u/Prior-Assistant7369

I have combination skin and live in a high altitude dry climate. I used to love the Kiehl’s ultra face cream, but somehow it became irritating on my face after I started a tretinoin routine. So I switched to Korean moisturizers and was blown away by how gentle they felt! I got most of the highly recommended ones for comparison, here are my thoughts:

Beauty of Joseun Dynasty Cream: I’ve used this in the morning under sunscreen and makeup (no pilling). Love the texture and lack of odor, I give it a 10 out of 10.

Purito Oat-In Calming Gel Cream: I’ve also used this in the morning, no pilling under makeup as well. Personally I’m not fond of the gel texture even though it is moisturizing and gentle and has no odor. 8 out of 10.

SKIN1004 - Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Enrich Cream: I’ve used this over tretinoin and azelaic acid at night. The texture is wonderful and the formulation is very calming. Unfortunately for me, the cream has a slight strange odor, I also despise the deceptive slack-fill packaging. Will not repurchase as long as I have better options. 7 out of 10.

Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream: This feels like a richer version of the Dynasty Cream, I can use less on my face and it’s very easy to spread out. No pilling under makeup. I’ve read about people breaking out from this cream, I have not experienced that. It’s a bit pricier, I’ll still give it 10 out of 10.

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream: This cream is more watery than the other ones. It’s also gentle, moisturizing and odorless. I don’t love the metal tube packaging though, I’m afraid it’d be prone to cracking with use. It’s also a bit pricier for its size. 7 out of 10.

Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream: Zomg the size of this! And only for $16.29 from Stylevana! I just got it in the mail today and tested on my wrist. The texture seems similar to Aestura, also odorless. I see no reason why it won’t work well on my face. If it does, I might settle on it as my night time moisturizer for the sheer bang for the buck factor. Scoring reserved for now.

P.S. My lovebird Halloween says Hello!

I have been a long time user of Tretonin 0.5 for the past five years ish. As skincare has become very popular and influencer trends take over social media many of us continue to seek perfection and damage our fragile barriers. I would watch a video and do more and more and consistently fuck up my barrier. Adding a growth factor serum gave me massive cystic acne. Then to fix that I added on azaelic acid to help the hyperpigmentation. Then facial oils to combat the worsening dryness. All on top of Tretonin…an extremely potent rx. Water would literally burn my face and I knew I had fucked up. I stopped Tret for three months and used differin but missed the glow. I slowly incorporated Tret back and dropped azaelic acid. Many ppl on Reddit love aza but I realized I have very sensitive and dry skin and also live in the desert and needed to cut out any other actives back. I stopped double cleansing unless I wear makeup which is about 1-4 times a month. On nights I use Tret I literally just use lotion then Tret instead of a million layers of toner. All of these things seem common sense but for many of us acne forms as a result of a damaged barrier and we do the most to combat it. So happy with where my skin is now ♥️

Routine:

Am: wash with water

Heveblue PDRN toner (love this !!!)

Haru haru probiotic toner

Zeroid intensive cream

Haru Haru wonder spf

Pm:

Vegan yam root cleanser

Cosrx snail mucin

Haru Haru toner

Aestura atobarrier

X3 a week Tret with only the aestura atobarrier. I will probably not increase my usage as I am happy with my skin and previously was doing ever other day

Hey girls I’m here with the latest review of this Charlotte tilbury flawless blur concealer. Last time I recommended Catrice eye brightener and some of you said Charlotte tilbury’s one is great as well. Recently I’ve got an event to attend so I bought this one to see if there’s any better. Personally speaking, I think it’s too thick, but the coverage is very decent, and it covers all of my dark circles with just a dot of it. Also I found it a little bit cakey. Sometimes my skin is dry and this one just makes me crevice everywhere. Am I doing it wrong? Do you guys know how to apply it appropriately? As always, the sec and third pics shows my dark circles level before and after apply this concealer. If you want a concealers with good coverage, this one is for you! My shade is 4 Fair-Medium

This is not just acne this is closed comedones!

This usually targets the younger generation and my best advice is to use Adapalene! *I am not a doctor, but I have been through it and came out using this one product! Adapalene (Differin gel).

Start very slowly like two times a week, if you want mix it with your moisturiser as well and then get used to the flow.

Adapalene (commonly known as Differin) and Tretinoin (Retin-A) are both potent topical retinoids derived from Vitamin A, but they differ significantly in strength, stability, and primary uses. Tretinoin is generally stronger and better for anti-aging, while Adapalene is gentler, more stable, and ideal for acne.

