Guide | Asian Skincare Guide - Brands 101 - Lower Price Breakdown

The number of Korean / Asian skincare brands out there is straight up overwhelming for the beginner. So what's good to try and what's not when you're first starting out? What are particular points of differentiation between particular brands? I've wanted to create a guide to help others navigate the giant market that is Korean / Asian skincare. I hope this is a helpful introduction for those who are looking to insert Asian beauty products into their skincare routine. 

This guide is categorized by price range and is focused on popular brands in Korea. I've chosen these brands because they are often very popular in the Asian Beauty community or because they have a large product assortment. In other words, this is not a comprehensive list - there are other brands there I haven't covered here such as The Face Shop. 

• ($) Lower means many of the products cost <$15 and can be likened to drugstore pricing.
• ($$) Middle means a sizable portion of the products cost $15 and above - $50. 
• ($$$) Higher end means $50 and up. 

Pictured in the guide are links to some of the brands most popular products, which can give you an idea of some products that you might want to try first. 

NOTE: Brands that predominately make sheet masks will be covered in a separate guide. I am also planning on covering brands that specialize in BB / CC creams / make-up such as Skin79, A'Pieu, etc. 

Holika Holika is a relative newcomer to the Asian beauty scene as it was created in Korea in 2010. I would say their most talked about product is the Baby Foot Mask Sheet - as its name suggests, it is designed to turn your rough, dry and cracked feet baby smooth. I have heard from others who have used that mask that you will marvel as sheets of your skin peel off. (This mask perhaps isn't for the weary!) I have revealed a few of Holika Holika's other popular products here and here. 

(From left to right): Pig Nose Clear Blackhead 3 Step Kit | Baby Foot Mask Sheet (1 day use) 

Baviphat is sometimes also referred to as Urban Dollkiss (it does not appear to have a website). This brand does not have as wide of a variety of products as some of the other brands on this list. Overall, I believe this brand is better for young adults for similar reasons as detailed for Tony Moly below.

(From left to right): Apple AC Therapy Sleeping Pack - see also Lemon and Peach versions | Juicy Mask Sheet (various)

Tony Moly is also a brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. - I've seen it stocked at Ulta as well as Urban Outfitters! A lot of the products are really cutely packaged as it should be - Tony Moly means "putting style into packaging". however, I don't really like purchasing / using the cute products - the packaging often turns out to be hard to use and turns out to be more of style over substance in terms of product efficacy. The brand is relatively young (started in 2006) so this may provide an explanation. Overall, I believe this brand is better for young adults.
(From left to right): Peach Hand Cream | Panda's Dream Cool Eye Stick | I'm Real Sheet Masks (Varies) - Check out my detailed review of these masks here. 

It's Skin is another brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. - Currently many of its products are sold at Sephora. The company was started by dermatologists from Seoul University. The Power10 Formula Effector is one of the most popular It's Skin products and comes in 11 different types. 

(From left to right): Macaron Lip Balm (here and here) | Power 10 Formula Effector (Various) | Cookie & Body Ice Cream

Etude House - This is a brand that really wants its customers to feel like princesses (hence all the prink branding). The Wonder Pore Freshner is good for those with oily skin. I have reviewed the Baking Power Cleansing Foam here. I'm not the biggest fan of this brand because as someone with normal / combination skin that sometimes gets very dry I feel this brand is more for those with oily skin and would work better for young adults who have puberty-induced acne.

(Left to right): Moistfull Collagen Cream | Wonder Pore Fresher (Toner) | Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam (there is a new "upgraded version of this product so the packaging looks different from the one pictured)

Skinfood is a brand that seems to be making inroads in the U.S. I've seen it stocked at Ulta. I think Skinfood is a brand that will succeed in the U.S. just because of its dedication to food based ingredients and the fact that it was established in 1957. Skinfood has a wide variety of products that are in the realm of drugstore pricing, but also has more premium lines such as the Yuja Water and Fresh Apple lines, which can be categorized in the Middle category. Unlike a couple of other Korean skincare brands, it is actually pretty easy to shop on the Skinfood website, as opposed to eBay, with free shipping over $50 an a variety of discounts / promotions. I have reviewed Skinfood's Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask so far, read the review here.

