skin consultations archive

Name: Aisha Z.
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: I don't know
Skin Stage: 45 to 54 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Aisha,

Thanks for writing in and thank you so much for your support over the years.  Everyone here at Sarangahe | Orora appreciate it.

This is an excellent question and one that I am personally very passionate about. As you and many of our customers implicitly understand, what skin care products we use are really a small part of achieving great skin health, which by the way, is a subset of overall physical and mental health. So for your question, I’d like to steer my response to what we could focus on OUTSIDE of what products I would recommend.

Dr. Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology at Standford Unversity School of Medicine and the host of a well known podcast called the Huberman Lab.  He often talks about his 5 pillars for mental and physical well being, and they just happens to coincide with the 5 things I focus on for overall health and well being.

Here are the five pillars for physical and mental wellness.

Pillar 1: Get Good Sleep

I can write an entire book on why sleep is so important for us but in a nutshell, our body and brain repairs itself when we sleep. Our cells (skin cells are no exception) take in energy in the form of ATP and oxygen amongst other important nutrients and produce waste by-products which need to be flushed out. This important process of waste removal, cellular repair and regeneration is called autophagy.  In fact there are certain, very important functions of the cell that are only “turned-on” during the deepest stages of your sleep.  This is why your night time skin care routine is usually much more elaborate than your day time routine. A good foundational night time skin care routine should be designed to support your body’s natural healing and regeneration process.

Pillar 2: Spend Time in Sunlight

Sunlight is the source of heat and energy. It is also essential to our growth, happiness and well-being. Exposure to sunlight releases the “feel good” chemical serotonin in the brain.  Of course, raw and prolonged over exposure to UV rays prematurely ages our skin so we need to be careful there. My recommendation is to spend the first waking moments outside for 30 minutes in natural sunlight. It’s a great start to the day.

Pillar 3: Movement

Movement (or the more unpopular term - exercise) has been called the universal medicine by may health care professionals.  And I am a big believer that the human body is designed to move. Move as much as you can and however you can.  Even a simple 10 minute walk can raise your serotonin levels.Try to raise your heart rate a little everyday and get progressively more active as you adapt to your exercise routine. As we get older, adding some strength and mobility exercises will help us add healthy decades to our life.  Moderately vigorous exercise also helps you go into deeper sleep, so there’s a double benefit there!
It’s never too late to start, so why not get up right now and go for a little walk? 🙂

Pillar 4: Eat Real Food

The micronutrients we need for good overall healthy like vitamins, minerals and amino acids are abundant in non-processed foods.  Processed foods like pre-packed meals, fast food, salty snacks, chocolate bards, frozen pizza etc.. are lacking in those essential nutrients.  Filling up on processed foods robs our bodies of the nutrients that we need to heal and regenerate properly. Cooking at home with fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein and healthy fats is a sure fire way to get gerat overall health and wellness.  The rule of thumb I use is, the less packged the better, the less cooked the better (ex. Raw veggies and fruit, nuts, dates etc in it’s native form).

Pillar 5: Relationships

We are social creatures and healthy relationships add vitablity and longevity to our lives. Lunching with your friends, a walk with your spouse and catching up with distance relatives are not just good for your soul, they’re essential for a healthy and long life.

Of course there are other habits you can incorprote into your life that will help foster great health. I like to focus on these 5 because they’re conceptually simple and relatively easy to execute consistently.

I hope this added some value to your day, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any more questions or concerns.

With great pleasure,

Peter Lee
Co-founder & CEO
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Amy R.
Skin Type: Dry
Skin Condition: Sensitive, Deyhydrated
Skin Stage: 65+ (mature+)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Amy,

Thank you for writing in. And yes, I do see that you’ve been with us for quite a long time. Thank you for your continued support, we greatly appreciate it.

Ahh the age old debate: serum vs. cream.I’ll explain how our skincare industry defines serum vs. cream and then I’ll give you my personal thoughts on the matter. Face serums are specially an anti-aging focused product that has two main functions.  They usually contain a higher concentration of active ingredients (ex. Vitamin C).  They’re made to penetrate deeper into your skin, down to your dermis layer.  You’ll find that serums are in a more liquid like substance (leaning toward watery) and they get absorbed quickly.

