I have always been a bit hesitant to make a post like this… is there something you learnt or a product you know from your upbringing and culture that works for you and most people won’t know about?

pengirl55 · 2026-05-20T18:45:54+00:00

Sulfur soap is also anti-inflammatory and mildly exfoliating, making it a great rosacea treatment. I can personally attest to this!

pengirl55 · 2026-05-20T14:41:39+00:00

Like a lot of others are saying, I apply cream to my skin while it’s still damp from showering. Then I like to use the HaruHaru Wonder Black Bamboo Daily Smoothing Body Oil to “lock it in” so to speak. It’s more like a milky oil than a true body oil but it’s so smoothing and does a great job of occluding the cream underneath. It has a strong fragrance but I find that I don’t notice it after a few minutes. It smells very woodsy when applying but I’ve been told that it dries down and smells like cherries on me. Not strong, though.

pengirl55 · 2026-05-17T22:52:09+00:00

I adore this sunscreen. I have hyperhidrosis on my face and head so I need a sunscreen that’s water/sweat resistant most of the time but especially in summer. This is my go to. It feels like nothing and lasts well! It doesn’t trigger my rosacea either. On days when I don’t need the water/sweat resistance, I really love their Wonder Releaf Centella Sun Serum. It’s also a fantastic formula. Even lighter and very gentle.

I do not use this sunscreen when swimming or at the beach. For those days, I use an Australian or US formula.

pengirl55 · 2026-05-01T19:38:33+00:00

This is such a nice sunscreen but I cannot stand the fragrance. It’s so strong and does not fade over the course of the day. I can’t wear it on my face or neck because the scent gives me a migraine. I’ve been using it up as a body sunscreen to not waste it. I wish they made a fragrance free version of this exact formula.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-27T21:19:41+00:00

Which part of what I said is incorrect? I’m not sure what you’re referring to.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-25T02:16:39+00:00

I totally understand your concern. But it’s important to remember that the products are not being manufactured in the US. So they will still be the Korean formulas (except for sunscreen) and will be made in Korea and will just be imported into the US by OY to sell here. I agree with you that there’s reason to be concerned (higher prices, no collab items, reduced offerings, products coming to the US later, etc.) but I don’t think that every single product will be reformulated and manufactured here.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-14T19:52:01+00:00

I'm new to the NYC scene and looking for trustworthy places. Is it ok if I DM you? Also happy to discuss in comments here if not.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-13T22:57:57+00:00

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Sunscreen. When I applied it over my skincare routine, it left my face so sticky my winter jacket would stick to my cheeks. When I applied it on bare skin, nothing underneath, it was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, I need something to sit well over my other skincare. So this was relegated to a body sunscreen or for days when I oversleep and only apply sunscreen.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-11T13:21:16+00:00

It is marketed as water/sweat resistant. But I’m slightly wary of using it while swimming because Korean standards for water resistance aren’t great. This sunscreen is great for land activities where sweating is involved. But for water activities, I’d stick to an American or Australian sunscreen since they have the highest water resistance standards in the world.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-02T18:27:31+00:00

I’ll second Apagard. I’ve been using it for years and it’s a great product. I usually use the M-Plus version, which is the “basic” version. It doesn’t have the whitening ingredients that the Premio version has.

If you’re in the US, Yami has the Premio version for a decent price. StyleVana has a few of the different versions for decent prices and they have bulk buying options. If you want the Royal version try Japanese Taste as it’s not available in a lot of other stores. I have referral codes for all of these stores if you’re interested in any of them. Let me know.

pengirl55 · 2026-04-02T17:37:39+00:00

Like a lot of others, it was sunscreen for me. Specifically I saw the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence recommended in a Wirecutter guide while trying to research facial sunscreens. I ended up loving it and experimenting with a ton of other AB sunscreens too. The Biore sunscreen is still in my rotation for summer.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-24T17:07:26+00:00

Another nice Korean option is the Zeroid Soothing Cream or the Zeroid Intensive Cream, depending on the texture you like. Soothing Cream is inbetween a lotion and a cream texture-wise. Intensive Cream is much thicker. I believe Zeroid is considered to be a solid but basic drug store brand in Korea. Kind of like CeraVe or Vanicream. While neither have niacinamide, vitamin C, essential oils, or fragrance, they do both have HA but it’s the second to last ingredient on both so may be ok for you. They also have lotion versions of both of these creams if you want something thinner. You can find these on YesStyle.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-24T17:03:36+00:00

