skincare recap
Jan. 19th, 2025 04:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liptintedlast year i started paying more attention to my skin and skincare, so i thought i would recap my purchases and talk about what worked and what didn't.
most of what's mentioned here are stuff i've bought over a span of 2 years, a few of which i'd been using for a long while for even longer years back before i noticed that they weren't actually all that effective. in order, i'll just talk about cleansers -> toners -> moisturizers -> sunscreens (i don't use serums or ampoules (yet), and i rarely use face masks). to disclaim, i have combination skin and live in southeast asian tropical humid weather and therefore sweat a lot outside so this affects my choices. my skin is not amazing but it currently does feel the softest it has ever been in years. in terms of a price point, i think all of these are fairly affordable in that almost all of them can be found at local drugstores where i live (if not, they're easily available on shopee through beauty resellers or the official stores).
my current routine:
because it's humid where i am, i don't do steps 1 and 2 for my morning routine and just use water to rinse my face and then start with toner.. i skip out on step 5 most of the time as well in the morning because sunscreen alone feels moisturising enough in this climate and i don't wanna clog my pores. it just feels safer cutting out a few steps that don't seem necessary rather than adding on products and potentially doing too much.
cleansers
beplain mung bean ph-balanced cleansing foam
beplain's mung bean cleanser is extremely gentle, hydrating, and is probably the first cleanser i've tried that actually doesn't feel like drying soap lmao but to be fair, i'm not adventurous in switching out cleansers. beplain is a cruelty-free korean brand and the cleanser is fungal-acne safe, paraben-free, alcohol-free and noncomedogenic aka won't clog pores, which is vital to me. claims to be suitable for dry and sensitive skin although i have seen reviews saying it doesn't work well for dry types. it keeps my moisture though and i do feel squeaky clean using it as the second cleanse (i cleanse first with garnier micellar water, the pink one, before anything). for years i used to just live on the cosrx good morning low ph gel cleanser, which in retrospect was slightly drying. it did the job of cleansing without breaking me out i suppose, but i now believe that i shouldn't settle for anything mid that doesn't give me a breakout because i am paying for this shit and it better be worth the repurchases. let's not have such low standards anymore. i've also tried the highly raved senka perfect whip foam cleanser last year for a couple of weeks, and it was even more drying. literally the ultimate soap effect. i think japanese products (eg hada labo) went through reformulations that are harsher on the skin for some, according to my friend and other former loyal customers mourning on r/AsianBeauty.
other mentions: anua heartleaf pore control cleansing oil
i'm always seeing that anua has questionable marketing so i do think that it is a brand that's overhyped, and i kind of get it...i've tried their heartleaf toner and it does nothing. absolutely nothing. what are we doing here. BUT the cleansing oil works fine for me as an additional makeup remover. i use it about once a week when i desperately need a triple cleanse and want to remove dead skin around my nose and chin, and eye area when i really want to make sure i can clean off all stubborn eye makeup. cleansing oils are generally not fungal acne-safe although they can still be non-comedogenic. this anua one isn't though so i really try to limit my usage of it LOL. i don't have much to say about cleansing oils because they're a form of cleansing that isn't necessary for my combi skin type and i don't often wear heavy makeup.
toners
skintific glycolic acid daily clarifying toner
why did i think this brand was from indonesia... it's pretty popular there and in malaysia and the marketing has duped many into thinking it's southeast asian but it's from china. anyway, this toner is crazy (positive). it's alcohol-free and paraben-free although not fungal-acne safe. but the actives in this—niacinimide, glycolic acid and lactobionic acid, which is a PHA and a gentle cousin to AHAs—are balanced and mild enough that this can be used daily and they slay for me. keeps my crazy skin texture and pore appearance under control, and if i have a breakout, it calms all my spots. it also has hyalurionic acid, and ceramide which is important for maintaining skin barrier and moisture. this happened to be the first toner i stuck to after my sister got me on it. after trying anua's heartleaf toner and hating how it gave nothing, i went back to this.
moisturizers
purito oat-in calming gel cream
cruelty-free korean brand that's also fungal-acne safe, alcohol-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic. it's light and fast-absorbing which makes it pretty goated in southeast asian climate for me personally. i used to use the rovectin clean lotus water cream which was also pretty lightweight but my gripe was that it was expensive even on discounted shopee sales and i was so sure i could find something within my budget for better. i tried beauty of joseon red bean water gel too for a long while last year, which literally just sits on the skin for a while. it didn't have much effectiveness, & had a slightly sticky feeling despite not breaking me out. we don't settle anymore! so then i tried this purito gel, and it completely changed my understanding of effective moisturizers. my skin is BABY SOFT thanks to this. i've only started using it a few days ago though so we'll see how this goes. hopefully it continues to work well.
