Skincare notes from a drugstore aisle in Korea.
Pibu (피부) means skin in Korean. I'm 24, I live here, and my skin is far from perfect. I write down what I actually use, what it cost me, and what I still get wrong.
Whose skin is this?
- Age
- 24, university student
- Lives in
- Korea
- Skin
- Oily by morning, tight by afternoon
- Bothers me
- Large pores, redness, bumps where I shave
- Budget
- About ₩20,000 ($15) a product
- Sponsors
- None. I pay for everything.
What's bugging your skin?
Pick the one that sounds like you. Each goes straight to the note I wrote about it.
New here? Start with this one
The Korean Skincare Routine, Explained by a Korean
A Korean guy's real skincare routine, what Koreans actually do instead of the 10-step myth, and how to build your own.
All the notes
Korean Skincare Routine for Men: A Simple 4-Step Guide
New to skincare? A Korean guy's simple 4-step routine for men: what each step does, what to buy first, and what to skip.
Skincare After Shaving: How I Deal with Razor Bumps
A Korean guy's honest routine for razor bumps and post-shave redness: the tools I use, what I changed, and what I still get wrong.
Korean Sunscreen Rules: How Much, How Often, and the Mistake I Made
What SPF and PA++++ really mean, how much sunscreen to use, and the mistake I made for years: relying on a tinted lotion with SPF.
Foam, Oil or Milk? Korean Cleansers Compared by a Guy Who Uses All Three
A Korean guy compares the three cleansers in his routine, a foam, a cleansing milk and a cleansing oil, and explains which type fits which skin.
Exfoliating Pads vs Korean Toner Pads: What's the Difference?
Acid pads like Stridex and Korean toner pads look alike but do different jobs. Here's the difference, and how I use Stridex Sensitive twice a week.
Korean Skincare Ingredients Glossary: Heartleaf, Cica, Tea Tree and More
Heartleaf, cica, tea tree, niacinamide, B5, salicylic acid: what the ingredients in my Korean skincare products actually do, explained by a Korean guy.
Budget K-Beauty: What I Actually Paid for My Whole Routine in Korea
Real prices a Korean university student paid for nine skincare products in Korea, per item and in USD, plus tips for buying K-beauty cheaply.
How I write these
- I use it before I write about it. If I haven't tried a product, I say so.
- I buy everything myself. No free samples, no sponsors.
- The photos are mine. Taken at my desk and my bathroom sink.
- I'm not a dermatologist. These are one person's notes, and I link sources for the facts.
Hi, I'm the guy behind the notes
For years I barely did anything for my skin. Then one day I looked in the mirror, really looked, and decided I had to start. Everything here comes from figuring it out since then, one drugstore trip at a time.