(Part 2) Top products from r/AsianBeauty

Here's a blog reading list for you: the venerable Fiddy Snails, Fanserviced, and Snow White and the Pear. These blogs have been INVALUABLE resources for me in learning about skincare and AB.

And here's a very, very, very, VERY loose shopping list, with one major caveat: PATCH. TEST. Don't just buy a new product and slap it on your face. Choose a spot on your face - somewhere where you break out easily, like next to your nose - and dab a little of that product there every day for 10-15 days. See what happens. This is how I learned that my beloved Hadalabo Gokujyun lotion doesn't break me out, but it does break out a lot of other people.

CLEANSERS:
You need two. An oil cleanser to use in the evening to thoroughly remove sunscreen and makeup, followed by a foaming or gel cleanser. I like Hada Labo Gokujyun foaming cleanser as a second cleanser (it's the only one I use in the morning). Kose Softymo is an affordable oil cleanser for the evening.

ACTIVES:
These are ingredients that Do Things to your face, such as exfoliants (BHA, AHA, vitamin C) and disinfectants (benzoyl peroxide). I am drastically simplifying. At the moment you're using two products that contain benzoyl peroxide, a disinfectant. It's time to round out your active diet, with the big caveat that irritation = redness. I'll say it again - ditch the astringent, it's only causing the redness you're trying to avoid. If you're going to add new actives to your routine, do it very gradually. Patch test, then start using it every other day.

Things you could try: I'm in love with C21.5 vitamin C serum. This is an affordable powerhouse of vitamin C, that promotes skin cell turnover and does a bang-up job of dealing with pigmentation. It does oxidise easily, though, so you need to keep it in the fridge and toss it when it starts to turn yellow. In terms of exfoliants, Cosrx BHA Power Liquid and AHA Power Liquid are fan favourites. They feel remarkably gentle on the skin, and do a great job of gently exfoliating. If I were you I'd start with the BHA, as BHAs are great at exfoliating within the pore, soothing redness and treating/preventing acne.

SUNSCREEN
I'm here to give you the greatest lesson you'll ever learn: the best anti-ageing treatment is sunscreen. You are 15. It's time to set up a lifelong sunscreen habit. And Asian sunscreens feel better than any western equivalent. RatzillaCosme is a goldmine of sunscreen reviews. The first Asian sunscreen most people try is the legendary Biore Watery Aqua, which is inexpensive and easy to snag on Amazon.

DA SNAILZ
Snail products are wonderful at reducing redness and inflammation. There are just... so many snail products out there. A great starting point is Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream, which is a great final moisturiser at night if you've got oilier skin. I'm also partial to the all-in-one repair cream, which is actually more of a 'whipped' essence than a cream, but feels wonderfully soothing on my oilier skin.

Hope this helps!

Awww, I know that feel completely.

I've never tried any Tatcha products, however... I have been in the market for an enzyme cleanser lately, and the one I'm looking at is often cited as a great dupe of the Tatcha Rice Enzyme Cleanser in the Amazon reviews- the SRB Stabilized Rice Bran Enzyme Cleanser, $25 on Amazon or Peach & Lily. I first saw this in a Liah Yoo video and I guess due to the kinda bland packaging it's not very popular, but the reviews on Amazon and Amabie are excellent. Apparently the product is extremely gentle and the ingredients list is pretty short, so it might be ideal for you. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Rice-Bran-Cleanses-Brightens-Exfoliates/dp/B01DZDIJSS

Honestly, I'm kind of an AB noob myself, because although I research many products, I don't really have that much $$ to spend on products and try them. Since you have sensitive skin, maybe try a balm cleanser? They're apparently very nourishing and the Banila Co Clean It Zero Sensitive formula has great reviews. Renee from Gothamista has also recommended the Heimish Cleansing Balm (it has donkey milk and she's butter, oh my gosh) and I believe her skin type is also dry-sensitive.

https://sokoglam.com/products/banila-co-clean-it-zero-sensitive-skin
https://www.amazon.com/Heimish-Clean-Balm-Cleansing-120ml/dp/B01CJ639SM

Looking at the ingredients in the serum and cream, they seem somewhat similar to the Nature Republic Royal Ginseng line, all the way from the rice, royal jelly, ginseng, sodium hyaluronate, and silk extracts to the 24k gold. This line is very expensive as well, but may be less problematic to you.

The top, likely active, ingredients in the Serum are Algae Extract and Rice Extract and in the cream the Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate is the number 1 ingredient, so I think you should start looking for serums and creams high in those actives, as those are the highest concentrated ingredients in the Tatcha moisturizing products.

I couldn't find much with Algae Extract that was a moisturizer, except one Nature Republic Eye Cream, the Collagen dream eye cream.

https://www.amazon.com/NATUREREPUBLIC-Collagen-Dream-Cream-Korean/dp/B00H4HD25W

The second ingredient, the Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, is very interesting because it actually used to be the active ingredient of the famous SK-II Essence, before it was replaced by the very similar Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate. This Ingredient is likely going to be much easier to find in an essence rather than a moisturizing cream. I know that the Missha First Treatment Essence has Saccharomyces but I'm also including a link/list of SK-II dupes that contain either Galactomyces or Saccharomyces as they are very similar, and because many of the other SK-II dupes are actually cheaper (the Missha is around $50), including the CosRx Galactomyces which is only $15.

http://musicalhouses.blogspot.com/2016/01/sk-ii-facial-treatment-essence-dupe.html?m=1

https://sokoglam.com/products/time-revolution-first-treatment-essence

https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Galactomyces-Whitening-Power-Essence/dp/B00OZE57XW

The last ingredient, Rice Extract, is present in an insane 65% potency in the CosRx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Mask, which is also a cult favorite on Reddit. And, it's less than $15.

https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Ultimate-Nourishing-Rice-Overnight/dp/B01518D84U

Lastly, I saw sodium hyaluronate, or hyaluronic acid, in both the serum and cream, so if I were you, I'd invest in the cult favorite, Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion. I have the Premium version, and it really is wonderful and leaves your skin firm and hydrated, and is a great way to get in extra moisture before your cream.
Hada Labo Rohto Hadalabo Gokujun Hyaluronic Lotion Moist, 5.7 fl. oz. (170ml) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BSNBO9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EZa8ybAC6S473

A final note: since your skin is sensitive, I would stay away from any artificial fragrance or irritants in any products. Hada Labo and Cosrx are both fragrance free companies that only use what they need to make the product effective. Again, check your ingredients at CosDna as well as reviews. Also many of these products are available cheaper on some other websites, I just chose who came up first. Generally, SokoGlam is a safer bet than Amazon because you won't get a fake product, but it's also slightly more expensive.

I know this is a long post but I also know how daunting the search for good, affordable skincare can be. Also, don't forget to wear sunscreen. There's no point in getting so many products just to negate their effects with UVA damage.

Best of Luck! <3

> I'm definitely fascinated by the Kikumasamune Sake High Moist Lotion and the Tosowoong ampuole, but also totally intimidated by r/asianbeautyexchange (baby steps).

Haha well the user I mentioned is super sweet and will walk you through the process should you decide to take the plunge, and I have a brand new bottle of the Kikumasamune I'd be happy to decant for you at any point. I also don't mind walking you through how the exchange works (it's pretty simple! c:) whenever you feel brave and adventurous.

Girl yes you will feel like the fanciest broad in town with that adorable Sulwhasoo ginseng trial bottle. I keep it on my nightstand instead of with my skincare basket just so I can look at it, haha.

> And yes, I have read most of Fifty Shades of Snail and have to be careful not to automatically buy whatever she likes at the time (which lately has been fancy Sulwhasoo stuff I can't afford so that's convenient).

This struggle is real. Thanks for having expensive tastes right now, u/Sharkus_Reincarnus. You're breaking hearts and saving wallets all at the same time. c;

Omg that's exactly how I feel about that Drunk Elephant serum. I love the packaging and the formulation seems nice, but I'm afraid to love it. This is one a lot of people love that I've been considering. Also, formulations with MAP (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) instead of L-AA (l-ascorbic acid) tend to be more shelf stable and gentler on the skin. c:

When I first heard of how well AB products work, I went on a binge and tried out so many, and while all are really great, I keep reaching for the Mizon Black Snail AIO the most. I don't like any perfume smelling lotions, no matter how great they are. The Mizon black snail has no smell to it, so perfect for me. I also felt it healed my acne, acne scabs, and dry patches, and just left me with healthier, softer skin.

I'm not sure if you would be up to trying all of these items, but here's my skin regimen (to heal acne and acne scabs/scars, dry patches, and aging skin and wrinkles) to compare. I have been doing this for about six months and am tweaking very little. I haven't had any acne break outs in the last three months now (well maybe one minor pimple that heals within a day or two) and my skin is the most normal it's been in my teenage/adult life.

Morning:
Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser. I love this cleanser and am not changing.

I use two Konjac half sphere shaped sponges when cleansing. I like to use two of these at the same time, one to lather up the soap (less soap is needed with these sponges) and one to rinse it off, and then I rinse both out and run under warm water and hold the two flat halves against my eyes. The warmth feels so wonderful.

I like the red or pink clay ones, but here's a sample pack. Also they usually come with a small string looped into the sponge. If they don't, you can just get a needle and thread and put one it. This is because they need to be hung up to dry out, so they don't get any mold in them. When they dry out, make sure to run under water to re-expand them fully before use, and don't squeeze until they are fully soft and expanded again, or otherwise you will begin to degrade the sponge and it will start to fall apart.

Then I use Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner. (If you buy from there, you get a Benton Bee Snail mask try too. That mask is one of my all time favorites.)

Then I use the Benton Snail Bee Essence. (If you buy from here, you get another mask and a few samples to try too.)

New York Laboratories Dark Circle Eye Cream. Not Korean, but uses some good ingredients.

MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream

You can also add another cream over this, like one with retinol or hyalouric acid or both. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I am happy with the above and it works for me.
___

Evening:
Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam Facial Foaming Cleanser. I love this cleanser and am not changing.

I use the cleanser with the Konjac sponges again. I find when you use the sponges, that you don't really need to use a separate exfoliator product daily, which can be harsh on your skin. So think gentle products (See at the bottom).

Then I use the same toner as above, and the same eye cream, but sometimes I also add on Cosrx Honey Ceramide Eye Cream.

I use the same Mizon snail cream as above and then a "sleeping pack cream". I have a few I am trying at the moment and can't say which I would recommend yet, but I keep going back mostly to the SKIN CERAMIC Donkey Milk Yogurt Sleeping Pack one. It is not too greasy like some of the others and my skin feels super moist from it.

I do a sheet mask at least once a week (more if I can - lately I have been doing about 3-4 a week). I subscribe to a monthly sheet mask bag at MissTutii.com, and they will send about 7-8 sheet masks each month. I love the snail masks best, the honey ones are my second favorite, and then the donkey milk ones. My Miss Tutii is ending next month, and I am thinking of switching over to Mask Maven subscription, which sends nine masks each month.

I use only mild forms of exfoliation (I am so, so, so done with the rough kinds!!!), like Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine, to help skin turn-over maybe 1-2 times a week. I keep the jar in the fridge and use after a shower in the morning, but you can also use in the evening after you cleanse and before you apply essence/cream. When I use these pads, I skip the toner part of the regimen and sometimes essence too.

I also have Seven Seconds Morning Sheet. That one has gentle dots on the pad that exfoliate. I tend to use this one when I am in a rush and can't spend the time to do a full skin regimen. This one you just cleanse and do the pad and then you are done.

I use Nooni AHA/BHA peel pad about once a week.

About two times a month I use Laura Mercier Face Polish.

And speaking of healthy skin regimen, don't forget about getting good, quality sleep. Get yourself a few boxes of these KAO heated eye masks. They are freaking amazing! They are so nice and light and comfortable and soothing, and they do block out the light too. I love the rose smelling ones.

Wow, that's a pretty big haul! It's great that you've got some knowledge of basic skincare and makeup! You can also check out the Beginner's guide for some more information on Asian skincare. The Holy Grail list is also a good introductory resource for different types of layering skincare products, and some makeup products. If you know your skin type and concerns, you can also check out the February Routine thread to see what other users have in their routine and if it helps them.

Now, on to the main concern of your post!

Primers

Like other users have mentioned in your original post, you do have two eye primers. Do you intend on wearing eyeshadow often? If yes, I suggest that you try them and pick the one that works the best for you. If it's possible, you could return both and try the samples instead.

Setting Powder

I think the Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder and the Skinfood Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder are great. The best thing about them is that they work wonderfully (given that it's not caked on), and the smooth finish lasts the entire day for me. They are also cost efficient, and you can find plenty of reviews online.

