daily staple | Heimish Aqua Tone Up Cream review

Summer is in full force and I can’t be bothered to wear anything more than sunscreen and Glossier’s boy brow most days. That, and I have declared personal war against foundations. I have dry skin and mild keratosis pilaris—most foundations/concealers just don’t sit well on my skin. I expected that tone up creams would hit a nice middle ground for me by brightening and evening the skin tone while allowing skin to retain a fresh, bare sort of look. Unfortunately, all of the tone up creams I’ve tried so far also do not seem to work very well on dry skin; they are stiff, streaky, and pill endlessly.

But I finally found it! This is tone up cream perfection. It has a smooth, moist texture that’s easy to spread and does not cause pilling. With it, you can achieve a fresh but not overdone look without the fuss of making a product sit right on the skin. Definitely my sort of product.

I was online trying to restock on moisturizer when I came across it. I found myself putting it into my cart after reading ad-copy from the brand that specifically stated that the product adheres well and resists pilling.

I didn’t think much of it after that until my order arrived.

| Heimish Aqua Tone Up Cream |

Product claims/information:

• Brightens and nourishes (multi-function)
• Hydration with a light finish
• Moist texture spreads thinly and easily for a smooth application
• White-based natural tone up can be used for all skin types and genders
• Dewy, water-based glow
• Adheres well to the skin with minimal transfer

Ingredients:

Unfortunately, the full ingredients list is not available online yet, and I was stupid enough to throw away the outer container before taking a picture, thinking I could always look it up later. I’ll update as soon as I can find it. Some of the key ingredients include cactus stem extract and maltodextrin (hydration), glutathione and vitamin tree extract (brightening), and buddleja extract (antioxidant/skin conditioning). It also contains niacinamide and does not contain ethanol, for those who are concerned about sensitivities.

Other notes:

• Has skin care capabilities and can be used in the place of a regular moisturizer.
• Can extend makeup wear if used as a base.
• Can be used at night as brightening care/moisturizer.

On a whim and without much expectation, I applied it one day after my skin care and sunscreen. The silver tube comes in an interesting plastic cylinder case and looks like it should be toothpaste. I squeezed out a dime-sized amount of product, which actually ended up being too much. A little goes a long way.

The texture is slightly more watery than one would expect from a tone up cream. It spread easily across my skin, and though it was slightly streaky at first, blending gently with my fingers gave an even, smooth finish. It seemed to put a veil over redness, discoloration, and pores without looking chalky. In fact, my skin looked hydrated rather than powdery and dry. The skin-feel of the product is moist, but lightweight.

I’ve been using this on a semi-daily basis for almost a month now. I feel like it plumps up my skin whenever I use it, and these plumping effects seem to last until I cleanse my face at night. There is a mild, flowery sort of fragrance, but it has not been irritating in the slightest on my hyper-sensitive skin. Heimish claims that it can replace your day moisturizer, but I think that would depend on skin type. It is more than enough for oily/combination/dehydrated skin types that lack hydration, but it does not have the lipids and occlusive ingredients that are crucial for those with dry skin.

It wears fairly well throughout the day without too much bunching at the sides of my nose, which is crazy because not a day goes by in Japan lately where we’re not all sweating our faces off! I did note that applying too much does encourage the product to settle into creases, so I am careful to apply only a little bit to the eye and nose area.  I also pair this with the (other) love of my life, NARS radiant creamy concealer, when I want a little more coverage. It seems to work well with other foundation/concealer products because it leaves minimum residue on the skin.

Happy camper 🤗

Warm-weather Skin Care Favorites

When I think of the summer aesthetic, the word “glow” immediately comes to mind. SoCal residents are known for a beautiful, bronzed beach glow, but a healthy glow looks great on every skin tone. The Korean term for this lit-up look is 광 “gwang.” The most covetable glow (속광 “sokgwang”) is created from keeping the skin healthy. I’ve grown into this approach to skin care as a Korean American, and I’ve realized it’s purely foundational. Like, makeup is optional (fun, self-expressive), instead of necessary (covering flaws, dependency). In my own experience of it, skin care is more in the realm of health and well-being than enhancement. Also, I’m um, minimalist (read: lazy), so I like things that are not fussy but still effective.

Here are my three summer loves! Well-suited for warmth and sunshine.

