This past (non-calendar) month has been (quite possibly) the worst of my life, and so while the first half of May was going pretty strong, as these openeds and last week’s empties will attest, I feel like I could have been doing a lot more on the skincare front. I’ve certainly missed plenty of routines, and had to step back from the Skincare Fanatics group a bit. But I have legitimately been enjoying and valuing these new products in my routine, and so if you, too, are finding yourself on the Skincare Struggle Bus, I hope you will find some value in reading about them!

Toners

🍠 Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk Toner

The Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk Toner is a relatively new entry into the k-beauty sphere but it’s quickly achieving cult status. Yam is having its moment in k-beauty — yam root extract is considered to be the vegan alternative to snail mucin (it’s also in The Klog’s essence, which I opened last month) due to its equivalent healing and hydrating properties. This particular toner is milky without being heavy, similar to the I’m From Rice Toner — it even has rice extract, which along with oat extract and coconut extract is what gives it its milkiness. It has more oil, though: meadowfoam seed oil (my favorite oil), sunflower seed oil, macadamia seed oil and more, but without feeling heavy. It layers well!
Price: $24 USD / 200 mL

💦 Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner

The Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner used to be all over Skincare Internet, and while it’s popularity seems to have temporarily wained in those circles, it’s still pretty popular — to the point that I was able to pick it up for half off in Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty sale last autumn. Notionally, this is intended to be sprayed onto a cotton pad and then applied to the face. For my part, I think that’s ridiculous: I don’t apply other toners with a cotton pad, and it seems extra unnecessary for something that’s already in a mist format. So I tend to start off the toner phase of my routine with three spritzes of this, and then continuing to do so throughout the routine when I feel my skin is insufficiently damp. This definitely has a fragrance to it, due to the sage extract, but it does feel reasonably hydrating. Plus, I’m all for squeaking in a bit of extra antioxidant support where I can, and Coenzyme Q10 is one of the best ones out there.
Price: $38 USD / 125 mL

Serums

👽 Good Light We Come In Peace Probiotics Microbiome Serum

I’ve been eyeing Good Light’s branding for a while, and you know I love probiotics, so I finally took the leap into the We Come In Peace Probiotics Microbiome Serum. This serum’s primary goodies are lactococcus ferment lysate (the probiotics), as well as bakuchiol and carrot seed oil for some vitamin A-like effects without the irritation. This has a bit of a fragrance thanks to the tansy flower oil, but it fades down quickly. This has a creaminess to it that’s nicely soothing, and I use it as the last of my serums, both AM and PM.
Price: $24 USD / 35 mL

🍵 Barr Super Balance Brightening Ampoule

I’ve been on a bit of a Barr kick lately, and got the Super Balance Brightening Ampoule a while back as a GWP (gift with purchase) due to everything else I got. The hero here is the 81% green tea water, though the niacinamide is probably more helpful for brightening. In addition, this has panthenol and seven types of hyaluronic acid. Now, long-time readers will know that I’m not a big hyaluronic acid girl, but hear me out: one, this was free; two, it was not obvious from the name; three, this has been a ludicrously damp Colorado spring, so it’s actually working out better than expected. I do find that it dries down frustratingly fast, though, so I have to re-mist my face abruptly afterwards.
Price: $21 USD / 50 mL

Other

🫘 Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask

I picked up the Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask, knowing that I love Beauty of Joseon, haven’t done well with mud masks since living in Colorado, and love red bean ice cream. Well. Can I just say, the ice cream gambit sure won: upon initial application, I looked and smelled like ice cream. The product even looks a bit like a strawberry/raspberry gelato, if you didn’t bother to strain the seeds and those seeds were black — this does have small black bits in it that you could use to exfoliate, if you so chose. For my part, I’ve turned it into my mask to wear in the shower. In that way, I keep my face out of the hot spray, keep the mask from drying out and get skincare benefits while I do it. I did notice some immediate improvement on pore size after washing it off, which is nice to see!
Price: $20 USD / 140 mL

🪄 Magic Molecule The Solution

I’ve been curious about hypochlorous acid for a while, so I finally talked myself into buying Magic Molecule’s The Solution. It’s frequently recommended for acne-prone skin types due to its antimicrobial properties (if you think it sounds like a cleaning solution, you’re not wrong — at higher parts per million, it is indeed used as a disinfectant), but it’s gaining traction for skincare use due to also being an anti-inflammatory. Given that my husband has rosacea and I’m prone to flares of dermatitis, it seemed like a no-brainer to at least give a try. This has really helped resolve a chronic itchy spot I had on the back of my neck, so it sure seems to work for me! I’ve also been liberally spritzing it on my face to help with some spots that flared due to incredible stress + insufficient use of propolis, and I do think it helped diminish those considerably. Plus, since it’s a spray, it’s easy to apply liberally.
Price: $25 USD / 100 mL (in two 50 mL bottles)