Sun protection

I haven't tried that Shiseido sunscreen, so I can't comment on the quality and effectiveness of it. I suggest that you try it to make sure that:

• the sun protection is enough for you in your daily activities
  
• the finish of the cream is appropriate for your skin type (is it greasy? matte?)
  
• your skin doesn't become irritated by the sunscreen
  
  I prefer using the Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel and the newly formulated Biore
  Aqua Rich Watery Essence. I find that both of them do not cause me to break out, or leave my face feeling oily and greasy. They are seriously my HG. You might want to consider trying these as well! They are a bit cheaper than the Shiseido one, and the PA+++/++++ protection is a huge plus!
  
  Lip tint
  
  For $12, the Sephora lip stain is not a bad pick up! That's about on par for most Asian lip tints.
  
  Eyeshadow palettes
  
  Many Asian eyeshadows are neutral colors and tones, and are not as pigmented as other American brands. Personally, I don't mind this because it suits my tastes, but others might. I am a fan of the Urban Decay Naked palettes, and I do recommend them if they aren't out of your price range. I also like the NYX palettes because they are quite affordable with good color pay-off, and the Innisfree Mineral Single Shadows because of the sparkles in some of the selections.
  
  Before you purchase, you can also do some research and look for reviews of other palettes that you're interested in (unless you feel like being adventurous!). Most reviews include swatches so you can see how that color looks on that individual.
  
  I can't comment on the blush or lip primer since I don't use those types of products often in my routine.
  
  Regarding your skin type and concerns... What is your current routine? For color correction, there are many products that help with lightening redness. I have seen much success with using Missha's Time Revolution FTE (old formula) and Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule. These products usually go on sale often, so be sure to check out the Missha sales. You could also look into incorporating some vitamin C, AHA, or BHA products in your routine as well.
  
  There are also many moisturizing creams that can moisturize your skin! You can look through the two lists I linked above to find some of the popular ones that ABers recommend.
  
  Lastly... before I fall asleep ... You don't have to be afraid of skincare and makeup! The process of finding your HG products will require trial and error. Here, I would like to stress that makeup and skincare is very much YMMV. What works for one person may not work for another, so that's why it's important to patch test and do research! For beginners, I would not recommend buying a full sized, expensive, product before trying a sample of it or doing research! The best thing about Sephora is that you can ask for a sample to try at home before you commit to the purchase. That way, if it causes a breakout, you wouldn't have to worry about wasting it or having to make a trip to the store to return it. In addition, by being mindful of the ingredients, you can potentially find out which ingredient(s) cause a bad reaction and avoid it.
  
  We're all very friendly and helpful here, and many of us are able to answer any questions you may have! There's a daily thread that's stickied, and you can ask specific questions there.
  
  Best of luck!

My routine is already pretty darn slim but if I could /only/ have three items I think I'd probably have the following:

• Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleanser Stick
  
  > I really adore this product. It leaves my face very clean and happy without that nasty "too clean" feeling. A little goes a long way for me so it's super cost effective.
  
  
• Tea Tree Oil/Product
  
  > Currently I do a tea tree oil and water combo and basically apply it like a toner and it works really well for me. I also have the option to up or lower the percentage of oil as needed which, for me, has helped a lot with acne and gives me some flexibility with a singular product. I'm considering trying a true-blue AB Tea Tree product but I'm really worried about consistency since the Tea Tree masks I have are pretty heavy on my skin and don't have the same sort of oomph to them.
  
  
• Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule
  
  > Hands down. Without a doubt. Never will be replaced in my book. Most days I just use my cleanser and TTO but on nights when my skin needs some help or has healing acne/wounds, this baby is my go to. Use it all over on shower nights or do a thicker dab on trouble spots and there's an clear and obvious improvement the following morning. Combined with my TTO, it's been one of the best products I've purchased. It's super slick so, like my other items, a little goes a long way. Since it's a product that you use in select areas, you don't use a lot in the first place. It can be used anywhere in yours face (forget those snail eye creams lol) and you can use it on parts of your body as well if they need help. It's probably the closest to a HG/Rave product for me.
  
  I've committed a sin! I didn't include a sun screen! Oops~ So hard to pick just three, right?

I LOVE AZELAIC ACID. So I pretty well thought I would live with a red face forever along with a severely damaged moisture barrier. The biggest thing that helped me was azelaic acid. I use Melazepam from Amazon. Cheap and works! It's thick at first but smoothes into my skin leaving it kinda matte. At first it itched like crazy and I wasn't using it consistently enough. Then after more research, I decided to use it up and give it a chance. Along with anything high in ceramide, my skin got used to the 20% AzA. Maybe around the 10th day of twice daily use, my skin finally started to look normal. I also switch my oil cleanser to an olive oil based one and saw even more improvement in my redness. I've just added in Vit C to my under eye area and continuing to use Melazepam around the rest of my face and neck and my ENTIRE COMPLEXION is EVEN NOW! Would never have believed that was possible. Melazepam has also minimized my SFs on my nose, has finally stopped this ingrown hair on my neck from forming (I've had it for years!!!), and has cleared all the CCs on my forehead. I repeat: I loooooove azelaic acid, specifically Melazepam!

Current routine:

AM

Garnier Micellar Water - pink cap or Cerave Foaming cleanser

Cosrx Aha/bha Clarifying Treatment Toner

BELITAE Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid to my under eye area and upper cheeks

Melazepam to the rest of my face and neck, especially my nose. Sometimes I wait after the Vit C but not usually since I don't use them in the same spots.

I do wait 15-20 minutes after my actives step.

SCINIC First Treatment Essence 3 skin method. My face loves this more than the Missha FTE.

SCINIC Snail All In One Ampoule or SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule depending on the day.

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

A'PIEU PURE BLOCK Natural Sun Cream SPF45/PA+++ I don't see much sunlight at all but when I do, this one keeps me from turning beet red imediately upon application.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Derma Green-Cure Solution Recover Cream This is the best thing I've found for redness and skin barrier repair! My skin loves ceramides so much and this soothes like nothing I've found yet.

Medela Tender Care Lanolin Tube on my lips. Yes it's nip cream. I couldn't use it all up while nursing and it causes my skin to redden so it's perfect for a little lip color.

PM

ROHTO Hada Labo Gokujun Cleansing Oil My skin reacted to Holika Holika Soda Pore B.b Deep Cleansing Oil so this is my second one to try and I'm really enjoying it.

Cerave Foaming cleanser with a konjac sponge but waiting on
Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam in the mail.

Cosrx Aha/bha Clarifying Treatment Toner

BELITAE Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid to my under eye area and upper cheeks

Melazepam to the rest of my face and neck, especially my nose like the AM.

SCINIC First Treatment Essence 3 skin method.

All depending on how I'm feeling that evening:

LJH TeaTree 90 Essence

SCINIC Snail All In One Ampoule

SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule

Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

MIZON Snail Repair Eye Cream

Petitfee Black Pearl and Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch Not sure if I like these or not honestly...

Some or all of these layers followed by CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion and

Guerisson 9 Complex Horse Oil Cream

Pretty sure my shower filter, Mermosis, has also helped my skin and hair.

I also use sometimes REVITABOOST PEEL Anti-Aging Peel Pads or Cosrx Bha Blackhead Power Liquid but I skip my AzA on those days and just go back to my regular routine the following day. These are rare for me though because they make me ridiculously red again.

Things I'm waiting on in the mail:

ROSETTE Aqua Ceramide Gel

Rumase BIFIDA Snail Toner

Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

It's Skin Power 10 Formula - PO Effector

Hoping the all work well for me too!

First of all, I am an employee at a major western beauty retailer in none other than the field of skin care. I am very familiar with ingredients and quite savvy at building skin care routines to fit my clients' needs... and I'm proud of it. That being said, I've found that many of the products my employer offers are too harsh or contain ingredients I don't agree with; in addition, we don't sell a huge variety of AB, at least not enough to satisfy my liking.

SOOOO, this is kind of new territory for me. I know one thing for a fact: I LOVE love LOVE snail. Below, I have a tentative list of AB products I have researched and have added to my Amazon.com cart and would love to hear from this community about my choices. I would love to hear recommendations as well. Below, I'll list the products by AM or PM routine (as I've planned).

A little background:

• Normal to Oily Skin
  
  
• Major concerns are PIH, CCs (usually hormonal), and texture issues.
  
  
• Semi-sensitive but mostly to strong AHAs, Benzoyl Peroxide, and Vitamin C is the WORST for my skin
  
  
  Tentative PM Products:
  
  
• Heimish All Clean Balm
  
  
• Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam
  
  
• Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
  
  
• Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
  
  
• Benton Snail Bee High content Steam Cream
  
  
  Tentative AM Products:
  
  
• Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser
  
  
• MISSHA Super Aqua Pore-Kling Toner
  
  
• Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum
  
  
• MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream
  
  I would also like recommendations for a twice a week exfoliator (preferably Lactic Acid or Enzyme) and sheet mask recommendations to go along with my tentative routines?
  
  THANKS, GUYS. I know this is long, but I'd really appreciate the feedback.
  

Hello~ I've been stalking the Korean beauty industry for years, but have never committed due to random reasons. I want to try my hand at it next year (need to use up my stupidly expensive Sephora products). Here's a routine I created - mostly from Snow White & The Pear's reviews. For the record, I have eczema (thanks god, no flares right now) and sensitive (contact allergies), oily skin. I know. How can I have eczema and oily skin? OTL

• Water Cleanser | GATSBY MANDOM Bifesta Cleansing Lotion | Daily AM
  
• Oil Cleanser | Banila Co Clean It Zero Purity | Daily PM
  
• Cleanser | Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser | Daily PM
  
• Cleansing Toner | XXX | Daily AM & PM
  
• Vitamin C Serum - Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum | 3x Weekly AM
  
• BHA | Cosrx Bha Blackhead Power Liquid | Daily AM
  
• AHA | Cosrx AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid | 2x Weekly PM
  
• Essence | MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence | Daily AM PM
  
• Hydrating Toner | CLINIQUE Even Better Essence Lotion For Combination Oily To Oily Skins | Daily AM PM
  
• Acne & Inflammation Essence | LJH TeaTree 90 Essence | Daily AM PM
  
• Serum | Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence | Daily AM PM
  
• Moisturizer | Drunk Elephant B Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Gel | Daily AM PM
  
• Eye Cream | Andalou Naturals Luminous Eye Serum Brightening | Daily AM PM
  
• Mist | Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray | Daily AM PM
  
• Sunscreen | Eltamd UV Clear SPF 46 | Daily AM
  
• Clay Mask | Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask | 1x Weekly PM
  
• Acne Treatment | Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch | As Needed PM
  
• Acne Treatment II | Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot | As Needed PM
  
  I'm not sure if the order and frequency of use is correct, so please help me! And yes, these are a lot of products for a beginner, so I think I'll start with only one toner first then work my way up to using more essences. Suggestions for cleansers and toners would also be nice, since I'm not sure if the Clinique thing is intended as a cleansing toner. I also have a question about sebaceous filaments? Is it alright to get rid of them with nose masks? Would it make my pores bigger? I feel like my nose pores are huge and my buddies are EXTREMELY visible. Recommendations on peeling masks and other masks would be great too, as I'm not really sure what kind of masks I would need?

Hey everyone,

I suffer from Seborrheic dermatitis, so the only products I am using are from this helpful list. I am currently using the Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel mixed with The Ordinary's Squalane and the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser and for the first time I feel like I am having actual success.


So I wanted to make the next step and introduce sunscreen. I ordered the CōTZ FACE Natural Tinted
SPF 40, but unfortunately it breaks me out.


I definitely wanted a mattifying sunscreen, since regardless of which product I am using, I always get noticeably oily/greasy 1-2 hours after applying products. So to try other sunscreens from that list, I ordered the Biore Uv Perfect Face Milk Spf50 + / Pa ++++ and the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk (SPF50 PA ++++). It is going to take some time until they arrive, but I thought I could already ask some questions:


According to Fiftyshadesofsnail the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk dries down to a clear satin finish that can go more matte or more dewy depending on your skin condition and what skincare you have underneath. Considering my situation, it might end up too dewy for me. My inital idea was to simply apply it over my Benton Aloe Propolis Gel + Squalane mix and in case that this will end up too dewy, I wanted to test using this over the Benton Gel without the squalane. However if this still ends up being too dewy, would it be okay to use the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk without any actual moisturizer under it, or would I be missing out on some important skin benefits?


