Korean Skin Care
So recently my sister introduced me to the 10-step skincare routine that is common in Korea, and I decided to give it a go, since my skin definitely needed SOMETHING and regular American skin care wasn’t cutting it.
Overall, I’ve gotta say that it works pretty well. My chin and nose are no longer covered in blackheads and my forehead is no longer covered in acne. Also, my skin tone is much more even and fresh looking. I’ve even been told that I have “perfect” skin. For anyone who is interested, here is what Korean skin care entails and the products I use. Note that I don’t use only Asian products due to practicality. I also use a mixture of high-end and drugstore brands.
Step 1 is double-cleansing, once with an oil cleanser and once with a water-based foam cleanser. The oil cleanser removes impurities and foreign pollutants while the foam cleanser removes dead skin and excess oil (not from the oil cleanser). I don’t think it matters which order you use the cleansers in, but my skin seems to prefer using oil, and then foam.
Step 2 is exfoliation. You can do this as a separate step, but I usually combine it with foam cleansing to save time. There are a variety of items you can use to exfoliate your skin. Sensitive skin may be better off only doing this once or twice a week, but people with enlarged pours like mine will likely find it helpful to do it everyday.
Step 3 is toner. This is an extra step that a lot of people forget, but it really helps. Toner removes any impurities that your cleansers may have missed and helps to prepare your pores for everything else. I always find dirt on my cotton pad when I use toner after double cleansing.
Step 4 is a face mask. For practicality reasons, I only do this one twice a week, but it does help to revitalize your skin.
Step 5 is essence. This is the one step in the Korean routine that I actually skip because A: I’m not entirely sure of the point of it, and B: I have so many allergies that I feel I’m probably better off without it. Although my face masks frequently have some sort of essence in them I believe.
Step 6 is serum. This is one of those things that you really have to choose your product based on your individual needs. I have trouble with dark spots (despite being only in my 20s), so I use one that evens skin tone.
Step 7 is moisturizer. Because it’s harder for your skin cells to repair themselves without proper moisture.
Step 8 is eye cream because let’s face, nobody ever seems to get enough sleep.
And finally Step 9 is sunscreen, because nothing ages your skin like sunlight.
Yes, I realize I said there were 10 steps, but I kind of combined the first two steps into a single step.
That being said, there are a variety of ways that you can combine steps to save time. As I said, I exfoliate while I cleanse, my face masks have essence in them, and I also use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen. So that brings the number of steps and the time needed down by quite a bit. There are also foam cleansers out there that have toner in them.
So my list of products.
Oil Cleanser: Pacifica Berry Happy Face Cleansing Wipes. These are about $7. I use them because they are quick and easy, and do not require any rinsing.
Foam Cleanser: Naive Peach Face Wash. This is a product from Japan. You won’t find it in American stores, but you can buy it on Amazon for about $5. Just keep in mind that it takes about 6 weeks to arrive.
Toner: Murad Essential-C Toner. I like this toner because I can spray it directly on my face. It also smells like oranges. I forget the price, but it is one of my more expensive products. You can buy it at Ulta.
Face Masks: I mostly use sheet masks from a Japanese Company called Pure Smile. I’m not sure of how to obtain them, except through Kira Kira Crates. You can also buy Korean sheet masks at Ulta.
Serum: Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum. This is by far my most expensive product, with a purchase price of $65. By no means do you have to buy something this expensive. I just have sensitive skin, so I stick to brands I know I’m not allergic to.
Moisturizer w/ Sunscreen: Simple Moisturizer. This runs at about $8 I believe. I’m pretty sure it’s a drugstore brand too. I use it because it is designed for sensitive skin and contains sunscreen. I apply it using a makeup brush, which I wash once a week.
Eye Cream: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream: I think this runs at $15? Once again, this is a matter of my skin being sensitive and knowing what I am okay with. I apply this using an under eye massager from Real Techniques, which uses a cold metal ball to reduce puffiness and for some reason, makes it easier to avoid getting the stuff in my eyes.
Tools: I use a Real Techniques Miracle Cleansing Sponge for washing my face in the shower. At the sink, I primarily use my Clarisonic Mia 3 with a deep pore cleansing brush head. My moisturizer brush and under eye massager are both from the Real Techniques Prep and Prime set.