1. Exfoliate! Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel
   
   Peeling gels are all the rage in Asian skincare, and for good reason—gommage peels have all the non-abrasive qualities of a chemical exfoliant but tend to be a little less heavy-handed in terms of exfoliation. Exfoliating increases skin turnover, lifting away dead skin cells that make your skin look dull and interfere with proper skin balance. Exfoliating well (but not overdoing it!) helps skin regulate itself and also aids in better absorption for a healthy glow.
   I have absurdly sensitive skin, and I have no problems with this gel from Dr G. Dermatologist developed, this gel has a slightly medicinal, tea tree scent and is soothing and refreshing on the skin. Rubbing gently onto damp skin unglues dead skin cells, helping skin turnover. This gel does not increase photo-sensitivity like some other chemical exfoliants may. (Recommended use once a week for dry/sensitive skin, 2-3x a week for oilier skin).
2. Super glow-charging nutrition. LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule
   
   Okay, this stuff is legit. It lives up to the hype and more, despite being extremely expensive. It’s an extra-potent ampoule (skin care with super concentrated ingredients) that contains over 40% pure propolis—antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant rich—and other amazing things like sea buckthorn extract, niacinamide, and 3 types of vitamins. It’s incredibly versatile and not at all finicky; it absorbs quickly with minimal tackiness and also mixes extremely well with essences and creams. The bottle is tiny, but two drops either under or mixed with my moisturizer goes a long way. It not only keeps irritation and acne at bay, but it also quickly fills my skin up with much-needed nutrition. My skin isn’t absolutely 100% flawless because of this (let’s face it, I think this is an unrealistic goal), but it’s smooth, healthy, and radiant. Other ways I love to use this (courtesy of glowrecipe tips): mixed into sunscreen or BB cream, or dabbed onto cheekbones and eyelids for a natural looking highlight.
3. Hydrate often! Benton Honest TT mist
   
   Hydrating/moisturizing is key to keeping skin balanced and healthy, but the last thing I want to do in the summer is weigh my skin down with heavy layers or oils. I don’t even want to wear my cushion on most days. Mists are my best friend in the summer! Benton’s TT mist is great (aside from reminding me of an overplayed K-pop song) because it’s non-irritating and has no fragrance—it’s just a cooling, hydrating boost that’s easily applied throughout the day, even over makeup. It contains a safe concentration of tea tree water (also antibacterial) to soothe. This one travels with me everywhere. Tip to using a mist well: Spritz and pat. Dampen the skin, then gently pat/press until it’s all absorbed.

The last thing, which kind of goes without saying for someone who grew up in a Korean family like me, is to wear sunscreen! Even if you prefer a little color via the sun in the summertime or already have beautiful, richly toned skin, protecting the skin before seeing the sun is crucial for preventing spots and premature wrinkles from collagen breakdown. Sunscreen that is marked PA+++ actually inhibits skin darkening. For those who are after that gorgeous, bronzed look, I recommend a PA++ sunscreen.

Easy-peasy glowy! Here comes my lazy-ass summer. Hehe.

daily staple | Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner review & method

My first skincare post has me lying on my back with a sheet mask on, trying to type while keeping my head flat on my pillow. Hooray for multitasking.

It’s probably helpful to mention that I have dry, easily dehydrated skin.  Skin needs two things—water and oil—in a good balance in order to be healthy. When water and oil levels are optimized, skin is bouncy, resilient, and soft because it has everything it needs to do its job. The overwhelming conclusion is that for successful skincare, one must find out their own skin-type—what they are lacking or what they have an excess of—and throw all the things (read: not all the things) at it until it is well-balanced.

Dehydrated skin lacks water. Dry skin lacks oils and lipids that form a barrier on the skin to keep water in. Before I apply any oils or occlusives to the skin, I need to make sure that I’m supplying it with enough hydration to be effective. Enter the 7-skin method.

The 7-skin method (& a slight product failure)

The 7-skin method is a Korean beauty philosophy that has been flying around the internet as of late. It’s simple—applying a moisturizing (non-astringent) toner in 7 thin layers. This ensures that your skin is hydrated fully at every single layer.

For a while, I didn’t bother with it; it seemed excessive and time consuming. But after a tussle with a particularly dry spring day, I threw in the towel and grabbed my Hada Labo Gokujun Lotion. Following the instructions, I applied a dime-sized amount 7 times, patting to make sure that it sank it. By the 7th application, my skin was plump and absolutely shining. I applied moisturizer as usual and hopped into bed. The caveat to the amazing initial results was that when I woke up in the morning, my skin felt even more parched than usual.

Needless to say, I felt betrayed. After slathering on my emergency moisturizer and steeping my morning tea, I realized my mistake. I had been using the wrong toner.

