Asian Beauty/Skincare

[Taitai]

gldnbearz Bummer about the Cosrx triple C! I have also heard good things about the PC stuff.

Also - have you experienced any issues using the Nivea sunscreen? I have that same one and used to be able to use it no problem. I used up the first bottle I bought and then switched back to the Biore UV watery rich, which I’ve been using the past 6 months or so. A few weeks ago, we were at the beach and I tried the Nivea again (got a new bottle and brought it along for the trip). My forehead got a ton of red spots and tiny bumps after using the Nivea for 3 days! Almost 2 weeks later and I’m still snailing and sheet masking like crazy to get back to normal. My skin is almost fully recovered, but now I’m worried about using the Nivea again! I wonder if they just reformulated? Bah.

[gldnbearz]

Taitai I bought a refill for the Nivea sun protect water gel SPF 50/pa +++ after I used up the bottle. No problems with the refill until I swapped vitamin C products.

I was able to rub a bit and then the pilling melted back down. It's like something precipitated, but I don't know if it's the sunscreen or the Cerave lotion that I wear between the vit C and the sunscreen. Annoying and takes time I don't have in the morning.

I might try experimenting with changing up the moisturizer first.

[gldnbearz]

Today, I didn't put on the Nivea sunscreen until about an hour after I applied the Cosrx Triple Lightning vitamin C serum and my Cerave PM lotion. No pilling.

[snowyowl]

Hi everyone, maybe you can help me out! I searched the thread for what I was looking for, but there are a lot of technical terms in here so I might have missed it.

TL;DR I have wrinkles starting up at 35 and I’m not sure how to improve them/prevent more besides my current steps.

I have been noticing a lot of fine lines on my face getting deeper. I decided to give retinol a try. I started with LilyAna and while I didn’t have any redness, I didn’t notice any improvement. I switched to Neutrogena, and I get about two weeks into it before I have red, peeling patches on my face. I’ve tried mixing it with my moisturizer, but no improvement. After giving my face a break and then going back to it a couple times, with no improvement, I’m over it.

My current regime is pretty simple. Cerave facewash, cerave AM with SPF for day and PM at night, plus their eye cream. I use Neutrogena hydroboost serum before both cerave moisturizers. My face tends towards dry, but is otherwise low maintenance most of the time.

Thoughts on products that might help with the lines? I ordered some of that Biore SPF recommended in this thread, but I was going to use that in the summer when I’m in the sun more.

[emma]

snowyowl have you tried a vit c serum? I am personally loving the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster. For retinol I like The Ordinary granactive retinoid is squalene, it’s also very cheap to try so if you don’t like it it’s not a waste of money

[snowyowl]

Mar 5, 2019 16:35:54 GMT -6 emma said:

snowyowl have you tried a vit c serum? I am personally loving the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster. For retinol I like The Ordinary granactive retinoid is squalene, it’s also very cheap to try so if you don’t like it it’s not a waste of money

I haven’t done vitamin c. I also don’t exfoliate, which I should probably add in.
I will check both of these out, thanks!

[emma]

Mar 5, 2019 20:06:50 GMT -6 snowyowl said:

Mar 5, 2019 16:35:54 GMT -6 emma said:

snowyowl have you tried a vit c serum? I am personally loving the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster. For retinol I like The Ordinary granactive retinoid is squalene, it’s also very cheap to try so if you don’t like it it’s not a waste of money

I haven’t done vitamin c. I also don’t exfoliate, which I should probably add in.
I will check both of these out, thanks!

Check out a chemical exfoliate instead of a physical one.

[Taitai]

Mar 5, 2019 20:23:34 GMT -6 emma said:

Mar 5, 2019 20:06:50 GMT -6 snowyowl said:

I haven’t done vitamin c. I also don’t exfoliate, which I should probably add in.
I will check both of these out, thanks!

Check out a chemical exfoliate instead of a physical one.

