I'm back with another kbeauty related post! Ha! I told you that I will be back!
"oh my god nurra are you a beauty blogger now???"
I honestly don't know, my friend. I'm a 17-year-old teenager who develop interests in things easily. At the moment, I'm currently on the Korean Skincare bandwagon (all thanks to /r/asianbeauty). Am I going to be a ~beauty blogger~?? We will see which path I'm heading to so, sit tight and enjoy the ride.
This time I'm going to talk about my /debut/ on the Korean skincare bandwagon. So, it was during the June holiday. All I did was nothing but binge-watching videos on YouTube. I watched a lot of skin care routine videos, that eventually led me to do more research by reading beauty blogs and I fell into a hell hole that is the subreddit /r/asianbeauty on reddit. At first, I was like 'meh' but then, I stumbled upon COSRX's Instagram page and they stated that they are a cruelty-free company on one of their Instagram posts. Right after that I immediately went ahead to COSRX's website and check out what products that they have and ended up spending nearly 3/4 of the money that I got from Eid.
A lot of people say that if you are new to the Korean skincare, it's better to start slowly and have a minimal routine. However, I'm a firm believer of go big or go home. It's either I do the full routine or I don't do it at all. So, I have a pretty maximalist routine for a rookie in this department. On the contrary, I don't use all Korean products for my Korean skincare routine. Cruelty-free and affordable Korean product is pretty hard to find so, I include products from brands that I trust and have experience with beforehand into my regimen. This is my take on the Korean skincare regimen and this might be slightly different than the ones that most people do, but this regimen works on me so why not. Everything that I state on this post is pure based on my experience and just because it works for me, does not mean it will work on you. But if you really want to know about my routine.... here it is.
First Cleanse - Olitalia Grapeseed Oil
I use oil to get rid of sunscreen, pollution particles, and make-up if I'm wearing any. Double cleansing is what makes Korean skincare regimen different. I find cleansing with a foamy cleanser alone isn't enough to clean my face thoroughly. I used to avoid wearing sunscreen because sunscreen breaks my skin out. Now I know the reason why. The fault is not at the sunscreen but at myself for not cleaning my face properly. A foamy cleanser alone isn't enough to get rid of those sunscreen and pollution particles. So, if you find yourself breaking out whenever you put a sunscreen on, instead of ditching your sunscreen, try double cleansing using an oil based cleanser! Or in my case, just oil.
Why use an oil? Well, I used to try the all natural skincare using DIY products. I used to use an ACV toner and I used this oil as a moisturizer because apparently, grapeseed oil is non-comedogenic, and rumour has it that it's good to treat acne, tighten skin, diminish dark circles, moisturize, reduce scars, restore collagen, and fight aging. Sounds promising, huh? I fell for it and tried using it as a moisturizer just to wake up with a horrible break out the next day. I stopped using it as a moisturiser after a week but I still keep it to use it as a makeup remover because I remember in one of Michelle Phan's videos, she removed her makeup using olive oil. So I thought "why not just use this oil since it's the one that I have at home? I will rinse it off afterward anyway." So, that's how I started using grapeseed oil as a first cleanser at the first place.
Am I going to continue using grapeseed oil as a first cleanser once I'm out of it? I think so. Grapeseed oil is relatively cheap if you compared to other fancy oils like olive or coconut oil. I've had this bottle since a year ago and I still have around half of it. Most brands that carry oil-based cleansers aren't cruelty-free so that's the reason why I'm sticking to my trustee grapeseed oil. I also noticed that ever since I started double cleansing everyday, all the hair on my face has gotten thicker and longer. My lashes, brows, facial hair, and peach fuzz growth have been getting more intense and I believe it's because of the grapeseed oil that I apply on my face daily. It's great because now I don't have to get those expensive lash and brow lengthening serums. Though I have to pluck out my facial hair more often these days.
Second Cleanse - Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash
I've been using this cleanser since last year and I'm happy with it. Before using this facewash, I used The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash for years. I was so happy when I first tried this cleanser because I'm finally able to replace my TBS' cleanser with something cheaper that I can get off the drugstore. This Himalaya Herbals' cleanser is so gentle and doesn't strip off my skin unlike other drugstore facial cleansers that I've tried before. I dare to say that this is the dupe of TBS' famous tea tree cleanser because a.) they look similar - look at that green gel!!! and b.) it's as gentle and doesn't dry out my skin and helps to keep the oil at bay. 10/10 very reccomended.
