This page was last updated on 1/16. If you want to see what I use in real-time, find me on instagram!
Skin Type: Dry
Skin Concerns: Inflammatory Acne, Redness/Irritation, Anti-Aging
The items listed below are the products I am currently using in my skincare wardrobe. Just because it is on the list does not mean I recommend it, nor does it mean I use it every day. If I’ve reviewed the product mentioned, the review is linked. If you have any specific questions feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email (vanityrexblog@gmail.com)! Ditto if you have any review requests. Items in BOLD are my category favorites.
AM Routine:
Cleanse (I only use one of the following)
- Just water, sometimes + Konjac Sponge or Tosowoong Hello Kitty Pore Brush
- Mochitto Mochi Mochi Awadate Irazu Face Wash
- Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk
- J.One Jelly Cleanser
Exfoliate (optional)
- Wish Formula C200 Bubble Peeling Pad
Toners, Essences, and Mists (i.e. watery steps. I will at maximum use 2)
- CosRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
- From Nature Age Treatment Essence
- Matsuyama Light Toning Lotion
- Benton Honest TT Mist
- LJH Tea Tree 70 Toner Mist
- Holy Snails Snowbang
- Swanicoco Snail Fermentation Toner
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Toner
- Dr.Ci:Labo VC100
Serums, Ampoules, and Emulsions (I usually use 1 or 2, sometimes I skip this step altogether in the mornings because these products tend to be sticky)
- Sakura Kokoro Beauty Essence
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Serum
- Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Emulsion
- Yuri Pibu Cucu Maronza Serum
- Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 Ampoule
- Keshimin Sealing Milk
- Kuramoto Bijin Hakumai Ferment Milk
- Kuramoto Bijin Hakumai Ferment Lotion
- Biyougeneki Rice Ceramide and Soy Ferment Lotion
- Swanicoco Ginseng Stem 99% Ampoule
Creams and oils (I only use one cream, sometimes I skip if I’m planning on using a super moisturizing sunscreen. Oils are very optional, and if I do use them it will be 1-2 drops mixed in with the cream or sometimes serum/ampoule)
- Cotte Face Gel
- Dr:Ci:Labo Aqua Collagen Gel Enrich Lift EX
- Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Cream
- Swanicoco Swan Cream – Butter Edition
Sunscreen (I only use one, obviously)
- Nivea Sun Protect Plus
- Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF50+ PA++++
- Country & Stream Honey UV Water Gel
- Mommy! UV Mild Gel
PM Routine
First Cleanse (I only use one of the following)
- Astalift Cleansing Oil
- Cremorlab TEN Gel Oil Cleanser
- Matsuyama Gel Cleanser
Second Cleanse (I only use one of the following)
- Muji Gel Cleansing
- Mochitto Mochi Mochi Awadate Irazu Face Wash
- Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk
- A.True Sweet Song Black Tea Cleansing Water
- J.One Jelly Cleanser
Exfoliate (optional)
- Swanicoco Coco Peeling 10% PHA
- Simplistic Skin Salve
Toners, Essences, and Mists (i.e. watery steps. I will at maximum use 2)
- CosRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
- From Nature Age Treatment Essence
- Matsuyama Light Toning Lotion
- Benton Honest TT Mist
- LJH Tea Tree 70 Toner Mist
- Holy Snails Snowbang
- Swanicoco Snail Fermentation Toner
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Toner
- Dr.Ci:Labo VC100
Sheet Mask and/or Lotion Mask – Really whatever I have on hand. See sheet mask reviews here.
Serums, Ampoules, and Emulsions (I usually use one or more at night)
- Sakura Kokoro Beauty Essence
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Serum
- Swanicoco Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Emulsion
- Yuri Pibu Cucu Maronza Serum
- Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 Ampoule
- Keshimin Sealing Milk
- Kuramoto Bijin Hakumai Ferment Milk
- Kuramoto Bijin Hakumai Ferment Lotion
- Biyougeneki Rice Ceramide and Soy Ferment Lotion
- Swanicoco Ginseng Stem 99% Ampoule
Creams (Use 1 Max, either as a moisturizer or as a sleeping pack.)
- Dr:Ci:Labo Aqua Collagen Gel Enrich Lift EX
- Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream
- Swanicoco Fermentation Care Cream
- Swanicoco Swan Cream
- History of Whoo Ginseng Honey Sleeping Pack
- DearPacker Moisture Mas Cream
Oils
- Mayumi Squalane Oil
- 2Sol Mayu Retinol Rejuventation Oil
- Kuramoto Bijin Komeyu Rice Bran Oil
- Stratia Skin Fortify
- Acure Organics Marula Oil
Hi Deborah,
I am 24 years old this year and trying to incorporate a night cream into my PM routine. I have combination skin (dry chin, oily T-one with occasional break-outs around forehead). Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks!
Stephanie
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Sorry you are VanityRex, I mixed up your name with another blogger. My bad!
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No worries!!
