Q&A with The Skin Care Curator

Figuring that the small boutique brand was not locally available, I initially ordered my COSRX products via Amazon and had them brought home by family from the US. But I took a stab at Googling “COSRX Philippines” anyway, just on the off chance that some savvy Facebook/Instragram seller carried the brand. Through that search, I found this thread on the Asian Beauty sub-reddit and, eventually The Skin Care Curator.

I was beyond giddy to find out that COSRX was available locally. I was even happier to see that it was available from a clean, professional-looking, easy-to-use website. All my transactions (and yes, I’ve had many) have been easy, items were shipped immediately, and packages received promptly.

They’re also incredibly accommodating when it comes to answering questions from customers, even the more, annoying persistent ones like me. Whether it be on their Instagram or on Facebook message, they’ll gladly respond to your questions about product availability, order status, etc. They are so accommodating, in fact, that Dee and Mark, the couple behind the website, agreed to answer a few of my questions.

What made you start The Skin Care Curator? You initially only offered one brand, CosRx. What made you decide to launch with this specific brand?

Dee: I’ve always struggled with very oily skin with bouts of painful cystic hormonal acne since puberty and now in my late twenties it’s become increasingly frustrating to deal with my “acne beard” (it’s mostly concentrated on my chin and mouth). I was looking for a way to have better skin and wear less make-up, because it’s really hot in the Philippines and everything just melts right off and I end up feeling gross and uncomfortable with my own face.

I started reading a lot of books and researching on the internet and saw that finding a BHA would be really beneficial for my skin, but I couldn’t find a good one locally. There were a lot of products with BHA but they were either filled with denatured alcohol or badly formulated and too harsh for my skin.  I stumbled on CosRx, ordered some from Korea, and I was hooked.

I like trying out different products for fun, and to minimize on the shipping and customs costs I always tried to look for a sale and buy more than one and just sell the extras online or to friends. Mark, coming from a very business-oriented family, wanted to take it a step further and started getting in contact with the brands, registering a business name, making the website and it just kinda happened while I was on the sidelines putting things on my face. If there was anyone who needed convincing it was me, because suddenly my fun hobby was turned into this potential stress. My night time routine was suddenly haunted with the thought of paperwork. But he was having too much fun and I couldn’t stop him so now I guess it’s like a weird couple hobby. We both come from creative industries, he’s an animation/commercial director and I come from the world of art, this venture of ours is really out of our comfort zone but it has been a great way to learn about how to run a small business and also an excuse to keep coming back to Korea.

Mr. CosRx

Mark: To me it’s as a great way to think about other things besides videos which can be really hectic and stressful. A lot of my friends really don’t understand it. First being a guy and all, second it being so far from my field of expertise. But I really enjoy it, I like building things on my computer. Most of the time they’re cute animations, now it’s a website, it’s the same thing to me.

Why do you think Korean skincare has been so popular in the Philippines?

Dee: I think Korean skincare is popular in the Philippines because the cosmetics industry in Korea is very competitive and they come out with a lot of good products. You can only sell so much with cute packaging and things that smell nice, but in the end buyers will return because the product was effective, therefore they have to continue to innovate or go out of business.

You’ve already expanded your offerings to include Benton and Lee Ji Ham products. How do you decide what brands to make available on the site?

Dee: I like to put a lot of things on my face and if it works and I see a gap in the market here in the Philippines, we’ll try to contact the brand and see what we can work out. A lot of our customers also give us a little nudge or a suggestion now and then and we take note of that. I also like prioritizing things that help ease acne, because I know how frustrating it can be. There are so many products available for whitening and moisturizing but effective yet gentle anti-acne products are hard to come by.

Mark: Originally, I just wanted to sell CosRx, try to be exclusive and try to distribute it in stores and online. But after talking to them, CosRx suggested and we decided that we should test the market first by selling online. And as soon as we launched the website, people were really excited and bought stuff, which was great. Then came nonstop suggestions on what kind of brands they want to see on the site, this made me realize that they weren’t only excited to see CosRx sold locally. But they’re also really excited on the potential of the website, they’re hoping for Skin Care Curator to be a site where they can find all their hard to find brands. I wasn’t too hot on it at first. But this was an opportunity, and from what I’ve learned, you can’t really choose your clients, just cater to the business that comes your way. So here we are.

What’s been the best-selling product so far, and why do you think it’s been so popular?

Dee: Our bestseller by far is the CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch, followed by the BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and the Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol. I think they’re popular because finding well-priced and well-formulated products for people struggling with acne that works is very hard.

The Skin Care Curator’s bestselling products

If you would recommend just one product to your customers, what product would that be and why?

