The Sleep Crease Saga Continued

But with positive results!

Yes, this demands a slightly clickbaity beginning and spoiling the ending at the start because it's exciting when things start working :)

And it's doubly excellent when one's skincare suppositions are proved correct.

Texture is key (but not only that)

In my last post on moisturiser texture, I talked about the dramatic effects from Whoo's Cheongidan cream on my worsening sleep creases.

I clearly toss and turn during the night and now my skin becomes furrowed between the bottom of my eyebag and top of my cheekbone. Not so much on the left side but the right, which - to add insult to injury - has much deeper fine lines under my eyes as well.

I could get one of those body pillows but I prefer not to do so and I can't sleep on my back due to snoring.

Given the Whoo's cream helps reduce the creases, there's clearly something that works that doesn't involve me changing my sleeping arrangements.

But of course the full size is not only pricey and also hard to get from a reputable vendor in the UK. 10mls are possible through both TesterKorea and Yesstyle, although I've found an alternative in a much more attractive set.

The 25ml toner and emulsion that come with the 10ml Whoo cream aren't as exciting as the options with the Sooryehan alternative.

Plus, as should be clear for anyone who's read a few of my posts, Sooryehan is my favourite brand so whenever I can get something from Sooryehan, I'm much more likely to purchase.

The solution

I had absolutely convinced myself that only the Whoo Cheongidan cream would do the job on my sleep creases. Undoubtedly, it works well.

However, I've pretty much run out so I've been using two alternatives from my stash which do 90% of the work that the Whoo did.

90% of the effect for things I already own is a big win.

And it's always good to go back to something I'd previously drifted away from and now have the opportunity to use it up.

I should make it clear that whilst two products instead of one isn't perhaps perfect, I was using the Whoo as an eye cream in addition to my face cream so really I'm just subbing one eye cream for another.

Sooryehan's Chunsam Sanghwang Regenerating cream, in conjunction with the AHC Ten Revolution Real Eye Cream for Face (Season 10) are my new sleep crease solution. It's a bit mad because I was already using both of them, although not in the same routine iteration.

What's new, therefore, is using both together.

The AHC

There's a number of reasons I've added the AHC back in: the most obvious is to fill the eye cream slot, as the Chunsam is my face cream. I'd stopped using it when I discovered that the Cheongidan was so effective.

I've also just received my full size Isa Knox retinol cream so my current aim is to maximise the effects of my routine.

Whilst it's likely that the Cheongidan would have longer term effects as well as short term impressive plumping, I'm a sucker for shopping my stash because I've got a short attention span and all of a sudden I'll be like "ooh why did I stop using this, it's amazing!"

The AHC doesn't have those siliconey immediate plumping effects that I love but it's very moisturising and that is very helpful now the weather is turning colder.

I kinda consider the AHC an eye emulsion: it is moisturising but it doesn't particularly lock in moisture for me and, as I mentioned, doesn't immediately plump. I know it helps longer term because it did before. However, I'm totally addicted to that visible plumping.

The other thing that the AHC really helps is with winter morning skin. I perceived it as too heavy in the summer and whilst it's a light cream, it's more to do with the oily texture and how it dries in hot, humid conditions.

With no aircon, it is sweaty in the UK. Something that's particularly siliconey, rather than oily, works so much better.

This summer, we had a couple of days that were nearly as bad as the summer when I had to use Hada Labo's Perfect Gel every day. By the time I was out of the shower, I was sweating straight away so my skincare doesn't dry and becomes a sweaty mush, "soft" creams (see my texture post) are the worst culprits for this.

Thankfully, silicones counteract the mush, for me they form a protective layer that actually dries. Whilst the Hada Labo did a great job, products that have silicones and alcohol are even better.

Anyway, point being that the AHC wasn't at all suitable this summer.

Now it's colder (whilst still being humid, get percentage), I can slather on the soft creams with no issue in the morning and the AHC is doing a great job at keeping my skin comfortable and less papery looking right under the eyelid.

The Chunsam

I already really liked this cream and was bemoaning the lack of repurchase options. I have tried to be grateful that I'd managed to snag three 10ml sample sizes for cheap ($4 each) on TesterKorea but it's out of stock now.

It seems that well-formulated, siliconey creams that are on the balm end of the texture scale are what work the sleep crease decreasing magic. I'm saying balm now because, as I suspected, both creams don't melt as well now that the weather is getting colder.

The texture and formulation of both creams are similar, despite the Cheongidan having the edge in thickness. That kinda explains why both have a similar effect on the sleep creases.

I didn't discover that the Chunsam was nearly as good as the Cheongidan simply because I wasn't using the Chunsam on my eye area. I appreciate that eye cream is an addition to moisturiser but given they were both thick, I decided it was one or the other.