sunscreens
melano cc vitamin c deep day care uv lotion spf 50+PA++++
i like this sunscreen because of its fast-absorbing and non-sticky lightweight quality too. also, it leaves a non-greasy finish which i like and i tend to be impatient when i'm getting ready so if i'm wearing makeup i would prefer to have fast-absorbing products. i used the cosrx aloe vera sunscreen way back when i wasn't serious about any of this, zero memory of how that was, i didn't pay attention.. and then i was using the canmake mermaid skin gel uv the year before last; i was first drawn to its cute packaging..i think that was a decent sunscreen but it was greasy (though it didn't break me out). the canmake mermaid gel worked well as a makeup base too and it's intended to be moisturizing so i do think i could try going back to using this again with my current routine of not using moisturizer in the morning now.. one thing about figuring out what your skin likes is that you realize maybe your usage of certain products was just not right. for now though, the melano cc one is fine. it has a slight citrusy fragrance lol. it's paraben-free, but not alcohol-free and not fungal-acne safe so i doubt i'll repurchase. but i think (?) it'd be hard-pressed to find a face sunscreen from a beauty brand that isn't both alcohol-free and fungal-acne safe besides paula's choice maybe, which we don't even have here in my country.
edit: the alcohol in melano cc may be a concern to some people sensitive to that and with the new purito moisturiser i'm using, i think my skin is starting to feel sensitive and uncomfortable with melano cc now so i'm definitely gonna go back to canmake.
misc [free space]
i did mention i was using the s nature aqua soy yogurt eye cream which was gifted so i was like ok i might as well use this. i use it for both morning and night and it has made the skin around my undereyes feel much more taut and smooth. the product has squalane and panthenol in it (for hydrating function) so that's where credit is due.
but most of all, i'll use this free space to talk about lipbalms: i have the most chapped dry lips ever and it used to be bad like fuckkkkkk.. i only exacerbated the condition horribly with bad picking habits (100% my fault). no chapsticks or balms seemed to work, ever. don't ask me about vaseline or petroleum jelly, that doesn't actually give moisture, that's only meant to LOCK IN moisture, which i lacked in the first place :( my life changed when i started hydrating adequately aka bought myself a water bottle for my room. and then i began using the cute cnp laboratory propolis lipcerin balm for morning and nights AND the beplain milk ceramide lip essence for when i'm outside and don't feel like carrying the cutie cnp balm around. the beplain lipbalm was gifted by a friend so if i finish that and can't get it online anywhere i will be so sad. both of these products are so good to me. it fixed my chapped lips and they are now soft. i've since kicked bad habits :)
yay skincare <3
most of what's mentioned here are stuff i've bought over a span of 2 years, a few of which i'd been using for a long while for even longer years back before i noticed that they weren't actually all that effective. in order, i'll just talk about cleansers -> toners -> moisturizers -> sunscreens (i don't use serums or ampoules (yet), and i rarely use face masks). to disclaim, i have combination skin and live in southeast asian tropical humid weather and therefore sweat a lot outside so this affects my choices. my skin is not amazing but it currently does feel the softest it has ever been in years. in terms of a price point, i think all of these are fairly affordable in that almost all of them can be found at local drugstores where i live (if not, they're easily available on shopee through beauty resellers or the official stores).
my current routine:
- 1. garnier micellar water as first cleanse for removing sunscreen and/or makeup
2. beplain mung bean cleanser as second cleanse
3. skintific glycolic acid daily clarifying toner
4. s nature aqua soy yogurt eye cream
5. purito oat-in calming gel cream as moisturizer
6. melano cc vitamin c deep day care uv lotion as sunscreen in the morning
because it's humid where i am, i don't do steps 1 and 2 for my morning routine and just use water to rinse my face and then start with toner.. i skip out on step 5 most of the time as well in the morning because sunscreen alone feels moisturising enough in this climate and i don't wanna clog my pores. it just feels safer cutting out a few steps that don't seem necessary rather than adding on products and potentially doing too much.
cleansers
beplain mung bean ph-balanced cleansing foam
beplain's mung bean cleanser is extremely gentle, hydrating, and is probably the first cleanser i've tried that actually doesn't feel like drying soap lmao but to be fair, i'm not adventurous in switching out cleansers. beplain is a cruelty-free korean brand and the cleanser is fungal-acne safe, paraben-free, alcohol-free and noncomedogenic aka won't clog pores, which is vital to me. claims to be suitable for dry and sensitive skin although i have seen reviews saying it doesn't work well for dry types. it keeps my moisture though and i do feel squeaky clean using it as the second cleanse (i cleanse first with garnier micellar water, the pink one, before anything). for years i used to just live on the cosrx good morning low ph gel cleanser, which in retrospect was slightly drying. it did the job of cleansing without breaking me out i suppose, but i now believe that i shouldn't settle for anything mid that doesn't give me a breakout because i am paying for this shit and it better be worth the repurchases. let's not have such low standards anymore. i've also tried the highly raved senka perfect whip foam cleanser last year for a couple of weeks, and it was even more drying. literally the ultimate soap effect. i think japanese products (eg hada labo) went through reformulations that are harsher on the skin for some, according to my friend and other former loyal customers mourning on r/AsianBeauty.
