Why I Started Jouaxia

Ntsuab Xiab is the Hmong word for greenery. I chose it because it makes me think of growth, of things that are alive and tended with care. That's what I want this site to be.

For years I used whatever face wash, toner, and serum I could find at the drugstore. I never read the ingredient lists. Like most of us, I assumed that if a product was on the shelf, it was fine.

Then, in 2025, I tried exosome injections and Rejuran serums, and my skin changed in a way I hadn't seen before. That was my introduction to Korean beauty, and I was hooked. I've spent the past few years learning the routines, layering the essences and ampoules, and working to keep that Korean glow.

But somewhere along the way, a question started to nag at me. I was diagnosed with PCOS, and I'm trying to conceive. Every morning and night I put a lot of products on my skin. How many of them did I actually understand?

The question I couldn't answer

When you're trying to get pregnant, you become careful about everything: what you eat, what you drink, which supplements you take. But skincare rarely makes that list, even though it's something we use every day, often a dozen products at a time.

I went looking for clear answers and mostly found conflicting advice, vague warnings, and marketing copy. Which ingredients are generally considered okay when trying to conceive or during pregnancy? Which ones do doctors suggest being cautious with? What about fragrance, essential oils, or high-strength actives? And if you have allergies or sensitive skin, how do you know what to avoid before you've already reacted?

I'll be honest about one thing. I don't know whether anything I've used affected my fertility, and I don't want to scare anyone by pretending to. PCOS is a complex condition, and skincare isn't known to cause it. What I do know is that I wish I had paid more attention to what I was putting on my body, and that I wanted a place where I could look it up easily.

What Jouaxia is

So I built it. Jouaxia is a growing database of Korean beauty products where you can see what's actually inside each one, with flags for ingredients that are commonly advised against or approached with caution during pregnancy, plus common allergens like fragrance, essential oils, and certain actives. You can filter by what matters to you and skip the guesswork.

A few things I want to be clear about:

• This is not medical advice. I'm a woman doing her research, not a doctor. Please check with your OB-GYN, fertility specialist, or dermatologist about your own routine.
• I'll show my sources. Every safety note should come from published ingredient data and medical guidance, not my opinion.
• Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. That's how I keep this project running, and it will never change what I flag as unsafe.

This is just the beginning

I love skincare, and I'm not giving it up. I just want to do it with my eyes open. If you're trying to conceive, pregnant, dealing with PCOS, or simply tired of wondering what's in your products, I hope Jouaxia helps you feel more informed and a little less alone.

Welcome. Let's grow together.