For context, I’m in my early 20s with pretty normal skin (plus occasional acne and some clogged pores). Over the past year I got a bit careless with what I was using, and in the last 3 months it really caught up to me.
I think the culprit was over exfoliating, using harsh cleansers, and layering “hydrating” stuff that somehow just made my skin even drier. My skin ended up dehydrated, dull, with huuge pores, damaged barrier, and it honestly looked like I aged 5 years overnight.
A few weeks ago I randomly got an ad from Style Korean for their anniversary sale and decided to check it out. I got their Pharmacy Box (18 full sized products for $69 is just hard to argue with) to test out hoping it would help me find products that work.
New routine:
Cleanser: Zeroid Pimprove Gel Cleanser
Toner: I’m From Rice Toner
AM: the Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum (not in the box but I got it as a freebie)
PM: Genabelle PDRN Vita Toning Ampoule
Moisturizer: 23YearsOld Badecasil P Cream
Sunscreen: Dr. G Green Mild Up Sun+ (only AM)
Throughout the day: COSRX Ceramide Mist
2x a week:
Sungboon Editor Collagen Ampoule or
Dr. Lienjang Toning Gel Mask
There were other viral products in the box (like the Rejuran ampoule) but I left those for later because I didn’t want to overload my skin again.
The results were honestly way faster and more pronounced than I expected. My skin feels soft and smooth, which surprised me because I’m not using anything super strong or heavily exfoliating (I think the main issue before was hydration and just overall skin barrier being messed up). The biggest difference for me was water retention. Before, no matter what I used, my skin would feel dry again after a few minutes, while it actually holds the dewyness throughout the day.
From the products, the rice toner stood out as it’s the first thing I use on dry skin and it actually feels like my skin is absorbing it instead of it just sitting on top and evaporating. I don't really understand toners but this one feels like it's doing something.
I also noticed my skin feels slightly oily now (not in a bad way tho), it feels healthier instead of dry and tight.
The Badecasil P cream is probably my favorite because it's light, hydrating, and gently exfoliating. The COSRX mist and Dr. G sunscreen felt a bit oily at first, which I usually hate, but they absorb after a few minutes. The sunscreen actually works really well under makeup (before, my makeup wouldn’t stick at all. It would either separate, peel, or I would literally be able to rub it all off with my finger after a few hours. It got so bad I started drawing freckles just to distract from how uneven everything looked.
Also surprisingly, I didn’t break out at all after changing my whole routine, and my existing irritation calmed down pretty quickly.
Overall I’m 🥹extremely happy🥹 I made the switch. A lot of these are products I would have never picked myself, but they worked way better than expected.
by ariadodo