Are you having trouble understanding how K-beauty skincare routines like mine come together? I often link to my skincare wardrobe to demonstrate the variety that makes Asian skincare and K-beauty in particular so great, but if you’re new to skincare routines that change by the day, it can be hard to visualize how that works. Looking at people’s skincare routines on Instagram can help (shockingly, the #skincareroutine tag is a good place to start, as is the #koreanskincare tag, and a lot of K-beauty bloggers post their skincare routines–my homegirl Snow does them frequently and I’m trying to do them more, too). IG isn’t the best place to explain the curation process, though. Stupid character limit. My skin and routine have gone through some changes lately, so now is a good time to explain how my morning and evening skincare routines happen.
Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk(*). Items originally provided by sponsors for review are marked with double asterisks(**).
How my skin has changed and how that changes my skincare routines
I went through a serious dry skin phase this last winter thanks to the aging process, acids, prescription tretinoin, the California drought, and SoCal’s often soul-suckingly arid weather. It was rough, but I didn’t want my skin to be. I turned to facial oils and other dry skin best practices to keep my skin supple and comfy.
Things have turned around in the last few weeks. My tolerance to my current tretinoin prescription grew, and the weather got a little damper. Most importantly (I think), I dropped my AHA and BHA chemical exfoliants from my routine. I’d set them aside to test other exfoliants but planned to reincorporate them into my routine. I discovered, however, that my skin much prefers being without them. Tretinoin already accelerates the skin renewal process, and an occasional scrub and the much gentler enzyme exfoliants I’ve been testing are perfectly capable of keeping my skin surface smooth and fresh. My skin never feels thin or tight anymore and never gets that dry-shiny look of overexfoliation. AHAs and BHAs are great for many people and were great for me before tret, but at this point, I might never go back.
Thanks to all these changes, I haven’t had to use oils in weeks and don’t often feel the need for my ultra-heavy standards, like the Banila Co Miss Flower and Mr Honey essence oil and cream that got me through the winter. Instead, I focus more on thinner layers of lighter hydrating products. I do miss my oils and super-moisturizing products sometimes, but you gotta do what your skin needs you to do.
My typical morning skincare routine
Working from home doesn’t mean I’m okay with a routine that takes the entire morning to complete. For day, I start with a foaming cleanser, then choose just a handful of products, favoring those that sink in quickly and won’t cause my sunscreen or makeup to ball up or look cakey. My morning skincare routine protects my skin from UV damage with sunscreen and antioxidants and typically looks something like this:
Toner: I almost always start with Dear by Enprani Moistfull Booskin. Weightless and quick-absorbing, it softens my skin, delivers antioxidants from floral and herbal extracts, and makes the following steps sink in faster, as if by magic.
Hydrator: Next comes a plumping hydrator to fill in fine lines and give me that juicy, dewy glow. My options are Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil and exciting newcomer Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion. Released late last year in Japan and still a challenge to find in some areas (I bought mine from this Amazon listing* and had to wait weeks for delivery), the Premium Lotion contains five different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. This allows it to plump and hydrate skin at several different depths. I’ll be reviewing it very very soon; for now, let’s just say I definitely feel the difference between this and the OG Gokujyun Lotion that I was always putting down and picking back up again. The thick, gel-like Premium Lotion takes longer to absorb, but when it does, my skin absolutely puffs up with moisture.
Snail: I love my snail, primarily because snail mucin has been proven capable of significantly improving photodamaged skin. I gravitate towards snail products with the highest concentration of snail. That means that for my snail step, I’ll be choosing between COSRX’s Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (96% snail goo!) and Snail 92 All In One Cream (92% snail!). If my skin feels like it needs more deep hydration, I use the essence. If my skin feels like it needs more surface smoothing, I use the cream. And although the cream makes a great light final step moisturizer for those normal-skin days, I prefer to use it as an essence with a cream consistency. I haven’t noticed any issues with later products absorbing over it.
Serum: After the snail step, I add one or two additional antioxidant products from the essence and serum/ampoule sections of my skincare wardrobe. Innisfree Orchid Enriched Essence**, provided by Jolse for review, provides antioxidant-rich citrus, green tea, and orchid extracts. Other options contain different types of antioxidants. Also provided by Jolse, Mamonde First Energy Serum** emphasizes honeysuckle and other floral extracts and Primera Super Sprout Serum** offers sprout and grain extracts and oils. My Banila Co Miss Flower & Mr Honey Essence Oil and newly introduced Let’s Cure Honeybunny Propolis 40 Ampoule protect skin with honey, propolis, and royal jelly.
