u/pizzafriescoke

Skin type: Very oily, dehydrated, and acne-prone. Sensitive yet resistant to fragrance and niacinamide.

1. numbuzin No.3 Super Glowing Essence Toner (old formula) - My first ever toner with ferments! I was a bit skeptical about buying this since it has fragrance, and I did get a reaction of itchy bumps and redness at first - but I realised it was just from the fermented ingredients. Once I gradually introduced it into my routine, it gave me even, glowy skin and helped my pores appear so much smaller and cleaner that they stopped looking obvious every time I looked in the mirror. I’m guessing the Isntree Green Tea Toner also contributed to the pore and even-tone results.
Worth the buy, but WNRP because I heard the formulation has changed.

2. COSRX Full Fit Propolis Synergy Toner - HG!! Calms my skin anytime it feels irritated or dry, and the redness and annoying bumps are just gone. It’s a staple in my routine now, and honestly feels irreplaceable - I haven’t found any other toner with this ingredient combo and results. Makes my skin baby-smooth, glowy, and hydrated!!
Definitely WRP.

3. Torriden SOLID-IN Ceramide Essence - The first ceramide product I ever bought! While the COSRX propolis helped with dry skin, pairing it with this essence is what fully fixed my patchy, peeling skin overnight. I’d over-exfoliated and shaved my skin, and my barrier felt stretchy and thin - this brought it back. Definitely a staple for urgent healing!
WRP.

4. Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner - Has that ampoule consistency, lightweight, but takes a while to notice any changes. I actually used it wrong at first, which left my skin drier and more dehydrated. Once I fixed that, it did help my skin feel hydrated and plump, but nothing beyond that. (no standout effect) A beginner-friendly hyaluronic acid toner.
WNRP.

5. Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner - My first ever Korean toner, bought with my own pocket money after a lot of doubt and research for large pores and oily skin - and it was a hit, felt like a reward for the research honestly. I’ve been using this for like 3 years now and it still helps with oil control and pore appearance, even faded my forehead tan a bit.
WRP, until I find a better toner with similar ingredients and purpose.

6. Innisfree Green Tea Ceramide Skin Milk - Bought this a month ago alongside the Haruharu toner and essence as an impulse purchase. Feels like a lighter version of the Haruharu Probiotics Essence since it moisturized my skin and made it plump, but I couldn’t quite pin down if it’s a HG for me. If you want to avoid fermented ingredients but still get what the Haruharu essence does, this is a good option.
WNRP.

7. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner (fragrance-free version) - This is definitely my HG replacement for the Isntree HA toner. SO lightweight and my skin drinks it up. After a week of consistent use in my AM routine alongside the Isntree Green Tea Toner, my skin stayed hydrated all day with oil under control, and my pores looked normal instead of exaggerated like they usually do when my skin gets too oily and dry. It genuinely feels like my skin is drinking water lol.
WRP.

8. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence - I cannot stop talking about this product. It’s expensive, and I was wary going in since I have oily skin and this is known to be a heavy formula - but thank god I bought it anyway. I use it as a moisturizer because the formula is so nourishing, it’s genuinely healed my skin barrier. I thought the Torriden ceramide essence had that title (it does), but this has also cut down the cakey, weird texture my skin used to get. I love how moisturizing it is - I haven’t found a good slugging moisturizer yet and this feels like enough on its own, so I don’t want to replace it (though I’ve been eyeing the Avène Cicalfate Cream, haven’t read up on it properly yet). Already repurchased lol 🫪

9. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream - Hmm, this didn’t really do much for my eyebags, but it did make my dark circles look a bit less prominent, probably just from the added moisture. I’m scared to use retinol under my eyes and still don’t fully trust actives for dark circles and eyebags. Please do recommend a good eye cream or patches that help with this!!
WNRP.

10. TOCOBO Vita Glazed Lip Mask - My first ever lip mask, since I wanted to try something other than Laneige. It is sticky, but I use the last bit of my Isntree HA toner and Haruharu Black Rice toner on my lips before sealing it in with this mask, and my lips are never dry or chapped anymore. My main lingering issue is two-toned, pigmented lips though - please recommend something that’s worked for you on that!
WNRP, since I want to try the Laneige lip mask next.

11. Beplain Cica Calming Gel - Such a lightweight daytime moisturizer! Sinks in well and quick, doesn’t end up greasy or oily, and has no fragrance. No-nonsense gel moisturizer.
WRP (also eyeing the BOJ Red Bean Gel - do let me know if you’ve used it!!!)

I know a lot of these products gave me similar results and I did impulse purchase quite a bit. Looking forward to just keeping the staples and not adding anything new until I’m genuinely convinced.

Skincare and its results are subjective, so remember what worked for me might not work for you.

if you were on the fence about any of these before buying, I hope this helped :)