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When should you start using anti aging skin care?

That’s a great question, and the answer you’ve probably heard before is that it’s never too early or too late to start, in order to get healthy glowing skin at all ages.

However, the type of anti-aging routine you adopt should be chosen based on your age.

The best skincare for your teens and 20s

The mainstay of anti-aging here is “less is more”, with three easy steps:

1. Not over-cleansing. The aim of cleansing shouldn’t be to strip your skin completely of oil. You don’t want to destroy the skin’s natural barrier, which in turn results in premature signs of aging.

If you’re wearing makeup, it’s better to use two gentle facial cleansers (one oil-based and one water-based) rather than scrub at your skin with one harsh, oil-stripping cleanser until it feels squeaky clean.

Make sure to rinse off the cleanser within one minute, and remove it gently without scrubbing at your skin. Cleanse no more than twice a day.

The Heimish All Clean Balm and the Farmacy Green Clean Balm are some of the best gentle cleansers to try. Both of these keep our skin feeling nourished and looking dewy, while getting rid of oil and debris. We also recommend the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for makeup removal.

By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Make sure to choose a balanced pH cleanser. For more information about these types of cleansers, sign up to our monthly newsletter. We’ll also let you know when we discover newer cleansers with more organic ingredients.

2. Protect against UV rays. Did you know UV radiation may be high even on cold and overcast days?

UV causes wrinkling and pigmentation, as well as other signs of aging such as dry and sallow skin. Therefore, it’s crucial that you wear sunscreen every single day, even on overcast days. The type of sunscreen you choose will depend on your skin tone, skin type, and preference.

3. Always remove makeup before going to bed and apply a hydrating serum or moisturizer 1-2 times a day, depending on your skin type and climate in which you live.

We recommend The Ordinary "Buffet" as a serum, and the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) as a lightweight moisturizer. We find that both these products help hydrate our skin to make it look more plumb and youthful, without predisposing to oily skin. The COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) sits poorly under makeup, so we like to apply it at night.

For dry skin or dry climates, you can afford to apply a creamier moisturizer, such as the MooGoo Full Cream Moisturizer. MooGoo is an Australian brand which prides itself on producing skincare with all natural ingredients, and we regularly use this product in our own skincare routine, because it’s great at making our skin feel soft, smooth and nourished during dry times.

Skincare in your 30s

Now is the time to start introducing retinoids if you feel comfortable with it!

Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A. There are many studies in support of retinoid as an agent to increase cellular turnover, target pigmentation, and stimulate collagen synthesis. However, in this post, we are discussing non-prescription formulations available. For prescription medications, or if you have acne, see your doctor for advice and follow up.

Make sure you start with lower concentrations and work your way up, as retinoids can be drying and irritating for the skin.

One of the best non-prescription retinoids that work for us is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid In Squalane, as it is a relatively mild formulation that doesn’t irritate our skin.

You can then try upgrading to stronger retinoid products such as the Pestle & Mortar Superstar Night Oil if your skin is tolerating retinoid well. This is a pricier option and comes in the form of an oil, so may not suit you if you have oily skin. However, it’s excellent for us at helping to smooth fine lines and increase the supple appearance of skin.

Make sure to only apply one retinoid product at any one time, and don’t use it together with any acids.

Also make sure you consult your doctor concerning use of topical retinoids during pregnancy. We avoid using these products while trying conceive, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If you haven’t started using eye cream yet, your 30s is the time to start! In our opinion, it’s never too early to introduce our favourite eye cream, which is the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream. This feels so rich and soothing around our eyes and has helped to decrease the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.

However, this can get a little expensive, in which case, explore the myriad of other eye creams out there, for example:

• a drugstore eye cream like the Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream or the affordable k-beauty eye creams by Innisfree, such as the Innisfree Perfect 9 Repair Eye Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean) and Innisfree Jeju Orchid Eye Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse). We find that these are non-irritating, moisturizing eye creams, but have relatively minimal anti-aging properties.

• the Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream (Jolse) is a lightweight eye cream perfect for the summer time. Once again, it is great at moisturizing the undereye area, though we noticed minimal anti-aging effects.

• the Elensilia Cpp Collagen 80 Intensive Eye Cream is great at reducing the appearance of fine lines.

To get recommendations about other favorite organic eye creams we love, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

It’s also really important to get on top of any age-related pigmentation that might pop up. See our breakdown of skincare to tackle hypigmentation for the best organic products to use to tackle pigmentation.

Finally, make sure to exfoliate, but not over-exfoliate! Exfoliation helps increase cell turnover, and is therefore an easy way to get that healthy youthful skin glow. See our best exfoliants page for more exfoliator recommmendations.

This is a temporary solution though, so don’t get addicted to exfoliating your face everyday to maintain that glow.