If I’m in a rush or my skin doesn’t feel especially needy, I skip the second serum step. If I’ve got time and/or my skin needs some extra moisture, I’ll choose whichever essence or serum gives the level of extra moisture I’m looking for.
Morning masking bonus step: If I have a special outing planned later in the day or got up early enough to justify rewarding myself, I’ll sometimes do a morning sheet mask. When I do, I use it between my serum and my moisturizer. I’ve found that using sheet masks on top of other steps, rather than before them, seems to improve product absorption overall thanks to the extra penetration enhancers in sheet mask serums and because moist skin absorbs better.
Moisturizer: Dropping acids has improved my skin so much that I can now get away with a light lotion for my daytime moisturizer, as long as it’s the right light lotion. COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion**, provided by Wishtrend*, has a thin, milky consistency but somehow moisturizes well enough to prevent tightness and dryness all the way to the beginning of my evening routine. It dries fast, making it a great time-saver, and it doesn’t pill up under any of the Japanese sunscreens I own. Because my final morning step, of course, is sunscreen. Sunscreen every day, rain or shine. It’s the most critical weapon in my anti-aging arsenal, and the actives I use during my evening routine make it an absolute necessity.
My typical evening skincare routine
I’m a pretty big homebody and don’t often go out at night, so I have the luxury of patting things onto my face all evening if I want. That means that my evening skincare routine is a lot more extensive and a lot less curated than my morning routine. You can sum it up in one phrase: Use All The Things!
For this section, instead of going through every single possible step I might do during my evening skincare routine, I’m going to talk about the steps not covered in the morning skincare routine.
Assume that this evening routine begins with a double cleanse. Since I wear sunscreen every day, I double cleanse every night. Then the fun stuff starts.
Wash-off mask bonus step: I like wash-off masks almost as much as I like sheet masks, and I’ve amassed a pretty good collection of them over the last few months. Wash-off packs fall into a few broad categories, with some minor crossover: clay masks, exfoliating scrub masks, and nourishing/moisturizing masks. There’s a lot of confusion about when one should do a wash-off mask. I do clarifying masks, like clay masks and exfoliating scrubs, after my cleansing oil but before my foaming cleanser, so that my second cleanse can remove any mask residue that rinsing missed. I use nourishing/moisturizing masks, like my favorite I’m From Honey Mask, after my second cleanser. Nourishing masks are intended to add something into your skin, and I don’t want to turn around and immediately wash all that away.
pH-dependent and prescription actives (L-ascorbic acid vitamin C serum, chemical exfoliants, tretinoin): The heavy hitters of my anti-aging skincare regimen are pH-dependent actives like vitamin C serum and chemical exfoliants, and prescription actives like tretinoin and other Rx-only retinoids. Any skincare product will absorb best if applied to bare or close-to-bare skin, and these take priority. Every other day, I apply vitamin C serum first, wait 15 minutes for it to absorb, then follow it up with my current chemical exfoliants, which I let dry before moving on to my Curology anti-aging prescription. On the alternating days, I skip vitamin C serum and chemical exfoliants and apply Curology straight to cleansed skin. Either way, I wait at least 20 minutes after applying the Curology before I continue with my routine. (Usually it’s more like an hour, because 20 minutes is long enough for me to get sucked into some activity, like, say, writing a blog post, and then I lose track of time.)
Toner, essence, snails and serum: As I confessed already, in the evening, with lots of time and no concerns about sunscreen or makeup, I get to go wild. No need to cover toners, hydrators, essences, snails, or serums again, though. Let’s skip to more fun stuff!
Sheet masks and hydrogel masks: Some people dislike sheet masks and never do them. Some use them occasionally, once or twice a month, as a special treat or before an event. Others do them often and regularly. I do sheet masks nearly every night, and when my skin seems to need even more moisture after the first mask comes off, I do two. I keep a big variety of sheet masks so that I don’t get bored and have a flavor to address any skin issue or ingredient craving I might have.
