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You are here: Home / acne care / My Current Skincare Routine for Hormonal Acne

My Current Skincare Routine for Hormonal Acne

May 11, 2015 By Tracy Robey

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Update: I’ve posted my new, improved 2016 routine here–go check it out!

My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
My Current [Mostly] Korean Beauty Skincare Routine for Hormonal Acne
I’m going to attempt to write up my skincare routine. This makes me very very nervous because some of the specific products mentioned here for the steps I do I’m still testing (so I can’t really recommend them yet and I’m concerned that people will buy them anyway and then be sad when they don’t work and then my home office will collapse into the basement and we will all go rolling down a SLIPPERY SLOPE OF UN-LOGIC AHH!). My testing process these days lasts for months because, well, it can–I have such a backlog of amazing stuff to recommend that I don’t need to rush anything. So this post is totally bucking that trend and letting everyone see what might or might not work early. STRESSSSS. I’ll post links to stuff I’ve reviewed already. If there’s no review, I’m not yet ready to make a formal recommendation. I’ll update this in a few months, when no doubt everything will have changed and improved.

So this isn’t so much a “recommended routine” or “recommended product” post as it is a cracking open of my skincare books to show what I do right now.

About my skin

I’m one of those people that had amazing skin as a teenager. I wore foundation only because I wanted to look like Marlene Dietrich, but I didn’t actually need it. Then my adult years happened. At right around the same age that my mom started having major issues with acne (mid-20s) my skin went positively crazy.

When left alone, my skin is oily and constantly in a cycle of blemishes and recovery tied to fluctuations in my hormones. I use topical acne medication (Curology), but I’ve resisted taking medication for the purpose of correcting my hormonal imbalance thus far. Taking such drugs while pregnant could cause hormonal imbalances in any children that I’d unleash on this world (having children isn’t in my top 100 goals, but ehh 50% of pregnancies in the US are unplanned and I’d inevitably pass on enough other unavoidable issues so…). The drug can also result in the overall loss of muscle, which is terrifying given that it’s been basically dissolving since I gave up playing tennis, aish.  What’s important to know is that I’ve accepted that my wild hormones may cause blemishes that I can’t entirely control from the outside. It’s ok, I’m at peace with it, and I’m just going to do my best from the outside working in.

Aside from my hormones, my skin is pretty resilient and it can handle most products aside from high concentrations of rosemary (I’m allergic) and certain foaming agents. My skin’s natural resiliency vs. my wild hormones is why I have long testing periods: I don’t want to boot certain products out of contention just because my inner The Rock woke up for one week and decided to roar a bunch of blemishes to the surface. I tend to only buy fabulous things with few CosDNA triggers, so that’s helpful, too. Basically, I set my skin up for success.

My skin is about N15 and in all of my mom’s family research, in some cases going back 2,000 years, our family has always lived in Western Europe–mostly Northwestern Europe. This means that my skin is thinner than that of folks from many other parts of the world and that I will end up looking like a crumpled paper bag in time if I skip sunscreen. In the course of treating my acne I need to make sure that I don’t overexfoliate my skin and that I use sunscreen every day.

 

visual guide to kbeauty
confused about where products go? visit my visual guide to skincare

 

My Philosophy of Skincare

One of the things that makes my routine a bit complicated to explain is that it can vary quite a bit depending on my skin’s level of hydration, the weather, the products I’ve been using before, and whatever journey my hormones are deciding to take me on at the moment.

Much of my routine is fixed. I cleanse religiously. I apply most steps to most parts of my face. But I also allow the number of essences I apply to balloon wildly if it seems like my skin is responding well to them. If my skin is feeling peely and stressed due to exfoliation in places, I’ll keep up with my routine, but only on the places that are tolerating it well. If I use a light, summery cream for oily skin on most of my face I’ll use a thicker, richer cream on the places of my face where my skin is thinner. I’m pro-routine, but also pro-customization.

 



My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine: Morning

1. Foam Cleanser

Morning Step 1: Foam Cleanser, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 1: Foam Cleanser, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam

I start my routine with a low-pH cleanser. As far as cleansers go, I’m looking for something with a pH level that’s lower than regular water (pH: 7) when mixed with water. I use a large-peanut-sized dot, add some water in order to create foam, and gently rub this onto my face. I often cradle my face in the foam and just think about how much I want to stick my head in the toilet rather than going to work.

