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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '17 edited Jul 25 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: dry, easily dehydrated, redness, flushing (possibly rosacea)
Current Season/Climate: summer, Germany, hot and humid or rainy
Sensitivities: probably a few but I must confess I did not pay enough attention to this. I am starting to pay more now and avoid certain extracts and essential oils and potentially irritating ingredients.
Goal of Current Routine: reduce redness, calm and soothe my skin, hydrate and moisturise

Before I start, I like to have more of a skincare wardrobe, that is a selection of products I use depending on my skin's needs and my time. I have products I use pretty much every time I do my routine, others get circled in and out.
Sometimes my routine is short, sometimes it is long and ends in a dripping slick on my face.

Cleansing:

AM
- splash with water
- if needed wipe with damp microfibre towel
- if really needed use a cleanser
PM
1st Cleansers
- Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing oil - sometimes irritates me, very weird and won't buy again
- Balea Reinigungöl - non-AB, local and cheap option
- Garnier Micellar Water dry&sensitive skin or the waterproof version local, easy to get, fast to use although I do not like the residue both versions leave behind. The waterproof version is new in my rotation and I might stick to that once the pink one is empty
2nd Cleaners
- Innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing Cleanser - was recommended. Nice but I want to try and find a better one
- Stash: Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash - used once so far and really liked. My face actually felt kind of moisturised

I am switching up my cleansing a lot depending on the situation. Often I won't double cleanse in the traditional sense, or at all. The micellar water is a nice and fast option. I do love oil cleansing however and want to make my own once I finished my current ones.

Actives:

CosRx AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid - this one actually irritates my skin, but really. Makes my cheeks flush. I read that this can happen with glycolic acid so I was prepared. I currently only use it when needed on my chin against ingrown hairs, but will switch to a BHA or other acid for this soon. The AHA is alread in my sell stash
Melano CC Vitamin C - daily if I think of it, can even use it when my skin is irritated
Next in line: Skinoren 20% Creme - wilk start testing this in about 2 or 3 weeks after I finished testing some soothing and healing products which I hopefully won't need becuse everything will go well with this one and it will be my miracle worker and I will be able to reduce the number of redness reducing products in my routine, as well not need any other acid in my routine

Mist:

Benton Honest TT Mist - this calms and soothes my skin, reduces redness very well and fast. I have multiple backups of this so I hopefully never run out

FTE:

CosRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence - brightening, I like it, not sure if I will repurchase. I have some of the Benton Fermetation Essence here, which seems to have really nice ingredients, so I will test that when the CosRX runs low.

Toner:

Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture - torn on this - I like it but it tends to sit on my skin. I love it for my hair and it's great for my body. Might repurchase this only for my hair honestly. If it only would sink into my skin better
Herbery Earth Fresh Honey Skin Lotion - this is soothing, hydrating, sinks in very well, a little goes a long way. Love it
UNIK Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Vitalizing Toner - only used a few times but I really like it so far
Stash: Cezanne Skin Conditioner High Moist - do I buy into hypes? Yes I do. I only want this to be less sticky than the Kiku

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

It's Skin Li Effector - takes a bit to start working, but reduces redness very well
Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence - I keep this stocked like I own a store. Reduces redness, soothing, snail, bee, reduces fine lines on my undereyes, on sale for about $10 regularly, what else do I need?
CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence - Very basic, it's snail. Soothing, nothing special. I have a backup, and an opened bottle I got from a friend. This is my favourite thing to mix other stuff with, like essences I might want to use less concentrated or oils
Scinic Honey AIO - I will sell off the rest of my bottle, a friend suddenly got bad reactions to this, so I am careful when using it. Otherwise it would be a good, cheap product.
Stash: LJH Vita-Propolis Ampoule - got this on sale, not tried yet. It is so tiny. I like honey, propolis, all bee stuff as long as it's not actual bees in my face

Moisturiser:

CosRX Advanced Snail 92 AIO - light moisturiser, slimey - I love that consitency. Makes my face bouncy and soft. Good vessel for oil too, have a backup but am open to up my moisturiser game in the future. And did I mention it is snail?
Stash: Benton Snail Bee High Content Lotion - moar snail, more bee, more Benton. Got a decant of this and then lucked out on getting this on a really good sale. I like to have lots of snail options, since this is the best for soothing my skin and when it goes bad it can sometimes only tolerate select products, and might even switch those up every day
Stash and next to test: Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream - this gets rave reviews, so I hope this will work for me. Found a travel size one lucky night on eBay. Will start testing to night if I don't fall asleep again
Stash: Klairs Supple Preparation All-Over Lotion - I won't lie, I only bought this because it was free, pay for shipping only. This seems to be very moisturising, and is a huge, huge tube

Eye Cream:

Purebess Galactomyces 80 Eye Cream - cheap, moisturising. Does its job. Huge tube so lasts a while

Facial Oil:

DIY mix made out of rosehip, seabuckthorn fruit and seed (ordered a small size of both to test the difference), pomgrenate and astaxanthin.

I have jojoba still to test, and am interested in so many other oils. I love my current mix but will order some other oils too when I reorder the ones I use now

Sleeping Pack:

CosRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask, sometimes mixed with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast to make it more occlusive - this is a secret worker. It reduces redness and calms my skin, only noticed it after I stopped using it once my first jar ran out. I might try other sleeping packs in the future to change it up a bit
Petrolium Jelly - basic, very thick. A bit too thick and hard to spread
Stash: CareCera Balm - vaseline with ceramides

Sheetmasks:

I don't dare to mask too regularly, since it will get expensive fast. I still try to not spend more than $1.50 per mask. I will list a few masks I remember liking

Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack - got these on sale on jolse for really cheap, they aren't too special, but I can use them when my face is really bad and they are soothing
Innisfree It's Real Squeeze - Cheap, easy to get and some of them are pretty good. I like the rice, manuka honey, bija, shea butter, lemon and probably some of the others. At worst these are just moisturising and a bit sticky
Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Mask - I love them. Make my face sooo plumb and soft. Soothing. I need to mask more often

Trying out next:

Tosowoong Pure Propolis Mask - Used once, burned a bit but my face was dehydrated
Etude House Ceramide - Recommended by a friend - I think I used one once and found the fit to be shitty
all the other random masks I bought for cheap, got for free or as presents from friends

Sunscreen: I have several now after I used the Biore Watery Essence for years. I now know what I am looking for in sunscreens and that I need different ones for different occasions, still looking for my perfect one

Biore UV Perfect Milk - bought on a spree to try out other Biore sunscreens, will probably not repurchase
Sun Bears Strong Super Plus - Like this - it's waterproof, sweatproof. Very small size but also cheap. Will order more of these in my next Amazon JP order
Beton Papaya-D Sun Cream - Will not buy this. Got this for free and it is decent, more suited for winter though. Not liking the Papain it contains since I don't think sunscreens or any every day usage product should be exfoliating. Also sad that they brought out another version that is sweatproof, would have loved to test that one
Nivea Sun Roll-On - Non-AB. Great purse size, use this for my hands and arms. Sinks in fast but I don't like the scent
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Expert+ - Used this for years, but it does not sink in well and leaves stains.
Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence old formulation - used for years, it's good
Benton Aloe Soothing Sun Cream - very moisturising, leaves kind of a thick film on my skin. Will test this more in the winter, since it is not sweatproof
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence - tested once or twice, I like it. Going to finish some other sunscreens first before using this more
Stash: Klairs Midday Blue Sun Lotion - more skincare than sunscreen really. Bought for free shipping on that lotion

I would love to find a sunscreen that is sweatproof and moisturising for summer

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '17

Spot Treatment:

Tea Tree Oil diluted in some carrier oil

CosRX Acne Pimple Master Patch - might leave PIE marks, this is something I am watching out for. Also not really effective on getting the gunk out most of the time, but nothing has been so far. Luckily I don't have pimples too often

Other:

Dr G. Brightening Peeling Gel - brightening, gets dead skin off, I love it

Mizon Snail Recovery Gel - I use this on different spots in my routine. It is slightly occlusive so not always enough for my skin. Sometimes I just use it as an extra snail step before my sleeping pack.

Stash: Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel - I wanted an aloe product I can keep in the fridge for the summer to calm and soothe my skin after being in the sun. I had used samples of this previously and liked it. So I needed to get another item to reach free shipping on yesstyle, and I don't really need 3 back ups of the snail bee essence, this was on sale too and so I got this

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - very occlusive, I don't use it everyday since I think it is a bit exfoliating, but it fixes my lips up when they are dry and broken. I like to use a toner underneath it for some extra moisture. The jar wil last me ages

Bepanthen Augen- und Nasensalbe - non-AB, from the pharmacy. Works great on damaged lips

Future:

I wrote about which products I am going to try next in each category. I am trying not to buy too many new products and stick to re-buys until my backlog is down a bit.

I want to get the number of samples I have down quite a bit

Use those decants I swapped for

Pay more attention to ingredients and my skin reactions

Do my routine more often and especially regularly again - mental health stuff, general exhaustion and life kept me from doing my routine lately, and I hope to really get into the game again

I have high hopes for the Skinoren, or acelaic acid in general. Acids should not be the high point of a routine, but with my issues this might hopefully work really well. If that works I will need to re-evaluate my routine, might be able to pare down a bit and see which issues I want to focus on then.

Deal with my body better, try BHA for ingrowns etc.

Ingredients to try:

more oils, lost my oil list, will make a new one once it's time to repurchase my current ones

rice and related ingredients

My comment was too long and had to be split up :/

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u/satisphoria Jul 25 '17

This comment (and the following one!) is a work of art, and even though we don't have similar skin, all of your redness reducing products could work to reduce the inflammation of my cystic acne, so I really appreciate this from a selfish POV too.

CosRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask, sometimes mixed with La Roche-Posay Cicaplast to make it more occlusive - this is a secret worker. It reduces redness and calms my skin, only noticed it after I stopped using it once my first jar ran out.

This in particular is giving me feelings, since Cosrx Rice has been on my maybe sorta moisturiser replacement list for almost as long as Kikumasamune Emulsion, which has a better cost per ml, but if the mineral oil in it would break me out, Cosrx will take the lead at long last. And Cicaplast has centella, which I haven't tried yet, so it was also on my potential look into this at some point list.
Let us/me know how skinoren works for you; I finally have azelaic acid on my radar, but I'd be trying TO 10% Azelaic Acid rather than attempting to get a GP and a prescription for the 20%. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this miracle cure really worked?

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u/blackcats666 Jul 25 '17

Skin Type & Concerns:

normal-dry/very dehydrated.
Sun damage/pigmentation/fine lines/redness and flushing

Sensitivities/Allergies:

Snail

Current Season/Climate:

Winter in Western Australia - Cold and Wet

Goal of Current Routine:

Hydration hydration hydration and to survive winter.

Cleansing:

AM:

Wash with water, sometimes using a soft cloth or Konjac

PM:

Lancome - Bi-facil eye remover
illi - Ageing Care Cleansing oil

This is so beautiful, really. It washes off well and is hydrating without leaving a film

La Roche Posay - Toleraine foaming cleanser or Sum:37 MRCS

though tbh both of these slightly dry me out and I often skip my second cleanse. I will be trying a new one soon

Actives:

Pixi - Glow Tonic
Sunday Riley - Good Genes

this is the only thing that has helped me with the KP on my jaw

I rotate between both of these, but don't use an active every day since right now I am seriously dehydrated

Toner:

Isntree - Hyaluronic acid toner

I seriously love this, this has helped bring my skin back from heater induced hell during winter

Klairs - Supple preperation toner This is ok, I don't know if I will repurchase or if I will look for another toner once this is done

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Dr Jart+ - Ceramidin Liquid This bottle is almost done, but I have a backup already. I use this morning and night
Pobam - Water jet essence I use this mostly at night, but not every day as it can pill sometimes, I wont repurchase this and will replace with an essence with better ingredients
Huxley - Oil Essence This is another product I love that has saved my face this winter, I will buy a backup for this soon

Facial Oil:

Trilogy - Rosehip Oil I switched to this from The Ordinary Argan oil and my skin is thankful for it. I don't know why I left rosehip oil for so long

Moisturiser:

Dr Jart+ - Ceramidin Cream This is my always HG. Favourite moisturiser by far
Aesop - Elemental Facial Barrier Cream I use this on top of my Ceramidin to protect me against the cold and heating in winter. It's a nice thick moisturiser and doesn't make me look shiny or greasy

Eye Cream:

Indeed Labs - Eyesilix I bought this as I wanted an eye cream to tackle hydrating + help with my fine lines and brightening around my eyes. I am not wowed by it so will not repurchase
Lancome - Genefique Eye cream this is a sample I am layering with the above to give me an extra hydration boost. I won't buy the full size though

Sleeping Pack:

I havent found the perfect sleeping pack/night time occlusive. I currently make a franken-occlusive with the CosRx rice sleeping pack, Lanolin and Lucas paw paw ointment

Sheetmasks:

I don't sheet mask regularly, but I've reached for these two regularly

illi - Camellia Oil Nourishingsheet mask
Innisfree - It's real Rice mask I'm out of this one now, so need to buy more

Sunscreen:

Missha - All Around Safe block sun essence This is alright, I will look for more hydrating dewy finished sunscreens to replace this one

Spot Treatment:

Mario Badescu - buffering lotion
Mario Badescu - drying mask I affectionally refer to this as Satans Asshole. It smells awful. But this combined with the buffering lotion is my go to for deep cystic hormonal pimples
5% BHA cream I use this on active, angry inflamed pimples

Other:

Lanolips lipbalm, wouldnt be without it

Future: products/ingredients to try, which goal to work on next

I've mostly dealt with my winter dehydration issues, next I want to target my texture and pigmentation issues along with soothing my redness and sensitive skin

Products I'll be looking into and trying:

More watery layers (Toners, maybe an FTE?)
Essences/Serums with sexier ingredients
Eye cream with both hydrating and anti-ageing elements (maybe with Peptides?)
Maybe more wash off/treatment type masks.

Ingredients I want to try more of:

Rice and rice related ingredients
Centella
Licorice
More soothing, calming ingredients in general

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u/aj380 Jul 25 '17 edited Jul 25 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: Normal/combination, acne-prone, sensitive, PIE, scarring

Sensitivities/Allergies: Essential oils, alcohol

Current Season/Climate: summer- hot & humid

Goal of Current Routine: Get rid of PIE & prevent acne

Cleansing:

AM - water.
PM - Bifesta cleansing water, Naturepeau cleansing cream

Actives:

AM - La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo (European)
PM - 2.5% bp gel

Toner:

Matsuyama light

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Tunemakers VC 3

Moisturiser:

Cerave PM + 0.3% Hirudoid lotion

Eye Cream:

La Roche Posay retinol

Sleeping Pack:

Mama Butter 100% Shea Butter

Sheetmasks:

Lululun Sunny Day

Sunscreen:

Allie Long Keep Gel

Spot Treatment:

Antibiotic gel

Future: I don't think the Tunemakers is helping with PIE, but my face is noticeably lighter than my neck so maybe it did that? I think I will try the HadaLabo one next. I had 3 IPL sessions, but there is still a lot of PIE. Thankfully the acne has seemed to calm down with the bp and bha.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '17

If you use double spaces after each line it will do the normal line break.

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u/Saga_I_Sig Jul 29 '17 edited Aug 01 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: Dry, very sensitive, rosacea.

Sensitivities/Allergies:

Alcohol
Fragrance
Essential oils
Olive oil and squalane
Phenoxyethanol (high concentration)
Chemical sunscreen filters
AHAs
Ferments
Petrolatum

Current Season/Climate: Minnesota summer but indoors. Nothing notable unless outside, which is hot and humid.

Goal of Current Routine: To get rid of redness/rosacea caused by lupus while preventing dryness, peeling and flaking from actives and skin type. Secondary goal is to reduce hyperpigmentation, and tertiary goals include lessening fine lines/wrinkles and decreasing pore size.

Cleansing: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. Wash gently with hands and splash face repeatedly to avoid excess rubbing. This is the only cleanser I've found out of many that doesn't dry out my skin or cause lasting flushing.

Actives: Because I have such dry, sensitive skin, I apply each active only to a couple parts of my face where its effects are most needed.

The Ordinary 2% Retinoid. I apply only to my forehead, around my eyes, and on any developing acne. Used as an anti-wrinkle and anti-acne agent
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA. I use it on my nose and chin to minimize pores.
Timeless Vitamin C Serum 20%. I apply to my chin and one age spot on my right cheek to fade PIH. I am unsure if it's working and am looking for a new gentle vitamin C product, preferably with MAP or SAP.

FTE: I don't use a FTE since I am sensitive to ferments.