When my skin’s especially thirsty, I have another way to boost the moisture and maximize the plumping: double dipping! Someone on Reddit introduced me to the idea of double dipping ages and ages ago, and it’s come in handy on many a dry weather or dry skin day. Pat in an extra layer of hydrating toner or essence, something full of hyaluronic acid, either before your sheet mask or between your first and second sheet masks. The humectants in the hydrating product will help draw more of the sheet mask essence into your skin, where it can give you more of that plump, juicy glow.
Creams and sleeping packs: Over the last half-year or so, I’ve found that my skin absolutely adores creams and sleeping packs. Ending my evening routine with them almost guarantees that I’ll wake up to soft, smooth, firm, and radiant skin. Those effects become addictive very quickly. I try to always finish up with something that will put my skin in top condition in the morning.
Depending on how my skin’s feeling at the end of my routine and which products I’m thinking of using, I’ll end my routine either by layering a sleeping pack over a cream, or using just a cream or just a sleeping pack. Or sometimes a light sleeping pack under a heavy one. Same with creams.Basically, I choose something thick and rich and something light. A lighter cream pairs with a heavier sleeping pack, like my Goodal Nature’s Solution Firming Sleeping Pack. A heavier cream, like my Freeset donkey milkHEEHAW, gets sealed in with a watery sleeping pack, like my COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask or Innisfree Green Tea Sleeping Pack, that forms a barrier without unnecessary richness. Finally, if I’m really tired and want to go to bed fast, I slap on a generous portion of the incredible Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask, which is everything Sheryll of The Wanderlust Project said it is.
Of course, YMMV and my kind of skincare routine isn’t for everybody. For one thing, some of you probably have fewer small children and more evening plans than I do. If you want to take a look at a totally different approach to skincare, check out Lord Fiddy’s skincare routine below!
One man’s simple K-beauty skincare routine
Lord Fiddy has now had his own K-beauty skincare routine for many months, and he’s stuck with it this whole time. His is pared down and doesn’t vary day-to-day, but it is customized to his needs and changes as I find better products for his skin.
Lord Fiddy cleanses once a day with a low-pH foaming facial cleanser. While he likes the Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash, his favorite cleanser is COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. He finds he hardly ever gets blemishes when he uses that regularly. Same goes for COSRX Natural BHA Returning A-Sol, which he uses daily as a blemish-preventing toner and occasionally as a spot treatment to rapidly shrink big, painful, deep-under-the-skin pimples. He gets his hydration and antioxidants from Innisfree’s The Green Tea Seed Serum and uses Innisfree Green Tea Balancing Lotion as his moisturizer. And when he remembers, Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream moisturizes his eye area just enough.
This routine has worked so well for Lord Fiddy that he’s already on his second tube of the COSRX cleanser and his second bottle of the Innisfree green tea serum. A second bottle of the COSRX A-Sol is headed towards us. Once a guy who used to wash his face with whatever bar soap or body wash he grabbed first in the shower, he’s undergone a complete transformation.
The final step Lord Fiddy needed in his skincare life is sunscreen. Unfortunately, he’d always refused to give it a chance. Then he caught a glimpse of the IOPE Men cushion, which lets men get in on the cushion action, without threatening their self-perceived masculinity, by packing tinted sunscreen into a cushion case covered in elegant brushed steel.
He loves his cushion as much as I love my…everything.
If you enjoy seeing skincare routines like these, make sure to follow me on Snapchat, where my handle is mommasharkus! The vast majority of my snaps are skincare routine snaps (and I snap a lot), so you can follow along with me in real time. And follow me on Instagram, where I’m @fiddysnails, if you’d rather see it all in one shot.
How do you put your skincare routine together? Do you have a set routine or are you a pick-and-chooser?
Fifty Shades of Snail 
Hi Fiddy Love love love your blog, find it very helpful for a K-beauty beginner. I just bought a lot of products U recommended as your 2015 best at Testerkorea and Wishtrend. I am a Chinese grew up in Poland and turned up 30 a little while ago;) I have dehydrated skin, acneprone with some acne marks on cheeks and sometimes a little oily at T-zone. I just begone in December using Missha First Treatment Essence as my first Korean skincare product (starting see first results) and want to change my western skincare to Asian 🙂 Also starting use Korean BB CREAMS.
Could U please help me with my skincare routine products order? I already have Klairs products and waiting for my delivery with Cosrx and other products.
