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Your Ultimate Guide to a Korean Skincare Routine

by Hannah Wang

You have probably seen Korean celebrities and idols with smooth, glossy, healthy skin on TV. This is the envied skin type that many people want. But skin care doesn’t just get fixed with a certain “lotion” or “brand”. It takes a long time for skin to heal and get better for it to look like the ideal type of skin.

There are 10 steps to a Korean skin care routine. 

 

  1. Oil Cleansing

  2. Water Cleansing

  3. Exfoliating

  4. Toning

  5. Serums/Essence

  6. Treatments

  7. Sheet masks

  8. Eye cream

  9. Moisturizer

  10. Sunscreen

1. Oil Cleansing

Oiling cleansing helps your face get rid of all of the oil, dirt, and bacteria on your face. It also helps clean out clogged pores, remove dead skin, removes pollutants, and removes makeup. It can help prevent acne and is used for deep cleaning. Some people, particularly the people who use the Kpop skin care routine, as a first step of gentle washing and cleaning the face. This is why makeup removers use oil, it can lift formulas off of your lashes and skin more easily. Using oils instead of traditional soap or detergent cleaner can also help protect the natural lipid layer of skin. It is important to buy high quality oils and cleansers without added scents or dyes so that you don’t irritate your skin. This article can help you find a good product for your skin!



2. Water Cleansing

By cleansing with water, you’re less likely to over-strip the skin’s natural oil and therefore reduce the risk of damaging your skin barrier. Cleansing your face with water not only reduces the oil-stripping action but also the physical rubbing action, which would reduce irritation to the skin. Those with very dry skin or eczema will find that water-cleansing helps to retain the skin’s natural moisture. Cleansing water solutions, also known as micellar water, is typically used as a facial cleanser to help remove makeup, dirt, and oil from the skin. This is due to the presence of micelles, which are compounds that are highly effective at removing dirt and oil to keep skin clear. This article can help you find a good micellar water product just for you!



3. Exfoliating

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin. Like oil cleansing and micellar water, exfoliating removes dead skin cells can clear pores and prevent outbreaks of mild acne. Other issues that exfoliating can help with include redness from rosacea and also dry skin. Exfoliating can be integral in an anti-aging skincare routine, as it can help encourage healthier growth. Clean skin is healthier skin all around. helps to keep your skin silky soft and smooth by buffing away and removing dead skin cells. Need help finding a product? Check out this website!



 

4. Toning

Toner removes any last traces of dirt, grime and impurities stuck in your pores after you wash your face. Toners have a soothing effect to reduce flaking and irritation. Moisturizing toners still help to cleanse the skin further without removing the skin’s natural oils. These help to relieve dry and dull skin. It’s packed with so much more than hydrogen and oxygen. Depending on the toner, it also can contain acids, glycerin, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories. Another great website for products!



5. Serums/Essence

Essences are designed to hydrate and nourish the skin, while serums are typically used to target specific concerns such as fine lines, blemishes, or dullness, thanks to their high concentration of active ingredients. Essence is a water-based skin care product that contains a high content of active ingredients to hydrate, protect, and boost the overall health of skin. When essence is applied to clean skin after using a cleanser and toner, it helps restore hydration to the skin cells. Need some advice? Check out allure and byrdie!

6. Treatments

A skin treatment can help you achieve younger looking skin by increasing your skin’s elasticity, improving textural irregularities, tightening facial contours, and of course, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, thus erasing years from your appearance without any invasive procedures. There are many treatments for skin such as dermabrasion (a procedure performed by a dermatologist or a licensed professional. They numb your skin, then use an exfoliating device to remove outer layers of damaged skin), microdermabrasion (this is a less intense version of dermabrasion. It is performed by rubbing fine crystals into skin using a certain device), laser resurfacing, chemical peels, acne blue light therapy, and many more! Check this out for help!

7. Sheet Masks

Many of you have probably seen or used skin masks, whether you’ve gotten it as a gift or seen someone use it. Some people wonder if a face mask is actually useful or not. A face mask traps the moisture or ingredient in the skin and creates film that helps to either hydrate, moisturize, dry or exfoliate the skin depending on the ingredients used and its purpose. This helps with allowing ingredients to penetrate into your skin better in a short amount of time. Face masks can help clear dirt, oils, and impurities to lessen the appearance of current breakouts and prevent acne in the future. While acne face masks can help reduce pimples, they are most effective when combined with the right skincare routine like our skincare sets. There are many sheet masks for different areas on the face such as lip sheets, sheets for under your eyes, your overall face, and etc! Here’s some reference!

8. Eye Cream

Eye cream is necessary because the skin around your eyes is thinner and the first to show signs of aging. A good eye cream can help minimize the look of wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. Like moisturizers you use on your face, eye creams include skin-restoring and replenishing benefit ingredients to help hydrate, reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles and defend against UV rays and other environmental aggressors. Although eye creams don’t get rid of dark circles or reduce undereye puffiness as much, they help very well with reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Find a good eye cream here!

9. Moisturizer

Eye cream is necessary because the skin around your eyes is thinner and the first to show signs of aging. A good eye cream can help minimize the look of wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. Like moisturizers you use on your face, eye creams include skin-restoring and replenishing benefit ingredients to help hydrate, reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles and defend against UV rays and other environmental aggressors. Although eye creams don’t get rid of dark circles or reduce undereye puffiness as much, they help very well with reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Find a good eye cream here!

10. Sunscreen

It is important to keep your skin away from the sun! The sun creates aging and wrinkles in your skin. Wearing sunscreen is one of the best — and easiest — ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age. Used regularly, sunscreen helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging. As we’ve learned, your basic daily skincare routine should include a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Great sunscreens offer broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Some consider this the most important part of their skincare routine. Find some good sunscreens here and here!



Overall, I hope that you have learned a lot and will include these 10 steps in your daily skin care routine so that you can get smooth, glowing, and healthy skin! Remember, fixing your skin will take a while. Patience is key!

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