skincare at 30

Hello blog! Yes, I am now a 30 year old woman, fear me. With great spirit here at the start of my new decade, I figured I would breathe life into my neglected blog with an updated skincare routine, or "what's on my shelf" à la Into the Gloss.

My original post can be used as a starting point where I delve a little more into the rationale behind each step of my routine. I've refined the process over the years, and am constantly trying out new products in this gloriously saturated skincare market. Now, I have some tried-and-true reliables in my cabinet as well as a few new items to address 30-something skin concerns.

I'm Korean, so I follow a Korean-inspired multi-step approach to skincare -- gently cleansing, heavy on the moisture, and preventative. If you're feeling intimidated by the number of steps, don't be. At most, it's a 5 minute process in the morning, maybe 10-15 at night when I'm unhurried. I'm notorious for rarely missing my nighttime, wind-down ritual where I turn up my latest true-crime podcast, affix a red headband, and indulgently pamper my face. Then, it's into the bed vampire-style so as not to disturb any of those best-laid products, gently rejecting the advancing kisses of my husband as I cry, "wait, my skincare!" for a good 10 minutes. Relaxing, right?

What follows is what works for my skin, and isn't meant to be entirely prescriptive. If I haven't worn makeup or worked out, I probably don't need more than a quick splash of water or swipe of toner. Find what works for you, and when it works for you.

Jenny's Skincare Primer, Age 30

1) Double cleanse

A staple of the Korean method is an initial cleanse to remove makeup, and a second to properly cleanse the skin. I read once that if you're spending more than half an hour putting on makeup, you should dedicate equal time and care to its removal, and this has stuck with me. On makeup-free days, I generally find a single cleanse is plenty.

During the work week, at most I'm wearing concealer, translucent powder, mascara, blush, and lipstick, so I start with an oil cleanse to dissolve it all away. I prefer solid balms like Farmacy Green Clean. Clinique and It Cosmetics do great ones as well, and overall these are quite affordable given how long a tub will last you.

I follow with the gentlest possible cleanser. I've tried many, many cleansers, but consistently fall back to Cetaphil. It's cheap, it has a pump, it's in every corner drugstore, and it does the job. I usually keep a bottle in my cabinet and one in the shower.

Over the years, I've taken the approach that the less time a product spends on your skin, the less money it should cost. While a cleanser may boast endless beneficial properties, the reality is that whatever active ingredients it contains will only be on your face for seconds.

Other cleansers I fall back on are the Neogen Green Tea foaming cleanser and Neutrogena's Hydro Boost.

2) Tone/Exfoliate

Next I tone with Thayers WitchHazel, which is gentle. Toning, as I understand it, acts as one last residue cleanse while also restoring the pH balance of your skin. I get it, when I hear of pH balance, I think of those giant chlorine tablets my Dad would chunk into the swimming pool. And BV. Ew. 

Every other day or so, I substitute REN AHA toner to exfoliate - this one has lactic acid, an AHA, to get rid of dead skin cells and even out the skin tone beneath. I love REN's exfoliators and this one in particular has an ingenious well-pump top. Skin Laundry also do a great and gentle antioxidant toner.

3) Essence

I'm still not entirely sure what essence is - it's not meant to cleanse, nor is it as intensive as the next step of serum. For me, essence is the first step in lightly layering moisture, and is the product meant to penetrate skin the deepest, encouraging cell turnover.

For this step I've been loving the cult-favorite HADALABO Hyaluronic lotion. I use a couple of tiny drops, warmed in the palms and then pressed into the skin. For me, this creates a velvety plump, but very light base for the next steps.

4) Serums

Serums are meant to be the last step before moisturizing, and give your skin a potent dose of targeted active ingredients. These products address specific skincare needs like wrinkles, sun damage, and elasticity. I have oily skin with dry patches and redness, so I gravitate toward ingredients that help with texture and hydration. And, as I enter my 30s, I've introduced anti-aging products into my routine - most notably, retinol.

Retinol is a powerful Vitamin A derivative with a wealth of skin benefits: it helps with free-radical damage, promotes a bright complexion, and can lessen the appearance of lines. Over time I've built up my use of the smallest concentration in what you can buy over-the-counter, but I know many swear by the prescription-grade retinoids.

At night only, I alternate Farmacy's Honeymoon Glow which is a blend of acids to further resurface and hydrate skin, and Sunday Riley's A+ Retinoid serum. My skin loves a pea-sized amount of either of these. These products are Capital P Pricey, but here is where I opt to spend big dollar because I find these serums make the biggest impact in keeping my skin in its prime condition.

An important reminder: targeted serums are powerful, and when using these strong acids and antioxidants, less is more. I realize this may be antithetical to my overall skincare philosophy laid out in this very post. And in general contradiction to my personality. BUT. Take your time, patch test, be gentle. I used too much of my Mom's retinol-heavy product once, and my skin was inflamed, red, and flaking off in chunks for the following week. Not. Cute.

5) Moisturizer

I keep Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Liquid in heavy rotation for a light, but effective layer of hydration during the day. Lately I've been enjoying a sample of Drunk Elephant's Polypeptide cream for when my skin is feeling particularly dry, or if it's the weekend and I know I'll be inside most of the day sans SPF.