Am routine:
1. Klairs rich moist foaming cleanser
2. Wait a few minutes my skin to dry and use D’arsonval Handheld HIGH FREQUENCY (are U familiar with this equipment?)
3. Klairs supple preparation facial toner (can it be used as ph balancing toner before vitamin C and bha, aha acids?)
4. Klairs juiced vitamin drop ( do I have to wait minimum 15 min before other products? )
5. Missha FTE
6. Cosrx-advanced-snail-96-mucin-power-essence
7. Morningtree Revitalizing Pore Complete Solution Whitening Anti-wrinkle Silver roller as Eye serum and a Eye cream after(use polish product)
8. Klairs moist soothing cream
9. Biore UV Aqua Rich sunscreen (waiting for sunny days;) or Blanc Doux Pinot Noir UV shield & Tone-up SPF 35 PA++ (are U familiar with this sunscreen is it ok for European very cloudy and cold winter?)
PM routine:
1. ILLI Total aging cleansing oil
2. Klairs rich moist foaming cleanser
3. Wait a few minutes my skin to dry and use D’arsonval Handheld HIGH FREQUENCY
4. Kairs supple preparation facial toner (good toner before acids?)
5. Klairs juiced vitamin drop (wait 15min??? Should I use this product before bha and aha?)
6. Cosrx BHA black head power liquid (wait 20min???)
7. Codex AHA whitehead power liquid (wait 20min??? Should I use bha and aha together or change every night and use one product?)
8. Missha FTE
9. Cosrx-advanced-snail-96-mucin-power-essence
10. Morningtree Revitalizing Pore Complete Solution Whitening Anti-wrinkle Silver roller as Eye serum and a Eye cream after(use polish product)
11. Klairs moist soothing cream
12. DERMA HOUSE Perfect Moisture Whitening Mask as sleeping mask (can I use it as sleeping mask???) or Cosrx Rice Overnight (waiting for delivery)
I also got:
1. INNISFREE SUPER VOLCANIC PORE CLAY MASK – use after double cleanse? How often?
2. TONYMOLY FLORIA BRIGHTENING PEELING GEL – same question:) use after double cleanse? How often?
3. SKINFOOD RICE WASHOFF MASK – same question:) use after double cleanse? How often?
4. NATURE REPUBLIC ALOE VERA 92% SOOTHING GEL – how can I put this product into my routine as serum or sleeping mask?
Thank U for reading my comment, it is little long and hope U will help me with my routine:)
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I adore your writing. Full of info and it cracks me up. Thanks to your blog I have an AB routine of my own and my skin is so happy 🙂
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Hi Fiddy,
I just have a couple of questions:
1) Since starting curology, do you still occasionally do that pore extracting routine, the one with the clay mask and the BHA?
2) What’s Lord Fiddy’s skin like? Prone to dryness, combo, etc.
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Hiya! No, I never do that routine anymore as it would be a bit too drying for my tretface, I think. And Lord Fiddy’s skin is combo/oily.
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I love your blog! One question: I use prescription tretinoin for anti-aging, and I was told (by the nurse at CVS who prescribed, not an MD derm) not to moisturize afterwards – which really cramps my style and skin! Like you, I take GREAT pleasure in my long lengthy skin rituals. Plus, my skin needs the moisture – there’s only so much one can pile on at 7 am! Have you found that the retin-A/retinol treatments are ok to be moisturized after the hour, or do you think they would be more effective if left as the last step?
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That’s super random, especially since tretinoin and other retinoids can cause so much dryness! I wonder if she meant that you should wait 20+ minutes after applying it so that the active has time to absorb, before moisturizing on top?
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This is just what works for me & based on what I’ve read, (I’m a nurse too) since retin-A is fat soluble it can be put on top of moisturizer (as well as underneath). I have seen sources say it slows absorption, which actually can be better for more sensitive skin like mine. So basically you’re getting like a timed release all night instead of a big dose all at once. (But something like vitamin C is water soluble, which is why it must go right against bare skin.) Again, this is just my take away. YMMV.
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When I look at that IOPE Men’s Cushion, it reminds me of “Powerthirst” (humorous fake ad for an energy drink). So much manliness in that compact…
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Ichiban: lipstick for men!
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I’ve been trying to get my partner to take better care of his skin, and I considered getting him some Innisfree stuff. His concern is that most K-beauty products, even products made specifically for men, aren’t really made with bearded faces in mind. I haven’t seen any beard-care products, in any case. Getting any moisture to penetrate through that forest he calls a jaw is a challenge even when his beard is shorter–you should see the way face masks just sort of hang off his nose because they can’t find any purchase on his chin. And his skin there is sensitive and tends to break out, so he certainly needs some care. But what to do??? Is Lord Fiddy bearded? Might he have some suggestions?
