Which Korean skincare products are worth trying for older normal skin?

[Moustachioed]

I use adapalene and vitamin c, these are my boring old faithfuls. I’m intrigued by the vast array of toners, pads, collagen jellies, etc I see in Korean brands, but don’t know what is worth my pennies? Anyone older, enjoying some Korean products, please share tips! I have normal skin.

Good info/recommendations, but I don't restrict myself to Korean products only.

Beauty of joseon spf
sungboon green tomato pore lift stuff
sulwhasoo overnight mask
torriden dive in toner

a retinoid or tret

And Illiyoon ceramide moisturiser

Hi, Thankyou. I can’t bear to wade through stuff by paid people who like different things each month.

I have dabbled a lot since Christmas and have had mixed reviews. My skin seems to be more sensitive since perimenopause and a lot of the actives set it off and I’ve had to pare back as my skin barrier took a battering.

agree with illiyoon ceramide moisturiser. Also asteora auto barrier cream is gold standard (tiny bit heavy for me).

I use cosrx snail mucin serum which helped calm the skin barrier down. it’s not for everyone but it’s very hydrating.

i use a niacimide rather than a vitamin c serum but a lot of people like the Dr Althea one.

i actually use a lot of byoma which looks Korean but actually isn’t. Uses a lot of the same approaches though and I find it very gentle.

my secret confession is I hate biodance collegen masks. They are always raved about but I find them itchy and make no difference. Same with medicube stuff and no pdrn has made a noticeable difference. It’s actually really hard to wade through the social
media marketing which is intense to find what works for you. i made a lot of mistakes/wasted cash. Luckily it’s typically not mega expensive.

Apparently, there is no evidence about pdrn working. I have never tried it.

Since you're already on adapalene and vitamin C, try essence and toner formats. A fermented essence with galactomyces or bifida ferment adds barrier support and radiance without competing with what you're already using. Centella asiatica toner is excellent alongside retinoids it calms any low-level irritation and supports skin renewal. The collagen jellies are more about hydration than actual collagen delivery.

You're very welcome, and if it helps to know, I have bought Korean products several times from Stylevana, without any problems.

B of J eye serum is amazing as is the SPF

A second vote for Beauty of Joeson Eye serum, it's a real game changer!

I recently tried a Medicube Vitamin C serum that was the best I've used. Will repurchase.

Skin1004 and Beauty of Joseon sunscreens. I really like the BoJ tinted sunscreen.

The Cosrx snail mucin toner. This makes my skin look like glass skin.

I like Romand for blush and lippies, they have more of a range of cool tones that work for my skin.

I use elf vit c serum. It’s rated highly for vit c delivery 🤷🏻‍♀️

I really want to like Korean skincare but at least among the products I've tried, I find that once the novelty effect is gone they're not actually that effective for me. The ones I've tried are:

SKIN1004 Centella Soothing Cream - loved the texture the first few times I used it, but I think it was more the novelty effect. Found it too light and maybe even a bit drying even though I have fairly normal/balanced skin

Laneige Water Bank Sleeping Mask - same, really lovely to apply but simply didn't deliver the moisture I needed...

Biodance collagen mask - again, great novelty effect with the mask melting into your face and I did look glowy right after taking it off, but I was back to my old self within an hour or two

Dr. Jart masks - meh

Cosrx snail mucin cream - really clogged me up and broke me out, I know a lot of people love it but made me look like a hormonal teenager

Anua azelaic acid serum - I didn't dislike it, but didn't see any improvement either despite being consistent and going through two bottles

One I did love was the Laneige lip mask - I will definitely be re-buying that!

I'll probably try a few more because I'm a sucker for marketing, but I've found French pharmacy more reliable and effective for my skin, despite being a bit boring by comparison!

That's just me though and plenty of people have great results, so don't let it put you off if you want to have fun with it - just sharing my experience.

One thing I've found super effective for skin tightening are peptide products, you might want to look into those!

For azelic acid you really need prescription strength. I get finecea from boots. Cheap as anything