Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to level 2!

[FrugalFashionista]

Asian and Korean skincare products seem to be a big thing right now - we are falling in love with quite a few things...

Interested in the following?

• finding a great sunscreen - here's a thread favorite
• tailoring a multi-step ritual to your skincare needs - here are the basics
• talking about geisha beauty rituals - you'll probably need to read this
• 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!

Vol 1 of this thread here

I have just spotted my typo in my last post -through = threw-

Frugal, that does indeed sound like a manic day! How was the foccacia?

I think it was either Holika Holika or Tony Moly eyeliners that were recommended. I'll have a scroll back later on and see what I can find.

I think it was the Holika gel eye liners or maybe the Clio ones too? I've seen both recommended on AB blogs.

Does anyone know the difference between Mizon black snail repair cream and the normal Mizon snail repair cream? Or the normal returning starfish cream and the 'gold' starfish cream that blueprint21 (per *lucysmam's link) sells on eBay? I am confused by so many snail and starfish options from one single brand!

Thanks Wombat, I'll look those up this evening when I finally sit down properly loooong day.

Anyone tried 'Dermal' brand sheet masks? They've been recommended on a reddit thread I'm reading so I looked them up - really reasonably priced so I'll do some proper looking up of them later too.

I've amazed myself since jumping onto this thread with the attention paid to what I'm buying rather than just buy whatever I see that's cheapest.

Aaand, was it ginseng one of you reacted to? What skin type do you have if you don't mind me asking?

Wombat the gold starfish cream contains 24carat gold. I have utterly no idea what possible benefits this would have for your skin!

The black snail cream sounds a bit better than the regular one, from the ingredients list. No cetearyl alcohol so will be more moisturising (many bloggers complained that the original wasn't moisturising at all), and CosDNA thinks it contains fewer irritants and more actives. So there you go!

Gertrudetrudy I have sensitive reactive eyes and both the Mizon snail eye cream and the Mizon power collagen eye cream have been fine if that helps. I find the collagen one more hydrating.

I have relatively sensitive eyes too and haven't noticed burning with Mizon snail cream. Not 100% sure it is milia free but I have started using it on top of the eye serum and that seems to work well.

Wombat I think the products are constantly evolving, I am not sure my starfish will be easy to rebuy as it seems to be in process of being replaced by something else.

I am in the process of hunting down multi-packs of sheet masks & found Kose Cosmeport in packs of 30. I've not seen the brand before though so will be seeing if I can find a single one to add to Friday's order of goodies (ever increasing ebay basket here ). There are others in smaller packs too that I might look into.

A few people have mentioned eye creams. I usually avoid them like the plague as they either give me millia, make my skin look drier than it actually is or make my eyes stream, but got a sample of the Sulwhasoo Essential Rejuvenating Eye Cream in a set and and couldn't resist having a go... I'm really liking it.

I've used it every day for nearly two weeks now and its lovely, seems to be hydrating but not overly rich - no sign of any millia or irritation either. I know its more expensive than a lot of brands, but you need to use such a tiny amount that a sample will last for ages.

I'm trying very hard not to spend, but very much looking forward to receiving my Black Sugar Cleansing Oil

I'm two days into my new regime and apart from a few spots on my forehead my skin is much more hydrated it seems. I'm still waiting for my snail essence and gold starfish cream though.
I'm still trying to figure out when to use my collection of BHA and retinol products though.

Grin, I've been using bha after cleansing, before anything else goes on if that helps at all?

I'll be back with a reddit link of a pinterest diagram...no idea how to link app to app

Grin routine in pics & words here. Might be helpful (hope the link works)

Meant to say...bottom right as you look at it, it says exfoliant after cleansing

MoominMamma the Sulwhasoo eye cream sounds amazing! I am an eye cream skeptic but that sounds really tempting.
Grin I get that great hydration too. Hoping that the breakouts disappear. I do BHAs after cleansing and if you have an AHA/BHA pH adjuster, that comes before the BHA or Vitamin C.
Amazing your routine looks great! So happy that the cushion seems okay!

