What Is A 'Neutral' Product?

I'm a firm believer in the psychological pleasures of beauty products. Sometimes, I want to treat myself to a luxurious product, to satisfy the lust we often feel as consumers for something new, something extravagant, something precious, something rare and hard-to-find. Often, however, I lose focus and the once-exciting treasure is not sought out for repurchase. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to high-turnover products like skincare—quickly used up, quickly repurchased—I prefer my most-loved essential products to be boring. Neutral.

If I had no other skincare, I would be fine. I do have more, of course. =)

If your aim is simply to take good care of your skin, then finding a core routine of reliable products is all that's required. If you enjoy experimentation, you still need neutral products to fall back on, as a point of comparison for your skin's preferences. My 'neutral' cleanser is not my Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser, and I know this, in spite of its heavenly fragrance of grapefruit and neroli, the creamy warm pink hue, the gentle purification from pink clay and willow bark, the bottle like summer sunshine filtered by a tree spreading its green branches above you; it's my Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Shower Oil, which you can buy in a colossal 1L size and offers little in the way of romance. It's a cleanser, in sum. A very good, simple formula, and an economical option for dry, sensitive skin. This isn't to claim that one is superior to the other—in fact both feature coco-glucoside as their main detergent—there's room in our skincare routines, surely, for both frivolous luxuries as well as boring, utilitarian products. However, for a routine to work, it does need to be built on a foundation of neutral products. The option to experiment is always there; it's harder to find the basics.

Some signs that a product is a neutral product:

• FORMULA   Typically (but not always) a simple, minimalist formula designed for most skin types including sensitive. Or, a product that you know well, and can be sure of how your skin reacts.
• PERFORMANCE   Reliable to the point it no longer requires much thought to use. It's always in the background, performing faithfully. Ingredients lists are a start, but they don't necessarily determine how they perform on the skin, so this differs somewhat from formula.
• LIFESTYLE   Integrates well into your routine and plays well with other products. Often this is where texture comes into play.
• ACCESSIBILITY   Skincare, unlike eyeshadow palettes, are high-turnover products and require frequent repurchases. Personally, I love the thrill of the hunt when it comes to experimenting, but strangely loathe the hassle when making repurchases. As such, I prefer to buy within the domestic market (currently South Korea). The beauty industry is rife with copycats, so you can often find products that are similar to each other; for example I don't necessarily consider Heimish All Clean Balm the best makeup-removing initial cleanse on the market, but it is a good product that I can find easily without too much expense.
• PRICE POINT   Again, because skincare tends to be high turnover, the pricing becomes a factor when it comes time to repurchase. For me, that's between ₩10,000–₩50,000, depending on its kind.
• CONSUMER HABITS   If you've repurchased it or have a stockpile of backups, that's an obvious sign. It's not always possible to avoid ordering online; something critical like sunscreen or a specialized treatment may prove more elusive when it comes to finding the right formula.
• COMPETITION   It becomes a standard by which you measure other products. If you enjoy experimenting with skincare, that core routine gives you clarity: drop after drop, Product X was enjoyable, but at the end of the bottle (or jar), you think, "Well, it's not quite as nice as old faithful Product Y." This makes dabbling in luxury products less burdensome, in my opinion, since you are not looking for commitment.

Most of my own 'neutral' products are fairly bland but well made utilitarian products and, though best suited for drier skin, I can recommend without much reservation: Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Shower Oil, Bifesta Eye Make Up Remover, Heimish All Clean Balm, Freeplus Moist Care Lotion 2, Etude House Soon Jung 10-Free Moist Emulsion/Atopalm MLE Cream/Huxley More Than Moist, and Sun Bears Super Strong Plus SPF50/PA++++. One is a treatment; Paula's Choice 1% Retinol is fairly aggressive, so this is one to consider carefully before introducing it into your routine.

