Skin Alchemy

How I layer clinical actives, Korean skincare, luxury creams, and at-home rituals to hold the structure of my skin.

Let’s stop pretending glow is about drinking more water. The truth is, real skin quality is built — layer by layer — through inputs that signal repair, hydration, circulation, and collagen synthesis. That includes what you put on your skin, how you use it, and when you pull back.

I’ve spent years trying all the latest lotions and potions. . What stays in my routine is what works. And it doesn’t always come in a gold jar.

This is my current skin alchemy: exactly what I use — from the $400 creams to the $4 mask I mix in my kitchen. I always switch it up.

THE CLINICAL ACTIVES I RELY ON

Vitamin C
A stable vitamin C does more than brighten — it protects collagen, stimulates new growth, and improves skin density over time. Most are unstable and oxidized before you open the bottle. I only use formulas that are potent and properly stabilized.

→ My pick:
Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum
Ethylated L-ascorbic acid + glutathione + citrus cell complex in a waterless base. Non-irritating, firming, and antioxidant-rich. This goes on first in the morning — every single day.

Copper Peptides
These support collagen, elastin, wound healing, and post-procedure repair. They’re one of the few ingredients that visibly strengthen skin structure over time — without irritation.

→ What I use:
Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum
Includes GHK-Cu, ectoin, and multiple peptide complexes. I rotate this on non-retinoid nights or after laser/microneedling.

I don’t layer copper peptides with vitamin C or retinoids. I alternate them — your skin responds better that way.

PDRN Serums
These are next-level for regeneration. PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) helps rebuild skin post-trauma, post-laser, or when skin feels depleted. It’s one of the most powerful tools for skin recovery and cellular renewal.

→ My go-tos:
Rejuran Healer Turnover Ampoule
Curacen Essence (clinic-grade when I can get it)

Retinoids (Tretinoin)
Yes, I use it — but never daily. Tretinoin works best when cycled intelligently, not abused. It increases cellular turnover, softens fine lines, refines pores, and stimulates collagen — but only when your barrier is supported.

→ I buffer Tretinoin with creams like:

• Allies of Skin Multi-Nutrient Daily Treatment

• BeautyBio The Quench (on drier nights)

• La Prairie Caviar or AmorePacific when I want maximum structure and luxury

THE SUPPORT LAYERS THAT MATTER

Toners & Essences
Hydration is not just water — it’s mineral, microbiome-friendly, and structurally intelligent.

→ My favorites:

• TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner

• TIRTIR Ceramic Milk Ampoule

• Anua Heartleaf 77+ Hyaluron Toner

They soothe, prep, and deeply hydrate without clogging or interfering with actives.

Moisturizers & Barrier Creams
You need hydration that seals without suffocating — and that works with your actives, not against them.

→ Accessible favorites:

• BeautyBio The Quench Face Cream – ceramide-rich and barrier-supporting

• Allies of Skin Barrier Recovery Cream Balm – underrated and effective

• Revision Skincare CMT Post-Procedure Cream – I use this after lasers or when my skin needs true recovery

Eye Treatments I Actually Finish

• Cosmedix Elite Eye Doctor – one of the most potent peptide-based formulas

• BeautyBio The Eyelighter Concentrate – cooling, brightening, and tightening in the AM

  LUXURY CREAMS THAT EARN THEIR PRICE

I’ve tried them all — and these are the only ones I’d repurchase:

• La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream
  — Lifting, firming, cushiony — this is structure in a jar. Ideal post-laser or during winter months.

• Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
  — Feels like stem cell nutrition for the skin. Great for recovery or stressed skin.

• AmorePacific Time Response Skin Reserve Cream
  — Antioxidant-rich, calming, elegant. Think green tea + peptide hybrid.

• Crème de la Mer (original)
  — I use it only in extreme barrier-compromised conditions. It's more occlusive than corrective — but it works when nothing else does.

→ When I use them:
On Tretinoin nights, post-laser, after flights, or when I want to seal in copper or PDRN serums. These are not daily creams — they’re targeted tools.

HOME ALCHEMY I STILL SWEAR BY

• Pearl powder + castor oil – anti-inflammatory, mineral-rich, and costs $5

• Manuka honey + turmeric mask – calms redness, smooths tone

• Raw yogurt mask – enzymatic and brightening

• Chilled spoons – for lymphatic flow, swelling, and skin fatigue

• Red light therapy – over face, neck, thyroid — not negotiable

LAYERING STRATEGY (HOW I ACTUALLY USE ALL OF THIS)

Morning:

• Cleanse → Hydrating toner → Vitamin C or copper → Moisturizer → SPF

• Optional: PDRN if skin is recovering or inflamed

Evening (non-Tret):

• Cleanse → Toner → PDRN or copper peptide → Rich cream → Eye treatment

• Optional: castor oil or pearl powder mask

Evening (Tretinoin):

• Gentle cleanse → Tretinoin → Recovery cream only

• No layering. No actives. Just repair.

FINAL THOUGHT

Skin is a living organ. It doesn’t need noise. It needs the right signals — at the right time.

Some nights it’s a luxury cream that costs more than your dinner. Other nights it’s a $4 powder and a cold spoon from the freezer. That’s the real alchemy — knowing what works, when to use it, and not getting caught in the trap of “more.”

Glow is never the goal. Integrity is. And when your skin feels held, protected, and supported — it shows.

Want a personalized skin protocol based on your treatments, lifestyle, and goals?
Book a 1:1 Skin Consultation with me.