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skincare

growing up, i was really lucky and naturally had pretty good skin, but this meant i never really learned that much about skincare. as i was going through my twenties (big depresso) it was a struggle to maintain a consistent routine. my skincare routine became more and more "minimal", and i was taking out steps without really understanding what their purpose was. i thought it wasn't a big deal since my skin has always been fine (spoiler alert: as you get older your skin loses a lot of the abilities it had before). i noticed that my skin started to look super dull, and i was like hmm that doesn't seem normal, so i went down a skincare rabbit hole and actually learned stuff!

a lot of what i have learned is from tina takana harris's channel. the way she explains the purpose of each type of product is really helpful, and has given me a deeper appreciatiation for each step as a way to take care of myself. some helpful videos:

here is a peek into my current skincare routine and the products i currently use. almost everything is cruelty free except for the starred (*) ones -- will update here as i find replacements for those.

~ morning ~

  1. cleanser (tia'm snail & azulene low pH cleanser): washes away water-soluble impurities. you can technically just use water cuz not much happens when you're sleeping. i haven't found a morning cleanser that i really like yet. this one is unscented, but i want a nice smell...
  2. toner (numbuzin no. 3 glowing essence toner): hydrates your skin - cells need water to thrive, and skin cells are no exception. toner also helps prep your skin for serums. i've rebought this product a few times, i am attached. i LOVE the citrus-y grapefruit scent in the mornings. has a more viscous texture
  3. serum (numbuzin no. 3 skin softening serum): serums are products that have a high concentration of active ingredients and are used to target specific skin concerns. i mainly bought this one because the youtuber i watch said this is skincare product that changed her skin the most, but i don't know if my skin really needs to be softened? i guess some extra softening isn't a bad thing
  4. moisturizer (rovectin calming sensitive lotus cream): creates a barrier that locks in the previous layers of skincare you applied and protects your skin from the outside world. i have rebought this one a few times and i am attached. it's a great lightweight unscented moisturizer, but tbh i'm mainly influenced by the fact that it comes with stickers :P
  5. sunscreen (thank you farmer sun project light sun essence): the sun is a deadly laser!!!! wearing sun protection is THE most important thing you can do for your skin, so whichever sunscreen you pick make sure it's one that you LIKE and will wear every day. i like this one bc it has a more liquidy texture and is lightweight, does not feel sticky. i also recently learned that you should wear sunscreen even if you are INSIDE the whole day because of windows!
  6. spray serum (d'alba aromatic spray serum): i use this after makeup for a nice glowy effect and extra hydration, it also smells SO GOOD

~ night ~

(yes, i use completely different products for morning and night time -- they have different vibes, ok?) i have some extra steps in the section after this, but this section has the nighttime steps that happen every day

  1. oil cleanser (numbuzin no. 1 easy peasy cleansing oil): removes oil-based impurities like makeup, sunscreen, etc. i really like this one from numbuzin but there are a few other brands i want to try. probably my favorite step of my skincare routine
  2. cleanser (innisfree green tea foam cleanser*): washes away remaining water-soluble impurities after oil cleanser
  3. toner (pyunkang yul essence toner): hydrates and preps your skin. this one has a viscous texture, and is lightly scented
  4. sleep mask (pyunkang yul sleeping mask): in the winters i use this in place of moisturizer at night time, it's thicker than regular moisturizer and helps protect from dryness overnight.
  5. eye cream (purito centella green level eye cream): one of those things where it doesn't seem like it's doing anything but is noticeable when you stop using it. this is the only eye cream i've used so far so i don't really have a comparison but it's nice
  6. lip balm (burt's bees ultra conditioning lip balm with kokom butter): this is the only lip balm that works when i have super dry lips in the winter

i switch off between two options for nighttime routine: half the time i use serums (3,4) after applying toner, and the other days i use an enzyme cleanser (1) in place of the regular cleanser, and then use a chemical exfoliant (2) before applying toner. this is because you're not supposed to use too many active ingredients at one time so i just switch off

  1. enzyme cleanser (by wishtrend green tea & enzyme powder wash): enzyme cleansers give extra exfoliation and help remove dead skin cells. i just started using this so i don't have an opinion on it yet, but it has a really nice texture and actually smells like green tea which is nice
  2. chemical exfoliant (beauty of joseon green plum refreshing toner AHA+BHA): as you get older, your skin loses its ability to get rid of dead skin cells as easily as it did before. chemical exfoliants help unstick dead skin cells and move along the process of regenerating new skin cells. i just started using this specific one so not sure if it's doing anything but the packaging is nice
  3. peptide serum (dear klairs midnight blue youth activating drop): as you get older, your skin produces less proteins that help with skin elasticity; peptide serums help promote production of these proteins. i recently found out that you're not supposed to put serums (or any skincare) in the fridge because they're formulated to be stored at room temperature. but this has already been in there for so long and i'm scared to just take it out, so once i finish using it i will buy another one and not put it in the fridge lol
  4. vitamin c serum (dear klairs freshly juiced vitamin drop): helps reduce redness and makes your skin tone more even; the first time i tried this i used way too much at once and it kinda burned my skin lol you only need a couple of drops

other products

  1. cotton pads (unicharm silcot sponge touch moisturizing cotton pad): i recently got these because i have this water-y toner that i don't want to use as my toner anymore (prefer more viscous ones) but i don't want to waste it, so i've been using it to soak these cotton pads and creating a DIY sheet mask situation. i just use 2 squares on my cheeks for 2 minutes to give some extra hydration in the morning before my moisturizer
  2. exfoliant toner pads (some by mi AHA BHA PHA 30 days miracle trucica clear pad*): i use this once a week on the days i use chemical exfoliants. pads are nice as they give extra physical exfoliation. i am still trying a lot of chemical exfoliant products and trying to find the best ones, not sure if this is it
  3. acne patches (pyunkang yul acne spot patch): i use these as needed; these are supposed to be good to put on a pimple when it's ready to pop, but i usually just use them right after one has been popped. good to use as it is kind of an open wound
  4. sheet masks (mediheal*): sheet masks are used to deliver extra hydration to your skin, and sometimes they'll have additional serums in them. you should only leave them on for the specified amount of time, before it dries out, because then . i don't really use sheet masks that often, but i do like the mediheal ones a lot (first used bc of a bts spon lol). this specific one has a very yogurt-y texture and i prob won't buy again

lastly, i recently got this super cute sprout headband, and getting to use this every day has been the biggest motivation to actually stay on top of a consistent daily skincare routine :)

that's all for now, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading <3

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