Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to the next level!

[FrugalFashionista]

Asian and Korean skincare products seem to be a big thing in skincare and beauty right now.

Interested in the following?

• finding a great sunscreen
• tailoring a multi-step ritual to your skincare needs
• talking about geisha beauty rituals
• learning what snail slime, bee venom and starfish have to do with beauty
• plumping up your skin with sheet masks and sleeping masks
• experimenting with essences

Please come here and share your questions, experiences, links and best shopping tips!

Thank you for the ideas for dd. I've stood in front of my own stuff for a while wondering if anything might help. The only thing I have that might help are the cream from my gp or a clay mask at the mo.

I'm back from shopping. Didn't make it to Holland and Barrett but I did get some ultrabland from lush and a clay mask in tk maxx so I can try the pore cleanse tonight.
The 99p shop had another variety of clearasil pads today and some coppertone in a different package so I had to get them

Lucysmam my dd is 10 and I have been trying to get her using cetaphil as she has started getting the odd spot. She isn't keen on washing her face often so I'm going to see if the ultrabland is easier for her to use. I can remember my dad making me use a bright blue scrub on my acne at a similar age and it didn't help :(

Yep, half the battle is getting her to wash if we're not going anywhere. She's still in pj's so far today & hasn't been near the sink other than teeth brushing.

I'll have a look at cetaphil and ultrabland. My dad just left me to it, I had awful acne & no amount of scrubs/washes or creams helped. Probably partly because I had no guidance & I don't want that for dd.

Oh Lucysmam and m0gz it was the same for me. I started getting spots at 11 and was never given any help. DD has not started developing yet but when she does I will do my best to find a skincare routine that works for her. She already prefers balm and a flannel as her eyes don't sting. Unfortunately judging by her dads and my own skin she will be lucky to escape teenage acne.

M0gz hormonal acne = pants, isn't it. I have also stocked up on fish oil and zinc - but keep forgetting to take it. I have no idea if carbs are a trigger for me because I've never been able to stay away from them long enough I have no willpower when it comes to carbs at all , but frankly it's probably time to get a grip. Can I ask what skincare products you've found especially helpful?

Good luck with the pore cleanse!

daftyburd thanks to you and bigbuttons I have bought some Thai 0.025 tretinoin on ebay..

And hello to whitecandles - thank you for the Korean beauty tips! I would like to try the Innisfree clay mask after my alpha h clay mask runs out - so much better value for money and gets good reviews from bloggers and on MakeupAlley..

What type of Clearasil pads are people using please. I had a look in our only pound shop but there wasn't anything, no coppertone either. My sister did call excitedly to tell me the asda in her town now stocks a range of cleansing oils, the coconut and almond are cheaper than I've sourced on eBay! Watching GoT now with a nose strip on. Attractive

m0gz found them in the 99p shop. I found them in Bargain Buys. They're these ones.

Coppertone also in the 99p shop on 3 for 99p or Poundworld for a pound each single bottle

Speaking of spots...I seem to be brewing a monster on my own chin again . They never bloody stop!

play I use clearasil ultra pads, these ones that I get in Tesco: www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=252226368 not sure what % of salicylic is in them though but they are often on special offer in Tesco (I got them for about £2.50 I think). Alcohol content is very dry, I tend not to use them every day because they'd be too stripping.

lucysmam for monster spots I've had success with this (found on snow white's blog) www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Nexcare-Acne-Care-Pimple-Zit-Stickers-Patch-Set-Of-36-Pieces-/370897785072?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item565b3b10f0 just tried one on a hormonal zit on my cheek, and it has definitely reduced in size and redness over the last few hours.

TheWombat cetaphil has been a revelation and the clearasil pads have made a big difference. I have had no new big chin spots this cycle. I have a few old ones that still have that red / pink scar look but the snail gel is seeing them off quicker than sudocrem ever did.

I have also been using the superdrug serum which is non greasy and absorbs really well. I wouldn't normally have put any serum or moisturiser near my chin when it has hormonal monsters residing as they would get redder and worse the more I moisturised. I have not had this problem with the superdrug serum - I actually found it soothing on the little buggers!

