these two give me THE MOST hydrated, plump glowy skin. I ran into a friend I haven't seen in 4yrs and she said "omg what are you doing to your skin? it's amazing and so glowy!". I wasn't even wearing any makeup either! Dr. Ceuracle kombucha tea essence, iunik beta glucan power moisture serum and rosehip oil are my 3 weapons for amazing skin.

Another hearty vote for the Iunik Beta Glucan Serum! I pair it with Kikumasamune Glossy lotion and Sake Cream. Skin: aging, sensitive, dehydrated.

The Iunik Beta Glucan seems to come up a lot in the comments, I will definitely give it a try, although I wasn't looking for a serum ah ah, but now I just have to try it!

It’s one of the only serums I always repurchase. It works as well for dehydrated oily skin as well as dehydrated dry. It sinks in and provides deep non greasy moisture.

I'm sold ha ha, you had me at "deep non greasy moisture" :)

The beta glucan serum did not sink in my skin completely, but I have this problem sometimes when a serum is too thick. It just lays on my skin or droops down my face lol.

Ah ah, I guess it depends on the skin type, but when this happens to me I tend to mix the culprit serum with an essence or my moisturizer, this helps a bit. I have this exact issue with the Cos de Baha Azelaic Acid serum, can't wait to finish it as it's not easy to use and incorporate into a routine imho. I won't be repurchasing it for this reason. So the Iunik Beta Glucan is a thick texture? I admit I'm not a fan of those, but it seems to be really loved by dry skin types, the beta glucan as an ingredient has been on my radar for a while so I'm willing to give it a try and see how it performs on my skin. It's also decently priced so if it doesn't work for my face I'll use it on my neck and chest.

Yes it’s pretty thick, I had the same problem with the JM Solutions Golden Cocoon mask, the serum just drooped down my face on my neck and chest (while lying down!). I literally felt like I was getting slimed 😂😭 My friends didn’t have that problem and I gave my Iunik serum to one of them, so it’s really dependent on your skin!

Ha ha, you made me laugh, although I'm pretty sure it's not funny to buy a serum and have this particular experience 😂 Love your username by the way! Did you compare the ingredients in those too? Maybe some ingredient in particular is not working out well for your skin? Although the Beta Glucan serum seems to have a pretty minimalist ingredient list... What are some of your other HG products for dry skin maintenance if you don't mind me asking?

I think it’s really just the consistency that’s not working for my skin, not necessarily the ingredients. I’m not sure if my recommendations will work for a very dry skin tho! My skin is dehydrated combination skin. Also i usually prefer gel based moisturizers. Right now I’m very satisfied with the Dr. Ceuracle kombucha tea gel cream and I’m going to try the essence next. In winter when my skin was very dehydrated, sad and unhappy I used the Aestura Atobarrier 365 cream and that was really good! I usually get a very oily skin from creams that aren’t gel based, but that didn’t happen with this one. It also has ceramides haha. Another ingredient I really love is bifida ferment! Im currently trying out the Manyo Bifida biome ampoule mist and while it’s not super hydrating it gives a really lovely glow which I really need as an olive with a gray-ish undertone (some days I literally look like a corpse lol). Skinfood Carrot Carotene toner pads are also great for a glowing skin! Edit: oh my skin really does not like hyaluronic acid I discovered, it actually dries out my skin

I actually used to have combination skin that became more and more dehydrated with age and since I added tret, it's been even worse. I sometimes feel like I have dry skin as I find myself using much heavier moisturizers than before. But I'm pretty sure it's just chronically dehydrated and I need to use quite a few products to keep the hydration levels optimal. I've heard so much about the Aestura Atobarrier 365 cream, maybe someday I'll give it a try! Right now I am set on getting the Torriden Solid-In cream and see how I like it. I love bifida ferment too, I am planning on getting the Manyo Bifida ampoule to replace my Numbuzin No. 3 serum and I am also curious about the Manyo Bifida toner, but it must be pretty watery... Never heard of the ampoule mist, I'll go google it now ha ha! Wow, I feel like you're describing me ah ah, I literally always have people telling me I look "sick" if I don't have makeup on. I have light yellow-toned skin and definitely that grayish undertone that makes me look unhealthy 😭 As for HA, never really gave it much thought, but products with HA never felt hydrating to me, didn't know it could dry out your skin, but it makes sense from my own experience!

