One of my favourite South Korean skincare brands is Sidmool. It’s an online brand that focuses on natural yet proven ingredients in simple, uncomplicated formulas at very affordable prices. Super popular in Korea but it doesn’t market itself beyond its own borders — in fact, little to no information on its products can be found in any language other than Korean. This “can’t be arsed” attitude about the foreign market really reminds me of the majority of brands in Japan.
I’ve tried quite a few products from Sidmool now, and I really like everything I’ve tried. Dr. Troub Skin Returning Zinc Cream is, for me, the best of the bunch so far. The cream’s star ingredient is 10% (non-nano) zinc oxide, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties (in addition to having UVA/UVB protection, of course). It works marvellously at soothing irritated, flaky skin and reducing inflammation. It helps clear up the inevitable post-pimple red marks far quicker than any targeted serums and treatments I’ve tried.
I’m not sure whether the Skin Returning Zinc Cream should be classified as a moisturiser cream, a treatment, a leave-on mask, or something else entirely. Sidmool recommended applying it after face cream day and/or night. But I applied it directly after my serums. It was nourishing enough for my slightly winter-dry skin that I didn’t feel the need for a separate moisturiser underneath. It has a very thick, almost sticky texture — but doesn’t feel uncomfortable or at all greasy — and really clings to the skin. I expected it to leave a bit of a white cast, however minimal, on the skin, but I didn’t notice any. That being said, it’s not something you slather generously all over — a little goes a long way! You wouldn’t think that it would work under makeup, but it actually does. It seems to help grab onto pigments for longer.
Sidmool’s Dr. Troub Skin Returning Zinc Cream is more than just another face cream or overnight mask; it feels like it has a specific function and one that does very well. If you have redness, sensitivity, acne, and/or atopic dermatitis, and struggle to find anything gentle yet effective enough, I would definitely recommend you give this a try.
Like all Sidmool products, it’s unfortunately pretty hard to get hold of outside of Korea. A 60g tube is ₩14,800 from Sidmool — its website is entirely in Korean and it ships within Korea only. But you can find it online (with international shipping!) for the same price from GMarket and 11street — Sidmool has official shops at both sites! Alternatively, eBay
has it for US$21.88+.