My next question would be if the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser will be enough to remove the Biore and the Skin Aqua sunscreens. I have read somewhere that I might need an oil cleanser for this. I currently have this Mystic Moments White Mineral Oil Carrier Oil 100% Pure, but I didn't like how it doesn't really get off when using water. I have read that if you mix it with 10-15% cromollient SCE it'll be better, but I live in Europe, Germany and I don't know where I can get that here.


Thank you for any kind of help!

Skin Type: Dry/Dehydrated | Country/Climate: Midwestern US (cold, dry, windy) | Top Skin Concerns: Anti-aging. I’m particularly concerned about wrinkles.

Misc Factors:
I don’t know if any of this is relevant, but just in case: I’ll turn 26 next month, AFAB. I’m on a low budget. I’m an omnivore (minimal dairy, minimal meat). My skintone is KGD 213 (biracial, American Indian and white). Two weeks ago I began taking a Daily Multi-Vitamin, Omega 3-6-9, and Vitamin C + Rosehip. I just started using skincare products of any kind 13 months ago, and I spent many years unprotected in the sun, so I likely have a great deal of sun damage (I’m guessing that’s where the static lines in my forehead came from, as well as the freckles that haven't faded after a year of no unprotected sun exposure). I’m unsure of my Fitzpatrick skin type - I’m light-skinned, very rarely burn, tan easily. Years ago, with moderate sun-exposure and no sun protection, I used to go from roughly NC15 to NC45.
I should mention that I don’t have a sunscreen in my daily routine because I only have sun exposure for approximately 30 minutes weekly, max. (I have a medical condition that is triggered/worsened by sun exposure). On days with any sun-exposure, I use CeraVe SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Lotion.

Current Routine/Products I’m Using:

AM:

• Water to cleanse
• Kiku-Masamune - Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture
• Dr. Jart+ - Ceramidin Liquid
• CosRx - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
• Scinic - Honey All In One Ampoule
• Hada Labo (Tokyo) - Replenishing Hydrator
• Belif - Creamy Deep Moist Moisturizer
• CeraVe - Moisturizing Facial Lotion PM

PM:

• Water to cleanse
• Kiku-Masamune - Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture
• Dr. Jart+ - Ceramidin Liquid
• CosRx - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
• Scinic - Honey All In One Ampoule
• Hada Labo (Tokyo) - Replenishing Hydrator
• Belif - Creamy Deep Moist Moisturizer
• CeraVe - Moisturizing Facial Lotion PM
• Belif - the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
• Vaseline Jelly Cocoa Butter to seal it all in.

I specifically want help with routine order. I want to make sure my ^current routine is in order, and I’d also like help with the order I should introduce some new products (after patch testing each one separately). I’ve never used actives before - everything I’ve read has stressed the importance of patience, caution, and babying/nourishing and most importantly, listening to your skin when introducing and using actives to a skincare regimen.

I recently purchased [Deciem the Ordinary - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-hyaluronic-acid-2pct-b5-30ml) to add to my list of essences/serums/ampoules, and [Nature Republic - Super Aqua Max Moisture Watery Cream] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HP1D1G6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1) to hopefully replace the Belif - True Cream Moisturizing Bomb.
I purchased [CosRx - AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner] (https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/asin/B00OZ63ODA/2/ref=ask_dp_iaw_ql_hza?isAnswered=true#question-Tx2CHHURICEV24D) to use as a prep-toner for actives.
I also acquired [Deciem the Ordinary - Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-vitamin-c-suspension-23pct-ha-spheres-2pct-30ml), [Deciem the Ordinary - Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-lactic-acid-10pct-ha-2pct-30ml), and [Deciem the Ordinary - Advanced Retinoid 2%] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-advanced-retinoid-2pct-30ml), and [Deciem the Ordinary - Matrixyl 10% + HA] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-matrixyl-10pct-ha-30ml).

Do y’all have any recommendations for which skincare products I should introduce first? What should my routine order look like?

Thanks so much.

I would recommend the following:

Avoid skin-clogging makeup as much as possible (bronzer, concealer, primer, etc.). I don't use any of this - no BB creams, no CC creams, no foundation, nothing. Keep the skin unclogged, is the goal. Use something that has salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to wash your face, 1-2 times a day (morning and night) because that will actually kill the acne-causing bacteria. Then use non-comedogenic face moisturizer - I like Clinique's Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief and use either Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ or Banana Boat Kids spf 50 (it's a physical sunscreen not got a lot of oily sunblock ingredients). You have to moisturize and gotta make sure you protect your skin from wrinkles and cancer!

After showering, I put Thayer's Witch Hazel (the rose petal kind but I don't think it matters which "flavor" you choose) on. Just a thin layer applied with a cotton ball. It's essentially another cleaner. Then I wait for it to dry and add the same Clinique moisturizer and then, to get rid of pigmentation, you will need a cream with retinol to stimulate growth of new and fresher skin cells. I recommend using it at night, before you apply the moisturizer so it will penetrate the skin. I use Alpha SkinCare Deep Wrinkle Repair from Ulta.

Be gentle with your skin - don't wash it too hard and pat it dry and use warm water, not too cold or hot. Once a week, make a gelatin pore cleaning mask (recipe here but there's a billion out there you can use) and use a clay mask as well to drain your pores of oil after you've yanked any gross globs out.

This is going to take time, of course. And make sure that your pillows you sleep on are clean (wash pillowcase once a week) and that you don't let your hair brush against your face (oils can get on your skin and clog it).

I've done this for 12 years and that's how I've kept my skin essentially completely blemish free (occasional pimples, small, once every few months?)

The goal is to keep skin clean and moisturize it just enough. It's not very complex, to be honest. I don't ever listen to anecdotal crap about why some products work better than others. I look at the ingredients list and then read studies to see why it might work. Sure, if you're just looking for moisturizing, fine, rely on anecdotal stuff and weak evidence, but for things where you really want to see results like less wrinkles or fewer pimples, ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and retinol are very important.

*ETA: when applying ANYTHING to your face, make sure you wash your hands first!!! No point to use these wonderful products if the tool applying them is dirty. And then it gets the product as well as your face dirty. Clean hands, clean towels to dry your hands and face! Wash the towels a minimum of once a week. Don't have to use a lot of soap to launder the towels - bc that can be irritating - but needs to be clean.

It largely depends on where you live and how quickly you need the items. As a general rule, if you're willing to wait a bit, you can find items much cheaper from non-Prime sellers on Amazon and overseas sellers on eBay. Also, if you're just purchasing a few things and they are heavy items, I find it's usually cheaper to stay away from sites with high shipping charges by weight, like Testerkorea and RoseRoseShop.

I usually do a lot of research when I make a new product purchase to find the lowest price from a reputable seller that I can. Partly because I just like shopping online for AB stuff and partly because I make it into a sort of game to see how cheap I can find something. It's like a hobby for me.

I recommend the Honey browser extension for Amazon. If you're looking for something it will tell you if there's a cheaper price available from another seller. It also goes through available coupon codes on many other online sites to see if there's one in the database that works for your order.

Anyway, I'm not sure where you live, but I did a bit of looking (I'm in the U.S.), and this is what I came up with. I can't guarantee these are the best prices out there -- just what I found from a bit of quick looking at a few different places.

Hado Labo foam for $9.40 with free shipping on Amazon (not Prime) here

The Face Shop Cleansing Oil - $9.58 with free shipping from Jolse here or $10.20 on Amazon Prime here.

Shiseido Aging Care Sunscreen on Amazon for $8.20 with free shipping (non-Prime) here.

Rosette Aqua Ceramide Gel - $12.45 with free shipping (non-Prime) on Amazon here.

I find as the seasons change (it's getting warmer around where I am) my skin kinda freaks out and becomes very sensitive, especially the skin around my eyes.

Another commenter mentioned the Kikumasamune, but there's another one that's popular too called Cezanne. There are a lot of reviews on here about both. Hada Labo also makes a moisturizing toner. I think the key point it to layer moisture. So toner, essence, moisturizer.

Also, if you're not using a sunscreen you should get that as well (I can't remember off hand if the AM lotion you're using has SPF).

Also, one guide I like to link a lot is a beginner's guide by Snow White and the Asian Pear. She has a great graphic and examples of each type of product, just to give you a good overview and then you can go from there. I would say it's best to find a blogger that has similar skin concerns to you, because they're going to be your best bet on getting recommendations as they have been there, done that.

Edit: oops!! lol I didn't realize the comment had the same products listed, sorry!

>I recently stopped by the Grand Asian market (Cary NC)

Could you report back what other brands they carry when you go back? That store has been there since before I moved to Cary as a child ( pre 1995 omg). Only went in there once or twice but when I come back for a visit definitely making a shopping trip (also for the food) there.

As for Hada Labo,the Gokujun Lotion is super popular on the sub as well as in Japan. Also, the moisturizing perfect gel has started to get some love on this sub as well which I think would be good for you as a moisturizer.

I'm looking for a sunscreen that doesn't contribute to my oily skin but also doesn't dry me out (do sunscreens that meet both criteria exist??) I have narrowed it down to two options after reading through a lot of reviews/threads on this. Has anyone tried either or both and can help me make a decision? I am debating between:

Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Milk SPF50

and

Nivea Perfect Water Gel SPF 35 P+++ (I wanted to find the Sun Super Water Gel SPF 50 but this is the only one available)

Skin type: quite oily and dehydrated (sometimes flaky around the eyes)

Country: Canada - currently cold harsh winters

Top skin concern: finding sunscreen that is not greasy but also not drying

Current routine: Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel Cream as day moisturizer; great for oil control but not moisturizing enough. I don't wear foundation/face makeup either so no whitecast would be ideal.

Thank you!

Hi hi! Wow so I'm super super new to AB, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try :)

My favourite product/holy grail is S:um Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Not only is Rose kind of my "thing" (I wear rose perfume every day, along with a silver rose necklace and ring- it's kind of a theme) but it's also drastically improved my skin.

I've always had acne, but it's never been too terrible. After using this rose cleansing stick my skin feels so much lighter and fresher, and not dry at all~!

As a side note, thank you so much for doing something so nice like this. It's people like you that really make this community seem so open and welcoming!

Hi everyone! I'm very new to AB and after reading through many guides and articles, I created my first routine, and it's made up of the basics (since you guys said to limit your haul to 4-5 items), I have these items in my amazon cart ready to go, but I wanted to get a second opinion!

Skin Type: Dry/Acne-Prone | Country/Climate I'm in: Seattle - Rainy and Cold | Top Skin Concern: PIH/Acne


AM

• [Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam]
  (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CE5P580/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ALWX5VVJPZEDR&psc=1)
  
  
  
• Rohto Hadalabo Shirojyun Albutin Milk
  
  
  
• Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++
  
  
  
  PM
  
  
  
• Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil Moisture Advanced
  
  
  
• Hada Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam
  
  
  
• BENTON Snail Bee High Content Essence
  
  
  
• Rohto Hadalabo Shirojyun Albutin Milk
  
  
  I'm mostly curious about the BENTON serum. I've heard that it's best to only use it once (at night), but some blogs have you using them in the morning as well. Also, with the BENTON serum would I have to wait 20 minutes before moving on to emulsion? Any other comments/criticisms would be appreciated! Thank you AB!
  
  

• Skin Type: Oily & Dry | Country/Climate I'm in: Southern California Desert | Top Skin Concern: Filaments, Redness, Lightening/Whitening | Age/Sex: 28yo Male
  
• Current Routine/Products I'm Using:
  
  AM
  
  
• CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
  
• TruSkin Vitamin C Serum
  
• It's Skin Power 10 WH Effector Serum
  
• Aveeno Eczema Moisturizing Cream
  
• Neutrogena Men Eye Reviver (no longer avail..last tube)
  
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 100
  
  PM
  
  
• CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
  
• TruSkin Vitamin C Serum
  
• It's Skin Power 10 WH Effector Serum
  
• Aveeno Eczema Moisturizing Cream
  
• Shiseido Bio-Performance Eye Cream (was a gift.. too expensive for me to restock)
  
  Background: I used to have psoriasis and eczema all over my body and face, but thanks to biologics (Humira), my psoriasis patches have regressed into hyperpigmented spots. I live in a hot and dry desert, which not only dries out my skin, but I also sweat a lot. Combination of dryness + sweat causes my face to redden.
  
  Picture of Face:
  https://i.imgur.com/4rAEHSG.jpg (Ignore dry lips)
  
  I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]...
  
  
• General routine advice
  
• Reduce those small dots on my face, especially nose (pores/filaments?)
  
• Products to help control oil/sweat/redness but also won't dry my skin
  
• Products to help lighten/whiten facial skintone
  
• Can my face handle BHA/AHA products?
  
• A less heavy moisturizer for AM, perhaps with sufficient daily SPF?
  
