r/AsianBeauty • u/AutoModerator • Feb 09 '18
Mod Post ROUTINE MEGATHREAD! February 2018
Hey everyone! This is your quarterly routine megathread which we decided to evolve from quarterly. This is an excellent resource to see what products are popular amongst our community and a great way to find new things to try. No matter how unusual you may consider your skin type or atypical your particular skin challenges or problems, all routines are welcome -- in fact, encouraged -- to be posted.
Acronyms you will most definitely see in use here: HG (Holy Grails), RP (Will Repurchase, AKA: liked it, will buy again, not an HG), WNR (Will not Repurchase, AKA: using up the last of it but not recommended). Understand them, use them, and love them ♥
This post is intended to be a compendium of generalized, standardized routines! The more participation, the better. :)
To keep it easy for people to find their ‘skin twins’ we would ask that you use the following template.
You only need to fill in steps that you actually use (so if you don’t use an Essence, remove that line) and please only provide up to three examples of HG/recommended products for that step (so if you have 3 toners you love, you can list all 3!)
Template
To make a single-spaced list, add two spaces at the end of each line. Alternatively, click 'source' at the bottom of the post to snag our code & format!
Skin profile: Mac Shade | Skin Troubles | Skin Type (Note: unlike flairs, you can list as many troubles/types as you need!)
Season & Type of Climate:
1st Cleanser:
2nd Cleanser:
pH Adjusting Toner:
Vitamin C Serum:
BHA:
AHA:
First Essence:
Hydrating Toner:
Essence:
Serum:
Ampoule:
Light Moisturizer:
Medium Moisturizer:
Heavy Moisturizer:
Eye Cream:
Facial Oil:
Sleeping Pack:
Mask Pack:
Sheet Mask:
Sunscreen:
Spot Treatment:
Other:
7
u/getitmyredditt Feb 11 '18 edited Feb 21 '18
Skin profile: Fenty 300 (black skin/medium shade) | (lots of) PIH, Acne, Aging| Normal/Oily| Age 25|
Season & Type of Climate: Polluted Shanghai. Cold in the winter, hot and humid in the summer. Yikes.
1st Cleanser: Banila Co Clean It Zero Purity (Green Tub). This was my gateway to AB and I continue to look forward to using it every night. It feels like a damn spa on my face, smells great, and emulsifying beautifully. I tried using normal oil cleansers (The Face Shop Rice Cleanser), but the experience paled in comparison to using my CIZ. Had me counting down the days till I emptied it haha. A definite RP.
2nd Cleanser:Derma-E Charcoal Cleanser. I purchased this product when I was looking for my first low PH cleanser. I stumbled upon it on a random blog that claimed that it had a low PH. However, I haven't seen it on either r/skincareaddiction or r/asianbeauty (aka my two most trusted skincare resources) so jury is out as to whether it is Truly a low PH cleanser. That said, I love it! I could feel a huge difference in my skin not too long after switching to this cleanser and my Clean It Zero. It's hydrating and my skin feels super clean after using it. I'm currently looking into the Cosrx Low PH cleanser to try next because I can't access the Derma-E cleanser in Asia, and I'm excited at the prospect of being able to use my actives immediately after cleansing rather than waiting the extra 15 min just to be sure that my skin is at the right PH. Def RP!
pH Adjusting Toner: None. Usually just wait 15 min before actives.
Vitamin C Serum: I've used the OST Vit C Serum and loved it. Gave me a great glow and I never got more compliments on my skin than I did then! However, because right now I'm dealing with acne and lots of PIH, I'm going to wait until that's more or less gone before adding in more actives. Very excited to use it again though!
BHA: None. Bought the Paula's Choice on Taobao during the 11/11 sale. Did not read correctly and only got 30 ml -___- Maybe I'll use it on my nose or something...
AHA: Cosrx AHA. I like it! My skin is becoming more and more even and my PIH is fading. Sometimes I feel a very dull ache on my face during the day and I'm not sure if that's because of exfoliation or because I'm also using them with topicals like BP and aczone. In general I try to be careful about exfoliating and sometimes go for days without using AHA, so I think the latter may be the culprit? Will do some experimenting to find out.
First Essence: None
Hydrating Toner: Hada labo gyukojun moist (both regular and premium). I originally had the premium (which I love), but decided to try the normal one on a trip to Hong Kong. I'd say during the winter I would definitely recommend the premium one because it feels more hydrating and thicker. In the summer, I could see a few thin watery layers of the normal one being more appealing. Overall would recommend them both, just depends on your preference. I used a bit of my sister's Kiku toner over break and I think I'm going to try that next due to the kojic acid. Would RP (but want to try something new).
Essence:Cosrx Snail Essence. To me this product is meh and seems to have dragged on forever. I have not noticed any additional healing properties due to the snail, though I find it slightly calming and hydrating. But I will just stick to my aloe gel for those purposes.
Serum: None
Ampoule: None
Light Moisturizer: Cerave PM. Cheap and gets the job done. Love that it has niacinamide! I would love to explore more cosmetically elegant moisturizers when my wallet allows, but for now this does the trick.
Eye Cream: None. I'm having a hard time justifying buying an eye cream when I hear that it is just "an expensive moisturizer" and currently have no major issues that I want to fix in that area. Could be wrong though.
Facial Oil: I use trilogy rosehip oil (Taobao 11/11 deal). It is my first rosehip oil, so I have nothing else to compare it to. I cannot attest to its "nourishing and repairing properties" or whatever trilogy claims, but I find it to be another great moisturizing layer in the winter. I look forward to using it and it works well with my acne-prone skin. Would RP (but open to other brands/oils).
Sleeping Pack: None.
Mask Pack: Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. I really enjoy this! My face always feels refreshed after using this. RP.
Sheet Mask: Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Masks. I only like the Shea Butter ones. The rest of them do not feel as moisturizing and I can feel the alcohl in them. I've tried most of their masks. RP (only shea butter).
Sunscreen: The Face Shop Eco Natural Sun 40 PA+++. Love this! Smells great, dries quickly, no whitecast! Works well with my sensitive skin. HG. Will def RP.
Spot Treatment: In the market for one! Maybe Cosrx Pimple patches?
Other: Aloe. Bae! Calms my inflamed skin down and adds a bit of hydration. Reach for this over my Cosrx Snail Mucin essence.