Today's episode in my "Kinseng" or K-beauty life is "The One Where Two Skincare Products I Was Relying On To Turn My Skin Baby's Butt Soft Actually Turned Out To Be Real Baby Poop".
It's an episode because episodes are "events or short periods of time that are important or unusual", and if you've been with me for awhile, you know that (now it's my turn to be the a-hole) I rarely break out... mostly in part because my skin doesn't gush like a sebum geyser any longer. In fact, it's hard for me to even compare it to a defunct sebum fountain at the playground...
But it happened, two products, and juicy ones I might add ACTUALLY broke me out (well, one did and the other assisted). I had to share the all of the juicy details with you. So in today's post I have two mini-reviews and a little roundup of the lessons I learned from dealing with the breakout.
Disclosure: This post contains a press sample, kindly sent from PeachandLily.com. All thoughts are my own. Press samples are denoted with an asterisk. There are affiliate links in this post. You can help support this blog by purchasing through an affiliate link, which returs a small sum to me at no cost to you as the consumer. If you are curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, please see my disclaimer and policies.
THE ONE I HAD TO PUT IN THE SLAMMER: COSRX ULTIMATE NOURISHING RICE OVERNIGHT SPA MASK
And by slammer I mean my body care drawer.
INGREDIENTS Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annus Seed Oil, Betaine, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernal Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylgylcerin, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum [ANALYSIS]
Kinseng: So CosRX, I heard you were SO good that people are waking up feeling like they could bounce quarters off their faces...
CosRX: Yeah girl, Tracy of Fanserviced and Jude of Fiddy Snails love me, put me on your face right now! I got that brightening rice extract (65%!) and niacinamide (vitamin B5) you love. And hey guuurl, I know you're into soothing allantoin too. BLESS. THYSELF. with my presence... (I've been watching too much DJ Khaled).
Plus I never really put too many common acne triggers in my formulas - just watch out for the cetearyl alcohol. Did I mention there's no fragrance or parabens? I got you!
Kinseng: Okaaay, I'll schedule you in after I've checked to see if my last addition to the routine is blessing my face or screwing it up.
I'm not sure about you though... I thought you were going to be a like a cream but you've surprised me. You feel kinda bouncy like a gel but weirdly covered in a coating of oil... but you smell alright, kinda faint (like palm oil?) so I've got you in the next testing slot.
CosRX: I'll make you say uhhhh nananana...
Kinseng: O...kay?
Fast forward about 1 week...
Kinseng: Bad news... I broke out like Samantha of The Glitter Chic. I have closed comedones all up the sides of my temples and it's getting pretty rocky on my forehead too. What in the hail?
CosRX: Sorry! How'd you use me?
Kinseng: As the last step in my nighttime routine, I'd take a quarter size dollop and pat it into my face before bed.. I didn't get the chance to try you as a wash off mask (20 minutes, after cleansing) like you suggested before I figured out you were messing with my groove...
CosRX: Was any of this experience good for you?
Kinseng: Well, now that you mention it.. My skin was firmer in the mornings and it was enough to hold over my dry skin overnight. And you've led me to suspect one of your ingredients was breaking me out, something I'll actively avoid in the future. But not much else.
I didn't see any brightening. You're less cost effective than I expected since you're a 50ml squirt. I also didn't like how you felt more like an oil than a cream. I'm putting you away for good, off to the body care drawer with you!
FIND IT AT Wishtrend ($12.99/50ml) | Jolse ($13.60) | Amazon ($16 shipped free) | Cupidrop ($16) | Melody Cosme ($16)
THE AIDER AND ABETTER: MAY COOP CLEANSING MOUSSE*
Or that pH is too damn high!
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| Bottom Left: One pump, Bottom Right: pH tests to a value of 7. |
INGREDIENTS Acer Mono Sap, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Lauramidopropylamine Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Water, Betula Alba Bark/leaf Extract, Castanea Sativa (chestnut) Bark Extract, Olea Europaea (olive) Fruit Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Bark Extract, Ribes Nigrum (black Currant) Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Vitis-idaea Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (grape) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Fructan Powder, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Dimethiconol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Allantoin, Disodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Creatine, Sodium Pca, Pca [ANALYSIS]
Although I joke that I love my favorite skincare items almost as if they're humans at times, I'll stop talking to them now...
This May Coop Cleansing Mousse is an auto-foam cleanser, much like the much-loved Hada Labo Gokujyun Foaming Face Wash. which means it dispenses light floofy clouds of foam, unlike regular cleansers that look like paste and have to be foamed up in your hands. It's ideal to use after a cleansing oil or balm to get rid of any residue from whichever product you use to remove makeup. This product is not meant to remove makeup, nor will it perform well at removing makeup.
The cleanser is made of 70% acer mono sap (maple sap, high in antioxidants), gentler foaming agents (sodium cocoyl alaninate, lauramidopropylamine oxide), some tree bark extracts as natural aromatics, and black currant and grape extracts which are high in antioxidants. Like the CosRX, it's parabens and fragrance free, which means it's marketed towards every skin type, even sensitive ones.