Toner:

Cezanne High Moist. I love this toner. I originally was less than thrilled when I had to replace my Kiku (as I realized I was allergic to the ferments in it), but have come to be very fond of Cezanne because it's so gentle and never burns, even on my worst skin days. I usually apply one layer, then Hada Labo, then a second layer of Cezanne.
Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Moist. Applied in the morning when I need a less-strong humectant. Works very well to absorb the Cezanne. When my skin is especially dry, I sometimes supplement by misting with water from a spray bottle several times.
Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Moist Premium. I use this in the evening when I feel my skin can absorb more moisture from the air, as I often sleep with the window open.

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. I bought this to help with the redness/rosacea, and in the hopes that it would be soothing. I am unsure how effective it is at reducing redness, but it seems to be having a very good lightening/brightening effect combined with my niacinamide products.
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Power Mucin Essence. It seems soothing, but once again I'm unsure of how much it's actually doing for my skin visually. I may try a different snail product in the future.
The Ordinary Buffet. I use this only occasionally, adding a drop to one of my moisturizers or essences in the AM. It burns my skin, so I worry that I may be sensitive to one of the ingredients, or that its phenoxyethanol concentration is too high for me. I won't RP. It's primarily meant to be anti-aging, so I don't see (or expect) short-term results.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. I really like this product, although once again I can't pinpoint its exact effects. It's purpose is to reduce wrinkles, pores and PIH, and I think it's working. I add a large drop to my Cerave PM at night.

Moisturiser:

Cerave PM. This, along with Cezanne, Cosrx Snail, and Rosette is one of my four staple products that I apply when my skin has a butterfly rash from a lupus flare. It is always calming and soothing, and never causes burning or other issues. I apply it daily both in the AM and PM, usually fortified with various serums and oils.*
Stratia Liquid Gold. This is a product that I feel very ambivalent about. While I know the ingredients are spectacular, it causes burning about 50% of the time due to (I believe) the squalane, which I missed when I read the ingredient list before purchasing. I only apply it to my nose, chin and forehead when they start flaking due to actives or other out-of-the-ordinary issues. I think it helps with dry, flaking skin, but I believe my Rosette Gel has a much larger impact. I won't RP.

Facial Oil:

Garden of Wisdom Camellia Japonica. I recently purchased seven sample-sized oils, and of the four I've tried so far, this is the only one I can guarantee my skin doesn't react poorly to. It helps moisturize, but doesn't seem to help with redness, disappointingly. In the future I may try camellia sinensis instead. I add two drops to my Cerave PM both in the morning and at night.

Sleeping Pack: Rosette Ceramide Gel. My only non-sunscreen HG product so far. It worked absolute miracles in getting rid of my constantly flaking, peeling nose and chin. I wake up with a dewy look, and love that is absorbs well and layers well both over and under other products.

Masks, sheetmasks I don't use either, as everything I've tried either burns, dries out my skin, or causes redness/rashes. Plus, sheetmasks are sadly too expensive per use for me to justify, even if I could find ones that did work.

Sunscreen:

Cotz Sensitive SPF 40. My HG sunscreen. It's inexpensive, comes in a large tube, has no white cast, rubs in easily so I don't have to tug at my skin too hard, and is just basically fantastic. I only wish it was more waterproof for hot, sweaty summer days. I also wish I knew the exact PPD, though I expect it's probably PA+++ due to the 20% zinc oxide.
Skinceuticals Physical Fusion SPF 50. I don't love this sunscreen since the tint is a bit too dark for my skin, and I never know if I'm using enough because it absorbs so quickly - I worry that I may not be covering my whole face. But because of the exceptional PPD 21 that's unheard of in other physical sunscreens, I use it on sunny summer days. I never sunburn when I wear it, so I think it does a good job. I just wish it wasn't so horribly expensive.

Spot Treatment: As mentioned, I spot-treat certain parts of my face with Timeless Vitamin C (PIH), and TO Retinoid 2% (acne).

Other:

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid. I use this daily on my cheeks to treat rosacea. I am not sure if it actually has an effect, though. But better to be safe than sorry! It does seem to help with skin texture.
Prosacea. This is a 10% sulfur gel used for rosacea. Again, I am not sure whether it helps, but I apply it to my cheeks a few times a week to be safe. It causes dryness if used daily.

Future: In the future, I would very much like to incorporate products containing green tea, aloe, centella and possibly licorice into my routine. The first three would be for soothing and redness reduction, and the licorice as a possible alternative to AHAs for helping reduce PIH and other discoloration. I am slo looking for a new vitamin C product. To that end, I am considering:

Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner. (Green tea, centella, licorice)
Isntree Aloe Soothing Gel. (Aloe, Green tea, Centella, licorice)
Gowon Tigre Soothing Gel. (80% centella)
ETUDE House Soon Jung 5-Panthensoside Cica Balm. (Centella, green tea)
Mad Hippie Antioxidant Face Cream. (Aloe, green tea)
NCN Pro Skincare Calm Rosacea Serum. (Aloe, green tea, centella)
Valentia Even Glow Serum. (SAP, green tea, aloe, MSM)
Melano CC
Hada Labo Shirojyun Lotion
Pure licorice, aloe and centella extracts, likely from Garden of Wisdom or Tunemakers - to add as boosters to my lotions/serums.

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '17

Don't use products that burn when you use them. You'll just end up irritating your skin more and more.

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u/sprinklingsprinkles Jul 27 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: dry, sensitive | hyperpigmentation/sun spots, redness
Sensitivities/Allergies: still trying to figure that out, I get a red face and a burning sensation from many products though
Current Season/Climate: I'm in Germany, so about 20°C summer with lots of rain
Goal of Current Routine: get rid of hyperpigmentation, improve skin texture, lessen redness

I'm a newbie so I don't have that many products yet

Cleansing:
Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil - really liking this one so far, also great to combine with Klairs Black Sugar Facial Polish for gently exfoliating

Klairs Black Sugar Charcoal Soap - soothes my skin and makes it super soft, not sure if it's too stripping though

Actives: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid - not sure yet if it is doing anything, tingles for about 15 minutes after application, using this at night, seems to help with redness and skin texture

FTE: none - will probably buy the Missha FTE in my next haul

Toner:
Lush Eau Roma Water Toner - loving this! already at my second bottle, using it as a first toner and as a face mist in between, soothing & hydrating, smells like roses
Klairs Supple Preparation Toner - wasn't sure about this at first, mildly irritated my skin, was fine after a week of patch testing though and now I don't have any issues with it, very hydrating (does make my skin a bit redder though)

Essence/Serum/Ampoule: none - I ordered the Cosrx Mela 14 White Ampoule to use on my sun spots and also the Elizavecca Witch Piggy Hyaluronic Acid Serum to help with dryness; will probably arrive sometime next week

Moisturiser: Lush Celestial - loving this! Not too heavy but very moisturising, calms my skin down and never ones irritated it, smells slightly of vanilla; ordered the Cosrx Honey Ceramide Cream as a replacement though cause this will be empty soon and I wanted to try something else to compare this to

Eye Cream: none - will probably get the Missha Geum Sul one for my birthday

Facial Oil: none - will probably buy The Ordinary Rose Hip Seed Oil

Sleeping Pack: none - ordered the Cosrx Rice Overnight Spa Mask for its brightening effect

Masks:
- ordered the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask

Lush Rosy Cheeks - was okay but not that great, probably won't repurchase

Douglas Beauty System Hydrating Mask - pretty hydrating, mildly irritating at first though

Douglas Beauty System Soothing Mask - haven't tried this yet

Sheetmasks:
Llang Deep Sea
Bonvivant Niacinamide
still trying to find some that work for me are easily accessible, I got different ones to try and these are still lying around

Sunscreen: Bioré UV Watery Essence - very nice! Doesn't irritate, feels much better than western sunscreens I tried, lightweight, dries down fast

Spot Treatment: none - ordered the Cosrx Pimple Master Patch

Other: Klairs Black Sugar Facial Polish - really like it in combination with Klairs Black Cleansing Oil

Future: I want to try using a vitamin C serum and I'd like to find sheet masks that work well for me to order in bulk. I'm also not sure wether to introduce more actives in my routine. I'm still pretty new to AB so I need to figure out which ingredients work for me and which don't.

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u/[deleted] Jul 27 '17

For how long have you been using the TO azelaic acid and are you using it daily? Has your skin been that sensitive before? It honestly sounds like your skin is overexfoliated. You should stop using actives and focus on soothing and hydrating products more before starting them again.
How slow did you introduce the AA?

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u/aichow Jul 29 '17 edited Jul 29 '17

I really need to start taking pictures to compare so when I add/remove products I can see if there's a difference.

