My cousin just returned from Korea, and we spent about 6 hours talking about Korean skin care secrets. I realized that Korean skin care products is YEARS ahead of American/European skin care products. Plus, many Asian women have combination/oily skin, which means many skin care products are designed to specifically target this skin type. I have combination skin in the winter and oily skin in the summer, so naturally I find many Asian skin care products a lot more friendly for my skin than many Western skin care brands.
South Korean women spend more money on skin care products than any other women in the world. They often use 14-16 different skin care products on a weekly basis! In contrast, a lot of people here in America use a simple 3-step skin care routine: cleanser, toner, moisturizer. Once upon a time, I had a 2-step skin care routine (cleanser, moisturizer), and that was enough to keep my breakouts in check when used with my prescribed topical cream. I only get occasional breakouts, some blackheads, and enlarged pores (probably from years of acne). I decided at some point to try the Korean skin care routine to try and heal old acne scars and allow my skin to become radiant.
This is a super important step that a lot of people here in the US skip - which is really unfortunate... I cannot stress how important this step is to transforming your skin or maintaining youthful, radiant skin. My cousin highlighted this point in the Korean skincare routine. Many people think serums are used by older women whose primary concern is wrinkles and what-not, but many serums in Asian are more than just wrinkle treatments - many have hydrating, whitening, oil-controlling, etc. abilities. Even if you're under that belief, it's never too early to start fighting wrinkles! This is another product that you want to be prepared to spend more money on because the purity, quality, and quantity of the special ingredients make a big difference.
What the heck is essence anyways?
An essence is very similar to a serum, but is usually lighter and has a more liquid-y consistency. Both essences and serums aim to treat specific skin problems such as wrinkles, enlarged pores, dryness, etc. I like to think that this is THE product to use when you're unhappy or unsatisfied with your skin in someway. My problems are mostly occasional breakouts, blackheads, large pores, and excessive oiliness.
Okay, so emulsion may not be for everyone, so depending on the season and/or your skin type, you may or may not need to use am emulsion.
When I think of emulsions I think salad dressing...what the heck is emulsion as a skincare product?
An emulsion is uncommon in western skincare routines, but it is essentially a lightweight moisturizer. Most emulsions are relatively liquid-y and is quickly absorbed by your skin. It's really meant for people with dry skin or for people who live in dry climates (i.e. New England in the winter). It provides an extra layer of moisture for those whose skin needs it. If you have oily skin, you may not need to use emulsions in your daily skin care routine.
This is also a super important step in the Korean skincare regime! Finding the right moisturizer can be really tricky, especially if your skin type changes with the seasons like mine does. In the summer, my skin is oily, so I need a lightweight moisturizer (oil-free, too!) that can easily be absorbed into my skin. However, in the winter my skin becomes a combination of oily and dry (oily in my t-zone and dry on my cheeks), so I need a heavier moisturizer (still preferably oil-free) to accommodate the season change.
BB creams and CC creams are very similar: both are aimed at concealing blemishes/redness and treating the skin to improve overall skin condition and texture. Many Asian BB/CC creams have a laundry list of skin benefits that include whitening, anti-wrinkle, skin elasticity, etc. Think of them as tinted moisturizers + sunscreen + anti-wrinkle cream + primer + concealer + ....... Anyways, they're awesome for people who are lazy or dislike going through the whole make-up routine. I will be doing a full comparison between BB creams and CC creams another time!
In all honesty, this step can be skipped....depending on your skin type. If you have oily skin like me, it's a good idea to tap on some powder after BB/CC cream to absorb excess shine. Just make sure the powder is oil-free/mineral make-up to avoid clogging up your pores! If you have dry skin, avoid powdering- it can actually irritate your skin or make it even drier! If you have combination skin, only use powder where your skin tends to get shiny. Sensitive skin should also be careful to use only as much as needed.
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| Korean+Skin+care |
South Korean women spend more money on skin care products than any other women in the world. They often use 14-16 different skin care products on a weekly basis! In contrast, a lot of people here in America use a simple 3-step skin care routine: cleanser, toner, moisturizer. Once upon a time, I had a 2-step skin care routine (cleanser, moisturizer), and that was enough to keep my breakouts in check when used with my prescribed topical cream. I only get occasional breakouts, some blackheads, and enlarged pores (probably from years of acne). I decided at some point to try the Korean skin care routine to try and heal old acne scars and allow my skin to become radiant.