My favorite cleanser: Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam [Amazon | KoreaDepart]

LJH’s foaming cleanser (it has a pH of 6.5 when mixed with water; 5.5 on its own) takes the cake because it manages to get my skin clean, very slightly moisturized, and fresh-feeling without making it squeaky and stripped. Unlike other cleansers I’ve tried, this one doesn’t cause much stinging on active blemishes and unlike my second favorite, the Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, it doesn’t contain lauric acid, which leaves my skin feeling a bit riled up and irritated.

 

2. pH-Adjusting Toner

Morning Step 2: pH-Adjusting Toner, Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 2: pH-Adjusting Toner, Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

The point of this step is to just take my skin from a higher pH into a range closer to exfoliation level so that acids and exfoliants don’t spend all of their firepower on lowering my skin’s pH and instead can get to work on scrubbing pores and turning over cells. It’s not glamorous, but it’s necessary. I apply my toner with a Purederm Micro Fiber pad (basically a gentle, nice cotton pad) to keep from applying too much product and to make sure that the application is even across my face. I swipe this all over and let it dry—it takes about 30 seconds to move on to the next step.

My current toner: Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner [Amazon | Memebox | eBay]

The toner I want to try next: Mizon AHA BHA Daily Clean Toner [Amazon | eBay]

This toner takes my skin down into the dungeons outside Exfoliation Zone (it has a pH level below 4), to pave the way for the work of my Vitamin C treatment. It’s not terribly exciting, but the ingredient list is straightforward and simple–with no alcohol.

 

3. Vitamin C/exfoliation

Morning Step 3: Vitamin C/exfoliation, C20 and C21.5 Serums My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 3: Vitamin C/exfoliation, C20 and C21.5 Serums

Vitamin C is a recent addition to my routine. I’ve owned Vitamin C serums for months now, but they ended up in my fridge in hopes of staving off oxidation after an initial test of both. Here’s the thing about Vitamin C: it will rip the fluff through your skin if you have blemishes and the necessary waiting time to let it work is a pain. I kind of love the skin destruction effect, since it means that even stubborn cystic acne is forced to have a reckoning and die, but there’s a whole lot of drying and purging all at once. Don’t start this immediately before a big event or something if you have acne because, seriously, your skin will be coming to Jesus whether it wants to or not. This apparently has brightening effects and it helps with lightening hyperpigmentation left over from past blemishes. At this point I’m still riding the crazy train, but my skin does look quite bright.

I apply a ton of this since I feel like my time is more valuable than the serum and I’d rather waste serum than time (I apply a lot to ensure that all parts of my face are coated). I give it 15 minutes to do its thing, spray it with some water micro mist, and then wipe off anything that wants to budge and sometimes I straight up rinse it off in the sink. If I were to apply skincare over this much dried Vitamin C serum I’d have gritty, peely makeup by the end of the day.

Currently testing: C20 [Amazon | eBay | RoseRoseShop] and C21.5 [Amazon | eBay]

The Vitamin C I’d like to try next: Sidmool Vitamin C 30 Ampoule [eBay]

These serums (plus Sidmool) are pretty much it in terms of the kbeauty Vitamin C game. C20 is an older formula that is slightly stickier and contains alcohol. C21 is newer with no alcohol and no niacinamide. Perhaps due to the alcohol, I actually find that the C20 works better for me, believe it or not. Skincare companies know that alcohol can be drying and all that, but they sometimes choose to include it because it can increase the efficacy of the active ingredients. I’m going to continue testing both to try to determine which wins a place in my routine and then give the Sidmool a chance. It may be that my wild over-application technique will force me to go with the gentler C21.5 version.

 

4. Nutritious First Essence

Morning Step 4: Nutritious First Essence, Goodal Waterest Tone Up First Essence My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 4: Nutritious First Essence, Goodal Waterest Tone Up First Essence

This is the point in my routine where the music suddenly stops and I yell “start the song over, DJ!” For people without pH-dependent steps like a pH-balancing toner and Vitamin C treatment, this is where their post-cleansing routine would begin. First essences are usually rich in fermented active ingredients, lightly moisturizing, and help to prepare one’s skin for everything to come. I apply the first essence with a Purederm Micro Fiber pad to keep from applying too much product and to make sure that the application is even across my face. I swipe this all over and let it dry—it takes about one minute to move on to the next step.