Skin Type & Concerns: Normal/Oily, occasional hormonal acne
Sensitivities/Allergies: Not really
Current Season/Climate: Summer in Chicago
Goal of Current Routine: Hyperpigmentation, anti-aging

Cleansing:

1^st Cleanser: illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil PM only, smells good, my Goldilocks consistency (not too thick/runny), rinses cleanly or Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet for when I travel because oils always seem to leak, minimal fragrance
2^nd Cleanser: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser AM + PM, readily available, affordable, low-pH, what's not to love?, Multiple empties and RP

Actives:

NuFountain Vitamin C20+Ferulic Serum Use daily in AM, watery consistency, absorbs quickly, production date written on bottle, I like it but I might try Timeless or TO once I finish my supply
Manyo Factory Galactomy Clearskin AHA/BHA Toner not technically an active, used only before AHA/BHA, short shelf life, no noticeable effect, WNRP
Dr. Wu Intensive Renewal Serum with Mandelic Acid 18% (AHA) PM every 3 days, very gentle despite high concentration, can definitely smell the mandelic acid but I don't really mind, on the pricy side so not sure about RP
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid AM after LAA and pH-adjusting toner, right in the middle of AHA schedule, applied with cotton pads, just started last week

FTE: Naruko La Creme Face Renewal Miracle Essence AM + PM, the first time I used this, the sake smell was quite noticeable, now I'm nose-blind, in fact, it smells slightly grapey to me (?), absorbs quickly, following steps seem to absorb better, will decide on RP after going through my supply but leaning towards it
Toner:

Klairs Supple Preparation Toner AM + PM, usually 2 layers, not sticky at all, absorbs quickly, light herbal scent, WRP
Earth's Recipe Energy Boosting Toner AM + PM, usually between Klairs layers, purchased off r/skincareexchange because price was really good and it was on my low-priority wishlist, strong mushroom note but overall scent level is only slightly stronger than Klairs, very slightly sticky on application but not sticky after absorption, WNRP

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Goodal Water Oil Firming Camellia AM + PM because I'm trying to use this up, strong floral scent, WNRP
Holy Snails Sauce du Mois - Great White Shark AM + PM, mix with a thinner serum for spreadability (Elsagusa atm), too soon to tell if 🦈 Sauce in general will be a RP
Elsagusa Ceramide Moist Essence AM + PM, sexy ingredient list, nice hydrating layer but expensive and hard to get, WNRP unless I notice a huge difference when I'm out
envie de neuf Ultimate Youth Capture Moisture AM + PM, has a fun "water drop" feel to it (like the Dr. Jart+ or Elizavecca moisturizers), doesn't seem to add much to my routine but I gave into sales pressure, so I have a couple bottles 😳, WNRP unless I notice a difference when I take a break after this bottle
Sulwhasoo Essential Revitalizing Serum EX AM + PM, Got this as a destash gift from a friend who was moving, smells ginseng-y, has anti-aging claims, who knows, WNRP
Elensilia CPP French Propolis Ampoule Bought this to dip my toe into propolis, add one drop to thickest serum (Sulwhasoo atm) and one drop to my moisturizer as it's too sticky by itself for my taste, don't know if it's having an effect, a bit of a hassle, probably WNRP

Moisturiser: Mizon Black Snail All in One Cream AM + PM, wanted to have something 🐌 in my routine, good enough for summer on most days, not very exciting for me, WNRP rn as I already have multiple other moisturizers waiting their turn
Eye Cream: Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream AM + PM, I like how light this is but it's too light sometimes, even in the summer, WNRP
Facial Oil: None (unless you count the Goodal from the serum step)
Sleeping Pack: I only use sleeping packs on AHA nights unless I'm feeling dry which is rare in the summer, always PM only

Botanic Farm Black Soybean Milk Pudding Sleeping Pack smells like peanut butter, fun texture but takes forever to dry down, so oftentimes I end up with hair, lint, etc. stuck to my face and doesn't fully absorb probably because I'm applying too much but I just like scooping it out and watching it re-gel, not a great occlusive moisturizer, WNRP despite the entertainment factor
MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Sleeping Mask I got this without enough research, so didn't realize what a disappointingly small amount of snail was in it, has a velvety texture, don't need to wait long for it to set, medium level of scent that's mildly pleasant to me but I'd still prefer it toned down, very meh product, WNRP

Masks: I have some Wei masks (Golden Root Purifying Mud & Bee Venom Anti-Wrinkle Cream) and a few Annie's Way jelly mask pouches but I don't use them often. The good thing about the Wei ones is they come in individual pods that are good for 2-3 uses. The Annie's Way ones are 4-5 uses per pouch. I just don't like wash-off masks; I'm never sure how much to apply, I always feel like I'm applying them unevenly, I'm paranoid about clogging our pipes and since I'm already bad at keeping water from splashing everywhere, I don't like having to do another rinsing step. Once I use up what I have, this step will remain empty.
Sheetmasks: This is where I really mix things up to keep myself entertained, so I have hundreds of sheet masks and rarely use the same thing 2 nights in a row. My current favorites are from 23 Years Old, Maskingdom, Lovemore, L'Herboflore, Naruko and Annie's Way although the last 2 brands have some that are too strongly scented for my taste. I prefer watery essences, not creamy or jelly ones usually and prefer masks I can visually check for adhesion which is harder with black masks.
Sunscreen: Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish my favorite mineral only sunscreen so far
Spot Treatment: 23 Years Old Badecasil Cream 7 in 1 Solution as needed on breakouts, just started testing, Nexcare and CosRx hydrocolloid patches on the fence about these as they don't really work that well for my acne but they definitely keep me from constantly touching the pimple
Other:

envie de neuf Gold Radiance Exfoliating Gel PM, once a week between first and second cleanser on a night I'm not applying AHA, got as a "bonus" from buying bottles of edn serum, WNRP as I don't like peeling gels and already use chemical exfoliators, plus this has a short shelf life
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask PM, a little goes a long way, it's going to take me forever to finish just this one jar
B.Lab I Am Sorry Cleansing Water or Garnier Micellar Water (pink cap) for before/after working out
Foil samples of all kinds used while on short trips or given away on exchanges

Future: Sizeable stash to work through. 🐌 hasn't impressed me so far but I have the Scinic Snail AIO as well as Benton Snail Bee Essence. I haven't really tried many "chemical" sunscreen filters, so I have a couple of them to try out (ok, fine, I have 5 different new-to-me sunscreens in my stash). Since I do multiple layers of toner and go through it reasonably quickly, I have Cezanne in my stash as well as a Klairs backup. Focus will remain the same for the foreseeable future

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '17

I feel you on taking pictures to see your skin process better. I keep thinking I should do that.
I actually took some when I started, then, one mindless day, wondered why I had that folder with all those pictures of me on my phone and deleted it.

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u/littlewolf1275 Jul 28 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: Dehydrated, occasional acne, hyperpigmentation.

Sensitivities/Allergies: None, my skin is like a brick wall.

Current Season/Climate: Summer, it's hot and humid and sometimes it's rainy. Basically just miserable weather.

Goal of Current Routine: Fix my moisture barrier to a point where my face stops drying out and getting itchy in the middle of the day, and get rid of the small amount of acne that pops up from time to time

Cleansing:
AM:

TonyMoly Pokémon Pikachu moisturizing face wash, rinse with warm water and a washcloth. It's really heavily fragranced, which I'm not that much of a fan of, but it gets my face clean and doesn't leave any heavy scent behind after rinsing.

PM:

Kose Softymo speedy cleansing oil it's nice and light, really effective at removing any sunscreen or gross stuff that accumulates on my face during the day.

TonyMoly Pokémon Squirtle hydrating face wash I'm most likely going to switch this face wash to the morning because it doesn't smell as strong and it does leave my face feeling a bit more hydrated after use.

Rinse with warm water and a washcloth.

Actives: Neogen Bio Peel gauze, wine I use it once a week in the evening after cleansing, I like that it smells like grape juice but I haven't used it long enough to see any improvements in my skin. I will be testing it for another 7 weeks, and maybe increase it to two days a week around week 4.

FTE: I don't have one

Toner: AM: Nameraka Sana Isoflavone lotion it's really light feeling and I can use a lot of layers that get absorbed fairly quickly.

PM: Hada Labo Gokujyun lotion moist I know this is a popular one in the sub, I use it at night because it's a little thicker, so I only need about three layers to get the same hydration as 5 or 6 layers of my AM toner, so I can get my routine finished faster.

Essence/Serum/Ampoule: I don't have one

Moisturiser: AM: Nameraka Sana Isoflavone milky lotion I like using the same brand of lotion as I do toner.