(From left to right): Black Sugar Wash Off Mask | Peach Sake Toner | Egg White Pore Cleansing Foam 

Nature Republic - If you want to visit a Nature Republic store in person and are in the NYC area, you can find them located at 12 East 14th Street (call 646-952-0856 for hours) and at another location on 33 West 32nd Street (call 212-244-9444 for hours). The most popular product would probably be the Aloe Vera 92% Gel - it is good to use for a sunburn and often goes on sale!

(Left to right): Aloe Vera 92% Gel | Super Aqua Soft Peeling Gel | Aloe Vera Foam Cleanser

Overall: I would say that Tony Moly, Baviphat, Etude House, Holika Holika are for the younger / teenage consumer while Nature Republic and Skinfood have a broader applicability to adults and middle aged adults. 

Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions on any of the products listed, the brands listed, or anything else! Also stay tuned for my middle price and higher price brand breakdown to post by the end of this week!

Review | Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer & SPF 15 Sunscreen *Updated*

Hope everyone has had a good Memorial Day Weekend! Posting schedule will and will continue to be a bit sporadic in the next few weeks as I will be doing a bit of traveling for family events. 

One of my favorite teachers in middle school used to tell me that sunscreen is the key to youth because it will prevent sun damage, wrinkles, etc. I've carried that mantra around with me for 10+ years! This review is going to be for an oldie but goodie - Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer & SPF 15 Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin. So I am extremely picky about sunscreen - most times sunscreen is really sticky and I hate that. 

 

Packaging: Screw cap 177 ml or 6 ounces. This product comes in a variety of sizes (4 ounces, 6 ounces, etc.)

Pricing / Purchasing: (see scrolling links below):

• Here for $10.50 at Walgreens
• Here for $9 at Ulta (this is the smaller 4 ounce bottle, may be good if you are not sure you want to try the product yet) 

Color / Consistency: Thin for a sunscreen, not pasty at all

Scent: Has a very limited sunscreen smell. I absolutely hate sunscreen smell so for those who also hate that sunscreen chemical smell, this is mild and very tolerable.


Usage Tip(s): 

• Use at the end of your nighttime routine, unless you are using a sleeping pack, use this before your sleeping pack

Ingredients: Active Ingredients: 6.0% Octinoxate, 3.0% Zinc Oxide. Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone, Steareth-21, Stearyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polycotton-Seedate, Behenyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Steareth-2, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Oleth-3 Phosphate.

Review | CosRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser ** Updated **

I've wanted to try out gel cleansers because they are such a different texture than foam cleansers. I generally have a very high opinion of CosRX products - they are simply packaged and highly efficacious (check out my review of CosRX's BHA Blackhead Power Liquid) so it was a no brainier to pick this one.

Say hello to my little friend (bonus points if you know what movie this is from) - this adorable little cactus. You're going to be seeing a bunch of him and his friends in my pictures as I experiment with photos!

Packaging: Flip top 150 ml or ~ 5.07 ounces

Pricing / Purchasing:

• Here on Amazon.com for $10.80
• Here Sokoglam.com for $11

Color / Consistency: Clear with a consistency similar to gel hand sanitizer (see below for a picture)

Scent: Smells herbal, more specifically like tea tree oil (this is probably because tea tree is one of the ingredients in the product)

Usage Tip(s): 

• The directions do not tell you how much to use, I use about a dime size amount

Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDT

Wishlist | Hormonal Acne Over-the-Counter Treatments

I'm back to blogging! I'm going to be increasing my posting schedule to two days a week (sometimes 3 if I have time).  My new posting schedule is probably going to be something around the following: Wednesday (random skincare / deal post depending on if I have time), Friday Fashion (I've wanted to do more fashion and sample sale related posts), Sunday Skincare.

So without further ado, here is this week's random post!

