Lokenstein's

Keeping track of my current and past skincare routine.

The product on top is the one I currently use.
I rate the products with [+], up to 3.
A question mark [?] means I haven't been using it for long enough to judge.

Morning

Cleanser

• Multi-Action Face Cleanser by Skin Treat [++]
  Feels nice and smells good, like freshly cut apple. A little goes a long way.
• Kirkas Radiance boosting Cleansing Cream by Lumene [+]
  Pretty basic, worked ok but not great results without double cleansing.

Serum

• EUK 134 0.1% by The Ordinary [++]
  I bought this mostly for the fact that it diminishes the redness of the skin. It works really well, but I have to stop using it while on cortison or it gives me red rashes when the dose lowers, which is quite conterproductive. I use between 1 and 3 drops a day so it lasts a long time.
• Brightening Vitamin C Face Elixir by Skin Treat [+]
  I got this while I was unable to use my The Ordinary serum and I just didn't feel like it did much of anything, so I wouldn't recommend it and didn't buy more once the bottle was empty.

Moisturizing cream

• Nutrient Enriched Face Cream by Skin Treat [++]
  This cream feels quite light and nice, you need very little product to cover you whole face and it gets absorbed quickly, leaving you with a very soft skin.
• Lähde Intense Hydration 24H Moisturizer by Lumene [++]
  I've liked this cream and used it for a few years. The main problem with it was that sometimes in summer it would clog my pores, and I didn't feel comfortable wearing it under makeup.

Sunscreen

• Aloe Soothing Essence Waterproof Sun Cream SPF50+ by Holika Holika [+++]
  A SPF50 cream which feels like a very light moisturizer? Hello ?? I had heard the wonders of korean sunscreens but couldn't really believe it until I tried it myself. It feels like nothing, but also mosturizes my skin! Unfortunately I traded my old vegan sunscreen for this, but it's just too good. Hopefully I'll soon find a vegan corean sunscreen!
• Lait solaire SPF30 certifié Bio by Laboratoires de Biarritz [+]
  I bought this one because it was the only vegan one I could find in my city, and it served me well for several years. Ultimately, when I found better I realized that it had been very greasy, and gave me a light white cast.

Evening

Oil Cleanser

• Balancing Sake Cleansing Oil by Skin Treat [++]
  Feels nice and smells good. I use water and cleanser to rince it. However, it seems like the brand has discontinued this product.
• Cleansing Oil by Muji [++]
  Very minimalist, it did what it was supposed to do without extra perfume or irritants. Unfortunately my local Muji shop, despite being the biggest in Europe, doesn't sell it anymore.
• Sisu Deep clean Cleansing Oil by Lumene [+]
  Smells nice but it was a bit thick and stinged my eyes really bad when it got in them, which was unfortunate because I mostly used it to remove my eye makeup. The brand doesn't offer this product anymore.

Cleanser

• Multi-Action Face Cleanser by Skin Treat [++]
  Feels nice and smells good, like freshly cut apple. A little goes a long way.
• Kirkas Radiance boosting Cleansing Cream by Lumene [+]
  Pretty basic, worked ok but not great results without double cleansing.

Night cream

• Lähde Hydration Recharge Overnight Cream by Lumene [+++]
  This cream is very light so you can use a lot of it without sticking to your pillow, and it won't clog your pores. The smell is quite delicate and discreet, perfect for the night.

Extras

Exfoliant

• Treatment Enzyme Peel by Emma S. [+++]
  This is a very nice chemical exfoliant that mixes AHA and BHA. You only leave it for a minute and it works very well! I'm always a bit stressed when rincing it, because it seems so intense that I don't want to leave any on my skin, but so far I've never had problems.

Mask

• Lähde Oxygen Recovery 72h Hydra Gel Mask by Lumene [++]
  I like masks in pots rather than in single use packs because it wastes much less plastic. This one has been a great mosturizer, and I love its gel texture! It tickles your skin a little when you put it on, and some people with sensitive skins seem to react badly to that, but it worked for me!

General tips

• Korean skincare is great because they focus on skincare with the goal of using minimal skin makeup, whereas the US beauty market focuses on the makeup and the skincare is a second thought.
• You don't need to use a "daily" product every day, and you don't need to apply it on your whole face. For instance, a toner that balances the sebum can be only applied to the T zone for a combination skin, or just a few times a week for a dry skin. Do what works for you.