Obsessed with Asian/Korean stuff - taking your skincare to level 5!

[FrustratedFrugal]

Are you curious about Asian/Korean beauty products?
Please join us and share your experiences and questions!

Check out past threads for product and vendor recommendations.

Remember, orders of £15 or less are VAT free!

Wish I'm sorry, I was speed-typing my posts on my phone previously and obviously managed to conflate two products! They are the Goodal Waterest First Essence and the Goodal Lasting Water Oil, in the Lotus range not Camellia. I bought from eBay here - Oil and First Essence. Hope those links work as on phone again! I tend to buy from sellers I know, Iamlove-shop on eBay has been a good one for me so far.

Best sunscreen I've found for my very picky skin is Avene Mineral Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen. Annoyingly it's US only, so I have to get friends to buy it and bring it with them when they're over here visiting. It's expensive on eBay as the sellers whack a massive postage on it.
There is a mineral 50+ sunscreen by Club Clio that Snow White and the Asian Pear reviewed favourably a little while ago too, but I haven't tried it yet.

Scrambled loved your post, sorry about the rosacea flare-up (I have a mild form of it too). But glad to hear that you are getting it under control.

It is very sunny here and the days are much longer, so I've started wearing sunscreen and uv protection lip balm every day. I am using up my peachy Missha sunscreen atm but thinking of ordering another bottle of Bioré Watery Essence next.

For some reason my face is feeling a bit tight and dry today (post salicylic acid pads?), so thinking of doing a sheet mask tonight and sealing it in with a sleeping product.

botemp thanks for sharing the results or your research ;) wow, the world of Japanese SPF is a real rabbit hole I could spend ages exploring. Just sorting through the various Bioré options could take me days......

I don't want to risk a silicone based choice, as I always seem to develop small white spots after trying skin care with a lot of silicones, so I might check out your second rec as alcohol or fragrance don't affect me that much.
Where did you order from? BeautyNet Korea have no shipping costs and ship relatively fast (I've ordered from them a few times) but they don't stock everything, sadly. And did you also check out the Innisfree Eco SPF50? This seems free of harmful stuff.

Also thanks for the DHC oil info. I also live in NL, so I will order from ICI PARIS. I'm shocked I've never noticed they stock that brand ;)

Scrambled I compared the US and the French Avene sites and the formulations are completely different, wow! All the SPF on the French site is silicone and paraben free, whereas the American Ultra Light you mentioned is packed with silicones. I noticed the French site has a new (possibly) SPF in the normal line formulated for acneic skin that is advertised as matifying (though that is not my problem).
I don't get along with the mineral versions, though, because of the white "film"they leave behind. My skin is not super pale, but I try not to tan at all, so looking even paler than I am is not good.
Last summer while on holiday I also saw some advertising about a new sun block technology Avene had a pending pattern on, but I see no info about it on their site.

I attach spatulas to the jar/tub using an elastic hairband -,probably copied it from Fifty Snails.

For dehydration, I'd recommend the Scinic Honey AIO ampoule - great value for money, and I haven't had any flaking under makeup since I got it.

Can anyone recommend a quick to absorb day cream for normal but aging skin? Would like to go with snails to get some more oomph - have no time for steps in the morning so must pack it all into one. Actually, does anyone have the Scinic AIO Aqua? Would that work on its own?

Small world Aurora, yeah ICI Paris is great with their skincare offers, I tend to stock up on staples then. DHC is only online but delivery is free and I always get sent a bunch of Sisley Black Rose mask samples which are great but I'd never buy since it's extremely overpriced.

The Innisfree one has silicones (and fragrance), and in general the Korean sunscreens don't have the same level of protection as the Japanese ones do in terms of broad spectrum. However, the Japanese don't have the same level of PPD levels as some French sunscreens do. The diehards layer over a Bioderma SPF30 with a really high PPD on top of a Japanese SPF50. It's a real minefield but French or Japanese is the way to go really, personally I'm not all that happy to take on that amount of extra chemicals on a daily basis for 1-2% more coverage.

I ordered mine from ebay I just go for the top-seller accounts, Japanese products are a bit more finicky to get and cost a little more vs. local prices, also unlike the Koreans they don't mark things as gift and put down the actual value so it's small orders only. They are a lot quicker though, I ordered my Red Serum from Wishtrend at the same time as the Muji cleansing oil and that was here within a week while the Red Serum nearly took a month.

