[Routine Update] July 2023

 

I've been putting this off because...I don't know. Because I'm a procrastinator. Genuinely there's nothing too exciting about my routine since the last time I reflected on it other than I panned some products that I won't be replacing. The picture above isn't that different from the one I took ~6 weeks ago.

Always exciting when I can throw something into my box for recycling and regain some counter space.

Skin profile: NW25, anti/well-aging, dehydrated normal to dry

Season & Type of Climate: summer, coastal desert

1st Cleanser: [Former HG] Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing balm (PM only) or [MRP] Sekkisei Cleansing Oil (AM only)

2nd Cleanser: [HG] Biore the Face Foaming Facial Wash High Moist (usually PM only)

AM Exfoliator: [HG] Cure Natural Aqua Gel

Hydrating Toner: [MRP] NACIFIC Fresh Herb Origin Toner

2nd Toner: [HG] Sansim YangMyungSoo Toner

AM Serum: [MRP] Daughter Intensive Hydrating Serum

Fullerene: [WRP] KISO Fullerene10 (AM only)

PM Serum: [WRP] O HUI Prime Advancer

2nd PM Serum: [HG] NACIFIC Fresh Herb Origin Serum (only as needed)

AM Essence/Light Moisturizer: [WNRP] KIKUCO Lotion Serum

PM Light Moisturizer: [HG] Stratia Liquid Gold (only as needed)

PM Heavy Moisturizer: [HG] Dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream (only as needed)

Eye Serum/Cream: [WNRP] The History of Whoo Hwanyu Imperial Youth Eye Cream

Mask Pack: [HG] Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Honorstige Serum / [MRP] Sulwhasoo Timetreasure  Invigorating Serum (both are sample packs)

Sheet Mask: [HG] JM Solution Water Luminous SOS Ringer Mask Black.

Sunscreen: [HG] Anessa Day Serum / [HG] Allie Chrono Beauty Color On Cheek UV (warm orange)

Lip Treatment: [HG] UZU Lip Treatment -2 Sheer Green

Actives: [WNRP] Curology Tret or [WNRP] 0.1% Tret ~1x/2 weeks  / [WRP] Farmacy Honeymoon Glow (~1x/3-4 days under oil cleanser)

Spot Treatment: [HG] Purito All-Care Recovery Cica Aid pimple patch / [HG] Avarelle Acne Cover Patch XL

Supplement: [HG] Fine Japan Collagen Powder

Other: [WRP] Kobayashi Eye Wash (yellow, AM only)

Thoughts

1st Cleanser: I really do love the Farmacy cleansing balm, but I'm so tired of having two first cleansers and my Sekkisei is just more useful. This is my last tub of the Farmacy and I can't fucking wait! I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a balm, it's the best I've used of the many I've tried (yes, better than Elemis').

AM Serum: FINALLY PANNED THE TIMELESS!! While I really do enjoy the Daughter Serum, I  realized my AM serum is just my fullerene carrier, and since this is such an indie brand from Taiwan, it's hard to get. I would rebuy if it was more easily accessible though. I'll write a review of it in the future.

 

PM Serum: Panned the DONGINBI (see here for thoughts). Excitingly, I think the Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Invigorating Serum might have taken DONGINBI's place for future fancy serum? It's pretty close in price to the DONGINBI and from one try it seems like it might have been the serum I've been looking for?! I have a looot of PM serums to try and sample packs in the mean time before I make my decision, but this is something to look forward to. I have the new O HUI Prime Advancer PRO waiting in the wings that I'm eager to try as soon as I pan this pretty bottle of the old O HUI.

AM Light Essence/Moisturizer: The KIKUCO isn't pictured because I haven't needed it regular rotation since my change in sunscreen. The KIKUCO is a perfect one and done product in the AM to use right before working out, so while I do enjoy the product and it has lots of goodies in it, to have a whole separate product solely just for working out is ridiculous. It also suffers the same fate of the Daughter Serum in that's it's not easy to come by (KireiStation where did you go?).

PM Moisturizers: It's been so hot, I've been skipping the NACIFIC Serum because I just don't want to go to bed even remotely oily/sticky. I'll usually just use Stratia or just finish out on my Serum step.

Sunscreen: How long have I been on this HG sunscreen hunt? Since Allie went Chrono...so a year...hm. It feels longer. I have the newer Anessa UV Milk pictured that I've relegated to my body because I really hate the texture - it simultaneously feels oily and too drying on me. But the Anessa Day Serum is perfection! I don't mind the higher price point because it magically checks all the boxes for me. I really enjoy the color of the ALLIE cheek UV too. I use it when I want to look a little more put together than my normal no makeup look (and the Day Serum makes me look good).

Actives: tret is trash. I really can't wait to just not have it anymore. I'm down to roughly once every 2 weeks just to try to use it up but I'm really close to just binning the Curology at least. It's made worse by the fact that people who like tret are like the annoying stans of artists who make you hate the artist.

 

BuT iT's bAcKeD bY rEsEArCh. I would love to see research of people who have a maximized barrier-strengthening routine to run alongside those on just tret long term. Tell me how the researchers will magically determine what products of the thousands out there are the best products for these participants with skins that have different preferences and how they will adjust for every participant as their skins continues to age and change. Tell me who will pay for this.

 

I have a great routine and continue to better it and my eyes are thanking me. I genuinely hate that so many people downplay how tret can fuck with your eyes. But hey, it gives my optometrist a new field of specialty: treatment for self-induced dry eye (yeah seriously, it's actually happening...okay and probably climate change).

Spot Treatment: I actually haven't had the Purito patches in a few months because I accidentally bought too many of the Avarelles so I've just been cutting them down and using them. They don't work as well as the Purito ones IMO, but it's not bad.

 

Supplement: Nothing's changed, but I was thinking the other day how much weight it pulls for me. Collagen supplements continue to show more promise in the research world, and I'm tired of trying to convince people who don't want to listen and are stuck in old science. If you don't want secret skincare weapon, that's not my problem, I tried. I'll have a separate post on this later thanks to marcelavy! 

 

Other: I really enjoy the Kobayashi Eye Washes (more than the Rhoto Lycee ones). I like the black medicated one more than the yellow (hayfever?) one, but the stores that carry them are pretty far from me, so I take what they have in stock when I run low. I live in a dusty area that's normally pretty polluted and it's made worse by the construction that goes on around me.

 

Moving Forward

Toner: The SK-II FTE and Clear are on their way to me (thanks for the heads up zzoom_zoom!). I've tried the SK-II FTE before and didn't love it. As it's been a few years, I want to see if my skin's changed its mind. Truthfully I feel kind of left out about the hype, but I expect mostly nothing from it other than peace of mind finally that it's not for me. I fully expect it not being hydrating enough to replace my NACIFIC Toner.

 

Eye Serum: I'm so close to being able to try the Decorte Liposome Advanced Repair Eye Serum! I'm not a big eye cream person, but I think a serum is the perfect texture for my needs. I don't have too much need for an eye-specific product, but I think enough is happening that I justify spending money on prevention. It's also a way for me to test the Decorte Liposome Advanced line since I have so many PM serums to use up before I can responsibly get to the Decorte Liposome Advanced Repair Serum. Plus and I wanted to finish the Whoo Eye Cream before purchasing the Decrote and it's so close to being panned!