I know what you're thinking. It's what every working (at home or away) American female thinks when confronted with a routine. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" But I challenge you to look at your skincare differently. Think of it as the few minutes out of the day that you take the time to take care of yourself. You live in your skin for a very long time. And we all know the better you take care of your things, the longer they last. Your skin is no different. This is an opportunity to pamper yourself. And it's fun - especially once you start seeing results!
On average, it takes me about 5 to 7 minutes to go through my steps. This does not include sheet mask days, as we learned in the post about sheet masks. You do not do 10 steps every day, but there will be a day or two during the week when you will do all 10 steps. That being said, let's get to it!
1) Oil-based Cleanser
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| Tony Moly / Banila Co. |
I initially shied away from the idea of an oil-based cleanser. After all, my skin has always had an oily component. When I was younger, my skin was oil slick and acne prone. As I've gotten older, my skin has gone to an oily T-zone and is dry in patches. Adding more oil to what's already oily would cause even worse breakouts, right? This made no sense to me. What I've learned is exactly the opposite. The oils in these cleansers are "good oils" that help to extract the "bad oils" - the sebum, oils in makeup and other products - from our skin. Oil removes oil. So go ahead and give it a try! These cleansers come in a liquid form, which is pumped or poured into your hand, or a sherbet form. The sherbets have the consistency of a petroleum jelly (think Vaseline), and come with a scooper. Scoopers keep your product clean and hygienic - keeping those fingers out of the product keeps bacteria at bay. Simply pump, pour or rub into hands, gently rub onto face, right over your makeup, and rinse thoroughly. Use your oil-based cleanser whenever you need to remove makeup, sunblock, etc. from your skin, once or twice a day. One and done!
2) Water-based Cleanser
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| Neogen / Tony Moly / Cosmetea / Tony Moly / Benton / Holika Holika |
Oh yes! This is called the double cleanse!! See those exclamation points? This is exciting!
The water-based cleanser is designed to open the pores and remove all of the other dirt and gunk that wasn't removed by the oil-based cleanser. They come in a watery forms with a foam pump, gels, and even creams. K-Beauty cleansers focus on retaining the skins moisture, not stripping it. They are light, fluffy and fun and leave your face squeaky clean! Use twice a day, morning and evening. What more could we ask for? Except maybe an.....
3) Exfoliator
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| Neogen |
Exfoliation is a process that can be accomplished on its own with a dedicated product, or combined in steps 2 or 4. Exfoliation is that process of removing dead skin from the top layer of the epidermis, removing the dullness and leaving the skin glowing and radiant. In my opinion, it's the step in Western skincare where we got it all wrong! GENTLE! Gentle is the name of the game in Korean skincare and it has not steered them wrong in centuries! We have the tendency to want to scrub our skin to death - literally. Overstimulation causes irritation - redness, dryness, breakouts. K-Beauty is designed to be gentle. So while it may not feel to the touch as though dry skin is being sloughed off, the product is doing exactly that, but in a much safer, much more effective way.
K-Beauty exfoliators are either chemical, manual or a combination of both. Chemical exfoliators use safe acids and chemicals - alphahodroxy acids (AHAs), betahydroxy acids (BHAs), glycolic acids, etc. - to slough away dead skin. They can be watery or creamy and go on with a cotton ball or specially designed cloth pad. They can even come in a peel that rolls away the dead skin from your face. Manual exfoliators are grainy and have texture (like the apricot facial scrubs that we're used to, but much smaller granules). Use your hands to apply.
Most exfoliators are rinsed from the skin, especially if they're combined with your cleanser. Be sure to read the label. You definitely don't want to leave an exfoliator on your face that's supposed to be removed. Ouch! Your exfoliator should be used no more than twice a week.
4) Toner
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Ah, toner. The portion of the routine designed to refresh the skin, tighten pores, balance pH, hydrate and improver skin tone and texture. There's a lot taking place here. Make sure to stay away from toners with a high alcohol content, if any, which can dry out the skin and cause irritation. How can you tell? Ingredients are listed on a product from highest to lowest concentration. If the alcohol is listed first, odds are the content is high. There are certain alcohols used that are non-drying, cetearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol being the most common. These are emollient and are good for slowing down water loss. I lean toward toners that consist of all natural ingredients, my favorite of which is Witch Hazel. The smell to me is like heaven - sterile and clean! A basic toner can be used twice a day, morning and evening.
K-Beauty manufacturers also make exfoliating toners. They contain chemical exfoliators - glycolic acid, salicylic acid, etc. - to provide deeper cleansing and absorption. Most are the consistency of water. These toners come in varying strengths. Due to the higher concentration of chemicals, it's suggested that you start using only once a week and build up to twice a week, depending on the product. There has been a lot of buzz about these toners lately. Many users think they work wonders and are all the rage!