The way to use a serum is to either on naked skin or after cleansing/toning steps (our recommendation). You don’t need a lot because the actives are concentrated in a serum.Face creams (moisturizing creams etc..) are all generally a foundational, all purpose products that are great at moisturizing the outer layers of your skin and protecting it from environmental stressors and impurities.  The analogy is that of a shield.  This is why if it works for you, we recommend using both serum and cream because they have different and complimentary properties.

Now, my personal opinion on this matter. I personally apply both serum and cream for both day and night routines.  I can see a visible difference if I only use a serum or a cream.  But not everyone is the same and it is a personal preference.  We have customers that say that they don’t see much of a difference when using one or both products.  For example, with our SPF50, some customers simply appy the SPF50 for a day time routine and no other product. If one had to make a choice between the two for budgetary reasons - I’d recommend the cream because it is more multi-purpose.  We start with the foundation and then build up from there.  I would recommend Orora Bioactive Collagen Cream for a lighter experience (great for those with sensitive and acne prone skin).  I would recommend our Firm and Lift Regeneration Cream for customers with mature skin who are looking for deep hydration and anti-aging.

I hope this helps Amy, I wish you a wonderful summer!

Karen Wilson
Senior Skincare Specialist
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Brianna A.
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: I don't know
Skin Stage: 56 to 65 (mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Brianna!

Thank you for your question and we appreciate your kind words. It’s very motivating to know that our customers appreciate what we do.

Now your question is a common one, and you are correct, there is a lot of mistaken and outdated information out there regarding ingestible collagen.  Let me see if I can help shed some light on this.

Collagen is the main structural protein found in connective tissues in animals and humans, compromising 30% off all proteins our body.  Decades ago, companies started adding whole collagen molecules to their products (topical or ingestible) with the theory that our bodies would breakdown the protein into amino acids which then would be absorbed and transported to where it needed most i.e. skin, hair, nails etc..

Studies found that these collagen proteins could not be absorbed through the skin nor the the gut because the molecules were too large. This is still true do this day because whole proteins cannot be absorbed by the body. But new technology has rendered this argument erroneous.  Hydrolyzed collagen is a collagen molecule broken down into short chain amino acids with low molecular weights.  The introduction of hydrolyzed collagen around the early 2000’s changed the game because the now the body did absorb the amino acids from collagen proteins.  In fact, studies found that ingestion of collagen did indeed lead to elevated levels of collagen-derived peptides in the blood stream and randomized controlled trials have found that hydrolyzed collagen supplements did improve skin elasticity (study by Harvarde T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

The other finding is that not all sources of collagen were equal. Marine (fish) collagen was found to the most bio-compatible with the human body, meaning we humans, absorbed the amino acids from fish collagen better than any other source of collagen.  This is why we chose ethically derived and hydrolyzed fish for our Saranghae Pure Marine Collagen Supplement.  It is also why I personally, along with every member of my family takes 1 scoop of Pure Marine Collagen every morning. 🙂

I hope this helps answer your questions and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with more questions or comments.Cheers and all the best BriannaPeter LeeCo-Founder, CEOSaranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Peter Lee
Co-founder & CEO
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Shiobhan Q.
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: Slightly Acneic, prone to breakouts
Skin Stage: 35 to 44 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Siobhan,

Thank you for writing in and I am excited to hear that you are a fan of Korean Beauty. Although brands compete with one another, we Korean skincare brands also work together to help elevate K-beauty around the world. I haven’t tried all of the products that you have mentionned but I will trust that they work for you and will help build a skincare routine with those products in mind.I will recommend 3 products you should try adding to your daytime and night time skincare routines.

Day Time Routine

step 1: Kose Cleaning Oil
step 2: round lab cleanser
step 3: Saranghae Perfect Balance Toner ($24 or $21.50 on subscription)

Once you strip away the oils from your skin, you need to rebalance your skin’s pH, reduce inflammation, and control pores. When you cleanse you strip away ALL of your oils your body thinks that your skin is now completely stripped of essential oils and will overproduce sebum. Controlling this step is crucial for calming your skin. It’s also a primer that greatly enhances the efficacy of the products that come after. Our toner is effective but mild (we use a combination of botanicals including licorice root extract), much milder than AHA/BHA toners. This intermediate step alone before your moisturizing routine will make a big difference over time.