Routines: Hydration: Fall 2017 (plus an overview of the 7Skin Method)

There are several ways to deal with the common issue of dehydration; for me, the most effective method has proved to be layering, rather than depending on any single product to combat dehydration on its own. Years ago I discovered Asian toners—aka skins, aka lotions, aka softeners, aka essences, aka waters—humectant-based solutions that draw in moisture from your serums and creams, and never looked back. Even with a well formulated moisturizer, there is a significant boost in hydration if it's layered over a softener*; to me, a softener is a liquid moisturizer, lighter in weight even than a serum, designed with the primary objective of providing hydration.

Over the past year, the 7Skin trend has taken the Korean beauty community by storm: applying a softener, seven times, then sealed with a moisturizer. Instead of the a ten-step routine, only two products are required. If one layer of softener improves dehydration, then how much more hydration from seven layers?

It's certainly effective, I can vouch for that. The 7Skin operates on the same principle as a sheet mask; this is not a few drops of softener patted in delicately, but a full saturation of the epidermis with moisture and humectants. As such, the formula must be one that your skin finds agreeable: I prefer ones with niacinamide because it benefits the barrier function of sensitive skin. The texture should absorb readily into the skin, or you'll spend ages layering and layering. Additionally, keep in mind you'll go through product fast, roughly a bottle a month; if you find repurchases of SKII very dear, it's not ideal for the 7Skin Method. My personal favorites, though I'm often trying out new candidates, are Freeplus Moist Care Lotion 2, a neutral alcohol-free, fragrance-free formula designed for sensitive skin, and Hanyul Rice Essential Skin Softener, which packs more of a punch, a richer serum-textured softener with a noticeable brightening effect. Which I use depends on my skin's needs, and whether my skincare that day is going to be neutral or aggressive.

The 7Skin Method leaves your skin so well hydrated, extra moisturizer becomes almost superfluous; in the warmer months, I use serums or face oils instead. For extra hydration, I use the infamous Estée Lauder ANR knockoff, Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule, a good basic all-rounder serum. For the well conditioned glow of a face oil, I like Clarins, either Blue Orchid or Double Serum. Once winter hits I do need to layer on a proper moisturizer, and long-established habit still prefers a heavy-duty occlusive cream—I am particularly fond of Huxley Cream: More Than Moist—but it's not the desperate search for moisture it once was. Less fancy, but a perennial favorite when my skin requires something bland and comforting: Atopalm MLE Intensive Moisturizing Cream. While I don't believe a dedicated eye cream is necessary, as far as the appropriate texture goes (moisturizing enough to soften fine lines yet absorbs readily before concealer) I do like Hanyul Baek Hwa Goh Intensive Care Eye Cream. If you still find yourself starved of moisture, a sleeping mask, a extra-occlusive product to seal everything in, is a viable option as a final layer.

One caveat: 7Skin is something of a misnomer; 3Skin is typically enough for me, especially with the Hanyul's thicker texture. What's crucial is not that one follow instructions to the letter and apply seven layers of product, but rather that your skin reaches that saturation point. You can feel it; the skin springs back like a steak cooked rare. Some days I need more, some less.

If you still find yourself dehydrated, a humidifier might be a welcome addition during the colder months. I also always start my skincare on damp skin, post-cleansing, as the first step in building layers of moisture.

DETAILS
Hanyul Rice Essential Skin Softener is 150mL for $35 at Aritaum.com, 200mL is ₩36,000 (Korea only).
Freeplus Moist Care Lotion 2 is 130mL for $27 at Sasa.
Missha Time Revolution Night Repairis 40mL for $36 and 50mL for $49 at Missha.
Clarins Blue Orchid is 30mL for $58; Double Serum is $89 for 30mL and $122 for 50mL.
Huxley Cream: More Than Moist is 50mL for $48 at Glow Recipe. I bought mine at Cree'mare for ₩38,000.
Atopalm MLE is 100mL for $42 at Lovely Skin.
Hanyul Baek Hwa Goh eye cream is 25mL for $59 at Aritaum.

*My preferred term, because it's the least likely to cause confusion.