With that said, cleansers to me, don't need as thorough of an ingredients analysis as I've been counseled by the cosmetic chemists over at The Beauty Brains that cleansers can have amazing ingredients lists, but fail to deliver the benefits of those ingredients because they spend... oh at most 2 minutes on the face.
I used the May Coop over the course of a month; everything was fine. It smells really nice, light and sweet, even 'natural' and it left my skin feeling cleansed. Not over cleansed, not under cleansed. Cleansed. I had my review notes all set, and I set the cleanser aside again for a few weeks to work on using up the other cleansers I have in my cleansing wardrobe. But at around the time I introduced the CosRX Rice Sleeping Mask reviewed above, I was back on the May Coop.
The reason why I name the May Coop as an accomplice in the great breakout of 2015, is because my pH strips found it to be a pH of 7, which is too high to foster a great bacteria-fighting environment for the skin (which on average is at/needs to remain at a pH of 4.0-5.5). I think it could have aided and abetted the breakouts by disrupting the acne-fighting acid mantle of my skin.
To delve in-depth into this hot skincare topic, visit Cat over at SnowWhiteandtheAsianPear.
While previously, my skin has handled cleansers at this pH (no relation other than the high pH), I'm reluctant to endorse them over cleansers at an optimal low pH (between 4-5.5). Especially since there are now so very many cost-effective low pH options out there.
FIND IT AT Peach and Lily ($32/150ml)
MY FACE PAID THE PRICE, SO WE CAN ALL CASH IN THE CHECK
Yeah so I had forgotten how freaking terrible it is to break out. I'd also forgotten how to manage acne it had been so long since I had a notable breakout.
But, looking at the whole experience with fresh eyes, and influenced by skincare muses from the online Asian skincare community - blogs/instagram/reddit... I came up with a few notes and lessons for me to follow the next time this happens.
ARE THESE SKINCARE GOODIES EVEN THE CULPRITS?
I broke out within 48 hours of using the CosRX rice sleeping mask. I had a difficult time admitting that CosRX, a brand known for doing clean products, often holy grail for those with acne-prone and/or sensitive skin, could be the culprit. Instead of discontinuing use of the sleeping mask and cleanser right away...
I was sure that my routine had been stable before introducing the rice sleeping mask, but I checked my skincare journal notes regardless.
My air cushion compact foundation puffs, brushes, and cleansing tools. They weren't gross, I cleaned them, the breakouts remained.
Next, I checked the monthly calendar... In case that betch Aunt Flo was planning to crash at my place soon, to rule out hormonal causes.
ILY SKINCARE JOURNALS!
I keep a skincare written journal and a photo journal... as you do... Just kidding. As a skincare blogger, I find keeping written and visual notes really helps me with my reviews.
After this episode, I doubt I'll discontinue this practice because... I'm not sure I would have noticed the issues I started having with the texture of my skin and the closed comedones as quickly as I did. Because I take notes and photos twice daily, I was able to start investigating the causes of my breakout ASAP.
GIVE EM' SPACE: TESTING SCHEDULES
Any skincare addict knows it's all too easy to get caught up in buying new product after new product. I know I must have mistaken the word 'holiday' for 'hauliday' recently because my skincare stash has exploded.
With all of these products waiting in queue to bless my face, I'm always tempted to cycle them quickly. This experience has really taught me that it's never fun to start playing guessing games at which of the products is breaking me out. I am now much more likely to be a stickler about skincare testing schedules.
PULL UP! DON'T HAVE A SKINCARE JOURNAL OR A TESTING SCHEDULE? KNOW YOUR SAFETY ROUTINE
I'm fairly certain the first time I heard of a 'safety routine' was on Jude of Fiddy Snails's instagram (@fiddysnails). It only makes 100% sense to have a fail-safe routine to fall back on in rocky times. Mine? I've been lucky so far. I can rely on pretty much every single thing I've reviewed on this blog prior to this post, with the exception of one sheet mask.
SILVER LININGS, EACH BREAKOUT BEGETS MORE INGREDIENTS AWARENESS
I now know that I might want to avoid palm oil and I'm going to want to see a wet, autumn leaf motif (yellow/red/orange/green colored stripes) pH strip before buying a cleanser.
IN THE END, IT'S CASE BY CASE, YMMV
YMMV means "your mileage may vary" referring to the fact that your results may vary. This finally really hit home for me. For every rave about a skincare product there's a counter rant on the internet. No product is universally well-received by all. I've learned from this experience that I should take note of reviewers that seem to have reactions to the same products and ingredients as me.
Wishing you more holy grails than fails.
What are your acne healing tips?
Disclosure: This post contains a press sample, kindly sent from PeachandLily.com. All thoughts are my own. Press samples are denoted with an asterisk. There are affiliate links in this post. You can help support this blog by purchasing through an affiliate link, which returs a small sum to me at no cost to you as the consumer. If you are curious about my policy on press samples, affiliate links, and sponsors, please see my disclaimer and policies.
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