cleansing Daiso double-cleansing exfoliators Japanese konjac sponge Korean Mizon Shiseido skincare

My name is Eva and I'm a skincare addict.

Yes, I'm obsessed with skincare, which is why I decided to post my skincare routine in four parts. This is part 1 of my winter skincare routine series. Here, I will discuss what I do to cleanse my skin. I have sensitive, dehydrated skin. I generally have combination skin; in the winter, however, my cheeks tend to get very dry. My skin concerns include large pores, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, and redness.

Now, on to the products:

1. Almay Longwear and Waterproof Gentle Eye Makeup Remover [NIGHT ONLY]: I wear waterproof mascara, so a highly effective eye makeup remover is a must. This is the first step to my skincare routine at night.  I soak up two cotton pads with this product (I use cheap cotton pads from Daiso which work really well), gently place the cotton pads on my closed eyelids for about 1 minute, and wait for this makeup remover to dissolve my eyeshadow, liner, and mascara. You can purchase this from pretty much any drugstore in the U.S., Ulta, and Amazon [affiliate link].

2. Mizon No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil [NIGHT ONLY]: I've written a review of this, which you can find here. This is my favorite cleansing oil at the moment because it is gentle on the skin yet highly effective at removing all my base makeup. This is rich with antioxidants, too! I got my bottle from Peach & Lily.

3. Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser [NIGHT & DAY]: I use this foam cleanser every morning and night. I only need a pea sized amount to make it foam and it leaves my skin feeling clean yet not stripped of its moisture. I usually purchase mine from local Shiseido counters. You can purchase this from Shiseido's online website and Sephora.

4. Japanese Konjac Sponge in Green Tea [NIGHT ONLY]: Normally, I wouldn't recommend to exfoliate your skin more than once a week; however, because of my keratosis pilaris, I need to use a gentle exfoliator three times a week; otherwise, my rough patches of "chicken skin" get out of control. My Japanese Konjac Sponge does such a great job at keeping my skin condition at bay. This is extremely soft and gentle on the skin. I personally like the Green Tea sponge because it is much softer than the charcoal one, and is more effective than their pink one. I use apply a small amount of my Shiseido cleanser on this sponge, and gentle rub it all over my face in small circles, focusing around the nose area. You can get this from their official website.


Tips that Work for Me:
1. I double-cleanse every single night, even when I don't wear makeup. I don't like relying on only one cleanser to take everything off because I've found such products to be way too harsh for my skin. In addition, using an oil cleanser and a foaming cleanser will help to clean out both the water-and oil-based gunk that accumulate on my face throughout the day. I've been double-cleansing for almost 10 years now, and I've found this cleansing method to be the most gentle and most effective at keeping my acne at bay.

2. I much prefer using a gentle exfoliation tool like my konjac sponge to exfoliate my skin regularly, rather than using a granulated scrubs. Granualated scrubs are way too abrasive for my skin, and I don't think they're very effective at cleaning out my pores. I also don't like chemical exfoliators that contain hydroxy acids; even at the lowest concentration, these tend to irritate my skin and leave my face red.

3. I avoid using cleansing foams with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is a very harsh detergent that is often used in many cleansers. This ingredient can dry and irritate the skin.

4. When I'm using my foaming cleanser by itself, I use the pads of my pinky fingers to gently wash hard-to-reach areas (e.g., around the nose) in circular motions.

5. When rinsing off my cleanser, I splash my face with water and avoid any rubbing. I do this to avoid any redness and irritation.

Want more information about my skincare? Click HERE for Part 2, where I talk about my toner and serums!

Please share! What products do you use to cleanse your skin?

Till later,

Eva

FTC statement: This is not a sponsored post. With the exception of the Amazon link, the links provided above are not affiliate links.  I purchased all the products mentioned above with my own money.

beauty cleanser double-cleansing Korean Mizon skincare

Double-cleansing is one of those habits that I've been doing for about 7 years. It's a step in my skincare regimen that I cannot skip, especially when I wear makeup and sunscreen. I can confidently say that it has been one of the factors that has greatly reduced my acne and the appearance of my pores.

When I double-cleanse every night, I always use an oil cleanser as my first step, like Mizon's No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil.  Prior to purchasing this product, I've been using DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil religiously. Though it has worked for me in the past when my skin used to be oily, I found that DHC's cleanser stripped too much of my moisture during recent uses. I knew I couldn't use this now, especially because I live in such harsh and dry winter climate. So I decided to turn to No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil.

So, how did Mizon's No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil perform on my skin?

Pricing and Size
Right off the bat, one advantage of this over DHC's is that you get more bang for your buck. Though $38 sounds like a lot, this bottle is HUGE  (about 410 mL) and will surely last me a long time. I paid $28 for DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil, but that was only 198 mL.

Texture and Moisture
Compared to heavier cleansing oils (like DHC's and Kose's Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil), the texture is slightly more lightweight; however, I found this to be much more moisturizing. It did not strip away too much of my natural oils, so my skin didn't feel taught after using it. As always, I follow up with a gentle foaming cleanser, so I don't really worry about this being too oily.

Scent and Reactions
Though not fragranced, it does have a slight berry scent that I'm not entirely fond of; however, I am happy to say that my skin did not react negatively to it.

Performance
So, was it good at taking off my makeup and sunscreen? YES. Definitely.  I was already happy with how DHC was able to clean my skin, and I can say that this product performed just as well with respect to taking off all the makeup. I take 1-2 pumps of this, spread it on my face, and gently massage my skin to take everything off. When I do this, the oil emulsifies into a milky texture and I can easily feel all the disgusting gunk in my pores (especially around my nose) start to loosen up and come off.

Ingredients
This product contains the following ingredients:

Black chokeberry, bamboo leaf, papaya fruit, gypsophila paniculata root, portaluca, lavender oil, Japanese plum, lemon, orange, sunflower seed, sugar cane, A. saccharum, olive oil, shiitake mushroom, jojoba seed, natural vegetable oil (Sunflower seed, meadow foam seed, jojoba seed, camellia, lavender, lavender, olive, evening primrose)

As you can see, the first ingredients listed are from fruit. I appreciate that Mizon did not include artificial colors, alcohol, added fragrances, or parabens and decided to use high-quality ingredients instead.

Verdict: 5 out of 5
Without a doubt, I will repurchase this. I am very happy with how well it took off my makeup and waterproof sunscreen without drying out my skin. In fact, my skin feels so soft and supple after using this. If you're a cleansing oil fanatic, I recommend you to try this out. 

Mizon No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil retails for $38.00 (on Peach and Lily) for 410 mL.

Share your thoughts! Have you tried this product or any other cleansing oils?

Till later,

Eva ;)


FTC statement: This is not a sponsored post. Links provided above are not affiliate links.  I purchased the reviewed product with my own money.