydrate the skin.
6. COSRX Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol - Decent acne treatment.
7. Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Intensive - Supposedly a dupe for the more expensive SK-II essence.
8. Hado Labo Rohto Hadalabo Gokujun Hyaluronic Lotion Moist - This is a great hydrating toner! Despite it being called a 'lotion', you actually put it on before your essences and creams. Helps everything else absorb. If you have dry skin, you need hyaluronic acid in your life.
9. COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence - I'm a pretty big fan of snail products. I bought this essence to try it out instead of Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence, but I'm not sure I like it as much...
10. Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment - This container is pretty much empty, but this actually does help soothe active breakouts. I brought it on HeyClaire's recommendation.
11. Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream - I use this as a moisturizer during the day. It's supposed to be heavier than the regular Mizon Snail Cream, but it works for me.
12. Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream - I use this as a night moisturizer. It's incredibly thick and sticky, which takes some getting used to, but it makes my skin soft in the morning.
13. The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Sebum Control Moisture Sun - Sunblock is SO important in skincare!!! Even if you don't use this one, use something. I like this one because it's oil controlling and makes a good base for makeup.
14. COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch - These are pretty much glorified hydrocolloid bandages pre-cut into various sized circles. I have tried regular hydrocolloid pads, but they didn't work nearly as well as these did for me to suck all the gunk out of pimples. It's so gross, but satisfying to see all the crap in the pad when you wake up haha.

Sleeping Packs/Masks #

I use these pretty interchangeably. Even though they're all different, they kind of do the same thing, which is provide extra moisture for my face at night. I always wake up with soft skin after using them.

1. Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Sleeping Mask
2. Laneige Water Sleeping Mask - This has a pretty strong fragrance, so be aware if you're not into that.
3. The Face Shop Seaweeds Moisturizing Pack - This smells GREAT.

Masks #

I use masks 3 to 4 times a week. Some of these I've had for a while.

1. Pure Body Naturals Dead Sea Mud Mask - Be sure not to leave this on for longer than the recommended time; I accidentally did the first time I use it and it left red marks all over my face...
2. The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask - Great for when you have really inflamed breakouts. It helps soothes your skin.
3. Elizavecca Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask - To be honest, I'm not sure if this even does anything, but it's carbonated so it feels like it does something.
4. Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask - Pretty much an expensive version of #1. It tingles, but doesn't burn, so I prefer it.
5. Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off - I use this to exfoliate!
6. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - This is just a deluxe sample I've been meaning to use.
7. Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask - I love this as an exfoliant and it's super cheap!
8. Etude House / Tony Moly Sheet Masks - My favorite ones are aloe vera and tea tree. My face always feels great after using a sheet mask!

I know it looks like I have a lot of stuff, but the great thing is that the majority of these products are very inexpensive (<$20), so it doesn't cost me much to restock. Like I've said, I've yet to perfect my skincare routine, so I'm always drawn to any new products I find and want to try them out.

Do you guys have any products you recommend?

Thanks for reading,

Christina