Step 4: Joseon red bean water gel moisturizer (this is more like a serum)
Step 5: Orora bioactive collagen cream

Orora Bioactive Collagen Cream offers highly effective anti-aging results backed by biotechnology and clinically certified results. It is powered by a new and revolutionary ingredient called HumaColl21 (sH-polypeptide-121), the first of its kind 100% vegan collagen peptide that is structurally and functionally identical to human collagen type 21. With high concentrations of glycine and proline, two amino acids responsible for signaling our cells to produce more skin collagen, HumaColl21 is a polypeptide designed to penetrate the outer layers of our skin for direct absorption by skin cells. In short, Orora Bioactive Collagen Cream increases skin firmness, elasticity, and collagen levels in as little as 2 weeks while decreasing wrinkle size and reducing redness. So effective, it won the “Best Moisturizer For 2022” by Chatelaine/FASHION magazine out of 150 brands tested.

It is vegan and specifically made for sensitive skin. The ingredient Bifida Ferment Filtrate is a probiotic helps sensitized skin become less sensitive to environmental aggressors by strengthening its microbiome. Ingredient Madecassoside is a bioactive compound in the plant extract Centella Asiatica. This Asian botanical extract is sometimes referred to as tiger grass or gotu kola. A powerful antioxidant with noted skin soothing and healing properties.

Step 6: Biore UV aqua rich spf

Night Time Routine:

step 1: Kose Cleaning Oil
step 2: round lab cleanser
step 3: Saranghae Perfect Balance Toner ($24 or $21.50 on subscription)
step 4: BE.SEEN Pure 23.5% Vitamin C Concentrate($59 or $47.20 on subscription)

This is the highest Vitamin C concentration in the world at 23.5%.

Because it is an anti-inflammatory, it’s used to redness and swelling related to acne when used topically. Thus, it may improve the appearance of acne lesions. In a 12-week study in 50 people, 61% of participants who used a lotion containing 5% vitamin C experienced significant improvements in acne lesions, compared with a control group. In a smaller, 8-week study in 30 people, those who used 5% Vitamin C had a 48.8% reduction in acne lesions.

All skin types should incorporate vitamin C into their skincare routines, but especially oily to combination skin types with larger pore size.

Step 5: bioactive collagen cream

Note: you can also add the Joseon moisturizer after vitamin C but it's optional because the vitamin C is in serum form.

Lastly, try occasionally exfoliating with a light bristle facial brush when you use your oil cleanser (step 1) - about once a week. Combination/oily skin types tend to overproduct sebum which usually clogs pores (how acne breakouts start). Regular exfoliation simply helps your skin remove excess sebum from your pores.

Lastly... I always recommend adding this product to your morning coffee/tea - Premium Marine Collagen For Skin, Hair, Nails & Joints-Single

Our skin is the largest organ in our body and adding amino acids through collagen protein in conjunction with a great skin care routine accelerates collagen/elastin production in our skin. I add it to my coffee every morning and I know it's working because my nails grow twice as fast.

Thanks once again Siobhan, let me know if you have any more questions? I'm happy to help where I can :)

Cheers and all the best

Karen Wilson
Senior Skin Care Consultant
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Nadine B.
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: pores, texture
Skin Stage: 35 to 44 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Nadine,

Thanks for writing in and it does sound like you have combination skin type. Most customers know very decisively when their skin is dry or oily. You probably have characteristics of both, and that's why you're unsure. If you’re curious, take this quick skin type here - https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/skin-type-test

You're looking for pore minimization, improved skin texture, a glossy / healthy skin and currently you're at mid-mature stage. This is a classic/textbook request for combination skin at mid-mature skin stage. I'm going to recommend a night time skin care routine and a day time skin care routine.  The night routine is more involved because your skin's autophagy is more active when you sleep.  In other words, your skin cell waste removal process, repair and regeneration is at it's most efficient when you sleep.

Recommend Night Time Routine

Products to purchase (2 products, 6 steps):

Products:
1) Orora 5 Step Skincare Routine
2) BE.SEEN Pure 23.5% Vitamin C Concentrate

Step 1: Cleanse Thoroughly with Nourishing & Moisturizing Oil + Foam Cleanser

This is an important step that most folks in North America gloss over, but it’s extremely important.The double cleansing removes dirt, oil, makeup, grime, and impurities that lead to oxidative stress.  The oil combines with sebum to clear out and prevent clogging, the foaming helps clean everything off. It provides a solid foundation for an effective anti-aging skincare routine.  For combination or acneic skin, this sebum clearout and dead skin cell turnover are probably the most important thing is preventing future breakouts. You can buy a separate oil cleanser and then a foam cleanser (which is a 2-step cleansing routine), but the difference is minimal and it really is a bother adding more and more steps. So our double cleanser is pretty popular amongst customers who value efficacy and time savings (plus it’s more cost-effective).

