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Let's Talk: Shanise got rid of her fungal acne

20 Mar 2021

by M. Toledo

In Let's Talk we focus on your skincare journey. It's a new and recurring blog concept where we let our customers do the talking. Real skin care stories from real people! This week, we're interviewing Shanise (28) who, with the help of K-beauty, found her holy grail products to help her get rid of fungal acne. She dealt with skin issues like acne and subcutaneous pimples since she was 16. Food sensitivity and fungal acne turned out to be the culprits.

First off, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us, Shanise! So, you had skin issues like acne for a long time. What have you tried to get clear skin?

“I started taking oral birth control. My main reason was getting clear skin and later I used it for contraception too. In 2018 I tried to stop, but my skin freaked out. I started getting hormonal acne that was bad enough to make me go back on the pill. All this time my skin wasn’t fully clear, but the pill calmed things down a little bit.”

It took Shanise a lot of experimenting, effort and not to mention money to find the root cause of her skin issues. In the end, she found out that changing her diet helped a lot.

“I started following a strict diet without synthetic dyes or additives. It helped a bit, but I still had these weird subcutaneous pimples on my forehead that just wouldn’t bulge. Then I found a site where I learned about fungal acne: what it is, how certain ingredients can trigger it, and what products to choose instead.

I found a list of ‘fungal acne safe’ products that featured many Korean skincare brands. A lot of the products were considered clean beauty too. Because of my clean diet, this really appealed to me. I felt uncomfortable with taking oral birth control but I was afraid to stop because of what it would mean for my skin. In 2019 I started using fungal acne safe K-beauty products.”

How did that change your skin care routine?

“A lot! I started double cleansing too, so I used an oil cleanser followed by a foaming water cleanser. In stead of slapping on some oils and creams, I really took the time to apply seven or eight products every morning and night. After about two weeks I noticed that my skin started to clear up.”

That sounds wonderful! What products did you use?

“There isn’t a single product that really stands out. But COSRX has many fungal acne safe products that made a big difference. Their Centella Water Alcohol Free Toner, Low PH Good Morning Cleanser, Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and the AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid are some good examples. The Tea Tree Relief Serum by iUNIK and Timeless Squalane Oil were game changers too. I hardly use any high-end brands anymore. I’ve found that many of those products are full of fragrance and I try to avoid that.

Now, two years later, with the help of my great skin care routine, I’ve found the courage to finally quit oral birth control. Of course my body had to readjust to this, but I haven’t had hormonal acne like I did in 2018. I’m absolutely positive that my Korean skincare routine played a huge part in this.”

You got in touch with us through our customer care team. We're so happy you chose to shop with us! What made you go for Little Wonderland?

“What I really like about Little Wonderland is that they offer wonderful Korean skincare products that are really affordable. The information about the formula, the effect of the product and where it belongs in your routine is great bonus. Plus, I love the free samples and sheet masks I receive with every order. It’s the whole experience of shopping at Little Wonderland shopping that keeps me coming back."

That's so sweet! ^^ Okay, this one is hard... If you had to choose one K-beauty product, which one would it be?

“If I had to choose, it would be the CORSX Centella Water Alcohol Free Toner. I can just my feel how my skin drinks it up after applying it. I haven’t had that with any other toner.”