• I am willing to replace any of my current products (Tiam C20, Benton Snail Essence...)
  
  Thank you Thank you and Thank you! Can't believe it took me this long to find this site/community!

I've been using mine for several months now. I seriously drench my face with it because of the large amount and affordability LOL. I find that it is great for layering and providing refreshing hydration, but not much else. My skin has been improving lately (less breakouts and inflammation, more even tone), but I'm not sure I can 100% attribute it to Hatomugi. It's mainly hydrating and a little bit calming, if anything. I'm able to use it when my skin is more sensitive as well.

I use Selena Hagaseru Cotton, that are apparently very popular. It has 80 puffs that can peel to 5 sheets each, so 400 total omg. Soft cotton, appropriate size, holds good amount of liquid for masking. I think these are good for the cost, but it tends to fray a bit around the edges during use and tickles my face. I like the nooni toner mask sheets, it's literally like the sheet mask material cut into squares. But these are only 60 pieces total, so it's more on the pricey side.

sure! i found this website that sells them in case you're in the US: https://www.masksheets.com/saborino-morning-face-mask-32.html
it looks like there are two kinds, but i'm in korea and i've only seen the yellow in the shops here so that's what i bought.

what i'm discovering is that it's supposed to be for cleansing as well (completely missed that on the package) but i always wipe down my face with micellar water before putting it on. it's got a really great cooling sensation that i can feel pull my face together after a night of being smooshed into my pillow. it feels a liiiiittle bit wasteful to only use it for 60 seconds but it seems to be working well so i highly recommend it!

plus it comes in the bulk packaging that i love japanese skincare for, so it's less wasteful in that way :)

eta: i also don't leave it just at this, i follow up with the ganbare watashi gel (https://www.cosme.com/en/1000027584) and hada labo gokujyun perfect gel (https://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Rohto-Gokujun-Perfect/dp/B00BQV0LT2).

It's definitely the CosRx, I think it would pill under most if not all make ups. As the name implies it's a cream so its a little thicker but it leaves no white cast and soaks up well and feels moisturizing. It's great as a standalone which is what I'd been using it as these last couple weeks so today was the first time I tried make up on top of it in a while and now I remember why I hadn't been using it under make up (RIP).

What I really like using under make up is either Missha All Around Safe Block Sun Essence and Innisfree Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock which is their older recipe which I believe is now split into either a Dry Skin Version and an Oily Skin Version. Which I have yet to try.

I hope that gives you a start!

I literally was researching the Hada Labo Shirojyun line right this second!

The Hada Labo Shirojyun Premium Lotion has tranexamic acid and it's in my Amazon cart as we speak.

The Hada Labo Shirojyun Toner has arbutin! Comparing the ingredients between this toner and The Ordinary's Alpha Arbutin 2%, I'm pretty convinced that the toner has a higher concentration of alpha arbutin. After all, it's first on the ingredient list while The Ordinary lists it second.

Kikumasamune actually has a big range of products, but the one people mean 90% of the time when they talk about that brand is the Kikumasamune High Moist. The ingredients of note in this one as for brightening are the rice ferment (which contains kojic acid), arbutin, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate (a licorice derivative).

I've spent the last hour reading up on arbutin results people have reported, especially with the shirojyun toner. It seems like it does have a brightening effect, but it requires four to six months of consistent usage. It's not immediately gratifying like vitamin C is.

So happy I could share all the things I read today with someone! :D

I was the same way, I’d wake up and my face just felt kinda tight. Now that I use a sleeping pack it feels like I have a layer of protection on my face haha

Oh no! I didn’t realize there was fragrance in it. I currently do use the Benton Snail Bee High Content Skin before I put on the Kikumasamune. I personally just feel the Kiku is more hydrating than the Benton. I haven’t tried the Cezanne Lotion, but I’ve heard great things and it is alcohol and fragrance free. It also comes in a big size like the Kiku!

So, I purchase mine from a local AB shop in my area. I actually just happened upon it because I saw that it said “Barrier Repair” on it, which intrigued me, but then I felt the tester and it feels heavenly. It’s like a gel-cream consistency. I paid $18.99 at my local shop, but they have it on Amazon for $20!

I mix mine with a Hyaluronic serum (either Cosrx hyaluronic essence or Hadalabo premium gokujyun "lotion") and It's Skin licorice booster. If I feel like jazzing things up I will put in some Scinic Honey AOI.

Ahah, personally I view my product's ingredient list with impunity and the skepticism of a grumpy old man. I'm not quite sold on the magic of "peptides" yet. Peptides are the featured ingredient in the Buffet, without it it's just a overpriced hydrating serum. It is 30mL for $15 CAD where as my Cosrx Hyaluronic Essence is 100mL for $18~ CAD. My Hada Labo Premium Gokyjuyn "Lotion" (really a serum) is $16.75 CAD for 170mL.

*Also cuz buffet have "urea" in it...you know, the thing that is in your urine...so yah.....I don't see myself personally using it anytime soon, lol

I would actually recommend you use a watery, hydrating toner (not western wipe-off toner) before your serum. Kikumasamune High Moist^hella^value and Hada Labo Gokujyun or Shirojyun "Lotion" are really popular here too.

(I'm linking Canadian amazon site cuz I have them saved. Feel free to search them on amazon.com if you are America; you'll probably get better pricing than me! lol)

The use of a light hydrating layer followed by a thicker serum will be more effective than use two equally thick serums. Top it off with a good emulsion/creamy lotion/moisturizing gel and you are set. :)

Hmm. Hmmmm! So, here are a few suggestions (no affiliate/referral links):

Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Skin Toner

I've used this before and it's really nice. It's so different from a Western toner. Semi-opaque, with an oddly thick texture. It's so hydrating and soothing, and smells fantastic.

Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin

I haven't used this one, but I WANNA SO BADLY. It's been well-reviewed by a lot of trusted beauty bloggers, and sounds amazing.

cosRX Whitening Power Essence

I'm currently using this and it's fantastic. The short, but effective ingredient list means there's less chance of irritation/ingredient your skin doesn't agree with. Super popular on this sub.

Klairs Supple Preparation Toner original reformulated

Hello! I am a beginner to all this routine stuff, so I'd like some input before I buy a bunch of stuff.

Usually oily, sometimes combo | SE United States/humid | Top Skin Concern: Blackheads, brightening, evening skin tone

Current Routine/Products I'm Using:

AM

• Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser
  
  
• CaraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
  
  PM
  
  
• Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser
  
  
• Stridex pads
  
  
  What I've come up with:
  
  Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
  
  Cosrx Galactomyces 95 White Power Essence
  
  Hada Labo Shirojyun Albutin Medicinal Whitening Lotion
  
  Biore UV Aqua Rich Smooth Watery Gel
  
  I'm not sure if I am missing any important steps, but please let me know if I should change anything.
  
  I have also seen many great things about Benton Snail Bee Essence. Would it be worth adding in?
  
  Thanks!
  
  

Also seconding the Mentholatum Sunplay Skin Aqua Sunscreen. I posted about this recently in /SkincareAddiction, and I'll copy what I posted, because a lot of people have thanked me for the recommendation. Honestly, I have never found a better sunscreen. Here we go:

Hands down, this is the sunscreen you're looking for: Mentholatum Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Moisture Milk SPF50+ PA+++. Here's the ingredients. I live in Japan and this is what I use every day. Japanese sunscreens are like nothing you've ever experienced before.

It is free of alcohol and oil, and is a physical sunscreen/chemical sunscreen that uses Zinc Oxide. It doubles as a makeup primer, so it sits nicely under makeup. It is silicone based, so it rubs in quickly and feels like a liquid lotion (this is the biggest noticeable difference from Western sunscreens). And lastly it has it has some anti-aging and hydration properties that you can read about in the review listed above. :)

Looks like there are some on Amazon for about $15, but maybe you could look around a bit. In Japan, they are about $5 a bottle. But they are, in fact, a little small (40ml). I use it on my face every day and one bottle seems to last 2 months or more.

Now, I personally like this version the best: the whitening version. It has the same basic ingredients (no alcohol, oil etc.), but it has vitamin C in it to fade pigment and redness. (It does not actually "whiten you"... it "brightens you" by evening out skin tone.) I do not think it leaves a white cast at all... but I know that some people are wary of these kinds of products because they freak out when they hear the word "whiten".

There is one more version in this line: the one for oily skin and rapid absorption, but it DOES have alcohol in it. I think you'd only use this if you are sweating A LOT... which actually sums up Japan's summers, but if you aren't in a humid climate, I'd try to avoid it because it's drying.

Ingredient list and reviews for both of the other versions, whitening and oily skin here.

Someone recently added the Whitening Moisture Milk version to a comprehensive sunscreen list on /SSA too, so you can look at it and compare it to others as well.

The blue pouch on the right is a refill of [Hada Labo Shirojyun Milky Lotion] (http://amzn.com/B0171FCX5Q)

I haven't used this particular product, but I've used the watery version called Hada Labo Shirojyun Albutin Medicinal Whitening Lotion, and the regular, much lauded Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion Moist. I love the regular Gokujyun.

It should be quite hydrating, and brightening. =) Use it directly after cleansing as a toner/first treatment essence unless you're using actives, and then use first after actives.

edit: formatting

I stumbled upon this subreddit, and am so excited to discover Asian beauty. I live outside the U.S. and had someone coming to visit, so everything I purchased was from Amazon Prime so that I could get it in time. Also, being such a newbie here, shopping on other sites is a bit intimidating for me. I thought this would be helpful to others that are just starting out with Asian beauty.

[Etude House Tint My Brows Gel #3 Gray Brown] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B732GT6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MWI2IS0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Skinfood Dark Circle Concealer Cream no.1 salmon] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KR392E0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Full Face Facial Mask Sheet, 16 Combo Pack] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BAM7F8C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00STAV016/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQM3S3C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[C 20 Original Pure Vitamin C20 Serum] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WWLIN9U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WE3XGAC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun SPF 45 PA+++] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENTM3FY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[MIZON Snail Repair Eye Cream] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ILUH7E8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Mask 10 pcs] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WASFDOI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[INNISFREE GREEN TEA SLEEPING PACK] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJGI0VW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[KOSE Softy Mo Deep Cleansing Oil] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V2FB88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[TONYMOLY Shiny Foot Super Peeling Liquid] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCHME3G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Hadalabo Japan goku jyun Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Bubble Foaming Cleanser] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EWNK83U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Etude House I Need You Mask Sheet 15pcs set] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPNUTNW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

My SCINIC Honey All In One Ampoule is in plastic because the lid came loose in transit and spilled everywhere, but there is still half of it in there. So far I have tried a few face masks, and I am in love. I am so excited to try it all! :)

Recently brought a bunch of new products and wasn't sure if I'm using them in the right order. So I appreciate it if anyone can chime in on if I'm doing it correctly or if I should add anything else to my lineup. My daily routine goes as follow:

AM:

• Etude House Acne Foam Cleaner/Konjac Sponge
  
• Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner
  
• Etude House Wonder Pore Tightening Essence
  
• MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
  
• Paula's Choice Clear Acne Treatment 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
  
• MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream
  
• MIZON Snail Recovery Gel Cream
  
• Shiseido SENKA Sunscreen SPF50/Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF50
  
  PM:
  
  
• Etude House Acne Foam Cleaner/Konjac Sponge
  
• Stridex Daily Care Acne Pads (BHA)
  
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exofoliant
  
• Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner
  
• Etude House Wonder Pore Tightening Essence
  
• MISSHA Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence
  
• Paula's Choice Clear Acne Treatment 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
  
• MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream
  
• MIZON Snail Recovery Gel Cream
  
  Thanks for reading!

Skin Type: Normal/Dry Dehydrated

Anyone have experience with the Hada Labo Perfect Gel?

This one -> https://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Rohto-Gokujun-Perfect/dp/B00BQV0LT2

I'm looking for a cream/thick gel for night. Tried Rosette Ceramide Gel, but the macadamia nut oil broke me out...(any high oleic oil does) Currently using Nivea Creme but HATE the thickness, and just seems too hardcore for my needs. Would like to try the Meishoku Ceracolla Perfect Gel, but I'd go crazy waiting a month for it.

Any input would be awesome!

Or alternative suggestions would be super lovely! (HAS to be free of fatty alcohols though -_- )

I've been having sunscreen woes since getting into AB (fungal acne makes life hard, man) and finallyfinallyfinally found an HG in Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk SPF 50 PA++++. :)

I know it sounds heavy, but it's honestly the most lightweight, pleasant sunscreen I've tried, and that's coming from someone who's oily AND living in a sub-tropical climate. There's no white cast. No greasy sheen. It just looks like my skin and ba da ba ba ba, I'm loving it. lol :P

Here it is on Amazon. :)

Is it safe to buy from Amazon sellers so long as they have good product ratings and feedback? I want to buy Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV, Baby Pink Mineral BB Cream, Cosrx Good Morning Gel Cleanser, and Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher. Help much appreciated!

