Hey everyone~ When I went back to Seoul in March, I managed to have the most amazing dermatology appointment with Banobagi Dermatology Clinic! They literally saved my exam season acne-ridden skin so that I am glowing like a goddess for Dermatology Review- Trina's battle with Acne Scars and Problem Skin ft. Banobagi DermatologySummer!

We all know that Korean skincare is absolutely amazing for the skin, and the craze for Korean products has definitely spread to the U.K. My blogpost about the skincare products I use, of which 99.99% are SK brands, is still the most popular post on my blog, so skincare is definitely something that I feel you all care about. But what happens when holy grail products aren’t enough?!

Introducing my amazing skincare experience at Banobagi Dermatology~!

 

 

 

The photos above are of the reception area. There were quite a lot of staff on hand to process my details and answer any questions I could have, and they also helped to translate when I met the dermatologist! I’ll talk about my experience step-by-step, so please join me~

 

The first step was to take photos of my bare face, so my skin condition could be properly assessed. I know what everyone is thinking… What happened to my skin?! To be honest, my skin was probably the worst it had been for a very long time. I was having the most awful outbreaks around my mouth and chin, and my skin was just irritated and dry, which led to the awful oil overproduction you can see in the photo above. My skin produces more oil than several oil-producing countries~

You can also definitely see my exposed pores, but what is really apparent on the picture on the left is the red marks! Pigmentation left over from acne usually takes time to heal, but with Banobagi’s super laser, it all disappeared quickly!

I then went to meet the dermatologist and told him all about my skin issues which were mainly:

The dermatologist was very thorough and asked me if my pores were a very big concern, as the treatment for huge pores could lead to some minor scabbing. He took into consideration the fact that my flight was tomorrow, and chose a slightly less powerful treatment so I wouldn’t look totally crazy for my flight!

This was the skin treatment plan I was recommended:

The One day Acne Program!

Banobagi actually has quite a few acne programs, but the dermatologist made a customised program for me to directly address my concerns and give me the skin I desired. Such a luxurious treatment, I was so touched at how well I was treated~ T_T

Step 1. Acne Full Care

The first step is what everyone knows as the traditional facial, but with a twist! The lovely estheticians performed deep cleansing on my skin to remove old sebum from my huge pores, which could lead to acne forming. They additionally did exfoliation with ultrasound, extracted my active acne, and and dealt with my flaky skin. It was actually really soothing and felt a lot more thorough than my normal facials.

The atmosphere here was so relaxed, there were people on their phones while getting their treatments done, or just lying back and being soothed by cooling masks. The one thing I noticed is that a lot of people already had absolutely amazing skin?! Korean ladies are so hardworking… I need to take care of my skin too!

Step 2. V-beam Laser

After my deep cleansing, I had numbing cream put on my face and waited in a separate reception for it to work its magic. Obviously I can’t have laser without my skin being numbed, I’ll really cry~ It was a really funny sensation feeling my skin tingle!

The first laser treatment I had was the V-beam laser, which was used to treat the active red acne I had. I honestly didn’t feel anything, but I was startled by the little zaps! The numbing cream really works you guys ^^ I wasn’t afraid at all.

I’ve learnt that the V-beam laser is also used to treat birthmarks and rosacea, so it is really good for redness of the skin.

Step 3. Laser Toning

The second laser treatment was an Acne Pigmentation Clearing treatment! To be honest, the feeling was exactly the same as the V-beam laser but on different areas of my face. Neither of the two treatments lasted too long, as the lasers are very powerful. Laser Toning is used for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation aka PIH, which many people use Vitamin C serums to fade. With laser toning however, I can throw away my smelly Vitamin C serums~

Step 4. Floracel Laser

Okay, this laser was absolutely the most intense step of the treatment program. The Floracel Laser destroys sebaceous glands which cause acne and induce collagen regeneration to tighten pores!

I can confidently say that this Floracel Laser made such a huge difference to my skin. But honestly you guys, it was pretty painful~ Despite the numbing cream, I leaked a few tears of self-pity. However, the effect it has on my skin is absolutely miraculous and I would 100% do the same treatment a hundred times over!

Step 5. High-gloss waterglow injection

After the Floracel Laser, the High-gloss waterglow injection was so soothing and relaxing. High-gloss waterglow injection, also known as Hyaluronic Acid injection, has powerful moisturising properties on dry skin and helps to maximise skin regeneration after the acne treatment. It makes sense to have it since my sebaceous glands have been annihilated by the Floracel laser~

The use of Hyaluronic Acid in skincare is really well-known, and used clinically in dermatology, it has excellent effects including improvement of skin elasticity and firmness, improving smoothness and water loss! Hyaluronic Acid is really amazing!

Here are some photos I took after the treatment:

I shamelessly took these photos in the lift haha. You can tell that my skin is a little bit red, but the staff kindly put on sunscreen for me. Sunscreen is an important part of the laser treatment aftercare instructions after all~

This is the sunscreen they used on me, I ended up buying it the next day because I liked it so much! I recommend trying it when you get the chance. It has nice mattifying properties which is perfect for summer.