Here’s my feeling about oily, blemish-prone skin: once you’re done with acids and prescription steps, treat it like a queen. If you’re using all of that acid stuff on it, it may need some love, water, and oil to look good in the present and glow. Make the parts of your skin that don’t have blemishes gorgeous right now by giving them nice things. And nice things may include oils, if delivered in the right way.

My favorite first essence: Goodal Waterest Tone Up First Essence (review) [Club Clio USA | Memebox | eBay (seems to be the new lotus extract version that includes alcohol) | Tester Korea]

What I like about this first essence is that it not only contains fermented green tea, but also fermented oils. My skin has gotten vastly happier since I’ve incorporated Goodal products containing fermented oils into the start of my routine; this toner delivers small quantities of the rich stuff early and deep, which is necessary since even a bit of straight oil later in my routine can make my skin grouchy and too oily-looking.

 

5. Hydration Booster

Morning Step 5: Hydration Booster, Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 5: Hydration Booster, Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil

This step is pretty specific to the Goodal line. I like the Goodal Water Oil a lot because it delivers water-based moisture and fermented oils into my skin, and also adds a moisture-grabbing gum to the surface of my skin before I apply essences. Two pumps cover my face and dry in about two minutes, leaving my skin not exactly sticky, but sort of thirsty for the next steps. I use this to make sure that my skin is soft and fluffy even if I’m hitting it hard with a lot of chemical exfoliants—it’s super in winter especially to prevent cold-related tightness.

The product I use: Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil (review) [Club Clio USA | Memebox | eBay (seems to be the new 2015 lotus extract version) | Tester Korea]

 

6. Hydrating Mist

Morning Step 6: Hydrating Mist, Clio Micro Fine Collagen Mist My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 6: Hydrating Mist, Clio Micro Fine Collagen Mist

At any point in my skincare routine when I feel like my skin is anything but dewy I apply a hydrating micro mist. The idea is that dry skin has a harder time absorbing the things one adds to one’s face. There’s a lot of talk about applying the first post-cleansing step quickly after turning from the basin in order to avoid moisture loss: this is the way to fake that whenever you want. I used to groan at mists because I thought they were fussy and annoying, but once I tried micro mists I saw the light. Without having to even touch your face you can have a nutrient-rich layer of water sandwiched between your skincare layers. Sounds nice, eh? I like to apply this right after the Water Oil. One quick spray all over my face gets me glowing.

My current mist: Clio Micro Fine Collagen Mist [Amazon]

The mist I want to try next: Cremorlab Hydro Plus Snow Falls Essential Mist [Peach & Lily]

The mist I’m currently using is a pretty standard micro mist with the addition of plant collagen. I’m not certain that I really need the collagen and I’d like something lighter in the future, so I’m looking to try a few other varieties to see what delivers more than just water without adding weight to my layers.

 

7., 8., and 9. Essence(s) and Serum(s)

Morning Step 7: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 7: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence

Essences and serums are my favorite steps of all because I feel like this is where I get to slap things on like a mad chef in the kitchen and try to target certain concerns. This is also where my skin benefits most from the genius of Korean skincare science. I like to layer just about anything related to acne treatment and healing on in this step, one after the other, from lightest in thickness to heaviest. This is kind of excessive, but I have a ridiculous number of great products that my skin loves, so I go a bit wild.

The product I must use every day: Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence [Amazon | eBay | KoreaDepart]

The products I’m testing now: Sidmool Secret of Red Astaxanthin Concentrate [eBay]

Morning Step 8: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Sidmool Secret of Red Astaxanthin Concentrate My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 8: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Sidmool Secret of Red Astaxanthin Concentrate

It’s been one year since I fell in love with LJH’s tea tree essence and my affection for it has not waned. It’s packed with good stuff for blemished skin and calms existing spots like no other. Since publishing my reviews of this essence I’ve heard from many people who have become addicted to this fairly light, not very moisturizing, not astringent essence due to its magical calming properties.

Morning Step 9: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 9: Essence(s) and Serum(s), Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum

I’m also testing a Sidmool concentrate that’s supposed to brighten skin and a Blithe Tundra Chaga serum that’s supposed to firm and protect skin.