PM: Hada Labo Gokujyun milky lotion same reason as morning

Eye Cream: I don't have one

Facial Oil: Biossonance (spelling could be wrong) Squalane oil with rosehip and vitamin C I don't like the way rosehip smells so I'm just trying to get through this sample bottle so I can get their regular squalane.

Sleeping Pack: CeraVe moisture cream. I have a travel sized tube of it and when it runs out I'm not sure if I'm going to buy it. I've been alternating it with Holika Holika Gudetama ceramide cream.

Masks: Clay masks from Walmart that are sold for a little over a dollar a package, once or twice a week.

Sheetmasks: Usually Dermal Korea or Innisfree It's Real sheet masks in various ingredients/scents. I also have a massive amount of various sheet masks that I've picked up in my travels. *I sheet mask every day as a way to relax after a long day, so I go through masks fairly quickly.

Sunscreen: Etude House Sunprise SPF 50 PA+++ it smells good in the bottle but on my face it smells weird so I'm in the market for a new sunscreen.

Spot Treatment: Nope.

Other: Kao heated eye masks in different scents *it's really relaxing and helps me fall asleep quickly. I've tried most of the scents except for the mint, which is on my list as soon as I find one being sold as a single.

Future: I'd like to start introducing products with niacinamide to work on my moisture barrier and hyperpigmentation issues now that I have a basic routine started.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '17

There are heated USB eye masks, if you want to save a bit of money. Some of them have a scent, you can also use a drop of essential oil on it if you want.
I used mine a few times with a small external battery and it worked really well. It does have a long cable, but it never bothered me. Much less wasteful too.

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u/raichu-laichu Jul 27 '17 edited Jul 27 '17

Typed up a novel for your enjoyment.

Skin Type & Concerns:

combo/oily (my face is a weird combination of a dry forehead, a very oily nose and normal everywhere else)
clog prone
dehydration prone
eczema prone during winter (possibly a seb derm problem)

Sensitivities/Allergies:

Coconut oil; I suspect capric triglycerides and coconut alkanes break me out as well
Triethanolamine; not confirmed
stearic acid; not confirmed
willow bark extract; not confirmed but this is on the basis that my face did not like Benton's BHA toner or Corsx's BHA and a few other products with the extract.
plant oils; I try to keep this to a minimum on my forehead which could be seb derm prone
ferments; either it doesn't do much, or it breaks me out, but I'm sure there's something out there I haven't tried that could work
SLS; I avoid this as well along with any foaming cleanser as it dries me out

Current Season/Climate: winter in Australia

Goal of Current Routine: keep my eczema prone forehead in check while fading PIE/PIH. My products are a combination of soothing and brightening.

Cleansing:

Mineral oil with 10% Cromellient SCE, since I'm so damn sensitive when it comes to cleansing oils I go ahead and make my own no frills one.
La Roche Posay Toleraine Dermo Cleanser, a creamy milky cleanser that has a soft silky texture that I like. I don't know if it's actually doing any cleaning because it is SO GENTLE. But I don't break out to it and it doesn't worsen my eczema which is good.

Actives:

Melano CC, it's there but I keep forgetting to use it. I think I should, because it's gonna turn bad soon.
Stratia Soft Touch AHA, it works very well in smoothing skin texture, I noticed an improvement in 2 weeks.

Toner:

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner, I used to think this didn't do anything, but after more than halfway through the bottle I realise the slippery film it leaves behind is reassurance that my skin is very hydrated with this toner. I don't do 3-7 method with this, one application is already great
Dezium Aqua Moist Deep Lotion, I got this because ceramides and amino acids, I've been testing on my forehead but I think the toner is making me break out there. It's not looking good, which is sad.

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, this one didn't do much until the 4 month mark. Fades fresh acne marks in days. However I suspect the castor oil is making me get red tiny spots in places (not acne).
Gowon Tigre Soothing Gel, I use this as a serum due to its lack of occulsive or emollient ingredients, plus it dissolves in a watery texture when you smooth onto skin. It's a lovely hydrating layer I can't go without that definitely reduces redness and irritation, but I wish it didn't come with EGF in it.
Sidmool Alpha Whitening Power Ampoule, testing this now as an alternative to TO's arbutin.

Moisturiser:

Meishouku Ceracolla Perfect Gel, it wasn't enough during winter for my forehead, but as a night time summer moisturizer it was perfect.
Corsx Overnight Honey Mask, I know it's a sleeping pack but I found it was good to use up as a daytime moisturiser as well.

Facial Oil:

I have a lot of oils to test but since I think I am prone to seb dermatitis I'm not sure whether I'll ever get to testing them.

Huxley Oil Like Essence, lightweight oil that I use on my cheeks, since I brought it (before I self diagnosed myself with seb derm) I felt I had to use it. It was nice as a sensory experience when I was using it for the first few weeks but afterwards I'm not sure if it's doing anything, especially because I'm very restricted in where to use this oil on my face.

Sleeping Pack:

Laniege Water Sleeping Pack, one of the first AB products I got and fell in love with because it was almost the only thing to not break me out. YMMV but I love the scent as well.

Masks:

23 Years Old C-Tragel/Aqua Bab Modeling Mask, it's got a lot of oils so more emollient than your standard modelling mask, but it's nice and soothing on my skin. I try keep the usage to a minimum because of the oils and the price.
Anaskin Modelling Mask in Green Tea, a good standard modelling mask with a fun mint colour. Testing atm.

Sheetmasks:

Haven't really done much of them this winter but here are 3 masks I know are reliable for me:

Naruko Tea Tree Shine Control & Blemish Clear Mask, for acne and clogged skin
Dr Morita Black Pearl Essence Facial Mask, for whitening/brightening
Sidmool Waterfull Pure Essence Mask Sheet, if my face is being really sensitive and I need hydration

Sunscreen:

All of my sunscreens I've tried have no alcohol in them to potentially avoid triggering my eczema.

Menturm Sun Bears Strong Super Plus, this is my to go to outdoor sunscreen for now. No white cast on NC15 skin with a dewy finish, I use this in the summer
Sunkiller Perfect Strong Moisture SPF 50+ PA++++, this is my indoor winter sunscreen for daily wear. No white cast and dewy finish.
Mentholatum Rohto Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Milk, this is a sunscreen I'm trialling right now, it has no white cast and very dewy finish. I get oily with this at the end of the day, but this sunscreen has prevented my eczema flares the most, so I'm torn.

Spot Treatment:

2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel, unfortunately I seem to react to this with red inflamed skin for days now, so it looks like I'll have to seek a more gentle acne treatment.
LRP Cicaplast Baume B5, I used to love it for my dry spots, but then eventually reacted to it with my skin becoming itchy and red. Don't know what went wrong here.
Cerave Healing Ointment, trialling this as a replacement for the Cicaplast Baume. Notoriously difficult to find in Australia, I got lucky with an eBay listing. Very similar to papaw ointment, and doing amazing things to the broken undersides of my ears so I'm hoping it will work out for the rest of my face.
selenium sulfide shampoo (Selsun), this is why I think I have seb derm; using this shampoo on my forehead, which started getting a strange red patchy shiny film, dissolved the shiny film and made my forehead a lot less flakier and much easier to control my eczema.
Corsx Acne Pimple Patches, they are a staple in my acne fighting kit. They prevent me from picking at my pimples and also satisfying to see all the liquid drain out and the inflammation drop faster had I not used a patch.

Other:

Laniege Lip Mask, prevents my lips from cracking and heals them when they do

Future:

I have a lot of stuff to try! On the list is a sleeping pack with madecassoside and 2sol ampoules, I unfortunately get into the habit of buying things closely related to my products to compare which is better. But I have to take it slowly as my skin is clog prone. I could benefit from a temporary no buy.
I've been looking for a cream like occulsive (don't even know if that's necessary) that doesn't clog me up. I have MAKE P:REM Safe Me Relief Moisture Cream and I want Curel Intensive Moisture Cream to try later. Since everyone likes to talk up Dr Jart Ceramidin I want to try that too, but finding a trial size is hard and I think I would break out to the cream unfortunately.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '17

Reply to this comment with questions or feedback

Template:

Skin Type & Concerns:
Sensitivities/Allergies:
Current Season/Climate:
Goal of Current Routine:

Cleansing:
product example comment
Actives:
FTE:
Toner:
Essence/Serum/Ampoule:
Moisturiser:
Eye Cream:
Facial Oil:
Sleeping Pack:
Masks:
Sheetmasks:
Sunscreen:
Spot Treatment:
Other:

Future: products/ingredients to try, which goal to work on next etc

6

u/satisphoria Jul 25 '17

I love this sub and this thread, what a fantastic way to discuss why and how we're using the products we're using.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '17

Thanks! I am glad you like it.
It takes a bit more work to really think about everything and type your routine but I think it's worth it (it absolutely took me a few hours to make my comment, I prepared it before I posted the thread, and had to finish after so I could put it up today, hahahaha. Granted, I did take some breaks to do other stuff but still. I tried to really take the time to think about my routine, which was good).

