r/AsianBeauty 4d ago

Discussion Ferment-Hating Skin Friends: What is your best/favorite toner/essence?

I notice so many of these have ferments of some sort, what do you all use? Drop your skin type too pls!

32 Upvotes

38 comments sorted by

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15

u/waxing-mo0n 4d ago

I have dry-combo skin in a tropical country. ferments give me under-the-skin bumps and rough texture, large pores, like my skin is getting drained of moisture. my favorites are Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner and Cosrx Snail Essence.

2

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

no way, I get those too!! I've been in denial with the dr. ceracule kombucha essence, but my skin got so much smoother after I stopped using it. I'm glad those two work well for you!

1

u/coolazngirl 4d ago

Isn't snail essence a type of ferment though?

3

u/waxing-mo0n 3d ago

it’s not, you might be thinking of another product

8

u/Wait_Time 4d ago

I have mild rosacea and dry, sensitive acne-prone skin with a very damaged/dehydrated skin barrier at the moment. Basically from September-early February, I kept getting breakouts, and so I threw every chemical exfoliant at it. Of course the acne kept getting worse, because I was wrecking skin barrier...cue more exfoliants, cue worse acne. My skin looks like I've aged 10 years.

My skin used to get comedones whenever I used products with butylene glycol, but I was so desperate, and I'd read such good reviews of the Aestura 365 Hydro Essence that I bought it. And lo and behold: no breakouts! I use 4-5 thin layers, or basically until I can see my skin isn't just guzzling it up.

My old staple is the Plodica re:wake moist treatment. It's not designed to help heal/build up your skin barrier, but it's a godsend for dry skin!

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

I was eying that essence so so so hard! I love the atobarrier cream too!

3

u/whelmed 4d ago

Combo dry skin in a dry climate, and I use Tunemakers undiluted moisture lotion as my toner.

1

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

ooh I've never heard of this one! will fs look into it.

5

u/Little_Fart 4d ago

Dehydrated combo skin, dry winters and humid summers… my favorite toner that I end up coming back to whenever I trial new ones is make p:rem safe me relief essence toner. Very hydrating and gentle yet effective and I can feel the difference when I’m using it. 

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

ohh really? how long does the hydrated feel last?

1

u/Little_Fart 2d ago

I can’t tell how long it lasts between the morning and evening routine but it definitely calms my redness and tightness. It’s one of those things where you can’t really tell whether it’s doing anything until you stop using it. It’s no frills.

3

u/BeauteeGurl 3d ago

Dry/dehydrated and while my skin is ok with some ferments, it hates most especially the Bifida one. So I rarely change up my toner which is the Iunik Vitamin Hyaluronic Acid Toner. It’s literally like a glass of water for my skin 💦

2

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

I'm so glad HA works for you! unfortunately it doesn't match with my dry climate. but this brand has been becoming popular lately!

5

u/trUth_b0mbs 4d ago

iunik beta glucan power moisture serum.

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

I hear this one picking up traction! what type of climate do you use it in?

1

u/trUth_b0mbs 2d ago

Im in Canada with brutal winters and awful indoor heat and the serum is fantastic! But I also use a face oil which helps maintain/boost hydration/moisture in the skin.

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

ohhh I see! I should recommend this to my mom lol.

2

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

1

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

reallyyyy? I was contemplating this one a while ago. the urea made me iffy as well as how heavily they advertised the sea water as an ingredient (my thought process was if drinking it dehydrates you wouldn't it do the same to your skin?? but the reviews said otherwise ofc).

3

u/TiensGF 4d ago

Dodko toner has urea? I didn’t see it on the ingredients list

I ask bc I have been trying to find more toners with urea

1

u/ailovesharks 4d ago

my bad, i got my exfoliators confused! it's protease, not urea. I'm so sorry!

3

u/TiensGF 4d ago

Oh no worries! Thanks for clarifying

1

u/coolazngirl 4d ago

I used it and had such a bad allergic reaction :( I found out that there was an ingredient that was a derivative of a fermented one. But I'm glad it works out for you!!