Welcome snowyowl ! I second all of emma ‘s recommendations. If you want to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, Vit C and retinoids will help. Vit C promotes collagen growth, which helps. Retinoids promote skin cell turnover, which slows the breakdown of collagen and can thicken the deeper skin layers - which is where wrinkles start to form. If a retinoid is making your skin turn red and flake, it’s because it’s too strong for you, the moisture barrier of your skin is compromised, you are not moisturizing enough, you are using the retinoid too frequently, or there is something in the retinoid product that your skin doesn’t like....most likely it’s some combination of those factors.

I suggest you start slow with the ordinary retinoid product that emma recommended. Make sure to use plenty of moisturizing and hydrating layers, and don’t use the retinoid every day at first.

A hydrating toner (esp one with hyaluronic acid), sheet masking (esp ones with HA), and using chemical vs physical exfoliations will also help with the fine lines. HA plumps and hydrates the skin, which reduces the appearance of fine lines. I put it on my neck too!

Hope this helps - good luck

[jenna]

I think squaline breaks me out

[snowyowl]

Thank you, everyone! This is really helpful. I’ll start with the SPF now. I think I read at some point that my moisturizer wasn’t really cutting it, but didn’t really get around to adding it in and forgot about it.

I ordered the Paula’s Choice vit c and The Ordinary retinol. Any specific recommendations for a chemical exfoliant? Is that what toner is, or is toner different?

Sorry for the newb questions 😬

[gldnbearz]

snowyowl, in general, toners are used after cleansing. They can serve different purposes: hydrating, astringent, or other.

Chemical exfoliants contain one or more alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic, mandelic) or salicylic acid. These can be toners or serums or lotions.

If you are trying The Ordinary, they have a glycolic acid toner. Cosrx also has a AHA toner.

Don't forget the sunscreen if you are using chemical exfoliants.

[snowyowl]

Thanks, gldnbearz! I’ve started using my Biore sunscreen daily, so I have a strong sunscreen in my routine at last.

I am adding in The Ordinary retinol tonight because my skin finally feels normal from my last retinol attempt. If all goes well, I’ll start adding in the Paula’s Choice C15 next, then probably add an exfoliant after that.

In my reading up on retin products, it seems like I should be a little more aggressive about using it regularly even if my skin is unhappy at first. The advice was mixed, but I’m going to start really easy by mixing it with my moisturizer in the evening 3-4 nights a week. If/when my skin is tolerating that well, start moisturizing afterwards, then up my usage.

[Taitai]

snowyowl Good luck with the retinol! Just use lots of hydrating/moisturizing layers..sheet masking helps too. Hopefully your skin will adjust quickly 🤞

Great that you are using the Biore spf too - your skin will thank you!

[catspajamas]

Question for anyone using the Mizon Black Snail AIO (I think there were a few?) - how are you using it in your routine? I bought it thinking it could be used in place of the Joseon dynasty cream, which I thought was a bit heavy for me (maybe okay in the winter but would probably be wanting a slightly lighter night cream heading into spring). But I’m not sure the AIO is mousturizing enough. Is it overkill to do Snail 96, the AIO and then a day/night mousturizer? Should it be replacing one of those?

[Lakes]

catspajamas I use it in the morning. Snail 96, Mizon Black Snail, Sunscreen. I haven’t been using it in my night routine. It seems to be enough moisture for me during the day but everyone is different.

[Lakes]

Someone else here gets the Facetory subscription right? I have a propolis cream that I’ve been loving and I’m super excited that this month has some propolis/honey masks. I hope they’re awesome.

[Taitai]

catspajamas I use the Mizon black snail AIO, and I don’t think it’s overkill at all to use with the snail 96 and moisturizer. I use all of those, plus a hydrating toner, a serum, and a propolis every night. I do agree that the Mizon black snail isn’t as heavy as the Joseon, and it feel more lightweight. I live in a tropical climate, so the consistency is perfect for me. If traveling to a drier climate, I add a heavier cream or more frequently use a sleeping pack.

[catspajamas]

Thanks Taitai & Lakes! I’ll continue using it in between the snail 96 & my moisturizer. I do like it a lot but definitely need more mousturizer (in a dry cold climate here).