The Hada Labo Gokujun Lotion is a wonderful, effective product that is well-loved, and for good reason. Its efficacy as a hydrator, though, seems to vary depending on the surrounding climate. It mainly composed of hyaluronic acid, a humectant that attracts any moisture from the surrounding air. Which in LA, is about zero. When I was in Japan a couple summers ago, it had worked wonders, pulling moisture from the surrounding humidity into my skin. In LA, its efficacy seemed to drop significantly. And I deduced that I had probably compounded its inefficacy by applying it 7 whole times.

Alas, it was time to find a new moisturizing toner suited for sensitive skin. I had relatively good experiences with other Pyunkang Yul products, so I went ahead and got the essence toner. It is recommended for those with dry skin and is supposed to be incredibly hydrating.

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner

Pyunkang Yul is a brand that caught my interest when I realized that it was gaining popularity in the motherland. Developed by the renowned Pyunkang oriental medicine clinic, it’s essentially a barebones hanbang brand formulated without irritating ingredients whose goal is to optimize the balance of oil and water in the skin. All of its products contain no fragrance (except the cleansing foam) and do not have any alcohol or unnecessary fillers. In other words, clean, pure potency. I noticed that Ohlolly had curated some of their products and had even provided a helpful breakdown of which products were recommended for each skin-type.

The essence toner comes in a crisp-looking navy blue box that certainly reflects the no-frills nature of the brand.

It is housed in an equally elegant looking blue bottle reminiscent of those used in traditional apothecaries that is rather short and squat in comparison to other toner/essence bottles.

Both the box and the bottle have the same slogan written in Korean under the product name: 비움으로 아름다움을 채우다, which roughly translates to “filling up beauty with emptiness,” capturing the brand’s minimalism.

Ingredients: Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Arginine

That’s only 7 ingredients in a waterless formula, with the primary ingredient being astragalus membranaceus, or milk vetch, root extract. Milk Vetch root extract is also known as Huang Qi, and is a Chinese medicinal herb that has been used traditionally to improve health and boost immunity. It is an adaptogenic herb that is both anti-inflammatory and an anti-pathogen (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal). This explains why the essence toner is recommended for dry skin that has poor circulation—it is both nourishing and energizing with a plethora of minerals to boost skin health. There is also research that shows milk vetch extract aids in anti-aging by helping stimulate the synthesis of telomeres in DNA to slow down cell division. I’m still in my early twenties, but Korean moms always say that 20 is a good age to start easing into anti-aging treatments, so that’s a bonus in my book.

A quick look at Cosdna shows that Butylene Glycol is at a low rating of 1 as an acne trigger. Likewise, Arginine is a low rating (1) irritant. None of the ingredients are at all dangerous, and I’d say that this is an extremely clean, non-irritating list.

Usage

The Pyunkang Yul essence toner is a slippery, bouncy liquid that is clear and has a slightly herbal-y soapy scent. It’s almost impossible to tell apart from the Hada Labo Gokujun lotion once it leaves the bottle. As it is an essence toner, I apply it immediately after cleansing, patting about two drops into my skin with clean hands. The trick to getting the most out of a hydrating toner/essence is to ensure that the skin is still a bit damp before application.

The bottle has a flip-top cap that dispenses easily and not too generously (a few gentle shakes will dispense a few drops). It sinks in incredibly quickly and leaves a slight tackiness on the skin that is absorbed easily with a few quick pats. It is a lot less sticky than the Hada Labo upon application, making the 7-skin method a lot faster and way more convenient. If I have time (especially at night), I’ll apply this toner 7 times, but I find that even after the second or third application, my skin is already plump, even, and dewy.

I have sensitive skin prone to keratosis pilaris, and the essence toner does not aggravate it at all. In fact, it is soothing and strengthening, and I’ve seen an overall decrease in irritation thanks to this product. Using this essence toner in conjunction with an emollient and occlusive cream has also evened my skin texture, eradicated dry patches, and firmed up the otherwise papery layers of my skin. It really is a no-frills product that might seem kind of boring, but I appreciate the minimalist efficacy—that’s generally what I look for in skincare.

My skin: (1) – The breath of the stinking devil himself (LA’s climate): (0)

Pyunkang Yul essence toner is $19 dollars for 200 ml at Ohlolly here.
Available at Style Korean for $15.02 here.
I purchase at Ohlolly because they have amazing customer service and are based in the LA area, so shipping only takes a day or two!