Here are the steps for a typical Korean skin care routine:
1) Cleanser
I suggest you pick a foaming cleanser that is gentle on your face. A lot of gel cleansers that I have used are very intensive and often very drying (even for my oily skin). Cream cleansers can sometimes be too oily (especially if they're not oil-free) in the morning, even if your toner can make it work. Generally speaking, I've found that foaming cleansers are perfect for my skin.
This is a trick I learned to determine if your cleanser is too drying/not strong enough:
After washing your face with your cleanser, place a sheet of tissue paper on your face. If it falls off immediately, your cleanser is too dry! If it takes more than two seconds to fall off, your cleanser is not strong enough and too much oil is left on your face! Anytime in between is just right.
2) Toner
Most people think toners are useless/overkill/drying to the skin, but if you pick the right toner for your skin type, it will be well worth your money. A few days ago, I went to Sephora and had a chat with one of the skincare specialists. She said that toners were designed to balance the skin's pH levels following cleansing, as some cleansers are not pH balanced. My dermatologist actually said the exact same thing to me before, and told me to use a gentle toner (alcohol-free) if I wanted to use a toner. While many Western toners are designed to simply balance your skin's pH levels, many Asian toners aim to do that AND hydrate the skin with nutrients. That is what makes Asian toners different than Western toners.
Here's the thing: toners are things you want to be willing to splurge a little on (unlike cleansers where you can find similar ingredients in cheaper products). You want to use a toner that is alcohol-free to avoid drying out your skin and one that has as many natural ingredients as possible to condition your skin without harmful synthetics and chemicals.
3) Essence/Serum
This is a super important step that a lot of people here in the US skip - which is really unfortunate... I cannot stress how important this step is to transforming your skin or maintaining youthful, radiant skin. My cousin highlighted this point in the Korean skincare routine. Many people think serums are used by older women whose primary concern is wrinkles and what-not, but many serums in Asian are more than just wrinkle treatments - many have hydrating, whitening, oil-controlling, etc. abilities. Even if you're under that belief, it's never too early to start fighting wrinkles! This is another product that you want to be prepared to spend more money on because the purity, quality, and quantity of the special ingredients make a big difference.
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| korean-skin-care |
What the heck is essence anyways?
An essence is very similar to a serum, but is usually lighter and has a more liquid-y consistency. Both essences and serums aim to treat specific skin problems such as wrinkles, enlarged pores, dryness, etc. I like to think that this is THE product to use when you're unhappy or unsatisfied with your skin in someway. My problems are mostly occasional breakouts, blackheads, large pores, and excessive oiliness.
4) Emulsion
Okay, so emulsion may not be for everyone, so depending on the season and/or your skin type, you may or may not need to use am emulsion.
When I think of emulsions I think salad dressing...what the heck is emulsion as a skincare product?
An emulsion is uncommon in western skincare routines, but it is essentially a lightweight moisturizer. Most emulsions are relatively liquid-y and is quickly absorbed by your skin. It's really meant for people with dry skin or for people who live in dry climates (i.e. New England in the winter). It provides an extra layer of moisture for those whose skin needs it. If you have oily skin, you may not need to use emulsions in your daily skin care routine.
5) Moisturizer
This is also a super important step in the Korean skincare regime! Finding the right moisturizer can be really tricky, especially if your skin type changes with the seasons like mine does. In the summer, my skin is oily, so I need a lightweight moisturizer (oil-free, too!) that can easily be absorbed into my skin. However, in the winter my skin becomes a combination of oily and dry (oily in my t-zone and dry on my cheeks), so I need a heavier moisturizer (still preferably oil-free) to accommodate the season change.
6) BB Cream/CC Cream
BB creams and CC creams are very similar: both are aimed at concealing blemishes/redness and treating the skin to improve overall skin condition and texture. Many Asian BB/CC creams have a laundry list of skin benefits that include whitening, anti-wrinkle, skin elasticity, etc. Think of them as tinted moisturizers + sunscreen + anti-wrinkle cream + primer + concealer + ....... Anyways, they're awesome for people who are lazy or dislike going through the whole make-up routine. I will be doing a full comparison between BB creams and CC creams another time!
7) Powder
In all honesty, this step can be skipped....depending on your skin type. If you have oily skin like me, it's a good idea to tap on some powder after BB/CC cream to absorb excess shine. Just make sure the powder is oil-free/mineral make-up to avoid clogging up your pores! If you have dry skin, avoid powdering- it can actually irritate your skin or make it even drier! If you have combination skin, only use powder where your skin tends to get shiny. Sensitive skin should also be careful to use only as much as needed.
