It’s been a while since I’ve chatted about skincare here, so I thought I’d share an update on the skincare products that I am loving at the moment. As always, I like to hear recommendations too, so if you’re using something you adore and we have similar skin needs, tell me!
I have combination skin, and as I’m 47, I generally look for things to tackle sun damage and then keep my skin hydrated and healthy looking. It can be sensitive to some ingredients and as it leans oily, I avoid anything that could be pore-clogging.
Tretinoin
This is the star ingredient in my skincare routine, the one I wouldn’t be without and the only active product that I regularly use.
I started using tretinoin about twenty months ago, using the 0.025% gel. I slowly went from every third night to being able to use it every evening, so I’ve recently moved on to using the 0.05% gel, and I’m up to being able to use it every other evening so far.
This works to repair sun damage, keeps my skin clear and is one of the few ingredients that is genuinely certified as anti-aging.
As I use tretinoin, the rest of my routine is about hydration. Tretinoin can be very drying, so I don’t use any other acids or vitamin C, I don’t feel the need to with tretinoin anyway, I just do what I can to counter the effects of the gel.
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence
This is a really light, hydrating toner.
It’s infused with 80% ginseng root water, along with plenty of hydrating ingredients so it leaves the skin nice and plumped up.
Isntree TW-Real Bifida Ampoule
I use this after the toner in the morning, and this is one I’ve been using for a couple of years and can’t imagine not repurchasing.
It has ingredients such as 88% bifida ferment lysate, lactobacillus/pumpkin ferment extract and rice ferment filtrate and niacinamide to up hydration levels while strengthening the skin barrier.
It sinks in really quickly and my skin barrier is happy and healthy.
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
This one really helps me with managing the flakiness from the tretinoin.
I mix a few drops in with my moisturiser each night, so a bottle does last me a while.
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+
Of course, every skincare routine needs sunscreen, especially when using tretinoin, otherwise what’s the point?
I’ve tried quite a few, and this is the one that I’m enjoying at the moment.
It doesn’t sting, sinks into my skin quickly and is fine underneath makeup. It’s also reasonably priced.
Of course I have other products that I enjoy, but I feel like these are the standout ones. I do like the Illiyoon Ato Concentrate Cream and have been using that for quite some time, but there seems to be some difficulties getting it at a reasonable price from my usual stores, so I’m going to be giving a new moisturiser a try soon, I’ll report back!
As I use tretinoin, I build everything else around that, so all other products need to be about hydration, and for me, that means Korean skincare. There are so many hydrating products and they have some really lovely ingredients included to soothe and calm skin.
What do you think, have you tried any of these before? What are your skincare must-haves at the moment?