I would also recommend lightly exfoliating your skin using a soft thistle facial brush or a light facial cloth with the cleanser. You do this about 2x a week to start and then maintain as your skin gets used to the turnover (too much exfoliation will have a negative effect).

Step 2: re-Balance your skin's pH with Perfect Balance Toner

Once you strip away the oils from your skin, you need to rebalance your skin’s pH, reduce inflammation, and control/minimize pores.  When you cleanse you strip away ALL of your oils your body thinks that your skin is now completely stripped of essential oils and will overproduce sebum. Controlling this step is crucial for calming your skin. It’s also a primer that greatly enhances the efficacy of the products that come after.

Step 3: Vitamin C ConcentrateThis is the highest Vitamin C concentration in the world at 23.5%.

Topical vitamin c is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant - great for reducing pores, clearing out sebum and reducing oxidative damage. Ask any derma and they will recommend topical vitamin C as staple for a foundational skin care routine.

By the way, Skinceuticals offers their 15% vitamin C at $185 as a comparison. We offer 23.5% at $59.

Step 4: Focus Renewal Eye Cream

The Focus Renewal Eye Cream is designed to target all signs of aging around the eyes including deep lines, slackened skin, dark circles and dehydration. Formulated with Sang Hwang mushroom (10%), Niacinamide (vitamin B3) and Allantoin, it leaves the skin around the eyes looking smoother, revitalized and more youthful.

Steps 5 and 6 - Bioactive Collagen Serum + Cream (the system)

Orora Bioactive Collagen System is a serum + cream combination that offers highly effective anti-aging results backed by biotechnology and clinically certified results.  It is powered by a new and revolutionary ingredient called HumaColl21 (sH-polypeptide-121), the first of its kind 100% vegan collagen peptide that is structurally and functionally identical to human collagen type 21.

With high concentrations of glycine and proline, two amino acids responsible for signaling our cells to produce more skin collagen, HumaColl21 is a polypeptide designed to penetrate the outer layers of our skin for direct absorption by skin cells.In short, Orora Bioactive Collagen System increases skin firmness, elasticity, and collagen levels in as little as 2 weeks while decreasing wrinkle size and reducing redness.

So effective, it won the “Best Moisturizer For Dry Skin 2022” by Chatelaine/FASHION magazine out of 150 brands tested.Both the serum and cream are vegan and specifically made for sensitive skin. The ingredient Bifida Ferment Filtrate is a probiotic helps sensitized skin become less sensitive to environmental aggressors by strengthening its microbiome. Ingredient Madecassoside is a bioactive compound in the plant extract Centella Asiatica.  This Asian botanical extract is sometimes referred to as tiger grass or gotu kola.  A powerful antioxidant with noted skin soothing and healing properties.

Day Time Routine:

step 1: cleanser
step 2: toner
step 3: eye cream
step 4: bioactive collagen serum
step 5: bioactive collagen cream
step 6: Let's Get Physical Sheer UV Defense SPF50 Sunscreen-single (optional)

Your day time routine should be simpler, to be honest you could just go with cleanser, serum and cream and that'll cover 80% of your needs. The SPF50 is always recommended as a last step - for Korean women, they swear by sunscreen, I would say 90% of the women wear sunscreen every day.My recommendation is to wear the SPF50 if you're going to be exposed to UV rays at least 20 minutes. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but UV damage is cumulative. It's the one thing that we know will lessen breakdown of collagen/elastin in our skin.

I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions or points of clarification. I'm happy to help.

All the best,

Karen Wilson
Senior Skin Care Consultant
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: A.S
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: dehydrated, prone to breakouts, itchy skin
Skin Stage: 19 to 24 (pre-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi A.S.

Thanks for writing in, and I completely understand where you’re coming from because your skin issues at your skin type, skin condition and skin stage are quite common.

Skin type and skin condition are two different things. You can have dry skin and not be dehydrated and you can have oily skin and be dehydrated.  There are probably lots of micro reasons, but the primary reason why your skin is dry, itchy with occasional breakouts is not because your her skin is dehydrated (although it doesn't help).  It's because your skin is being stripped of your essential oils during the cleansing stage but then, not moisturized properly, which then leads to over production of sebaum in pores, which tends to clog and then leads to breakouts.  Basically, you’re part of a skincare routine and not finishing a complete skincare routine.