Dee: Oh, that’s haaaard. But I’m an AHA evangelist and preach the wonders of exfoliation. The AHA can help with a lot of skin concerns, from closed comedones to premature wrinkles, so if it was only one it would be that.

Are you planning to expand your brand offerings further? Can we get a hint as to which brands you will be launching next?

Dee: Right now we’re just trying to stay afloat amidst the cost of shipping the products here and maintaining a competitive price. Haha! But seriously, I would like to see if we can bring OST to the market, we’re bringing in a few next week and see how it goes. It’s such a volatile product so we need to continue to bring it in fresh and it probably won’t fit in our fridge. J Also we’ll have more Taiwanese masks soon and the oil control line of Leejiham is coming in soon as well.

Mark: Yeah, OST is great. It was actually second on our list, I don’t know what happened, why we still don’t carry it (ed’s note: They now do, but it’s currently sold out). Right now though, we want to focus on our relationships with our current brands and letting more people know how great they are. We also need to focus on serving our current customers,  that means making sure everything is on-stock all the time. We also want to make these products more accessible. Like the Acne pimple patch, I would love to see those over the counter and in stores. But we’re learning that it takes a lot of time to get to that point. We’re still pretty new to this and there are a lot of things we need to learn but we’ll get there.

My Updated (again!) skin care and make-up routine

I know, I know, I just wrote about my updated skin care and makeup routine recently. How could I possibly have a new one three months after that post?

Well, for one thing, that routine wasn’t really “new.” It just took me a while to get to write about it. For another, I’ve since fallen into a K-beauty hole that’s resulted in new skin care steps and products being introduced into my routine.  While I was already quite happy with the improvement with my skin then, I’ve seen even more improvement now, that I thought it was worth another post.

New: Chemical Exfoliants

The idea of applying acid on my face conjures images of telenovela villainesses splashing acid on their enemies’ faces to disfigure them forever. But the more I read about exfoliation as part of my skincare overhaul research, I realized I had to give chemical exfoliants a try, flashbacks to Samantha’s chemical peel on Sex and the City notwithstanding. There were too many benefits to using AHAs and BHAs for me to ignore.

When it came to which specific AHA and BHA products to use, it was a no-brainer. Yes, part of it was because the other popular brands (Paula’s Choice, Stridex) were inaccessible and/or too pricey. But I chose COSRX’s AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and, eventually, BHA Blackhead Power Liquid mostly because of their cult status in the world of K-Beauty. Yes, even the notorious, dumpster-adjacent scent of the AHA liquid has not put off its loyal fans.

All my researched advised that actives should be introduced one by one, and even then, gradually. I started with the AHA, using it once a week for the first two weeks, then slowly built up to twice, and then thrice a week. I then introduced the BHA via the same pattern. I now alternate the BHA and AHA daily.

My skin is now generally softer and smoother, and I’ve had fewer and less frequent blemishes appearing. I now also have fewer sebaceous filaments (commonly mistaken for blackheads) on my nose, and the pores around on and around my nose are less visible (i.e. less clogged). And that’s just with two months of using AHA and one of BHA. I’m so happy with the results that I actually look forward to this step in my skin routine, even with the notorious stench of the AHA.

Replaced: Physical Exfoliant

I’ve finished the last of my St. Ives Apricot Scrub and will never look back. I was stubborn about it, as I loved the way my skin felt after a good scrubbing with it, but articles like this one have finally convinced me that there are better ways to work off my dead skin cells. Enter Skin Food Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash-Off. Not only is it gentler than the giant granules in the St. Ives, it also leaves my skin feeling so much softer and moisturized. It also smells very, very, very good, like a jam you’d want to spread over a bagel with cream cheese. Kerry of Skin and Tonics gives a comprehensive review of the product, if you need more convincing.

The new guard

Replaced: Sunscreen

I still love the Clinique Even Better City Block Anti-Pollution SPF40 PA+++ and still reach out for it when I’m too lazy to apply foundation on top of my sunscreen. But given that I live in the tropics, SPF40 just won’t cut it for me. I discovered the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 PA++++ through milady Fiddy Snails, whose review of the product started with the announcement of her engagement to… the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 PA++++.

And, really, I can’t blame her. This creamy sunscreen lives up to its “Aqua Rich Water Essence” (Kao really wanted to get the “hydration” message across, no?) name. This is the most hydrated my skin has ever felt after applying sunscreen, probably thanks to the sodium hyaluronic (i.e. the salt version of hyaluronic acid) in it. It dries clear despite the slight white cast when initially applied. Another plus? It’s cheap! I can buy three 50ml bottles of the Biore with one small tube of the Clinique.