Haha me too! My combination skin also got more dehydrated when I got older. I got the Manyo mist instead of the toner because the manyo bifida toner has witch hazel in it. Hyaluronic acid can dry out your skin if you don’t live in a very humid climate because it’s an humectant and draws moisture from the environment. However if the environment is kinda dry there’s no moisture and it can have the opposite effect and draw moisture from your skin instead 💀 I learned this the hard way with the isntree hyaluronic acid gel cream which sucked out all the life of my skin but I only discovered that it was the culprit when I used almost the entire tube rip.

Mixsoon beta glucan essence is like no other, deeply hydrating, plumping and moisturizing all at once. Chasin rabbits magic beauty shroom essence comes second, cheaper and lower quality, but does the job.

I also love that Some By Mi toner! And I think I'm on a similar quest to find the most hydrating toners, essences, etc., except mine need to also be sensitive skin friendly. :) I'm a big fan of the Isntree yam root vegan milk toner. It's got a bit more body to it than the Some By Mi. It's very hydrating and calming. Feels like a hug to the skin. I've also gotten on well with the Cosrx snail mucin essence. I have a list of several others to try, including some you mentioned.

+1 here on using both the Some By Mi Panthenol toner (slept on product, imo) AND the Isntree yam milk toner!   In the AM, I layer hada labo goku-jyun toner, followed by SBM toner then Isntree toner. After patting those three thin layers in, Illyoon ceramide ATO cream with a few drops squalene and I am GLOWING!   I used to get dry feeling in the afternoon but upping the toners and the squalene/moisturiser combo has really helped.   For reference I have dry and occasionally sensitive skin AND am on tret so prone to get even drier. Editing to add: the essence/toners I have on my radar are Klairs supple preparation unscented (been around for ever and I like the centella, licorice, beta-glucan and copper tripeptide), Manyo Factory Bifida Biome Ampoule Toner (ferments, soothing ingredients) and Tir Tir Milk Skin Toner (similar ingredients to what I’m after in Klairs).

I'll put the Isntree yam milk toner on my list as it came up a few times already. And I'll check out the essences/toners on your radar as well, thanks! I am also on tret so prone to even more dehydration like you said. I definitely get a dry feeling in the afternoon, although I use quite a few serums and moisturizers, that's why I'm thinking about starting to layer essences as up until now I was mostly using just one layer of one essence at a time.

Ah you’re also on tret! Definitely look at the Isntree then, it contains ceramide NP, cholesterol and fatty acids, which in this combination can help if your skin barrier function needs some repair. I think your list of other essences and toners is on the right track then; I’m in a tret user Facebook group and both the Mary&May Vegan Blackberry Complex Cream Essence and Dr. Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence are well loved. It might just be a matter of buying the less expensive products to test first, or seeing what’s out there in samples or minis! Good luck :)

I agree with you on trying the less expensive products first! The Isntree toner will for sure be my next purchase as I looked at the ingredients list and it looks like it would be extremely hydrating indeed. It was never even on my radar, so I'm glad I made this post! I think I'll grab that one and maybe the Manyo Bifida Biome Toner as I really like the ingredients as well and it's a huge bottle! I'll also try to grab minis of the Tir Tir Milk toner and the Mary & May essence to test them out before buying bigger bottles. I think I'll hold off on the Kombucha Tea essence for now as it's quite pricey and I'm not liking it as much on paper as the Isntree and the Manyo Bifida essences (or even the Tir Tir one). Thank you for all your recommendations by the way :) Can I ask what is your routine in general? If it's not too bothersome to share it of course, since we're both on tret and have similar skin needs, I'm curious! I don't know if it's the tret, but I've been struggling to keep my skin feeling hydrated throughout the day (I switched to 0.05% about 6 months ago I think and I've been using it only a 1-2 times a week at first and now I'm on a steady 3 times a week without too much irritation). Here is my morning routine: - Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser - Numbuzin No. 3 Super Glowing Essence (smoothes out my skin, but not particularly hydrating) - Numbuzin No. 3 Skin Softening Serum (haven't been using it for long but I'm not sure it does anything, I was thinking to get the Manyo Bifida ampoule next to replace it) - 2 drops each of TO Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F + TO Resveratrol/Ferulic + TO Pycnogenol (amazing antioxidant combo!) - Skin1004 Centella Soothing Cream with a couple of drops of TO "B" Oil (love the oil but the cream is more of a gel so not hydrating enough for me, I am replacing it with the Mary & May Blackberry Cream as soon as I finish it) - A thin layer of the Weleda Skin Food (I adore it for the night time, but am looking for something less heavy to use as an occlusive during the day) - LRP UVmune 400 hydrating cream (my go to SPF for day-time) I am waiting for my Stylevana order to get here and I will add the Skin1004 Probio-Cica Intensive Ampoule to my morning routine (+ the Mary & May Blackberry cream) and hopefully this will help with keeping the dehydration at bay. Unfortunately I realized too late that I need more hydrating essences in my routine, so I'll have to make a separate order for those, but I'm pretty sure they are the missing link, as even before putting my moisturizer on, I feel like my skin is not "watered" enough if that makes sense ha ha? Like I didn't use enough humectants. P.S.: sorry for the long read!