[snowyowl]

Can I get feedback on my skin care order? Products added in case it’s relevant.

In the morning I do:
Cleanse (cerave)
Serum(Neutrogena hydroboost)
Sunscreen (Biore 50)
Moisturizer (Neutrogena hydroboost)

Evening:
Cleanse
Serum
Retinol three times a week mixed with moisturizer (my skin is tolerating that fine, so I’m going to start doing retinol and then moisturizer, then up the days of the week if that’s ok)
Or
Vitamin C (paula’s C15) and then moisturizer

I read that Vitamin C is not really necessary more than every other day and not to do retinol the same night?

[gldnbearz]

snowyowl, in the AM, sunscreen should be the last step, so moisturizer first. You can also move the vitamin C to the AM, as well since it can augment effects of the sunscreen.

[Taitai]

Mar 18, 2019 18:09:46 GMT -6 snowyowl said:

Can I get feedback on my skin care order? Products added in case it’s relevant.

In the morning I do:
Cleanse (cerave)
Serum(Neutrogena hydroboost)
Sunscreen (Biore 50)
Moisturizer (Neutrogena hydroboost)

Evening:
Cleanse
Serum
Retinol three times a week mixed with moisturizer (my skin is tolerating that fine, so I’m going to start doing retinol and then moisturizer, then up the days of the week if that’s ok)
Or
Vitamin C (paula’s C15) and then moisturizer

I read that Vitamin C is not really necessary more than every other day and not to do retinol the same night?

Looks like a good routine- just some order changes. For AM, like gldnbearz said, SPF is the very last step - after your moisturizer has dried down. For PM, actives (Vit C, retinol) should go after cleansing. Then, serum, then moisturizer.

Also, if you want to keep Vit C at night, that’s fine too, but moving it up to your morning routine might be a good idea (especially if you are using an L-AA Vit C), just to spread out the actives throughout the day. Might help your skin from getting too over-exfoliated from the retinol in the evening.

[snowyowl]

Thanks very much, gldnbearz and Taitai! I’ll switch that stuff around.

I’ve used the vit c exactly once and it was crazy how smooth it made my skin feel, so I’ll try it in the morning. I bet it will work well under my makeup.

[fancy]

Feb 12, 2019 23:22:58 GMT -6 Taitai said:

Feb 9, 2019 12:12:30 GMT -6 fancy said:

Has anyone had any experience with The Yeon? There are some products on HauteLook right now that I’m tempted to throw into my order. I wasn’t able to find much info online.

No experience here, but if you end up trying it out, please let us know what you think!

So, I have nothing to compare it to, but the cleansing balm by The Yeon has been really great. I got the honey/more moisturizing one and it does a great job of getting the makeup off and rinsing well. I haven’t done it, but I do feel like I could get away without the 2nd cleanser. I’m not sure I love the balm delivery in general, and am eyeing some cleansing oils. I did however replace the Banilla after the whole Amazon debacle and will use that before I purchase anything else.
It’s so gross, but I’m amazed that I don’t have remaining makeup on my face in the morning. Before when I was just washing/using a wipe at night, there was always more mascara liner under my eyes in the morning. I just thought that was a part of being a makeup wearer. Why did no one teach me better? Why did I believe this?!?! Ha! Now, I have no traces of anything!

[Taitai]

fancy - Better to figure things out later than never, right? I love how double cleansing gets my skin super super clean. It makes such a difference!

