Two amazing things happened to my acne-ridden skin this year: First, I finally went to a skin clinic regularly and followed the dermatologist’s advice, and second, I worked for Calyxta. You see, when I worked as an editor/writer here, I discovered Korean skin care products that did wonders for my skin and I found makeup that covered up my blemishes. I’m so grateful for my work at Calyxta!
I won’t be selfish! I want to share with you Calyxta girls (especially those who’ve been battling oily, sensitive skin riddled with pimples like me) the fantastic and affordable products that helped me bloom again (and in my 40s, too!). Here they are:
Part of the Korean 10-step skin care regimen is a face mask. You’re only supposed to do this twice or thrice a week but my blog readers have told me that Korean masks are so gentle yet effective, they use masks every night! I’ve yet to do that. I only do masks twice a week—a clay mask to sucks up all the oil and impurities (on Saturdays), and a sheet mask to infuse my skin with nourishing ingredients (on Sundays).
I super recommend Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. Since I started using this last summer, my oil production has decreased dramatically. After cleansing and toning, I apply the clay all over my face, steep in it for 20 minutes, and then wash it off with warm water. I feel so clean after! And yet not dry and tight.
This is my most fabulous skin product discovery this year! When I started working for Calyxta, I was asked by our editor then to do videos but when I pointed out my volcanic eruptions, even she agreed I should remain a writer. My skin was that bad!
Then Calyxta started selling COSRx a few months later. I got a pack of these strange patches, basically bandages, and a miracle happened. I placed a patch on each pimple and the very next day—I kid you not, ladies! All pimples were flat! The pus was sucked out by the patch, the redness reduced, the inflammation gone. Gross but satisfyingly so. I love COSRx Acne patches. You’ll love it, too!
I got this because I read in blog reviews that it’s a dupe for Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair, beloved by beauty enthusiasts everywhere (but very expensive!). I can’t afford ANR but I want the same effect! So I got a bottle of Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Borabit Ampoule as soon as it arrived on Calyxta. I love it! My skin looks fantastic!
The bottle comes with a dropper. I warm up an entire dropper full of serum between my palms. One palm I use on my neck, the other palm I use to smooth the product on my face. I usually break out when I try new serums (my sensitive skin reacts to the concentrated ingredients) but I didn’t have any bad reactions to this serum. In fact, my skin just got better and better!
This is such a great foundation for oily skin! It’s got great coverage and yet your skin will look natural, and not mask-like. Best of all, it dries to a matte finish and controls oil all day long. I literally do not need to touch up my foundation.
It does such a great job at controlling oil that you have to moisturize before applying foundation, or else your skin will feel dry after a while. Then again, us beauty girls know that moisturizing before makeup is a must-do, right? So as long as you hydrate skin, your face won’t feel tight with this foundation.
I discovered Pink Sugar’s incredible concealer when we had a swatching party at the Calyxta HQ. I tried it on my dark under eye area (a fairly new condition I have since becoming a mom) and on my acne scars. I loved that I needed just a little, and everything was covered up instantly. That’s because the consistency of the product is thick. I also love that it stood up to my oiliness and the hot climate. I really believe it’s because Pink Sugar is a local brand, so it was created with our humid weather in mind. Great job, Pink Sugar!
The very best thing that happened to my greasy scalp this year! Oily face of course also means an oily scalp, but if I shampoo every day, my fine hair starts falling out. Daily shampooing is actually not recommended by dermatologists—and by Kim Kardashian. Yes, it was Kim K who convinced me that daily shampoos is a no-no because have you seen her hair??? Kim washes her hair just once a week! Because we live in the tropics, I have to shampoo three times a week, however. So I just suffer with my sad, oily hair in between washes.
Until I discovered dry shampoo—specifically Batiste. It’s wonderful. I spray the dry shampoo on my roots and my hair comes alive. There’s body and bounce again. And my hair smells great, too!
There you have it—my favorite beauty products of the year. Try them out, Calyxta girls! And if you have other recommendations you want me to try, please do share!