At night I get fancy and use the infamous Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream because I, too, like nice things. This stuff is purple, smells heavenly, and gives you babybutt skin overnight.

6) SPF

For my daily SPF, I swear by Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen. It's from Japan but you can buy through Amazon, and is affordable. For me, it is a great final base under makeup, isn't greasy, and absorbs quickly. I took this on my honeymoon to Aruba where the average UV index is high--Aruba is about 800 miles from the equator--and with diligent reapplication through sweat and ocean and pool water, I didn't get burnt once.

I've been using up a bottle of La Roche-Posay's Anthelios which I find less fluid and harder to apply, but still a great and more accessible option, found in Walgreens.

I keep tubes of Jack Black lip balm in my purse and makeup bag at all times. I'm partial to the Black Tea and Grapefruit flavors.

7) Extras

Speaking of lips, right now I'm loving Burt's Bees intensive lip treatment under lipstick and overnight.

Right now I'm using First Aid Beauty's Retinol eye cream. Jury's out on eye cream's true efficacy, but again, I like nice things and feeling fancy as part of my nighttime ritual. And what is fancier than gently patting some cream onto your eyebags with your ring fingers only at the end of a long day?

For masks, REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask will always be in my routine and probably makes the most instantly noticeable difference in my skincare lineup. Shout out again to my sweet Mom for keeping me in constant, inexhaustive supply of sheet masks of all stripe - snail, crushed flower petal, gold foil. Like Jason Voorhees, Koreans don't mess around with their masks, y'all.

I'm a constant hand cream re-applier and keep Trader Joe's Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream on my nightstand - it's a $5 dupe for the L'Occitane hand cream and smells fantastic. At work I have a jar of Barr-Co.'s shea butter lotion that has lasted me years and smells unobtrusive enough for an office setting.

My office is mere steps from Merz Downtown, which will be this skincare obsessive's untimely downfall. It's an annotated version of the larger apothecary in Lincoln Square, and its shelves are chock full of French pharmacy products, crunchy indie brands, and other posh Euro goodies. You are either gagging in a good or bad way at that sentence and I welcome your judgment. I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE.

8) Body

All Korean adults begin as Korean children who whimpered under the dreaded Salux cloth and Italy towel, wielded by their determined mothers. These are cheap, thin, sandpapery fabrics which scrub away all manner of dead, flaky skin. Once a month my mom would scrub my brother and I down after we had soaked in a hot bath, tiny gray ribbons of dirt and accumulated gunk falling away under the rough cloths. We would emerge vibrantly pink and whiny, but cleaner than clean. There is no experience more feared in our youth, more satisfying in our adulthood. In lieu of a Korean mama, find your nearest Korean spa and pay someone to scour away your epidermis.

I've always had keratosis pilaris on my arms and the two items above are my nostalgic holy grails to manage the condition. After every shower I religiously lather on a great body moisturizer - lately I love Glossier's Body Hero. I'm a sucker for neroli scents, and this truly hydrates through an entire day. I also like Naked Bee Jasmine & Honey, and one can never go wrong with a Jo Malone for special occasions. I wore Peony and Blush Suede on my wedding day and love that just opening a jar of it brings me back to that gorgeous day.

9) General Philosophy

Nothing I do is particularly revolutionary, and while the products I use right now may be novel to your routine, they are not snake oil (I think). Take your makeup off every night, drink plenty of water, eat vegetables. Keep your philosophy simple but your indulgence frequent - Beyoncé uses both Aquaphor and La Mer on her face, allegedly.

Adhere to common sense - masks aren't meant to be every single day; SPF most certainly is. Your pore size is genetically determined and can't be as tightly closed or deeply cleansed as ads lead us to believe. Even the fanciest creams cannot waylay wrinkles and really, we should all hope to have as many laugh lines as possible as we age. Finally, in 2019 the drugstore has so many affordable options packed with great ingredients that one doesn't need burn a hole in their pocket.

Here at 30, I'm grateful to my Mom for instilling in me a pride of taking care of myself--not vanity, but treating my body with love. I was in middle school when she first gave me a pink bottle of face cream with a flower on it from the beauty counter at O Mart and instructed me to rub it on my face every night. I didn't fully understand the purpose at the time, but she emphasized it was as vital as brushing my teeth. I can still picture the pink and white parasol she brought on every summer vacation to water and amusement parks all across Texas, shielding us all from the harsh rays despite funny looks from white folks.

While our skincare regimens may seem obsessive and vain to Westerners, Koreans simply view taking care of their skin as important as any aspect of personal well-being - akin to regular exercise and a nutritious diet. Don't get me wrong--the beauty industry is ten shades of problematic. In addition to most skincare marketing being total BS, the industry owes its success in part to all of the worst -isms (class, race, age, misogyn, et. al.). But that's for another post.

I encourage you, reader, to integrate any level of skincare into your day-to-day and invoke the Koreans' love of a holistic, healthy lifestyle approach. A good skincare routine shouldn't feel like a chore. It's one of many accessible, physical ways to care for yourself, and one more step in (literally) putting your best face forward.