[vvvvvfee]

hi everyone, i finally read this whole thread and i hope it's ok to chime in with some newbie questions!

i'm in my late 30s. as best i can tell, i have combination skin that's moderately sensitive. i don't wear makeup on a day-to-day basis, just sunscreen. my minimalist skin care routine is no longer working as well and i'm noticing some signs of aging. i'm still nursing my 8.5-month old.

the main issues i want to address:
-visible/large pores on my nose and cheek area next to my nose
-milia on my upper cheeks (and sometimes above and below my eyes, as well as some other kind of small white pimply things that are not milia bc they don't have the hard center). the ones on my cheeks don't bother me as much as the ones i occasionally get near my eyes
-fine lines appearing on my forehead
-overall skin dullness/blah look-- look less tired and old

so, questions:

-for the oil cleansing part of the regimen, has anyone used their own blend of oils instead of a premixed cleansing oil? i don't really like the idea of the oil cleansers with mineral oil... although i know it gets washed off. i used to do the oil cleansing method and i used a combo of 2/3 apricot seed oil and 1/3 castor oil so i already have those
-what should i use under my eyes? i don't want to contribute to creating more milia. i was using The Ordinary niacinamide for a while and applying it around my eyes, but it was making my under-eye skin get crepe-y, dry, and flaky. i read that snail mucin can be good under eyes? should i go for the cosrx one? is it ok to order off amazon? or is there another eye cream that's not $$$?
-how can i incorporate some of the The Ordinary products i already have without drying out my skin? i have hyaluronic acid (which i know is supposed to hold moisture in but i feel like it had the opposite effect), niacinamide, and salicylic acid (the SA made my skin feel super-dry so i don't think i can tolerate it daily)
-i wanted to try the pore shrinking method described on 50 shades of snail. how often is that good do to? weekly?
-i got a jj young pore bubble mask at tj maxx. would that be something that i would use after double-cleansing in the evening, just like a sheet mask? or is that more analogous to the 50 shades of snail pore clearing method with the clay mask?

thanks in advance and sorry for 80 million questions!

[Taitai]

Mar 20, 2019 10:45:03 GMT -6 vvvvvfee said:

hi everyone, i finally read this whole thread and i hope it's ok to chime in with some newbie questions!

i'm in my late 30s. as best i can tell, i have combination skin that's moderately sensitive. i don't wear makeup on a day-to-day basis, just sunscreen. my minimalist skin care routine is no longer working as well and i'm noticing some signs of aging. i'm still nursing my 8.5-month old.

the main issues i want to address:
-visible/large pores on my nose and cheek area next to my nose
-milia on my upper cheeks (and sometimes above and below my eyes, as well as some other kind of small white pimply things that are not milia bc they don't have the hard center). the ones on my cheeks don't bother me as much as the ones i occasionally get near my eyes
-fine lines appearing on my forehead
-overall skin dullness/blah look-- look less tired and old

so, questions:

-for the oil cleansing part of the regimen, has anyone used their own blend of oils instead of a premixed cleansing oil? i don't really like the idea of the oil cleansers with mineral oil... although i know it gets washed off. i used to do the oil cleansing method and i used a combo of 2/3 apricot seed oil and 1/3 castor oil so i already have those
-what should i use under my eyes? i don't want to contribute to creating more milia. i was using The Ordinary niacinamide for a while and applying it around my eyes, but it was making my under-eye skin get crepe-y, dry, and flaky. i read that snail mucin can be good under eyes? should i go for the cosrx one? is it ok to order off amazon? or is there another eye cream that's not $$$?
-how can i incorporate some of the The Ordinary products i already have without drying out my skin? i have hyaluronic acid (which i know is supposed to hold moisture in but i feel like it had the opposite effect), niacinamide, and salicylic acid (the SA made my skin feel super-dry so i don't think i can tolerate it daily)
-i wanted to try the pore shrinking method described on 50 shades of snail. how often is that good do to? weekly?
-i got a jj young pore bubble mask at tj maxx. would that be something that i would use after double-cleansing in the evening, just like a sheet mask? or is that more analogous to the 50 shades of snail pore clearing method with the clay mask?

thanks in advance and sorry for 80 million questions!

Welcome vvvvvfee !

Happy to help with some of your questions. In regards to the oil cleanser, I’ve never mixed my own, so I don’t have experience there. One thing about using home-made oils to cleanse is that they tend not to emulsify as well. That means water doesn’t break up the oil and wash it away as cleanly...leaving a residue that can cause clogs or breakouts. Hence, that’s the reason I like using store bought products. Banila clean it zero purity is a good one, and I don’t think it uses mineral oil.

