Fungal acne is a type of acne that often affects us, especially those in humid and hot countries. The characteristic of fungal acne is itchy and appearing as clusters of small red bumps. It often appears as spots on your forehead and chin, and the sides of your face. Other than the face area, it can also appear as spots on your chest, back, neck and arms. Normal acne products often do not work on this type of fungal acne. Having said that, there are a lot of skincare products targeting fungal acne. However, the focus of this post is fungal acne Korean products. Previously we have talked about skincare products like best exfoliators for acne and best Paula’s choice products for acne. Let’s find out what Korean skincare products you can use for your fungal acne.
Fungal acne Korean products in the market
There are many fungal acne Korean products out there. However, how do you know what Korean products are safe for your fungal acne and will not aggravate your fungal acne?
The first general role is, avoid products that contain polysorbate as surfactant. Malessezia (the common fungus causing fungal acne) loves this ingredient and can thrive with this ingredient.
Secondly, do not use oil-based products for a while. If a product contains a bit of oil (not as the main ingredient), it is still okay but please try to avoid this ingredient as much as possible for now.
Thirdly, do not use occlusive ingredients and ditch sheet mask for now. Sheet mask works by occluding your face and feed your skin with beneficial ingredients. However, the process itself creates a moist and warm environment on your skin. And remember, fungal acne happens in the first place because of fungus overgrowth in a moist and warm environment.
Korean products for fungal acne
When we suggest products for fungal acne, ideally the products contain anti-fungal ingredients. Or at least, does not contain ingredients that will promote the fungus to grow further. Let’s take a look at some fungal acne Korean products for your skin below.
Fungal acne face wash
An ideal fungal acne face wash is a face wash that is slightly acidic and hydrating. This is because slightly acidic face wash at around pH 5.5 will protect the skin mantle or skin barrier. This pH is close to the natural skin pH level and therefore will help to maintain a healthy microbiome ecosystem on the skin. Moreover, hydrating face wash will ensure the integrity of your skin barrier by maintaining the moisture/hydration level. Face wash that strips the skin from its natural oil will irritate the skin, and might worsen the inflammation of the fungal acne.
Some recommendations for fungal acne face wash from Korean brands are:
Moisturizer for fungal acne
Generally, products containing these ingredients are good for fungal acne. So if you see moisturizers that have any of these ingredients, they will be safe for fungal acne.
- Aloe Vera gel
- MCT oil
- Xylitol
- Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid & Citric Acid
- Climbazole
- Sandalwood oil (source)
- Niacinamide (B3), plus dl-panthenol (B6) and glycerin to improve skin barrier
Also, moisturizers containing mugwort are good to soothe the inflamed skin. Propolis and honey based moisturizers are also safe for fungal acne as these ingredients are antibacterial and antifungal. Moisturizers with snail mucin are also good in calming the skin and help the skin or even acne scar to heal faster.
Some fungal acne Korean moisturizers you can try are:
Sulfur for fungal acne
Sulfur as an ingredient is good for removing fungus from the surface of the skin. It can be sulfur in moisturizer or sulfur in face mask.
For moisturizer with sulfur, you can try Wishtrend Sulfur 3% Clean Gel. And for face mask with sulfur, you can try this Innisfree volcanic clay mask.
Should you use fungal acne Korean skincare products?
Yes, you should, especially if you have tried other non-Korean brands that do not work for you. Korean skincare industry is quite advanced and sophisticated. Their R&D capabilities is excellent and they utilize a lot of amazing ingredients in their products. If you see Koreans, they generally have very beautiful skin as well. You can check out this website Skinsort to filter for products that are safe for fungal acne as well.