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First things first, you guys are the best! I get the nicest comments about my skin on this blog and social media channels, and I truly appreciate every single one. However, few of you know that it wasn’t always so nice and clear. I am pretty happy with my skin’s overall appearance right now but it took a lot of work to get there.
I got the idea for this post after seeing some passive-aggressive comments on someone else’s Instagram. The blogger in question was recommending an anti-acne treatment and a lot of people mentioned that she already has perfect skin and they would rather have someone who actually struggles with acne endorse such products. I know what they meant, and I felt the same way on some level, but I would never leave comments like that because that’s just plain rude.
That got me wondering if my readers felt the same way, though, because I really only show my bare face when it’s in good condition. I think it’s only natural that we want to put our best face forward, and today I wanted to share part of my journey to healthy skin with you.
I always thought I took good care of my skin, even when it wasn’t the case. That was before I knew that companies can put misleading claims on the packaging, because technically most skincare products are not drugs and don’t have to be regulated by the FDA. In retrospect I now understand that the magazines and websites I went to for skincare tips and advice were full of bad information that lacked any ingredient research whatsoever.
I almost gave up on trying to deal with my skin’s constant breakouts that I could barely control, plus I started noticing fine lines and wrinkles slowly creeping up on me, and I wasn’t even close to my 30s yet! My acne scars would fade very slowly, so it was just a constant struggle to keep the face in good enough condition so I could cover it with foundation and call it a day.
CHANGE #1 – SUNSCREEN:
The first correct thing I did that really helped my skin was sunscreen. I know that everybody knows about it these days, but 7 or 8 years ago when I made that switch it was still not a wide-spread concept. Tanning salons were everywhere, and going for a quick tan during lunch break was a normal thing to do. Now we know more about the effects of UV rays on our skin than ever before, including the fact that prolonged sun exposure permanently damages your skin. That’s right, one good tan and your skin is damaged forever, even when the tan goes away. Suddenly, a tanning bed is not so appealing, is it?
After doing a ton of research on the effects sun radiation has on our body, I made a decision to stop tanning forever, and started using products with SPF every day, even if I am spending it indoors. I wouldn’t say that this method preserved my appearance from my mid-20s, but I definitely didn’t notice any lines pop up in several years, so I think I experienced the fruits of my labor firsthand.
Using sunscreen daily helped with fine lines and wrinkles, but I was still dealing with acne on a regular basis. I tried a lot of recommended products, and some popular ones even made my skin look worse than before. Yikes!
CHANGE #2 – KOREAN BEAUTY:
Around that time I got interested in Korean dramas. One day I was googling the name of an actor because I wanted to see more shows he starred in, and stumbled upon an ad with that actor endorsing a beauty brand. I got curious about the products and started looking up reviews. In turn, those reviews lead me to discover some amazing kbeauty blogs that I always refer to these days.
Since I was so new to kbeauty, I literally had no idea which brands were good, and which products I even wanted to try. The brands were not the only new thing though, the variety of novelty product types was overwhelming, too. Essences? Boosters? Ampoules? Sleeping packs? I mean…
At that point I was pretty familiar with the concept of beauty boxes [this used to be a box-only blog!], so I started wondering if maybe there are sampling services for kbeauty, too. That’s when I discovered Wishtrend’s Wish Boxes [I don’t think they do them anymore], and YesStyle sample boxes. I bought multiple versions of both and instantly found some new must haves.
I was really surprised that a lot of my Korean beauty finds worked better than skincare products I had used before. There was also a price shock: on average, Korean skincare is considerably cheaper than its Western counterparts. If you think there’s a lot of competition between the brands here in the US, you haven’t seen how harsh it is in Korea. Companies simply can’t afford to have bad products there, because the consumers are extremely savvy. Korea is truly a skincare-centric culture, and a compliment to your skin is one of the greatest to receive.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Korean skincare is that 10, 13, 15 or whatever steps is necessary. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. This is actually more of a concept, an approach toward building a customized routine that fits your skin’s current needs. It makes perfect sense when you think about it, but most of us have this ingrained cleanser-toner-moisturizer lineup that we have to follow if we want to have any shot at having good skin. How is that any different than being a slave to a 10-step routine?
I no longer remember what my routine was at the time, but right now it kinda looks like this. Yes, that’s a lot of steps, but this is what my skin is loving right now.
AM:
- Micellar water or gentle foaming cleanser.
- Tea tree essence for redness.
- Snail slime essence for repairing.
- Eye cream to depuff.
- Saccharomyces fermented ampoule for inner glow.
- Balmy moisturizer.
- Lightweight sunscreen.
PM:
- Oil cleanser.
- Foam cleanser.
- Micellar water.
- Eye cream.
- Retinol serum.
- Tea tree essence.
- Snail slime essence.
- Sheet mask.
- Oil serum.
- Balmy moisturizer.
- Sleeping pack.