Happy to help! But yeah the sunprise is honestly holy grail for me. I was using Bioré Perfect Bright Milk before, and it contains alcohol so it was drying me out way more than I realized. The sunprise is alcohol free, and it has a nice citrusy scent. Here's the link: Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ / PA+++

Edit: The EH sunscreen is NOT alcohol free apparently. But I've found it's still not as drying as the Bioré for my skin.

I need trouble shooting help with my new benton products.

I got samples of both the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence and Benton Snail Bee High Content Toner and found that they both worked great on my skin. So after about two weeks of good results, I purchase full size bottle.

Another week in I start breaking out like crazy! My skin is pretty clear as long as I keep it moisturized, so when I got three giant white heads I freaked!

So now I am just using The Face Shop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Moisturizer only on my face and have seen a great improvement. No more pimples, the new ones emerging have done down. Even the discoloration is going away.

Now I have really dry skin, so was it a fluke that the samples worked well but the full bottle didn't? How do I go about figuring out which product might be bad? Should I get the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Lotion to go with the rest of the set to make it work out well?

Please help r/asianbeauty! You're my only hope!!

Hey! I was actually using the 3-step cleansing system when I discovered this subreddit in July.

I was dealing with tons of breakouts. Upon educating myself on here I stopped using the toner (very, very harsh and astringent) and added this oil cleanser to my routine: https://www.amazon.com/Facial-Cleanser-Natural-Cleansing-Moisturizer/dp/B00809ERAM/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1509735613&sr=8-3&keywords=the+face+shop+rice+water+cleansing+oil&dpID=410zyPKCC3L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

This probably won't really answer your question, but I added in a daily sunscreen at the same time I added in the cleansing oil. I think the clinique face soap would have been fine at removing the sunscreen, but I know for a fact it was all gone after adding in the oil cleanser.

I also added in a lotion (this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Hadalabo-Gokujun-Hyaluronic/dp/B00BSNBO9O/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1509735804&sr=1-1&keywords=hada+labo+gokujyun+hyaluronic+acid+lotion ) in the place where I was using the clinique toner.

I think making these changes def. helped my skin and I saw improvement.

Don't think I really answered your question....but I kept using the step 3 clinique lotion for a while too, after beginning my AB journey until I spent a few weeks with each new product. Good luck with everything! Let me know what works!! :)

Tbh, I started using a ton of AB products all at once. I can't tell which is doing what but my skin saw such a huge improvements after 2 weeks that my entire family noticed it and literally shoved money in my hand so I can get them on a similar regime. According to the reviews on Amazon, it has helped with hyperpigmentation in addition to an all around brightening effect.
https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Galactomyces-Whitening-Power-Essence/dp/B00OZE57XW

28M, scandinavia, combo skin(oily T). Over the last 6 months, I've gotten a lot of weird, vertical creases on the forehead.

Some of them seem to be naturally occurring others I have no idea where come from. I've tried taking a few pictures, but my camera's quality isn't that great: https://imgur.com/a/K9Xaifa

The things I've noticed, which you might also see in the pictures:

• All the way near my hairline, I have a number of small vertical creases. If I run my finger firmly over that area, it feels like my skin is a bit like a sinus curve. From what I can tell, I do not wrinkle this area naturally with facial expressions.
  
• I have a big vertical crease on the right side of my forehead(think it's visible in the last picture). I do not wrinkly my skin here either with facial expressions.
  
• Two vertical creases have begun around the center of my forehead. I think these can be partially attributed to facial expressions. The thing is that I rarely make facial expressions on day-to-day basis. However, I'm worried that I wrinkle my forehead while sleeping. I work at a screen all day. My doctor has recommended getting an eyesight test.
  
• I seem to be getting a horizontal furrow. Possibly as a results of my eyes being furrowed/protruding somehow.
  
  A redditor here kindly helped me out with some recommendations for products, and I read about over-exfoliating and transepidermal waterloss. I stopped using all actives for a while, because my skin on the forehead felt really, really tight. I ended up buying a CeraVe cleanser and moisturizer, which helped my skin feel more comfortable again. Afterwards I've gone back to my normal routine, although I've made a change by adding retinol in the evening:
  
  AM
  
  
• Foaming Cerave cleanser for normal to oily skin
  
• COSRX AHA BHA CLARIFYING TREATMENT TONER
  
• Benton - Snail High Content Essence
  
• C-Vitamin Serum
  
• Tatcha - The Water Cream(probably will buy something cheaper next time)
  
• COSRX Aloe Soothing Cream SPF50
  
  PM
  
  
• Foaming Cerave cleanser for normal to oily skin
  
• Indeed Labs Retinol Reface Resurface
  
• Tatcha - The Water Cream

Hado Labo Rohto Gokujyun Perfect Gel. I am pretty fickle with my routine, but I always have a jar of this around. I'm not prone to breakouts so I can't weigh in on that front. I can tell you that I prefer it to even some of my Corsx for when I really need a moisture fix and don't have time to layer. I can use it alone, all day, and I know I wont feel tight or dry. I love layering it right before a sleeping mask. To be honest, it could work as a sleeping mask on it's own as it's about the same texture as most AB sleeping masks. It's thick without being greasy. It is gelatinous in texture and jiggles in the jar but it smooths over the skin quite easily.


Ingredient list (good stuff bolded and links to what they do just as a reminder):

Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Agar, Arginine, Dextrin, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Succinate, Glucosyl Ceramide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Succinic Acid, Triethyl Citrate

Well hey there, fellow Southerner. ;)

Isn't mineral sunscreen the same as physical sunscreen? That was my impression, but I'm no expert so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

If they are the same: I personally prefer physical sunscreens too. My favorite AB one is Missha's All Around Safe Block Sun Milk. I believe that Etude House's Sunprise line: All Proof ~US$10 and Airy Finish ~US$12 are also physical sunscreens, although I haven't tried either.

I've heard good things about the mineral options from CeraVe and Neutrogena.

Also, you might consider DIYing your own sunscreen, in your situation. I know of a lot of people who have done it quite successfully, usually in order to avoid all of the chemicals and additional ingredients in most sunscreen products. And it's pretty easy to get zinc oxide affordably. I've considered it myself!

Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk (SPF50 PA ++++) - it's a very fluid sun screen and my oily/combo skin finds it quite moisturizing. I like to apply it in two thin layers to make sure I get 1) the recommended amount and 2) to make sure all areas are covered. I love that it has no alcohol or smell! You can find a more comprehensive review on it at Fifty Shades of Snail's blog.

Haha.. funny story, I haven't gotten it as yet! D:

I just know how well it works because one of my friends just came back from Korea and she's alllllllll up in the beauty products there. She let me put some on my hand just to see how it worked and I loved the smell as the texture. It was super gentle, but that doesn't say much for a hand..

And as for where I personally bought it? Ebay. There was a seller selling it for like $44.99 but I bought mine for $40.00 - seems he raised the price after people starting buying a lot of them.

Here is a link to Amazon

There aren't anymore sold online by eBay, so I think he may have run out D:

Most sunscreen's I've tried both dry my skin and break me out, but I adore the Can Make Mermaid Skin UV Gel with all my heart. It feels more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen, due to the epic ingredients.

I love love love love Missha's All Around Safe sunblock. It comes in 2 varieties: matte (pink) and waterproof (blue). Given that you want to wear it under makeup, I think the matte might be more your speed. I've linked the store page, as well as the Cosdna below. PS: it lasts for months!

https://www.amazon.com/Missha-Around-Block-Essence-SPF45/dp/B00ENTM3FY/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1519079866&sr=8-1&keywords=all+around+safe

http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_9862287032.html

Skin Type: Combo, NW15 (Ginger with freckles)

Colorado, US / Climate Type: Steppe (semi-arid)

Top Skin Concern: Dullness/aging/tired looking skin

Current Routine/Products I'm Using:

AM

• Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser
  
• Cezanne Skin Conditioner
  
• It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector
  
• MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream
  
• Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ / PA+++
  
  PM
  
  
• Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil Moisture Advanced
  
• Cezanne Skin Conditioner
  
• It's Skin Power 10 Formula VC Effector
  
• MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream
  
  MASK Once/Week
  
  
• Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash Off
  
  My face get's super oily about 2 hours after my morning routine. I don't wear any concealer/foundation. I will sometimes powder my face if I'm going anywhere other than work. Powder only helps for an hour or so then I'm right back to super oily. I use blotting paper, which lasts for an hour or so as well.
  
  1st question: Is the blotting paper compromising any of these products? In other words, does blotting paper exclusively absorb just facial oil, or does it also remove any of the product?
  
  2nd question: What can I do about all the oil? I'm super shiny! :(

Not who you asked, but I have pretty dry skin and prefer the Canmake Mermaid UV Gel. It has the best finish of any sunscreen that I have tried and also plays well with my makeup. I've tried a few other sunscreens and they haven't compared.

Link: CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV 01 40 g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X3E456K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TWazDbHN4SDHM

Hi All,

I have tons of products but I'm not sure if I'm using them correctly, in the right order, or using too many at one time. Also, some are not AB. Just waiting for them to run out. Also, I have the Mizon 8% AHA and Paula's Choice BHA. When should I be using these in my routine? How often? Please give me your opinions! I have dehydrated skin.

AM

• First Aid Beauty Cleaner
  
  
• Kiehls Ultra Toner
  
  
• Hada Labo Lotion Moist
  
  
• Corsx Rice Mask as Moisturizer This acts as a standard moisturizer for me.
  
  PM
  
  
• KOSE Softy Mo Facial Cleansing Oil
  
  
• First Aid Beauty Cleaner
  
  
• Kiehls Ultra Toner
  
  
• MIZON Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule
  
  
• Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence
  
  
• MIZON Collagen Power Lifting Emulsion
  
  
• Paula's Choice SKIN RECOVERY Replenishing Moisturizer Cream
  
  
  

For AB makeup, which eyeliner do you recommend, Dolly Wink Koji Liquid Eyeliner or the Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner? Or any other liquid eyeliners are fine too~ (pencil and gel just don't work for these oily eyelids T^T)

For starting a routine, do you recommend starting out with a moisturizer? Also is a second cleanser needed? Because I feel like an oil cleanser (for your sunscreen and makeup), and a toner would just be alright (consider it cleans the remaining debris off our skin and I feel like I would be wasting my money idk... sorry if I am wrong...

For oily and acne-prone skin, do you recommend the TONYMOLY The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Cream or the MIZON Black All in One Snail Repair Cream?

I think that returning the cleanser might be the best bet. The issue with high pH cleansers is that they can really do a number on your moisture barrier. I think that a high pH cleanser could make your dehydration worse, more than potentially too much physical exfoliation would.

In terms of cleansers, I really love the Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash. It has SLS in it which some people are sensitive to, but I find that it foams up nicely and works well for my skin. Plus there's no scent. Here's a link for a US based retailer: http://www.cupidrop.com/products/enzyme-powder-wash. The other cleanser that works really well for me is the Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. Fair warning though it does contain coconut oil, which breaks some people out, and it smells strongly of rose. It's also a bit pricier than the powder wash but does last for 3 or 4 months with twice daily use. A link: http://www.amazon.com/LG-Su-Miracle-Cleansing-Cleanser/dp/B00EIMU3NU. Also sorry I don't have any recommendations of more traditional low pH foaming cleansers! I used Neutrogena acne washes before switching over to the MRCS and that one really lasted me a loooong time.

The only additional product I'd suggest is Cure Natural Aqua Gel: http://www.amazon.com/Cure-Natural-Aqua-Gel-250ml/dp/B001ABLKK2. It provides super gentle exfoliation for all those flakes. Good luck! x

> Timeless Vitamin C

I'm familiar with UVA/UVB sunlight though I don't have any kind of specific information regarding the level of protection my sunscreen currently provides. I will try to get the information from the manufactrer.

have you read the reviews @ Amazon for the Timeless Vitamin C serum? some say it's useless as it has a high pH level than they claim. might be another retailer selling on amazon? (https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Skin-Vitamin-Ferulic-Serum/dp/B0036BI56G?th=1#customerReviews)

I will defentily read into all the ingridatines you mentioned. I've read about Niacinamide and its effects on hyperpigmentation, I hope I will benefit from it.

