I started following a skincare routine when I was about 23 and after I developed adult cystic acne on my cheeks. This left a lot of red purple blemishes on my face. Following a skincare routine allowed me to alleviate some of bulging cysts and fade the blemishes on my face. I was also interested in anti-aging so I could slow the damage I am/was causing my body from smoking (daily chain smoker).
I believe Korean/Japanese beauty products provide the best value and so I almost exclusively buy Asian beauty products. Korean chemical sunscreens are very pleaseant to wear and re-apply throughout the day.
Some brands I've been enjoying lately are:
The first products I started with were:
My skin type is normal to very dry depending on the weather. I use sunscreen every day (~50ml per month), 0.05% tretinoin almost nightly and seek moisturizing products that layer well. My skin tone is light so there are mineral sunscreens that may not leave a white cast on me but can leave a white cast on darker skin tones.
Note: Below are a list of my recommendations based on my personal experience! Everyone has different skin so a product I really disliked may be great for different skin types! Lastly, skincare is no replacement for taking care of your body with nutritious food, water and good sleep. Not smoking for a month made a larger difference for my skin than any product could ever do.
| Type | Name | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunscreen - Chemical | MISSHA All-Around Safe Block Aqua Sun Gel SPF50+ PA++++ | 50ml | ~$8 USD (Personal favorite) |
| Sunscreen - Chemical | Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++ | 50ml | ~$10 USD (Personal favorite) |
| Sunscreen - Chemical | B_LAB Matcha Hydrating Real Sun Screen SPF50+ PA++++ | 50ml | ~$7 USD (Personal favorite) |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++ | 50ml | I would not recommended for very dry skin. |
| Sunscreen - Mixed | MISSHA All-Around Safe Block Soft Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++ | 70ml | I would not recommended for very dry skin. "Tone up" sunscreen. |
| Serum - Vitamin C | TIAM My Signature C Source | 30ml | 20% Ascorbic Acid vitamin C, sticky, burns but effective. Give it about ~2 months. Will turn fabrics orange. |
| Cream | TONYMOLY THE Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream | 60ml | Moisturizing, absorbs quickly. |
| Oil | PURITO Plainet Squalane Oil 100 | 30ml | Absorbs quickly, moisturizing. (Personal favorite) |
| Cream | COSRX Pure Fit Cica Cream Intense | 50ml | ~$20 USD Moisturizing (Current favorite) |
| Cream | Huxley CREAM MORE THAN MOIST | 50ml | ~$30 USD Moisturizing but higher price tag. |
| Serum | SANA Soy Milk Whitening Serum | 100ml | Arbutin in this is great but I read it's effects are only visible while actively using. |
| Essence | COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence | 100ml | Moisturizing (Personal favorite but feels cruel) |
| Cleanser | B_LAB Matcha Hydrating Foam Cleanser | 120ml | (Personal favorite) |
| Cleanser | fresh Soy Face Cleanser | 150ml | ~$38 USD A treat. |
| Cleanser - Oil | ROHTO Hadalabo Gokujun Cleansing Oil 200ml | 200ml | |
| Cleanser - Oil | B_LAB PHA Perfect Pore Cleansing Oil | 200ml | |
| Moisturizer | Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ | 125/200ml | This has been my morning moisturizer for half a year now but feel it lacking in winter months. |
| Serum - Vitamin C | PURITO Pure Vitamin C Serum | 60ml | Smells like rotten citrus, oxidized but gentle L-AA (5%). Some say this is too low a concentration to be effective but I feel this evened out my skin tone. Warning: Still caused peeling (probably from nightly tretinoin) |
| Serum | SOME BY MI Propolis B5 Glow Barrier Calming Serum | 50ml | Absorbs quickly, non-sticky, honey like fragrance, soothing. Great morning serum. |
| Cleanser | innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing 5.5 Cleanser | 100ml | Affordable, non-stripping |
| Type | Name | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunscreen | MISSHA All-Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk SPF50+ PA+++ | 70ml | Really wanted to like this but it fucking burns your eyes! |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | innisfree Intensive Anti Pollution Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ 50ml | 50ml | Mixed feelings. Starts off with a white cast that fades but I found this greasy. |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | innisfree Intensive Triple-shield Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ | 50ml | Greasy + white cast |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | Etude House Sunprise Mild Watery Light SPF50+ PA+++ | 50ml | Greasy |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | SOME BY MI Trucica Mineral Calming Tone Up Sunscreen | 50ml | White cast, greasy, strong herbal medicine smell |
| Sunscreen | Kose - Suncut UV Perfect Gel Super Water Proof SPF 50+ PA++++ Sakura Edition | 100g | Unusable, gross, greasy, pills like crazy. |
| Sunscreen - Mineral | Biore UV kids Pure Milk Sunscreen SPF50 PA+++ | 70ml | Greasy |
| Sunscreen | COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50 PA+++ | 50ml | Pills, a bit greasy, effectiveness has come into question. |
| Cleanser | Dr.Jart+ DERMACLEAR Micro pH Foam | 120ml | Drying as hell |
| Cream | TONYMOLY Tear Drop Super Aqua Watery Cream | 100ml | Useless. Weird cooling effect. Need to apply another cream over every time I use it. |
| Cream | Origins GinZing Oil-Free Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer | 50ml | Got a few samples of this but terrible pilling and greasiness. |
| Type | Name | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunscreen | PURITO Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF50+ PA++++ | 60ml | |
| Sunscreen | VILLAGE 11 FACTORY Hydra Sun Fluid SPF50 PA++++ | 50ml | |
| Cream | Logically, Skin Multi-Lifting Cream 50ml | 50ml | |
| Cream | BLITHE Pressed Serum Tundra Chaga | 50ml | May need to try again because that price tag wants to convince me it's worth it. |
| Cream | MISSHA Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule Cream 5X | 50ml | Didn't notice anything but has a decent thicker texture. |
| Toner | TIAM Vita Refre-C Toner | 100ml | Awesome concept but not sure there is enough vitamin C. |
| Sleeping Mask | Dr.Jart+ Intra Jet Firming Sleeping Mask | 120ml | |
| Cream | Huxley CREAM ANTI-GRAVITY | 50ml | Not anti-gravity. |
| Cream | ETUDE HOUSE Soon Jung 2X Barrier Intensive Cream | 60ml | Forgettable but a favorite for others...been meaning to try it again. |
| Serum | WellDerma G Plus Silver Peptide Ampoule 30ml | 30ml | Mixed between recommending. Really like the idea of peptides and the beautiful color of the serum. But I noticed no difference in my skin after I ran out. |
| Moisturizer | COSRX Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion | 100ml | If you have dry skin, stay away, almost want to say it's terrible but can see how it might work for oily skin. |
| Oil | The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane | 30ml | |
| Moisturizer | The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA | 50ml | Pilled terribly when layering. Depends on what else you're using. |
| Cream | COSRX Balancium B5 D-Panthenol Cream | 50ml | Pricey for not doing much. |
| Cream | MISSHA Time Revolution Red Algae Revitalizing Cream | 50ml | Strong fragrance and not effective. Light gel texture that may work best for oily/combo skin types. |
| Cream | COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream | 80g | Ingredients seem great but it did not do enough for my dry skin. Might revisit this one as a day cream. |
| Cleansing Oil | ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleansing Oil | 200ml | Nice herbal scent, effective but nothing special. |
| Cleanser | ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleanser | 150ml | Foaming ph-balanced cleanser, could be more gentle. A favorite for many but not for me. |