It’s best to only exfoliate 1-2 times a week, or only apply exfoliation as a spot treatment to problem areas (and avoid active breakouts).

Skincare in your 40s

Firstly, you finally have an excuse to invest in expensive formulations that contain higher amounts of more potent antioxidants, such as ginseng. We find the Sulwhasoo line perfect for this. Our top Sulwhasoo moisturizers are:

• Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX Light. This is one of our favorite moisturizers, which is incredibly rich while not irritating at all for combination skin. It has reduced the appearance of wrinkles and made our skin feel bouncier and look softer.

• Sulwhasoo Hydro-Aid Moisturizing Soothing Cream. This is more lightweight, but feels more luxurious and more hydrating than the average drugstore moisturizer. It has not caused us any breakouts.

• Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream (Jolse). This one is great for dry or dehydrated skin. It “melts” into the skin when you apply it, absorbing really well, even though it is a relatively thick emulsion. It has helped to get rid of dry patches without causing any irritation.

You can also risk applying heavier lotions and creams, if you find your skin becoming drier. Our favourite moisturizers for dry skin include the Hada Labo Premium Lotion (Olive Young)(dokodemo)(Jolse) (which is a very soothing but lightweight moisturizer with the consistency of a toner), Farmacy Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm (which keeps our skin glowing and moisturized but not greasy overnight), and the E-Nature Birch Juice Hydro Mist (Style Korean) (which is packed with antioxidants that helped give our skin a youthful glow, but is very watery and lightweight). If you would like more recommendations, subscribe to our newsletter to get monthly updates on the best anti-ageing products to try.

You can also start to layer two or three layers of product around your eyes - for instance both an eye serum and an eye cream.

One of our top organic eye serums is the Moogoo Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Vitamin C, which we find is really good for lightening dark circles.

Just make sure to keep vitamin C products refrigerated in a dark container as it can become unstable in light. Also try not to use it with products containing niacinamide. Why? See our post on skincare ingredients not to mix.

Other eye cream options we love include the Amore Pacific Intensive Vitalizing Eye Essence and the Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum, both of which felt incredibly soothing around the eyes, especially after a tiring day, and helped to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

The area around our eyes are some of the first to show signs of age, so it is important to target this area of your face as the focus of your anti-aging regimen.

You can also apply the leftover eye cream on your hands to any areas showing signs of age, such as the nasolabial folds (smile lines), forehead and neck.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

What should I use in my skincare routine at night?

This is a continuation of our recommended skincare routine for morning versus night.

Below is a guide to the types of ingredients you can consider including in your night time skincare routine.

Certain skincare ingredients are unstable, or cause your skin to become photosensitive, so it’s good to leave these to your night time routine, and apply the other skincare in the morning.

Our nighttime skincare routine steps

AHAs (e.g. glycolic, lactic acid) and BHAs (e.g. salicylic acid)

Make sure to only apply one AHA, BHA, or other acid at any one time! Also avoid applying AHAs and BHAs with skincare containing peptides, since the low pH of acids will interfere with peptides.

Make sure to limit the use of these chemical exfoliators to 1-2 times a week.

Some of the best chemical exfoliators we find effective are the COSRX AHA Whitehead Power Liquid (Olive Young)(Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%, and the KraveBeauty Kale-Lalu-yAHA. All of these are gentle enough not to strip the skin of it’s natural barrier, but are great at removing the day’s grease, grime, and dead skin cells.

Some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

L-Ascorbic Acid

L-ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C. On the face of things, it has many benefits for the skin, including brightening the skin, improving skin tone, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and fading hyperpigmentation.

However, L-ascorbic acid and other forms of vitamin C can be very unstable unless kept in optimal conditions.

It’s not just enough to keep the formulation in a dark container. It is also a good idea to keep the product containing vitamin C in the fridge (though you need to check with the particular manufacturer of the product you are using, as it depends on the overall formulation with other ingredients).

Even taking these precautions, the vitamin C (and its derivatives) that you end up applying to your face may still have lost its efficacy over time (within 6 months).

There is some evidence that L-ascorbic acid and sunscreens can work synergistically to enhance each other’s efficacy, but because L-ascorbic acid is unstable in the presence of light, we don’t like to apply it in the morning. One of the best organic skincare containing L-ascorbic acid that we have found effective at gently fading dark spots is the Drunk Elephant C Firma Day Serum. However, make sure to not use it together with products containing niacinamide, as this can cause flushing and skin irritation.

If you decide to give it a go, we recommend putting L-ascorbic acid on after toner but before other water-based ingredients.

Alpha Arbutin

For the purposes of this discussion, we are only discussing non-prescription formulations of alpha-arbutin.

Also known as glycosylated hydroquinone, alpha arbutin is a safer alternative to hydroxyquinone, which was traditionally used for skin whitening and to tackle hyperpigmentation even though it was associated with risk of serious side effects like cancer, which was exacerbated by exposure to UV radiation.

