I’m not spontaneous person—my idea of taking a risk is buying skincare products IRL at unexpected places, like Trader Joe’s, TJ Maxx, or Whole Foods, without Googling them on my phone. This stands in stark contrast with my usual shopping habits, which consist of minutes hours of diligently reading reviews online before finally clicking “Add to Cart.” I recently took a chance on an IRL purchase of MUJI Face Soap Moisture—and boy, do I wish I hadn’t. I used it over…

Vitamin C is known by many names, but you’ll commonly see it listed as “ascorbic acid.” Deciem’s The Ordinary has written a pretty serious Vitamin C skincare guide that claims that once vitamin C (in the form of ascorbic acid) hits water, it begins to oxidize (lose its effect) and change into a darker yellow/orange color.

I was recently lured into getting one of Sephora’s 15-minute mini facials. My inner frugal Asian lady is generally pretty suspicious of “free” treatments, but my facialist didn’t pressure me into buying anything that day—and she actually recommended something that I already own, thanks to the Sephora Sun Safety Kit: Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Sunscreen. Plus, I also picked up a few bonus skincare regimen tips from her.