I've never used a moisturizing cream before, do you think I could benefit from it? I'm going to use a good sunscreen & Niacinamide\Vitamin C serum for start. I'm not going to look into retinoal or AHA before the winter. I'm currently after a delying product as some of the damage is currently undergoing (spots getting darker altough I void the sun almost completly).

Thanks!

I really like Cure Natural Aqua Gel as an exfoliator. It's great for sensitive/dry skin, but I find it works best when my skin is bone-dry, before any cleansing whatsoever. I also like using my second cleanser with a konjac sponge, which also works for exfoliation.

[Sun Bears Strong Super Plus] (https://www.ratzillacosme.com/sun/menturm-sun-bears-strong-super-plus/), [Senka Aging Care UV] (https://www.amazon.com/Shiseido-Senka-Aging-Sunscreen-SPF50), [Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRBST6H) (I have not personally tried this one yet)

I would like to add Amazon seller SamuraiJapan to the list of recommended sellers. Items ship for free from Japan, and they carry Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence and Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel, the awesomeness of which is explained here, and are two of my personal favorites. Items ship wrapped in bubble wrap in an envelope and arrive in about two weeks (US). I've ordered from them four times in the past year, and each transaction has been smooth.

I feel your pain, OP; my story is very similar and I've been fighting off eczema on my face and body for a year now after thinking I was eczema-free once I reached adulthood. Packing on the ceramides and sticking with simpler products (which works great if you're a "cheapo" with product choices anyway) helped considerably in my case. Full disclaimer, I also did check in with a dermatologist and got some steroids and Elidel for the really bad rashes. But these products have been great for keeping me moisturized:

Face: Hada Labo Gokujun Perfect Gel

Body: CeraVe in the tub, also works fine for your face if you're not sensitive to it and want to save some money

Hope you feel better!

Please correct me if i'm wrong, but you meants this one right? If that's the one, I honestly don't think its that expesinve:) I mean, dear lord, there are 1,752 positive reviews on Amazon.

For for products with hyaluronic acid in it Hada Labo is your friend. They have a [hydrating hyaluronic acid toner] (https://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Gokujyn-Hyaluronic-Lotion/dp/B000FQUGXA) and facial wash that is loved in this sub. They also have a HA sheet masks, sunscreen, moisterizer and oil cleanser so you could technically make an entire routine with products with HA in them!

Yes, you do oil cleanser --> 2nd cleanser (it could be foaming, milk, micellar water, whatever works for you!) There are several oil cleansers that are popular around this sub. Off the top of my head:

• Kose Softymo Cleansing Oil (two types, 'speedy' and 'deep cleansing').
  
  
• DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.
  
  
• Hada Labo Gokujyun Cleansing Oil.
  
  
• Cow Brand Mutenka Cleansing Oil.
  
  
• My favorite cleansing oil is the FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil but it's a little pricier than the others (still worth the money imo)
  
  I've added links to amazon for each product as a general price estimate, but you'd need to double check shipping, if there are better deals out there, etc.

• Skin Type: Combination + Redness | Country/Climate I'm in: Dry Southern California | Top Skin Concern: Redness/Whitening/Filaments
  
• Current Routine/Products I'm Using:
  
  AM
  
  
• CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
  
• Klairs Supple Toner
  
• PC 2% BHA Liquid
  
• Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Essence
  
• OST C20 Serum
  
• It's Skin WH Effector w/Arbutin Serum
  
• CeraVe PM Lotion
  
• Nivea SPF50/PA++++
  
  PM
  
  
• Have yet to do, but am thinking same as AM minus sunblock, and maybe minus BHA liquid also
  
  I'm new to skincare and did a bulk buy of the above products based on what I've read in this sub. I'd appreciate advice on...
  
  
• Are the products in the correct order of usage?
  
• How much time should I wait between using each step? (cleanser --> toner --> essence --> serums --> lotion)
  
• During my first run through the above products, I experienced redness and a bit of a burning sensation. I will start the process of elimination with PC BHA liquid.
  
• Am looking to replace WH Effector serum with Benton SnailBee Essence. Yay/Nay/KeepBoth?
  
• Thanks! :)
  

How much are you paying for Mizon? That brand is pretty cheap in my experience. CosRX has a similar snail cream, but I'd expect both to be around the same price point.

If you want the cheapest of the cheap you could go for the snail repair gel in the pink tube. Mizon's black snail AIO tends to be a little cheaper than the regular AIO; it has kind of an old lady smell, but I find it to be extremely soothing and still use it because I haven't found another product that works quite as well for immediately calming irritated skin.

If you're willing to move away from snail products, I've heard good things about the Rosette Aqua Ceramide gel and the Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel.

i have been using this. i like this one. my vetting process for this item was reading a review of it from a a beauty blogger i trust. i have used the timeless for a couple of weeks now and the C20 (about half a bottle before it turned yellow on me!) the timeless is purported to be more stable; it should not oxidise and cease being useful as quickly as the C20. this is an advantage to me, because i use vit c on an "as needed" basis, generally fairly regularly at 2-3 times a week, but i like having the flexibility to pull back if my skin looks too sensitive to use the product, without feeling pressure to use it before it expires. the timeless does smell extremely foul, but if fades to nothing as the product absorbs, so i can tolerate that.

I got the Skin Aqua UV moisture milk white SPF50 on a recommendation from here.

Its lovely, very light. Doesn't upset my, or my boy's sensitive skin. Stands up to Australian Sun :) Seems to last for ever... I was about to haul my arse out to look for a body sunscreen for the summer, but this stuff goes so far that I think I'll be using it as a body sunscreen too. Got mine at random from ebay for about $13. Can find out exactly who and how much if you're interested.

Edited: turns out I brought it randomly at Amazon :) here

How do you like the Sana cleansing foam? I've been curious about that line.

And if you do decide to go with the Hadalabo Shirojyun lotion, it comes in 2 types: the regular version and the shittori/rich version. If you're looking for more hydration, I'd recommend the rich version. And FYI, the prices listed in these links are a bit high. If you look around, you can usually find Shirojyun for ~$16.

Same thing happened to me with OST C20. It was way too strong for me (since it stung literally every time I applied it to my face while I had an active breakout, which was almost all the time). I stopped using vitamin C altogether for about 5 months and then decided to get a non-AB bit C serum from Amazon. It's the Timeless vitamin C 20% serum and so far it hasn't stung or oxidized like the OST C20 serum; and I've had this in my bathroom cabinet for 2 months. Might be worth a try!

This one, which I think is the 20% LAA you're referring to.

I'm not a fan of the texture, and there's a huge amount of confusion after they changed formulas about whether it can look pale yellow without being oxidized, but my skin likes it. Admittedly, there are much better vitamin c products out there, but this one does a decent job and hurts my wallet the least. As much as I would love to spend $30 to $50 per ounce, it's just not feasible for me.

I vote for Takashima Cupertino Store despite the parking situation.

I'd like to see if it's possible to meet at a restaurant or boba place first and then mosey over to Takashima. This gives us time to meet each other and also gives people time to find parking/beat traffic/find us in this confusing plaza etc..Thursday or Friday evenings, Saturday all day and Sunday after 1:00 PM on any date works well for me.

I'd like to product swap (seeking a single Freeset Donkey Milk mask) and pick other AB-er's brains for tips n' tricks on my skin type (dehydrated).

Also - looking to become a MIZON snail convert but haven't been able to patch test any samples on my skin yet!

May possibly bring another friend who is a non-redditor who is completely new to AB skincare.

p.s. This store also sells DIY SELENA multilayer cotton puffs 80 ct useful for Hado Labo DIY face masks with Gokujun lotion for $3.50!

The biore uv milk works well under makeup for me, it’s almost like a primer. The skin aqua milk works okay under makeup but if I don’t wait long enough for it to dry down (which happens often because of the longer dry down time😅), my base makeup doesn’t go on smoothly

Edit: forgot to reply to your second question - I got the biore sunscreens in my local drugstore and the skin aqua tone up essence from a friend who went to Japan! I get my skin aqua milk on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRBST6H?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is what I use (the Missha First Treatment Essence). There are also non-AB options like the Estee Lauder Micro Essence. They all feel pretty similar and use ferments as their main ingredients.

Some other popular choices at different price points:

TonyMoly Intense Care Galactomyces First Essence 94.5%

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

yeah i was just about to recommend the skin aqua super moisture sunscreen. it's silky, not oily, doesn't leave a white cast, and my bf loves it.

I am using ROHTO Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk (SPF50 PA ++++) 40mL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRBST6H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YOTYzbGE3D838 and it’s amazing! Feels like a moisturizer!

I really like The Face Shop Rice Water Bright cleansing oil. It's light, effective, pleasant smell, decently priced, and works really well.

Have you tried any other sunscreens? Just to be sure it's this Missha sunscreen, if so looking at the cosdna ingredients listed it looks to be all chemical sunscreen actives (to learn more about sunscreen this recent post goes in depth). To rec a sunscreen off bat is hard unless you have a better idea of what ingredient could've trigger you, has any other product broke you out that has ingredients in common with the Missha? Also, your best bet for looking for a sunscreen would be to do a google search of "reddit asianbeauty sunscreen dry sensitive skin."

But looking at the line
>dry skin that flakes, can be sensitive, and has a lot of redness, and bumpy-dry patches. I get hormonal breakouts.

and knowing you use retinol, did the dry, bumpy patches and general redness occur after the retinol use or have you always had them. If the former, the retinol may have just dried out your skin and looking at your routine you look like you'd benefit some hydration so do a google search for "reddit asianbeauty hydrating toner for sensitive skin" to get some rec's. You may end up not needing an AHA, and because you're using a moisturizer with inadequate sunscreen protection I'd look into a sunscreen first and hydrating toner second.

However, if you've had the dry flaky skin, and rough patches before using retinol the AHA would likely benefit you, but I caution you to prioritize a sunscreen first and research hydrating toners (google "reddit asianbeauty hydrating toners sensitive skin") and see how it could significantly help your skin.

Yes. I've had psoriasis since I was 17, I'm 25 now and it's been spreading that entire time. It's a bummer but I've learned not to let it get me down as much as I used to.

Unfortunately, /u/blackmarketbeagle is correct - because psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder, anything you do from the outside is only addressing flakiness and plaques. There are shots you can get from the dermatologist (enbrel, etc) that work wonders for some people but I've never tried them personally.

That being said, my current routine is working really well to keep the flakiness and plaques at bay on my face! I'm actually really impressed with the difference. I believe it is the Hada Lobo Gokyujyun Lotion, Benton Snail Bee Toner, Snail bee essence, and Steam Cream are making the biggest difference. I use the first three twice a day (in that order) and the steam cream only at night. My face has no more flakiness from the plaques and the redness is greatly reduced.

Other things that have helped are sunlight. Direct sun exposure works wonders. Also, salt water. It sounds super weird but swimming in the ocean cleared things up for a while too. I use this salt bar to cleanse in the shower. Also, coconut oil. :)

Heard good things about the Some By Mi AHA/BHA/PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner. There's also COSRX, and the Benton Aloe BHA Toner. Another option is to use an oil cleanser like the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.

Thank you, thank you, sank you!!!! I am in South America, and these are hard to find, but I'll get them shipped. I just got the Shiseido SENKA | Sunscreen | Mineral Water UV Gel SPF50 PA+++ and the SKIN AQUA | Sunscreen Lotion | Moisture Milk Whitening | SPF50+ PA+++ So I guess I'll be a happy little girl out in the sun as soon as they arrive. Right now I'm using Avène très haute protection lotion 50SPF, but it leaves me looking like a ghost, a mime, a mummy!!! it protects alright but I have a yellowish/olive tint on my skin and you can't imagine how weird that shit looks on me, even makeup doesn't cover it all that well... agh

I got it from Amazon! This was the listing. It's a new product (this year) so not surprised there aren't many reviews.

My fav seller is Toy Shop Japan Hobbyone. Super fast shipping. I get other things from them as well.

Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence Amazon

Sidmool Fast Turn Over Rebuilding Concentrate Testerkorea

Innisfree’s White Tone Up Skin (Toner) Review

Cerave PM Tried and true.

Here is a spreadsheet for more options. It's better to layer products with niamacide than depend on one with a super high percentage.

I use Etude House Sunprise and it dries matte! I love it! I can't use chemical sunscreens because I break out, and this has been a godsend!

1. I had issues with the DHC oil as well. In fact, I had trouble with Shu Uemura's cleansing oils so much that I was breaking out in closed comedones all over my forehead. You should definitely ditch them and switch over to a lighter formulation. I suggest The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Cleansing Light Oil. Additionally, if you're in the mood to try something new, I highly recommend Banila's cleansing balms. They even have a special formulation for sensitive skin called Clean It Zero Purity.
   