Alpha arbutin is supposed to do away with much of this risk. To be safe, however, we recommend keeping alpha arbutin in your night time skincare routine. Also restrict your use of alpha arbutin to no more than 3 months at a time. We like to use the The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. This has helped us to fade postinflammatory hyperpigmentation after 2-3 months of use.

Retinoids

There are many clinical trials on the efficacy of retinoids for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and pigmentation.

However, retinoids are relatively strong antioxidants that are vitamin A derivatives. As such, they cause skin thinning and therefore expose the skin more to the harmful effects of UV radiation. Therefore, the risk-benefit ratio of this skincare ingredient is usually only worthwhile if you are aged in your late 20s and beyond.

The term “retinoid” includes a whole family of vitamin A derivatives, some of which are prescription medicines (like retinoic acid and isotretinoin - aka Accutane).

In this discussion, we are only considering non-prescription forms of retinoid. These include retinoid esters (such as retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinyl linoleate), adapalene, and retinol.

Retinol is weaker than retinoic acid but has less side effects compared to retinoic acid, and it may take months to a year to see results.

Adapalene (aka Differin) helps to slow or inhibit the developement of pore linings and skin inflammation.

We won’t be discussing prescription retinoids which are prescribed for clinically diagnosed acne - see your doctor if you want advice on these! Also check with your doctor about the use of these products during pregnacy.

Non-presription grade retinoid esters (retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, retinyl linoleate) are a relatively weak form of retinoid, and thus are the ideal type of retinoid to begin with. See our anti-aging post for the best organic retinoid products you should try.

Azelaic Acid

If you haven’t explored this ingredient before, we recommend you consider incorporating azelaic acid into your skincare regimen! There is evidence to suggest that azelaic acid helps in at least three different ways to improve the appearance of our skin: by (i) helping to fade skin pigmentation, (ii) calming redness and inflammation, and (iii) acting as an exfoliant.

Like AHAs and BHAs, do not use azelaic acid with other acids to reduce the risk of skin irritation. We recommend using it as a spot treatment for 1-3 times a week.

Formulations involving azelaic acid can sit poorly under makeup or sunscreen, so it’s easier to apply it at night, after water-based products but before moisturizer. It can also make your skin sensitive to UV light. We like using the Azclear Lotion 20% w/w 3 times a week, concentrating on areas of redness, breakouts, and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. See our Hyperpigmentation post for more information.

Moisturizer of your choice

As discussed above, the choice of which moisturizer to use will depend a lot on individual factors, including your skin type, concurrent skincare products used, and climate. Since there are so many options available, see our separate post for a rundown of the best moisturizers here.

Facial Oil

There is a wide array of different facial oils, including rose hip seed oil, tamanu oil, marula oil, and hemp seed oil, to name a few. However, we do NOT recommend you to incorporate facial oil into your daily skincare routine if you have combination or oily skin. To find out more about what facial oil is suited to your needs, read our dedicated post on using facial oils here.

If you have dry skin, we recommend the Moogoo Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil as a the last step in your routine. Tamanu oil helped us to lighten post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, when we used it consistently for 6 months to a year. However, use a drop at a time as a spot treatment as all oils can conversely predispose to breakouts even if you have dry skin.

If you are looking for more products to layer, you can also incorporate the ingredients from the morning routine into your night routine, or find out about the Korean ten step skincare routine for more ideas.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

The Best Natural Moisturizers for All Skin Types, Winter & Summer

We’ve done the grunt work for you, and compiled a list of all the good moisturizers that we’ve discovered over the years with cleaner ingredient lists, as well as things to be aware of before you try them.

Lightweight Moisturizers

It’s not easy to find a lightweight moisturizer that

• doesn’t clog your pores after a whole day out and about,
• sits well under sunscreen, and
• functions well as a makeup base.

Our favorite moisturizer for oily or combination skin is the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), which is a very lightweight consistency but packs a punch in hydration thanks to ingredients like snail mucin. It also has never caused us any skin irritation or breakouts because it doesn’t contain many other extracts. The beauty with this moisturizer is that it can be used for hydration even if you have dry skin, especially during the summer time. However, it doesn’t sit well under makeup or sunscreen, so if you are going out during the day, save this one for your night time routine.

An alternative is the Amorepacific The Essential Creme Fluid. This does a good job at keeping your skin moisturized despite being lightweight. It does contain camellia extract and camellia oil - so always do a patch test if products contain plant extract and oils in case you are allergic.

If you are trying to avoid a product with many botanical extracts or oils, give the Primera Soothing Sensitive Cream a go. This contains ceramide (which helps to form a lipid barrier for the skin and retain moisture) and has a relatively simple, limited ingredient list that is organic. Try to to use it up within 6 months to be safe, however, since it contains limited preservatives.

The Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Cream (Jolse) is a thicker cream worth trying during winter time, that is still milky in texture and absorbs well. The Sulwhasoo line does contain phenoxyethanol and some botanical extracts. It may not be for you if you choose to avoid skincare containing alcohols. (Keep in mind that some form of preservative is needed if you don’t want to worry about how long the product will keep for.)

If the price of these products seems a little expensive, another natural facial moisturizer worth exploring is the Make P:rem Safe Relief Cream. It is great for hydration, but also absorbs quickly into the skin. This contains botanical extract and citrus fruit oil, so do a patch test to confirm you don’t react to these.

By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Creamier moisturizers

If your skin is on the drier side, then try using the Moogoo Full Cream Moisturiser or the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX Light.

If you are willing to splurge on your skincare, the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion is also worth trying as it’s similar to the EX Light version of the Ginseng Renewing Cream. You can even layer these on top of the more lightweight moisturizers discussed in the section above. All of these feel incredibly nourishing for the skin, giving that radiance and dewiness that is hard to come by in the drier months of the year.

We find that the Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream (Jolse) is also well suited to winter time for us, and we find that it absorbs really well into the skin as an emulsion, even though it initially feels quite thick on application.

Another product that we like to use for normal to dry skin or dry winter climates is the Laneige Cream Skin (Style Korean)(Althea)(Jolse). This feels very creamy on application, but doesn’t feel occlusive. The lighter version of this, the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner (Style Korean)(Jolse), comes in mist form, and so we carry this around with us to top up on hydration, even during the spring and early summer here in Sydney.

In the summer, we also like to use the Sulwhasoo Hydro-Aid Moisturizing Soothing Cream which is a relatively lightweight gel cream (by Sulwhasoo standards) that is great for keeping the skin moisturized and soft, but not greasy.

Sulwhasoo products do contain alcohol as a preservative, as well multiple botanical extracts, so it is best to patch test in case you are allergic.

If you have super dry skin, you can even try layering a facial oil. There is a wide array of different facial oils, including rose hip seed oil, tamanu oil, marula oil, and hemp seed oil, to name a few. In particular, we recommend the Moogoo Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil. Tamanu oil is good for fading postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, but use a drop at a time as a spot treatment as all oils can conversely predispose to breakouts even if you have dry skin.

We do NOT recommend you incorporate facial oil into your daily skincare routine if you have combination or oily skin.

If you are after a unique and hygienic way of dispensing your skincare, look no further than the J One Hana Cream, which comes as small capsule form rather than as a conventional cream. This has a rich creamy consistency and contains niacinamide, ceramide and salicylic acid, so it may be too rich for combination skin types. Keep in mind the salicyclic acid, being a type of chemical exfoliant (specifically a BHA), may be irritating to your skin if you are not used to this form of exfoliation.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

Our guide to face oils

Navigating the world of skincare oils is a tricky topic, because there’s always the fear that they will do more harm than good - causing greasy shiny skin, breakouts and clogged pores.

Here is a rundown of the oils that have worked for us. Remember that different oils are useful for different climates and ages. Always start with a low dose, do a patch test, and even if you don’t react badly, try to apply facial oils only to dry patches and areas that really need extra moisturization.

Marula oil and squalane oil

I find that the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Facial Oil, Life Flo Health Pure Olive Squalane Oil (vitasprings) and Nutiva Hemp Oil Cold Pressed (vitasprings) are great for softening and moisturizing my skin, even if it’s that time of the month when I’m usually prone to breakouts. For a more affordable alternative to the Drunk Elephant, I find that The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil works almost as well, though it doesn’t sink into the my skin as quickly.

By the way.. some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Grapeseed oil and Rosehip seed oil

If you have dry skin but suffer from acne, the Now Foods Solutions Grapeseed Oil (vitasprings) and The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil help in keeping my face hydrated during winter, but don’t cause more breakouts. I only apply them to dry patches, not all over my face though.

Jojoba oil and avocado oil

I use jojoba oil on both my face and body. Jojoba oil is found in a lot of other moisturizers and cosmetics, including haircare products. It is packed full of vitamins, has anti-inflammatory properties, and has structural properties similar to sebum. I find that it’s great at calming my skin after shaving, and for helping to remove makeup (so I apply it instead of oil cleanser some days). The one I use is from a natural brand from iHerb, the Now Foods Solutions Jojoba Oil (vitasprings). I also use Now Foods Solutions Avocado Oil (vitasprings) all over the body to moisturize, because it’s relatively cheap and gives my skin a soft glow.

Seabuck thorn oil

Seabuck thorn oil is rich in vitamins, including vitamin C. I find that it’s good for use around fine lines and wrinkles to reduce the appearance of aging. I use the a'pieu Seabuck Thorn Mist, which means I can control the amount of oil that ends up on my face more than a typical facial oil that is applied by hand. However, it can leave a stain on the skin, so is best applied at night.