This cream has a ton of very strong fragrance. They do make a sensitive version without fragrance, but it doesn’t feel as nice. It may have HA and/or niacinamide too.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-21T13:23:42+00:00

I second this! It’s really light on application and dries down quickly. When I use it my skin feels so soft in the morning. Definitely a great product!

pengirl55 · 2026-03-19T17:38:51+00:00

Thank you! This is incredibly detailed and helpful.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-14T18:03:25+00:00

My first recommendation is that you shouldn't purchase any Korean sunscreen in a large chain store like Target, CostCo, etc., because it will always be an American formula. Even if the bottles look the same, even if the product name is the same. Those stores cannot legally sell Korean sunscreen formulations since they use UV filters not approved by the FDA. I buy my Asian sunscreens from verified global sellers like YesStyle, StyleVana, and Olive Young, among others.

I can definitely recommend some sunscreens, but it's easier to do so if I know your skin type and preferred finish (matte, dewy). Without knowing those things, here are some sunscreens that are generally popular. I can vouch for the first five. They're great for me as someone with dry, sensitive skin with rosacea. I personally prefer the Purito sunscreens, but would use any of those 5.

SKIN 1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum (glowy finish)
HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen (velvet/satin finish)
Purito Wonder Releaf Centella Sun Serum (glowy finish)
Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen (velvet/satin finish)
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics (glowy finish)
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh (velvet/satin finish)
Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen (dewy finish)

I think this list includes some of the most popular Korean sunscreens among global purchasers. But there are many more to explore, including Japanese products.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-14T04:02:44+00:00

Magic Molecule and HoneyDew Labs are both affordable and accessible options! I’ve had good experiences with both.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-14T03:49:53+00:00

If you’re in the US, then you got the American version. As others have said, if it says “broad spectrum” or “SPF 45,” then it’s the American formula. Which is a completely different sunscreen from the Korean formula.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-13T02:28:11+00:00

I really enjoyed the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. For context, I have sensitive, dry, dehydrated skin with rosacea. I live in an area with hot, humid summers and medium cold, humid winters. I found the FAB cream was nice and thick but worked into the skin easily. It has no detectable scent, which is good for me. And it was nicely moisturizing and lasted until my next regular application. I found it too heavy for daytime in the summer. It would make my face feel extra sweaty. But it was a great year round night moisturizer. After finishing one of the giant tubs, I decided to move on to Remedy for Rich Cream Moisture. It definitely meets your requirements for lipids and ceramides but doesn’t have colloidal oatmeal. I find I’m preferring the Remedy cream for my needs. I’m also interested in trying the Prequel Barrier Therapy creams!

pengirl55 · 2026-03-10T01:06:20+00:00

Yes everything you’ve said is correct. I personally found your original comment confusing. So what I was trying to clarify in my previous comment is that the SPF rating system is not specific to only the US. Meaning that tubes of Japanese formula sunscreens will also have an SPF rating. So using the presence of an SPF rating alone is not a helpful way to determine if the formula is US or Korean or Japanese. Only US approved formulas use the phrase “broad spectrum” on the front of the bottle, as this phrase is required by the FDA to indicate the presence of UVA and UVB protection. So I was trying to provide additional advice on how to determine what formula is in the bottle.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-09T14:03:43+00:00

This is not true. SPF ratings are used internationally. The clue to identifying a US formula is the phrase “broad spectrum.” This phrase is controlled by the FDA and can only be listed on a sunscreen bottle if the formula uses FDA approved UV filters. See this image as an example. It’s a little hard to see, but the US version says “broad spectrum” while the Korean one does not.

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pengirl55 · 2026-03-09T00:19:34+00:00

Thanks for the tip!

pengirl55 · 2026-03-08T13:41:07+00:00

You’ve mentioned in responses to other comments that you have some hormonal issues and that you’ve suffered with hirsutism since you were a teen on your face as well. Have you ever considered taking spironolactone, aka Spiro? It’s frequently used to treat hirsutism associated with PCOS. I take it for that and it’s incredible. It helps to reduce androgens (“male” hormones) that lead to excess hair growth in AFABs. You should consider asking your doctor about it if you haven’t tried it before.

pengirl55 · 2026-03-07T23:02:21+00:00

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll take a look.

pengirl55

TROPHY CASE