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| http://korean-skin-care.blogspot.com/ |
MID-DAY...
You wonder what Korean women use to refresh themselves in the middle of the day (especially a hot and humid day)?Facial mists are HUGE in Korea right now! My cousin literally bought 12 different facial mists back from Korea! Most of them are targeted to deliver nutrients and minerals while hydrating and refreshing your your face. This is a step that isn't usually present in a typical Western skin care routine (I didn't start using this until I switched up my skin care routine), but is a nice luxury to incorporate into your everyday life. You won't regret it! These make those super humid, gross days a lot better and fun!
AT NIGHT...
It's super important to note that Koreans take face cleaning very seriously. So seriously they've developed a particular method to obtaining super clean skin. It's called the double-cleansing method. Essentially, it's a two-step cleaning method to get your skin super clean. The first step is to use a make-up remover oil to take off as much of your make-up as possible. Don't worry about using the make-up remover oil if you have oily skin- all traces of the cleansing oil will be removed in the second step. The second step is to use a gentle cleanser to remove any excess make-up (that wasn't removed by the oil remover) and leftover oil remover. Really this method ensures that make-up is completely removed so that leftover make-up doesn't clog your pores and lead to nasty breakouts!
1) Make-up Remover Oil
Don't panic if you have oily/acne prone skin! Make-up is easily removed with an oil-based make-up remover. It beats scrubbing down your skin with water! Trust me on this- the oil actually protects your skin from scrubbing your skin too hard while you attempt to remove the make-up.
2) Cleanser
Again, focus on a gentle cleanser, not one that will strip moisture away from your skin! In fact, taking away all traces of oil from your skin will only induce more oil production (I can cite my dermatologist on this). There are definitely gentle gel cleansers as well, but I happen to find that foaming cleansers are nicer on my skin. All this cleanser has to do is really just take away left-over make-up form step #1 and any other dirt and debris.
3) Toner
Use the same toner as the morning, or use a different one- either is fine! I like to use an an antibacterial toner at night to make sure any bacteria on your pillow don't give you any breakouts! But you can use any toners that cater to your skin's need (i.e. moisturizing, mattifying, etc.)
4) Essence/Serum
I would highly using a different essence or serum as the one you use in the morning. Why? To gain more skin care benefits. Like I said, serums and essences are made for many different uses (aside from just anti-aging). A good nighttime serum/essence to use is one that focuses on repairing/conditioning the skin (i.e. vitamin-based serums, balancing serums, etc.). That way, your skin can heal while you sleep (which is, by the way, super important to your skincare routine!), and you wake up with beautiful, radiant skin :)
5) Night Moisturizer
Typically at night I like to use a heavier moisturizer to help my skin heal intensively. Heavier doesn't necessarily oil-based moisturizers, so don't worry if your skin is oily! Using a richer gel-based moisturizer works very well on oily/acne prone skin. Or you can find an oil-free lotion/cream.
ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK...
You thought we were done with the list?!
In addition to a daily skin care routine, Korean women often have weekly regimes too! Of course, you tailor your own needs to each weekly treatment. These weekly products are definitely worth the splurge because these are the skin care equivalents to icing on the cake, and no cake is a cake without frosting (c'mon let's be honest here). When doing weekly treatments, make sure you understand your skin type and needs. For example, a clay mask may be better used twice a week instead of only one in the summer for someone with oily skin. However, someone with normal skin may find that only once a week may be intensive enough! Tread lightly and be open to trying many products to find the ones that work best for you!
1) Exfoliator/Peel
I recommend using an exfoliator or peel for all skin types. For acne prone/oily skin, scrubbing away dead skin cells will help clear your pores. For someone with dry skin, it can scrub away flaky skin spots (be careful not to scrub too hard!) and promote healthy skin growth. For sensitive skin, be careful to read what the ingredients in the exfoliator/peel is before using. Always test on your hand before using on your face when using a product first! Try finding a product that uses natural ingredients as the "scrubbing agents." When exfoliating, make sure to use your hands (your hands are the best gifts from your parents) and massage your face in an gentle outwards circular motion. The outwards motion helps retain skin resiliency and minimizes skin stretching to prevent wrinkles. You would use the exfoliator or peel after your gentle cleanser and before your toner.
