Beginner’s Guide for Choosing Skincare Products

Determine your skincare goals

If you are just starting with your skincare journey, setting your goal is a great way to keep your choices on track. Knowing your end goal will help you filter through the products that you will choose from. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you want to brighten up your skin?
• Are you aiming for a Korean glass skin look?
• Is your goal to look 10 years younger?
• Are you aiming for dewy and nourished skin?

If you know what exactly it is that you want with your skin, it would be easier to determine how to achieve it.

Identify your main skin concern

Now that you have a goal in mind, you can now look into how to tackle the obstacles that are keeping you from it. What are your skin problems? Which ones need immediate attention?

Skincare products are formulated to target a particular skin concern. Some products can address multiple skin problems while others are dedicated to one or two. While we all want a product that can do it all, there is none. So, it is important to address these problems from the most urgent concern to the least.

You have to decide: What skin problem do you need to take care of first? For example, is getting rid of blackheads more important to you than depuffing those baggy eyes? You have dark spots but is it more of a bigger problem than excessive oil production?

After ranking your skin problems, you now have a more concrete idea of what is hindering you from achieving your skincare goal. Addressing your skin concerns one step at a time will spare you from getting overwhelmed with your new routine and help you get used to it. Eventually, you’ll be a skincare pro, and you’ll go through it without trouble. Taking it slow will also allow you to appreciate small victories too when you finally get to see improvements in your skin.

Correctly identify your skin type and condition

Many people tend to try out skincare products without knowing their skin type. A lot of products are formulated for certain skin types. While some are lucky to find a holy grail, some would complain that they experience breakouts, irritation, or even complain that the product did nothing. So, better check if it is compatible with your skin type.

Also, age is a factor that you should consider when choosing the right product for your skin. Tending for mature skin is quite different than younger ones. And, at times, age affects the effectiveness of the product on your skin.

I also have to say this: be true to yourself. We all want to have the perfect skin. But let’s face it; Nothing is perfect, and we can’t always have what we want. If you have oily or combination skin, don’t claim that you have that envied normal skin type. Likewise, if you have a normal skin type, don’t claim that you have sensitive skin. If you are getting older, don’t deny that you are aging and need help with those emerging fine lines. It will only make matters worse if you choose the wrong products. Not only will your skin suffer, but you’ll drain out your pockets too for purchasing products that might not be useful for you. Self-acceptance is the key.

Learn some easy home tests to determine your skin type at home in this article.

Familiarize with skincare ingredients

Once you know what product you need for your skin concern, type, and condition, make it a habit to review the ingredients of the products that you are eyeing.
There is a lot of jargon in the skincare world, and I can tell you that there is even a lot more in the K-beauty world. Knowing the most common ones is pretty handy. With this knowledge, you can scan through similar products with ease and compare these with each other. You’ll also easily spot ingredients that your skin needs or hates. This will save you from possible irritations and adverse events from certain ingredients—bringing us to the next point…

Know your allergies and sensitivities

Check if you are not allergic to any ingredient listed on the product. That way, you won’t regret using it and making your skin worse. We have encountered a lot of user reviews saying that they had allergic reactions to certain ingredients. Had they known earlier that certain ingredients trigger certain allergies, they could have looked for another product.

People with allergies and sensitive skin might have adverse reactions to products with parabens, preservatives, artificial fragrances, essential oils, coloring, and the likes. A lot of these allergens have different names and types, so familiarizing yourself with these ingredients is a lifesaver.

If you are not sure if you are allergic or not, be sure to do a patch test first before completely using the product.

Check compatibility with other products

Aside from allergens, make sure to check if these ingredients are compatible with the ones that you are going to use or already using. There are some ingredients and products that are a perfect match. For instance, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop and Vitamin E Mask is a great combination as vitamin E boosts the potential of vitamin C. However, vitamin C might not mix well with AHAs and BHAs as these are all exfoliants. While some skin types can tolerate these, using them in the same routine may lead to irritation. You might need to adjust your frequency of use for these products if you plan to add them to your regimen.

Learn from other product users

A lot of times, brands do great in marketing their products that would entice you to try it yourself. They would even get your Korean idols to advertise their products so that you would buy them too. Many celebrities have now taken social responsibility to only advertise brands and products that they use. But, bear in mind that these idols also have a team of skin experts to take care of them.

If you really want to know if a product works or not, aside from trying it out yourself, learn from the experiences of other product users. You’ll get surprised as to how much you’ll learn about the product as compared to relying on brands’ marketing materials.

Got no time to read tons of user reviews? Check out our product reviews! We have summarized and highlighted the most common and important points from hundreds of user reviews all over the internet, so you won’t have to. Saves you the time and effort in choosing the right products for your skin.

Check your budget

Let’s admit that skincare products are quite expensive. And if you are going to follow an elaborate Korean skincare regimen, you should be prepared to purchase a handful of products—not to mention some skincare tools, storage, etc. But, I would not recommend you to buy all in one go. Buy only when the need arises.

Set your budget. Only buy products that not only meet your needs but are also practical—money-wise. You wouldn’t want to buy an expensive one that may work but is too expensive to repurchase. Choose something that is equally good and you can afford to repurchase to keep a consistent routine.

Try new products in small sizes

If you are unsure whether your skin will like a new product or not, you might want to buy the smallest packaging first. Some brands have travel sizes for some of their products, and if you are lucky, some give away testers for you to try. Purchasing the small size first will give you chance to test how good the product is with your skin. That way, in case you don’t like it, you won’t have your money wasted because you bought a big bottle that you might never finish.

Be consistent and patient

If you have purchased your first skincare products, congratulations! If you have been using it for weeks now and haven’t seen any concrete results, don’t throw out that bottle just yet. Some products might take a while to work. Sometimes, all you need to do is trust the process and wait.

Of course, there are times that products do not deliver what they promised. If that happens, don’t lose hope. Search for that holy grail of yours and it will all be worth it.

Consult with a dermatologist

You can never go wrong with booking a consult with a skin expert, especially if you have serious skin conditions. They know everything about taking care of your skin and what products you should use. To maximize your trip to the dermatologist, list down your questions beforehand. If you’re like me who typically zones out during medical consults, taking down notes is a good idea. That way, you won’t forget the important things discussed.

Are you ready for your skincare journey?

With all these tips in choosing the right products, are you now ready to search for your skincare holy grail? These are all simple guidelines that can help you with your skincare journey. Some of these I know you know already. Regardless, it is always good to be reminded of what you need.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the skincare world with us. We’ll be waiting!

To help you start your search, here are some of our favorite selections that you’d want to try (Disclaimer: We earn affiliate commissions [without added cost to you] when you buy through our website):