If you’re interested in beauty trends, you’ve likely heard all about Korean skin care also known as K-Beauty. Adding more, Korean beauty products originate from, and are manufactured in, Korea. They are made with the Korean beauty philosophy in mind.
What is Korean skin care?
Korean skin
care products focuses on prevention and protection rather than the use of
makeup products to undo damage. The K-Beauty products and care method is very
innovative and should be the secret for a glowing skin.
The idea of Korean
skincare is that you almost do not need makeup with a good skin.
“The Korean skin care philosophy is about working with your skin’s natural ecosystem by cleansing, nourishing, hydrating and protecting it, allowing your skin to glow”.
Is Korean Skin-care a Brand?
No, the Korean skin care routine is not a
brand or person’s discovery. It is the evolution that originated from the skin routine
that many Korean people follow.
Korean Skin-care Routine:
The main
thing is to understand about a Korean skin care routine is your targeted skin
care needs. Then, you can gently address your skin with the right products.
Let’s start
the most common skin care routine used by the beautiful Koreans:
10-step Korean Skin Care Routine:
Let’s
discuss the ultimate guide to the 10-step Korean skincare routine, it
usually goes as follows:
1. Oil-based
cleanser:
Water and oil
repel each other, which mean that a water-based cleanser is unable to remove
all the oil-based impurities on your skin.
So the Oil-based
cleansers are a good alternative to makeup removers; In other words, the SPF,
makeup, sunscreen and your body’s natural sebum are most effectively removed
with an oil-based cleanser. This doesn’t remove the natural healthy oils from
your face.
2. Water-based
cleanser:
A
water-based cleanser is usually a foaming liquid (or a bar) that removes the
remaining impurities left behind by the oil cleanser, such as sweat and dirt.
In simple
words, the water based cleanser helps cleanse the impurities that oil-based
cleansers can’t.
3. Exfoliators:
Exfoliators sometimes
referred as Exfoliants are things
like scrubs, cleansing towels, peels and pads. The exfoliators help in removing
dead skin cells and buildup. To get better results, start slow and do it once
or twice per week max.
The
exfoliators only work on the surface level of skin, and they’re not suggested
for sensitive skin types or skin that’s prone to irritation.
4. Toner:
The Korean
toners are different from western toners. They’re not astringent, alcohol-laden
toners. It helps to restore the balance and bring moisture back to the skin.
Mostly, however,
toners are prepared to do one thing: to balance the pH level in your skin. Our
skin’s first layer of protection is the acid mantle, which is an invisible
chemical barrier and this acid mantle likes to be slightly acidic at a pH of
5.5 to keep skin moisturizing and to remove harmful bacteria.
5. Essence:
Essence is a
major step in the Korean skincare routine. It is a lightweight, water-based
product that hydrates the skin and improves the absorption of other products. The
primary purpose of a Korean essence is to flood skin with hydration.
When you
first prepare your skin with a Korean essence, the essence soaks your skin with
hydration, maximizing your skin’s ability to absorb all the goodness from the
rest of your K-Beauty skincare routine.
6. Treatment (Serum):
In K-Beauty skin
care, a treatment also known as Serum
that focused on helping a specific skin problem.
Serums tend
to be more concentrated in its active ingredients. It treats skin issues
including wrinkles, dark spots (acne) and dullness. Generally, serums have a
more viscous texture than essences.
7. Moisturizer:
Moisturizers
provide more hydration to your skin, but it’s important to note that
moisturizers comes last, after super-hydrating products such as essences,
serums and oils, because many moisturizers contain these things called occlusive.
The occlusives actually help prevent transepidermal water loss.
8. Eye cream:
Eye creams
are slightly different than moisturizers and they also typically active
ingredients to target various concerns for the eye area. Eye creams, gels and oils
are made to target the thin, sensitive skin around the eyes while helping with
darkness and puffiness.
Applying an
eye cream before or after moisturizer is OK, whatever feels best for your Korean
skin care routine.
9. Sheet mask:
Sheet masks (Sleeping
Mask) are sheets of serum-soaked paper that you lay on your face for about 15
to 20 minutes. Keep in mind that Sheet masks aren’t something that needs to be done
every day.
Sheet masks
do two main things:
1. They moisturize your skin with
hydration and other active, helpful ingredients.
2. Sheet masks create a barrier over the
skin so that ingredients can better sink into your face skin.
10. SPF:
The
Sunscreen formulations fall in two categories:
• Mineral sunscreens (Physical
Sunscreen)
• Chemical sunscreens
Mineral sunscreens are also known as physical sunscreens, and there are just two mineral sunscreen ingredients in it: titanium dioxide and zinc dioxide. Mineral sunscreens reflect away UV rays, basically repelling them away, though chemical sunscreens will take the UV rays, turn them into heat, and prevent them from doing damage.
Both mineral
and chemical sunscreens are equally protective, and it really kind of comes down
to what you’re looking for your skin care routine.
7-step Korean skin care routine:
Compared to
the mostly used 10-step routine, the 7 step routine lacks an exfoliant, sheet
masks, and an SPF. Let’s break down the 7-step Korean skincare routine:
1. Oil-based cleanser
2. Water-based cleanser
3. Toner
4. Essence
5. Treatment
6. Eye cream
7. Moisturizer
5-step Korean skincare routine:
The 5 steps skin
care routine of Korean people is the mostly used and basic to do every morning.
It is perfect for those on a low budget or short on time. Let’s begin the five
steps:
1. Oil-based cleanser
2. Water-based cleanser
3. Toner
4. Moisturizer
5. SPF
The Final
words:
It is important to know your skin type before starting the Korean Skin Care Routine, either your skin is oily or dry, if you are having the oily skin, don’t be afraid to embrace double cleansing. For those with dry skin, you may want to only use an oil-based cleanser.