2) Deep-cleansing mask
This one here is awesome for people with oily/acne-prone skin, combination skin, and normal skin- especially in the summer or in humid weather. Many deep-cleansing masks are made out of clay (kaolin), which help draw out debris from your pores. The environment can be full of debris, dirt, and other gunk. The purpose of this step is to create a blank canvas, or to deeply clean out your pores. Dry skin and sensitive skin definitely want to consider the weather before making this a weekly treat. Most deep-cleaning masks are quite intensive, so if you have dry or sensitive skin, your skin may not like this mask very much. You may want to skip this step! You would use the deep-cleansing mask in place of your gentle cleanser after using your make-up remover and before your toner. Make sure to use a heavier moisturizer afterwards if you have sensitive or dry skin!
3) Sheet mask
Did you know that sheet masks were made popular throughout Asia by Koreans? Originating from South Korea, sheet masks are cheap, fun, and useful devices to use against dry weather and bad complexion days! Sheet masks are slowly making their way into the Western market- Sephora recently started selling Masqueology sheet masks online. There is a ridiculous number of brands that make sheet masks, and in my humble opinion, only a few of them really do what they say they do. Most sheet masks are great for refreshing and hydrating the face, as a lot of them are saturated with serums.
Sheet masks are great for any skin types, and should be used depending on your skin type. Tea tree ones are great for oily/acne prone skin. Aloe is great for sensitive skin. Honey is awesome for dry skin. Most sheet masks don't need to be washed off, though I have used ones that require a quick rinse afterwards. Leftover serum in the package should ALWAYS be either massaged into the chin or neck area or patted into the skin using clean hands or facial cotton. Sheet masks are best used after exfoliator and toner, and before your moisturizer. So on a night when you decide to use your exfoliator, break out your sheet mask too! You can skip your essence/serum (the sheet mask does the trick). Depending on the season, the condition of your skin, etc., you may want to use sheet masks 1-3 times a week.
4) Sleeping mask
You might not be super familiar with sleeping masks, which are basically leave-in masks (at least most are) that you put on before going to bed. They come with many different functions including hydration, oil control, rejuvenation, etc. Sleeping masks can be thought of as the "deep-cleansing masks" for dry/sensitive skin. For oily/acne prone skin, there are some really nice sleeping masks that help balance oil production (works like a balancing cream). These are your best friends in the winter and fall!
I know this is a laundry list of skin care products to buy and try out, but if you're like me and you have tried all sorts of solutions to help your troubled skin (dermatologist, traditional Chinese medicine, over-the-counter, etc.), then the Korean skin care routine may actually help change your skin (and your life!) for good. Whatever decisions made, it is always good to be open-minded and be persistent about try new things out.
Good luck with your new skin care routine! :)
It's super important to note that Koreans take face cleaning very seriously. So seriously they've developed a particular method to obtaining super clean skin. It's called the double-cleansing method. Essentially, it's a two-step cleaning method to get your skin super clean. The first step is to use a make-up remover oil to take off as much of your make-up as possible. Don't worry about using the make-up remover oil if you have oily skin- all traces of the cleansing oil will be removed in the second step. The second step is to use a gentle cleanser to remove any excess make-up (that wasn't removed by the oil remover) and leftover oil remover. Really this method ensures that make-up is completely removed so that leftover make-up doesn't clog your pores and lead to nasty breakouts!
 |
| korean-skin-care |
1) Make-up Remover Oil
Don't panic if you have oily/acne prone skin! Make-up is easily removed with an oil-based make-up remover. It beats scrubbing down your skin with water! Trust me on this- the oil actually protects your skin from scrubbing your skin too hard while you attempt to remove the make-up.
2) Cleanser
Again, focus on a gentle cleanser, not one that will strip moisture away from your skin! In fact, taking away all traces of oil from your skin will only induce more oil production (I can cite my dermatologist on this). There are definitely gentle gel cleansers as well, but I happen to find that foaming cleansers are nicer on my skin. All this cleanser has to do is really just take away left-over make-up form step #1 and any other dirt and debris.
3) Toner
Use the same toner as the morning, or use a different one- either is fine! I like to use an an antibacterial toner at night to make sure any bacteria on your pillow don't give you any breakouts! But you can use any toners that cater to your skin's need (i.e. moisturizing, mattifying, etc.)