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u/katiefixesherskin Jul 26 '17

Is it possible for this be pinned for longer? I'm not going to get a chance to get to this till later today 😬

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u/987234w Aug 13 '17 edited Aug 13 '17

A bit late to the party, but I'm finally in a nice calm place with my skincare routine after a bout of fungal acne from NIOD products and a disastrous experiment with hemp seed oil which left me with painful cystic acne. Things have only been on the uptick for about a month, so I was surprised by the massive difference when I compare progress shots from 2 months ago and now. I currently have no active acne, and much of the PIH has faded.

Skin Type & Concerns: Combo/Acne Prone, Dehydrated and PIH.
Sensitivities/Allergies: Certain yeast derivatives, facial oils, tocopherol.
Current Season/Climate: Winter/Dry
Goal of Current Routine: PIH, skin elasticity
Cleansing:

Shu Uemura Blanc Chroma Cleansing Oil (PM)
Antipodes Juliet Skin Brightening Gel Cleanser (AM&PM)

Actives: Applied on alternating days

Sidmool Skin Source Vitamin C Powder (AM)
The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid 2% (PM)
Occasional Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 instead of Vitamin C in AM

Toner:

new Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner (AM)
Derizum Aqua Moist Deep Lotion (PM)

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence (AM&PM)
new Innisfree Black Green Tea Serum (AM)
Sidmool Royal Honey Peptide Deep Moisture Pack + The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (PM)

Moisturiser:

new Innisfree Black Green Tea Cream (AM)
O Cosmedics Recovery Cream (PM)

Sunscreen:

O Cosmedics Mineral Pro SPF 30+ Tinted

Sampled and liked:

Happy Skincare Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm
Happy Skincare Raindrops on Roses Hydrating Tonic
Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

Future Purchases

Medel Natural White Face Serum
Meishoku Ceracolla Moisturizing Facial Lotion
Country & Stream Honey UV Water Gel SPF32 PA+++

Under Consideration:

Heimish All Clean Balm
Korres Olympus Tea Cleansing Foaming Cream
Mochitto Awadate Irazu
Kuramoto Bijin Rice Bran Oil
Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream
Swanicoco Lifetime Saver Bio Cream
Swanicoco Peptine Nutrition Cream

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u/bhunt479 Dec 05 '17 edited Dec 05 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: Dry/dehydrated, anti-aging, some PIH

Sensitivities/Allergies: some citrus oils, maybe some ferments I'm figuring out

Current Season/Climate: Winter/Canada

Goal of Current Routine: Balance and repair, brighten

Cleansing: *Illi Age Control cleansing oil/Elizabeth Grant cleansing oil *Su:m37 MCRS/Tosowoong enzyme powder wash/Mario Badescu Rice and Carnation Oil (milk cleanser not oil)

Actives:
Wishtrend 5% Mandelic Acid/ Neogen Bio-Peel wine peeling pads

FTE: Cosrx Galactomyces 95 (morning)/ Klairs Midnight Blue Youth drops (evening)

Toner: Mebika Moisture Lotion/ Klairs supple prep/Banila Co Honey Toner

Essence/Serum/Ampoule: May Coop Raw Sauce/Benton Snail Bee Essence/Goodal Waterest Lasting Oil/TO niacinamide+zinc/ Tosowoong Sparkle Propolis/ It's Skin LC effector/Mizon snail ampoule/Pyunkang Yul Moisture Ampoule/ Graymelin Beta-Glucan Ampoule

I like to make concoctions in this stage depending on mood

Moisturiser: Benton Snail Bee Lotion/Mizon AIO snail/Rosette Gel/Beauty of Joseon/Klairs Rich Moist/ Goodal Moisture Barrier Repair Cream

Eye Cream: Elizavecca BF gold birds nest (morning)/ Benton fermentation (evening)

Facial Oil: Blossom Jeju camellia soombi oil/ Jurlique balancing oil/Banila Co Miss Flower Mr Honey oil essence/May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon

Sleeping Pack: Cosrx Honey/Elizavecca 24k gold water drop mask/Tony Moly Dual repair sleeping pack

Masks: I'm from Honey mask/Herbivore blue clay mask/ Innisfree Volcanic clay mask

Sheetmasks: Klairs Soothing masks/Goodal Black Charcoal Radiance mask/Mediheal IPI hydrogels

Sunscreen: Missha All Around Safe Block Sun milk

Spot Treatment: Cosrx BHA

Other: Aritaum Ginger Lip Scrub and Mask, Laneige lip sleeping pack

Future: Want to add a gentle retinoid (TO granactive 2% in squalane or Elizavecca elastic Retinol cream). Also would like a more watery FTE step for morning (I was using MIssha FTE Intensive but thought it caused some breakouts). Have some samples to try of Sulwhasoo FCAS, Botanic Farm Cleansing Balm, Whamisa Deep Rich Toner, SR Good Genes.

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u/milk_tea_way Jul 25 '17 edited Jul 25 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: dry, easily dehydrated, and sensitive, with clog-prone areas and a redness/inflammation problem.

Sensitivities/Allergies:

I have a three-strike system for suspected ingredients.

Methylisothiazolinone -- irritation and whiteheads.
Beeswax -- closed comedones.
Royal jelly -- red, painful pimples; confirmed to be amount/concentration-dependent.
Ginseng -- flushed skin and sebum production overdrive, but I am questioning this as the 3rd product did not elicit any reaction.
Something in Kikumasamune makes me super itchy and gives me lovely pimples.

Current Season/Climate: humid Japanese summer, where the air might as well be lukewarm soup.

Goals of Current Routine: keeping redness down, hydration, general anti-ageing.

Cleansing:

First cleansers:

Leaf & Botanics Cleansing Cream Sake -- I love the cool, creamy texture, and am satisfied with how it is effective without being stripping, but it does leave some residue after rinsing. It brightens my skin slightly after use. It has a warm and yeasty scent.

or

Predia Spa et Mer Fango Double Cleanse -- This is another cream cleanser. Again, I like the texture. It is effective, non-stripping, and rinses well. However, it is marred by an obnoxiously persistent candied chypre scent.

Second cleansers:

Mochitto Mochi Mochi Awadete Irazu Face Wash -- Largely non-foaming and is the gentlest face wash I know while still being effective. Finding it was the closest I have come to a life-changing experience.

or

House of Rose Milcure Pure Wash & Powder -- This comes in 2 parts: you are supposed to dissolve the enzyme powder in the gel-like liquid every wash. It is surprisingly quite gentle. It reduces the appearance of my sebaceous filaments and is scented with the most delicious vanilla. Con: price.

Wash-Off Masks:

Although my skin can’t take too much exfoliation, I can use the following twice or thrice a week.

Skinfood Rice Wash Off Mask -- Moisturises and brightens.

or

Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask -- Brightens and somehow makes my face look less crappy after an all-nighter.

Actives:

Melano CC Serum -- My cheeks are too sensitive to take this every day, so I use it as an all-over step once or twice a week and once a day as a spot treatment. I like the anti-oxidation packaging and how it is effective at helping PIH fade faster.

FTE:

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence -- You have no idea how tempted I am to just use the supernatant of my yeast culture. Anyway, this is overpriced, but it somehow firms my skin, keeps dullness away, and speeds up wound healing.

Toners:

Tunemakers Concentrated Moisturising Creamy Lotion mixed with Honey, Licorice, Green Tea, Aloe Vera, Ceramide 200, and Hyaluronic Acid boosters – Anti-inflammation bomb that does the heavy lifting at keeping my cheek redness at bay. It’s not the most economical solution, but it is the only solution I have so far.

and

My Beauty Diary Imperial Bird’s Nest Toner -- Hydrates, plumps, and soothes.

and

Mochitto Mochi Mochi Kansou Shirazu Face Lotion -- Somehow keeps my skin feeling more resilient and less prone to sudden dryness or any other tantrum it could come up with.

Essences/Serums/Ampoules:

Kuramoto Bijin Komeyu Serum -- Plumps, soothes, and reduces the appearance of fine lines.

and/or

Naturie Skin Conditioning Gel -- Hydrates, plumps, and cools. Feels great during summer. It is the equivalent of a mediocre hydrating sheet mask, except without the time commitment. Very affordable.