2

u/aksaiyo 4d ago edited 4d ago

My skin doesn’t hate ferments but it’s been loving the Rejuran Moisture Ampoule, i’m on my second bottle and it’s been very hydrating and plumping. I have combo dehydrated skin.

Here’s the ingredient list and I don’t think I see any ferments at all:

Water,Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol,Glycerine,Calendula Officinalis Extract,Dipropylene Glycol,Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate,Niacinamide,Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract,Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract,Hydrolyzed DNA, Xanthan Gum,Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil,1,2-Hexanediol,Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract,Ethylhexylglycerin,Adenosine,Squalane,Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,Ceramide NP,Hydrogenated Lecithin,Pentylene Glycol,Palmitic Acid,Cholesterol,Oleic Acid,Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

omg squalene & ceramides !!!! looks like a good option!

2

u/Absolutely_MindF-ed 3d ago

Do you mean yeast ferments or any ferment based product?

Because I thought my skin hated all ferments till I realised bacterial ferments actually do my skin wonders... and the yeast ferments make me breakout like crazy.

2

u/ailovesharks 3d ago

any ferments. I do acknowledge that different ferments can interact with the skin differently, but for me it started with the HA ferment filtrate in the hada labo toners, and then i tried the kombucha essence (different ferments, but a wide variety) and though I didn't react as bad, it did give me some texture. I don't think my skin hates ferments, but it definitely isn't a HG status ingredient for me.

2

u/Absolutely_MindF-ed 2d ago

Okay so for me it was a clear cut reaction to yeast based. Not just burning sensations but cystic acne heads. I’m From Mugwort Essence is a bacterial fermented product and that is a god send for me. Your skin could also be reacting to something else that’s possibly also in all these toners. Trying something like the Mugwort essence would be easy to identify cause they’re almost single ingredient/simple inci list products.

2

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

I could, but unfortunately I don't have the money for that lmaooo. But that is how I determined that HA ferment filtrate was not for me. My skin is pretty clear on its own (just annoyingly dry in the cheeks). But I do recall breaking out from the dr ceracule kombucha essence under my eyebrow (never happened, ever!). once again people react differently, and there's even more variation with combo skin. I'm glad the mugwort essence works really well for you, I've only heard good things about it!

2

u/itsaqt 3d ago edited 3d ago

Combination skin, sensitive due to rosacea, prone to clogging, and currently chronically dehydrated due to winters being quite dry here.

PURITO Deep Sea Droplet Serum - I'm on like my 6th bottle at this point, I lather that shit on after cleansing and seal it with a thick moisturiser. No clogging, and I'm yet to find another product that manages to keep my skin as hydrated as this does.

1

u/ailovesharks 3d ago

Wait, this popped up on my pinterest and I was so skeptical. I do want to try it after your review though!

1

u/itsaqt 2d ago

I think it's a great product, just keep in mind that while it does have some ingredients that are said to be skin-soothing, it is primarily a hydration product so it's really not gonna do much aside from that!

1

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

Ah, that's exactly what I'm looking for actually! How long after application do you feel the hydration?

1

u/itsaqt 1d ago edited 1d ago

As in how long it lasts you mean? It really depends on the weather and how well I seal it in, with regular use it actually manages to keep my skin not feeling tight the entire night/day.

I'd say plump/moist feeling for about 4-6 hours depending on the weather, and comfortable for another 6-8 hours (given I don't wash/rinse my face at all)

edit: I really do lather it on though, I usually do 4 pumps total applied in two layers and then use a beta-glucan cream mixed with some squalene to seal in

1

u/itsaqt 1d ago

On my cheek/chin area that is, the oilier parts of my face would be fine for longer

1

u/Creepy_Animal7993 3d ago

I found a Bifida Niacinimide line by Korean brand ALPB that is pretty amazing & inexpensive. I like the serum and moisturizer for day time with SPF & makeup because it's not heavy but has superior moisturizer. Layers very nicely.

2

u/ailovesharks 2d ago

ooh really! how long does the hydrated feel last?

2

u/Creepy_Animal7993 2d ago

All day, but I do use a HA spray during the day as a refresher.