SkincareHub

As you know not all of these steps belong just to the Korean skincare routine so it’s useful to know this anyway. Btw I’m just explaining the main steps.

Double cleansing- it’s the idea that washing your face with one type of cleanser doesn’t clean your skin good enough so you cleanse with an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser.

Exfoliating - about twice a week after cleansing to get rid of dead skin so your skincare products work better.

Toner - gets your skin balanced after cleansing and prepares your skin to absorb the rest of your skincare products.

Essence - a lightweight/watery treatment after toner that gives your skin another layer of hydration and can be specific to a skin issue you might have. Basically,a lightweight version of serum while also preparing your skin for serum.

Serum - applied after essence and similar to an essence but usually thicker and stronger. Serum’s are effective because they are concentrated treatments for any skin concern and you can choose one specific to your needs.

Ampoule - has a higher level of active ingredients,it’s basically a stronger serum. You can say that ampoules/serum’s are the same thing though except that you can mix ampoules with your essence, serum, or moisturizer to give your skin a big boost.

THE BARE BASICS

1. CLEANSING

This step can literally make or break your routine tbh, if you get a cleanser that’s too drying, it will cause major damage to your skin. Your skin has a pH of 4.5-5.5 and most of the popular cleansers recommended on skincare threads you might see on say twitter etc such as Castile soap is actually too alkalic for your skin! It strips your skin of moisture and leaves it super dry. I know most of y'all love that squeaky clean feeling these kind of cleansers give your skin but that’s not necessarily the case. (side note: if you use makeup I’d highly recommend double cleansing where you remove your makeup with an oil based cleanser followed by washing your face with a water based cleanser)

Some good oil based cleansers ;

Neutrogena ultra light cleansing oil

Tatcha one step Camellia cleansing oil

Banila Co clean it zero

Heimish all clean balm

The Face Shop rice water bright rich cleansing oil

DHC deep cleansing oil

Low pH water based cleansers;

Cosrx low pH good morning gel cleanser

SebaMed clear face foaming cleanser

CeraVe foaming facial cleanser

Su:m37 miracle rose cleansing stick

Cleaning waters (optional, can be used to remove residue of dirt and debris after cleansing and also as a quick cleanse if you’re in a rush) ;

Bioderma hydrabio H2O micelle solution

Thayers witch hazel (alcohol free version )

Caudalie micellar cleansing water

Garnier skin micellar cleansing water

2. MOISTURIZING

Moisturizing is a crucial step in skincare (yes, even for oily skin!) to help keep your your skin youthful and it hold water in the outermost layer of your skin to act as a barrier. It protects your skin and helps improve texture. Studies have shown that people who moisturize their skin accumulate wrinkles at just a fraction of the rate of their dry skin counterparts.

Moisturizers for oily skin;

Keihl’s ultra facial oil free gel cream

The Ordinary moisturizing factors + HA (tbh good for combo/normal skin too)

Cosrx oil free ultra moisturizing lotion

La Roche-Posay tolerian ultra Soin de Nuit

Pure aloe vera gel

Moisturizers for dry skin;

Dr. Jart+ ceramidin cream

Belif the true cream-moisturizing bomb

Benton snail bee high content steam cream

Clinique moisture surge intense

Moisturizers for combination skin;

LA Roche-Posay Toleriane double repair moisturizer UV

Neutrogena naturals multivitamin nourishing moisturizer

Belif the true cream-moisturizing bomb

Paula’s Choice SKIN BALANCING invisible finish moisture gel moisturizer

3. SUNSCREEN

Do I really need to explain why this is super important? If you’re not wearing sunscreen, especially if you’re outdoors (side note: please reapply every two hours), you’re more prone to forming age spots, wrinkles, blemishes and we’ll ask hyperpigmentation meaning this can also cause any acne scarring etc you might have to get darker, making it harder to get rid of.

Sunscreen recs for oily skin;

Julep no excuses invisible sunscreen gel spf 40

Clinique super city block ultra protection spf 40

La Roche-Posay anthelion clear skin face sunscreen for oily skin spf 60

Etude House sunprise mild airy finish spf 50

Australian Gold Botanical spf 50 sunscreen

Sunscreen recs for dry skin;

Lakme Sun Expert with Spf 30

L'Oreal Age Perfect Facial Oil SPF 30

CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream spf 30

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer With SPF 30

Sunscreens recs for combination skin;

Suntegrity 5-in-1 sunscreen spf 30

Perricone MD photo plasma moisturizer broad spectrum spf 30

Kate Somerville daily deflector moisturizer spf 50

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS POST! I’LL BE MAKING ANOTHER SEPARATE POST ON TOPICAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL SKIN NEEDS. HOPE Y'ALL LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM THIS POST AND FEEL FREE TO SEND ME AN ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ♡

I made a post called quick recap on double cleansing on exactly how to do it but this will be on what it does for your skin.

Double cleansing (oil based cleanser +water based cleanser) removes oil based impurities and water based impurities .The oil based impurities being makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum , and pollution .The water based impurities being sweat and dirt. When removing all of this you’re left with a perfectly clean face. Cleansing is essential in having an effective skincare routine because if you still have stuff left in your pores the rest of your skincare products won’t work as well.

Benefits

It’s for all skintypes

Leaves pores completely clean

Leads to clear skin

Oily/combo skintypes will produce less sebum (oil) because your pores won’t be clogged.

Note *

I mean every step has been useful but these are my top ones and this is coming from someone who had nice skin already ,goes to show skincare helps anybody out . btw i follow the korean skincare routine .

Double cleansing - my skin feels cleaner ever since double cleansing and it’s made my face even more clear if thats possible .

Essence - I use the cosrx snail one and it makes my skin soft, glowy, and makes my moisturizer feel even better. It also helps acne scars for people that are interested. I love essences because their lightweight and help your skin out without feeling like much.

The Stuff.