 

10. Moisturizing cream + ampoule(s)

Morning Step 10: Moisturizing cream + ampoule(s), SN Plant Stem Cell Cream My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 10: Moisturizing cream + ampoule(s), SN Plant Stem Cell Cream (I prefer the 50ml version; this photo is of the almost-exactly-the-same 90ml version called Yeoshin Cream)

I always try to wear a moisturizer—my hope is that by the end of my routine my skin is balanced and happy, and still able to handle a light cream. Since I pack fermented oil and plant collagen into the early stages of my routine, I don’t always need much at the end, depending on the condition of my skin and the weather. I take an almond-sized amount of cream, add one drop of ampoule, mix it together in my palm, and slather it on.

Morning Step 10: Moisturizing cream + ampoule(s), Soy Bio+ ampoule My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 10: Moisturizing cream + ampoule(s), Soy Bio+ ampoule

The products I use most often: SN Plant Stem Cell Cream [Memebox] + 1 drop of Soy Bio+ ampoule [official site | search for 소이바이오플러스 퍼멘티드 럼플 on Korean shopping sites and use Avecko to buy it]

The SN cream is miraculously good at controlling oil and providing just a bit of moisture. I mix one drop of Soy Bio+’s divine fermented soybean extract ampoule into my cream to give my skin a glow (without oiliness).

 

11. Sunscreen

Morning Step 11: Sunscreen, Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Morning Step 11: Sunscreen, Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

My skin gets two rounds of exfoliation, once in the morning and once at night, so it’s essential that I protect all that new skin I’m exposing by applying sunscreen at the end of my morning routine. I very much prefer sunscreens that feel like proper skincare to the heavier versions made commonly outside of Asia.

The product I use: Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ [Amazon | eBay]

This sunscreen in stupidly awesome—it protects at the highest level possible, PA++++, and it actually feels good on my skin. From the moment I tried it, I was absolutely in love—it’s the sunscreen for people who thought they hated sunscreen.

 

My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine: Evening

1. Oil Cleanser

Evening Step 1: Oil Cleanser, Leejiham Dr’s Care Cleansing Oil My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 1: Oil Cleanser, Leejiham Dr’s Care Cleansing Oil

I start my evening routine with an oil cleanser. I’ve tested tons of first-step cleansers, but I really prefer oil to get all of my makeup and sunscreen off efficiently and without leaving any residue. A good first-step cleanser is important because sometimes I come home and feel like my makeup is really disgusting and has been infiltrated by NYC’s foul, sticky black dust—in that case I remove my makeup with an oil cleanser and follow it up—potentially hours later—with a low-pH foam cleanser in the shower.

My favorite cleanser: Leejiham Dr’s Care Cleansing Oil [HKC Plaza | KoreaDepart | Amazon: $37.08 | LJH USA: $42]

The thing that’s fantastic about this oil is that it efficiently removes makeup without leaving anything behind; other cleansing oils add moisture, but this one just banishes all the gross stuff while adding nothing in its place. This oil is basically relief in a bottle.

 

2. Foam Cleanser

Evening Step 2: Foam Cleanser, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 2: Foam Cleanser, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam

I continue with a low-pH cleanser. As far as cleansers go, I’m looking for something with a pH level that’s lower than regular water (pH: 7) when mixed with water. I use a peanut-sized dot, add some water in order to create foam, and gently rub this onto my face.

My favorite cleanser: Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 30 Cleansing Foam [Amazon | KoreaDepart]

LJH’s foaming cleanser (it has a pH of 6.5 when mixed with my water; 5.5 on its own) takes the cake because it manages to get my skin clean, very slightly moisturized, and fresh-feeling without making it squeaky and stripped. Unlike other cleansers I’ve tried, this one doesn’t cause much stinging on active blemishes and unlike my second favorite, the Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, it doesn’t contain lauric acid, which leaves my skin feeling a bit riled up and irritated.

 

3. Makeup Remover

Evening Step 3: Makeup Remover, Laneige Lip and Eye Makeup Cleanser Waterproof My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 3: Makeup Remover, Laneige Lip and Eye Makeup Cleanser Waterproof

I try to get all of my makeup off using oil, but it doesn’t always play well with my contacts. I don’t sweat it and just use a two-layer silicone makeup remover to take off all traces of my tarantula lashes at the end of my cleansing routine, if necessary.