This a story familiar to people who have suffered from hormonal acne for a long time or have a lot of stress in their lives that causes them to them break out. As a stressed out person with PCOS (for those of you who haven't heard of the condition, it causes you to have a hormonal imbalance which causes acne), I feel like I've tried everything on the market. I'm not sure why they don't put out stronger medical grade products out on the market, but there's no real judgment here because I'm not a scientist nor can I make scientific recommendations!

I've been looking to test out a variety of over-the-counter treatments for hormonal breakouts. Obviously, if you can afford to see a dermatologist on the regular, that is the best solution. But a good doctor is hard to come by in NYC... Anyways, I've come across a couple of products that I'm looking into trying and reviewing for the blog:

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion - Price: $19 for 1 oz. This product is formulated with nourishing B vitamins and amino acids. You can also use this before putting on makeup, so I am curious to see how this interacts with Korean BB creams. I have also read a few reviews that this is even better than the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, which is very similar to the Kate Somerville Eradikate Spot Treatment that I've reviewed in the past. However, I've seen reviews that say this is incredibly drying, which means it may not be the best for those with dry skin.

Renee Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Masque - Price: $61 for 1.7 oz. Not going to lie, the price freaks me out especially given how little you get and the fact that it is a gel product (always seem to run out of that type of product very quickly - you will hear more about this on Sunday when I review CosRX's Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser). However, this product seems interesting because the description says "When used at the first signs of breakouts or a few days before your monthly cycle, this groundbreaking anti-inflammatory gel face masque for acne will effectively disrupt the visible blemish cycle to encourage smoother skin with fewer noticeable bumps." Overall, I'm pretty skeptical about how well it is going to work - my skin gets incredibly oily before my period and stays that way for about a week...I'm not sure how a one-off mask will help. Also, I had a look at the ingredients - tea tree, salicylic acid, manuka among other ingredients - that doesn't wow me too much either especially given the high price.

Renee Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment - Price: $41 of 0.5 oz. I'm really intrigued by this formula because it is lactic acid–based. For those of you who are unfamiliar with lactic acid, it is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that can reduce wrinkles and acne and does so by exfoliating the skin. I've used lactic acid products by Makeup Artist's Choice and have loved those because it makes your face feel so rejuvenated (review to come, please use lactic acid products and any other type of acid with extreme caution!). Again, like the Rapid Response Detox Masque it's pricey...more so than what I could get at Makeup Artist's Choice...

Have any of you tried any of these products? What were your thoughts? Thanks for reading and let me know in the comments below!

Quest to Ban Bacne (Back Acne) Using Two Simple Steps

Summer is coming really quickly, which means it is time to bust out the backless and off-the-shoulder tops! However, I have noticed that I keep breaking out on my back and neck. In other words, I have "bacne". I've suffered from acne breakouts on my back for a long time, ever since I was a teenager.  I know one of the reasons for it is because my hair gets oily and that rubs against my back. Since I've been in grad school the crazy hormones have come back in full swing - my hair has been getting oily much faster than usual (every 2 days as opposed to 3).

Wishtrend has a simple back acne treatment routine that I wanted to try. Check out the article here for more details. Basically, it consists of two steps and I will be putting it to the test over the next 4 weeks!

Step 1: Dear, Klairs Be Clean Natural Body Soap in Manuka Honey This entire line of soaps is adorable (comes in 5 types - hair, face, body, foot, hand). They would be amazing gifts for friends. This particular one has a pungent smell of cocoa and I love it. I haven't used it yet, but I love manuka honey for skin products, as you can tell by my review of the Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Wash-off Mask so hopefully, this product will be great too.

• Here on eBay for US customers for $13.50
• Here on eBay for International customers for $13

Step 2: CosRX's AHA / BHA Clarifying Toner This is supposed to be a good all-purpose toner that gets rid of blackheads and whiteheads.

• Here on Amazon for $12
• Here on Wishtrend for $12
• Here on Ulta for $17

The full review of both of these products and a before and after picture of the progress that I've made on removing my bacne when I return. I am going on a blog hiatus for exam time. Can't wait!