Adapalene is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used as a first-line treatment for acne vulgaris. It works by increasing skin cell turnover and regulating the growth of follicular epithelial cells, which helps keep pores from clogging and prevents the formation of microcomedones (the precursors to pimples).
Its primary benefits include:

Acne Treatment and Prevention
Unclogs Pores: Effectively clears existing blackheads and whiteheads by exfoliating the skin at a cellular level.

Reduces Inflammation: Contains anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease the redness, swelling, and soreness associated with active acne.

Long-term Maintenance: It is often recommended by dermatologists for ongoing use to prevent future breakouts.

Reduces Scarring Risk: By treating acne effectively at the source, it lowers the likelihood of developing permanent scars and dark marks.

What product are you reaching for first to get your skin back on track?

Guys, if you haven’t found a body lotion with SPF 50, you gotta check this out. I never used body lotion that lightweight and it’s perfect for people living in humid, hot weather. It still has hatomugi in it but different from the hatomugi toner, it belongs to a different brand, called Reihaku. However, It’s a bit expensive and not waterproof, just let you know.

Hey everyone! I wanted to run a fresh Summer 2026 analysis focused specifically on the SPFs people keep recommending over and over again.

I pulled comments from threads like “best sunscreen for daily use?”, “best sunscreen under makeup?”, “summer sunscreen recommendations”, “best SPF for oily skin?”, plus long skincare discussion threads, then ran them through my analysis pipeline to see which sunscreens get the most consistent praise vs mixed reactions.

This isn’t about dermatologist rankings or marketing claims, it’s based on how often people actually recommend, repurchase, and defend these sunscreens in real Reddit discussions.

Keep updating the list scores with raw comments + TL;DRs here:
redrecs.com/best-sunscreens

Method in the comments.

As always, curious to get your inputs!

After the dry skin post, a few of you asked specifically about serums. So I pulled the data just on serums, essences, and oils recommended for barrier repair across 7 skincare subreddits. 487 mentions, 424 threads. More niche than the general barrier post, but there's a clear story in the numbers.

The COSRX Snail Mucin 96 Essence runs away with it at #1 with 73 mentions and practically zero negative sentiment. It's the product Reddit reaches for when their skin is truly wrecked, which makes sense. It's simple, it's gentle, and it doesn't ask much of your skin.

The most interesting data point is ranks 2 and 3: The Ordinary HA 2% + B5 and Niacinamide both have identical mention counts (45 each), but totally different sentiment profiles. HA has 56% positive, Niacinamide sits at just 49%. The complaints follow a familiar pattern lately: barrier struggling, niacinamide in the routine, things improve when it gets cut. The 10% + Zinc formula is designed for oiliness and congestion, not repair. Reddit seems to be figuring that out.

The real hidden gem is the Skin1004 Centella Ampoule with the highest positive sentiment in the list at 78% and 40 mentions. It consistently comes up in post-procedure and over-exfoliation recovery threads, which is a very specific use case Reddit clearly trusts it for.

Does this match what you're seeing in your own routines? Drop it in the comments.

This brand keeps getting more and more popular by the day!

If you use any of their products, please state which ones are your favourites and why?

Please state your skin type and what product you use does for your skin.

Please also include your routine.

As a dehydrated skin girlie I’ve lusted over this cleanser for so long. Unfortunately they don’t ship to the uk and the reselling prices are pretty wild.

Recently a friend of mine visited New York and he bought one back for me - he got it from target and it was around £14.

I used it last night and this morning and MY LORD I’m already obsessed. I ended my cleanse more hydrated than I started and although I have pretty smooth / soft skin already (humble brag) - the softness after using this was INSANE.

I’m so excited to keep using it!

When I started getting into Asian Beauty last year, Naturie’s Hatomugi line kept popping up as a staple brand in many people’s routines, with the Skin Conditioner being a holy grail, multipurpose watery toner for many. It was one of the first Asian Beauty products I purchased, and soon I branched out to the Gel, and just recently, the Milk.

I thought I’d post a review now that I’ve tried all three products, and provide my thoughts for anyone who may be considering this line!