This routine is tailored to my combination/dehydrated skin’s current needs. I work from home and my office is right next to a huge sliding door that lets a lot of sun in, so a sunscreen is a must. I am also in close proximity to a heater vent, so my face constantly feels dehydrated, hence the heavier moisturizer and serums. I also use tea tree essence religiously because it helps keep my breakouts at bay and calms any redness. In the evening I like to use my anti-aging retinoid and really load up the skin with good ingredients that will slowly soak in throughout the night.
CHANGE #3 – CLEANSERS & pH:
Simultaneously with discovering the world of Korean beauty, I also learned about the importance of low pH cleansers. That was my second biggest skincare shock after the sunscreen thing. It’s the kind of realization when you feel so sorry for yourself and just want to start the life over because you messed it up so bad. I know I am being dramatic, but honestly the way I felt was pretty darn close to that. I realized that I let you guys down, too, because on this very blog I raved about cleansers that I now wouldn’t touch with a 10ft. pole.
In short, the idea is to only use foaming cleansers with pH5.0 to 5.5 to protect your skin’s acid mantle. There is a lot of research to support this concept, so at this point it’s not even a question whether this is just another skincare fad or a real discovery anymore. There is literally no benefit to using harsh cleansers, only the cons. Did you know that compromised acid mantle is actually one of the leading causes of acne? Well, now you do!
I predict that eventually low pH cleansers will be the next big trend in skincare, kind of like BB creams are everywhere right now.
CHANGE #4 – DIET:
The last change made me finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. This will probably be the hardest one for a lot of people to do, because literally every thing on this list is something that most of us love and eat/drink daily. After a lot of research, I eliminated [or greatly limited] the following products:
- Dairy.
- Refined sugar.
- Processed food.
- Caffeine.
… basically, all the good things in life 🙂 However, it really made a difference. It took about 1 or 2 months before I realized that my breakouts are slowly going away, my skin doesn’t get congested immediately after cleansing, and the texture of my skin has improved a lot so it feels a lot smoother. Most importantly, my back acne was finally gone completely. I battled with it for a very long time and nothing helped, then all of a sudden it was gone just like that. The existing pimples healed up and never reappeared again, and all I have as a reminder of those days is a constellation of scars.
Just so we’re clear, I am not totally hardcore about these exclusions, because there’s nothing wrong with having a slice of a good New York style cheesecake once every few weeks or a cup of coffee when I am feeling particularly drowsy. However, like I said, these are no longer part of my daily life, I don’t even have them weekly to be honest. But if it happens it happens, and I never beat myself up over it.
THE RESULT:
The result of these changes is the face you see today on my blog and social media channels: my complexion is brighter [even whiter I’d say?], more even, and with very little post-acne pigmentation remaining. It took me years to learn how to research the best ingredients and listen to my skin’s needs, but in the end my efforts finally paid off. My face is no longer a scarred, irritated mess that I want to cover with a thick layer of foundation. Actually, I just bought a medium coverage pressed powder for the first time since high school, and I can’t wait to start using it!
Here are just some of my favorites that helped me get where I’m at right now:
Do you have a skincare journey to share? What is your biggest skincare concern these days? Have you tried Korean beauty products? Let me know in the comments below!
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That is such a good idea to try out the sample boxes for skincare. Generally I get annoyed when I get skincare in a sample box, but when you’re actually in the market for a new routine, particularly skincare that you don’t hear so much about, sample boxes are definitely the way to go. Your skin always looks so gorgeous and I definitely appreciate hearing more about your journey!
This is awesome. I am in my mid 30s and still trying to find what works best for me. I have been having more trouble with my skin in the last 3 years than I did as a teenager 🙁
Wow, amazing difference! I am going to price the Snail Bee High Content Essence and read a bit more about it. I’m searching for an essence to replace SK-II essence that too expensive.
Look into Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence (Intensive), it’s a dupe and costs a lot less. I recommend buying it at BeautyNet Korea, it’s the cheapest there and the shipping is free.
I really need to try figure out a better routine for myself. It always seems like skincare is so expensive though!
Not going to lie, it took me a lot of time, money, effort, and tears to get where I’m at. This is definitely a time-consuming process. However, I learned that skincare doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective. Like, one of my favorite Korean essences – Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence – is only $11 bucks or something. And one of my HG moisturizers from Mizon is just $4 per tube!
Wow, yeah that’s not so bad at all! Maybe I just need to figure out better places to shop skincare then.
I hear your struggle. I’ve been in exactly this space since last December, though my breakouts were far worse, a combination of acne and a staph infection. Now, though, things are so, so much better – all thanks to the amazing Mizon Snail Intensive Repair Ampoule (LOL that sounds just like an advert – I swear it isn’t and that I’ve bought some 10 bottles so far).
Girl, I remember reading your posts last year and I could totally relate to how much it must have sucked. So glad to hear you found products that are actually doing something! I currently have 4 Mizon products in my routine, including that ampoule, and they are all amazing.
My skin actually used to be worse, so naturally it never occurred to me to make closeup shots like that. I had the idea to document this when I actually started noticing results, and glad I took these pics because they remind me how awesome Kbeauty is!
I hear you about sounding like an ad though, I sing praises to LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence all the time, which I bought 3 backups for haha 🙂 Stuff is so good!
