Makeup and Skin Care for Mature Skin

I have read a lot about Korean skincare and how well it works. It is an investment as it is a multi-step process. I get the Beauty Beyond Borders subscription bag which is a k-beauty subscription. I was able to put together a day and night skincare routine from my samples. You can see what products I received in this subscription service here, here, and here. Read Korean Skincare Routine to learn more about all the steps involved.  In this post, I will share the products I am starting with and after a month I will do a review post. I will start with my morning routine:

My cleanser will be  UNT Aqua Nettoyant Perfect Balance Deep Hydrating Cleanser. This superb facial cleanser contains 23% of Amino Acids to power the most hydrating wash there is! Amino Acids are able to maintain high moisture level while cleansing thoroughly. Their fine foaming micro beads go into every pore to scour the deepest clogs, leaving your face feeling clean and smooth without feeling taut. Aqua Nettoyant is formulated at a mildly acidic pH of 5.6 to match your skin’s pH so the cleanser is fully compatible with your skin!

The next step is Essence but I have a product that combines the Essence and the Toner. I don’t have a lot of time in the morning so I like to be able to streamline my routine. I will be using Wei Five Sacred Grains Rapid Glow Liquid Milk. Traditional Chinese Medicine reveres the groups of Five Sacred Grains for the complete nutrients they provide the body to maintain overall health and vitality. Known as “gold from the soil,” Five Sacred Grains offer the ultimate in skin nourishing benefits. Pressed after soaking for 24 hours in pure coconut water, the undiluted nutrients are captured in a milky puree that energizes, brightens, and brings skin back into balance. A first step in ultimate renewal, this lightweight milk readily absorbs into the skin providing an immediate boost of hydration and quickly improving the look and feel of skin that is uneven to the touch. Soaked in skin-softening coconut water and consisting of Rice, Millet, Sorghum, Job’s Tears, and Black Soybean, this proprietary “Five Sacred Grains” complex hydrates and softens skin to help achieve a smooth, glowing complexion. Vitamin C defends the skin from free radicals and helps illuminate a dull complexion.

Serum comes next and it is not unusual to apply multiple serums in a Korean beauty routine. I will use the Vitamin C serum I have been using because I like it – Timeless 20% C+E+Ferulic Acid Serum. It contains Vitamin C, an antioxidant that evens skin tone and helps build collagen. Also contains vitamin E and Ferulic Acid, used to extend the life and effectiveness of vitamin C. We use a 20% concentration of L-ascorbic acid for maximum benefit.

I will not be using an emulsion in the morning because of my time constraints and because I think too many hydrating products would make my skin look too shiny. So, I will go on to the moisturizer. I don’t like a heavy daytime moisturizer so I am using Welcos Kwailnara Aloe Vera Moisture Real Soothing Gel. For those days when your skin is just acting up and will not work with any products, we turn to this soothing gel as our moisturizer. Many k-beauty brands carry aloe soothing gels but we love this one because it is alcohol free. It contains 98% organic aloe vera, cucumber extract, and vitamin E. Your sensitive irritated skin will thank you. 

I will complete my morning routine with sunscreen. This is the most important step to prevent sun damage and photoaging. I never skip this step. I will be using 3W Clinic Intensive UV Sunblock Cream SPF 50 PA+++.  This SPF 50/PA+++ sunscreen will protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It contains aloe extract to help relieve any skin irritation or burnt areas. We love it for not leaving a white cast on our skin and for its lightweight texture.  I discovered Asian sunscreens last year and they are wonderful. They are lighter and don’t leave that white cast that western sunscreens do. I am looking forward to trying this.

So, that completes my morning skincare routine. I am looking for effective, yet quick and easy, products for the morning. Time is of the essence for me. I also have to be careful not to use heavy, greasy products or my face will look like an oil slick. I have normal skin in the winter with some dry spots. In warm weather, I am more combo with oily areas.

With my nighttime routine,  I am looking for hydration and anti-aging benefits. I have fine lines and dark areas from sun damage. I like to use heavier products at night. The Korean nighttime routine starts with a double cleanse which I have already been doing. See Nighttime Double Cleanse Routine for more information.

I start by removing my makeup with Heimish All Clean Balm. Good for cleansing thick make-up , Hypoallergenic ingredients included for sensitive skin type. Balm Type Cleanser but when it touches water, the texture is changed to oil cleanser such as Sherbet type.  Manyo Factory Deep Pore Cleansing Soda Foam will finish the nighttime cleansing. Deep Pore Cleansing Soda Foam cleanser contains a complex of organic extracts (corn, chamomile, green tea, beans, papaya, potato, red ginseng, etc.), natural soda and natural oils, bean, nut, grapeseed, olive, etc. Natural particles gently polish face skin and cleanse the pores. Natural herbal complex stimulates regenerative and metabolic processes, helps to eliminate inflammation, improves the complexion and boosts elasticity. Cleansing soda foam softens and soothes sensitive skin prone to irritation.

Toner is the next step at night and I will use Etude House Honey Cera Toner – Highly nutritive multi-Toner that moistens rough and dry skin without any stickiness.  My nighttime essence will be Hada Labo Anti-Aging Hydrator – Provides deep hydration with Super Hyaluronic Acid™ that works in synergy with Retinol Complex and Collagen to repair and fight the signs of aging. Formulated to help increase skin’s firmness and elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This serum-like hydrator absorbs instantly so skin feels velvety smooth, tighter, and renewed. 

I have several packets of serums from V10 Plus Serum. This is a Japanese company and they make serums to address all kinds of skin concerns. I will use as many of these as I can get through in a month.

I have more samples from the Honey Cera line by Etude House for my emulsion, moisture cream, and eye cream. My emulsion will be the Etude House Honey Cera Emulsion – A nourishing and firming Emulsion that provides rich nutrition and strengthens the skin’s oil-moisture balance.  Next step will be Etude House Honey Cera Cream – A nourishing and firming Cream that provides dry skin with abundant nutrition and radiance. I will finish my nighttime routine with Etude House Honey Cera Priming Eye Serum – A priming Eye Serum that enhances dark circles under the eyes with its whitening function for a smooth and brightened eye area.

I have been using a mask 3 times a week forever and will continue that. You can read about my mask use at Month of Masks – Fall. I will focus more on sheet masks since they are part of Asian skincare. As for the exfoliation step I use a scrub in the morning 2-3 times per week. Plus my tretinoin is basically an exfoliator.

Do you do an Asian skincare routine? How is it working for you? Do you use any specific k-beauty products without doing the whole routine? What brands do you like?

Stay tuned to read my review on how this month went. It is very cold and dry here in Virginia so the extra hydration should be great. I am very curious to see how this works on my basically normal skin.

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