other mentions: anua heartleaf pore control cleansing oil
i'm always seeing that anua has questionable marketing so i do think that it is a brand that's overhyped, and i kind of get it...i've tried their heartleaf toner and it does nothing. absolutely nothing. what are we doing here. BUT the cleansing oil works fine for me as an additional makeup remover. i use it about once a week when i desperately need a triple cleanse and want to remove dead skin around my nose and chin, and eye area when i really want to make sure i can clean off all stubborn eye makeup. cleansing oils are generally not fungal acne-safe although they can still be non-comedogenic. this anua one isn't though so i really try to limit my usage of it LOL. i don't have much to say about cleansing oils because they're a form of cleansing that isn't necessary for my combi skin type and i don't often wear heavy makeup.
toners
skintific glycolic acid daily clarifying toner
why did i think this brand was from indonesia... it's pretty popular there and in malaysia and the marketing has duped many into thinking it's southeast asian but it's from china. anyway, this toner is crazy (positive). it's alcohol-free and paraben-free although not fungal-acne safe. but the actives in this—niacinimide, glycolic acid and lactobionic acid, which is a PHA and a gentle cousin to AHAs—are balanced and mild enough that this can be used daily and they slay for me. keeps my crazy skin texture and pore appearance under control, and if i have a breakout, it calms all my spots. it also has hyalurionic acid, and ceramide which is important for maintaining skin barrier and moisture. this happened to be the first toner i stuck to after my sister got me on it. after trying anua's heartleaf toner and hating how it gave nothing, i went back to this.
moisturizers
purito oat-in calming gel cream
cruelty-free korean brand that's also fungal-acne safe, alcohol-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic. it's light and fast-absorbing which makes it pretty goated in southeast asian climate for me personally. i used to use the rovectin clean lotus water cream which was also pretty lightweight but my gripe was that it was expensive even on discounted shopee sales and i was so sure i could find something within my budget for better. i tried beauty of joseon red bean water gel too for a long while last year, which literally just sits on the skin for a while. it didn't have much effectiveness, & had a slightly sticky feeling despite not breaking me out. we don't settle anymore! so then i tried this purito gel, and it completely changed my understanding of effective moisturizers. my skin is BABY SOFT thanks to this. i've only started using it a few days ago though so we'll see how this goes. hopefully it continues to work well.
sunscreens
melano cc vitamin c deep day care uv lotion spf 50+PA++++
i like this sunscreen because of its fast-absorbing and non-sticky lightweight quality too. also, it leaves a non-greasy finish which i like and i tend to be impatient when i'm getting ready so if i'm wearing makeup i would prefer to have fast-absorbing products. i used the cosrx aloe vera sunscreen way back when i wasn't serious about any of this, zero memory of how that was, i didn't pay attention.. and then i was using the canmake mermaid skin gel uv the year before last; i was first drawn to its cute packaging..i think that was a decent sunscreen but it was greasy (though it didn't break me out). the canmake mermaid gel worked well as a makeup base too and it's intended to be moisturizing so i do think i could try going back to using this again with my current routine of not using moisturizer in the morning now.. one thing about figuring out what your skin likes is that you realize maybe your usage of certain products was just not right. for now though, the melano cc one is fine. it has a slight citrusy fragrance lol. it's paraben-free, but not alcohol-free and not fungal-acne safe so i doubt i'll repurchase. but i think (?) it'd be hard-pressed to find a face sunscreen from a beauty brand that isn't both alcohol-free and fungal-acne safe besides paula's choice maybe, which we don't even have here in my country.
edit: the alcohol in melano cc may be a concern to some people sensitive to that and with the new purito moisturiser i'm using, i think my skin is starting to feel sensitive and uncomfortable with melano cc now so i'm definitely gonna go back to canmake.
misc [free space]
i did mention i was using the s nature aqua soy yogurt eye cream which was gifted so i was like ok i might as well use this. i use it for both morning and night and it has made the skin around my undereyes feel much more taut and smooth. the product has squalane and panthenol in it (for hydrating function) so that's where credit is due.
but most of all, i'll use this free space to talk about lipbalms: i have the most chapped dry lips ever and it used to be bad like fuckkkkkk.. i only exacerbated the condition horribly with bad picking habits (100% my fault). no chapsticks or balms seemed to work, ever. don't ask me about vaseline or petroleum jelly, that doesn't actually give moisture, that's only meant to LOCK IN moisture, which i lacked in the first place :( my life changed when i started hydrating adequately aka bought myself a water bottle for my room. and then i began using the cute cnp laboratory propolis lipcerin balm for morning and nights AND the beplain milk ceramide lip essence for when i'm outside and don't feel like carrying the cutie cnp balm around. the beplain lipbalm was gifted by a friend so if i finish that and can't get it online anywhere i will be so sad. both of these products are so good to me. it fixed my chapped lips and they are now soft. i've since kicked bad habits :)
yay skincare <3