Tamanu oil

Finally, Moogoo Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Seed Oil is great not only for moisturizing but also in helping to fade postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. It has also helped to give my brighten my skin when used 3 times a week for 6-12 months (yes it takes time!).

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

What should you use in your skincare routine to treat dry skin*?

To manage dry skin, take a holistic approach and examine not only the skincare products you use, but also the environment you live in (for example, getting a humidifier helps for dry climates), your diet, and your cleansing habits.

However, before you read on, make sure you know the differences between lotions and creams, dry versus dehydrated skin, and humectants, emollients and occlusives.

Step 1 - Perfect your cleansing routine

Make sure to avoid hot or even warm water when washing your face, as this exacerbates dry skin. Cold or lukewarm water is ok.

Try to cut down cleansing your face to only once a day, and rinse off any cleanser as soon as you can. I also find foaming cleansers too drying for dry skin, so try going for a gel cleanser instead.

I have combination skin, and personally use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (vitasprings) because it’s the most effective cleanser I’ve found that does the best job at removing sebum (for all skin types) while not drying out the skin. However, it does contain parabens, so you can experiment with different cleansers to find one best suited to you.

Step 2 - Apply multiple layers of the one product

When you have dry skin, you don’t necessarily need to slap on ten different products to keep it moisturized. In fact, it’s still important to steer clear of skincare that is too occlusive, as it can be comedogenic (= something that predisposes to blackheads and clogged pores).

Instead, layer multiple layers of the skincare that you are using. I find that the following regimen works well for me:

• apply 3 layers of a toner or essence. I use the Primera Miracle Seed Essence (Althea) because it has brightened my skin while at the same time soothing and hydrating rough patches.

• apply 2 layers of a serum. For example, I use the The Ordinary "Buffet" because it has helped make my skin feel more bouncy, and the peptides in it have helped keep fine lines at bay.

• apply 1 layer of your moisturizer. The Etude House SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream (Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean) contains sunflower seed oil, and I find this cream has helped a lot in repairing my skin barrier after a bad case of dry skin. I find that it doesn’t feel greasy on my skin.

• apply a facial oil, but only to dry patches. I find that the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Facial Oil, Life Flo Health Pure Olive Squalane Oil (vitasprings) and Nutiva Hemp Oil Cold Pressed (vitasprings) are great for softening my skin. For a more affordable alternative to the Drunk Elephant, I find that The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil works almost as well, though it doesn’t sink into the my skin as quickly.

Make sure to massage your face gently, in upwards motions, in between applying each layer. This will help the product sink better into your skin.

Finally, put on an overnight sleeping mask like the COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask (Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse). I find that this really helps lock in the hydration overnight. However, if you are a restless sleeper, you can use a mask that is less occlusive, or try putting on a little less than you would otherwise would, in case you get it on the pillows!

Step 3

This one has nothing to do with skincare, but is absolutely crucial! Examine your diet to see if you can enrich it with ingredients that help with dry skin. For example, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help your skin to regulate and secrete sebum, and maintain your natural skin barrier.

By the way.. some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

*Dry skin not related to a medical condition.

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

What are the best organic sunscreens out there, and what are the sunscreens with a safer ingredients list?

You’ve probably been told countless times to always apply sunscreen before going out during the day.

But did you know that the active ingredients that are used to give sunscreens their UV protective properties tend to be associated with potential health concerns, such as immunological toxicity or carcinogenicity.

For example, physical (mineral) sunscreens usually contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. Titanium dioxide as a nanoparticle has been investigated for potential harmful effects in humans, including cancer.

Topical titanium dioxide are still allowed in sunscreens in Australia. Unfortunately, without the addition of titanium dioxide, purely mineral sunscreens tend to rely on zinc oxide, which leaves much more of a white cast and is a lot harder to spread.

The advantage with physical sunscreens is that they are effective almost as soon as they are applied. Did you know that you need to apply chemical sunscreens 30 minutes before you go into the sun? This is because you need to give the active ingredients (such as avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone) time to absorb into the skin. Some of these actives, such as octinoxate, have been shown to produce damaging reactive oxygen species upon exposure to sunlight and to be an endocrine disruptor in humans.

If you prefer physical (mineral) sunscreens, we use the Shiseido Urban Environment Extra Mild (note this contains ethanol). For a more affordable option, we like the Missha All Around Safe Block Mild Sun. We are constantly on the hunt for other safe physical sunscreens that leave minimal white cast, sit well with makeup, spread easily, and are lightweight - so subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly updates.

