Summer Skin Care: Part Three

So here it is, the results of my foray into (facial) skincare (I will update on body products later on). First of all, my skin, as my skin is of course different from yours. My skin is newly mature, menopausal, sensitive, fair to light coloured with neutral undertones. I have underlying redness, a very few enlarged pores, dehydrated patches, very slight occasional oiliness on my nose and a tiny area on my forehead. On the very rare times I get them, breakouts tend to occur on the drier patches of my face, around the periphery. It sounds as though I may have problem skin when I describe it like this but nothing could be further from the truth; my skin tends to look well even if I do nothing with it each day. The light malar rash I have almost looks like a healthy flush. After years of burning, I now also very quickly tan on my face in a light gold colour. On an associated note, always use TITTS for facial skincare (Take It To the Tits)! If it is going on my face, then it is also going on my neck and décolletage; they all get the most sun exposure! I also started this desperate for lip products, as I felt my lips were thinning with age, and I wanted something to plump them back up again that was less intrusive than Botox.

Here are the products I felt are winners, on my face, neck, and décolletage, in no particular order!

man:yo Face Oil is now my number one skincare go-to. It smells like a luxurious spa day, it draws everything off my skin, and it leaves it feeling soft and glowing. After some trial and error, I now absolutely subscribe to the double cleanse (oil based then water based) approach. It makes a huge difference, even in someone who rarely wears makeup.

Yep, you’ve spotted it, Cerave Foaming Cream Cleanser is not Korean. I tried a lot of cleanser samples, and most of them seemed more geared to young skin; oily or combination skin types may get on really well with the Korean options. Two of my daughters struggle with acne breakouts; they use Korean brands and love them. I, however, have dry skin and rosacea, and after my trial, I think these issues may have more British options, maybe because they are issues related to a temperate climate? Before testing the options, I was actively looking for alternate options to my Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, because I just did not think to rate it very highly. Well, now I am directly looking at it, and I have gone back to using it daily. I have noticed an improvement in its performance since adding in the Man:yo Oil Cleanser, perhaps because of the extra boost of alternate hydration. Just using the Man:yo alone is not as effective as using both, and I do not rate the Cerave Cleanser in the blue bottle, again probably because this is for oilier skin than mine. The Cerave Hydrating Cleanser (green bottle) is the best I have found, for me. I’ve been using this for literally years, and there is very little I do not just basically like about it, except the feel of it when I first put it on my skin. I would like it a little less gel-like and a little more creamy, but as a rule I do not like gel-based products. I would therefore call this one a reliable everyday workhorse, not exciting, but does what it says it will do.

I’m adding Dr Jart’s Cicapair Foaming Cleanser in as a ‘nice to have, but not essential’ option. I will say that using the full set of cicapair products will significantly reduce and control redness, if this is your only issue. The problem I had was that, after the bottle had been open and in use a few weeks, I took a dislike to the smell of it, and with Chronic Hemiplegic Migraines I cannot have an antagonistic scent on my skin as it will bring an attack on. I also found I could not use it every day because it was too drying. It was therefore in danger of irritating the rosacea I wanted it to help. I therefore now alternate it with my Cerave Cleanser whenever I feel my redness is flaring up again, just using it once or twice a week, which is enough to control the redness without the drying effect.

Beauty of Joseon has been getting a bit of a bad rap online, ostensibly for not actually being a Korean brand. I do not really understand this, as Beauty of Joseon is the Western brand and factory owned and controlled by RoundLab, one of the most popular core skincare brands in Korea. Surely this means the BoJ products are being made by a company with a hugely successful Korean track record; they are just marketed and sold under a more recognisable logo? Whatever the provenance, I was so suspicious I borrowed my daughter’s products before buying. After trying, I instantly bought full sized products of the items I liked best. This was the first, and I use it daily by patting onto newly cleansed skin; BoJ Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Toner. The water and milk contents separate when the bottle is stood; make sure to shake before using. This toner is lovely, creates the first step in that glassy glow we’re all looking for, and I can find no downsides to using it. It is even reasonably priced. BoJ sell a range of toners, this is the one considered best for hydation and dry skin.

COSRX 6 Peptide Skin Booster was my first serum, and OMG. When I put it on (it just feels like a second, slightly thicker toner), I thought, well that was probably a waste of money. Only then I noticed my enlarged pores tightening, my skin glowing, my skin tone appearing evened out, and I have not missed a day of use since. I love it, and it is fully established now in my daily routine.

I could not use Dr Jart’s Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream as an only moisturiser, and I suspect its best use is at night before bed, where it can really get to work on redness. I cannot be without this cream now, and I use it as a second serum, on the basis of ‘thinnest to thickest’ on the products applied to the skin. So watery first, creamy last, in order of thickness, so that they layer. It really does reduce redness and control it over time, and it calms the skin beautifully. It is not the most moisturising, and with my skin sensitivity, it needs moisturiser using with it to keep my skin calm.

This was an unexpected winner from a Korean skincare box that I trialled, and I now cannot be without this one either. I use Dr Althea 345 Relief Cream as my day cream, at the end of my routine. I do not like the slight gel-like consistency, but the results of this cream cannot be argued with. It completes the glassy glow and leaves me looking fresh and younger.

This is an old favourite (not Korean again), that has stood up to years of testing. It is one I genuinely love, and is a repeat purchase. The Cerave Moisturising Cream for Dry to Very Dry Skin. I apply this throughout the day to face, neck, décolletage, and also sometimes hands, elbows, and feet. It works, it feels beautiful, and leaves my skin looking amazing. After trialling other products, I took the same decision as I did with my Cerave Cleanser: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I admit I’m showcasing two here, one K-Beauty and the other a good, solid British brand. I wanted the Laniege Lip Sleeping Mask, but could not afford the £20 on the day, and got Boots Berry Lip Sleep Mask instead at £4. I then trialled my daughter’s Laniege. Are they the same? No, the Laniege is better, come on it’s 5 times the price, we knew that was coming. Is the Boots option decent? Yes, so decent I’m still using it daily, as I still don’t have £20 to blow on Laniege. Oh to be young and bill free again. The Laniege is much more plumping, and has a far lovelier, and less intrusive scent. The Boots option smells much stronger, but is pleasant as it is berry-scented, very moisturising, and I cannot fault it; it is a workhorse that does its job. I will still buy the Laniege as soon as I get £20 spare for pretty things, but in the meantime, I can happily use what I have, so if you’re as broke as me, buy this one, it’s okay!

If you’ve read right to the end, thank you, and I will update on body products in another part…