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Lord Fiddy is bearded and from what I understand, he uhh….well the skin under his beard just doesn’t get as much moisture as the rest of him!
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Mariana, I haven’t tried this, so it’s just a theory. I was thinking about getting my dude one of the Daiso mask covers, with the thought that it would hold sheet masks onto his face, regardless of beardage. If my Daiso would ever put those mask covers on his display, I will happily test this theory.
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I like the idea of using clarifying masks before the foaming cleanser. I’ve been doing it after and get somewhat annoyed at washing my face twice (seems so moisture-zapping). –Angela
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Long time no chat, Fiddy! 🙂 loved this post. I have recently changed my routine, and it’s always fun to read other routines (when I’m not getting sucked into reading r/AsianBeauty!)
I’m using up my original gokujyun lotion under sheet masks, as you mention in your post. It does help to pull more lovely moisture in! And, as I find the gokujyun a bit annoying due to it’s stickiness, I don’t notice that as much if I use it for “under-masking”. I use the COSRX hyaluronic acid now instead, as my second post-cleanse step, and I love it. I’m going to try the Goodal Waterest FTE soon.
My routine is now:
Cleanse with Banila co balm and Cerave
Wipe with cotton pad soaked in Benton snail bee “skin”
COSRX hyaluronic acid essence
COSRX Galactomyces Obnoxious Name essence (using up; won’t repurchase)
Benton snail bee high content essence
COSRX snail 96 essence (this stuff is amazing!!)
Rosette Ceramide gel (currently testing)
I then use a dab of either Dr Jart Ceramidin liquid or cream, depending on how dry my skin feels, and I seal it all in with a heavier cream such as Mizon ultra Suboon or Benton snail steam cream before sunscreening. I have found that my sunscreens pill up over the COSRX snail 92 cream or hyaluronic cream, which is annoying, so they’re for night use only!
On super dry days I have been known to use Miss Flower & Mr Honey cream or oil-essence at night. Sleeping packs wise I like the COSRX rice pack and Mizon goodnight white. I have the Laneige but it’s so perfumey!
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I am loving your blog! I’m glad you post regularly (because junkies need their fix!!).
I see that you mention you live in SoCal. Do you have any good brick and mortar stores you know of that sell a good variety of Asian skincare products? There’s just something about being able to go in on a whim and buy something that I can use that day.
Thanks in advance!
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Hi Fiddy!
I’m pretty sure we’re skin twins. Your first curology script is actually the exact one I was given to boot (though I’m only in my second month). That’s just a fun fact I felt like sharing.
Anyway – I’m on the east coast and researching products for a daytime summer moisturizer. Do you think the COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion would do well with hot/humid conditions and sunscreen reapplications? We use the same sunscreens, too 🙂
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Yes. I’m actually thinking I won’t be acquiring any other moisturizers (unless something exciting comes up) as I’m perfectly content with the Oil-Free!
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Sold! Thanks for responding.
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Hearing raves about the COSRX Oil-free moisturizer has got me wondering… what are the purported benefits of birch sap?
Any idea what ingredient(s) make it so good?
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Hi! Thanks for the super informative post! Will definitely be picking up some products to try.
I was wondering what eye creams you happen to use and would recommend for improving elasticity and increasing production? At the beginning of the year I had dermatitis on my eyelid and the doctor prescribed me hydrocortisone cream which I stupidly used for 2 weeks!! I feel that it noticeably caused thinning of the skin as my eyelid seems to sag more than usual. Now I’m trying to find products that can help reverse what I did.
Thanks! 🙂
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Hi! I actually use almost everything that I use on the rest of my face, around my eyes. I don’t do AHA or BHA in my eye area, but I do use my vitamin C serum as it helps to increase collagen production, and I use my Curology tretinoin prescription on my eye area every other day as well. I haven’t found any holy grail eye cream yet–I’m using the Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Eye Gel Cream, which is nice but not spectacular–but morning and night, I dab a tiny bit of facial oil under my eye cream. It does wonders for smoothing out the area!
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Thanks for the reply! Will definitely pick up some Vitamin C serum and check out facial oils! 🙂
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Would you ever consider doing an “intro to sheet masks” or something. Even wallgreens has their own brand of masks and I’m kind of overwhelmed.