If you choose chemical sunscreens instead, some of our favorite non-greasy chemical sunscreens with a safer ingredients list are:

• Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum (contains both mineral and chemical sunscreen, as well as niacinamide)
• Shiseido Anessa Mild Sunscreen For Face and Shiseido Anessa Essence UV Sunscreen Mild Milk (this is more lightweight compared with the Anessa Perfect)
• Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush On Sunscreen
• KraveBeauty Beet The Sun (we find this better suited to dry skin)
• Hera Sun Mate Daily (contains titanium dioxide)

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

When it comes to eye products, you’ve probably heard people tell you that it’s not enough to just use the same moisturizer that you put on your face around your eyes.

But are dedicated eye creams, serums and essences really necessary?

The truth is that it really depends. Lots of factors are at play here, including your age, your budget, your skin concerns, and the particular skincare products you are considering.

For example, some skincare lines have very similar ingredients (or formulations) between their facial and eye moisturizer range, but the price of the eye product may be significantly more expensive, making it less “worth it” to splurge on the eye product.

Other eye creams, like the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream EX, is a much more concentrated formulation compared with its facial moisturizer counterparts, such as the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX Light (which we use all the tim), and the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX (Jolse). This eye cream version contains more moisturizing emollients like shea butter, and omits some ingredients which may be too strong or irritating if it gets into the eyes, such as retinol and salicyclic acid. As a result, we find it really effective in reducing the appearance of puffy eyes, dark circles, and other signs of aging.

Your age also plays a big part in the decision making process. Our post on anti-aging skincare really breaks this down for you, but essentially, you can get away with not wearing eye cream when you’re in your teens and early 20s. However, if you have issues with dark undereye circles, you can still try a natural eye cream containing vitamin C, like the Moogoo Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Vitamin C, which we find has helped a lot with correcting dark undereye circles.

By the time you are in your late 20s, and certainly in by age 30, 40, 50, 60 and beyond, it becomes more and more crucial to hydrate and nourish the area around your eyes in order to slow down signs of aging.

Of course, price plays a big part in all of this too, as eye products tend to be more expensive than face creams.

If price is your major barrier to entry to the world of eye creams and moisturizers, you can start with drugstore and less expensive options, such as the Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream (Jolse), Innisfree Perfect 9 Repair Eye Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean), Innisfree Jeju Orchid Eye Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), Benton Fermentation Eye Cream (Style Korean)(Althea)(Jolse), Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream and the 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream (100% pure). We find that you may not see a big difference in terms of anti-aging with these, but they do still contain potent antioxidants such as caffeine that have reduced the appearance of puffiness around our eyes.

By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

When you are ready to move on to more luxurious eye products, but don’t think your skin is ready for something too thick or creamy, or you get milia around the eyes, try some water-based formulations like the Amore Pacific Intensive Vitalizing Eye Essence, the Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Eye Serum and the Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum. These are very lightweight formulations that haven’t caused us irritation or milia, but help to keep the eye area feeling hydrated and radiant.

For something really luxurious but lightweight, check out the Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Eye Serum, which is great for helping to reduce the appearance of swelling and lightening dark circles, or the Sulwhasoo Essential Rejuvenating Eye Cream EX, which is a very light emulsion-like cream with a faint aroma of white ginseng. We find it’s great for nourishing the undereye area and keeping wrinkles at bay.

Once you are ready for creamier formulations, reach for the Origins GinZing Eye Cream and The History of Whoo Cheongidan Hwa Hyun Eye Cream, which contain a myriad of different botanical and fruit antioxidant extracts. These have helped reduce the appearance of our fine lines. The Elensilia Cpp Collagen 80 Intensive Eye Cream is worth trying to get the benefit of its collagen extract, which we found has been super moisturizing for the eye area while not causing any milia.

The Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Renovating Eye Serum and the Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Renovating Eye Cream are part of Sulwhasoo’s Timetreasure series, which is designed with a focus on anti-aging. We find that used together, they help to correct dark circles and improve the appearance of sagging skin and loss in elasticity around the eye area. The eye creams feels thick but surprisingly not pore-clogging, thanks to the way that these products have been formulated.

If you are looking for a compact product that you can throw into your travel bag, check out the Erborian Sève De Bamboo Eye Matte, which comes in a slim stick packaging. It has limited anti-aging properties, but feels very cooling and soothing when applied.

So after all of that, what’s your verdict on skincare products for the eyes? Are they just marketing P.R.?

Our verdict is, if you can afford it, it’s better to use a dedicated eye cream that contains a richer and more nourishing formulation around your eyes compared with the rest of your face. However, if that’s too pricey for the time being, moisturizing around your eyes with a safe facial moisturizer can also be ok, as long as you check the ingredients.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

What Are The Best Natural Toners For The Face With Safer, Cleaner Ingredients?

Toners are liquids, generally water-based, which are designed to penetrate the skin into our pores and balance its pH. This preps it with hydration so that subsequent skincare we apply is more efficacious and sinks in deeper.