The product I use: Laneige Lip and Eye Makeup Cleanser Waterproof [Amazon | eBay | TesterKorea | RoseRoseShop]

This product is so great that even I, product junkie, settled down with it happily after trying a deluxe sample. In order to use it, one just shakes it up, applies it to a cotton pad, and swipes away. Everything comes off without a problem—and without disturbing one’s contacts.

 

4. pH-Adjusting Toner

Evening Step 4: pH-Adjusting Toner, Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 4: pH-Adjusting Toner, Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

The point of this step is to just take skin from a higher pH into a range closer to exfoliation level so that acids and exfoliants don’t spend all of their firepower on lowering my skin’s pH and instead can get to work on scrubbing pores and turning over cells. It’s not glamorous, but it’s necessary. I apply my toner with a Purederm Micro Fiber pad (basically a gentle, nice cotton pad) to keep from applying too much product and to make sure that the application is even across my face. I swipe this all over and let it dry—it takes about 30 seconds to move on to the next step.

My current toner: Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner [Amazon | Memebox | eBay]

The toner I want to try next: Mizon AHA BHA Daily Clean Toner [Amazon | eBay]

This toner takes my skin down into the dungeons outside Exfoliation Zone (it has a pH level below 4), to pave the way for the work of my Vitamin C treatment. It’s not terribly exciting, but the ingredient list is straightforward and simple–with no alcohol.

 

5. BHA

Evening Step 5: BHA, Stridex Maximum Strength My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 5: BHA, Stridex Maximum Strength

My skin desperately needs BHAs—in reality, I’m talking about salicylic acid—in order to function without having a meltdown. BHAs exfoliate the surface of skin, go in and unblock clogged pores, and are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Upon adding the right BHA to my routine, along with fermented oil skincare products, my pores began giving up all the nasty, gritty clogs that had been hiding in there forever. Yuck. But awesome.

The product I use: Stridex Maximum Strength [Amazon | eBay]

I never considered using Stridex until hearing about it from other skincare fans—it always seemed way too “high school jock boy drying his face with alcohol” to me. It turns out it is exactly what my face needed: a straight shot of serious 2% salicylic acid (with no alcohol) that isn’t excessively drying to my skin and adds no residue (whereas I found a similar formula by Paula’s Choice to be excessively oily).

 

6. Prescription Medication

Evening Step 6: Prescription Medication, Pocketderm (0.04% Tretinoin, 1% Clindamycin, 7% Azelaic Acid) My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 6: Prescription Medication, Pocketderm, now called Curology, (0.04% Tretinoin, 1% Clindamycin, 7% Azelaic Acid)

Prescription medication is something I added to my routine about 9 months ago and it’s been good, but it’s still not enough to overcome the war of hormones going on inside. I use it consistently in order to just keep working at clearing my pores of old stuff and to maintain a baseline net that catches anything catchable that’s caused by whatever is going on on the outside of my skin. I apply two to three pumps of this, carefully avoiding my eyes and mouth and then make sure it gets a solid 45 minutes to do its thing in peace.

The prescription I use: Curology (formerly called Pocketderm), 0.04% Tretinoin, 1% Clindamycin, 7% Azelaic Acid [Curology]

Tretinoin is like a skin cell life coach, clindamycin is an antibiotic, and azelaic acid also helps to heal acne caused by bacteria. I like the Curology service because I’m lazy and this just gets mailed to me; if prescription acne medication where any more difficult to get I’d probably just skip it.

 

7. Either fall asleep or continue with essence

Evening Step 7: Essence, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 7: Essence, Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence

45 minutes is a long time to wait at night for my prescription medication to work. Since Curology’s formula contains moisturizers, I’m a-ok with collapsing into my pillow and going to sleep after I apply it. If I’m feeling more awake or if I started my routine earlier, I’ll continue with the one essential essence in my stash. My skin likes it a whole lot more if I stay up late to pamper it, but ultimately the needs of my brain come before the needs of my brain’s container.

The product I must use every day: Leejiham (LJH) Tea Tree 90 Essence [Amazon | eBay | KoreaDepart]

It’s been one year since I fell in love with LJH’s tea tree essence and my affection for it has not waned. It’s packed with good stuff for blemished skin and calms existing spots like no other. Since publishing my reviews of this essence I’ve heard from many people who have become addicted to this fairly light, not very moisturizing, not astringent essence due to its magical calming properties.