5) Sheet Mask
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| Masksheets.com / gumii.shop |
This is one of my favorite parts of the regimen! I won't go into detail here, as my last post delved pretty deeply into this K-Beauty staple. I do want to add that sheet masks can be used quite often. Many people like to use them once a day. I tend to use a mask every other day, and I select the type of mask based on how my skin is behaving that day. If I've had a long night and was up late partying into the wee hours, I choose a hydrating mask. If my skin seems dull, it's a brilliance mask. If it's that time of the month, I'll use a calming mask and if it's dry - nourishing. Use your sheet mask after you have cleansed and toned. Follow directions for the duration of time that the mask should be used. Which reminds me: IF YOU CAN'T READ THE DIRECTIONS (these are Korean products written in the Korean language), go back to the site where you purchased your products. Every site has a "How To" link with the directions in English. There should also be links with an English language ingredient list as well.
6) Essence
Stay with me, now. We're over halfway there...
I consider Essence the powerhouse of the K-Beauty system. Essences make all of the other steps more powerful. Why? Essences take care of the skin on a cellular level**, helping cells turn over - shedding the dead skin - and regenerate faster and more effectively to let the new radiant skin burst through. Essences help to hydrate the skin (attacking fine lines and wrinkles), balance pH levels, brighten and even skin tone. They moisturize deeply, helping Serums do their job.
Essences can look a LOT like toners, but they are not interchangeable. They also come in various consistencies. Missha's First Treatment Essence has an almost watery feel, whereas COSRX Snail Mucin Power Essence is slippery and has the consistency of a mucus (sorry - that's the least offensive fluid I could compare it to...).
No special tools or materials are needed for your Essence. Simply use your hands to pat the liquid into your skin. Essences can be used twice a day, morning and evening.
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Essences can look a LOT like toners, but they are not interchangeable. They also come in various consistencies. Missha's First Treatment Essence has an almost watery feel, whereas COSRX Snail Mucin Power Essence is slippery and has the consistency of a mucus (sorry - that's the least offensive fluid I could compare it to...).
No special tools or materials are needed for your Essence. Simply use your hands to pat the liquid into your skin. Essences can be used twice a day, morning and evening.
7) Serums (aka Ampoules aka Boosters)
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| Elizavecca / Skinfood / Dearderm / Mizon / Neogen |
If you're like me, you like to watch various makeup artists on YouTube and Instagram. Lately I've seen artists add a dropper-full of liquid to their foundation or contour, or even dropper directly onto the skin. What they are using are Serums. A Serum is a more concentrated form of Essence. It is designed to treat skin issues using powerful ingredients. Sun damage, hyperpigmentation, redness, dryness, aging, brown spots, scarring, dullness, acne, large pores, etc. - you name it, there's a Serum for it! The best part - you can layer your Serums to target each skin issue. They can be used all over the face or as spot treatments. Rub or tap directly into the skin, or mix with your favorite foundation or moisturizer. Note: if you plan to head outside, be sure that your foundation or moisturizer has sun protection included before you mix with your serum. It can be a bit difficult to add a sunscreen once this has occurred...Serums can be used twice a day, morning and evening.
8) Eye Cream
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I don't know about y'all, but I've never been able to find an eye cream, here in the lower 48, for under $25. And for a girl on a budget (or extremely cheap, like me) this is unacceptable. But never fear! K-Beauty has eye creams, gels, and eye masks at nearly every price point! Like the other products, ingredients boost moisturization as well as target typical issues like puffiness, and dark circles. Use your weakest digit to gentle tap the cream or gel into the skin,
Eye masks are similar to the sheet mask. They come in a variety of materials and numerous specialty ingredients, all designed to protect this most delicate area. Lay on top of the eye area for the suggested amount of time. Some eye masks can be stored in the refrigerator, similar to a compress, which aids in the reduction of swelling. Discard mask after each use. Use eye masks as directed.
9) Night Cream / Sunblock
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| Enprani / Holika Holika / Benton / Purlisse |
The best way to protect your beautiful skin, night and day - night cream and sunblock. There are myriad night time moisturizing potions in every K-Beauty line. Thank goodness the majority are inexpensive. This means you can try a bunch and see which suits you best. Or, as I prefer, get a bunch for shits n giggles! You'll be amazed at what's out there. And the textures run the full spectrum - from watery and light to the texture of cream cheese (LOVE IT!)! And the ingredients - snail mucin, goat placenta, donkey milk, collagen, white tea, green tea, caviar, tomato, syn-ake, aloe, etc. It's a virtual salad for you face!
And don't forget to protect that lovely skin when going outdoors. Sunblocks can also be found with an abundance of protection levels. Use daily, sunblock in the morning and night cream at night.
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| Yadah / Missha / Dr. Jart+ |
10) Sleeping Mask
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| Laneige |
That's it! I know it sounds like a lot, but give it go. It's so much fun and your skin will thank you!
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