Although you don’t mention what you’re using to was your face, I suspect your using something caustic to your face, like a regular bar of soap or body soap.  In addition, you’re not following up her cleansing with proper skin conditioning agents.  The good news is that this is really common for your skin stage and it's easily fixable with a good solid skincare routine.

Let me recommend a 4 step day time routine and a 5 step night time routine

Day Time Routine (4 products)

Step 1: Cleanse properly and thoroughly with Nourishing and Moisturizing Oil to Foam (double cleanser)

The double cleansing removes dirt, oil, makeup, grime, and impurities that lead to oxidative stress.  The oil combines with sebum to clear out and prevent clogging, the foaming helps clean everything off. It provides a solid foundation for an effective anti-aging skincare routine. For acne skin, this sebum clearout and dead skin cell turnover are probably the most important thing in preventing future breakouts. I would also recommend lightly exfoliating your skin using a soft thistle facial brush or a light facial cloth with the cleanser. You do this about 3x a week to start and then maintain as your skin gets used to the turnover (too much exfoliation will have a negative effect).

Step 2: rebalance your skin's pH with Perfect Balance Toner

Once you strip away the oils from your skin, you need to rebalance your skin’s pH, reduce inflammation, and control pores.
When you cleanse you strip away ALL of your oils your body thinks that your skin is now completely stripped of essential oils and will overproduce sebum.  Controlling this step is crucial for calming your skin. It’s also a primer that greatly enhances the efficacy of the products that come after.

Steps 3 and 4 - Bioactive Collagen System (Serum + Cream )

Orora Bioactive Collagen System is a serum + cream combination that offers highly effective anti-aging results backed by biotechnology and clinically certified results. It is powered by a new and revolutionary ingredient called HumaColl21 (sH-polypeptide-121), the first of its kind 100% vegan collagen peptide that is structurally and functionally identical to human collagen type 21. With high concentrations of glycine and proline, two amino acids responsible for signaling our cells to produce more skin collagen, HumaColl21 is a polypeptide designed to penetrate the outer layers of our skin for direct absorption by skin cells. In short, Orora Bioactive Collagen System increases skin firmness, elasticity, and collagen levels in as little as 2 weeks while decreasing wrinkle size and reducing redness.

So effective, it won the “Best Moisturizer For 2022” by Chatelaine/FASHION magazine out of 150 brands tested.  Both the serum and cream are vegan and specifically made for sensitive skin. The ingredient Bifida Ferment Filtrate is a probiotic helps sensitized skin become less sensitive to environmental aggressors by strengthening its microbiome. Ingredient Madecassoside is a bioactive compound in the plant extract Centella Asiatica. This Asian botanical extract is sometimes called tiger grass or gotu kola. A powerful antioxidant with noted skin soothing and healing properties.

Night Time Routine

Step 1: cleanser (as above)
Step 2: toner (as above)
Step 3: BE.SEEN Pure 23.5% Vitamin C Concentrate

This is the highest Vitamin C concentration in the world at 23.5%.  Because it is an anti-inflammatory, it’s used to redness and swelling related to acne when used topically. Thus, it may improve the appearance of acne lesions. In a 12-week study in 50 people, 61% of participants who used a lotion containing 5% vitamin C experienced significant improvements in acne lesions, compared with a control group. In a smaller, 8-week study in 30 people, those who used 5% Vitamin C had a 48.8% reduction in acne lesions.

Steps 4 & 5: bioactive collagen system (as above)

In Summary5 products, used slightly differently for night and day routines. Vitamin C can be used during the day as well but you definitely need an SPF50 if that's the case because vitamin C oxidizes quickly in UV light.

The last step of any K-beauty routine is always an SPF, and our SPF50 is the best mineral sunscreen on the market - https://lovesaranghae.com/products/lets-get-physical-sheer-defense-spf-50

But I personally wear SPF when I'm going outside, I don't wear it everyday especially if I'm indoors all day. But this is a personal preference. Our SPF50 is made for everyday use, it's the sheerest SPF you'll find and make up goes over it nicely.

Our skin is an organ that likes to be in balance. Too much of a good thing (like cleansing) can lead to the opposite effect of what people are trying to achieve. With proper cleaning, pH/pore treatment, skin cell turnover and proper moisturization, you will be enjoying healthy, glowy skin without dryness, itchiness or breakouts in short order.

Cheers and all the best!