Oh bother, that means they've changed the formulation since I last checked it . It had a bit but wasn't crazy-full of them. I'll have to find a new SPF now. Bioré is ok but all the alcohol is a bit irritating day after day, and I need mineral long term because, rosacea .

My Biore UV RIch Watery Essence turned up yesterday - what a revelation, after struggling through white creamy sunscreens for years!

I don't think I'm going to have a problem with the alcohol, but I'll keep a close eye on it.

Botemp Thanking you kindly for your sunscreen research I've found and ordered the one you nearly bought, I chose it as could see universal reviews saying it was also a great primer for make up even after moisturiser added on top, ditto that they don't 'roll up' together (IE the two products disagreeing and clumbing into little balls/flecks that are super annoying) so thank you for that

Aurora You mentioned wanting the second one Botemp recommended but couldn't find, yet I think is the one I just bought? Found them for £7.99 for 50ml no P&P which seemed reasonable but you can so see sellers tying their luck as saw some for up to £22.99 Unfortunately, they are all now gone at that price as someone bought the last 2, but the next cheapest are here at £8.99 each (obv no P&P either!) so is this Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence Gel the one you were looking for? As if so, I've obv found it HTH?

Has RAVE reviews (see first para above) so I'm really looking forward to getting it - likewise to when all has arrived and once I am in a place where daily beauty routine is again part of normal life

WHOLLY separately, whoops as I appear to have accidentally stumbled over some Korean Cosmetics like this VERY gorg looking Lipgloss if my recovery from ME carries on at this pace though I cannot pledge I will never succumb though!!!

botemp thanks again for all the info. I will order the DHC oil hopefully still this week. By the way, I've been using the new Caudelie cleansing oil for the past couple of months for second cleanse, and I think it's quite good, though it does not have that nice smell other Caudelie procucts have.
I'm not so impressed by the Sisley black rose mask. I had a few samples, and didn't feel it did more than say the Clinique moisture surge mask, which I'm now sandwiching after doing moisturising sheet mask for a whole hour, then applying some kind of HA product or oil, then Clinique mask and hurrah, lovely bouncy skin in the morning.
Re the Innisfree, I was mistakenly referring to the organic SPF 30 or 35... From what I read I also understand that in the Japanese market there is also a very clear distinction between daily/ city SPF and outdoor day at the beach SPF, so one more thing to take into consideration. And wow, even I hadn't previously heard about layering SPF!!!! And those layers are supposed to sit on the 27 skin care layer applied before it??? I'm simply religious about reapplying and when the sun is strong or while on holiday I always wear a hat and sunglasses.
Bioderma sadly contains loads of silicones, but I'm going Paris in a couple of weeks, so will attempt to investigate this in person at one of the lovely big pharmacies (if I can get away from the kids).
wish thanks for the links, I'm not through with my investigations yet. It sooooo time consuming..... I'll let you know what I decide, as I'm still looking for smg that has chemical and physical filters but w/o the nasties.

Aurora I was very late to thread (for reasons covered off in my posts) so am see this in your post: 27 skin care layer - WTAF??!! Most I'd read of was the TEN step one and I thought that was pushing it? Any links please?

And nooooo, not jel about Paris at all

I'm glad it was useful to you Wish, the price difference is probably down to the fact that the Japanese reformulate (read: tweak slightly) their formulation every year or so, the cheaper ones are probably last year's stock but should be perfectly fine.

That's correct Aurora there's indoor and outdoor sunscreens. Indoor is the daily use type (so fine for short periods outdoors) but I couldn't find any alcohol and silicone free versions for holiday/outdoor use since those all have waterproof requirements. I'll probably get something French pharmacy for that or go for an alcohol and silicone version which will be okay to use for me as long as it's not a daily thing. I tend to avoid silicones mainly for the balling up factor, I've reacted to some silicone-heavy products but I can't say for certain it was down to the silicones only.

I think they tend to go a little crazy with the layering of sunscreen because Asian skin is more sensitive to hyper-pigmentation, an SPF50 with a PA++++ and regular reapplication is more than adequate for most. I found this series of sunscreen 101 posts really informative from everything I've read so far. She has finicky skin too.

I've never actually used a cleansing oil as a second cleanse, always associated it with make-up removal. I prefer something gentle (cream or milk) for a second cleanse though, the foaming ones that ABers love is a thing I doubt I'll ever convert too.

