Steam Cream

This skincare item was originally invented and developed in Japan. It's a great product for people with dry and sensitive skin. Basically it's known as the ultimate moisturizer, at least in Asia. There was a huge hype about this product in 2006 or even earlier.

original steamcream (pic taken from their website)

Steam is used during the producing process to fuse all the ingredients together to create a very lightweight but highly moisturizing product. Korea picked up this trend and created it's own versions of it, aiming to exceed the Japanese original which had some flaws like chemical preservations.

steam cream by nature republic

Nowadays you can choose from a wide range of products for every skin type by many companies. So if you are looking for something hydrating yet lightweight  and you haven't found a skincare product that meets your needs, I would highly recommend to give these steam creams a try.

this is my personal favorite: argan angel moisture steam cream by secretkey

Honey Black Sugar Scrub DIY

Since black sugar scrubs are popular these days I made my own version of it, referring to the ingredients lists of some products from Korea and Japan. I hope you'll give this one a try  (＾▽＾)

This scrub is suitable for dry, normal and oily skin. Don't be afraid of the olive oil, you won't use much and you don't leave it on your skin. Plus, the molecules of olive oil are too large to clogg your pores. If you have sensitive skin, substitute the lemon juice with tea (take a look at the notes below).

Please don't use this scrub if you are allergic to any of it's ingredients! Don't let it get into your eyes! Don't use it, if you have open wounds due to acne or else.

You need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 tsp black sugar or any other sugar you have at hand

1. Take a small bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Start by pouring the olive oil first, and then add the honey. This way your honey will come off the spoon easily because of the thin coat of oil left on it. Then add lemon juice and sugar. Mix well.
2. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Stirr again and now you have your homemade honey black sugar scrub.
3. Please apply only to clean skin! Wet your hands and apply with circular motions. After one minute, rinse it off with lukewarm water. Patt your face dry and apply serum and/ or moisturizer.

After letting it sit for 10 minutes, the consistency will be more paste-like.

Notes:

• The fruit acids, especially the vitamin c of the lemon will lower the ability of your skin to fight the damaging effects of UV-rays for some hours. So please use this scrub in the evening/ at night time only.
• If you like, you can substitute the lemon juice with some tea, like green tea, peppermint tea (refreshing!) or chamomile tea. 
• You can also use this as a body scrub. Just change the measurements from teaspoons to tablespoons. It's also a nice lip scrub.
• You will have plenty of product left, so store it in the fridge. It should be usable for about a week. If it starts to look/ smell/ behave funny any time earlier, there are probably funny things going on and you should discard it.

Korean Make-up Trend: CC Cream

Shortly after bb creams made it to the western markets, now there is a new, huge trend from Korea: cc creams.

cc cream by Elisha Coy, one of the most popular brands on the korean market

What does "cc" mean?
cc means "complete care". Regular bb creams aim at high coverage, while cc creams are about highly developed skin care.

What's the difference between bb and cc cream?
cc creams are not made to give you coverage if you have an troubled areas. It's main purpose is to moisturize, to give UV protection and to develope your skin elasticity. You can choose between cc creams for several skin types.

For what purposes should I use cc cream?
A cc cream should give you a healthy, moisturized and dewy finish. It's for a super natural look. They are also a nice alternative to make-up bases. cc creams work like a barrier between your skin and your make-up, keeping your skin healthy and pampered.
For best results mix cc with bb cream to get the high skin care effects combined with high coverage.

cc cream by Tony Moly

What are these "skin whitening properties"?
Almost every bb and cc cream contains "skin whitening properties", which are substances like vitamin c. They help to fade akne scars for example. These "skin whitening properties" do by no means at all, whiten your whole skin tone.