Karen Wilson
Senior Skin Care Consultant
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Mary B.
Skin Type: Dry
Skin Condition: Sensitive
Skin Stage: 39 to 45 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Mary,

Great to hear from you and thank you for your lovely words, we always appreciate it :)

This is a great question and one I get quite often. There’s a lot of confusing information out there on both retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C.

The answer is YES & NO & It Depends. Confusing answer I know so let me explain.

Vitamin A (retinol) and Vitamin C are both essential vitamins for skin health, but they each provide different benefits. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes cell turnover, meaning it helps speed up the natural exfoliation process, making it ideal for treating acne and clearing pores. Vitamin A also helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and can help to improve skin tone and texture.

Vitamin C, on the other hand, is an antioxidant that helps to protect the skin from environmental damage caused by the sun and other environmental factors. Vitamin C also has some over-lapping benefits with Retinol with skin exfoliation and re-growth. It also helps to reduce inflammation and can help to brighten and even out skin tone.

While vitamin A should not be applied if your pregnant or nursing, vitamin C is completely safe. Vitamin A can also irritate the skin for about 10% of the population. If you have generally sensitive skin, chances are your skin will probably not react well to retinol, so it’s a double edged sword. Vitamin C doesn’t have those drawbacks. Both Vitamin C and Vitamin A need to be applied in the absence of UV light, meaning as part of night time routine. But not at the same time because the combination will most likely lead to skin sensitivity.

If you wish to use both Vitamin A and Vitamin C, my recommendation is to use the Vitamin C in the morning with an SPF50 sunscreen and Vitamin A at night. This is because Vitamin C is less reactive and volatile to UV light then Vitamin A.The key to working with Vitamin C and Vitamin A properly is limiting exposure to UV light (actually this is true even if you’re not using vitamins A & C).

Our Saranghae Let’s Get Physical Sheer UV Defense SPF50 sunscreen is a very effective broadspectrum sunscreen that is excellent at eliminating Vitamin A and Vitamin C oxidization.

So in summary:

Yes, you can use them together but not at the same time
Use Vitamin C in the morning with SPF50 sunscreen
Use Vitmain A in the evening Becareful with Vitamin A if you have sensitive skin, are pregnant or nursing.

I hope this helps, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions.

Warmest Regards,

Andrea Mourad
Co-Founder, Chief Brand Officer
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Cassie T.
Skin Type: Dry
Skin Condition: Sensitive, acneic
Skin Stage: 46 to 54 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Cassie,

Thank you for your continued support, we always appreciate it. 🙂

You ask a very necessary question because retinol has always been an ingredient surrounded in controversy, as far back as the early 1940s.

Retinol as a chemical compound was first discovered in 1909 but wasn’t made available for anti-aging purposes until 1947. Since then, the popularity of retinol has experienced waves of highs and lows until today where it is considered an “in vogue” ingredient. The last time it was heavily in favor was in the 1990s but then it died down to make way for plant based and more natural skin care.

Topical retinol (Vitamin A) is used to aid in skin cell turnover, boost low levels of collagen production and said to be responsible for minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reducing hyperpigmenation and smoothing out texture. Many believe that it is the miracle ingredient that does it all.

What we do know is that there is clincial evidence to suggest it does help in general anti-aging. What is also known is that there is a level of toxicity both acute and chronic that is associated with too much vitamin A in our system.

Using retinol during pregnancy increases the chance of birth defects and using while breastfeeding increases the likelihood of developmental problems in children.  It also dries our your skin and will exacerbate skin issues if you have sensitive skin, eczema, psoriasis or just skin that reacts to retinol (which is a large part of the population). So there are benefits, but costs associated with those benefits.

The question I always ask is, are the benefits worth the cost?  My philosophy is that everything that touches our skin should heal rather than inflame it. So I do not recommend aggressive anti-aging ingredients like retinol, which stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, cause hypersensitivity to sun and environmental factors.

They are are not nursing or pregnancy safe, and commonly cause redness, dryness, burning, peeling, and dermatitis.  I just don’t think the little anti-aging benefits are worth the cost.

There are other ingredients that matches the benefits of retinol without the cost.  HumaColl21, our hydrolyzed vegan collagen peptide outperforms retinol in collagen production and vitamin C shows comparative benefits in cellular turnover and these are just a few.In the end, it’s a personal choice because the cost vs. benefit equation differs for everyone.