I was looking into that Caudalie oil you'd recommended, have you tried the serum version of that too? Looked interesting. I think I like the Sisley because I never paid for them and they're a perfect solution as an overnight cream if I'm tipping into dry territory in winter (I don't see the point of removing it, nor do I completely understand how they want you to do that). I've never gotten on with Clinique, it's supposed to be a 'safe' bet for people with reactive skin but a lot of products of theirs have triggered me in some way. I like their new eye serum, but not enough to replace my current one and I'm wary since the facial version broke me out.

I think Aurora was exaggerating a bit Wish. The most expansive I've come across was something along the lines of this:

1st cleanse, 2nd cleanse, ph adjusting toner, Vit C, BHA, AHA, first essence, serum, hydrating toner, sheet mask, lightweight lotion, another sheet mask, facial oil, heavy moisturiser, SPF.

I'm not sure about the exact order and it probably had an eye cream in there too and if you don't want to wait twenty minutes between the Vit C, BHA, and AHA you'd use the ph adjusting toner in between those steps too so you'd get close to twenty at that point. I think that was someone with acne and dehydration issues and I don't know if it was all that effective. I like to keep it pared down if possible but enjoy having a lot of different product on hand since my skin differs from day to day and especially from season to season so variety is my friend, it just doesn't need to be on my face all at once .

wish sorry, but like botemp said, I was indeed exaggerating .
The max I do is two cleansers (only if I'm wearing foundation or CC cream, which is not every day), P50 or retinol, mist, eye cream, serum, oil, night pack or mask. So that's about six steps, and that is my max.
About twice a week I do sheet mask or moisture mask (with some acids) right after cleanse, and whack on two-three layers after that. But my (presently) mainly normal clear skin does tend to dry/ dehydrate, and I find this process helps a lot. Kind of like an at home facial...

botemp I know a lot of ppl have had issues wth Clinique, but strangely enough I've never reacted to any of their products. By new eye septum do you mean the one from the Moisture Surge line or the one in the orange packaging? I love, love love their CC creams, by the way. The light medium is a perfect colour match for me, and obvs, they don't use silicones.

I use oil for second cleanse as I tend to use it for massage and probably because I love the feeling and oil in general. I do use milk (LRP Toleriane at the mo) for am cleanse, because it washes off so fast and does not dry my skin.

I'm not sure which Caudelie serum you mean. I did use the Vinoperfect a couple of years ago, and thought it was pretty amazing and also had a sample of the Polyphenol one, which made my skin super nice the morning after. Don't know why I never bought that one actually...?

To return to AB SPF for a min - what is your opinion on ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate?
I too think I will stick to French for holidays, namely Avene, as I can't find anything answering all my requirements, though I do certainly want to order something just to try. I also love the texture of LRP Anthelios, but sadly it also made me break out when I tried it two-three years ago.

Has anyone tried the LRP KA SPF100?

I meant the Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Eye Treatment Aurora, I got it as a deluxe sample and it had a noticeable instant effect (although I had my doubts for the long term) but it's only slightly cheaper and contains half the amount of my current eye serum which I love and does much more (Verso Super Eye Serum).

Yes, the Polyphenol C15 one, I came across it when looking into your oil recommendation. Good to know the sample was promising. I kind of have a lot of oils at the moment but could use some other lighter serums for summer and this one seemed promising.

Maybe look into Coola they recently started carrying it at Skins (they have shops in most of the major cities in NL, shop-in-shops in de Bijenkorf, and online). The Coola sunscreens are organic and they have chemical and mineral versions without silicones but with alcohol (the chemical ones at least). The mineral one was pretty nice on bare skin (for a mineral) but not something I'd like to wear under makeup, might become a contender as an outdoor holiday one.

SPF are always a tough one for me, I tend to view them all as toxic crap that I'd rather not wear (mineral isn't much of an option for everyday) so I sort of seek some balance I can live with and that my skin agrees with. My current SPF50 (Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense- which I found after a lot of trial and error is really cosmetically elegant but the ingredient list isn't anything to boast about) is ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate based, I haven't had any issues with it personally and it's been one of those filters that's been around for a long while with a proven track record. I've never really seen it marked as controversial. I tend to look for Tinosorb S, and M, and Unival A plus in Japanese sunscreens, can't remember where I picked it up but those are supposed to be the most effective, cutting edge, and least irritating.

botemp I actually have a few samples of that Clinique eye serum, but haven't tried it yet. I did try the normal serum from that line and it also felt quite good (again, don't know about long term), though I was obvs annoyed they packed it with silicones, as lots of Clinique procuts are silicone free.
Let me know how you get on with the Polyphenol serum if you end up buying it. I used the moisturiser from that line over the winter (SPF 20, so saves a step) and though it didn't "feel" amazing, I actually think its long term moisturising benefits are very good. The eye cream from that line has matrixyl 3000 which supposedly has proven anti-aging results.

