What is your favorite vitamin C serum? Please share your favorite down here 👇🏼

vitamin cheat sheet for everyone! 🍊🍋

things I learned throughout my skincare journey 
Share your version of “I wish I knew earlier” down here
 
Skincare is a long-term investment. Don’t give up on them too early because consistency is key. You will look back ten years for now and thank yourself for all the time and money you invest in yourself
 
There is no quick fix, especially for acne. Your acne didn’t develop overnight, and it won’t go away that fast either. So, stop buying products that promise an instant cure 
 
DIY skincare is (mostly) never a good idea. I would never ever put that lemon or baking soda on my face ever again. There is so much misleading information online related to "natural-DIY" skincare and you should double-check the information before you do anything crazy on your skin
 
You don’t need a multiple-step routine to fulfill your skin's basic needs. You just need a few ‘right’ products to provide the basic need, everything else is just an extra. Do it only when it adds joy to your routine

Things I wish I knew earlier about skincare

Milia 👀 what is it and what to do

Milia are tiny, harmless bumps that can affect adults and children, usually at size of no more than 3mm with smooth dome shape.

There are generally two types of milia primary vs secondary milia (source: acne.org)

The primary milia is more common especially in newborns and closely related to the pores.

The secondary milia is rare believed to derive more frequently from the eccrine ducts (sweat)

Primary milia and cosmetics in adult? 

Cosmetics that are too rich and creamy are speculated to be one of the major cause of  primary milia in adults. That’s why it is advised for people to avoid using a cream too rich that increase the chance to clogged the pores.

Treatments for milia

⏰ most of the times it doesn’t require any treatment & resolve spontaneously
🧴 at-home: 
1. gentle exfoliation (AHA/BHA, help remove layers of dead skin cells)
2. retinol-based product (regulate cellular turnover), make sure the product is not too thick or creamy

Treatments for milia

👩🏾‍⚕️in-office treatment: simple extraction, chemical peeling, six-week course of prescription-strength topical retinoid drug, or laser

Treatment can be adjusted based on skin need’s and treatment preferences

*Some images in this post have been removed due to copyright infringement.*

how to tackle milia 👀

Do you think you have dry or dehydrated skin? 🤔 here is an infographics that hopefully you can use as a guideline

dry vs dehydrated

How to👂🏼to your skin? We all agree that skincare is a very personal journey. Have you ever read or get a piece of advice from someone, that to understand your skin better, you have to “listen to your skin”? Then it got you thinking, how you can practically do it? Well, while our skin won’t be able to whisper to us how they’re doing, there are some things you can do daily to be able to “listen” to your skin. Listening to what your skin need may sound a little odd at first, but it is extremely important. It will help you save a lot of money, time, and stress from skincare trials. Let’s figure out how to do it so you can give the best skin of your life a shot! Share your experience

how to listen to your skin

Fun Blog

Healthline - Find Your Sunscreen Soulmate 

Healthline - 7 Ways to Care for the Skin Around Your Eyes

Download Picky

Can’t think of anything bad about this product atm, aside from the two UV filters that kind of put me on the fence to try this one out

Love that this sunscreen is so lightweight, weightless, and non greasy yet feels hydrating on the skin! There’s no added fragrance and doesn’t smell funky or anything weird. Very pleasant application everytime I use it

It can get a little drying on a specific area like the side of the noses, that&#039;s why I like to avoid applying too much (or too long) on that area. I think I may also use this as a multi-mask product where I can focus more on the congested areas rather than applying them on my whole entire face.

This mask contains 2% SA that is great to remove surface dead skin cells and improve bumpy textures on the skin. Other ingredients that caught my eyes: kaolin and charcoal to help remove excess sebum or impurities from the skin, and also squalane to counteract the &#039;drying&#039; effect from formerly mentioned ingredients. The other good news: it cost only $12 (50ml). What it does: They mentioned that this wash-off mask is formulated to target lackluster tone and textural irregularities and I couldn&#039;t agree more to this sentence. The mask is pretty smooth and easy to apply. It doesn&#039;t have any distinct or offensive smell but however reminds me of a new car leather scent. It’s not in any way irritate but it may cause some stinging sensation on dry areas

The downside of this product is their label of 15% vita C complex is misleading. Since people may have thought that it actually contains 15% of vitamin C while it actually only contains 15,000ppm (1.5%) of 3-O-Ethyl-AA and the 15% represents the blend of vitamins contained in it. If you are looking for a heavy duty vitamin C serum that helps boost collagen production and tighten your pores, I don’t think it would be the best option.

I do love their light-weight yet very hydrating gel texture. No detectable scent, great texture and just sits in really well into my daily routine. First, the product doesn’t sensitize my skin in any way which is a good sign since my skin is quite picky with Vitamin C products. I know that it depends on the concentration and formulation but based on my own personal experience, my skin reacts better to the derivatives

For any of you who have no luck on trying L-ascorbic acid product, I do think trying out their other derivatives would be your safest bet. Up to date, L-ascorbic acid would still be the golden standard, but it also comes with some downfall and the derivatives may help to cover it up in the cost of their effectiveness

It helps brighten overall skin tone and help fades any hyperpigmentation from post-inflammatory-acne hyperpigmentation after consistent use for 2 weeks. My major skin concern has always been hyperpigmentation around my oral area. After using them for about a month, I can notice slight differences and even tone between before and after I incorporate this into my routine

The one ingredient that really remind me South Korea is Ginseng. Ginseng being part of the hanbang ingredient has played a big role in the Asian health and beauty regimen especially in South Korea
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This essence (toner) contain 80% Panax Ginseng root water. An ingredient with their active compound called Ginsenodies is rich in antioxidant to fights off free radicals damage. It also has an anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefit.
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With pH of 5.84, this essence is formulated without artificial fragrances, colorants and essential oils. There is a very subtle Hanbang or ginseng scent that comes with the product. Other than the Panax Ginseng extracts, it also contain 2% of niacinamide and licorice extracts
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I have been really enjoy using this one at the beginning step of my routine. It is that type of watery, easy to layer products. Its lightweight texture feels cooling and refreshing at the same time, non-tacky and absorb beautifully on the skin while giving that extra boost of hydration. Have I mentioned how much I love toner step in my skincare routine? It is almost like a staple routine or else I’ll feel like something is missing

packed with 60% propolis extract and 2% niacinamide, it has the most impressive ingredients with tamanu oil, tumeric root, centella asiatica and tea tree extract. This light water-gel texture spreads easily and feels most moisturizing, it can be kind of tacky at first but dissipates after a while. It is not only soothing but also brightening at the same time. I suggest this serum if you have acne-prone and dull skin