Eye products are tricky, because everyone has different sensitivities, and the skin around the eyes is so delicate. I use snail (Cosrx 96 mucin) around eyes without issue. I think you just have to go trial and error on that one.

I’m not an expert on the ordinary stuff, so I’m not much help there. emma might have some insight though.

The fifty shades of snail pore method is good! I can only do it like once a month, because my skin gets very red from the clay mask, but weekly should be ok if your skin can handle it. A facial with extractions will help too, but $$$$

I’m not familiar with that bubble mask, but if it behaves like a clay mask, I wouldn’t use it each night. Just weekly or less, to avoid stripping your moisture barrier.

[vvvvvfee]

Taitai, thanks so much for the info! i also learned a ton from your previous posts. i think i will invest in a cleansing oil and the cosrx snail mucin.

[Jackaroe]

Mar 20, 2019 10:45:03 GMT -6 vvvvvfee said:

hi everyone, i finally read this whole thread and i hope it's ok to chime in with some newbie questions!

i'm in my late 30s. as best i can tell, i have combination skin that's moderately sensitive. i don't wear makeup on a day-to-day basis, just sunscreen. my minimalist skin care routine is no longer working as well and i'm noticing some signs of aging. i'm still nursing my 8.5-month old.

the main issues i want to address:
-visible/large pores on my nose and cheek area next to my nose
-milia on my upper cheeks (and sometimes above and below my eyes, as well as some other kind of small white pimply things that are not milia bc they don't have the hard center). the ones on my cheeks don't bother me as much as the ones i occasionally get near my eyes
-fine lines appearing on my forehead
-overall skin dullness/blah look-- look less tired and old

so, questions:

-for the oil cleansing part of the regimen, has anyone used their own blend of oils instead of a premixed cleansing oil? i don't really like the idea of the oil cleansers with mineral oil... although i know it gets washed off. i used to do the oil cleansing method and i used a combo of 2/3 apricot seed oil and 1/3 castor oil so i already have those
-what should i use under my eyes? i don't want to contribute to creating more milia. i was using The Ordinary niacinamide for a while and applying it around my eyes, but it was making my under-eye skin get crepe-y, dry, and flaky. i read that snail mucin can be good under eyes? should i go for the cosrx one? is it ok to order off amazon? or is there another eye cream that's not $$$?
-how can i incorporate some of the The Ordinary products i already have without drying out my skin? i have hyaluronic acid (which i know is supposed to hold moisture in but i feel like it had the opposite effect), niacinamide, and salicylic acid (the SA made my skin feel super-dry so i don't think i can tolerate it daily)
-i wanted to try the pore shrinking method described on 50 shades of snail. how often is that good do to? weekly?
-i got a jj young pore bubble mask at tj maxx. would that be something that i would use after double-cleansing in the evening, just like a sheet mask? or is that more analogous to the 50 shades of snail pore clearing method with the clay mask?

thanks in advance and sorry for 80 million questions!

I really like the manyo factory products, they are hypoallergenic, organic, and use natural ingredients. So the oil cleansers have no mineral oil etc. I've been using their white vitamin c , and then the niacin galactomyces range for clear skin. I find them to be reasonable price wise.For snail I use mizon intense snail ampoule and I really like it but I don't use it under my eyes. It's not AB but I really like the face cream and eye cream from aldi. The ingredients are really good and it's cheap so I can splurge more on AB stuff! I'm still nursing too so I'm comfortable with the ingredients used by them.

[vvvvvfee]

thanks for the suggestions, Jackaroe! i'll check those out. i wish there was an aldi near me, though.

[emma]

@vvvvvfe hi! I’ve used a few of the Ordinary products and liked them but my skin did not like the salicylic acid so I had to give up on it. I liked the Granactive retinoid in squalene but my skin is rebelling against all oil right now, so the only product I’m keeping up with is the Lactic acid which is a great chemical exfoliate