Therefore, toners are generally best applied after cleansing and exfoliating. Traditionally, toners were also often formulated as exfoliants, which may not have been obvious to consumers - and therefore they were associated with being rather harsh and damaging to the skin for some people who weren’t prepared for this effect. Nowadays, spurred on by sophisticated formulations from Korea, toners have become gentle yet effective skin prep steps in most people’s routines, and you would usually need a dedicated exfoliant in addition to this if you need to get rid of dead skin cells.

For dry skin or climates, try the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner Mist (Style Korean)(Jolse) or Hada Labo Premium Lotion (Olive Young)(dokodemo)(Jolse) (which is actually a toner). We find that the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner Mist (Style Korean)(Jolse) is a particularly intricate formulation that strikes a great balance between being wonderfully hydrating but not too thick, in a mist form.

There are also a range of more affordable toner options though they may have a lower concentration of active ingredients. Two such brands to check out are Isntree and Secret Key. In particular, try the Secret Key Milk Brightening Toner (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) and the Secret Key Aloe Soothing Moist Toner (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), as well as the Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner (Style Korean)(Jolse) and Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner (Olive Young)(Style Korean)(Jolse). Another one in this category that comes to mind is the Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner. These products contain relatively safe brightening and/or antioxidant ingredients such as green tea. However, if you have had previous reactions to hyaluronic acid or aloe, you should take care. Always do a patch test first to be sure.

What Is An Essence?

Essences work similar to serums, in that they are thin but hydrating formulations packed with active ingredients that help subsequent layers of skincare to absorb better in the skin.

They act adjuncts for the rest of the steps in your routine, and also help to achieve a dewy Korean glass skin look.

What Are The Best Organic Essences To Use With Safer, More Natural Ingredients?

We really like using the COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence (Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse), which contains 2% niacinamide. This helps us to even skin tone and helps with skin brightening. Read more about the effects of different niacinamide percentages on your skin.

There are also a lot of skincare ingredients you shouldn’t combine with niacinamide! Read our post on skincare ingredients not to mix for more information.

To help fade dark spots and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and for anti-aging effects, we use the The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, but we only apply it directly onto the offending areas, not all over your face, to minimise the risk of irritation.

If you are looking for an alternative to the SKII cult favorite, the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (dokodemo), give the IOPE Bio Essence Intensive Conditioning (Althea)(Jolse) or the Neogen Real Ferment Microessence a go. While we don’t find these to be as hydrating, they help give our skin a youthful glow. They also contain saccharomyces ferment filtrate, like the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (dokodemo).

If you are looking for a really hydrating essence, try the Primera Miracle Seed Essence (Althea). This is packed with a few key ingredients, including saccharomyces ferment (for anti-aging), nelumbo nucifera germ extract (for skin conditioning), and niacinamide.

If you are suffering from acne, this could be good time to try the Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Essence. Skinfood does a good job at working with propolis in this formulation. Propolis is an ingredient which studies suggest has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. While it can’t get rid of acne, it can help with soothing your skin during this period of inflammation.

Centella asiatica is another great ingredient to look out for possible anti-inflammation effects. The AHC Minimal 10 Watery Essence (Olive Young) contains one of highest concentrations of centella asiatica among the essences, at 98%, and we use this on pimples for a calming effect.

If you are looking for an essence with minimal ingredients and something a little different, another product to look out for is the Make P:rem Chaga Concentrate Essence. This contains only three ingredients, the active ingredient being mushroom extract (chaga). Chaga is emerging as an ingredient in Korean skincare, and studies suggest it can help to strengthen the skin.

Toners and essence are generally less concentrated than serums, and are therefore more watery in consistency. This is partly because serums tend to have more active ingredients such as vitamin C and other antioxidants, and are therefore suited to treating particular skin concerns, such as anti-aging, pigmentation and breakouts. You can find our favorite serums to use here.

By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

Serums are usually water-based, but have a high concentration of active ingredients compared with toners and essence - you can choose based on whether you are after specific ingredients, such as peptides (good for anti-aging), antioxidants (for anti-aging and reducing pigmentation), or brightening agents.

Serums tend not to be as occlusive as moisturizers, as they don’t contain mineral oils, petrolatum, lubricants and thickeners such as seed and nut oils.

We really love The Ordinary "Buffet", which is a serum containing peptide complexes which has helped to reduce the appearance of fine lines and facial folds on our face. We like to Ffocus this on dehydrated areas rather than all over our face (which is important if you have an oily T zone), as it has a relatively viscous consistency.

The Rovectin Skin Essentials Aqua Activating Serum (Style Korean)(Jolse) is a relatively natural formulation containing niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate, and aloe leaf juice, but otherwise contains a limited ingredients list with few extracts. We really like using this for breakouts as it is very calming on the skin. We noticed long term plumping effects and improvement to the appearance of skin elasticity after using this for a few months. The La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum had similar effects, though keep in mind it contains alcohol.

