hanni

I received this product for free from Picky and K-SECRET in exchange for my honest review.

Retinoids are so great to incorporate into your skincare routine because they have many benefits including:

☑️ increasing cellular turnover
☑️ stimulating the production of collagen and elastin
☑️ improving fine lines and wrinkles
☑️ improving skin texture and firmness
☑️ evening skin tone and decreasing hyperpigmentation
☑️ brightening skin
☑️ clearing and preventing acne
☑️ antioxidant properties

NOTE: I incorporate a retinoid in my routine every night. I do use tretinoin but I haven’t worked my way up to everyday use so I use a retinol/retinal containing product every other night.

🫚 K-SECRET Seoul 1988 Serum : Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng

When I first got this serum and checked out the ingredients, I was thoroughly impressed. Not only does it contain ginseng (check out my last two posts for more on this awesome plant extract) and retinal, but also the Vitamin C derivative 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, bakuchiol, and three different peptides. There is no added drying alcohol, fragrance, or essential oils and I don’t really detect any natural scent. It’s dermatologist tested to be generally safe for sensitive skin. This serum is from their Seoul 1988 line which is made for all skin types and targeted at addressing wrinkles and skin texture. I’m really enjoying the formula — it feels so smooth and hydrating on the skin, absorbs quickly, and no pilling. This serum has been great to use on my face and neck. I love that they used retinal since it has been shown to work 11x faster than retinol!

FYI: If you’re trying to compare to any retinal products you may currently be using, the percentage of pure retinal is 0.02%.

I received this product for free from Picky and ONGREDIENTS in exchange for my honest review.

🍃 Ongredients Skin Barrier Calming Lotion

Ongredients is a cruelty free Korean skincare brand that features mostly vegan products. I love that sustainability is a priority for them. They focus on using organic ingredients and mindful packaging such as recyclable materials, label-free or easy to remove labels, and even package free options. Ongredients is also a member of 1% for the Planet.

The Skin Barrier Calming Lotion is in the same category as an emulsion - a lightweight moisturizer that can be used before going in with a typical cream or moisturizer. It comes in a generous 220ml bottle that is recyclable and has a label that is easily removable for proper recycling. This lotion has a very light texture with a watery feel. It feels wonderfully hydrating when applied to the skin and absorbs well. It does feel very calming, even when I’ve used it on sensitized skin (a few too many tret nights - iykyk). I had no issue layering this with many other products. I think this will be especially great to use during the summer before going in with a lightly moisturizing sunscreen.

This lotion contains no added fragrance and has no discernible scent. It has a really beautiful formula rich in glycerin and plant extracts such as centella asiatica. I was also surprised to see a slew of peptides including copper tripeptide-1!

This cleanser is packed with glycerin, different forms of hyaluronic acid, and it uses some coconut-based surfactants. The combination makes for, as the name suggests, a very gentle cleanser.

It’s quite a thin, liquidy formula and they say to use two to three pumps but I find that even about a half pump is sufficient. I like to lather this up in my hands before applying it to my face and it makes the most fluffy, velvety feeling foam that I’ve ever experienced in a cleanser. This does such a good job at cleansing my face both in the morning on its own, or at night after using a cleansing balm. My face has never felt tight or stripped when I use this, even when my skin is especially dry and dehydrated. I really think this cleanser could work for just about anyone - sensitive, dry, oily, or somewhere in between.

I think I’m going to focus on this cleanser for a while… probably until spring! It really has made such a difference in a short time and will likely be a product I always go back to.

When I first opened this I was a little frightened as it was like opening a bottle of soda because of the gas generated by the vitamin C. Like a lot of ascorbic acid serums, I noticed immediately that this had a distinct scent. It’s pretty strong but luckily the scent doesn’t linger and before I even finished applying it to all of my face I really couldn’t smell it anymore. The serum has a bi-phase formula so make sure to shake gently before use. Although this contains a number of oils including squalane, which sits far up on the ingredient list, it has a slightly oily while at the same time lightweight texture that feels amazing on the skin and absorbs quickly. Since this contains ascorbic acid they suggest storing it in the refrigerator to prevent oxidation and it should be used within two months of opening. I’m on my last few drops and it has been one day shy of the two month mark and it is just now starting to get a little darker.

For being a high concentration ascorbic acid serum at 23%, I was surprised that I didn’t experience any stinging or tingling when applying it. This serum has a long list of beneficial ingredients, beyond the vitamin C. I love that they include ascorbic acid along with a vitamin C derivative in the form of 3-0-ethyl ascorbic acid. This also contains tocotrienols which are a form of vitamin E that COSRX claims have 50 times higher antioxidant activities compared to the typical form of vitamin E that we see in skincare - tocopherol. Antioxidants can help boost the effects of sunscreen so this is amazing to use in a morning routine to get those additional benefits.

I have been really impressed with the results of this serum! I’ve been using it every morning for the past two months and it has made a noticeable difference in the hyperpigmentation I have left behind from acne. Within a few weeks I could see a difference in my complexion, with it being brighter and more even. This has been the most effective ascorbic acid serum I’ve used so far! I have some others to go through, but I would definitely purchase this when they’re done.

I made a mistake. When I looked up this product I didn’t realize there were two versions - the vegan one and this one that contains beeswax. I am really interested in trying the vegan version and expect it to perform similarly because they have nearly identical ingredients.

I received this product for free from Picky and YADAH in exchange for my honest review.

I love a cleansing balm to remove makeup and this one does the job. I typically wear either waterproof mascara or a tubing mascara and, although I love waterproof mascara for my sometimes teary eyes, I don’t always want to deal with the hassle of removal. This cleansing balm did well at removing long-wear makeup but was also gentle on the skin. It has a really nice citrus scent that’s noticeable but not overpowering. They describe it as having a “sherbet-like” texture which is very accurate. It’s not quite as solid as other cleansing balms and melts down easily. I really enjoy this HOWEVER…

byvirtueofbeauty