And how are the results??

Well it’s officially been 2 months already since the treatment, so I have plenty of photos to share with everyone! It’s been so long already.

I’ll select some nice photos to cleanse your eyes from my oily-skinned pre-dermatology photos!

I have to tell the truth, sometimes I don’t take care of my skin too well and don’t put on enough sheet masks, but my skin is honestly the best it has ever been. I get compliments on my skin from people and even my picky mum is super impressed!

Having a good skin is a great base for makeup, but lately I have just been wearing sunscreen and undereye concealer. No heavy foundation for me~

I can’t thank the dermatologists at Banobagi enough! Their treatments have worked so well, I highly recommend booking an appointment if you have skin concerns like me.

My mum was so impressed by my skincare treatments that she booked an appointment the very next morning before our flight! She had oil-seed/milia removal. My mum has been plagued with little milia around her eyes for absolutely ages, and she even spent over 500SGD to get them removed while in Singapore. However, the place she went to didn’t remove all of them and so they grew back again……

But Banobagi helped her remove them! I’m so impressed! She even bought their skincare products to try out and have raved about them~

If your mum is as picky about skincare like mine, please try these products out! She feels that her skin is much cleaner and less ‘yellow’, and plans to go back for more treatments haha. We both had an excellent experience and couldn’t recommend Banobagi Dermatology enough!

There’s some more information about the dermatology clinic at this website: https://www.medicaldepartures.com/clinic/banobagi-dermatology/ ^^ Please check it out if you’re interested in skincare!

Overall, I actually quite like it! One of the major problems with my face is oiliness and wearing this under a CC cream means I don't have to blot my oily face at all. Instead I just look like I have nice dewy skin. I think this will definitely be part of my daily routine after the initial dryness and patchy panic. 

I would rate it 4/5 because the whitening is very immediate but also rather unnatural. However it sets the base so that if I wear a whiter CC or BB cream, it looks much less natural overall. It doesn't have that white foundation on darker face as much.

The dewy and glowing skin of Korean ladies (like the super gorgeous Seohyun orz) is the envy of all women around the world. Just how do they achieve it? Well it's said that some dedicated Korean women use around 15 different products a week.

I don't even have 15 different korean skin products uwu;;

This is the steps you're meant to go through in a typical Korean skincare routine:

Morning : Cleanser > Toner > Serums > Eye Cream > Emulsion > Day Cream > Suncream
Night : Oil cleanser or Milk cleanser > Foam Cleanser > Toner > Serums > Eye cream > Night Cream > Night Pack

However, since I have oily skin I can't use too many moisturising products which will clog my pores and make my face shine like an oily sun. So I skip the emuIlsion in the morning and heavy night cream at night. 

28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser

I love love love this cleanser! I think I got it from Memebox's Luckybox, started using it when I was travelling somewhere and have never looked back since. My pores have become much more minimised and I've rarely gotten any spots after using this. It doesn't strip too much oil from my face which is good, since my skin overcompensates by producing way too much oil if it's dry. A++! The only downside is that you have to buy it from Memebox.com, but it's on sale right now so go grab it!

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution

I only tend to use this when I come back late and I'm feeling extremely lazy. Just swipe it on a cotton pad and go, and it's better than makeup wipes which just shift your makeup around your face. It's not a substitute for a real cleanser however, so I definitely use my 28 Remedy cleanser after it.

Shiseido The Skincare Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover

Since my eyelids are super oily, I layer on Urban Decay Primer Potion and lots of waterproof mascara and waterproof eyeliner. Taking this off with Micellar solution is impossible though, so that's where Shiseido Eye Makeup Remover comes in. It's gentle but powerful, so you don't need to rub really hard at your eyes at all for the mascara to come off. I have so many samples of this lying around. It's small and travel-size, so I keep a bottle in my handbag along with some cotton buds to get rid of any smudges under my eyes. Of course you can use any other eye makeup remover, but I really love this one so far.

2. Toner

Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

3. Essence

Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence

I know the Missha Time Revolution line is anti-ageing and for older people, but I honestly feel like it's one of the best essences out there. It has really brightened and smoothed my skin and I love its effects so far. I've almost finished the bottle and I have ordered another one. The downside is that it is quite expensive compared to other toners, but for what it does to my stubbornly oily and problematic skin, I don't really mind the price. I really love it! It's just made a huge improvement to my skin.

Ddobyul Skin Therapy Plant Stem Cell Anti-Aging Solution

Maybe it's a bit weird for me to be into a lot of anti-ageing stuff, but my dream is to be one of those immortal-looking Japanese ladies! It's not too young to start using anti-ageing products now, especially when I'm turning 20 next year T_T. This one came from Memebox and I've almost used it all up. It has a great moisturising effect, and its texture is kind of slimy. I haven't noticed as great an effect on my skin as with the Missha Time Revolution Essence however, and it's much more expensive if it didn't come in a Memebox. I wouldn't recommend this one as much.