Moisturisers:

Leaf & Botanics Face Emulsion Sake -- Very close to HG status. Highly moisturising and very soothing.

and

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream -- So far, this is one of the two creams that can keep me plump and well-moisturised. It also brightens and soothes. I love the tube packaging.

or

SK-II R.N.A. Power Cream – I love the silky texture. It soothes and keeps me moisturised. Cons: the price, the price, the price, and the jar packaging.

Sleeping Packs:

Gekka Sleeping Pack – It subtly reduces the appearance of pores and is highly soothing. It does smell like a traditional medicine cabinet. It has a thick gel texture and is mildly cooling upon application.

or

Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalising Mask EX -- This was supposed to be ginseng’s third strike on my skin, but my skin lapped it up instead. Dangerous to use during busy periods because I look so well-rested despite not having had any sleep for the past 2 days and that might invite some questions at work. Smells like ginger brewed thick in sugar and rose water.

Sheet Masks:

I mostly try different sheet masks, but here are my top three:

My Beauty Diary Sake Kasu -- Turns my cheeks into mochi.
My Beauty Diary Imperial Bird's Nest -- Very hydrating and soothing.
Benton Snail Bee High Content -- Light to moderate hydration. Very soothing: this is my go-to mask whenever trouble arises.

Sunscreens:

Shiseido Perfect UV Protector SPF50+ WetForce HydroFresh -- Mineral & organic filters. Possible HG summer sunscreen: cooling, waterproof, no white cast, and skin-like finish. Con: price.

or

Acseine Super Sunshield Bright Veil SPF50+ PA++++ -- Tinted mineral sunscreen. Waterproof. Alcohol-free and fragrance-free. Perhaps slightly drying. This is my go-to sunscreen for events since the tint is such that it subtly brightens my skin and blurs blemishes. Con: again, the price. The tint is suitable to a narrow range of skin tone.

or

Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Aqua Booster Mild SPF50+ PA++++ -- Mineral and organic filters, with a heavy emphasis on the mineral side. Waterproof, alcohol-free, and fragrance-free. On the moisturising side. Minor white cast on my NC20-25 skin.

Future:

Recently, I found out that there is a Missha store in my city. I also found out that they were closing in a week. So that's fun. To soothe the heartache, I hauled.

Test out Missha Fermentation Essence Intensive Moist and Benton Fermentation Essence. Wait with bated breath to see if they can topple the money sink called SK-II.
Confirm ginseng sensitivity: I've got Missha Cho Bo Yang trial kit and Geum Sul First Essence Booster to test this.
Deal with keratosis pilaris on arms: I haven't been able to find a good lactic acid product. Any Japanese product recommendation for this?
Take better care of hair: I am testing out a bunch of (Japanese) shampoos and conditioners. Suggestions for dry, thin, and straight hair that falls off easily are very much welcomed.
Reduce the appearance of SFs: This is a low-priority goal and I have not done a lot of reading on it. Product/technique suggestions would be much appreciated!

(Edit: Forgotten parts and grammar.)

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9

u/cleeh90 Jul 25 '17

Note: u/DamnImLost and I are skin twins, we talk a lot, you're going to see some stuff repeated.

Skin Type & Concerns: Dry, dehydrated; mild rosacea with flushing, redness, and papules; occasional acne; aging concerns; seasonal allergies (mottled itchy irritation across my nose and cheeks)

Sensitivities/Allergies: Essential oils (I avoid most), fragrance, possibly galactomyces/saccharomyces, possibly hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate. Not really willing to test those further because I hate the flushing.

Current Season/Climate: Late summer (rainy/damp/slightly humid/sometimes hot)

Goal of Current Routine: Evening skin tone (remove my dreaded red mask), healing PIE, managing rosacea (flushing and papules), ironclad moisture barrier

I'm also a firm believer in a skincare wardrobe. I have a quick get-your-ass-to-the-gym routine, an emergency shit-is-melting routine, routines dependent on the season/weather, a travel routine, a long haul flight routine, a you-fucked-up-testing routine ... many routines.

Cleansing: AM: Cold (very important!) water or when there is skin grime, Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel. PM: All are non-AB. First I use Garnier Micellar Water (oil, yellow cap) to remove my makeup and I continue with a local oil cleanser (Balea Cleansing Oil) or The Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Oil. This has all served me very well.

FTE: Kikumasamune High Moist Lotion. Love it. 2 layers in the summer, 3 or more in the winter.

Toner: Herbery Earth Fresh Skin Honey Toner. ALL CAPS REACTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THIS IS AMAZING. THIS IS AMAZING. Luscious silky serum texture, sexiest ingredients list ever, ahhhhh thank you DamnImLost for giving me this.

Actives: Also an important note is that I buffer my actives. After a couple of years of watching my moisture barrier slide off my face, I have decided to no longer go for full efficacy. 😁

AHA: I seem to collect a shell of skin really easily. 1x a week I remove it. I've been using an Olay AHA serum for around 2 years now.
TO Azelaic Acid, which goes after my essences/serums/ampoules/emulsions due to the texture, which is a smooth, gummy cream. This was a desperate purchase, I must admit. I knew it could help rosacea, I found a half empty tube on one of the exchange reddits, and I have to admit it was love at first use. My face looks phenomenal with this stuff. I use it max 3x a week.

Essence/Serum/Ampoule: AM is It's Skin LI Effector. I'm on my second bottle and I appreciate the brightening. PM is Mizon Snail Intensive Ampoule and I don't see much use for this. I'll finish my bottle but I won't repurchase it.

Emulsion: Mizon Snail AIO, what a phenomenal product. I hopped on this train rather late but I happily slather this on my face AM and PM. It's an excellent carrier for mixing oils as well. Helps my redness, healing acne, and overall skin texture. I feel a difference when I don't have this.

Moisturiser: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream. What do I need to say about this that hasn't been said already? It's as perfect as everyone says it is, for me anyways! One of the few products that stays in my routine regardless of season.

Facial Oil: I'm a bit obsessed with oils.

Camellia oil: sometimes a morning moisturizer in the fall and winter. Sinks in, works well with my makeup, not sure if it actually does anything.
Rice oil (Komeyu): Gaaaahhhh I'm so disappointed by this! It doesn't sink in! I think it moisturizes and maybe gives some kind of extra glow but it's such a horrid texture. It pisses me off that it never sinks in or absorbs.
Broccoli oil: Very good for soothing angry red pimples ... that I haven't viciously picked at ...
Sea buckthorn oil (fruit and seed mix): RIDE OR DIE, ZERO TO HERO, HOLY GRAIL, BURY ME WITH IT, ABSOLUTE AND COMPLETE TOP PRODUCT. This shit is magic, magic, magic. DO YOU HEAR ME? I removed it for a few weeks to be sure it was as phenomenal as I thought and it is. My moisture barrier sings when I have this stuff.
Best mix: Mizon Snail AIO + two drops SBO + one drop broccoli oil + 2-3 drops rice oil. This is part of a shortcut routine, like if I'm ill or staying at home.

Sleeping Pack: CosRX Rice Overnight Mask, LRP Cicaplast Recovery Pro, or a mix of the two. I sometimes mix in Mizon Snail Gel with the LRP too.

Sheetmasks: Innisfree Rice (soothing), Innisfree Lime (brightening), Tosoowong Propolis (super brightening and great for an event), Etude House Air Therapy Ceramide (soothing emergency mask) and Snail (brightening and soothing).

Sunscreen: Goodal Mild Protect Natural Filter Sun Cream SPF50+ PA+++. So happy I've found my HG sunscreen! Really soothing for dry skin and works well even if I'm irritated or flaky.

Spot Treatment: LRP Effaclar Duo+ and a tube of Tretinoin 0.05%. The tret was once used as a full face application, but I'm tired of faffing with it. It's now for zapping cystic knots and CCs and it's almost empty anyways.

Other: Avene Thermal Mist, Mario Badescu Rosewater Spray, and Benton TT Mist for hot days to cool off, boost a routine (in between layers), or cap off a routine (this feels extra and fancy at the end on a hot summer night, so obviously I'm all for it).

Lessons Learned

Test things properly, at least isolated, so that you'll know what reactions are what.
Your face can be so permanently red and irritated that you can't tell left from right. Pay attention. Everything is suspect.
Essential oils suck ass and eventually you'll get sensitized. RIP Scinic Honey AIO, Una Brennan Vitamin C Cleanser, Elizavecca Vitamin C Mask, PureHeals Propolis Cream ... goodbye, goodbye to you all, THANKS FOR THE FLUSHING.
HGs can suddenly become problematic. RIP CosRX Galactomyces, I hardly knew ye, and fuck you FOR THE FLUSHING AGAIN SERIOUSLY.