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I’m putting one together, might take a week or so because it’s going to feature some that I just got in and have yet to test, but it’s coming!
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Because snail mucin contains glycolic acid, do you think there’s any increased risk of sun sensitivity using it during the daytime versus only using it at night?
Also love your blog – been following for a few months now and have made two memebox purchases already 😀
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Nope, I highly doubt that the glycolic acid is in there in anywhere near an effective concentration or at a low enough pH. But it will act as a humectant, so extra hydration!
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I’m so glad I came back to this post! I’m in my first week of curology without tret, but will probably be trettin’ next shipment (I’m 4% each azelaic acid and niacinamide, and 1% clindamycin). CosRx AHA 7 kept coming up in research so much that I had it in my memebox cart, but I think I’ll kick it out now. I do have chin/nose SF’s and some cheeky pores, but I can try to use up my stridex red before tret to see if that helps….my MMV of course, but if tret could help with all the things, that would be super. I did a version of your SF cleanse, but didn’t have quite the right products, but once I haul maybe I’ll get some results. I’ll definitely look into the Let’s Cure toner, too. I’ll be 32 in October, and it’s like turning 31 just jammed all the age to my face, in addition to my ever-present genetic badger eyes.
So much blabbing, aghgha! It’s great to have you and other bloggers as guides for newb-folk. Thanks, Fiddy!
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Hi Fiddy!! my job has me in the sun all day every day. I already got burned to hell 😦 pink arms and cheeks. I’m set on buying the biore spf50 pa++++ facial lotion, but what do you recommend is best for body? thank you much ;_;
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Hi Madison! Unfortunately I haven’t yet found an AB waterproof and sweatproof sunscreen that’s packaged large enough for body use 😦 I use the Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ for body, but that one is very similar to the Biore Watery Essence and I don’t think will stand up to a lot of physical activity. Maybe look for a regular drugstore sunscreen that’s designated “sport”? Definitely broad spectrum and high SPF!
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I, like you, use AB sunscreens because of the high UVA factor. For body, however, I’ve had good luck with Neutrogena Beach Defense, with Helioplex. Neutrogena has some of the highest UVA protection ratings of US sunscreens. I just can’t use them on my face!
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Where do you get the stickers you put on your CosRx bottles? They are so adorable!
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They’re COSRX stickers! Some shops, like Jolse, Wishtrend, Memebox, and Cupidrop, will include them in COSRX orders if they have any around. Aren’t they the cutest!!
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I can’t wait to read your review for the premium hada labo lotion, I have mine coming in a few days (after a looong wait! Here in Brazil imported hauls tend to take from 2 to 3 MONTHS to be delivered –yes, sad T__T).
Ah, I liked your choice of stickers for the COSRX lotion, it’s extra cute.
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Haha thanks! I think I’ll do the Hada Labo review this week. There’s a lot more interest for it than I thought!
(OMG 2-3 months…that is torture. I’m sorry!)
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Love this! Just started my own prescription cream and wanted inspiration on how to prevent the dry flakiness. Now I’m thinking i need to go get some oils.
Also agree on the sheetmasking step! I love my sheetmasks and also do it before my moisturiser.
Sophie | MapleTreeBlog
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Hi Fiddy,
I really love your blog, it is getting me deep down the rabbit hole… I am eyeing now the two anti-oxidant essences you are using now, the Mamonde and Innisfree orchid one. Are they any good? Any reviews on them in the close future?:) My Skinfood pomegranate one is finished and I am thinking about trying a new one… Thanks!
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Reviews on both are coming soon! I prefer the Mamonde by a little bit due to stronger brightening power.
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Thanks for sharing Lord Fiddy’s routine! It’s nice to see a routine from a guy’s perspective. I know that Korean men are pretty into skincare or at the very least apply lotion to their face. Might not seem like much, but that’s at least one step more than what I can say about the guys around me. Lol
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Hi Mrs. Fiddy! I’m 18 and going thru my hormonal acne phase for half a year now (started 2015 august or so). I have acne & scars on my cheeks and now since I read ur blog I started to concern on j&k-beauty. I’m using hada labo gojyujun lotion, secret key STE, secret key snail EGF gel cream (skincare AM & PM) plus… AM = sunscreen & TBS tea tree bb cream, PM = benzoyl peroxide 2,5% to acne spot cure. My skin is somewhat better (than before i’m doing nothing) but i need some prodict that could make my acne scars fade (or better, gone). I’m planning on buying Vit. C essence (hadalabo shirojyun essence) / secret key snail EGF essence / secret key snow white essence… So, which one i should buy? I’m on budget around $10-$15 (since i’m a student). Please help me, thankyou so much :))❤
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Love it. I’m going to post a blog about my routine soon – kbeauty and other products. Love your blog!