If you do wish to try retinol, I suggest using it only as a nighttime routine, please wear an SPF50 to protect against sun sensitivity and cycle it on / off with 8 week periods.

I hope this helps, and please do let us know if you have any other questions.

Warmest Regards

Peter Lee
Co-Founder, CEO
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Name: Mary H.
Skin Type: Combination
Skin Condition: Sensitive
Skin Stage: 65+

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Mary,

Great to hear from you and thank you for your kind words, we greatly appreciate it :)

Very nice, our Vitamin C Concentrate with your combination skin should be especially effective.  And it's interesting to see that your sensitive skin can handle 23.5% vitamin C concentrate twice a day!  So before I get into what my recommendation would be, I’d just like to say that there are no "wrong" routines. If what you’re doing is working for you, then there’s nothing wrong with it.

So here's what I would personally recommend for day/night routines.

Night Time Routine:

Step 1: cleanser
Step 2: toner
Step 3: Vitamin C concentrate
Step 4: Eye Cream
Step 5: Deep Radiance Essence + Serum (optional)
Step 6: Firm & Lift Regeneration Cream
Step 7: Elixir (optional)

Night time is meant for healing/repair so it's almost always heavier in feel & texture than the daytime routine.  Because Vitamin C is in serum form, you may choose to take out the Deep Radiance Essence Serum here but they do different things so I still personally apply my Essence + Serum at step 5.

The Elixir at step 7 is recommended for when you really want hyper-moisturization. I usually mix the elixir with my firm and lift on the palm of my hand and apply as an emulsion.  I don't do this every day, maybe 2 to 3 times a week in the summer, more frequent in the winter when the heat is pumping and it's very dry in our house.

Day Time Routine:

Step 1: cleanser
Step 2: toner
Step 3: Eye Cream
Step 4: Deep Radiance Essence + Serum (optional)
Step 5: Firm & Lift Regeneration Cream
Step 6: Elixir (optional)
Step 7: SPF50 sunscreen (optional)

The Day time routine needs to fit your activity level and your lifestyle. Customers who are active can get away with cleanser, toner, cream and sunscreen, or sometimes, just sunscreen.

Some interesting observations: I estimate over 90% of Korean women wear sunscreen everyday.  It’s the one thing that they all agree on.  Over the years, that consistent level of protection against UV rays makes a big difference in your skin tone, elasticity and overall skin health.  The only significant change that I’d recommend to your current skincare routine is to apply vitamin C at night time only. Vitamin C kick helps purge dead skin cells and acts as a catalyst in skin cell renewal which means it has an exfoliating effect. Twice a day could be a bit too much and over time you may end up with a bit of irritation.

Lastly, elixir should always go as the last step (but before SPF). The rule of thumb is lighter products go first, heavier products follow.

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions Mary!

Cheers and all the best!

Peter Lee
Co-Founder, CEO
Saranghae Means I Love You | Orora Skin Science

Customer: Christa K.
Skin type: Dry
Skin Concerns: hyper-pigmentation & skin tone
Skin stage: 45 to 54 (mid-mature)

Saranghae Recommendation:

Hi Christa,

Hyper-pigmentation is caused by uneven melanin (the pigment in your skin that is produced by melanocyte) production in the skin and it gets worse as we age because of a wide variety of factors. Although hyper-pigmentation is mostly genetic these factors can play a major part in how severe, how frequent and how early hyper-pigmentation can appear.

It is unrealistic to completely "erase" hyper-pigmentationat your skin stage but luckily there are ways you can slowly decrease the dark spots and get a more even skin tone over time.

The factors we want to address are:

1) Dead skin is not properly exfoliated which creates a “log jam” for lack of a better word.. This triggers uneven melanin production for especially for those with darker skin tone.

2) Skin that is constantly inflamed, like dry skin that never gets properly moisturized, triggers hyper-pigmentation

3) Last and most important, UV radiation induces immediate pigment darkening by chemical modification of melanin.I will recommend a night and day foundational routine that will address those concerns above.

Recommended Night Time Routine

step 1: Cleanse properly and thoroughly with Nourishing and Moisturizing Oil to Foam (double cleanser)

Every effective skincare routine, especially one that addresses pigmentation and skin tone, starts with proper cleansing and exfoliation. The foundation of a good skincare routine starts with clearing out environmental toxins, dust, grime, sebum and dead skin cells. This consistent and balanced turnover renews the surface of our skin by constantly recycling the old and bringing in the new.