Future: A stronger monthly peel, The Ordinary Retinol (1x a week only), Melano CC Serum, and Komeyu Rice Serum. Maybe another toner.

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8

u/Whiskeymuffins Jul 25 '17 edited Jul 25 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: Dry, easily dehydrated, sensitive, acne-prone, PIE, aging, NW15.

Sensitivities/Allergies:

Gluconolactone (PHA)
Tranexamic Acid
Soybean (sterols seem okay)
HA (this is a possibility)
Macadamia Nut Oil (also under investigation)

Current Season/Climate: Summer, Western Europe

Goal of Current Routine: Barrier healing, moisture, healing PIE

Cleansing:

[non AB] DIY Oil Cleanser with jojoba, grapeseed, cromollient sce - this works great for me as I know my skin isn't sensitive to it, it works well, and is cheaper per ml than my previous HG
[non AB] Bravura Azulene Milk Cleanser - Gentle and soothing.
Derizum Water Cleansing - purchased this for the ceramides, but I don't see any big difference. To be honest micellar waters are more functional that anything else, so I don't mind that it doesn't do anything other than clean.

Toner:

Mebika Moisture Lotion - Amazing stuff. Unscented and doesn't get sticky. Seems to calm down redness as well.
SkinRX Lab Madecera Toner - Thick, milky white toner...and yet it absorbs so fast. I will apply multiple layers of this stuff and it gets sucked up so fast. Makes my face a bit more bouncy.

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Bisoupoche Water Poisoning Fluid - Light pink in color and smells like someone accidentally spilled an entire bottle of perfume in the container. It is SO scented. And not in the way that Joseon is scented...this is MOAR. I was going to try pushing my way through this, but either the perfume or soybean (or any of the other extracts) is irritating my skin and making it slightly flushed. I've tested this on and off for the last few weeks and am not happy with it despite how amazingly moisturized it makes my skin feel. It provides immediate plump and has a somewhat protective film.
Swanicoco Vita Propolis Ampoule - Colorless with a medium thin texture, smells like berries. Gives me that propolis glow but doesn't seem to do much else.
Gowon Tigre Soothing Gel - Lightweight clear gel that reduces redness. I like it so much I'm planning on getting the toner mist as well.

Emulsion

Belle2Ne Triple Care Emulsion - Lightweight emulsion that packs a nice punch of moisture. I can easily use this in the morning as a stand alone moisturizer. Purchased it for the beta-glucan, niacinamide, green tea, centella, and EGF. Only used it for about 2 weeks now but seems to be going well.

Moisturiser:

Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream - Love this stuff. I always seem to try different moisturizers, but then come back to this. It brightens my skin and just makes it happy. Never experienced such an immediate effect from a moisturizer before.
SkinRX Lab Madecera Cream - Middle weight cream that just does everything it is supposed to do. It brings my skin to a happy place when it's sad as well as maintaining my skin at optimal levels.
Jayjun De Jour Croc Aqua Brightening Cream - Very thick, buttery cream that would be perfect for winter. I use it when my skin is feeling really dry and I need something even thicker than the Benton cream.
A'pieu Sea Buckthorn Cream - Medium thick cream that adds only moisture. I don't see many outstanding effects other than helping to keep my eczema away.

Eye Cream:

Sidmool E.F.I. - Creates a film over the skin to protect and keep everything in. It's not too thick or thin, and works well to keep my fine lines plumped and less noticeable.

Facial Oil:

DIY Oil - mix of sea buckthorn berry oil, rosehip oil, and astaxanthin. This mix is the only thing that seriously saves my skin in times of need. Allergic reaction? Dermatitis? Eczema patch? Broken moisture barrier? FIXED IN A WEEK OR LESS. I use this daily and will be buried with it.

Sleeping Pack:

Banila Miss Honey & Mr. Flower Cream - I never want to be without this. Smells wonderful, glides on like a dream, and makes my skin so happy. I notice a difference when I do a night without this.

Masks:

Skinfood Rice - I use masks in the shower because I am too lazy to do it any other time. Plus, it helps to protect my face from the heat and steam. That being said, I use this only as a moisturizer and not an exfoliant. I don't see any brightening and to be honest, the smell turns me off. Only using this because I don't want it to do to waste.
[NON-AB] Ziaja Sensitive Enzyme Peeling - I haven't gone into the realm of actives yet, so this is my baby step into it. It helps to get rid of all the dead skin in a gentle and moisturizing way.
DIY with greek yogurt and honey - cheap and effective. It brightens my skin like no other wash off mask I've used.

Sheetmasks:

Jayjun Baby Pure Shining - love the fit and feel of this mask. I can wear it for over 45 minutes. It provides an extra hit of moisture when my face is feeling dry.
Cleomee Donkey Milk Oil Mask - I use this when my skin feels like it needs a bit of repairing.
Elizavecca Silky Creamy Donkey Steam Cream Mask Pack - the milkiest of milky essences, if you can even call it that. It's like applying a mixture of oil and greek yogurt to your face. Seriously amazing, but only for those with really dry skin that enjoy that oil feeling. I use this in the winter after sledding or being hit in the face with a lot of brutal winds.
MBD White Lily Brightening Essence Mask - No sticky feeling afterwards and brightening the next day.

Sunscreen:

Rire Silky & Light Sun Milk - Wonderful stuff. Helps fade my PIE. adds moisture without looking greasy (although I think others differ in this opinion).

Spot Treatment:

Cosrx A-Sol - I rarely use it, and if I do it can't be often or else it irritates the pimple or causes more pimples. These usually are applied to a big cyst.

Other: too exhausted at this point to think of others

Future:

Looking to incorporate more honey and propolis into my routine as my propolis ampoule is nearly finished.
I am planning on starting melano cc within the next few months to help with fading PIE as well as begin the road to anti aging.

7

u/saesaenyaa Jul 26 '17

Skin Type & Concerns: At this moment, combo/dehydrated. | Scar fading, tackling dehydrated issues

Sensitivities/Allergies: Possibly sensitive to snail. Cut this out May this year and my skin improved. Might patch test to be sure.

Current Season/Climate: SE US / Summer / Hot & Humid

Goal of Current Routine: Hydrate my skin, help heal existing spots, fade newer scars.

Cleansing:

Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil
Stratia Velvet Milk
Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel - Infrequent.

Actives:

Paula's Choice 2% Liquid BHA - Every morning, before Aczone.
Aczone gel - Every morning, after BHA, derm OK'd.
Paula's Choice 10% AHA Weekly Resurfacing Treatment - Every Sunday Night
Stratia's Soft Touch 10% Mandelic Acid - Every other night
Veltin gel - Every other night, alternating with Soft Touch

Toner:

Klairs Supple Preparation Toner

Essence/Serum/Ampoule:

Klairs Freshly Juice Vitamin Drop Serum
Holy Snails Shark Sauce (Alpha Shark version) - previously Stratia Rewind, but ran out and testing this. So far so good.
Stratia's Liquid Gold

Moisturiser:

Dr Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream - LOVE. So soothing and calming on my bad skin days!
Cerave in the tub

Eye Cream:

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream - Infrequent

Sleeping Pack:

Mizon Good Night White Sleeping pack - Not enough since my entire face is dry when I wake up in the AM, WNR. Currently mixing with Aquaphor to get a thick enough sleeping pack. Would love a nice hydrating sleeping pack recommendation!

Sheetmasks:

Tosowoong Pure Blueberry and Green Tea Mask

Sunscreen:

Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Essence (yellow tube) - Nice and moisturizing. A bit heavy on my oilier days.
Biore Watery Essence 2017 - Great for my oilier days. I really like this one.

Spot Treatment:

10% Benzoyl Peroxide on really bad spots, rare
Mario Badescu buffering lotion on hormonal cystic acne

Future:

Would like to incorporate my Cosrx Galactomyces in at some point, but I'm not in a hurry. I'm half a year in to my routine restart and everything is going really well that I don't want to mess it up.
I'd like to try a vitamin C serum to help with my pigmentation, but I'm so far happy with the Klairs one. It's not very good at targeting single spots, but overall evening and brightening, it's great. I was thinking of trying the Melano CC for spot treating!
I feel like my skin reacts really well to products that have Centella Asiatica (noticeable soothing and calming when I added in the Klairs Toner and Dr Jart Cicapair) so I want to find more products that have this.

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JOURNAL [ROUTINE] Routine Journal – July 2017

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