 

8. Cream or Sleeping Pack with an optional ampoule

Evening Step 8: Cream or Sleeping Pack with an optional ampoule. From left to right: Migabee Beevenom and Honey Cream, Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, Su:m 37 Losec Therapy Ampoule, Leejiham (LJH) Propolis Ampoule. My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 8: Cream or Sleeping Pack with an optional ampoule. From left to right: Migabee Beevenom and Honey Cream, Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, Su:m 37 Losec Therapy Ampoule, Leejiham (LJH) Propolis Ampoule.

Nighttime is fun because it’s when I can bust out lovely things that would result in oil-related disasters if used during the day. Sometimes I pick a cream and at other times a sleeping pack. What’s the difference? Uhhh…the name?

The products I use: Migabee Beevenom and Honey Cream [Migabee] and Laneige Water Sleeping Pack [Amazon | eBay | Target | TesterKorea | RoseRoseShop]

The ampoules I use: Su:m 37 Losec Therapy Ampoule [Amazon | eBay | KoreaDepart] and Leejiham (LJH) Propolis Ampoule [Amazon | eBay]

The Migabee cream is great even during the day, but it lacks the oil-controlling properties of my favorite for daytime wear, so it’s a special treat at bedtime. The Laneige Sleeping Pack is a bit sticky on my face at bedtime, but I wake up with the most incredibly soft, smooth skin. I like to use ampoules that are rich and not quite on par with my favorite, Soy Bio+, at bedtime. One drop turns my face into a glorious, goopy mess, but helps my skin heal faster and look better in the morning.

 

9. Eye cream

Evening Step 9: Eye cream, Purebess Galactomyces Eye Cream 80 My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 9: Eye cream, Purebess Galactomyces Eye Cream 80

I can’t believe that I use an eye cream. Urgh, what have I become, that’s not very punk rock. Like, I should just be able to use one of the ten million stupid creams I own, but of course I need an eye cream.

Well, the truth is that a good, non-comedogenic eye cream means the difference of 5 to 10 years in terms of my appearance. I have what’s called in Korea an “eye smile,” or what researchers call a Duchenne smile, meaning that my eyes get all squinty when I smile. And I smile a lot because I walk around most of the day cracking [mostly inappropriate] jokes, even if I’m the only one in the room. The only downside to an eye smile is that it means my face is constantly creasing from all that smiling. My beauty goal is to have people who have been corresponding with me by email look at my face when we meet and assume that I couldn’t possibly be the person they’ve been talking to on account of the fact that I look I’m only old enough to be my own assistant. Most of the time, it works. Thank you, eye cream, for making things awkward at work a few times per year.

The product I use: Purebess Galactomyces Eye Cream 80 [Amazon | eBay | TesterKorea]

This stuff is what changed my mind about eye cream—it’s dead cheap, poses no problems for my skin, and it gently hydrates my delicate eye skin without making it greasy. It’s my pick for the kbeauty product that could make anyone a believer for less than $10.

 

10. Blemish patches

Evening Step 10: Blemish patches, Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch and A’Pieu Nonco Tea Tree Spot Patch My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Evening Step 10: Blemish patches, Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch and A’Pieu Nonco Tea Tree Spot Patch

I consider blemish patches to be essential for the toolbox of any blemish-sufferer. Despite our best attempts, sometimes bad things happen. By bad things, I of course mean blemishes. Blemish patches, depending on their quality level, can protect your skin from your picky fingers, keep blemishes open so that they can gently drain of their inner garbage, encourage blemishes to come the last 10% of the way to a head, and encourage whitehead blemishes to open without causing them trauma. They’re really great wound care and something I think should be given out in, like, high school health classes because they’re so fantastic and game-changing.

High-end blemish patches I use: Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch [eBay | Amazon]

Budget-friendly blemish patches I use: A’Pieu Nonco Tea Tree Spot Patch [eBay | RoseRoseShop | TesterKorea]

The Cosrx patches are the right balance between sticky and removable, and they are true, Nexcare-style (but better, in my opinion) hydrocolloid bandage patches. Upon waking up, if I’ve put the Cosrx patches on the right blemishes, there will be moisture trapped right in the patch and a flattened blemish head left behind, in many cases. The A’Pieu patches are less dramatic, but they’re about 1/10th the cost, so I think they do more than 1/10th the work and are therefore worth mentioning! They aren’t thick hydrocolloid patches in the Nexcare style, but rather thin discs that do most of the functions of the Cosrx patches except extract a bunch of liquid from blemishes.