**Skin Type:** Oily-Dehydrated

**Climate:** Hot, humid, and swampy. (Louisiana, USA)

**Products:** Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner (watery toner in the tall bottle), Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel (jelly-like moisturizer in the tub), and Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Milk (emulsion in the small bottle)

**Pictures:** The first picture is all of the products in their containers. The following pictures show each product’s consistency as they come out of the containers and what they look like when you spread them, not necessarily how they dry down. Picture 2 is the watery toner from the large bottle, Picture 3 is the gel moisturizer from the tub, Picture 4 is the emulsion (Milk) from the small bottle. *Small disclaimer: My hands are not that red in real life, it was the lighting. Yes, I wear sunscreen. The texture on my hands is genetic.*

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**Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioner:**

It honestly took me a while to latch onto this product. At first it didn’t seem to be doing much, so I didn’t really have any feelings about it either way. It was just kind of “there.” However, the more I used it, the more I became used to it being part of my routine, and the more I realized how soothing and refreshing it is. It really grew on me and became a staple in my routine, as well!

It’s always my first step after cleansing, and on days my skin is feeling stripped or irritated, or a bit on the dry side for whatever reason, I’ll put probably three layers of this on my skin, and it helps any redness fade pretty quickly. I don’t like products in spray bottles, personally, so I don’t use this as a spray like some people, and I don’t use it on my entire body, either. You can spray it if you want and you can use it on your whole body if you want! I just choose not to. Personally, I pour some in one hand over the sink, then dump some in my other hand after I set the bottle down, and then I quickly move my hands to my face to sort of pat it on and then spread it over my entire face, neck, and chest with my hands, adding more if needed. It absorbs pretty quickly, being so light, but of course if you layer it, your skin will stay damp for longer. You obviously don’t want to get it in your eyes, but if you accidentally do, it’s pretty inoffensive. I can put it in the eye area with no irritation or eye sting.

**Final Verdict:** 10/10 product, and I can see why it’s immensely popular. It’s relatively inexpensive, comes in a large 500 mL bottle, is gentle, soothing, layerable, and easy to spread, and can be used on the entire body via spray bottle or application by hand. A great first step after cleansing, and a convenient way to make sure your skin is damp and ready to pull subsequent products deeper into the layers of your skin.

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**Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Gel:**

After trying some Korean moisturizers that felt like too much for my oily skin, one of which never seemed to completely dry down or absorb, even with the thinnest layer, I found this product while searching for something better suited to oily skin and high humidity.

It’s like a gel-cream, but leans way more toward the gel side of things. It’s not like straight Aloe Vera gel in consistency, which is why I would call it a bit of a gel-cream, personally, but it’s very lightweight, cooling, soothing, and spreads and absorbs so beautifully on my skin. It doesn’t reactivate in the high humidity where I live either, nor does it feel smothering.

I absolutely love this product! I apply this all over my face, chest, and neck, and it dries down with absolutely no sticky, tacky finish. It absorbs completely. I can apply it in the eye area as well with no irritation or eye sting.

I also recently discovered, via a Tina Tanaka Harris video, where she consulted the Naturie website, that this product is very multifunctional as well, and can be used as a face and body moisturizer, a serum, or a thicker overnight mask, among other uses.

**Final Verdict:** 10/10 product, and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try it. It may not be enough on its own for dry-skinned people, so beware of that, but I do believe it would make a fantastic extra layer of hydration in your routine if that’s what you’re looking for. It layers well with itself and other products without ever feeling heavy on the skin. While I do want to try other brands and products in the future, this will definitely be a tried and true product I can fall back on if and when future products prove disappointing.

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**Naturie Hatomugi Skin Conditioning Milk:**

Here is where things start to get hairy, so buckle up. I’ve used this product three times and it’s not for me. I ordered it recently and had high hopes for it since I love the toner and the gel, but this emulsion is just not it for me, I’m both sad and disappointed to say.

I had purchased this emulsion for either morning use, or nighttime use for a lightweight occlusive when I wanted a simpler routine. If it worked well, I’d thought perhaps in the future I’d simplify my routine to these three Naturie Hatomugi products, but alas, the universe said it was not meant to be.

The first time I used this product, I had prepped my skin by cleansing, applying the Naturie toner, and the Naturie Gel, leaving my skin damp enough to help (hopefully) pull this product into my skin a bit when I applied it. It has a thicker, yogurt-like consistency, and I patch-tested by swiping some on my cheek near my ear and jawline, patting it in, and waiting overnight. It was a bit oily, but otherwise fine.

