The 5 Products That Brought My Skin Back to Life This Spring

As I age into my twenties, my skincare routine seems to grow alongside me. Coming out of hibernation this winter, my skin has been LOVING these products as we transition into spring. 

As someone with sensitive and dry skin, it can be hard to experiment with new products,  so I am always on the lookout for clean brands that prioritize high-quality ingredients. 

And what’s more on theme for spring skincare than a pink skincare routine?

Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

Medicube is a viral South Korean brand that has been making waves in the skincare community recently. Seeing this product all over my TikTok feed, I had to give it a try. This product is my first time putting salmon DNA on my skin (PDRN), and the benefits of it are exciting. Studies claim that PDRN helps the skin rejuvenate primarily through healing and hydrating the skin. This product also contains niacinamide, which is known for strengthening the skin’s barrier and minimizing inflammation. 

While there’s lots to love about this product, such as the easy applicator and fast absorption of the product, I still found that my skin broke out while adjusting to this serum. Thankfully, after a few days of initial use, my skin adjusted and now it’s a staple! 

Mutenka Cow Brand Cleansing Oil

This one I’ve been gatekeeping! For those unfamiliar with Cow Brand, they are a Japanese skincare line that is focused on creating sensitive-skin-friendly formulas. As a plus, their products, including this oil, are hypoallergenic. 

As someone with extremely dry, sensitive skin, this has been transformative in removing my makeup. You only need a small amount of the oil per use. The pump on this product is easy and clean to use. The oil doesn’t strip my skin of its natural moisture, which is huge for dry skin in winter/spring. I’m not someone who wears a full face every day, but for a simple makeup routine, this is truly effective. 

Skin1004 Centella Madagascar Poremizing Quick Clay Stick Mask

Skin1004 is a Korean skincare brand known for sourcing high-quality Centella Asiatica from Madagascar in all its products. A brief aside: Centella Asiatica helps your skin retain moisture, reduce inflammation, and help with healing. It is also specifically useful for people like me, who also have eczema! 

Skin1004 also includes red bean powder in this mask that aids in sebum absorption while also gently exfoliating the skin (so gentle you won’t even notice)!

With dry skin, I try to avoid clay masks as they tend to be too intense. That is not the case here. This mask is the perfect blend of hydrating and firming that washes off without irritation. 

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + Hyaluronic Acid Peptide for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

A Sephora staple! Don’t let the minimalist packing fool you, The Ordinary’s products pack a punch with fair pricing. I have never really been hugely addicted to their products, but this one I keep coming back to! 

Matrixyl is my knight in shining armour. Part of having dry skin means premature wrinkles due to surface dehydration. I am not ready for retinol yet, so this gentle water-based product is a happy blend of firming solutions for premature aging while still being lightweight and gentle.

With The Ordinary, I appreciate that their products are no BS. True

to form, this product of theirs has no added fragrance and is without phthalates, parabens or sulphates! Plus, it’s good for all skin types!

DumiDang Strawberry Hydrating Wash-Off Mask

DumiDang is a newer brand for me, but I haven’t been disappointed. Dumidang is a Korean vegan skincare brand that focuses on beans. Yes, beans. 

For a mini history lesson, the inspiration from this comes from the Donguibogam (a Traditional Eastern Korean Medicine) encyclopedia that inspired the creator of DumiDang to use fermented beans and modern dermal ingredients to find pure but effective skincare formulas. 

This wash-off mask smells amazing, is ridiculously hydrating, and very soothing to the skin. Additionally, this mask contains vitamin C, which helps to brighten the skin's complexion.

Where can you buy them?

Want to give these products a try for yourself? I got these products from a mixture of stores, including Sephora, Winners, Kikoyo Beauty (online), and Amazon. What I appreciate about all these brands is their affordability and transparency in their products, and I look forward to trying more in the future!