Hi, I’m Royce.
I grew up in Seoul, Korea, the kind of household where doenjang fermented in an onggi jar in the backyard longer than I’d been alive, and where ginseng cream sat on the bathroom shelf before anyone called it “skincare.” None of it felt like wellness advice. It was just how things were done.
Then I turned 50, and had my first hot flash in the middle of a work meeting. That’s when I started actually paying attention to the things I grew up with, and testing them against what I was feeling in real time.
I’m not a doctor, a dermatologist, or a nutritionist. What I am is a woman going through perimenopause right now, writing down what I try, what works, what doesn’t, and what I wish someone had told me earlier. Some of it comes from research I’ve read. Some of it comes from my mother and grandmother. All of it is filtered through my own experience first.
What I write about:
- What perimenopause and menopause actually feel like, week to week
- Beauty and skincare for a changing body, including what I’ve picked up from Korean routines and ingredients
- Food, including the fermented and traditional foods I grew up on
- Home, family, and the parts of midlife nobody puts in a brochure
I’ll always be upfront about the difference between “this is backed by research” and “this is just what worked for me.” Both show up here, but I won’t blur the line between them.
If you want to reach me, see the Contact page or email me at hello@mysecondbloom.blog].
About My Second Bloom.Blog
Second Bloom is a blog for women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s navigating perimenopause and menopause.
Midlife, one honest post at a time.
Who this is for: if you’ve had a hot flash you had to explain away in a meeting, if your skin or hair changed faster than you expected, if you’re renegotiating your relationships with your kids, your parents, or your own house, this site is for you.
What you’ll find here:
- Health & Fitness — the physical side of this transition, symptoms, movement, and what’s actually helped
- Beauty — skin and hair through midlife, including Korean beauty ingredients and routines as one part of the toolkit
- Life & Family — essays on relationships with kids, with parents (often with more humor than dignity), and the things midlife teaches you
- Home & Living — the practical, everyday side of running a household through a season of change
- Reviews — honest, tried-it-myself reviews of products and supplements, Korean and Western
New posts go up [twice a week / weekly]. Everything here is written from personal experience first, research second, and it’s never intended to replace advice from your own doctor.
Thanks for being here.
If you’d like to follow along, subscribe below / follow on Instagram at @mysecondbloom_bolg.