Welcome to Skin Quench! A place where both you and I can learn about skincare, review products, hopefully solve some skin problems and live our healthiest, happiest lives. Skincare has been a huge part of my life since before I really knew just how important it was.  Just so you have some background, I have medium to dark brown, combination skin. My T-zone is oily and the rest of my face is normal. I have large pores around my noise, all the way out to my cheeks. I am very acne-prone and I’ll confess, I’m a recovering picker! I started having issues with my skin around 11 years old . Minor cystic breakouts and white heads introduced themselves to my plush baby skin. They eventually brought a friend, good ol’ hyperpigmentation.

Depending on what was going on with my body, breakouts could be more severe as I matured. I cringe at the thought of how I used to treat my skin! My routine included any popular drugstore cleanser that left my skin feeling squeaky clean and dry. These types of cleansers usually claimed to help zap and prevent breakouts. I would then follow up with a toner. Back in the day, most toners contained alcohol and would dry out my skin even further. I’d often either purchase or make my own exfoliating scrub, usually consisting of beads that were bad for the environment or too harsh on my skin. Lastly, I’d slather on a moisturizer that was probably loaded with occlusives or pore blockers (something that can be useful, but I soon learned they were the enemy to my giant, oily pores), and no SPF. When your skin is brown, you don’t need sunscreen, right? Wrong, so so wrong!

I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I say all this to say my skin has been through a lot. From benzoyl peroxide and highly toxic fade creams (you know the ones fellow brown girls), to hormonal birth control, to homemade and natural products, my skin has seen some things. Over a decade later, I still struggle with hormonal, dietary, and stress breakouts and hyperpigmentation. Fortunately, I have reached a point where my growing knowledge of quality and purposeful ingredients, is helping me heal and prevent breakouts and discoloration at a faster rate.

After years of research and trial and error, my current regimen follows the 10-step Korean Skincare routine. This method is a process that Korean women and men have been using for ages. I also use some western products mixed in here and there, depending on the ingredients and brand. I discovered K-Beauty in 2016 like a lot of people in the United States.  If you don’t know about K-Beauty, it focuses on the overall health of the skin. These products are nourishing because they use wholesome, highly concentrated ingredients, that target your specific skin concerns. Natural ingredients are key which is what drew me to this method. K-Beauty is also known for adding moisture back in, giving you that dewy honey skin that’s on trend (and rightfully so. Who doesn’t love a healthy glow?). I won’t dive in too much, but it’s safe to say K-Beauty has saved my skin! Keep your eyes peeled for the Skin Quench K-Beauty series coming soon.

Skincare has been a true passion of mine for years, so you may be wondering why now? I’m here to offer something that I’ve had trouble finding over the years. There is a variety of skincare bloggers and educators out there, but I’ve always had trouble finding a skin enthusiast of color who shares my specific struggles. I wanted to offer a space for skincare knowledge to be shared from the perspective of a woman of color. Skin Quench is meant for both women and men of all ethnicities. Of course when it comes to my experiences, I’m here even more so for women and men with brown skin. Skincare can be universal, however every skin type and color is unique. Something as simple as hyperpigmentation, might need to be treated a little differently depending on your skin tone.

I’m so excited to start sharing what I’ve learned and keep learning, so that more people can control the fate of their skin too.  As a very IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER, I am NOT a licensed esthetician or skincare specialist (at least not yet). Skin Quench’s content and advice is based off of knowledge, experience, and in-depth research. Please keep that in mind.

With that said, thank you so much for reading this far. Thank you for getting to know Skin Quench, and I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s in store. If you ever have skin questions,  Skin Quench is happy to offer suggestions or try out recommended products! You can get in touch with me through the contact page. Until next time, cheers to happy and healthy skin. Drink up!

-Ashley