SKINFOOD Peach Sake Emulsion 135ml - Tighten Pores and Sebum Control Skin Moisturizing, Refining & Hydrating Facial Emulsion for Oily Skin - Enlarge Pores Remedy (4.56 fl.oz.)

Warning: LONG review – My skin is EXTREMELY oily, cystic/hormonal acne prone and sensitive to boot. I have been using the Skinfood Peach Sake skincare and make-up line for approximately 2 months now and here are my findings:I purchased all of the products through k-beauty and the products are authentic and shipped fast, usually less than one week. I usually have to wait 2-5 weeks for my products coming straight from Korea, which is not great when you run out of something your skin loves. The line smells fantastic, softens skin and does a great job of controlling shine/oil/sebum.There seems to be a lot of confusion about the skincare line and what the products are, what they do, and how to use them. First of all let me point out that description/name of products that are used in different countries have totally different meanings/functions – case in point is the ‘toner’. American ‘toners’ or astringents are extremely harsh and drying on the skin and contain a massive amount of alcohol. In my opinion, they are awful, no one should use them, and they are too harsh for ANY skin. People generally think because you have oily skin you must punish and strip it of all oils to ‘cure’ it and make it ‘normal’, when all you are doing is damaging your skin, making it freak out that it’s so dry, and forcing it to overproduce even more sebum and exacerbating your problem.Korean skincare products are generally applied lightest texture to thickest texture. For the Peach Sake products they should be optimally applied in this order: Toner – Serum – Emulsion. If you have combination skin, I think you can skip the serum. If you have extremely oily skin mostly in the dreaded T-zone, the serum may only need to be applied in this zone to work best for you. I live in New England, where we are having an especially cold and dry winter, the serum made my face dry and ashy on cheeks and around my mouth. I then only applied it in T-zone, and have put it on hold to wait for more hot/humid summer weather in case I need it. The Toner and Emulsion have been working just fine for me, even with my extreme sebum production.All of the products have moisturizing properties, along with different skin benefits, that deliver the ingredients to different layers of your skin. It is important to wash your face properly every morning and evening before applying the products. In the evening, if you wear make-up, you should do a ‘double wash’, which means you use an oil based make-up remover cleanser (especially if you wear BB creams. I use DHC cleansing oil), and then a ‘normal’ face wash to make sure all make-up/impurities are removed from your face.Some people are saying it is hard to get the products out of the bottle. I find it is hard to control the product and make sure you only get out what you need, which is a VERY small amount. There is a rubber stopper, with a central rubber knob that pops out, in both the toner and emulsion bottles. I am wondering if some people are not realizing that the central rubber knob needs to be popped out to use the product.If you use the Korean ‘tap-tap’ method, you will also only need a very small amount of product to cover your whole face and neck. I have been using the products for two months and still have half of the Toner and Emulsion. I have run out of the Serum and re-ordered another bottle that I am saving for summer in case I need more oil control then.After washing your face, PAT dry with a towel, a couple pats will do, your face should only be ‘damp dry’ – please do NOT rub at your face with your towel! Cup you palm and dab about a dime sized in circumference amount of the Toner in your palm. Rub your palms together to warm the product, press you palms vertically against both sides of your face/over your cheeks, then horizontally across your face with one hand across your forehead and the other across your mouth. I also press my palms into my neck/throat, then GENTLY pat all over my face (please, no slap-stick Three Stooges moves, don’t knock yourself out, ladies!), you can also gently tap your fingers as you go like you are lightly tapping on piano keys.When the product is absorbed (your skin will still have the feeling of being slightly moist), you can use 1-2 pumps of the emulsion, smoothing it onto your T-zone and either gently spread or tapping it from the center to the outside of your face until absorbed. Your skin will feel cottony/powdery soft and dry after this product is absorbed.Lastly, cup your palm again, tap out about a dime-nickel sized in circumference amount of the emulsion, rub your palms together again, and apply just as the toner described above. When absorbed, your face will feel powdery soft, smooth and moisturized (not as cottony dry as the serum). You can and may still need a moisturizer after the emulsion. I have been using Laneige Water bank Gel during the winter, afterwards I use a skin finisher, which I cannot find anywhere in the US. A skin finisher is NOT a moisturizer, primer, BB, or CC cream. I have been using the Sulwahsoo Luminature Essential Finisher which I will review later. I am just mentioning this because this is my normal skincare routine: wash – toner – emulsion – moisturizer – finisher.Speaking just on the Skinfood Peach Sake Toner, Serum, and Emulsion line alone – it has worked for me better than anything else I have tried for oil control without freaking out my sensitive skin. Does my skin still get oily, yes it does. However, I have gone from using 6-10 blotting sheets a DAY with reapplying powder 3-6 times a DAY, down to ONE sheet of blotting paper mid-day with MAYBE needing a dab of powder in my T-zone, but not always. A HUGE improvement to say the least. My makeup applies a lot easier and smoothly since Skinfood Peach Sake, stays in place and looks just as good at the end of the day as when I freshly applied it in the morning. The only con I have for this line is that although it has helped immensely with controlling sebum, it has not PREVENTED new acne from forming. At the same time, it has NOT CAUSED acne break outs or skin irritation. I still got my normal hormonal acne break-outs. Yea, I wasn’t really expecting it to help with that, as nothing but BC has controlled the whole hormonal cystic acne break-out nightmare, but I was hoping with the oil control that it wouldn’t be so bad.All-in-all, great line to try if your main concern is overproduction of sebum and oil control. I have delegated this line to my morning routine and have recently started a tea tree oil skincare regimen for nights to see if that helps the acne side of my problem, which so far has been having good results for me (again, I will review that later after more time, but I am using a combination of products from both Skinfood and the Body Shop).