Innisfree Olive Real Essential Serum

I love the Innisfree Olive line, it's moisturising and gentle to your skin. I first purchased this on my trip to Korea in summer when I was 16, and by winter I was so grateful to have it. English weathers can be really harsh and drying to the skin, and this serum made sure my skin was super hydrated without clogging my pores. It's also really helpful after going to a swimming pool, since the chlorine in the water makes my skin gross and dry. Since it's a serum and heavier than an essence, I only tend to use this at night since no one will see my super oily and hydrated face hahaha >_<

5. Moisturisers

Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser

This is the moisturiser I use for daytime! When you have oily skin like mine, you have to be super careful with your moisturisers. If I don't use one, my skin overproduces oil, but if I use a moisturiser that's too hydrating my face looks super oily! It's a lose-lose situation. Luckily, Shiseido's Ibuki Refining Moisturiser isn't too drying or too oily. My skin absorbs it quite easily and doesn't look as oily as it should during the day. I don't think I would repurchase this after I finish using it up though, since I think there are better alternatives out there that cost much less.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack_EX

This is the only night sleep pack I have ever used! My mum told me to try it out and at first I was sceptical about how good it would be to use a heavy sleeping pack with my oily skin. It feels really cooling and hydrating on the skin however, and not at all oily at all. When I woke up, my skin genuinely felt super bouncy and glowing! I'm definitely in love with this sleeping pack and I want to try out more Laneige products. 

Dear by Enprani Bounce Cheese Cream

This is actually one of those heavy skincare creams I run away from, and probably the weirdest Memebox item. A cheese cream?! It actually stretches out like bits of stringy cheese which is pretty odd, but it smells super nice and absorbs quickly into the skin. I tend to use this one at night before the Laneige water pack, but I feel it's a bit too heavy sometimes. Definitely better for someone with dryer skin than mine. I probably won't try to repurchase this since I feel it doesn't do anything extra for my skin. It's just a rather average though gimmicky moisturiser.

6. Eye cream

Wonderuci Light Light Eye Balm

My dark eye circles are probably the thing that distresses me most about my skin right now. It's probably because I'm working later shifts but I have also had dark circles for the longest time. This brightening eye balm by WondeRuci definitely helps though! They also do other brightening products like a Kaokao brightening mask. I won't re-purchase this though, since there's quite a few other eye products I want to try.

7. Spot cream

Duac Once Daily gel

This isn't an asian beauty product at all, but it's a prescription-only acne gel cream. I had a really huge and horrible super-spot a while back and eventually went to the GP. The gp at my local clinic was a locum though, and after spilling out all of my skin woes to her, she gave me a dead-eyed look and asked "what do you want me to do?". -_-;; I work at a pharmacy and a bunch of people come in with skin-related problems and a lot of them get prescribed Duac gel, so I asked for it. The pharmacist was so confused, he kept saying I don't have acne. I BEG TO DIFFER, I scrolled through my facebook and found some photos of me from ages ago with absolutely horrible skin. 

That red face, oil-slick skin and tons of spots on my cheeks and chin >_<!!!!

 Even though my skin isn't nearly as bad now, I still get the occasional spot around that time of the month. I don't know what kind of fairy dust they put into this gel (anhydrous benzoyl peroxide as peeling agent and clindamycin, an antibiotic) but it really works. I put it on overnight on a spot and the next day, it's gone! Sometimes I get too overzealous with it and it leaves a horrible red mark on my face, so I have to be very careful with it. Less is more with this product!

8. Face Masks

I tend to go through face masks at a rate where it's not really much point discussing the ones I have now. Since my skin is much better and less acne-prone, my focus has changed to brightening and whitening masks to deal with the leftover pigmentation! I'm really looking forward to trying out the Missha Pearl Sheet Mask and the Obagi system (not a mask, but really good with brightening and skin renewal) so I'll post about those later! 

Thank you for reading my first post :) Before starting my skincare journey, I would be one of those girls who wouldn't consider leaving the house without really heavy foundation and concealer. When I stayed over with other people I even slept in my makeup because I didn't want people to see my natural face because of the acne marks and scars. Luckily earlier this year I finally realised that if I wanted to look flawless with makeup, I must have a flawless base, which led to me going super crazy and reading all about korean skincare. 

Right now I can say that I'm pleased with my skin. Nowadays I'll even go out without any foundation or bb cream on my face, instead opting for illuminating primers and just undereye concealer. It's really saved me so much time on my makeup routine and I'm so much more confident about my skin now, all thanks to knowing the right products and persevering with many skincare steps even when I'm really tired and feel horrible. Having clean and cared-for skin always helps me feel better!

Hopefully my knowledge will help people who also have skin problems like me start on the road to having glowing and youthful skin :)!

-Trina xoxo