Time to switch out the thicker blankets, and moisturizers, for some lighter ones! The only thing I don’t like about spring is that it means summer is coming. Oh lahd, the heat. The grossness. The vastly shorter routines.
Let’s take a little walk through my first routine update of 2016. Lots of new stuff compared to last time, as well as some classics. I use many products that are popular and well-loved in the Asian beauty world, as well as one or two that are harder to find. I’ve included links to buy them if you’re interested. As you can tell, I love Amazon (despite their recently-increased minimum amount for free shipping).
Your Friendly Neighborhood Reminder: Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV). My skincare routine is not a cut-and-dry guide. The beauty of an east-Asian-inspired skincare routine is its adaptability to individual circumstances: to your skin type, to the weather and seasons, and simply to the daily moods of your skin. The number of products and steps my skin needs will be different from yours. Even 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” A.K.A. chemical exfoliants. Or, I will skip a moisturizer if it seems like my face will only be melted off by the humidity. And other fun obstacles!
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Skin Type, Concerns, and Climate
- Combo/oily
- Occasional clogged pores, acne (mostly hormonal)
- Sebacious filaments (SFs)
- Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
- Tropical climate; breezy but hot and humid
Daily AM Routine
I keep this routine very light because I need to be able to walk around in tropical humidity without sweating my pants off throughout the day. Honestly, though, this routine is slightly thicker than last winter’s because I’ve been using BHA almost daily lately. Also, you may notice that I no longer mix two BB creams to get my shade, because my face has gotten lighter. Thanks, commuting-to-work-so-early-that-the-sun-isn’t-awake-yet!
- Cleanser: Rinse with cool water only
- Serum: Dr. Jart+Ceramidin Liquid, or
- Essence: Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Liquid (Amazon, Wishtrend, Jolse, TesterKorea [where I got mine])
- Sunscreen: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel
- BB cream: Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 27 (MisshaUS, Amazon; my Holy Grail BB cream for like the past five years)
Daily PM Routine
Behold! I have three 2nd cleansers right now because the Hada Labo one is running out, and I’m testing the two others for about a separate two-week period each. Also, my oil cleanser seems to refuse to run out, like ever…
- Konjac sponge: Missha Natural Soft Jelly Cleansing Puff (now using white clay, not pictured)
- Oil cleanser: The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Oil Light (link to new version, but I have the old one. Pretty cheap!)
- Foaming cleanser: Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam
- Foaming cleanser: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser sample
- Foaming cleanser: Jasaengyeon Herbal Foaming Cleanser by Doori Cosmetics
Sorry, this one can’t be found on our usual kbeauty sites. I received this from a family member who’d received a bunch of Doori products from someone in his work building. It is much easier to find Doori hair products, which are geared toward older Korean women, than their skincare. Along the same thread, this Jasaengyeon cleanser is a hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine)-based product, and smells like ginseng’s wet dream. Will absolutely post a review after testing! - Cleansing water: Son & Park Beauty Water (Memebox, Sokoglam, Amazon)
A friend of mine recently sent me a huge decant of this in exchange for some Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop and random-ass moisturizer samples. Woohoo! Because nothing is quite as effective as double-cleansing, I’ve only used this on light makeup/makeup-free days. So far, it’s as gentle and useful in a pinch as fan-b says. - Chem. exfoliator (BHA): Stridex Maximum Strength Pads (2% salicylic acid; almost gone)
- Serum: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid (also at Sephora, Birchbox)
- Essence: Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence (Amazon, Wishtrend, Jolse, TesterKorea)
- Medium moisturizer: Mizon Black Snail All-in-One Cream
I’m extremely excited to be using the Mizon Black Snail with niacinamide to replace the lighter, highly-rated Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream while the weather’s still somewhat cool.
- Sleeping pack: Nature Republic Honey and Herb Sleeping Pack (TesterKorea, KoreaDepart)
A closer look at the Jasaengyeon cleanser (with bonus Line stamps!):
Weekly-ish
- Favorite/testing sheet masks, 1-3x weekly:
- Wash-off mask, 1-2x weekly: The Body Shop Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Mask
This is getting a bit too stripping for my formerly oily, now more combo/oily skin (yaaay). I may need to switch to a more gentle Skinfood Black Sugar mask.
Coming Soon to a Routine Near Me…
And before you go, check out this MONSTER BOTTLE OF LOTION I GOT:
If you browse through my Insta comments, read about how my lovely friend Tomo uses this after showering. And my silly SO is testing this on his face, with some nice results so far.
Past Skincare Routine Updates
Which of these have you used before, or are interested in trying out? How are you adapting to your spring season? ☺
A River Lily 
Great post! We use a lot of similar products 😄
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I’m so sorry. Haha
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Hi! I found your site while looking for info on vitamin C serums in K-skincare routines. Your review on the Klairs was very helpful, but it looks like you’re no longer using a Vitamin C product. Is that correct, and may I ask why? (Did the Galactomyces replace it? That’s another product I’ve been eyeing…)
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Hey, thanks for reading! There’s no particular reason I stopped, except that I ran out and I just didn’t feel like replacing it at the time. I actually just ordered OST C20, though. 🙂
The Cosrx Galactomyces liquid can also target moisturizing and brightening (fading dakr spots), but usually not nearly as well as a proper vitamin C serum. That being said, I do generally recommend this liquid depending on your skin goals, and will review it in the near future. 🙂
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just curious, which of your three 2nd cleansers did you like best? I’m in the US so I’m more interested in the Hada Lobo or the Cerave. Thanks!
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Hada Labo for sure! 🙂
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Hi! I have oily skin too but don’t know which moisturizer to use 😦 Mizon Black Snail vs Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream.. which one do you think is better for oily skin? What is the difference between them?
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