the care & keeping of my largest bodily organ
a 2024 skincare retrospective as a preventative measure against indulging any future retail therapy impulses:
- makeup remover - the kose softymo speedy cleansing oil (pink ver) used to be my holy grail, but i accidentally forgot to bring it with me to japan this summer and purchased the clayge cleansing balm v to tide me over for the rest of the trip. unfortunately for me, it smells like a delicious mug of yujacha, removes makeup super effectively, and has a quite satisfying texture— all for the absurdly high price of 30 usd, imported (it was only 11 usd in japan). i've been trying to ration what little i have left with my leaky bottle of ginseng cleansing oil from beauty of joseon, but its aroma of rotting root vegetables and proclivity for making a mess of my bathroom counter do not really make me want to do so.
- cleanser - i only use two different cleansers, and the lineup hasn't changed since 2020. the glossier milky jelly cleanser smells a bit off-puttingly like lychee yogurt, but it's a good gentle cleanser for mornings/no-makeup-days and probably the only thing worth buying from that brand. if you're looking for a deal, it's usually discounted by at least 30% for black friday, and the 300 ml jumbo size is 10 cents per ml at full price. my other fave is the heimish all clean white clay foam, which lathers up into a thick, creamy foam and works wonders as the second step in my double-cleansing routine for makeup removal.
- toner - my dearly beloved etude soon jung ph 5.5 relief toner, i'll never stray from your side again (': i tried the glow recipe watermelon glow pha+bha pore-tight toner and even revisited the i'm from 77.78% rice toner of high school struggle era infamy, but the former left my skin feeling oddly tight and the latter just felt like it was sitting on top of my skin w/o being fully absorbed. even though it has the viscosity and overall appearance of tap water, the soon jung one just works really well with my easily-irritated + dehydrated skin, and i actually noticed a significant (negative) difference once i stopped using it.
- essence - the only essence i've ever voluntarily repurchased with my own money is the cosrx galactomyces 95 tone balancing essence—it pairs really well with the soon jung toner, and i find myself regretting it whenever i get overconfident and stop using it during prolonged periods of consecutive Good Skin days. like no, you dumb bitch, that's literally why you're glowing...don't let your delusions of naturally clear skin ruin a good thing...
- serum/actives - i tried a lot serum samples this year, and out of the vitamin c ones, i really enjoyed the herbivore nova 15% vitamin c + turmeric brightening serum, the ole henriksen banana bright vitamin c serum, and the sunday riley ceo 15% vitamin c serum. unfortunately, i have yet to achieve a level of consistent free cash flow where i feel comfy dropping 50+ usd on 50 ml of serum, so i will continue using my dear, klairs freshly juiced vitamin drop and grinding away at my legal assistant job. in terms of other actives, i had a brief flirtation with retinol that left my skin super inflamed (i chickened out before seeing the purging through to the end) and have been dutifully using up the remainder of my glow recipe watermelon glow niacinamide dew drops (yes, i fell prey to the cute marketing but this literally does nothing for my skin except leave it smelling like expired watermelon jolly ranchers). the kiramoon flower melon super hydra serum and aprilskin calendula 10% pha + aha resurfacing serum also stopped in during the year but made absolutely no noise, so i layer what's left of them under my sheet masks now.
- moisturizer - the laneige water sleeping mask_ex (kr ver) may not have a sleek sydney sweeney ad campaign, but it's such a solid night cream that moisturizes without feeling too heavy on the skin. amorepacific changed the formulation about two years ago and it doesn't slay as hard as it did before, but i have yet to find another product with a comparable texture and price point (12 usd for 70 ml is not bad at all!). when my nose and undereye area get dry during the colder months, i layer my tried + true dear, klairs midnight blue calming cream on top and aquaphor on my eyelids at night (if it gets really bad). for daywear, i recently tried and enjoyed the heimish matcha biome oil-free calming gel moisturizer, but i will always ride for the rovectin calming lotus water cream—the only element of my routine that has endured through high school, university, and beyond. both are pretty affordable (9-11 usd for 60-100 ml) and sit really nicely under makeup w/o pilling or getting greasy!
- sheet masks - i was gifted a 10-pack of the innisfree acai berry energy masks and have really been enjoying them for the past few months! the milky texture of the serum kinda threw me off initially, but it's definitely grown on me over time. i still prefer the dr. jart+ vital hydra solution deep hydration sheet masks for their shape/fit, moisturizing properties, and sexy double-open design that allows you to more effectively squeeze out all of the remaining serum in the package, but it's definitely not my wallet's preference. the mediheal madecassoside blemish pads are pretty nice as well, but the herbal scent and cooling effect can be uncomfortable if you're unfamiliar with tea tree or centella asiatica in skincare. i'm not entirely convinced they do anything that isn't just the placebo effect, though, so i'm probably not going to repurchase.
- clay masks - oh, innisfree jeju volcanic pore clay mask, may my lips never cease your praise. this, combined with the body shop tea tree skin clearing clay mask, is the cheat code to clearer skin overnight, and i've found it to be particularly effective for those larger, below-the surface blemishes. fifteen y/o me absolutely knew what was up when she dreamt up this concoction in a fit of desperation before a debate tournament.
- lipcare - i could probably write a dissertation on this category alone, but i'll try to limit myself to three sentences. the laneige lip sleeping mask is solid for whenever, but the etude (formerly aritaum) ginger sugar overnight lip mask is so good it's almost overkill, like bringing a rocket launcher to a knife fight. the formula is so thick and sticky that it's nearly unusable in any application other than laying unmoving + unconscious in bed for 8 hours, but i promise it will leave you feeling like a new woman (positive) in the morning, regardless of gender identity. kiehl's lip balm #1 in mango...your presence in my life is sorely missed, but your impact will never be forgotten.
- suncare - whether the trader joe's daily facial sunscreen (spf 40) is a dupe for the supergoop one has nothing to do with me, as someone who does not occupy a supergoop-buying (or even supergoop-duping) tax bracket, but it's damn good for texas summers. the light, silicone-y texture is not my personal preference under makeup (as someone who already uses a separate silicone-based primer), but it holds up surprisingly well under sweat + water + other summer-related fluids. the biore uv aqua rich watery essence (spf 50), however, will never be toppled from her throne as the consummate sunscreen for all uses—face and body, rain or shine, with or without makeup, mercury retrograde or not.
honorable mentions go to the burt's bees lemon butter cuticle cream (on my third tin in nearly ten years) and bread beauty supply hair-oil everyday gloss (when used in conjunction with the it's a 10 miracle leave-in, my hair flattens into a smooth, unbroken curtain with actual ~movement, as opposed to the triangle of black that usually radiates from the crown of my head).
this ended up being way more detailed than i initially intended, but that's okay! even if this doesn't help anyone else, i can at least hope it'll curb some of my own urges to experiment with snazzy new skincare releases.
stay glowy,
t