We’ve all heard about the superiority of Korean skincare, and most of us have sampled bits of it from face masks to snail serums. But we wanted to take a closer look at the real skincare routine of Koreans. It is a very disciplined routine and we admit, it is quite a long process but the result is the most flawless skin ever which Korean ladies are famous for worldwide.
Note: You can skip a couple or few steps if you like, but keeping it a true Korean beauty regime, we are giving the full details. Ideally every day, and you can personalize it to suit your skin type and concerns. It is a calming and therapeutic process that you will begin to enjoy soon.
Step 1: Begin With An Oil Cleanser
First thing, remove all makeup products from your skin. Pick an oil cleanser and apply it all over your face and neck. Make sure you cover the lip and eye area. Massage the cleanser gently into the skin, then dab some warm water on it.
Massage the wet skin and rinse it. The process melts the debris on your face and makes the skin clean and fresh. It gets rid of the makeup and dust that has accumulated on your face over the period of the day. The oil will melt the makeup off your skin, leaving it cleansed.
Step 2: Follow Up With A Water-Based Cleanser
If you think you got done with cleansing after using the oil-based cleanser, then that’s not the case. There will still be some debris left on the face, and to remove that, you will need a water-based cleanser.
Wet your skin, apply the water-based cleanser, and gently massage it in a circular motion. Rinse it off with water. After this, your skin will be squeaky clean without a hint of dirt. The water-based cleanser removes any remaining residue from the skin.
Step 3: Exfoliate
You need to remove the topmost layer of dead skin cells to reveal bright and polished skin. Scrubbing off dead skin cells helps skin care products to work on your skin thoroughly. Exfoliation clears pores and makes skin smoother and more radiant.
Wet your skin and apply the exfoliant. Gently scrub it on your skin in circular motions and wash it off. You do not have to rub your face with an exfoliant every day. Use it three times a week if you have non-sensitive skin and twice a week if your skin is sensitive.
Step 4: Tone Up
Toners refresh the skin and prep it to absorb the next product(s) well. They also balance the pH level of the skin. Toners balance the moisture levels of your skin and also remove any remote impurities that the cleansers might have missed.
Apply the toner on your face with your fingertips or dab it on your skin with cotton swabs. Massage in an outward motion – away from your nose, towards the ears.
Step 5: Use Essence – A Korean Special
Essence is unique to the Korean beauty culture. It is a toner cum serum hybrid that has a watery consistency and skin repairing properties. It is hydrating and rejuvenates the skin.
Pat essence on your face either with your fingertips or cotton swabs in an outward motion soon after you tone it and let it stay on.
Step 6: Repair Your Skin with ‘Treatments’
When you have dark spots, uneven skin, pigmentation or any other specific skin issue, it is best to treat your skin accordingly. Choose among serums, ampoules, and boosters to help repair the skin and get rid of blemishes.
Take some of the treatment product on your fingertips and gently dab it onto your problem areas. Massage gently. They are perfect for solving skin issues.
Step 7: Pamper Yourself with Sheet Masks
Other Korean special, sheet masks nourish and pamper your skin with the best of ingredients while providing you with a meditative and calming experience. Choose a mask that has ingredients that suit your skin needs and type.
Place it on your face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Relax while your sheet mask is on and feel rejuvenated. You can use sheet masks once or twice a week or even every day.
Step 8: Apply Eye Cream
The next step is to take care of your under eye skin. The skin around your eyes is delicate and needs extra attention and care. Eye creams are perfect for it; they treat dark circles and smoothen the skin.
Using your fingertips dab the eye cream gently on the orbital bone area, avoiding the water line. Use it every day, once in the morning and once at night.
Step 9: Moisturize
Make sure you choose a moisturizer that suits your skin type and use it regularly. It could be a gel, lotion or cream – whatever works best for you.
Use a moisturizer every day, once in the morning and once at night. Rub in some moisturizer on your hands and massage it into your skin.
Step 10: Protect Your Skin With Sunscreen
Sunscreen shields your skin from the harmful UV rays of the skin and protects it from tanning, pigmentation, and dark spots.
Use sunscreen every day in the morning before you go out and make sure it is the final product that you use on your skin to avoid dilution of products and weakening the effect of the SPF.
