Hello Beauty
hello beauty..
A quick guide to the 10-step Korean skincare routine
I absolutely love Korean Skincare. It was a trip to Mauritius where I stumbled across the ‘The Faceshop’ where I had my first encounter with Korean skincare. It was the variety of skincare ingredients such as snail filtrate and the sheet masks that intrigued me. I picked up a couple of these and this is where my love affair with Korean skincare began.
What I love about it is the sensory skincare experience. The different formulas and textures all add to its charm. But most importantly I find that Korean skincare has really worked for my oily-acne prone skin type.
If you’re new to Korean Skincare, the terminology (such as glass-skin, ampoules and sleeping packs) can get a little overwhelming. I’m here to demystify it for you and break down the common 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine. Not all steps need to be done on a daily basis and you can adjust it to how your skin is feeling. Remember, your skin is a living organ and changes to external and internal factors. The key thing to remember is that a skincare routine helps to maintain the health of the skin. It doesn’t have to be as elaborate as a ten-step routine. I usually keep the 10-step routine for #selfcaresundays .
1. Oil Cleanser
I like to use an oil cleanser or balm cleanser on days I wear heavy makeup. Cleansing balms work well as the natural oils break down makeup and dirt. This can help to dissolve the excess oil on the skin and in turn helps to clean out clogged pores.
2. Water-Based Cleanser
I love double-cleansing. Put simply it is when you cleanse twice. It helps to thoroughly clean the skin of sebum, dirt and bacteria. I personally like to use gel-cleansers as I find they work well on my oily skin type . Alternatively if you have a drier skin type a cream cleanser is great.
Gel-Cleanser : Jumiso All Day Vitamin Clean & Mild Facial Cleanser
Cream Cleanser : Purito Green Deep Foam Cleanser
3. Exfoliator
Exfoliating is a key step. It helps to slough off dead skin cells, loosens debris in clogged pores and smooth the skins texture. It brightens your complexion but also helps other products to absorb better. There are two types of exfoliators, physical and chemical exfoliators. The physical exfoliators are things like sugar scrubs with that gritty type texture. A Chemical exfoliator is a liquid texture and contains ingredients such as Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid to name a few. This helps to dissolve the ‘glue’ that binds the dead skin cells to the healthy ones. There is such a thing as over exfoliating and I would recommend to exfoliate only once or twice in a week. My skin can be on the sensitive side and I would recommend before using a chemical exfoliator to do a patch test. I personally find pure glycolic acid too harsh for my skin.
4. Tone
Toners are helpful because they help pick up any leftover residue on the skin. Toners are also a useful addition as they help prepare and repair your skins barrier to help it absorb the products that follow. Korean toners tend to be more hydrating ones. You will very rarely see any astringent toners with ingredients such as alcohol or witch hazel. It’s all about achieving that natural glow with bouncy fresh skin. The toners are mainly for soothing and hydrating.
5. Essence
This was a completely new skincare step to me and a category that was created by Korean Skincare. Essences have high concentrations of active ingredients which help to hydrate the skin and balance the skins pH. Put it like this, the more hydration the better.
Essence: By Wishtrend Quad Active Boosting Essence
6. Ampoules (Serums)
These usually have a thicker consistency than more traditional ampoules and are used to target specific skin problems. As they are quite potent, it can be really beneficial for the skin. It is this extra hydration that helps to achieve glass-skin, which simply put, means that natural, fresh looking skin that is dewy and soft to touch. Think the complete opposite of caked-on layered makeup.
Hydrating: AXIS-Y Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule
Brightening: Jumiso All Day Brightening & Balancing Facial Serum
7. Sheet Mask
Ahh, the sheet mask, one of my favourite steps. I love sheet masks as they are fun, inexpensive and fuss-free way to add extra essence to your skincare routine. There are so many variety of sheet masks. From the material it’s made from to the ingredients it contains. I personally love the bio-cellulose sheet mask material.
8. Eye Cream
The skin around the eyes is delicate. Regular usage of eye creams helps to combat dark circles, puffiness, and crow’s feet.
Cosrx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
9. Moisturizer
You can get different textured moisturizers from the thick creamy ones to the lightweight gel textures. To add extra hydration in to your routine you can add in a sleeping pack also known as sleeping mask.
Moisturizer: Huxley Secret of Sahara Cream: Anti-Gravity
Sleeping Pack: Innisfree Green Tea Sleeping Pack
10. SPF
It might not be as glamourous as the other steps but this is probably one of the most important. Sun protection is vital for the skins health and can help with things such as premature ageing and dark skin patches. I love Korean sun creams as they don’t have a thick heavy feeling on the skin and they don’t leave a white cast.
Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun
Keep Cool Soothe Bamboo Sun Essence
I hope you enjoyed this little break down. If you would like to know more about Korean Skincare or skincare in general check out my Instagram @keyaani_
@keyaani_
