It’s no secret- the Koreans know what’s up when it comes to skincare, & it definitely shows in their flawless/dewy/perfect/super envious complexions.
I have been buying Korean skincare products over the past year, & have really loved all of them BUT I was still having some issues with breakouts, so I visited an acne specialist (shout out to my amazing reader Kayla Bush who recommended Danielle Gronich to me- if you live in SD, she is AMAZING!).
Danielle told me before the appointment to gather ALL of my skincare products & bring them to her so we can go through the ingredients. I was actually kinda scared she was gonna tell me my Korean beauty products were the culprit. I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH, I couldn’t bear tossing them.
When I got to the appointment, we went through everything & saved the Korean beauty products for last since we had to figure out translations for the ingredients. First thing she did, was put aside everything with coconut oil. YUP- coconut oil in skincare products is sadly a no go. She explained that when it gets into pores it solidifies into those pores & causes bumps, made total sense. She actually said she can tell if someone uses coconut oil during facials cause when she squeezes the little bumps- tiny hard balls of coconut oil come out.
SICK- right?! So anyways, when we got around to translating all of the Korean beauty product ingredients, we were both pretty shocked to find out they had ZERO of the “warning” ingredients she suggests to avoid. She was actually really excited about all of the products I had & you know something is good when the acne specialist wants to buy it.
That said, it’s been about a week in a half since I tossed out all the nasty chemical/coconut oil products & have only been using a scrub that she carries + a few of her serums + all of my Korean products. No joke, my skin is almost completely cleared up! A few scar reversal peels and I will be good to go!!
SO- what are these magical Korean skincare products I am so in love with? Let’s discuss…
1. Mizon Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser: This cleanser is seriously amazing! I know snail is super scary, but it is seriously magical for skin! The snail mucus foam (sound so gross) transforms into a bubbly foam & provides deep pore cleansing, sloughs away dead skin, gets rid of skin “waste” (i.e. blackheads) & leaves your skin super moisturized. It also has botanical extracts that keep your skin from getting irritated, so great for people with sensitive skin.
2. Skinfood Black Sugar Mask: Not only does this scrub smell AMAZING, but it is seriously the best scrub of all time (& also a Skinfood best seller for 10 years!). It’s a double whammy scrub- first you get your exfoliating in when rubbing it on your face & then the sugar melts into your skin and you let it sit for 10-15 minutes to let the vitamins & minerals go to work on restoring nutrients to your skin. It leaves your skin so smooth & not dry at all, like most scrubs tend to do!
3. Too Cool For School Egg Cream Mask: One of my favorite things about Korean skincare & beauty products, besides how well they work, is the packaging! The packaging is always so on point- it really makes skincare much more fun! This sheet mask is a realllll game changer. It is infused with egg yolk extract, which is extremely moisturizing & helps to bring radiance back into your skin. It’s very refreshing & my skin literally drinks it in. It also has definitely helped with fine lines & evening out my skin tone.
4. Tony Moly Goat Milk Aqua Whitening Cream: This is my go to night cream & one of the products the acne specialist was specifically pleased about. It contains 50% goat milk extract which is what helps to brighten your skin. It says whitening, but don’t worry- it doesn’t actually whiten your skin. It leaves your complexion looking glowing & gorgeous every morning. It’s also super lightweight & smells SO good.
5. Laneige Water Sleeping Pack: You may have noticed, a lot of these products are ALL about moisture, moisture, moisture. Koreans swear by all that moisture for the reason behind their perfectly dewy complexions- so now I am all about that moisture. This sleep pack is one I use about one-two times a week for a deep deep skin hydration. It is enriched with things like snow water, apricot extracts, ceramides, chestnut seed extract to help strengthen the skin barrier, evens out skin tone, & promote a faster turnover of skin cells. ALSO it is infused with a “Sleepscent” aromatic essence to actually help you sleep better. AMAZING, right?
6. Secret Key Treatment Essence: This is what I use for my toner, typically applied right after I wash my face. It’s a popular dupe for the expensive SK-II essence you may have heard about, and although I haven’t tried that one, this one is a real gem. It absorbs into the skin quickly & helps calm any inflammation/irritation (thanks to chamomile flower & green tea extract!).
7. Etude House Tiny My Brows Gel: This is not a skincare product, but I HAVE to talk about it anyways because it’s seriously the coolest. Basically, it’s a DIY at home eyebrow tint/tattoo makeup. You apply it to your brows, let it dry, & then peel it off to reveal dark & gorgeous brows. I have a full tutorial on this one coming soon to the Fashionlush app, but order it now because I promise- you will love it. I rarely go in for a tint at the salon anymore so it’d def. saved me some serious money!!
8. Skinfood Peach Sake Silky Finishing Powder: Also not a skincare product, but also too amazing not to share with you guys! I always have set my makeup with a finishing powder, but sometimes, they make my skin too white. This fine powder is infused with sake & peach extracts so it helps control oil really well & leaves my skin SO soft without any white residue. Also, it’s a great way to set your makeup to make it last way longer!
SO- there you have it! The full breakdown of all my top fave Korean skincare products. I am clearly super into the Korean skincare industry, so if you have any products you have tried & reccomend- let me know!! Always looking for new ones to test out.
x, E
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