Oh and I'm sure a makeupalley review of coppertone mentioned it containing zinc - this works really well on spots hence my previous sudocrem addiction

Play you need to get to a 99p shop, mine now has two types of clearasil pads. I need to reorganise the stash cupboard tomorrow as I have a few coppertones and clearasil pads now!

Just found this description of the clearsil pads which says they are 2% salicylic: www.drugstore.com/clearasil-ultra-rapid-action-pads/qxp139461

I think BHAs are supposed to be between 2 and 4% to be effective and AHAs between 5 and 8%. Not sure how I know that (suspect the reddit AB page).

Thanks Wombat, I looked at those the other night but wasn't convinced they'd work. I will order some to try.

m0gz, the Sudocrem doesn't cause any further irritation does it with it being so thick? I have some of that in if it might help dd's chin maybe.

I was reading somewhere recently that the sudocrem can be clogging because of it being so thick. However, it used to be the only thing that would help monsters, especially if they got so big the skin would start to peel and be very red. If you have some I would dab it on and see how she does. Did you order the snail gel? It is working its magic on my skin. Another option would be to gently dab a clearasil pad on her chin (don't rub with it as they can be quite abrassive) as the salicylic acid should help.

I did order the snail gel. It's not here yet I imagine it'll be here this week though, my other parcels have steadily been arriving

I wasn't sure about the clearasil pads - whether they'd be too drying for her skin. I suppose dabbing on just the spot it should be ok.

She's gone to bed with a teeny dab of my cream on from the gp & strict instructions to NOT PICK IT! And let me check it in the morning rather than her prodding and poking.

I have always used sudocrem on spots! Seems to work.

I'm not having much luck with my Asian products :( have samplesnof skin79 gold bb cream, is far to grey for my yellow/pale olive skin. And felt a bit thick.
I have tried 3 sheet masks. A missha aloe one, which felt like it did nothing and te essence was really watery. Then I tried an étude house hyuralonic acid one which stung like mad but stupidly I persevered, then I had inflamed cheeks for 24 hours which looked like sunburn. I did like the innisfree aloe one though, it felt lovely. But I can't see any difference after using it. I wish my skin would feel plump but I have lost so much weight in the last few months that I can't imagine my face ever looking plumped up and glowy. I have been following new routine for a month and while my skin definitely feels much softer and smoother, I can't say I look any different at all. Bit gutted really. I know there are gaps in my routine so maybe you can make some suggestions? (I have a few things in the post too...) I get confused as 'm following the other thread too and have loads of western stuff in the bathroom, not sure what goes where!

So currently I have
Am:
cleanse with una Brennan rose
Nip+fab glycolic pad
Boots protect and perfect serum
Either REN vita mineral day cream or Mizon snail gel (or should I be using both? If so in what order?)
Clinique City block 25 (have biore 50 on the way)
Make up

Pm:
Hot cloth cleanse with balance Me balm
REN rose gel cleanser
Clearasil/nip& fab salicylic pad
Sheet mask every few days
Protect and perfect serum OR LRP redermic every 3-4 days
Mizon Snail gel
Balance Me ultra moisturising cream (have mizon starfish cream on the way)
Also have Mizon good night sleep mask on the way

My main problems are dehydration and fine lines around my mouth and in frown area, and pigmentation/scars on chin. What do I need to add in?

Thanks so much for all the help so far on this thread

Licysmam I tend to get spots from skin creams that are too rich. My adult acne went away when I discontinued moisturizers and liquid foundation and switched to mineral foundation. Asian BB creams gel creams (like the snail cream) seem to suit my skin really well so that's why I'm so excited about them but richer creams like Nivea usually gives me breakouts. BHAs in some form (pads, Effaclar) help to keep my skin clear and I've liked the Nip+Fab pads though tend to forget to use them.

Sudocrem is not available here so I have never tried it. When I had a really bad facial eczem, I used a zinc nappy cream (Fissan) and it was very soothing. With acne, however, I've found that the less I put on my face, the better my skin feels. I've now been breakout free for several months, but still dealing with hyperpigmentation.

Tonight wearing the starfish cream as the first layer. Would have preferred the snail goo actually but have somehow misplaced the tube...