Exfoliate - COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
If you've read my previous blogpost, you must know that I was so tempted to try out chemical exfoliating the moment I first read about it. My first experience lathering acid on my face was lit, I would say. The next morning I woke up looking (more like feeling tbh) like an ethereal goddess. My face was glowing and smooth. Pores who?! I did have a few new breakouts that morning but, I did see that coming. Based on what I've read online, it's called purging and it's common to be experienced by those who are new to chemical exfoliating. The breakouts dissapeared within days, though so it was all good.
I always apply this at night because you have to leave this on for 20-30 minutes before moving on to your next steps and I don't have that kind of time in the morning. I use this two to three times a week at night after cleansing. It helps to keep my oil at bay and reduce the appearence of my pores. My skincare tends to be absorbed quickier right after I'm using this.
Pre-Toner - COSRX One Step Pimple Clear Pad
I use this after cleansing my face and before applying toner on days where my skin isn't on its best behaviour. Sometimes when I'm too lazy, I would just use this alone and skip toner. This product is marketed as a pimple clearing pad but it does not just clear up your skin from acne. It also serves as a mild exfoliant, toner, and I would say a third cleanser. Rubbing this all over my face after double cleansing makes my face feels uber clean and sometimes I still can see some gunks that my cleansers didn't cleanse properly.
Toner - COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Toner is meant to balance out the pH of your skin after cleansing. Facial cleansers especially the foamy ones tend to be basic or have a high pH and the pH of your skin is 5.5 which makes your skin state acidic. I'm not sure about the pH of my facial cleanser as most drugstore cleansers tend to have high pH. That's why I use a toner to make sure that my skin isn't basic (bad puns, I know. I'm sorry). My past experiences with toner are mostly bad. Toners tend to dry my skin out that's why I used to ditch it.
This is the first toner that I use that doesn't dry out my skin. It also contains AHA/BHA which is good for my blemished skin and to get rid of dead skin cells. I love this so much and I'm already on my second bottle.
Essence - COSRX BHA Skin Returning A-Sol
A lot of people use this product as a toner or spot treatment. But due to its runny texture and wholesome ingredients, I treated this as an essence. Essence is basically a liquid skin food that provides nutrients for your skin. This product contains BHA and propolis and I just think that it's too good to be treated as a toner. My skin was at the best state when I was using this product. Nevertheless, I'm not going to repurchase it as it contains propolis.
Serum - The Body Shop Tea Tree Daily Solution
This product is basically a thinner and liquidy version of the tea tree oil. It has a very strong tea tree scent, which I don't mind considering growing up, my mom used to rub cajeput oil on my tummy before I sleep and they smell similar. This quite stings if you have acne. What I like about this product is the fact that it absorbs quickly into my skin and it's quite rich so it does a bit of hydration too.
Ampoule - Wardah C-Defense Vitamin C Serum
I know that it clearly says 'serum' on the packaging. But ampoule and serum is pretty much the same thing so whatevs. This is a vitamin C serum but I don't think that the vitamin C in this serum is as concentrated as the one from c20 which makes it less intimidating. It's cheap and super moisturising! I love this product so much. When I dropped this gem, it wasn't just glass shattering all over my floor but also my heart.
Glycerin is on the top of its ingredients list which explains it's thick texture and stickiness. It takes forever for the skin to absorb it but that's what I get for the price that I'm paying, I guess. I'm so gonna repurchase it once I'm back in Indonesia.
Mask Sheet - Various Brands
(on pict: guardian leaf water daily care mask, beyond herb garden calendula mask, guardian jeju seaweed face mask, beyond herb garden black tea mask)
I guess this step is the one that almost everyone is familiar with. Even before jumping into the Korean skincare bandwagon, I've already developed a slightly unhealthy obssesion with sheet masks. I tend to go overboard with my order whenever I'm buying sheetmasks and I have a stash of sheetmasks in my room.
I love putting on sheet mask because not only it benefits my skin, it also helps me to relax and wind down a bit after a hectic day. As of now, I haven't really found a certain sheetmask that I really love. I'm still in the hunt for the next top sheet mask.
Emulsion - Sukin Greens Facial Recovery Serum
Another product that is marketed as a serum but I use it as something else!! Whoooo!! Yes, I know it clearly says SERUM on the packaging with caps. But, I don't personally think that this product suits the serum criteria. To me, serum is supposed to have a light consistency and translucent. This product is more of like a light lotion to me and surprise surprise, emulsion is equivalent to a light lotion hence, me categorizing it as an emulsion.