These serums contain hyaluronic acid, or sodium hyaluronate, which is a water-soluble form of hyaluronic acid. Take care if you have had previous reactions to hyaluronic acid and always do a patch test first.

Another active you can look for in serums is L-ascorbic acid.

L-ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C. On the face of things, it has many benefits for the skin, including brightening the skin, improving skin tone, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, stimulating collagen production, sun protection, and fading hyperpigmentation. One of the best organic serums containing vitamin C is the Drunk Elephant C Firma Day Serum, which has helped to fade pigmentation for us when applied consistently (daily) for 6-12 months.

However, L-ascorbic acid and other forms of vitamin C can be very unstable unless kept in optimal conditions. For more detailed information on how to maximise the efficacy of L-ascorbic acid in the presence of light, see our post on our evening skincare routine.

The other precaution with L-ascorbic acid is, that we don’t recommend using them together with skincare containing niacinamide.

You can also look for serums containing alpha arbutin. Also known as glycosylated hydroquinone, alpha arbutin is supposed to be a safer alternative to hydroxyquinone. The latter was traditionally used for skin whitening and to tackle hyperpigmentation even though it was associated with risk of serious side effects including cancer, which was exacerbated by exposure to UV radiation. The evidence suggests that alpha arbutin minimises this risk. However, we are only discussing non-prescription formulations here.

To be safe, we recommend keeping alpha arbutin in your night time skincare routine. Also restrict your use of alpha arbutin to no more than 3 months at a time. We like to use the The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. Using this product for 3 months has been effective at reducing the appearance of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and freckles on our skin.

You can also try the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex (Jolse), which has improved our skin tone and texture, making it more smooth and bouncy. However Sulwhasoo products do contain alcohol as a preservative, as well multiple botanical extracts, so it is best to patch test in case you are allergic.

The Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Eye Serum is targeted at people with dehydrated yet oily skin, and helped to correct dark circles noticeably after a few months. The Sulwhasoo Essential Revitalizing Serum EX is a lightweight consistency that is great for oily skin people, especially if layered with moisturizers or another product like the Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water EX (Style Korean)(Althea) from the same brand. We don’t recommend using the Sulwhasoo Essential Balancing Water EX (Style Korean)(Althea) on its own though, as we didn’t find it hydrating enough.

By the way…some of the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!

Tip 1

Your summer skincare routine should be tailored to your specific skin type. The basic principle though, is to really dial down on any products that could be occlusive, pore-clogging or greasy.

Whichever products you chose, also try to avoid ingredients such as sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrance and colors, or triclosan. Ideally try to also avoid alcohol as it can be drying, though keep in mind some form of preservative is usually needed in the product.

Tip 2

Even if you have oily skin and are sweating a lot, cleansing shouldn’t strip your skin completely of oil. Drying out your skin actually stimulates it to produce more oil to compensate.

It’s better to use two gentle facial cleansers (the first oil-based and the second water-based) rather than one harsh cleanser.

The Heimish All Clean Balm and the Farmacy Green Clean Balm, are some of the best gentle oil-based cleansers that work for us to cut down on oil, while still leaving our skin hydrated.

The COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser (Olive Young)(Style Korean)(Althea)(Jolse) works for us, but can be too drying for others, especially if you lather up a foam with it. We recommend washing off this cleanser before it forms a foam.

By the way…some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.

Tip 3

Apart from using a cleanser, we use the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) to help remove sebum from the skin. We apply this only to the problem areas, leave it on for six minutes, then rinse it off straight away. Our skin feels like “normal skin” straight after this - neither too oily nor dry.

Tip 4

If your skin is too oily, try moisturizing just once a day, before bed. The COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (Style Korean)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) is great for this, as it’s super lightweight but still very nourishing for our skin. However, because it doesn’t form a good makeup base, incorporating it into your PM skincare routine works perfectly. See our breakdown of the best organic moisturizers for more recommendations to try.

Tip 5

We love using the COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence (Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) in the summer time, which contains galactomyces as well as niacinamide. The 2% niacinamide that it contains has done wonders in brightening our skin. Galactomyces is obtained from fermented sake, and is a great antioxidant, reducing sebum levels while still moisturizing the skin.

An alternative to this is the Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence (Style Korean)(Althea)(Jolse), which also contain saccharomyces ferment filtrate, as well as rice ferment filtrate. Because these essences are so watery in texture, we find that they help in moisturizing our skin but don’t contribute to any pore-clogging processes.

Tip 6

Finally, if you are going outdoors (or even if you are indoors with exposure to UV light), it’s essential that you apply sunscreen as the last and final step!

UV radiation can cause pigmentation, speed up the skin’s aging process, worsen post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and increase the risk of skin cancer. The type of sunscreen you choose will depend on your skin tone, skin type, and preference.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.

Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!

P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!