Apply the cleanser first, take a soft thistle facial brush and gently exfoliate your skin about once week.

Physical exfoliation is far more gentle on your skin than chemical peels and we don't want to exfoliate too much, it'll inflame your skin and have the opposite effect. You may still need to try chemical peels later, but let's start with the most gentle solution.

step 2: rebalance your skin's pH with Perfect Balance Toner (hydrating toner, not a stripping toner)

Once you strip away the oils from your skin, you need to rebalance your skin’s pH, reduce inflammation, and control pores. When you cleanse you strip away ALL of your oils your body thinks that your skin is now completely stripped of essential oils and will overproduce sebum. Controlling this step is crucial for calming your skin. It’s also a primer that greatly enhances the efficacy of the products that come after.

One ingredient that targets hyper-pigmentation is licorice root extract. It's known to help brighten the skin by limiting melanin production

step 3: concentrate corrective - vitamin C with tranexamic acid OR glutathione. (we're currently out of stock, re-launching in a few months)

Unfortunately, we're currently out of stock on the corrective but you're looking for vitamin C greater than 20% with either tranexamic acid or glutathione. They're both actives that helps mute melanin production.

One draw back though is that you may sunburn easier and make your skin a tad more sensitive to the sun so be careful.

steps 4 and 5 - Bioactive Collagen Serum + Cream (the system) (calm inflammation and nourish the skin)

Orora Bioactive Collagen System is a serum + cream combination that is made specifically for sensitive, pigment prone skin that needs healing from the ground up. It offers highly effective anti-aging results backed by biotechnology and clinically certified results. It is powered by a new and revolutionary ingredient called HumaColl21 (sH-polypeptide-121), the first of its kind 100% vegan collagen peptide that is structurally and functionally identical to human collagen type 21. With high concentrations of glycine and proline, two amino acids responsible for signaling our cells to produce more skin collagen, HumaColl21 is a polypeptide designed to penetrate the outer layers of our skin for direct absorption by skin cells.

In short, Orora Bioactive Collagen System increases skin firmness, elasticity, and collagen levels in as little as 2 weeks while decreasing wrinkle size and reducing inflammation and redness. So effective, it won the “Best Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin 2022” by Chatelaine/FASHION magazine out of 150 brands tested. The ingredient Niacinamide helps control pores and also brighten the skin. Bifida Ferment Filtrate is a probiotic that helps sensitized skin become less sensitive to environmental aggressors by strengthening its microbiome. Ingredient Madecassoside is a bioactive compound in the plant extract Centella Asiatica. This Asian botanical extract is sometimes referred to as tiger grass or gotu kola. A powerful antioxidant with noted skin soothing and healing properties.

Recommended Daytime Routine

step 1: cleanser
step 2: toner
step 3: bioactive collagen serum
step 4: bioactive collagen cream
step 5: Let's Get Physical Sheer UV Defense SPF50 Sunscreen-single

You're probably well aware that wearing sunscreen even on cloudy days is the single most effective thing you can do to drastically slow the onset of hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles and fine lines. Our SPF50 sunscreen is the most sheer, purely mineral-based sunscreen you’ll find in the market. It has full UVA/UVB protection, is completely reef & marine life safe and so effective/safe that we recommend it for toddlers.

A few points to consider:

1) Your nighttime routine is the most comprehensive and I would say important because your skin’s waste removal, repair and regeneration happens mostly at night when you sleep.

2) Your day routine should fit your lifestyle but always consider applying your sunscreen during daytime. As you probably already know, protection from UV light is probably the single most effective thing you can do to prevent future wrinkles and sagging skin. If you must skip your daytime routine, that’s ok, it happens from time to time. But my advice is to always be vigilant with your nighttime routine.

3) Consistency is more important than any miracle product or formula. Your largest skincare gains will come from simply practicing this foundational skincare routine consistently over days/weeks/months/years.

4) You're probably well aware that healthy skin is directly tied to our overall wellness - of the body, mind and soul (after all, it is our single largest living organ). What skincare products we use are only a small part of achieving and maintaining great skin. Here are 5 pillars for mental, physical and emotional well being that I personally try to practice along with my foundational skincare routine for more youthful and vibrant skin, along with health and wellness.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions or comments at all, please email us at customercare@lovesaranghae.com or our WHATSAPP - https://lovesaranghae.com/pages/contact-us-1

Cheers and all the best Christa.

Maya Henderson
Senior Skincare Consultant
Saranghae | Orora

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