#027: All the skincare I bought in Seoul and where you can buy them here in the US
And a very belated happy new year.
Happy 2024!!! That’s very belated, I know. We are already one month in and I feel as though I have not had my head in the thick of things until a few days ago when I finally got back to New York after yet another long stretch of traveling. I’ve promised myself: I have got to make a concerted effort to avoid these long stretches of being away from New York. They are far too distracting and destabilizing. And while going back home to Seoul has been healing, as it always is, I have reaffirmed my need to be in New York. It is my definitive home away from home, and I love it just as much as ever.
This year is honestly off to a pretty chaotic start. Between unrealized plans and a minor health scare that put me on some serious meds that totally effed my gut, I am really trying not to impose any superstitious angst on the start of my year and how it may have set the tone for the rest of it. It is okay to still be recalibrating. My year always started on Lunar New Year's Day anyways :)
Despite the plethora of PR and gifts I receive daily (which I am very, very grateful for!), most of them being skincare and beauty, I still can’t help myself from purchasing things myself. There is an unmatched excitement to seeking out a product, buying it, and then trying it out to see if it was well worth the hype. I mostly feel this way about clothes… but every time I go home to Seoul, I fall into the trappings of Korean TikTok, Coupang deals (our very fun and interactive version of Amazon) and recommendations from my Korean relatives who defy age.
There are a lot of cult-status products that have made their way into the US market: COSRX’s snail mucin, the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, the Nature of Republic aloe vera gel to name a few. The world of K-beauty is so vast that even I get overwhelmed. In the ten years I’ve been living in the US, I am in awe of how the Korean beauty industry has propped up the west’s perception of the country as a whole, namely its achievements in innovation and technology. There is a lot to be said about the proliferation of the Korean beauty industry in conjunction with Korea’s toxic obsession with outward appearance and cosmetic surgeries. That’s a conversation for another time. For now: enjoy these products that made their way into my overweight suitcase and sitting in my beauty cabinet, awaiting their use every morning and night.
Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR TONER PADS.
Toner is the hardest “step” in my routine to shop for and it’s also the one product I rarely get gifted from brands. And yet, I find it to be one of the most pivotal steps in any skincare routine as it preps the skin for all subsequent steps. Also, because it comes right after cleansing, your skin drinks up toner faster than any other product. I bought six toners this trip, which, in retrospect, is really fucking chaotic. My lack of toners set my impulse on overdrive and I’m in the clear for the next 24 months. But the thing is: there! are! toner pads! for! every! skin issue! Blackheads, big pores, dryness, redness, you name it. And for whatever phase my skin will go through in these next months, well, I will be embracing it with open arms.
Round Lab Dokdo Toner Pads - toner pad version of their cult-favorite liquid toner that gently exfoliates and moisturizes, kind of like the beauty water I always talk about
Mediheal Phyto-Enzyme Peeling Pad - targeted use for my nose and chin
Mediheal Watermide Moisture Pad - I love using 2-3 of these a night by placing them on my cheeks and forehead for about 10 minutes almost like a sheet mask
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 - these toner pads are thick and feel luxurious. I like to sweep this across my T-zone, neck and chest
And two more toners. I don’t have a problem, I promise.
Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner - a very mild, soothing and hydrating toner that’s been so kind to my skin in the harsh winter
Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner - this one made its way into American viral TikTok status. Licorice is a key ingredient for its antimicrobial properties and also helps with hyperpigmentation.
A sunscreen that is already viral here in the US.
Round Lab Birch Juice Sunscreen
I think….. I’ve found the only sunscreen I ever want to buy for the rest of my life. Don’t need to try any others!!!
A trusty cleansing oil.
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
I go through cleansing oils faster than any product. My commitment to double cleansing is unwavering. This one is more watery than the ones I’m used to and might be good for anyone who is new to the double cleansing journey and is afraid to go full on balm-mode.
A 100% pure Centella Asiatica ampoule for the ultimate soothing.
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Ampoule
An ampoule is basically a supercharged face serum made with a specific target in mind. In the case of this ampoule, pure centella asiatica has the powerful antioxidant activity thanks to its natural flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which help skin amp up its protection against the effects of pollution, stress and UV rays. It’s particularly soothing in the winter when our face is exposed to the harshest conditions!
Sheet masks doused in niacinamide.
Anua Peach 70 Niacin Serum Mask
Sheet mask version of their beloved bottled serum that gives you an immediate brightened glow.
The best, juiciest, cutest, sexiest lip tints ever.
These are both made in the same factory as R*re Beauty, and in my opinion, way cuter on application (because they’re *ACTUALLY* also hydrating and for a fraction of the price. You can literally buy three of these for the price of one of the aforementioned brand. Think: gloss/tint hybrid that makes you look like you’ve devoured a popsicle and didn’t bother to wipe your lips afterwards because your lips are plump and satisfied moisture-wise.
Honorary mention for this Medicube set that was gifted to me as soon as I got back to New York.
Medicube Collagen Set (Toner, Bubble Serum, Collagen Serum, Jelly Cream)
My god, this is a dream set for anyone looking to saturate their face every evening with a straightforward routine with one goal in mind: to GLOW. The jelly cream is a particularly delightful texture—quite literally a jelly that bounces around in the jar only to glide over your skin like a thick coat protecting the barrier at all costs.
Thanks for sticking around, and hello to all the new faces on here after my month+ hiatus. I’ve missed writing!!!! xx
added the lip tints to my cart immediately, thank u
Thanks for these recs!!! Are there any specific treatments you like to get done while in South Korea?