A Black Woman's Introduction to K-Beauty Skin Care - Skin Care in Your 30's
This past Spring I had the luxury to dabble in a few new (to me) skin care products. Beginning at age 20, it seems as though my body and skin go through a transformation every 4-5 years. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s bad. Now in my mid-30s, my skin is more of the combination type which is very different from the oily years of my 20’s. Hyper-pigmentation is also a concern of my mine due to my issues with acne. Although I don’t break out often, (thanks to hormonal birth control), when I do I’m almost always left with one or two dark spots.
One day while scrolling on Facebook I saw a new selfie from a college friend and immediately jumped in her DMs to inquire what had her skin so supple and glowing. “Korean skin care.” she told me. A few years ago, I was the biggest fan of the 10-step Korean skin care routine, but looking back I’m baffled as to why I didn’t use any Korean skin care products at the time. My college friend suggested I start off with anything from the COSRX brand but specifically recommended the Rice Water Bright Foaming Cleanser by the Face Shop.
I threw the cleanser in my Amazon cart without hesitation and after a quick trip to Ulta I also purchased the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence as it was highly recommend online and by the Ulta Beauty Advisor.
The Rice Water Bright Foaming Cleanser is in a league of its own. There was such a difference after the first use that my skin rejected any continued use of my beloved Derma E cleansers. Fair warning, the foaming cleanser isn’t one I would use alone if you’re a double cleanser as it can leave your skin a bit dry. After a bit of research of what other cleanser I could use in conjunction with the foaming cleanser, I discovered the Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil. I’m not new to oil cleansing as the first step in my skin routine as I used to use Hemp Oil as part of my evening routine. The Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil is AMAZING! I’ve actually repurchased this twice because I use it both day and night.
Although together the Rice Water Bright products are a dynamic duo, the foaming cleanser can be too much for daily use for us with darker skin. After a month I began to notice my skin was lightening too much for my liking. For now I use it one to two times a week, kind of like a spa treatment. It’s also great for mornings when I accidently fall asleep in my make-up.
At the time of writing this post I’m about halfway through my bottle of Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence despite not having used it in the last few months. I really like this product and believe the only reason I am taking a break from it was because of the amount of time it took to dry down before I could apply the next steps in my routine (moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.).
About two months of using the cleansing oil, foaming cleanser and snail essence, I was pleased with the look of my skin but not the texture. Okay, I’ll be honest. I was chasing the “Glass Skin” look even though I heard that it wasn’t equivalent to healthy skin. Abrasive facial scrubs were a no for me after years of using Proactiv and that damn spinning facial brush. I had a faint idea about the benefits of AHA and BHA products but was always afraid to try them out. To my surprise, COSRX has an AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner that is an absolute God send. It can be used everyday but my skin enjoys it about 3-4 times a week at bedtime. The texture that once bothered me is no longer there. This product is definitely a 10 out 10!
Now here on The Blogger Next Dior, I’m about going to keep things straight with you. It’s impossible that EVERY K-Beauty skin care product I try will magically transform my skin for the better. Let me preface this by saying I am not bashing these next two products. They just didn’t work for me and unfortunately I let my return window to Amazon lapse lol!
Because I don’t use the COSRX toner everyday, I felt that I had to have another toner I could use everyday. I purchased the Istree Green Tea Fresh Toner based on it great reviews and claims to help balance the skin’s oil production. This toner is coffee colored so please proceed with caution when applying. After trying it for a few weeks, I realized that it wasn’t for me. It kind of felt like I was rubbing water into my skin as I didn’t notice any benefits after use.
Being that I was absolutely in love with the Rice Water Bright products I thought the Face Shop’s Rice Ceramide line would be just as amazing. Whew! The potency of the Moisturizing Emulsion is not to be played with! I only used this product once and the next day my face was ghostly. I’m talking straight Casper. I thought it was just a fluke but a friend of mine, who is also a skin care enthusiast like myself, noticed the quick and drastic brightening effect. I still keep the emulsion in rotation. I find it effective for newly formed pimples as it reduces redness and helps dark spots before they form.
Although my experience with Korean skin care is still fairly new, I truly believe that there is Asian skin care brand or product for everyone no matter their age or skin type. COSRX alone has changed my skin in a matter of days when other products (even ones from Sephora) took months to notice a difference.
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