http://www.bossbeauty.wordpress.com
xx
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Hi Fiddy! I recently discovered you blog. I really enjoy reading it, but i feel overwhelmed with the amount of information. I have combination, sensitive, acne prone skin, really dehydrated,with dry patches, especially around my nose and mouth. I currently use Paulas Choice products, but they don’t do it for me anymore and they are really expensive so I thought to try korean skincare, but I don’t know where to start and the order to use it. You said good stuff about these products: COSRX Galactomyces 95 White Power Essence, Shara Shara Honey Bomb All In One Ampoule, Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum, [COSRX] Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask and Honey Mask, Etude House I Need You Korean Ginseng mask,Freeset Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask Healing Facial Sheet Pack Trouble Soothing, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, [COSRX] Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream. Now reading your recent springtime routine, you have other favourite products, thats why i am so confused. I don’t know what to try.
What should i buy? My skin is sensitive to alcohol and perfume. I tried samples of Skinfood avocado rich essence, but i really broke out and stopped after 5 days.
I really look forward to you’re reply. I don’t know who else to ask.
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Hi Fiddy!
I am a new fan! Thanks to you, I have started on my own quest for snail skincare. I am actually itching to go home now because I know my K-beauty orders have been delivered today. In addition to snails, I also bought CosRX BHA and AHA. Many of your recommended products are not available in the Philippines, unfortunately.
I really, really love your blog!
PS: I really love part about Lord Fiddy’s own routine. I wish I could get mine to be interested in proper skincare. Oh well…
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Hey! I have a question about how you use vitamin C serum and AHA/BHA in your routine. I read that you use both every other day. If I’m not using a prescription in my routine, could I just use the vitamin C serum and AHA on alternating days? Or should they be used back to back? I’m just getting into k-beauty and am trying to build a routine for myself.
P.S. I found you on the memebox website. When I saw the latest box you helped put together I had to check out your blogs. Aaaand, now I’m hooked and trying not to buy too much!! : )
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Ahahaha hi and welcome! Take it slow for sure while you get to know your skin and what products it likes!
I did do an every other day schedule with actives for quite a while, and you could certainly try using the vitamin C and AHA on alternating days. It’s a better idea at first anyway, since you don’t want to go too hard on your skin before you know how it will tolerate actives. If after some time, your skin is handling them well and you aren’t getting any irritation or signs of overexfoliation, then it might be a good time to try them back to back on the same day. Just remember to pay attention to how your skin is reacting to it, as everybody will be different. And good luck!
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Hey i dont know if u go to this post anymore but i need ur advice on which one should i go first between the cosrx snail 96 essence and the innisfree green tea seed serum. I know that essence should go first usually and then the serum but the consistency between those two products is quite similar. Can u help me with this please ^^
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Hi Fiddy! I wanted to ask you more about you dropping acids or AHA/BHA chemical exfoliants from your routine? Would you then say that the long-term usage of chemical exfoliants aren’t very good for the skin then?
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I wouldn’t say that at all! I personally pulled back on the exfoliants because I felt daily, full-face use was unnecessary for my skin in particular once I got into tretinoin, but I actually still use BHA on my nose almost every night, spot treat with AHA when there’s a spot, and I’m currently testing a 10% AHA cream 🙂 It’s really down to individuals’ skin needs.
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Hi Fiddy! I have a question about your huband’s routine. You said that he does his routine once daily, so I’m just wondering if he’s only cleansing once a day, is it only in the AM? If so, does he just rinse with lukewarm water in the PM? I’m a guy and seem to have somewhat similar skin to Lord Fiddy and have been playing around with just rinsing with lukewarm water in the morning. It keeps my face slightly calmer and less oily, but I’m still quite shiny at the end of the workday. Would love to hear how your husband’s routine has evolved and any other info you might have for men’s skincare would be greatly appreciated! Also I just want to say thank you for this wonderful blog!
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