I recently began a quest for all the beauty products needed to achieve the youthful, dewy look ever popular in Korea in anticipation of my wedding day. (Yes, I'm an American who watches a lot of Kdramas and became supremely jealous of Kon Joon-He's character in "She Was Pretty.") I've had a fantastic experience with the new skin care regimen: huge reduction in blemishes, almost completely eliminated the pimples!!!--I just get one or two during my period--evened skin tone, and overall a cleaner, softer face. Since it's been so overwhelming to research every step on my own, I'm providing a list of all the winners so far, and in what order of the skin care/makeup routine to use them in. Hopefully this is helpful for anyone who wants to venture into the world of Korean skin care but isn't sure where to start. **Indicates the product in review.1. Cleanser - The Face Shop: Rice Water BrightApply this to dry, unwashed skin and gently rub in circles to fully cleanse your face. Works as a makeup remover, but I'd recommend a different product for eye makeup removal.2. Toner/Refresher - Etude House 10-in-1 House Wonder Pore FreshenerTightens pores, and purifies skin. Apply to a cotton pad or cotton balls and then to face. Let dry.3. Moisturiser - Skin Food Peach Sake Emulsion**Apply right after the toner sets in to feed your face with some moisture. I love the light, peachy scent and how it really feels like my skin is being nourished, rather than leaving a heavy residue or strong fragrance. The only complain I have with this product is that the fancy bottle it comes in has no pump or tube or any logical way of removing the cream, except to turn it upside-down and smack the bottle into your hand. This was frustrating at first, although it might be designed that way to prevent taking too much at once, since you don't need more than a tiny dollop to cover your entire face.4. Serum - Skin Food Peach Sake Pore SerumA slightly more concentrated moisturiser to apply after the first. Yes, Koreans have many steps (most of them moisturising ones) in their beauty routine, I've learned. But it really does amazing things to your skin. And once you get the hang of it, applying all these products every night doesn't really take a whole lot of extra time. It also cuts back on my makeup routine in the morning, because when my skin is naturally healthy, clear, and soft, I'd rather show it off than cover it up. ;)5. Night Cream - Nature Republic Fresh Green TeaNOTE: This particular product is not sold on Amazon. I had to buy it on sale at my local Korean market because I was too scared to order anything over $10 that I wasn't sure about. But you can find any number of night creams here for the final step. I recommend something with green tea or aloe. Just apply at night onto clean, pampered skin, rub it in thoroughly, and sleep on it!Other Cosmetics/Extras I Found Useful/Worth Purchasing:Facial Scrub - Skin Food Black Sugar MaskUse twice a week for a deeper facial cleanse than you regular cleanser. Apply a little, gently exfoliate, leave on, rinse off. If it goes on too thick, use a little water or toner to make it easier to scrub in.CC Cream - Lioele Dollish CC Cera-V**CC Creams are much like BB Creams, (not a cream to match your skin colour, but a transparent foundation/primer) but if my experience with the two I've tried is any indication, CC Creams give more coverage and make the skin look more bright, white, and luminescent, rather than simply evening out the skin tone and providing SPF. Apply with a sponge applicator before any colour foundations. I was using a L'Oreal BB Cream at first, and thought it was fine until someone at the Kmarket gave me the this Loiele Dollish as a sample and I was totally sold after the first use. I LOVE how my skin feels and looks after applying it, and rarely even wear foundation over it because it makes my natural skin look like it's pretty enough! :) It comes out on the sponge in a greyish-white, but once applied, the residue on the sponge turns the colour of skin, and the product on your face just blends in with your own skin tone! It's really lovely, and near magical.Highlighter - Etude House Secret Beam Highlighter #1 Pink & White MixTo be brushed on over foundation in key spots to brighten the face even further. Goes on like a sheer fairy dust--just a bit of sparkle, but not like glitter. This isn't for a Labyrinth Masquerade ball, you know. ;)Face Mist - Innisfree Green Tea Mineral MistFace Mist is something you apply whenever you choose, before or after makeup, to keep your face hydrated and fresh throughout the day. I carry a bottle in my purse and spritz a little on whenever I feel my face is tired. :) This particular mist I haven't tried yet, because my order hasn't arrived, but I bought a Nature Republic bamboo mist from my local Korean market, and I love it a lot.Products I Didn't Think Worth the Fuss:Face Masks- These are a huge hit in Korea, and they're fun to wear around the house to get a rise out of family members who think you look creepy. But for me they're too sticky, drippy, and overrated. I prefer the clay masks or avocado masks that you have to wash off after.Expensive Serums, Essence, Bee Toxin... anything over $20 a bottle I passed up. As I've discovered, you can get really great results with just the five things I listed above, and none of them are over $15. Most are under $10.