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Hi Stephanie,
As a general rule, I prefer to use creams that are light – medium consistency and to add face oils as needed, because thick oils can feel suffocating, even on my dry skin. A good cream to try, if you haven’t yet, is CosRX advanced 92 snail all in one cream. The texture is a little dense, but it’s not oily, sinks in like a dream and makes my skin super soft! Another cream I’m currently loving is Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream (Full size on Testerkorea and Peach & Lily, or Testerkorea also has a 20g sample tube of it for <$7). It is fairly juicy, as per the name, but the texture is more fluffy than dense, which I really like. It also contains ceramides, which is one of my favorite moisturizing ingredients. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions!!
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Hello hello,
I am wondering if I’m looking for a good light moisturizer which is better, neogen oil or waterest oil or guersion essence. I have a few gel type moisturizers and sleeping masks I layer.
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Hi there! Of the three you’ve listed, I would go with the Neogen oil. It sinks in the best so you can apply more or less of it as your skin needs! Just a heads up though – the texture (once shaken) is more emulsion/lotion-y than oily, despite its high oil content.
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Good day V.REX!
I need your advice here! I am looking for a light weight emulsion for combination dehydrated skin. How does the KB ferment lotion feels like? Is it rich or watery? Or would the KB milk do the trick for a daytime moisturiser?
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Hey there! The KB milk is not really rich or watery. It’s got kind of a soupy consistency but sinks in really well without leaving any film or residue. With combo skin, I think it could work as a daytime moisturizer as long as you’re not hanging out in a super dry, windy, or cold climate!
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Good Evening V. Rex
I was wondering could you give me some advise. I am currently on curology and my skin is super dry right now. It seem like no matter how much product I pile on, my skin just suck it all up. I was wondering if I add an emulsion to my routine, would it make it better or should I try more hydrating product. I am interest in either the Yuri Pibu Artichoke Power Essence or the Kuramoto Bijin Hakumai Ferment Milk. Which one do you think it better? If you have any suggest of any other product, please let me know. Thank you
AM rountine
Cosrx Low pH cleanser
Missha first time treatment
hada labo gokujyun premium lotion
Cosrx 96 snail essence
Scinic honey all and one ampoule
Guerisson 9 Complex Cream (I sometime add face oil)
goodal mild sunscreen PA+++
PM
Oil cleanser
Miracle rose stick
Curology
Missha first time treatment
hada labo gokujyun premium lotion
Cosrx 96 snail essence
missha night repairing ampoule
Scinic honey all and one ampoule
sheet mask
Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream
Guerisson 9 Complex Cream or it’s skin ginseng d’escargot creme
sleeping pack (sometime)
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Oh man. I definitely know that crazy flakiness you’re going through right now! I don’t think an emulsion would be most effective. I find that emulsions work best to use as light moisturizers, and not as well as an additional layering step. For example, the artichoke essence in particular sometimes starts to pill if I layer certain other products over it.
I would suggest looking for two types of products: oil-in-essence type products (the neogen dual layer ceramide oil and 2sol deep silky moisture are ones I’ve used; hyggee makes one too that’s pretty popular) and/or Japanese lotions.
If you go the lotion route, in addition to applying as a step in skincare, I would get some cotton squares and use the lotion to make lotion masks. I like to mix the lotion (the hada Labo gyokujyun lotion is a good option) with equal parts water, soak the cotton squares in the mix, then apply to my problem areas for 5-10 minutes. It’s a bit drippy but when my skin gets flakey lotion masks deem to quench my skin’s thirst better than sheet masks.
Lastly, what I find to be helpful is strategically using a face oil. Last winter, I had a lot of success applying a layer of moisturizing cream (Guerisson 9 complex cream and Aromatica Calendula juicy cream are ones I like), follow that with a layer of face oil (rice bran oil is my favorite to use), allow that to sink in, then add another layer of cream, and repeating until it feels like my skin can’t absorb anymore.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
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Hi V. Rex,
I’m wondering if you know which physical stores carry the Kuramoto Bijin items(milk and oil) in Tokyo? If not, where did you purchase yours, if you don’t mind me asking.
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Hi there! The I unfortunately do not know where it’s sold in Tokyo. Someone was kind enough to pick the bottles up from the Tonoike brewery. You could also purchase them from Amazon JP and have the items deliver to you in Tokyo if that is an option.
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Hi!
How do you like the Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk so far? I know that you have dry skin, but do you think it would be suitable for people with acne-prone-combo skin? Been wanting to try it, but not sure since it’s non-foaming.
Thanks!
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It’s GREAT! In general, cleansing milks aren’t my favorite type of cleanser because they often don’t have very much cleansing power, but the stratia velvet cleansing milk leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh without being stripping, drying, or irritating at all! Definitely worth trying I think!
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Hi
I am 34 and I live in Dubai… extremely hot climate and humid.
I want to start a good Korean skin care routine. I have dehydrated skin – dry, highly sensitive, redness and oily with large pores – seems like I have it all
I am confused on where to start because there are so many products out there.
Please help
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Hey V!!
Can you please tell us what you use on your body as I noticed you said you use toners and an AHA cream. I’m trying to combat uneven skin on my body and want to try an AHA cream, but would love to know what you use in general.
Thank you,
Bella
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Hi V.rex I have dry troubled skin.I am looking to get rid of it but I don’t know how or where I need to start.I also know I have very bad acne and dry skin is my main problem.Any help would be greatly appreciated.I can’t find anything to really help me.
Help!
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