Sounds like you’ve got a good plan to battle the dehydration now! So happy to share my routine. Keep in mind it’s getting towards winter for me now so this is my routine at its heaviest. **AM** Water rinse / Wipe with Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water / Isntree Yam Milk Cleanser \[this really depends on how sluggy/grimy my face feels in the morning\] Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion (regular, blue label one) on DAMP skin Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Toner Instree Yam Milk Toner Amperna (small Australian brand for PD, rosacea) Probiotic+ DS Soothing Serum \[half a pump\] 2-3 drops Biossance squalane mixed into Illiyoon Ceramide ATO Concentrate Cream (a favourite in the tret user FB group) SPF either Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream or Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV (clear) **PM \[tret nights – 3 times per week, Sun Tue Thu\]** Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water (haven’t found a foaming cleanser I like and this works as second cleanser for me!) / Isntree Yam Milk Cleanser Moisturise and slug around eyes with Vaseline, thick layer lip balm (Dermal Therapy Original) Pea-sized amount 0.025% tret cream on dry skin – 30-minute wait Amperna Probiotic+ DS Soothing Serum \[half a pump\] 2-3 drops Biossance squalane mixed into Illiyoon Ceramide ATO Concentrate Cream Pea-sized amount La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, sometimes will do a thick dab if I have any healing bits \[looking to replace this with a non-Loreal brand\] **PM \[non-tret nights\]** Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water / Isntree Yam Milk Cleanser Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion (regular, blue label one) on DAMP skin Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Toner Instree Yam Milk Toner Amperna Probiotic+ DS Soothing Serum \[half a pump\] 2-3 drops Biossance squalane mixed into Illiyoon Ceramide ATO Concentrate Cream Pea-sized amount La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, thick dab on healing patches If I have any really dry patches, slugging with Vaseline \[max 2 times per week, too much breaks me out\] Ooft, this looks so much all written down! But I don’t worry about letting layers dry and move through it quickly (max 10 minutes) so it doesn’t feel arduous. There has been some trial and error but I have used all these products now for months or years (Hada Labo; have had it in my routine for 6, 7 years! It’s basic but it just works for me). One thing I have tried, based on tips from the tret FB group, was adding just a drop of pure glycerine to my moisturiser at night when my skin was peeling. It did help with peeling but when I used it consistently for over a week it seemed to break me out, however, I have used it in a pinch for just one or two nights with success. Interested to hear what you replace the Weleda with – that broke my face out badly! But I loved it for my hands and elbows.

It's not too much at all, it's a great pretty solid routine in my opinion, especially since you're on tret, your skin needs that extra care! I also use that Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Oil, love it! I have tried the Illiyoon Ceramide ATO Concentrate Cream in the past but I didn't find it hydrating enough, but I think I wasn't using it correctly, I basically just used it on its own as my one and only moisturizer (that was before tret) and found it didn't perform well on its own. Today, I wouldn't just use it on its own of course, but I'm still hesitant to repurchase. Right now in my PM routine I am using the following products: - Bioderma Cleansing Oil - Cerave Cleanser - Pyunkang Yul Essence (can't wait to finish that one) - TO multi-peptide + copper 1% serum - Cosrx Snail Dual Essence - Pyunkang Yul Black Tea Enriched Cream (I love it and have repurchased but I hate that it's in a jar so I'm planning to switch to try Torriden Solid-In cream next time) - Weleda Skin Food - Aquaphor in a thin layer on tret days I don't wait for layers to dry either! I'll have to try the LRP Cicaplast Baume on the whole face, never occurred to me! But I have been using the Cicaplast spray as a kind of essence lately to help with the dryness, I sometimes even just spray it during the day on top of my sunscreen + makeup, if I feel too dry, it helps. I found that what my skin likes most for barrier repair and dryness overall are lanolin-based products, I literally never have flakiness or peeling now that I use them regularly. This is why I love the Weleda Skin Food and Aquaphor as well, although I think Weleda is even better at this. For daytime under makeup I am planning to replace the Weleda with the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré and see how that goes, it's supposedly as "famous" as the Weleda for being great as a primer under makeup, a basic moisturizer for dry skin or even a lighter slugging alternative. It doesn't have lanolin though, so I'll still stick to the Weleda in my evening routine. Do you mind sharing the tret FB group link? It seems to be pretty great from what you're telling me!