I have been to Skins, of course , but not for a while, as the times I went the girls were annoyingly pushy and not so knowledgeable re ingredients.... And of course they all use the line "oh, yeah, I use that product as well", which I have stopped believing......

If you google EM you come across some scary stuff, but I'm no chemist so it's very hard to know what to believe.
Well, maybe some day soon physical filters will become more esthetically friendly!

Ha! The most common answer to a question at Skins that I get it is, "I don't know, maybe check the website?" I think they only receive some training in the perfumes and nothing else. It tends to be a 'know what to pick up' destination for me, the girls from Cosmania are a bit more knowledgeable but it can be hit or miss with them too. One of them suggested I keep my face cleansing cloth in a bowl of some sort of cheap cleaning detergent all day before using it again at night, the next day, and so on. I was baffled...

I think all those UV filters (even the physical ones) can be pretty scary if you start googling them, in high concentrations it just isn't all that safe. Are nanoparticles good, are they not, the amount of extra chemicals necessary for an SPF50 rating when it only gives 1-2% more protection than an SPF30, etc... it's pretty exhausting and I don't think you'll ever get a satisfied result. Then again I have been wondering if that Bioderma water spray with SPF30 actually works, I found a Japanese one that's SPF50 (silicone free!) but then I get nervous about spraying uv filters and breathing them in... but in theory topping up throughout the day with a water mist that delivers your SPF sounds brilliant!

Aurora, since you mentioned wanting to order the DHC cleansing oil, I just got in a coupon code from ICI Paris for 25% off everything and it goes up to 30% off the entire order when you order three products or more. The code is LENTE and valid from 25/3/2016 till 3/4/2016.

Thanks botemp that's very kind!
Coincidentally got a Caudelie promo mail yesterday and they've just brought out a 30ml mini version of the cleansing oil. So handy!
Funny enough I was having a look at that SPF spray the other day. I might just order it and take my chances. Soooo nice for reapplying when one is wearing makeup.

DHC Cleansing Oil a mere £3.95 (free postage) for 30 ml

And thank you both for yet another product/s heads-up - have now ordered the above AND the 50+ Japanese Water Mist (£8, no postage, on ebay)

Scrambled,which cream did the derm give you?I have Rosacea and would love to know.

Ohmigod.... 5x30ml bottle of DHC Cleansing Oil for just £9.98 in total

Hi all, in reply to skim reading the last few posts- DHC cleansing oil - I always buy from eBay, theres usually a private seller selling a 200ml bottle fairly cheap. I got my last 2 for £6 and £11 respectively, worth having an eBay alert if you want to get a back up.

I have a bottle of the caudalie polyphenol oil mentioned above - it broke me out after a couple of uses so have a full bottle of it left. It has a really distinctive herby kind of smell botemp, just in case you are sensitive to fragrances.

I'm still plodding through my testing of various decants. I've been good and stuck to a proper testing schedule so haven't bought many new items recently, but had to share this one, its so gorgeous! Its a history of whoo special gift set, the bottles are small (5 - 10ml) but they look so good together. I have tried them all once and they smell gorgeous and feel really luxe to use as well. Here's some eye candy for the thread

Hi Workingmum, I was prescribed Mirvaso gel. It probably contains things that would make most K-beauty bloggers spit out their kimchi, but I don't care - it stops me looking like a red traffic light and that's good enough for me!

Does anyone know anything about this Neulii range that seems to be all over Jolse at the moment? I've had quite a few of their samples too but I'm wary of trying something I know nothing about, and none of the bloggers I follow avidly have mentioned them.

My package turned up this morning - I used the FTE this morning, will use again tonight with the Borabit ampoule. So far so nice. I also have a Laneige sleeping mask which I will try at the weekend, and Benton High bee snail mask, which I;ll attempt next week.

I received a couple of samples too - all Tonymoly: Panda's dream white cream (which I may order JUST for the pot!), Banana sleeping pack, Prestige Jeju snail essence, Goat Milk CC, AC Control Foam Cleanser.

Looking forward to trying the Panda's Dream and the Jeju essence most!