   
2. Seeing that your main concern is hyper pigmentation, I would up usage of the AHA serum. If you find that you're handling it well, up it to once every other night. Of course, seeing that you have sensitive skin, I would approach cautiously.

MBD masks are usually at a good price, along with Missha FTE, and Missha Long Name Ampoule. Most any Hado Labo product is available through Prime such as their HA lotion, Arbutin Milk, cleansing foam, and creamy gel sunscreen, all of which are fairly popular. You can also get the Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream on Prime and some of the rest of the Mizon snail line. There may be a discrepancy of $1-3 between sellers or versus another site, but those all include 2-day shipping and Amazon's customer service which is typically very good about protecting your interests when dealing with third-party vendors.

I'm slow to reply (I went away for the weekend and had this tab open before I left), however I think it's important to note that in some cases the snails could be stressed from the procedure. However, animal testing is illegal in Korea, and animal abuse is highly frowned upon. I personally trust and recommend COSRX and Benton.

​

Here is a great article about snail mucin, and it highlights COSRX's procedure:

>How is snail mucin collected?
>
>For Cosrx products, snails are placed over a mesh net in a dark and quiet room. As nocturnal creatures, the snails prefer this environment. For about 30 minutes, the snails are left alone to freely roam the net, leaving mucin in their trails.
>
>Throughout the process, there is no external stress applied to the snails or the mesh net to force mucin production. This is due to two reasons. First, animal testing is illegal in Korea, and animal abuse is a huge topic that has sparked many controversies. Second, optimal mucin production occurs when snails are well-rested and comfortable in their habitat, which is why Cosrx’s manufacturer tries their best to make sure that the snails are healthy and comfortable. 
>
>After 30 minutes, the snails are transferred back to their homes to rest and regain energy while the mucin is collected and processed for cosmetic use. The collected mucin is then processed to properly stabilize the product and make it suitable for cosmetic use before being sent over to Cosrx.
>
>https://theklog.co/beauty-products-with-snail-mucin/

I'd recommend reading the whole article.

I use a sulfate and paraben free shampoo and wash my back after my hair. Huge change!

I did do a 2 month cycle of doxy (oral antibiotics)

I use this soap on my back:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01E6DZXVC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492443714&sr=8-1&keywords=argon+oil+zinc soap on my back

This is spray I use after shower:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OZ63ODA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492443790&sr=8-1&keywords=cosrx+aha+bha+clarifying+treatment+toner

Feel free to ask any questions.
Take a look at your shampoos/conditioners
I use briogeo as I'm a curly girl but it's good stuff either way

i shop on amazon; i don't know if you do or have it where you live, but in any case you can at least see how the product looks like: melano, timeless.

personally, i use the timeless. i have had it for a little over two months now, i store it in the fridge. it is unchanged since i bought it, still perfectly clear - something i cannot say for the ost20; within a month it had already started to yellow.

the timeless does smell horrible though. i usually rinse it off after 15 minutes.

Here's where I bought it from:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQV0LT2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It lasts a pretty good while too :)

The Biore Sarasara Uv Aqua Rich Waterly Essence Sunscreen 50g Spf50+ Pa+++ is only $10 on Amazon. If alcohol as an ingredient turns you away, there's also this Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel SPF50PA+++ for $14 also on Amazon. Bonus - no white cast from either! :D

I'm sure by posting this suggestion I will now find 100+ things wrong with my sunscreen, but I just picked this up since it's supposed to be mattifying: Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ / PA+++ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WE3XGAC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CxI5Ab9JY7DAP

Wore it yesterday since I had to be outside a lot and it seemed very nice. Gotta let it really dry for a few minutes before you put on anything primer or make up wise. You'll know when it's dry.

If you go to the Amazon JP link there is a box that says ship to: (country name) in Japanese. My Japanese is very rusty, so if you can translate the page, please do so.

I think you can just check out like a usual Amazon purchase after that

Hi everyone,

Dry/acne-prone skin here. I live in San Francisco, California. Trying to start a new routine to prevent and wipe out redness/CC's.

I was wondering if I could get some feedback on this routine/products. I've left a few questions/things I'm wondering about below. I also included links below to Amazon pages (this was part of my criteria for choosing products, haha).

Questions

• Are any of these products bad for dry/acne-prone skin? I tried to pick out products that would be compatible.
  
• My previous routine included using Benzoyl Peroxide AM and Adapelene/Differin .3% PM. Should I try cutting this now that I have an actual routine (I was using only Cerave PM, Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, Benzoyl Peroxide, and Differin).
  
  AM
  
  
• Cleanser 2
  
• Moisturizer 1
  
• Moisturizer 2
  
• Wait until moisturizer dries
  
• On spot: Patches/Benzoyl Peroxide
  
• Sunscreen
  
  PM
  
  
• Cleanser 1
  
• Cleanser 2
  
• Sheet Mask
  
• Moisturizer 1
  
• Moisturizer 2
  
• Wait until moisturizer dries
  
• On cheeks/phase out: Adapalene .3%
  
• Before Sleep: Sleep Mask
  
  Sunscreen - Innisfree Triple Care
  
  
• Has niancinamide
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Innisfree-Perfect-Protection-Triple-RESISTANT/dp/B01GHO4I00
  
  Moisturizer 1 - MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream
  
  
• Has niacinamide
  
• https://www.amazon.com/MIZON-Black-Snail-Cream-Ounce/dp/B00B4PWEJU
  
  Moisturizer 2 - ROSETTE | Skin Care | Aqua Ceramide
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/ROSETTE-Skin-Care-Aqua-Ceramide/dp/B000FQNIX0?th=1
  
  Cleanser 1 - Banila co Clean It Zero Purity
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Banila-Clean-Zero-Purity-Ounce/dp/B00FOTIV8U?th=1
  
  Cleanser 2 - Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Good-Morning-Cleanser-150ml/dp/B016NRXO06
  
  Sheet Mask - Tosowoong masksheet Propolis
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Tosowoong-masksheet-Essence-Blueberry-Propolis/dp/B00K6XVYLK?th=1
  
  Sleep Mask - Corsx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Ultimate-Nourishing-Rice-Overnight/dp/B01518D84U
  
  Patches - Corsx Patch

Is this milia? I am talking specifically about the little bumps below my eye.

I think I have finally found peace and harmony with my current routine, which is a blend of Asian beauty products and my long-standing "American" (I guess?) method.

My skin type is fairly balanced and my usual AM routine is

• micellar water to remove makeup
  
• Dickinson's witch hazel as toner (this smells terrible btw)
  
• Cosrx AHA BHA toner
  
• Cosrx soothing aloe spf 50 which is very emollient and doubles as a moisturizer
  
  At night I do the same thing, but I skip the AHA / BHA toner and I use CeraVe in the tub.
  
  I do get milia on my cheeks occasionally, though the AHA / BHA seems to have drastically cut down on that. Perhaps I should start toning just below my eyes, but I always thought that area to ber very sensitive!
  
  Also, any tips on getting rid of these blackheads without popping? I have considered working a regular second cleanser into my routine, but my skin has mostly behaved so I wasn't sure it was necessary. That said, I used cetaphil for years and found it slightly drying, but not too irritating.
  
  So, to recap: how do I get rid of the bumps below my eye, and my blackheads on my cheeks? Thank you!

I've been using a lactic acid serum (8.5% lactic acid and 1.5% salicylic acid at pH 3.6) for exfoliating, predominantly, and I use it daily. I've been happy with it overall. But I've switched the rest of my skincare over to AB products and would like to switch this out as I'm nearing the end of the bottle.

I like daily exfoliating otherwise my skin is just flaky and rough. I have some hyperpigmentation going on as well so my main skin concerns are keeping the flakies away, smoothing the skin, and keeping the darkened skin at bay. I am not looking for miracles and am not looking to add multiple products.

I was eyeing the CosRX Whitehead as a replacement but am not sure that's exactly right.

Current routine (inasmuch as I have a routine):

Banila Clean It Zero Sherbet (3-5 times a week)
CeraVe cleanser (either gentle or foaming, depending on how dry I feel)
LacSal Serum -or-
CeraVe Serum

[Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQM3S3C)
Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream

I will typically do this every other day (the full thing) or I splash with water and use of the serums and moisture on the off days. I am really bad with routines and dislike using a lot of product so this is where I've settled and I love how my skin looks, overall, I just need a replacement for the serum. I'm using up the CeraVe products and will switch those out when empty.

I bought OST C20 due to its high popularity here. I've also heard great things about timeless C serum which I've read is less prone to oxidizing.

Yup! Prime is lovely haha. Here's a link for the Missha one

Yes. I love pore strips. I'm using this and so far it has been really good for me. Feels extremely good to see the little heads. No side effect, and I'll calm the redness down with a cooling moisturizer or mask.

If you are worried over damaging your skin, you should just exfoliate more often to clean off the dead skin cells on the skin surface, and prevent less clogging. I recommend gel based exfoliators (Japan's Cure Natural Aqua Gel is good) and NOT those with beads. The ones with beads are really damaging to skin.

Hmmmm that's so interesting!! I looked again and the Amazon listing I bought it from (from a Japanese seller) says PA+++, but I checked my bottle and it actually says PA++++. I wonder if it's been reformulated? Ratzilla's website would say so, but I don't have time today to check.

Here's the listing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007408PIS/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00CEGVWPU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0XQ39QJNJWB4G0DHGJ7V

I feel kinda dumb haha. Thanks for pointing it out! Now I will stop searching for a PA++++ =)

These are perfect for creating DIY masks:

SELENA Multi-Layer Cotton Puff, 80 Count

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00260T94K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nVnSAbF87AWW4

They are five very thin, lint-free layers that you can peel apart to your desired thickness.

I have combination skin and Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence makes my skin super dewy looking without make it oily! Highly recommend.

I use camelcamelcamel.com to track price trends. For example, the MRCS trends show a lull during last year's holiday season and a spike when the discontinued rumor floated around. Sign up and set an alert for an ideal price. With Amazon's automated price fixing (to remain competitive), there are times when prices inexplicably drop dramatically for a short time frame. This site has helped me scoop deals during that short price fix window.

Hi I'm trying to introduce a [niacinamide serum] (http://ordinaries.com/product/rdn-niacinamide-10pct-zinc-1pct-30ml) and [Aha/Bha toner] (https://www.amazon.com/Cosrx-Clarifying-Treatment-Toner-150ml/dp/B00OZ63ODA/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1482207705&sr=1-1&keywords=toner+wishtrend) into my AM/PM routine. Can i get some advice on where I can squeeze the new products into my current routine? Thank you!

AM: OCM, Cetaphil Cleanser, Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%, Hado Lab Whitening Lotion, Sunscreen.

PM: OCM, Cetaphil Cleanser, Retin A 0.05, Pharmaca Brightening Serum

these are not too much cheaper right now but sometimes the price comes down. They are great for separating into layers without the fluffs getting all over your face when doing toner masks.

What was he doing before your current routine?
Has the new routine made it better/worse?
Almost everything in the current routine would break me out so he might also have skin sensitive to ingredients in them.

Have you tried Cerave SA Cleanser - sa doesn't do much but the rest of the ingredients are gentle, slightly different ingredient list compared to foaming one

Getting rid of the coconut oil - can be highly comedogenic - level 4

Benzoyl Peroxide gel 4-10% - Put a layer on face for 5 minutes and then wash it off - does it's job of killing bacteria and doesn't dry out skin much since it gets washed off.

https://smile.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Shirojyun-Medicinal-Whitening/dp/B00BS3Q58Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1 This is the brightening line of hadolabo instead of the moist line, but some people turn to this because it's almost as moisturizing the and regular moist line breaks them out.

The Nivea and Skin Doctors can be pore clogging for some people (I can't use anything that's thick and creamy) and I don't like how the skin doctors doesn't state percentages. You're probably better off switching that around with the PC BHA though, the skin Doctors has AHA in it which makes skin sun sensitive so it's better used at night.

If they form on his chin can it possibly be related to follicular irritation/ingrown hairs?

I live in California. I found two sunscreens and already bought them, just waiting for them to arrive. One is this and the other is this. The first one is water resistant, and the other isn't. Once I start to get sweaty from the heat in a few months I'll start using the water resistant. Also I'll most likely buy all my stuff off amazon.

I'm a male and don't wear makeup, so how well something removes makeup isn't much of a concern to me. I have oily skin, acne prone and very sensitive. I chose the products I chose because I read others review it with the same problems of mine and they said it was nice. When I asked what I should introduce, I meant which one is the most important. Like, should I buy the oil cleanser first since to use and wait three weeks before ordering the next? Or should I order the second cleanser/moisturizer first?