What a chaotic day. Right now it seems that nothing is progressing, our pre-move clearout, my work or Nanny's situation. In addition, the weather is totally bizarre, rainy and unpredictable. And my mother called from the North, it's 9C in her garden...

I'll do a few layers - starfish, eye serum and cream, and Good Night, really needing the zen aspect of AB tonight...

DS has had a bit of a breakout this week, prob exam stress so I've got him using my samples of the egg white pore cleanser and he's using up my Vichy night detox stuff. Its not acne just a pimple breakout on his nose and chin, any other suggestions?

This thread has been a revelation for my dry dehydrated 47 yr old face.

So far I have the Mizon snail repair gel for 40 years of acne scars and Biore 50++++++++( what do all those + mean) and a huge pack of sheet masks.

Bioderma a micellar, then clarins one step in Orange.
Cetaphil and then pixi glow toner.
So far so good, no more soap and scrubbing and surprise surprise no more flaking oil slick skin.

Then snail gel and Avene hydrance and Biore sunscreen.

What can I add next?
Feel like a kid in a sweet shop but these sweeties are doing amazing things

Zanzi, what's the Clarins? Cleanser?

What's your skin like generally?

Ignore me - I re read

I have no idea for dry skin, sorry!

ratzilla info on pa sunscreen thingy

zanzi your routine sounds fab! lots of people with dry skin types get on well with the sleeping masks. If you don't react to silicones you could try Mizon snail sleeping pack, or Mizon Good Night White (also helps to reduce pigmentation). Lots of bloggers rave about Laneige Watery Sleeping Pack too.

I LOVE Caudalie SOS serum - not an Asian brand but layers very well - others here seem to agree it's great for dryness/dehydration. I'm a bit iffy with silicones but my skin LOVES this.

If pigmentation is an issue from past acne, you could try a Vit C serum (OST C20 is a popular one). Niacinamide is another fab ingredient in lots of products with 'white' or 'whitening' in them. Just avoid using in the same routine as Vit C (or wait 30 minutes between applying the Vit C and the whitening product). Btw, whitening doesn't mean 'makes you whiter', it's Konglish for 'reduces scarring and evens skin tone'. I am currently testing CosRX Galactomyces 95 white power essence. Truly awful name, but contains fermented ingredients and niacinamide so, two birds, one stone.

Lucy I've got some of those Kose masks, a member of another forum who lives in Japan sent me them. I really rate them and that's a great price. I bought 42 mailed ones from an eBay seller. They're ok but only 13 pounds for the 42. The ones you linked to are much better quality so I might splurge on Friday payday too!

So far I have got the biore sunscreen, amazing! The cos rx toner - wow! Tony Moly Appletox, incredible packaging and it's rather good. I quite like the Mizon sleeping mask too. I think my fave Asian product is the Detclear Aha peeling gel. It's soooo good. My skin feels so soft. Thank you all for these products. This stuff is really sorting out my skin.

Just wanted to add, I too thought my skin was oily but I think it was dehydrated and producing oil to compensate. The oiliness is much improved now I've discovered this thread. Thanks!

Frugal your poor nanny! I hope everything calms down soon, including the weather. When do you move?

Re: routines - BHA. I totally forgot the fact that I'm using the Paula's Choice 2% BHA every other day too!

If anyone wants an oil cleanser but doesn't fancy waiting the 10 days + for an AB delivery, then I really recommend the Body Shop Camomile one. Not the butter/balm/whatever they call it, but the actual oil. It's an excellent cleanser, doesn't contain mineral oil, has a pleasant light scent and is acne-safe. Oh, and CH/PB approved too. CH says you HAVE to use a flannel with it but I think she's wrong - I just use a mild foaming cleanser afterwards and all trace of oil is removed.

lucysmam I am so impressed with your research! Thank you for the sunscreen link

frugal your poor nanny, what a horrific experience. Once again makes me so grateful for the NHS.. Hope the AB zen comes to the rescue.

scrambled for answering my snail / starfish questions! I too have NO CLUE what gold in a face cream could possibly achieve . Suspect I'll stuck with the basic, gold-free version.

daftyburd any further thoughts on the placenta product? I know I shouldn't be, but I am strangely tempted.