New: Foundation

As much as I loved my new Biore sunscreen and the extra protection it delivers, I also wanted the cosmetic benefits of the tint in the Clinique. I loved how it evened out my skin tone and made any blemishes or dark spots less prominent. The easy solution, of course, was foundation. After some research, I settled on NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab as my first ever (yeah, I know) bottle of foundation. I was happy with how it tested on my jawline at the counter and bought it, thinking I could try something else if I wasn’t happy with it in the long run. A few months in, though, I’m thinking I might never have to try any other foundation. For some reason (probably the 90s) I always associated foundation with cakey finishes; thick, gloopy liquids; and mismatched faces and necks. But then again they probably didn’t have NARS Sheer Glow in the 90s. The liquid is incredibly light, I don’t feel it at all on my face even when I’ve dispensed too much. It has a semi-matte finish and blends beautifully into my skin and with my skin tone.

The one annoying con I have for this product is that it comes with a screw-on cap by default. Not only do you have to buy the pump separately, the pump doesn’t come with a cover. The kind SA at the NARS boutique gave me a plastic cover (that they use for the counter samples) but it still had a small opening. So even with that cover, the foundation is still not entirely protected from the elements. Get it together, NARS.

My growing COSRX family

Additional: Moisturizers/Overnight Masks

I love my SK-II Essential Power Cream, but I knew I needed something more substantial for my trip to the London and Paris in the middle of fall. And so began the frantic buying and testing of Korean moisturizers for my trip. I bought three in quick succession and all three made the 18-hour trip to Europe with me. I then purchased another one after the trip because I apparently have a problem.

First was the Benton High Content Snail Bee Steam Cream. I needed something lighter to wear under my sunscreen AND foundation for day. Given that the Benton Steam Cream was Lady Fiddy’s “summer” moisturizer, I figured it might fit the bill. And it sure did. It was occlusive enough to keep my skin soft an moisturized even in the cold and windy Parisian weather, but light and fast-drying enough to comfortably wear under two more layers of product. It didn’t leave an oily or greasy finish or cause my sunscreen or foundation to dry longer. It’s also a fantastic night moisturizer if you don’t have to deal with a radiator sucking the life out of your face. It’s chock full of ingredients that do wonders for your skin. For one thing, it’s 64% snail secretion filtrate (SSF). And if that wasn’t good enough, sodium hyaluronic, niacinamide, EGF, and bee venom are pretty high up in the ingredient list as well. All that good stuff comes together in a cream that is not only very hydrating, but is also great at calming down any redness/irritation, and keeping breakouts at bay.

The rest of my other new moisturizers are all from one brand, COSRX. I wasn’t able to purchase the  COSRX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask in time for my trip, but in hindsight, it would not have made it with me anyway. Not because it’s not a good product, but because the light, golden gel was probably not the best option for my cold-weather needs. But despite its relative “lightweight” status, with 85% propolis extract (and, despite its name, no honey), this “honey” mask has a lot going for it. Its gel form and slight cooling effect makes it particularly suitable for humid, tropical climates and for people with oil-control issues.

The COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask did make the trip with me, literally. It was with me on my carry-on bag as part of my in-flight skincare arsenal. Because a sheet mask was too scary/creepy/weird, I had to rely on this cream to protect my face from the drying cabin air. And that it did. Even a thin layer of this velvety cream was enough to keep my skin hydrated over my 11-hour flight. It also leaves my skin supple and bouncy even after I’ve wiped (in-flight) or rinsed (on land) the cream off.

The last cream that made it with me to France and the UK was the COSRX Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream. It was the richest and thickest of all them, so I used it exclusively for nighttime. Unlike the honey mask, this product actually has honey in it, and as the first thing on the list, it’s the most concentrated ingredient in the cream. And as I’ve found with the Etude House I Need You, Honey! mask, my face loves the moisturizing qualities of the sweet stuff, and this is no exception. It was the perfect thing to nourish my skin with after a day of exposure to the stiff fall breeze outdoors and the drying, heated air of indoors. And while it is the heaviest of all the moisturizers in my collection, it’s still comfortable enough to wear at night back home. It’s my go-to when my face feels even a little tight and dry, like on days I end up sitting right under the air conditioning vents at work.

I’m still new to the world of Korean/Asian beauty products so my skincare regimen could still change as I discovered even more new, fantastic products. I already have products that I’ve either just started or will be using soon, and I’ll definitely keep you posted on the ones I really like!

I got my CosRx products from either Amazon or locally (hooray!) via The Skincare Curator.

The Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 PA++++ I also got via Amazon, but is apparently available in the new and improved beauty section of SM Department Stores. I’ve yet to see this specific product personally, but the rest of Biore’s sunscreen lines were there (Perfect Milk, etc.) with this product out of stock, according to the saleslady. 

The Benton Steam Cream was purchased via Amazon as well.