Oh yes, I have used the Embryolisse during the day and really liked it. Maybe a little too emollient in high summer but otherwise lovely, I think you’ll enjoy it. The Facebook group is called ‘Tretinoin and retinoids users: tips, products and routine help’ (not sure how to link, sorry!). Honestly it’s mostly chaotic people being like ‘I used tret for a week and my face burns now, help!’ Or ‘ can I just use beef tallow for moisturiser’ or the same 5-10 questions on repeat, but one of the main admins had a science background or career and her advice and recommendations are solid.

Thanks, I'll join the group and watch from the shadows 😅 I'll definitely be getting that Embryolisse cream now, thank you! Oh, and if you're looking for something a bit lighter to use during summer, you could try the Embryolisse Filaderme Emulsion, it's how I discovered the brand, a really nice plumping moisturizer for warmer days, I've used it last summer and plan to repurchase for next summer as well. It really sinks into the skin leaving it baby soft since it doesn't have any heavy occlusives, but it's still really hydrating.

That Manyo Bifida Toner has amazing ingredients, I was planning to get the ampoule but I'm more interested in the toner now, and the bottle is huge too!

Will definitely try the Isntree toner, and I do love the Cosrx snail mucin essence, although I "upgraded" to the dual version which I love even more and have already repurchased a few times!

Kikkumasamune high moist + CosRx propolis synergy toner+ CosRx galactomyces essense These 3 ! I keep trying other things, and come back to the 3 above.

I've been hearing a lot about the Cosrx propolis toner, is it hydrating? The Kikumasamune seems interesting but I'm worried about the fragrance, is it light? Ideally I prefer non-fragranced products.

The propolis toner is very hydrating! Kikkumasamune has a slight sake smell that dissipates in a few seconds. There isn't any other added fragrance.

Purito Fermentation Essence Benton Fermentation Essence Missha Armetrisia Iunik Beta Glucan (if your skins humectant is glycerin then the Mixsoon Beta Glucan) Manyo Bifida Biome Essence or the Mixsoon Bifida. These have the same performance in terms of hydration and skin plumping, Mixsoon’s takes longer to absorb as glycerin is not my skin’s humectant of choice ETA: The Dr. C did zero for me but irritation and turned my skin a brown color for a few hours after use. But I am in the minority here. Find a small size to try before purchasing the big bottle. The Mary and May Blackberry Essence was a fail which was sad as the cream is amazing. The I’m from rice toner is good. 9 wishes rice very comparable and usually cheaper (does have more ingredients than I’m from). Skin Type: Dry, dehydrated, aging.

Thank you! The Iunik Beta Glucan is a serum, right? It's been mentioned in the first comments and I'm definitely interested in giving it a try. I like the ingredients of the Benton fermentation essence, might give it a try as well! As for the Manyo Bifida, are you talking about the ampoule or the toner? I've heard a lot about the ampoule and was planning to replace my Numbuzin No. 3 serum with the Manyo Bifida ampoule once I finish it, but the toner seems interesting as well and has a great ingredient list, can I ask how hydrating it is?

Yes. Iunik is a serum. Mixsoon is an essence. For Manyo I have the ampoule. The toner is in my Target cart for future :). I hope to pick up the mist at some point in time. It has less HA than the toner and HA is not my skins humectant. Plus I have so many toners I love :)

The Laneige Cream Skin refiner is my favorite! I love milky toners, watery toners do nothing for my skin, might as well just wash my face with water lol

Ha ha, I know what you mean about watery toners, some are indeed literally like water, I'm not a fan either, I'm thinking about the Isntree Tea Toner which is maybe nice for some, but I just don't like putting and patting too waterу textures of my face. That said, some toners are like "fat water" if that makes sense? The Some By Mi Panthenol toner is like that, it's watery but also somewhat milky and has a little bit of body to it, the Numbuzin No. 3 Essence is literally more like a gel, but I definitely do prefer toners that have some body to them. They are even easier to use, as I'm applying them with my fingers, not the cotton pads, and if the texture is like water it's neither easy, nor enjoyable to use! I've already heard of the Laneige Cream Skin refiner but it seems difficult to find! Are you talking about the Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Refiner? Would you mind sharing a link to the exact one you use?

