It’s fall, supposedly. For Hawai‘i, that doesn’t really mean changing colors and hibernation of animals, but moreso the mild return of the tradewinds after a hot, hot summer of dying hurricanes and simmering humidity. Yaaay.
The beauty of a Korean-inspired skincare routine is its ability to adapt: to your skin type, to the weather and seasons, and simply to the daily moods of your skin. AM and PM skincare routine steps can vary daily. For instance, if my skin is feeling dry that day (or if I’m just tired and want to knock out ASAP), I will skip my “actives” or chemical exfoliators, like Stridex. Or, I won’t use an occlusive moisturizer if it seems like a sweaty day that will only melt my face off. And other fun obstacles!
Skin Type, Climate and Concerns
- Oily!
- Occasional tightness/dry spots
- Occasional acne
- Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
- Tropical climate; hot and humid with occasional showers
Feat. the elusive red panda, my pretties.
I’m at the tail end of summer here, really, so my routines are still somewhat light. I’m just beginning to add some extra hydrating steps.
AM Routine
- Cleanser: Literally just water.
- Essence/Light moisturizer: Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream
- Medium moisturizer: Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream EX (when I feel dry)
- Sunscreen: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel (SPF 50, PA++++)
PM Routine
- Oil cleanser: The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Oil Light
- Foaming cleanser: Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam
- Chem. exfoliator (BHA): Stridex Maximum Strength Pads (2% salicylic acid)
- Vitamin C serum: Eva Naturals Vitamin C Serum 20% (newest step! Non-exfoliating; SAP-based, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid)
- Essence/Light moisturizer: Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream
- Eye cream: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream (I’m impartial to this; just finishing it up)
- Medium moisturizer: Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream EX
- Spot-treatment: Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream (repurposed)
Weekly
- Clay mask: The Body Shop Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Mask (not pictured, sorry!)
My routines are pretty minimal compared to some, and quite, err, extensive compared to others. Everyone’s a little different—the products and number of steps I need will be different from yours. Get to know your skin and pay attention to what it needs. You do you.
P.S. Edit: I can’t believe I missed the chance for a Mean Girls October 3rd joke.
A River Lily 
Nice routine! How are you liking that SAP vitamin C serum?
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It’s hydrating so far, but I’m not sure whether or not it’s causing my current breakout.
Hard to tell yet how effective it is at brightening and lightening spots; I know L-AA tends to garner faster results. Will post a review after a month of use, around the end of October!
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Nice routine! I find that, strangely, I actually put more time into my scalp then my skin, because my scalp becomes flaky when the weather changes instead of my skin. Strange.
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Oh, interesting! I suppose the scalp can be very sensitive, especially because it’s not usually as exposed to the elements as the rest of our skin.
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