 

Special Care

With up to 10 steps each, morning and night, there should not be much need for additional care, but sometimes special pampering or treatment is necessary.

Sheet Masks

Special Care: Sheet Masks, Mediental Snail Aquaring SOS Mask and Enesti Aloe Multi Care Mask My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Special Care: Sheet Masks, Mediental Snail Aquaring SOS Mask and Enesti Aloe Multi Care Mask

I am very much not in the one-a-day club (as in, one sheet mask per day). I find that most of the stuff in my routine is superior to the ingredients in sheet masks, so I save them for occasions when I need a special boost or want a hydration jolt.

My favorites: Enesti Aloe Multi Care Mask [search for 에네스티 온천수가득 알로에 멀티케어 마스크 on Korean shopping sites and use Avecko to buy them] and Mediental Snail Aquaring SOS Mask [eBay | this mask is sold in many of the NYC kbeauty brick and mortar stores]

The Enesti is a basic-as-hell sheet mask that’s just really good at delivering moisture while being super comfortable to wear; I often use these when traveling because the mask fabric is thick and cozy, somehow lulling me to sleep easily. The Mediental mask is a two-step mask: the creamy pre-treatment creamy essence is applied first by wrapping your face in essence-covered hands, followed by application of an essence-soaked sheet mask; what makes this exceptional (and worth the higher price tag) is the awesome feeling of zero irritation or pain from this mask.

 

Physical Exfoliation

Special Care: Physical Exfoliation, Be the Skin Non-Stimulus Face Polisher My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Special Care: Physical Exfoliation, Be the Skin Non-Stimulus Face Polisher

Given my regular and serious chemical exfoliation on a daily basis, I am very careful about not over-exfoliating my skin using physical means like brushes and scrubs. About once per week I get to use a peeling gel/treatment that doesn’t really peel one’s face, but rather balls up on contact with oil and takes a bunch of dead skin with it.

The product I use: Be the Skin Non-Stimulus Face Polisher [Peach & Lily]

I’m a big fan of gommage or peeling gels, and this takes the cake—it exfoliates fantastically, removes excess oil, smells pretty good, and is so addictive that I have to stop myself from using it more often for fear that I’ll over-exfoliate and thin my skin.

 

Repairing Treatment

Special Care: Repairing Treatment, Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Pack My Korean Beauty Hormonal Acne Skincare Routine
Special Care: Repairing Treatment, Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Pack

Sometimes, whether it’s due to over-drying from acids and prescriptions or, say, a runny nose, our faces get chapped and dry far beyond the normal bounds. My fear when this happens is that I’ll go for some sort of bad choice cream and doom my skin to blemishes thanks to comedogenic ingredients, setting off a bad cycle. Thankfully, there’s a cream for that.

The product I use: Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Pack [Amazon | eBay | Target | RoseRoseShop]

This repair pack is meant to be a 25-minute wash off mask treatment, but I’ve certainly used it as an overnight (and all day) mask on truly distressed skin. It heals even chapped-to-the-point-of-bleeding skin and it doesn’t cause me to break out. It smells like berries and yogurt. Everyone everywhere should have this in their medicine cabinet, honestly, since it’s like a lovely, less repulsive version of Vaseline.

Now that you’ve seen my 2015 routine, check out the improved 2016 version!

My Skincare Routine for Hormonal Cystic Acne, 2016 Edition
click to see my 2016 routine for hormonal cystic acne

So…that’s where I am at the moment! Any recommendations on what to try next? Anything on this list that you adore and would never give up?

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking those links before you shop means that fan-b receives a small commission, which helps to support the blog. Please see my full disclosure for more information.

Filed Under: acne care, featured, my routine, Reviews, routine, skincare

Tracy Robey

enabler-in-chief at fanserviced-b | Snailcast member | kpop fangirl | freelance beauty and history journalist | PhD in Renaissance History

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachel Marie says

    May 11, 2015 at 10:31 am

    These products sound amazing! I’m so bad with skin care so it’s always good to see what other people use!