Duplicating steps doesn't bother me nor does using too much product but avoiding additional drying times, even though both cream dry quickly, is a consideration.

Running low of the Cheongidan was totally useful as I started using the Chunsam instead and I am very pleased with the plumping effects. Plus adding in the AHC means I've got the oily moisturising effects covered so my eye area is getting heavier moisturising action because my emulsions are siliconey rather than oily.

If I wasn't so sold on my new routine, I would try the Cheongidan again to see how it is out of the packet. However, I'm kinda saving the last sample as I get separation anxiety when I'm running out of something I like.

This is partly the reason that I've been hoarding my last Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Honorstige sample. Especially now it's been discontinued.

Nonetheless, I don't think the Cheongidan is relevant now and that's good as TesterKorea has a set which has a 20ml of the cream with four other 20mls from Sooryehan for the same price as the Cheongidan set that only has 10ml of cream (with 25mls of the balancer and emulsion so less product in total).

Granted I'll be running through the Chunsam much more quickly than the Whoo as I'm using it beyond my eye area. However, the lure of the cream I love plus four other 20ml products to try is too strong!

The Chunsam products are all in squeezy tubes, very handy when the concept of having to wash spatulas is exhausting. Although I will say that getting the last of the product out of Sooryehan's squeeze tubes is tricky.

The short routine

Sometimes I do skip the AHC if I'm having a short routine but the Chunsam does a great job on its own.

I tend to use my Decorte Phytotune Softener in place of toner. It may be expired but there's no fragrance or texture changes as yet and no adverse effects.

Then Sooryehan's The Black Serum, Isa Knox Age Focus Prime Wrinkle For All serum, Isa Knox Age Focus Prime Polynoid Wrinkle cream and the Chunsam.

Ideally I'll use the AHC too but I don't worry if I skip a few routines. The Black Serum sometimes gets dropped PM if I'm in a real rush: I choose the Isa Knox serum instead because it's so siliconey and it helps dry everything down super quick. Although to be fair, The Black Serum is sucked into my skin by the Isa Knox, it's just the skip I step if I'm poor in time.

The other thing I should add is that the Chunsam is the perfect day cream.

It isn't shiny!

I've been on the hunt for a non-shiny moisturiser for a while now.

The Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream is great for a non-shiny very moisturising cream but it takes a fair while to dry down. And if it doesn't dry down, I'm left with visible moisturiser residue when I go to apply my next step, which all mushes together. Very annoying.

The Chunsam is way way better than that because it dries down super quick and properly locks in my previous layers.

A note on shorter, less siliconey routines

One thing I do notice as that layering siliconey does make a difference on how my protection I get from sleep creases.

When I switch out some steps for non-silicone things, and do a shorter routine, the sleep creases do creep back in, even with the Chunsam.

Since TesterKorea kindly sent me a really good free gift with my last purchase, a 25ml Sooryehan The Black Exopert cream.

I've been using that with the following products:

10% niacinamide serum

Decorte Phytotune Softener (a couple of layers)

Sooryehan The Black Serum

Sooryehan The Black Essence Moisturiser

Sooryehan The Black Exopert Cream

Sooryehan Chunsam Sanghwang Regenerating Cream (as eye cream)

This is not as protective as, for example, using an LG toner or two (Sum:37, Sooryehan, Whoo), a different LG emulsion (Sooryehan or Whoo), Isa Knox Prime Polynoid Wrinkle Cream and AHC Eye Cream for Face.

I do love using all three products from the Black range but it does seem to be at the expense of the sleep creases if I choose this route, even with the Chunsam.

It would also be good to save The Black Exopert Cream in case I do actually receive the order I've just made for Sooryehan's The Black Single Essence (ordered from Stylevana with 30 day wait so it may not arrive; worth a try though).

Stylevana drew me in with a coupon which made everything a great deal - which doesn't normally tempt me in and of itself - but they had the CNP Sunquid for cheap in the first instance and some great deals on things I wanted to get as Christmas presents for friends.

I had the opportunity to try the CNP Sunquid through the paid blog I write for. I wouldn't even usually mention products I get there on this blog but I've now purchased it with my own money, which makes it fair game for a review here in my opinion.

I'll add a tag when I review it, though.

Final Thoughts

The Chunsam is a game-changer for me, although availability could be an issue going forward.

What this whole experience does tell me is that it layering siliconey products is key and in my Sooryehan Chunsam samples kit, there's two other products from the Chunsam Sanghwang range: a serum (super thick and creamy) and an eye cream (unopened as yet).

I'm ignoring the two Chunsam Radiant White products for now but I'll try them at some point.

There's also a long expiry date on the set so I'll test the other Chunsam Sanghwang products and just stock up if I like them, particularly because they're all in tubes so no scrabbling for spatulas!

Win!