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: Cleansing: Fall 2017

Theoretically the simplest part of my routine. And yet I always end up with so many cleansers.

As I've explained in this brief overview, my skin's inadequacy as a barrier is its most salient characteristic: thin, low sebum, dehydrated under arid conditions, and frequently irritated. On top of the customary avoidance of known irritants, what meager acid mantle I've got is easily disrupted, restricting me to minimally invasive formulations, yet not so emollient (most balm cleansers) the residue requires a washcloth. You'd be surprised at what my skin considers aggressive. Nearly anything that foams, the texture of washcloths, a hot shower, even micellar water on cotton wool can be an issue at times.

Fortunately, as I break out rarely, the tactics required to minimize the potential for congestion and acne are largely unnecessary. I also wear very little base makeup, which bypasses the need for intensive cleansing later.

Nevertheless, there are still cleansers my skin tolerates without issue. Well formulated basics, like cleanser, are readily available for not too much trouble or expense, and I most frequently default to the cheapest: Bioderma Atoderm Ultra-Nourishing Shower Oil. In spite of the name, it's a simple, extremely mild detergent-based (not oil) cleanser, barely lathering, with a fragrance reminiscent of sweet peas. It's not an exceptional cleanser in regards to makeup removal, merely adequate; this is what I would consider a 'neutral' cleanser, a reliable basic around which you build the rest of your routine, according to your needs. Everyone needs one. For me, a good cleanser is negatively defined: it's not harsh, it doesn't leave any residue, it doesn't reek of perfume, it's not expensive, but it leaves my skin clean. From time to time, I will play with something more indulgent, purely for the fun of trying out something new, but it's always a comfort to know this has my back.

I employ no elaborate techniques when cleansing: rinse face, apply cleanser, rinse hands, massage gently until you can feel the grime lift off the skin, rinse. Occasionally I do require heavy-duty removal for waterproof sunscreen and makeup, and like most people, for the sake of thoroughness (and gentleness), I find it ideal to break up the process of cleansing into multiple steps. Since I wear waterproof mascara, I soak cotton wool in Bifesta Eye Make Up Remover in order to first dissolve the curl-holding-but-extremely-tenacious formula. Afterwards, I may do a single-cleanse with a neutral cleanser, or I might double-cleanse with micellar water or the eucalyptus-scented, aptly named Heimish All Clean Balm, a solid cleansing oil and therefore a proper makeup remover.

On standby are two products that neatly illustrate how skincare often answers psychological needs rather than utilitarian: Hanyul Ja Cho Oil Cleansing Balm, a non-emulsifying emollient balm, and Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser, a luxurious cleansing milk. They leave my skin feeling happy, but they don't feel quite right as a daily cleanser. The Hanyul in particular leaves my skin looking clear and refined, but cannot be worked without a washcloth, so I save it for 'spa days', when I'm in the mood for a facial massage.

DETAILS
Bioderma Atoderm Ultra Nourishing Shower Oil is available in 100mL, 200mL, and 1L sizes at Feel Unique for roughly $8-20. I bought mine at Olive Young for ₩22,000.
Bifesta Eye Make Up Remover is 145mL, available at sasa.com for $6.80. I bought mine at Olive Young, on sale two for ₩12,000.
Heimish All Clean Balm is 120mL, available on Amazon. I bought mine at Åland for ₩18,000.
Hanyul Ja Cho Oil Cleansing Balm is 60mL, available at Aritaum. I bought mine (on sale) at Aritaum for ₩19,000.
Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser is $78 for 125mL, available at Nordstrom. I bought mine at Cult Beauty for £58.33.