4) Essence/Serum
I would highly using a different essence or serum as the one you use in the morning. Why? To gain more skin care benefits. Like I said, serums and essences are made for many different uses (aside from just anti-aging). A good nighttime serum/essence to use is one that focuses on repairing/conditioning the skin (i.e. vitamin-based serums, balancing serums, etc.). That way, your skin can heal while you sleep (which is, by the way, super important to your skincare routine!), and you wake up with beautiful, radiant skin :)
5) Night Moisturizer
Typically at night I like to use a heavier moisturizer to help my skin heal intensively. Heavier doesn't necessarily oil-based moisturizers, so don't worry if your skin is oily! Using a richer gel-based moisturizer works very well on oily/acne prone skin. Or you can find an oil-free lotion/cream.
ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK...
You thought we were done with the list?!
In addition to a daily skin care routine, Korean women often have weekly regimes too! Of course, you tailor your own needs to each weekly treatment. These weekly products are definitely worth the splurge because these are the skin care equivalents to icing on the cake, and no cake is a cake without frosting (c'mon let's be honest here). When doing weekly treatments, make sure you understand your skin type and needs. For example, a clay mask may be better used twice a week instead of only one in the summer for someone with oily skin. However, someone with normal skin may find that only once a week may be intensive enough! Tread lightly and be open to trying many products to find the ones that work best for you!
 |
| korean-skin-care |
I recommend using an exfoliator or peel for all skin types. For acne prone/oily skin, scrubbing away dead skin cells will help clear your pores. For someone with dry skin, it can scrub away flaky skin spots (be careful not to scrub too hard!) and promote healthy skin growth. For sensitive skin, be careful to read what the ingredients in the exfoliator/peel is before using. Always test on your hand before using on your face when using a product first! Try finding a product that uses natural ingredients as the "scrubbing agents." When exfoliating, make sure to use your hands (your hands are the best gifts from your parents) and massage your face in an gentle outwards circular motion. The outwards motion helps retain skin resiliency and minimizes skin stretching to prevent wrinkles. You would use the exfoliator or peel after your gentle cleanser and before your toner.
2) Deep-cleansing mask
This one here is awesome for people with oily/acne-prone skin, combination skin, and normal skin- especially in the summer or in humid weather. Many deep-cleansing masks are made out of clay (kaolin), which help draw out debris from your pores. The environment can be full of debris, dirt, and other gunk. The purpose of this step is to create a blank canvas, or to deeply clean out your pores. Dry skin and sensitive skin definitely want to consider the weather before making this a weekly treat. Most deep-cleaning masks are quite intensive, so if you have dry or sensitive skin, your skin may not like this mask very much. You may want to skip this step! You would use the deep-cleansing mask in place of your gentle cleanser after using your make-up remover and before your toner. Make sure to use a heavier moisturizer afterwards if you have sensitive or dry skin!
3) Sheet mask
Did you know that sheet masks were made popular throughout Asia by Koreans? Originating from South Korea, sheet masks are cheap, fun, and useful devices to use against dry weather and bad complexion days! Sheet masks are slowly making their way into the Western market- Sephora recently started selling Masqueology sheet masks online. There is a ridiculous number of brands that make sheet masks, and in my humble opinion, only a few of them really do what they say they do. Most sheet masks are great for refreshing and hydrating the face, as a lot of them are saturated with serums.
Sheet masks are great for any skin types, and should be used depending on your skin type. Tea tree ones are great for oily/acne prone skin. Aloe is great for sensitive skin. Honey is awesome for dry skin. Most sheet masks don't need to be washed off, though I have used ones that require a quick rinse afterwards. Leftover serum in the package should ALWAYS be either massaged into the chin or neck area or patted into the skin using clean hands or facial cotton. Sheet masks are best used after exfoliator and toner, and before your moisturizer. So on a night when you decide to use your exfoliator, break out your sheet mask too! You can skip your essence/serum (the sheet mask does the trick). Depending on the season, the condition of your skin, etc., you may want to use sheet masks 1-3 times a week.
4) Sleeping mask
You might not be super familiar with sleeping masks, which are basically leave-in masks (at least most are) that you put on before going to bed. They come with many different functions including hydration, oil control, rejuvenation, etc. Sleeping masks can be thought of as the "deep-cleansing masks" for dry/sensitive skin. For oily/acne prone skin, there are some really nice sleeping masks that help balance oil production (works like a balancing cream). These are your best friends in the winter and fall!
I know this is a laundry list of skin care products to buy and try out, but if you're like me and you have tried all sorts of solutions to help your troubled skin (dermatologist, traditional Chinese medicine, over-the-counter, etc.), then the Korean skin care routine may actually help change your skin (and your life!) for good. Whatever decisions made, it is always good to be open-minded and be persistent about try new things out.
Good luck with your new skin care routine! :)
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