General Info and Skin Type Mid-twenties, continental Europe. Dealing with hormonal acne (mostly CCs, sometimes cystic). My skin has calmed down a lot in the past three years, however, it’s sensitive and reacts almost immediately to anything it does not like. Always on the dryer side, my skin has been chronically dehydrated since I’ve started using tretinoin about 6 months ago. I get oily if I don’t moisturize properly. Been using actives for a total of 3 years, gradually progressing in strength and type.
Goals Evening out skin tone and texture, fading PIE/PIH, ridding myself of those last stubborn CCs. Have healthy looking skin with wrinkles in the right places as time goes on - smile lines are fine, frown lines are not ;-)
Patch testing method I patch test for 48 hours for allergic reactions, then I use the product on half my face for two weeks before evaluating if I should move on to a full faced test for another week or two. If I like it, the product stays. If I don’t, it goes on other parts of my body.
General approach to skin care Skin care for me is a ritual, I like taking my time. However, in the mornings, I get up so early that I tend to save my actives for my evening routine. I like products that feel luxurious, so texture, packaging and fragrance factor into my decision whether I want to keep a product or not. Bearing this in mind however - if something works, it works. I travel a lot, so I simplify my routine for days on the road and break it down to the basics plus maybe one product that I take along solely for the pleasure of application.
For ratings, I am using a scale aligned with Fiddy’s: 1/5 - This should be taken off the market. 2/5 - This product was actively bad for my skin but might work for someone else. 3/5 - Meh. Doesn’t hurt, doesn’t do anything special. 4/5 - Quite good, I am liking this product. 5/5 - I never want to replace this.
RP - Will repurchase. WNR - Will not repurchase. HG - Holy Grail.
Benton Snail Bee Essence This comes as a clear watery gel in a pump bottle. Easy to dispense and feels nice and cooling upon application. The smell is…well, weird - for me, it smells like dirt. However, it does not linger and while I enjoy nice fragrances, I am fine with my skincare not smelling perfectly pleasant. As this seems to be a favorite of this sub, I was a little disappointed that it didn’t do anything for me. It felt like it never quite sunk into my skin and rather formed a watery layer that was being pushed around. This could not be resolved by using less. I did not notice any effect, neither moisturizing nor healing nor soothing. My skin did not miss it when I left it out of my routine. In the end, I repurposed it as a cooling gel for my legs in summertime: I stuck it in the fridge and just massaged my calves with it after long runs. (3/5 - WNR)
Mizon Snail Recovery Gel This is a fairly odorless gel that comes in a tube. I’ll cut to the chase, I did not like this. It was sticky, no matter how little I applied, I never felt comfortable wearing it and after one particular instant where I applied this to my face next to an open window out in the country and five minutes later, my face was yellow with pollen sticking to it, I just said goodbye. Used this up as a body moisturizer, didn’t hurt, didn’t do much. (3/5 - WNR)
cosrx Snail 96 Mucin Essence Snail does not seem to do anything for me. After ditching the Benton Snail Bee Essence, I switched to this. Again, this is a clear gel dispensed in a pump bottle. It goes on well, sinks in fairly quickly and has a neutral fragrance. However, I did not notice any benefit from it and again, my skin did not miss the snail when I dropped it out of my routine. Currently using it after shaving my legs, it seems to help with razor burn. (3/5 - WNR)
Scinic Honey All-in-one Ampoule This is a very runny gel-like ampoule in a very impractical container. The tub is huge and in this sub, you’ll mostly hear that users have decanted it into another container for easier and more hygienic access. Same goes for me, I dispensed it from a pump bottle. It looks like honey, it smells almost like honey, a little goes a very long way and it’s full of good stuff. I can completely understand why it is so beloved, although I personally did not become a huge fan. It was decent and gave me a little boost of hydration, but I always felt it was sticky, even when using the most minuscule amounts or adding a mist afterwards. I wanted to love it so much but finally decided to part with it as part of my facial routine. I am currently using it as a moisturizing layer on my arms and hands after coming out of the shower. Weirdly enough, it’s not as sticky on my body, so I bask in the smell of sweet honey and enjoy it as part of my body care routine. (Face: 3/5 - WNR; Body: 4/5 - RP)
My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Sheet Mask Oh the plumpness! I love everything about this sheet mask. The fragrance is faint but pleasant, the mask is easy to unfold due to the plastic sheet stuck to it, simple to apply and the fit is fine. After leaving this on for 20 minutes, I notice a visible difference in hydration and firmness of skin, I feel plump and moisturized. This sheet mask was my savior when beginning to use tretinoin and I now enjoy it as a special treatment once a week. It is literally dripping with essence. The only reason I’m not rating it as a holy grail is that I’m stubborn and I want to have a reason to continue to try sheet masks in search of it. (4.8/5 - RP so much)
My Beauty Diary Apple Polyphenol Sheet Mask Similar to the Black Pearl, although not quite as moisturizing. I love these fresh out of the refrigerator in summertime. Bonus: This smells like apple cider. Yum. (4/5 - RP)
Tosowoong Pure Propolis Sheet Mask This is a decent sheet mask. The fit is good, it’s saturated with essence, it doesn’t smell like anything to me. The effect it has on my skin is no miracle, but I notice a good boost in hydration. The price point is fine as well. (3.8/5 - RP)
Submitted April 19, 2017 at 11:36PM by NotSoMuchDoctorHouse http://ift.tt/2pD3PgL AsianBeauty
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