Favourite Korean Skincare for 2022

Real Barrier Cream Cleansing Foam was my favourite cleanser for 2019 and I had to bring it back again this year. It’s simply too good and difficult to beat. The cleanser is low pH, gentle, lathers and cleanses well and rinses off easily without any residue. It hydrates the skin and strengthens the skin barrier with Real Barrier’s patented MLE ceramide. It leaves the skin clean, soft and moist. The new 220ml volume can easily last a year and only sets you back the cost of a lunch box. If you haven’t yet tried this cleanser, get it now!

My skin has always loved Houttuynia Cordata, which is commonly known as Heartleaf. This essence contains 97.5% Heartleaf Extract harvested from Jeju. My skin feels instantly calmed and soothed when using this essence. When I had a pimple, this essence helped to reduce the redness and pain. It has a slightly more viscous texture than water which is hydrating to the skin. My skin has been stable and acne-free for most of 2022 as a result of using this essence. For all acne-prone skins, Goodal Houttuynia Cordata Calming Essence is a must-have.

This serum was a late discovery of 2022 but soon became my favourite. It is a collaboration product between Mixsoon and Una, a popular Korean youtuber. Una summarised this serum as the product for those people who tried everything and their skin is still in poor condition. Although my skin is not in “poor condition”, I would completely agree with her claim. It’s a serum that makes your skin in its best and stable condition. With only 5 ingredients, it’s hydrating, soothing, and anti-aging. It softens the skin, plumps it and leaving it smooth and radiant. The Bifida Ferment Extract in the serum really takes the product to next level, differentiating it from other centella serums that are only soothing. As Una said, give this serum a go, if you’re looking to improve your skin.

This is my second tub of Medi-Peel Bor-Tox Peptide Cream, which says a lot about how much I love this cream. It has a smooth and creamy texture that glides over the skin like a dream, melts into the skin without leaving any film or tackiness on the surface. It provides just the right amount of moisturisation for me, without clogging the pores or suffocating the skin. I can use it all year round. If you’re looking for a moisturiser that does a bit more than just moisturisation, i.e. with anti-aging properties, definitely give this a try.

I had to give the Cosrx The Retinol 0.1 Cream a special mention in my favourites for 2022. It was the first Retinol product I’ve tried and I’m hooked. The result was too good to be true. My skin was lifted, firmer and smoother, pores cleared and overall in a clear, bouncy and youthful condition. I used it liberally in the beginning and experienced slight peeling. Then I reduced it to once every 2~3 days and the peeling stopped. I would continue with this frequency and intensity to keep my skin in good condition but not overworked. If you’re over 35, I would strongly suggest giving Retinol products a go and Cosrx is a good starting point.

I’ve been on the hunt for a good shampoo for a long time and Toun28 has solved my problem. I was skeptical about shampoo bars at first but soon fell in love with Town28’s shampoo bars. They’re not your regular soap that dries out your scalp and makes it itchy. These shampoo bars use premium surfactants that are the same quality as a good face wash. They’re low pH, lather easily and cleanse well, leaving the scalp and hair clean and hydrated. The best thing I love about these shampoo bars is they do not leave residues in hair that weighs the hair down. Instead, they leave the hair weightless and voluminous. I also found these to improve the strength of my thin and weak hair strands and I’m getting less hair breakage and loss.