Loved seeing what you’re doing for skincare. I know K-beauty is supposed to be great.
So amazing! I had to see a dermatologist last month since starting in June my face (T zone) started breaking out. I figured it was most age – hormonal acne. They started me on a medicated topical foam and it’s cleaned up my nose and forehead, but chin is still struggling. I’m limited to what I can do as we are currently doing family planning.
I love the story of how you got into Korean skin care. It was the Amarte brand that got me hooked. Your skin looks fantastic so I guess that it’s worth all the effort.
I’m so glad you found a system that works for you!!
I’ve always admired your knowledge of skincare. I don’t know how to figure out the pH in products to know if they are low enough. I love how dedicated to your program you are – the results are totally worth it.
Your skin is absolutely gorgeous! I got hooked on Asian skin care/products after seeing people with amazing skin everywhere in Seoul. Seeing low prices for skin care products across all store shelves was the final nail in my addiction coffin. Thanks so much for sharing your routine with us!
This is such a fantastic and informative post! I find it funny when people complain about others endorsing products when they have great skin- perhaps their skin is great because they used it? I’ve got a list of Korean skincare products to try so I loved seeing our recommendations!
Great post. There are several causes of acne, those that are really resistant to over the counter, antibiotics, topical treatments, etc need to have their hormones (androgen, etc) checked hence, a referral to gyn or even endocrinologist is necessary. Your skin looks amazing and I second your sunscreens and lifestyle modifications tips
It’s so lovely to hear how well all of these products have worked for you, and how much better you feel/look! x
What a wonderful and thorough post!! I’m glad you were able to find a routine that really worked for you. Your skin is beautiful!!
I might have to look into these products. Your skin is amazing.
This is a very informative and helpful post! I’m seriously struggling with acne at the moment, and while it’s mostly hormonal, I wonder if any of this would help anyway? I’ve researched K-beauty and skincare in the past and it’s always intrigued me, because I know when it comes to skin care, their products tend to be superior to ours, but I never really knew where to look. Definitely love this post!
Your skin is gorgeous! I’m slowly sliding into an Asian beauty routine, replacing things as I run out. My skin so only it’s like transcended oily, I’d even call it greasy, and I’m ready to do something about it.
Wow! Great tips and your skin does look beautiful! I’m bookmarking and sharing this post!
Wow! Your skin looks amazing!! Fantastic post with tons of great info, I really appreciate it!
What cleansers that meet your criteria (foaming cleansers with pH5.0 to 5.5) would you recommend?
Wow this looks really good x
This post is SO helpful! My daughter (1 yo) is actually lactose intolerant and since I am still breastfeeding I have had to stay away from dairy. I am curious to get off my prescription medication that I currently use to help control my acne and see if it makes a difference. I used to get such BAD outbreaks. But I still drink caffeine….I don’t know if I could give up my coffee!! 🙁
And I am definitely bookmarking this page to check out these skincare products. I need to start buying some good, solid products!
I just recently statred getting into KBeauty products and I have to say that the ones I’ve tried so far are AMAZING! ‘ll have to add a few of these products to my list.
Wonderful post! I love these kind of posts that show the improvements. Tea tree oil? Just wrote about it on my latest post <3 Best always, xoxo
Hi there, thanks for the words. Loving your blog so far, I’m trying to soak up as much about K-beauty as I can. I see you have used Benton products, when in fact, I just returned the Benton essence you like because I read some scary reviews! Would you say it’s safe? I have similar skin concerns as you with some adult acne (I’m 24) but my skin isn’t dehydrated….yet. My main goal now is to get rid of acne pigmentation on my cheeks so I also thought the snail mucin wouldn’t be the right ingredient for me since I didn’t want a ton of extra moisture and would rather target whitening/brightening. Should I still try some snail products?
I was wary of Benton because of that incident, too. I heard that the company is now extremely strict about their quality control, so something like that should never happen again. To be fair, this essence is a great product that comes at a great price. It worked really well for my skin, especially when I was having breakouts. For hyperpigmentation I would suggest OST C20 or C21.5 serums, you can get them at Wishtrend with free shipping. Snail products are great for repairing the skin at night. While they’re good for moisture, it’s the reparative properties that make the ingredient so amazing.
Thanks! I just ordered Ciracle Vitamin C20 and a small size of Mizon snail repair cream. The thought of snail mucus actually makes me nauseated but I’ll see how it is.
So i initially I was wowed over by the photo improvements of your skin, but then I realized that you are wearing the same clothes & earrings in all the before and after photos, and the products that are photographed as part of the post aren’t even the same ones that are linked at the bottom. :/
Well, if by ‘clothes’ you mean my one and only bathrobe, then yes it is the same one. I had it for about 10 years now actually 🙂 And the earrings are a memento from my grandma who passed, I never take them off either, not even when I sleep. It’s ok to be skeptical. As for the products, I mentioned in the post that the improvements were over a 4-year span, so it makes sense that I didn’t even have them on hand to photograph. I only took pictures of what I had at the time.
Do you have links to the products? 🙂
There are links to some of the products I used in the widget above 🙂