The next night I put five drops into my hand and started spreading them over my face, including around my eyes, in the orbital socket area. My skin seemed to be absorbing it, so I patted my face to help it soak in the rest of the way, and the product seemed pretty well dried down and settled when I finished.

I was awake looking at stuff on my phone for a while before bed, and my eyes started to water because the product had migrated and caused them to sting. It didn’t seem to be an allergic reaction, but I rinsed them thoroughly because it was uncomfortable.

I watched the Tina Tanaka Harris video I mentioned above, and she has dry skin while I have oily skin, so she put the amount I used on my entire face on each of her cheeks and her forehead, and applied it to the orbital socket area, and it apparently works well for her.

On my third attempt, I used three drops, and rubbed them between my hands before pressing into my face, avoiding the orbital socket. There was no eye sting that night or the next morning. However, I can layer 5-6 of my usual products and wake up less greasy than I did with one layer of this Milk emulsion, so this product is a no for me.

**Final Verdict:** 1/10. I’d give it a zero, but I’m sure there are even more offensive products out there, so I’ll be conservative and give it a 1. Highly disappointed and would not repurchase. The migration and eye sting of my second application (first full-face application after patch testing) and the greasiness of my face the next morning were not worth the learning curve for this product. I’m not sure it did much for me, either, but I admittedly also didn’t really give it a chance to, because it wasn’t worth testing long term to me. Too much of a hassle, and not worth the effort or further potential migration and eye sting. Definite no from me.

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**TLDR:** The Skin Conditioner (watery toner, large bottle) is a great first step after cleansing and I’d imagine it would work well for all skin types. It’s very gentle and inoffensive, plus multipurpose! The Skin Conditioning Gel (gel moisturizer, tub) is lightweight, soothing, and fantastic for oily skin and hot, humid climates because it absorbs quickly and easily, but I don’t think it would be enough for dry skin on its own. The Skin Conditioning Milk (emulsion, small bottle) migrated into my eyes and irritated them when I applied it in the orbital socket/eye area, and left me greasier than my normal 5-6-step routine, so it’s a hard pass for me, but if you have drier skin and avoid the orbital socket, you may like it more than I did.

My Honest Experience with the Cicalfate+ Cream

Just so you know my skin type first

I have dry to sensitive, acne-prone skin, so finding the right products is always a bit of a challenge for me.

I picked up this Cicalfate+ cream yesterday and decided to try it out in the afternoon. I went through my usual routine, cleansed my face, applied my HA serum, followed by my moisturizer, and then after a couple of minutes, I layered this cream on top.

The moment I started spreading it across my face, it began pilling almost immediately. It was balling up and coming off my skin, which was frustrating, but I left it alone thinking it would settle down on its own. Then I applied my sunscreen over it, but even after that, the pilling continued. I just decided to leave it and hope for the best.

Fast forward about 6 hours

I headed to the gym in the evening. After my 20-minute run, I was sweating and casually glanced at myself in the mirror... and I was mortified. My face was completely white. Not a subtle cast, I mean full-on white, like I had applied a thick foundation and it had separated from sweating. There were even white streaky lines running down my face from where the sweat had dripped.

I was so embarrassed. I immediately went and washed my face with plain water.

I looked at products that Reddit mentions for both barrier repair AND sensitive skin specifically: 97 products across 1,121 threads in the usual subs. The community is pretty aligned here: 70% positive sentiment across the dataset, which is higher than a lot of categories I've looked at. People know what works for reactive skin and they stick to it.

LRP Cicaplast leads by volume, which tracks. It comes up in basically every "my skin is freaking out" thread. But Avène Cicalfate+ is the more interesting story. It's #3 by mentions with 87% positive sentiment, which is unusually high. The people who know it, swear by it. If you've never tried it after using Cicaplast, it's worth a look.

The real surprise is the ETUDE SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream at #10. Lowest mention count in the list, 91% positive sentiment. No one talks about it nearly as much as the LRP or CeraVe products, but when they do, they love it. Madecassoside + panthenol, no fragrance, no common irritants. Basically built for this exact use case.

The pattern across the whole list: K-beauty products (AESTURA, Illiyoon, ETUDE) consistently punch above their weight on sentiment compared to the Western staples. Vanicream is the standout Western brand with almost no negative mentions across both of its products. CeraVe has the volume but more neutral sentiment than its reputation would suggest.

If your barrier is currently suffering, what are you reaching for? Drop it in the comments.