Commercial Poem Ferments

Context: I rage deleted all my Reddit posts and so I'm reposting the key experiments here.  The experiment took place roughly from March to June 2022. I've also added author note's - updates and editorial critiques - in italics. It's very funny rereading stuff I wrote nearly two years ago.  Fermented ingredients are said to do it all: glowy skin, even skin tone, provide mild exfoliation (SK-II claim this), improve hydration levels, anti-aging and barrier support. So can using more than one ferment improve your skin even more? I tried an entire routine of fermented products because why the hell not! Background My failed experiment with Purito Galacto Niacin 97 essence (irritation, possible rash or weird breakout) might have put me off ferment entirely.  I should add a side note that I'd also tried a couple of other products with ferment, one before and one after the Purito Incident, neither of which produced the glow (The Ordinary Buffet and Beauty of Joseon Ginseng...

Gold Sooryehan Ginseng First Essence bottle and box (also gold) on a rich blue background  Here's the link to the original post Highlights from the first review The packaging, texture and ingredients were far in advance of things I'd used before - at the time . It's a serum texture rather than the watery texture I'd associated with first essences. I am a total sucker for this kind of texture now . I had thought the fragrance was noticeable but now I am accustomed to fragranced products, I'd describe it as light !  I stand by my previous comments that this product is luxe but I've tried many more luxe products since and so my frame of reference is a little different now. I'd put this as entry level, with, however, a caveat which I'll come back to in the conclusion. This product gave me my first taste of a more effective routine, meaning that I could reduce how many products I use without losing efficacy. Even though it's not quite right for my skin n...

Whoo Lip Cerin box (the top half is rose gold and the bottom half is pearly white) Whoo Gongjinhyang Glow box (gold with a oval holographic section). Reviewed: The History of Whoo Royal Essential Golden Lip Cerin and Gongjinhyang: Mi Glow Lip Balm (SPF 10). Lip Cerin used for 3 months and Glow for 2 months at this point. I'm going to refer to these as Lip Cerin and Glow as a short hand. Lip product demands As a minimum, I want to treat rough textured dry lips. Not only is that uncomfortable but it also means lipstick doesn't apply very well and that is annoying. I'd also like to reduce the purple edges, which looks like I've been drinking red wine or using a smudgy gothy lip liner. But like most skincare things, the dry discomfort is what drew me in and lack of effective products kept the search going. And, of course, if something claims to treat the signs of aging, I'm all in. I've tried lots of lip balms in the past and at best they've treated the dryness...

I was very much of the opinion that eye cream was an unnecessary step. I'd tried a few drugstore eye creams that were unremarkable in every way so that confirmed my opinion. I'm happy to say I was wrong about eye cream! I just needed the right eye cream. I will add, this doesn't mean you need an eye cream but I definitely wish I'd converted sooner. What converted me? It started off as a why not kind of situation. I'd stopped using actives for a bit and even though I've since restarted, I've always had a really stubborn line under my right eye that's becomes more noticeable without retinal but is constant regardless of whether I use actives or not. Also, and just because I can use actives daily, I don't necessarily want to do so because it is extra steps and they could potentially contribute to additional dryness. Plus I often find it boring to keep using the same products as I enjoy trying new things That being said, I do very much enjoy the new M...

Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener and Decorte Liposome Advanced Repair serum on a black silky background It's been a busy few months what with getting a new job but I'm hoping to get back to posting more regularly :) Note for this post: it might be a dry skin thing but if you have dry skin, the reasoning behind this post could make some sense. I'm not sure this would have worked this well when I had combination skin in a more humid environment with soft water. However, it would have really helped whenever I had a less than perfect barrier. What prompted this post I recently bought the beautiful and discontinued Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener from Decorte's UK online store.  It was half price so I should have been suspicious...  The usage instructions say to use it first. Right after cleansing! It's basically an emulsion - this does not make sense to me and it started an interesting experiment.  Someone told me that this kind of product as a first step isn...

Sooryehan The Black Serum  Sample sachets of Sooryehan's The Black Serum on white silky material. The packet is in the shape of the full size bottle. About my skin I used to stick to more affordable products and use a lot of different products to address features like signs of aging, larger pores and CCs, redness and dull skin. But better products means less products - and also far more enjoyment - in my experience, YMMV! I'm going to call these things I'm addressing "features" rather than "concerns", which is just a personal preference. My skin doesn't need fixing, I just tailor my routine to address certain aspects of it. This may seem a pedantic choice of words but language matters! I'm 40 with combination to drier skin plus dehydration after moving to a hard water area. Generally prone to texture and CCs but not acne (unless I've used a product that disagrees with me). My neck is dry, dry as a desert, and can be sensitive, so I use an e...