Going to test the Biore sunscreen tomorrow!

hmmmm, maybe my use of nivea every other night for the past week ish is guilty for my monster that's brewing then. I'll lay off it for a while and see what happens.

I finally clicked 'go' on my order. Have the makings of diy vit c serum on the way, sheet masks, 'blank' sheet masks for diy, undereye masks again and the spot patches linked ^^ up there.

I'm going to go and get matched to a proper brand foundation/bb at some point over the next few weeks & then I'll need help working out which one to buy. Any recommendation which counter I should try?

I'm browsing reddit on the laptop and came across teddy bear sunscreen gel

Very cute!

Lucysmam sorry about the typo
Ilovetosleep very sorry about the bad reaction - sounds like sheet masks are not your thing. In my case I think the sleeping product is helping my skin to retain moisture, but I am not sure these creams are heavy-duty anti-agers (you may need prescription strength stuff for that and those come with other issues). For me a serum/essence + a cream + a sleep pack is just enough plumping hydration, and after a sheet mask I don't necessarily need anything except the sleeping product (the occlusive layer that seals in the extra moisture). But I have only experienced how my skin reacts to stuff, yours could be very different, perhaps requiring more intensive anti-aging. Do you layer starting from the most watery to the thickest/oiliest product - this diagram has been useful for me. The Good Night pack is at least in theory good for hyperpigmentation, but people usually need to use it for many weeks to see results. I am new to all this, so don't have any deeper expertise, only my very first personal experiences. But I've read that volume loss is an aging-related change that is not easy to offset - creams and lotions change the appearance of skin a little bit but perhaps not enough to counteract major volume loss and deeper wrinkles.

The Asian Beauty bloggers repeat the phrase your mileage may vary - a product that is great for someone may be useless for someone else. But very sorry that these products have not helped you! Wonder whether any other people here would be more knowledgeful?

Thank you frugal. The thing is I don't look aging, I'm 34 and look my age. My skin is not really awful, but I have lost a lot of weight, I'm up all night with a very tricky 1yo, and I'm on a restricted diet (bf baby with intolerances) and as a result my skin just looks tired and dull. I don't think need anti aging more than good hydration, but no amount of hydration is going to pad out my skin I guess. I'd like to try a vit c product and the better my skin gets the worse my dark eye circles get so I'd love something for those. I have just ordered some panda eye patches from ebay!

Ilove, I think someone mentioned earlier about some of the bb creams being re-formulated so that they didn't look so grey as they adapted to your skin...might be worth a hunt to see which they were. I've seen a couple of them on ebay mention in their product description that they've been altered to avoid this.

Under eyes - the patches worked well to plump up for me but they're only a temp fix.

I've no real advice, sorry, I haven't been at this long enough.

Ilovetosleep I'm sorry to hear this, I definitely went through the same when my DC were babies, I was so tired I crashed my car. I started taking a multivitamin around that time and also had my iron levels and thyroid checked (turns out I had an autoimmune thyroiditis, needed to start medication immediately, it helped a lot). I just hope things will get easier for you soon - they did for me!

I've just put some Innisfree Wine jelly sleeping pack on my face. The lovely fermented smell reminds me of various fab times in my life - a lovely Waitrose red currant and port wine jelly that was one of the very few luxuries during my student days, and a champagne skin cream purchased from a winery in South America just before DD2 was born that smelled very similar. The texture is jelly-like, it feels cooling and a bit slippery. No idea what will happen to my skin but loving the experimenting!

I wonder, Ilove, would increasing your fluid intake help maybe? I've no idea how real or not it is but there's a before/after shot of a woman who drinks 3l of water a day popped up on fb a few times & the difference is quite noticeable. Obvs not suggesting you start trying to guzzle 3l in a day if you only drink tea but it might be worth a try to increase a bit.

Frugal I keep looking at the wine sleeping packs, it sounds refreshing if nothing else. I'll look forward to an update in the morning.

Has anyone tried Lioele products? I got a few samples with my tomato suncream. Not sure what they are (mn-ing in bed with snoring dp at the side of me ), I think one was a sleeping pack.