    Rachel Coco

  2. Alice Berger says

    May 11, 2015 at 11:57 am

    How about any BB/CC creams or foundations?

    • fanserviced says

      May 11, 2015 at 12:04 pm

      I’m allll about Lalavesi cushions these days: https://www.fanserviced-b.com/cushions-of-milk-and-honey-lalavesi-queen-skull-review/. They’re nice like skincare, but cover fantastically.

  3. Evelyn Vidal says

    May 11, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    Wow, complete routine!! Many products you use are interesting and I’d love to try the LJH Tea tree essence. Due to your recommendations, bought the Purebess Galactomyces eye cream and it’s working fine (despite the fact it’s so cheap and that amount O_O).
    So far the only thing that I could suggest you to try, it’s a cleanser. I’m using Skin watchers Enzyme powder wash and it’s really good, ph 5.5 and after that my face has been more clean of new breakouts (hormonal acne too) and it’s only $18 in Jolse.

  4. Kirsty Marr says

    May 11, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    I love seeing other peoples’ routines! I have similar skin concerns, have you looked into using an AHA in addition to the Vitamin C and BHA? What made you decide to not use one?

  5. Sarah @ bitsandboxes.com says

    May 11, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    I love seeing all the things you use! Plus it makes me feel better about my collection on top of my bathroom counter (I have mine all lined up in the order in which they should be used :D). I was expecting to see a Paula’s Choice sneak into your regimen but mainly because I can’t give up some of her serums. Also, hello, my sweet Soy Lumpoule! I just finished one off last night and had to crack open a new one today. All the while eyeing my dwindling supply… I don’t know why but my skin loves that stuff.
    And thank you for the reminder to put that Cosrx toner on my wishlist.

  6. Jessica Soles says

    May 14, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    Wow and then there’s me over here with 4 products, only 2 of which I use twice a day. And actually at the moment only one is Korean even though I have a disgusting amount of products that I used to use. My skin simply had a meltdown and so I had to completely start over with everything. I have to say your routine is serious dedication and I salute you.

  7. Maggie Mindak Schmid says

    May 15, 2015 at 9:09 am

    Wow!!! That is a LOT of steps and a LOT of products! I am amazed and super thankful that I don’t have to go through all of that (I can’t imagine what that costs per month!) – it is a truly impressive routine that I don’t miss at all! There is one product you may want to try if you haven’t already. It helps with hyper-pigmentation/sun damage, brightens skin and evens out tone: NeriumAD – have you heard of it?

  8. SophieKarl says

    July 2, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    I love you, my fellow northern-European-derived-NYC-dwelling-oily-skin-care-hair-pulling compatriot. I am actually using a bunch of these products and I just ordered the LJH tea tree essence for its tea tree. Me + tea tree = happiness.

  9. michal gabay says

    July 20, 2015 at 8:47 am

    have you tried the honey bomb all in one by shera shera?

  10. Kristy Ross says

    July 30, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Hi, best I have ever used is Monsia.

  11. cocoa says

    August 2, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    Do you have an ingredient list for the Clio collagen face spray by any chance? I can’t find one anywhere…

  12. Brooke Cox says

    September 10, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    I’m obsessed with your list I love the Laneige yogurt pack I was amazed it didn’t break me out as my skin isn’t sensitive in a redness type flare up but every little thing does bring little pimples along this mask is a hg

  13. Shinnokina says

    October 16, 2015 at 10:11 am

    That’s an insane amount of chemicals you expose your skin to. I wonder if it is worth the money and time to use 15-20 products on the face only. It’s insane. Our ancestors didn’t have beauty packs and still could manage their skin. I think these 10+ step morning AND night routines are ridiculous and were invented by companies to sell more. Your skin is probably so problematic because you load it with tons of these chemical ingredients in these multitude of products. I stick to a foam wash and a moisturising cream and it is pretty much enough, and I used to have extremely bad skin with rashes. I use only three products from Tonymoly (the third is an exfoliator, once a week) and a face mask once a month. More than enough….

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I’M TRACY. A BIT ABOUT ME, MY SKIN, AND THE BLOG.

Age: 38

Skin type: formerly oily and acne-prone, currently recovering from Accutane and enjoying normal skin

Skin tone: NC10

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