I do the same thing as u/TherDerRinge right now, but I just bought some COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid so I can try fanserviced-b's spot treating method. I got both an AHA and BHA because I'm not sure which will work best for my skin/the types of blemishes I get yet.

Thank you for sharing your input. I too think my moisture barrier around my eyes are compromised. I did get a few new toners that does not sting me and is currently patch testing them slowly to watch for reaction or stinging.

For the Hada Labo oil, are you talking about this one?

As for the Etude Soonjung barrier cream, is it this? What about the Etude Sleeping Pack?

I have a tube of Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre. Do you think that is moisturizing enough? If I know it is going to help, I can endure the sting. If that is not good enough, is the Aveeno bath therapy pack usable for face? Is it these?

This helped when my skin was super dehydrated: http://www.amazon.com/Hada-Labo-Rohto-Gokujun-Perfect/dp/B00BQV0LT2

I also like Shara Shara's Water Girls Ice Cream

The amount of markup seems to vary quite a bit. For Japanese products it's reasonable; Selena cotton puffs were about $4, Kiku was $14, and the large Dr.Ci:Labo Bihaku was $110. Korean products, on the other hand, were easily double the Amazon prices.

Hada Labo Shirojyun! I broke out from Kikumasamune so I use it on my neck, but I use this on my face in the morning before moisturizer and sunscreen. It's very light, more watery than the gokujyun, great as a first step.

Routine:

• Cleanser: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
  
  
• Hydrating Toner: Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (Moist)
  
  
• AHA: Alpha Hydrox AHA Enhanced Lotion
  
  
• Serums: BENTON Snail Bee High Content Essence
  
  
  
• Moisturizer: Cerave AM Moisturizer
  
  
  
• Sunscreen: EltaMD SPF 46
  
  
  I only use the AHA at night, and only do it every few days. I feel like that is the cause for when my face gets more red (we're talking the very next night still) and stays warm.
  
  How is my routine looking though? I know I have mostly western products I apologize.

Hey, you're probably not going to get many hits at that price for the benton essence. It's ~14 shipped brand new on amazon.

You may have better luck selling off decants of what's left for a couple bucks if you really don't want to use it.

Su:m 37 Miracle Rose stick appears to be back in stock on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Rose-Cleanser-Stick-Type/dp/B00EIMU3NU/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520000007&sr=sr-1&keywords=Su%3Am+37+Miracle+Rose+Cleanser

Yeah, this is the one that is suggested pretty often.

My skin type is sensitive/acne prone, with some redness. My skin is generally combination. My general evening routine is:

• oil cleanser (remove makeup and sunscreen) (currently Clinique's take the day off oil)
  
  
• normal cleanser (pat my face dry a bit) (currently Neutrogena Deep Clean Liquid Face Wash)
  
  
• spritz CosRX AHA/BHA toner (this one)
  
  
• Vit C (Currently Asterwood Vit C w/ hyaluronic acid), then wait ~15 mins
  
  
• CosRX BHA (this one), wait ~15 mins
  
• CosRX AHA (this one), then ~15 mins
  
  
• Hyaluronic Acid, if my skin is feeling dry (this one), wait for it to absorb (~2-3mins)
  
  
• Cerave in the Tub mixed with tea tree oil.

I really like this [Missha sunscreen] (http://www.amazon.com/Missha-Around-Safe-Block-Essence/dp/B00ENTM3FY/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457116297&sr=8-1&keywords=missha+sunscreen). I have the biore one, but l like this one better

That's okay! I react to basically everything. Life is fucking hard.

I really like the Missha All Around Safe Block Essence Sun . It works for me, but YMMV. A lot of people like the Biore Watery Essence but I'm not a fan of that because it dries out my skin from the alcohol content.

I've heard good things about this vitamin C serum.

Has anyone had experience with the Amazon Seller hellocos? They look pretty legit and have good ratings, but it wasn't in the list of reputable sellers in the sidebar. I'm looking to buy the Mizon Black Snail All In One cream!

I like her little experiment here involving "chemical exfoliants." I use Cure Natural Aqua Gel and I always wondered how it worked.

Edit: Also, I am not affiliated with this blog at all.

It's $22.40 on Amazon, if you have Prime, it's free 2-day shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EIMU3NU/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&colid=236YLTUP6TAUD&coliid=I2V8U6ISH4C6TV&me=

You can find Cezanne skin conditioner here. If you haven't ordered from Amazon Japan before, it's very easy - here's a review. They take care of Japanese customs for you, and pack your items very well. That's where I found the Rosette Gel too.

And no problem! You can also search the Holy Grail Megathreads for recs.

Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing stick.

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Su-Miracle-Cleansing-Cleanser/dp/B00EIMU3NU

I'm sensitive to mineral oil, too- the Hada Labo Gokujyun Cleansing Oil is almost exactly the same price (+/- $1 USD on Amazon) and it's an HG for me. It's olive and jojoba oil-based. :) I see you're in the UK, so here's the relevant UK Amazon link.

Ahh, I almost bought this just this morning. I'm glad I passed on it. That's disappointing! Maybe because it's the light version? I have a cleansing oil from the same brand that worked fine for my waterproof eye makeup. Did you let it sit for a few seconds before emulsifying it with adding a bit of water, then rubbing a bit more? Lathering it up by adding a bit of water helps.

If you read the review on amazon, they mostly say to get something else as eye makeup remover just cause it's so liquidy and might get in your eyes easily.

Also, I was kinda disappointed this wasn't about your dad. :P

I really like SkinAqua UV. It comes out as a milk and feels very moisturizing. I don't know if it has alcohol, though. The whitening version has some extra skincare ingredients that are good for the skin, as well, but I haven't tried that, yet.

Edit: Just looked up the whitening version doesn't have alcohol.

My skin is also super picky about oil cleansers as I found out. I tried quite a few before finding this one I like that it has no mineral oil and is affordable and amazon prime! It busts through sunscreen and makeup so well!

Otherwise I would suggest a micellar water. It's not AB but I like the Simple Brand micellar water. It's very gentle and they don't use perfumes or anything harsh in it.

not sure about the sales, but I use the skin aqua moisture milk sunscreen, and while it doesn't replace an actual moisturizer, it doesn't actively dry out my skin.

but honestly if your skin is getting flaky I would put moisturizer on and then sunscreen and then your bb cream. just layer it up.

It's not Amazon that can't ship it to you, it's the seller. I'm also a Canadian who shops on Amazon.com so I also get that a lot. Try your luck and buy it from another seller. Look at "More options available" and click on "other sellers". BHA and AHA on Amazon.com.

However, considering the current position of the CAD, ordering from Amazon.ca is actually a better deal right now. Jolse also sells on Amazon.ca! AHA. Sadly, Jolse doesn't currently have the BHA Blachead but they do have the BHA A-sol if that's what you're looking for. Here's the BHA from another seller.

Do you think it would be ok to use this product after splashing water in the am before my Vit c? And also be able to use my pixi aha at night? Or would that be too much?

Does anyone who uses/have bought the Hado Labo Perfect gel know if there's any difference between these two products on Amazon? The first link is my new HG moisturizer, and when I went to go buy some more I noticed what seems to be a newer version of it for a cheaper price. I'd obviously prefer the cheaper one, but if they changed any of the ingredients I'd rather stick with the one that I'm familiar with.

First link
Second link

Oh, SF are one of the biggest issues I have too! I tried Fiddy's method and no grits came out for me last week but I probably have to do it consistently, like once a week. I did find that using a oil cleanser helped in reducing the size of the SF, right now I'm using [DHC Oil Cleanser] (https://www.amazon.com/DHC-Deep-Cleansing-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B001UE60E0) but may try the [Muji Cleansing Oil] (http://www.muji.us/store/sensitive-skin-oil-cleansing-6-76-fl-oz-200ml-1.html) or the [Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00809ERAM/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001UE60E0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=KCN504M4B7ERDFN953S1) since DHC is rather pricey.

I've heard good things about this brand http://www.amazon.com/20%25-Vitamin-Ferulic-Acid-Serum/dp/B0036BI56G/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1448985084&sr=1-1&keywords=timeless+vitamin+c+serum

is the cure the same brand as the one that makes this product because i know some people really like this product

Yes, Mizon black snail. http://www.amazon.com/COSMETICS-mitigate-anti-wrinkle-whitening-moisturizing/dp/B00B4PWEJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427594498&sr=8-1&keywords=mizon+black+snail

Thanks for the response! I've looked through most of the threads and they were extremely useful! Here is what I've decided on as my first haul:

• Oil cleanser: ROHTO Hadalabo Gokujun Cleansing Oil
  
  
• Low pH water-based cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
  
  
• Moisturizer: [MIZON] All in One Snail Repair Cream
  
  
  
• Sunscreen: MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk
  
  
• Sheet mask: [Tosowoong] Pure Deep Sea Water Mask
  
  The Beginner Guide mentioned patch testing for 2 weeks to 1 month. Would I be able to patch test all 4 products at once if I'm using different areas of my skin (behind the ear and inside the elbow on both left and right sides)? Also, this sounds kind of dumb but are you supposed to patch test a sheet maks?

Yup sure! Here you go: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00RWMHTU8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought mine from here. It looks super sketch, but it actually came (normally I search for the lowest price, and Amazon had it this time, other times I go on ebay).

It containts zinc oxide (someone correct me if I'm wrong reading the ingredients? D: ) which is a physical sunscreen, and it works lovely for me.

Is this gold bottle the one you use: https://www.amazon.com/ROHTO-Skin-Super-Moisture-SPF50/dp/B01MRBST6H/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

Or do you use the gel one in the pump bottle?

(I also like Canmake Mermaid so I think we may have similar criteria. Alcohol-Free and Relatively Unscented are must-haves for me.)

Would you rec purchasing this from Amazon? It looks like it retails for $10ish https://www.amazon.com/ROHTO-Skin-Super-Moisture-SPF50/dp/B01MRBST6H

I like this sunscreen: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BJEAAHY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS3Q58Y/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mala04-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00BS3Q58Y&linkId=1723fbbc12125b11948f11113384df7e

It's the lotion with the yellow on the bottle as opposed to the red. I think the red is the "moist" or "thick" version but it is not FA safe.

The milky lotion is not a toner, it's a "milk" or an emulsion. It is very confusing haha!

Hmmm, I don't know where you are using Amazon, but the Amazon US site doesn't seem to have a seller called "su:m37" that sells MRCS that I can see. This is the list that I see, and you can evaluate the sellers based on their reviews and ratings.

do you have an issue with buying it from amazon? if not, it is for sale here.

I buy these ones from amazon

I found it on Amazon: https://amazon.com/MIZON-Black-Snail-Cream-Ounce/dp/B00B4PWEJU/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1482597116&sr=1-1&keywords=mizon+black+snail+cream

Prices on Amazon seem to fluctuate a lot. I ordered the Cosrx AHA about a month ago for $17.68, and it's currently $15.19. Or other times, I'll have something in my cart that I'm considering buying, and I get notifications on my phone almost every day about the price changing.

I ordered it here on Amazon.

I'm not sure if they changed the formulation recently. The Amazon link that I have doesn't show anything other than L-ascorbic acid and neither does the Timeless website. "We use a 20% concentration of L-ascorbic acid for maximum benefit."

https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Skin-Vitamin-Ferulic-Serum/dp/B0036BI56G?th=1

I like Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Gel and Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel. Both have no white cast and don't break me out if removed properly through double cleansing. As for pilling, that usually happens when you layer two or more products with incompatible bases (e.g. silicone- and water-based products).

This is not AB specific, but since the weather has become dry and my skin followed suit, I have started steaming my face in the morning before I use my products. That alone has made a huge, immediate difference, especially for moisturizer absorption.

I shower at night, which is why I do this in the AM. If you already take a hot shower in the morning, try adding the steam at night.

I also added this active into my routine because I get nasty whiteheads when my skin is dry. It brightened my skin and cleared up a lot of the small whiteheads on first use, but I haven't use it long enough to speak to the overall quality and effect yet.

This is available on Amazon US for those who don't want to create a new account. It's sold by TOY SHOP JAPAN HOBBYONE
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RWMHTU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qYwGybCVWBNHE

https://www.amazon.com/Cure-Natural-Aqua-Gel-250/dp/B001ABLKK2

It’s not so much a mask as it is a odorless gel that you rub on your face and then it turns into flaky bits (think the stuff that comes off when you use an eraser)

Try Cure Gel: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Aqua-Gel-Cure-250ml/dp/B001ABLKK2