This product is basically a white light lotion and quite resembles a sunscreen. It is opaque a.k.a. the reason why I don't consider it as a serum and it's quite thick too for a serum! It absorbs to the skin quite quick, though. I don't really think that this product does wonder on my skin and I don't love it as much as I wanted to. I love this product due to the fact that it's from Sukin and it's a cruelty-free company and their products don't contain harmful ingredients. I also adore their commitment to provide their customers with best quality products and to preserve the environment.
Facial Oil - Sukin Bio Natural Skin Oil
This oil is actually marketed as a body oil to help with the appearance of stretchmarks and scars. I personally use this on my face, neck, decollete, elbows, knees, lips, basically everywhere! It has a very pleasant citrusy smell and absorbs quickly into the skin. I notice that this helps on reducing the appearance of my acne scars and it relaxes me so much.
"Don't you have an oily skin? Why would you use oil on your skin?"
I've found the trick to using oil on your face is to make sure that your skin is 'damp' beforehand. Never apply oil on your face when it's dry. After all the products that I've applied beforehand, my face is far from dry and rather damp, which makes it a perfect base for a facial oil. On lazy days, I would just apply toner or facial mist and moisturise using only this oil. I would take half a pump of this oil and warm it up on my palm then, I pat it gently on my face. Make sure you do it when you're still fresh out of the shower so your skin can soaks up all the goodies that this oil contains.
Moisturiser - COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion with Birch Sap
From the look of it, you should already can tell how much I love this product. As someone with dehydrated-oily skin, finding the perfect moisturiser is a hard task to fulfill. If it's too thick it won't be absorbed by your skin and will end up clogging your pores and be the culprit of future breakouts. Meanwhile, if it's way too light it will do nothing for your skin and your skin will be even more dehydrated.
This moisturiser is light but surprisingly very hydrating! Its smell kind of reminds of minyak tawon but I don't really mind as it fades away within seconds. A pump is enough to hydrate my entire face though I use two pumps most of the times because I love being extra. I'm forever grateful for COSRX for creating and formulating this gem.
Spot Treatment - The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil seems like the only topical spot treatment that I can use. Most spot treatment creams or gels tend to make my skin itchy so I stopped purchasing spot treatment creams or gels. Tea tree oil and acne patches are the only spot treatments that I trust. This product does sting but it only stings when you first apply it and that's it.
Spot Treatment pt. 2 - COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch
Acne patch is another spot treatment that I trust beside tea tree oil. And this acne patch specifically, is the only acne patch that works for me. I've tried acne patch from several brands before and this one is the only one that works. COSRX never fails to safe my skin.
Sunscreen - Bio-essence Bio Water Power Protect Cooling Sunscreen SPF50+/PA++
I can't never ever leave the house without having my sunscreen on. And I shouldn't. This sunscreen has SPF50+/PA++ which is good to protect my face from the harmful UV rays considering I don't want to have wrinkles and experience premature aging. This sunscreen does not just protect your skin. It has a cooling effect and hydrates the skin as well since it contains Hyaluronic acid. Though it has a hydrating property, it is still very lightweight and soaks up to the skin quickly. It does not give your face whitecasts or makes it look greasy. It does give your face a glowing effect anf it's perfect to be worn underneath makeup.
So, there you go! A lenghty blog post about my lengthy skincare routine. I'm going to be honest that I don't do this routine every single day. There will be days where I would skip a product or two because I don't feel like I need it. But most days, I do stick to this regimen. This regimen does help to improve my skin condition and committing to this routine makes me happy.
It might seem like a very complicated task to do but trust me, once you try it, it won't feel like a task. Doing my skincare routine helps me to relax and reconnect with myself. I'm looking at the reflection of myself for a good 15 minutes or sometimes even more and notice how different it looks and feels day by day. It makes me appreciate myself more and makes me feel good about myself because I'm taking care of myself and I realised that I didn't appreciate myself enough before.
To me, it's not just about having small pores and clear and glowing skin. It's about how you actually can be the best version of yourself if you want to put in enough effort and start taking care of yourself.
If you are reading this, please don't forget to eat your fruit and veggies, drink water, get a sunscreen, and clean your face before going to bed.
Love,
Nurra
