The Famous 10 step Korean skincare routine explained
Korea is very well known for their love and dedication to a PH balanced and hydrating skincare routine. To some; a 10 step skincare routine every night sounds excessive, to say the least, but in Korea skincare is so much more than just cleaning your face every night, its a part of their culture and rich history. This means that Skincare over in Korea is so much more advanced, and is back decades of scientific advancement.
STEP 1 : Oil Cleaner
Oil cleansers are the base of the korean skincare routine, and for good reason too, it prepares
and clears your skin for layering all of your products on.
Oil Cleanser remove makeup, sebum, SPF and pollution.
What it does:
Removes the "bad oils" in your skin whilst pulling out dirt, all without clogging your pores making it suitable for many skin types.
How to:
Apply a small amount to dry skin, gently message onto the face and around the eyes, then emulsify the product by adding a small amount of water onto your hands and massaging your face until it becomes a pale milky colour. Then rinse thoroughly and gently pat skin with a soft , clean towel.
Some of my personal favourites are the:
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (£20)
Banilla Co Clean it Zero - my current favourite! ( £22.49)
Step 2 : Water Based Cleanser
The second step of the double cleanse. Using a water based cleanser is important as it removes all the oil debris left over from the first cleanse by dissolving all water based impurities such as sweat and dirt.
Water and oil don't mix, so double cleansing is the most gentle and effective way of removing both oil and water based impurities that build up on your skin throughout the day.
What it does:
Remove water based impurities gently
How to:
Apply morning (if you need to) and night to damp skin rubbing in circular motions for 30-60 seconds all over your face and neck. Then rinse thoroughly with luke warm water.
some of my personal favourites are:
Matcha hemp hydrating cleanser (£35.99)
Soon Jung PH 6.5 Whip Cleanser (£16.50)
Step 3: Exfoliator
There are two different types of exfoliators, chemical and physical.
Physical exfoliators involve physically and manually scrubbing away dead skin cells. They're often quite abrasive and if used with a heavy hand can be too much for your skin. This is why when using a physical exfoliant make sure to use with light handedly.
Chemical Exfoliants remove dead skin cells with acid to aid in cell turnover. There are two different types of chemical exfoliators- BHA's (beta hydroxy acids) and AHA's (alpha hydroxy acids)
I know that sounds very scary and intimidating, but the best way to explain is is AHAs are water soluble so if you have dryer skin try using these, and if you have oilier blackhead prone skin stick to BHA's as they're oil soluble and penetrate deeper into the skin.
It is also possible to use both at the same time, which is very popular in korean skincare, as it gives you a very effective but gentle exfoliating experience.
What it does:
Remove dead skin cells and aid in cell turnover
How to:
apply a directly onto skin (if using a physical only use a small amount rubbing in circular motions before removing with luke warm water) once a week then slowly building up to two to three times a week
depending on your skin.
Some of my personal favourites are:
Green tea & enzyme peel ( enzyme powder wash, a more gentle option for a physical exfoliator) £19.43
Benton aloe BHA skin toner ( Chemical BHA only exfoliator) £12.96
Isntree 8% AHA essence (Chemical AHA only exfoliator) £10.65
Some By MI AHA, BHA, PHA 30 day miracle toner (chemical exfoliator that uses both AHA and BHA) £13.21
Step 4: Toner:
Toners are used as a prep product to restore your skins PH level, this allows your skin to effectively absorb the rest of your skincare. The more hydrated your skin is, the easier it is for products to absorb into your skin and therefore work better.
What it does:
hydrate, plump and balance the moisture and PH levels in your skin
How to use:
either put on your hands and pat into your skin, or place on a cotton pad and swipe on your face.
some of my favourites are:
Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner - £12.39
Soon Jung PH 5.5 Relief Toner - £17.70
Step 5 : Essence
Essence are probably one of the most popular and well known korean skincare product - and for good reason too! Korean Essences are so hydrating and plumping for the skin with most incredible and gentle ingredients all packed into one bottle! (my personal favourite being mugwort!)
they focus mostly on one ingredients making them very hydrating, which helps with anti-aging and giving a radiant complexion to the skin.
PRO TIP- A very popular trend in Korea is to apply essence seven times so that your skin can absorb more of the hydrating ingredients, leaving your skin more supple and hydrated.
What it does:
hydrate, protect and boost the overall health of the skin.
How to use:
dab onto your hands and then pat on your face (if you want to do it the korean way, repeat this step 7 times!)
some of my favourites are:
I'm From Mugwort Essence- £22.98 ( personal favourite!)
Step 6: Treatments
Treatments are the ampules, serums and boosters to the korean skincare routine. They're job is to focus on aiding a specific problem, with the help of highly concentrated ingredients that target specific issues, i.e acne, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
What it does:
Target and treat problem areas.
How to use:
Tap onto face gently, following the instructions of the product, on your face whilst focusing specifically on the problem area.
some of my favourites are:
iUNIK - Tea Tree Relief Serum- £11.94
Step 7:Sheet Masks
Sheet masks are the most well known and loved Korean skincare product, they're often described as the gateway product into to world of K- beauty. Sheet masks work by create a barrier over your skin so that the ingredients can better soak into your skin, leaving your skin deeply hydrated and supple.
What it does:
flood your skin with lots of hydration from the concentrated essence packed into the mask.
How to use:
apply as many times a week as you want to, although 3 times is considered a nice number per week. follow the instructions on the back of the packet, sit back and relax!
some of my favourites are:
Step 8: Eye Cream
The area around your eye is the thinnest, most sensitive part of your face, good eye creams help with the sagging of the skin around your eye area, dark protruding circles and wrinkles. However, eye cream is not an essential to any skincare routine, but rather a nice luxury product if you have the money. If you decide not to use an eye cream, instead opt for dabbing your normal moisuriser very delicately under the eyes.
What it does:
hydrated, and prevent signs of aging.
How to use:
Use your ring finger to DAB (very important, don't rub!!) around your orbital bone very gently.
some of my favourites are:
Mizon snail repair eye cream - £10.28
Step 9: Moistuiser
The moisturisers job now is to seal in all the incredible hydration you've layered onto your skin, so that you get the full benefit of the whole skincare routine.
What it does:
Put a protective seal over the top layer of your skin so that all the products can soak in, leaving your skin hydrated and plump.
How to use:
Use an upward stroke motion to apply on your face and neck, morning and night.
some of my favourites are:
Step 10: SPF
Sunscreen is the most important part of this whole routine, and without it there's really no point in doing the other 9 steps. Sunscreen is the most effective way of reducing premature aging, as it blocks the UVA (aging) and UVB ( Burning) rays from your skin.
There are 2 different types of sunscreen Mineral and Chemical (and a hybrid of the 2- so technically 3!!!)
When it comes to sunscreen, Koreans are considered the most advanced with their cutting edge technology predicted to being years ahead of the western world.
What it does:
Protect the skin from harmful UV rays to prevent premature aging.
How to use:
Apply every day (even the days your just staying inside) onto your face and neck, reapplying several times a day.
Some of my favourites are:
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