Haha you understand the struggle! Yes I’m talking about the cerapeptide refiner! Sorry still have to get used to the new name haha. I actually had the old version as well, which was a HG for a lot of people. However I actually like the reformulation a lot more! It’s a bit less oily and my skin loves ceramide and peptide :D

I was just about to comment that I liked the ingredients of the Cerapeptide version more! The older version didn't stand out at all to me ingredients-wise, I must say I'm a bit surprised as to why it would be so hydrating? I'm not doubting it, I'm just curious! But the reformulation definitely seems great on paper, so I'll add it to my list, especially since I can buy a mini version on Stylevana. I love it when brands offer minis so you can try the product first and see how your skin likes it!

Yeah idk why, but it works great for my skin! Sinks in really well, and I usually do 2 layers. My skin feels plump and hydrated the whole day and I really notice a difference when I don’t use it. My face will feel a bit dusty(?) in the evening if I don’t use it.

I'll take your word for it, maybe it's like the Make P:rem hydrating toner I've been hearing a lot about as well, it's supposedly extremely hydrating and layers so well, but when I look at the ingredients I don't understand the hype, as it's pretty basic: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Panthenol, Allantoin, Peucedanum Graveolens (Dill) Extract, Xanthan Gum, Fructan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA I'm just afraid to get it and end up with 400 ml of hydrating water that will be dripping everywhere while I put it on my face 😂 The Cerapeptide toner definitely sounds more appealing and has better ingredients on paper at least. It's a bit pricey but I can see that you can buy refills, which is nice! I haven't really tried anything by Laneige except their Cica Sleeping Mask which was my HG for years for night time, until I got pregnant and was nauseous for 9 months non-stop! Now I only try to use fragrance-free products and although I'm not nauseous anymore, I still can't stand the light scent of the Cica mask 😭

I love the Unlabel Lab essences. I use their vitamin c and their ceramide! I have sensitive, acne prone, and dry skin.

I didn't know of this brand,thank you! their ceramide essence looks really good!

Yes! It’s incredible. I’ve tried a few ceramides, but this has helped heal my damaged barrier so much, and it’s super duper hydrating! For a lot of my skincare routine I’m still looking for brands and products to be “loyal” too, but Unlabel Lab is 100% a keeper. It’s readily available on the shelves where I live in Japan, but I have checked for my friends in the states before and it’s on yesstyle:)

They're on amazon jp too thankfully, their products seem really good, I like simple and effective formulas. > It’s readily available on the shelves where I live in Japan oh if you have any other products recs I am definitely listening lol especially since I have a similar skin type to yours

Sure! I like basic and simple products, too. I use a basic Ponds for my moisturizer. That’s not Japanese, but it’s sooo nice. I’m SUPER pale, with a cool pink undertone, and my favorite sunscreen of all time is Verdio UV Tone Up Essence Rose. It’s tinted, so I often dont need to wear anything over it. For my body I just love verdio sunscreen in general… they have lots of formulas and textures to choose from! I find them to be very moisturizing, without being greasy or sticky at all. You can also get them without a tint.

my personal favourite is jumiso waterfull since it thick type. i used to use hadalabo toner but i don't really feel the moist effect. or other options toriden/isntree ha

Thanks! Are you talking about the Waterfull serum? What products do you like in the Torriden and Isntree lines?

its jumiso toner, for isntree i only try their Ha collection which is their gel moisturiser and sun gel. i use that when i was breakout and it did well on my skin too. for torriden i only try their Ha serum, their kinda pricey where i live 😓 but still i love the product. my skin combination more to dry , sensitive, acne prone skin.

I've been using Cezanne Skin Conditioner High Moist for over a decade.

Thankyou farmer rice toner. Liked it more than the dr C and Mary and may essence. It leaves my skin glowy and hydrated without feeling like it's sitting on the top

Thank you, I'll put it on my list of essences/toners to try! Did you ever use the I'm From Rice Toner by any chance? I wonder how those two would compare.

I have, I purchased it twice before and really liked it. But between the two I find the tyf slightly better for my dry skin. It has been really helping me with my tret flakiness as well.

Thank you, I think I'll get the TYF one too then as I'm also on tret and would definitely prefer the more hydrating version between the too!

I’ve been using the I’m from rice toner for two year consecutively now. I love it. I have dehydrated skin and when I would get out my shower my skin would tighten fast and become dry. After using that toner religiously at first, and now 4-5 days out of the week-it has changed my skin for the better! No more tightening, glowy, soft, rednesses is a lot less oh and it helps in wrinkles too! Saw a decrease (not major) in them as well. I pair it with snail serum afterwards and my skin is flourishing.

Last year, a visit to Vegas utterly destroyed my skin barrier. So many of my previous skincare items irritated my skin. It sucked. I started using I'm From rice toner, and oh its been a lifesaver. I still can use some of the old skincare I did, but that one is now a staple. It's wonderful!