ADVICE FOR COMBINATION SKIN

[orryyyy]

HEYY, I AM TOTALLY NEW TO KOREAN SKINCARE, I TRIED MANY PRODUCTS EARLIER BUT NONE OF THEM WORKED ON MY SKIN TYPE AND FOR ISSUES LIKE ACNE BREAKOUTS AND CLOGGED PORES. MY LAST AND ONLY HOPE IS KOREAN SKINCARE. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ANY OF YOU TO GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON WHAT SHOULD MY ROUTINE LOOK LIKE AND WHAT PRODUCTS ARE BEST FOR MY SKIN? 

[WinglessOne]

@orryyyy  What types of products did you try? If they contained 2% salicylic acid, azelaic acid (10% or less), benzoyl peroxide, adapalene (products like Differin Gel), or sulfur, and none of that helped your acne, then it’s time to see a board certified dermatologist if you can. A derm can diagnose the type of acne you have (or tell you if it’s a different skin condition that mimics acne) and recommend more personalized treatments for your particular skin. 

I have mostly-dry combo skin. I can give you my routine, but it might not work well for you since we all have different skin issues/goals. So for now, I’ll just suggest a simple routine: 

1. Wash with something that won’t leave your skin feeling dry, stripped, or “squeaky clean.” CeraVe, Cetaphil, La Roche-Posay, and Vanicream make good gentle cleansers. A nice Korean cleanser is Abib Acne Foam Cleanser: I alternate that one with a couple others. You may find you don’t need to wash your face each morning, but definitely do it each night. 
2. Treat your acne and clogged pores with whatever your doc recommends. 
3. Moisturize with… well, there are plenty of good moisturizers out there. I use CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion most of the year. In cold weather, I switch to something richer like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. Both of those work well without making my oily zone feel swamped. 
4. Block UV rays with a broad spectrum sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30. Some sunscreens contain good moisturizing ingredients (squalane, dimethicone, shea butter, etc.), so you could even skip step 3 and let sunscreen pull double duty. Doesn’t matter if it’s a chemical, physical/mineral, or hybrid sunscreen: they all work largely the same way. 

[danielledanielle]

Hey @orryyyy , K Beauty focuses a lot on hydrating your skin, but if you have specific needs beyond that, reply with those and others can give additional recommendations.

As a fellow combo skin person, here's what I like:

Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution™ Water Cream Glow Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz / 50 mL #a gel moisturizer isn't heavy, but still hydrating

Dr. Jart+ Mini Cicapair Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 15 mL/ .50 fl oz, has SPF, cancels out any redness

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Single Sheet Mask 1 mask, a little pricy, but the glow is nice and there's a lot of serum, so I got multiple uses out of the serum

Not sold here

VT cica mask pack, I can use these daily, so refreshing and calms down minor irritation for me

There are other products I liked from Sulwhasoo and Belif, but I haven't tried their new reformulated versions, but I do have belif Aqua Bomb Depuffing Eye Gel with Caffeine + Hyaluronic Acid 0.5 oz / 15 ml to try and I enjoyed their previous versions of belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide and belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb with Peptide and Ceramide .84 oz / 25 ml . For Sulwhasoo, it was there Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam 6.76 oz / 200 ml 

[orryyyy]

@danielledanielle thank you so much for these insights. 

i mostly have acne breakouts, clogged pores on the cheek area , whiteheads on sidelines of my nose and tiny bumps on the forehead and no product seems to be working. i'll definitely try the ones you've shared but if possible please recommend something for these problems as well. 

THANKYOUU 

[danielledanielle]

I agree with seeing a derm @orryyyy 

Here's other products I like, bear in mind, my acne is hormonal/sensitive .  These aren't k beauty.  Also the ordinary does a great sale (and has a skincare tool) for the month of November. 23% off, but closed for Thanksgiving and black Friday too encourage moderation in schedule.  However they extended it until December 6th , if you're not sure what to use, consider buying only one item, use @WinglessOne list as a guide and the skincare tool/quiz to help you further.

The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution 1 oz / 30 ml 

The Ordinary Balancing & Clarifying Serum for Blemish-Prone Skin 1 oz / 30 ml 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum