All Hail Korean Skincare!
By: Tracy Love
Tags: Skin Care Tips, Makeup, Korean Skincare, Beauty, Skincare

All Hail Korean Skincare!

Korean Skin Care

The cosmetic industry which essentially encompasses hair care, makeup, perfumes and toiletries — just to name a few, has grown exponentially in the last decade alone. In 2018, it grew an estimated 5.5% in comparison to 2017 and is projected to grow by 20.1 billion USD in the upcoming years. In particular skin care sales has increased 5% to $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The rise in skincare popularity may be due to the new and very much warranted prevalence of self-care. Americans seem to now be interested in not only using makeup to cover up imperfections but also addressing them with products that have rapidly gained popularity for their beneficial effects. For instance, Korean skin care products/routines have gained quite a bit of popularity in the states due to their use of natural ingredients in products that provide effective results when used in the correct order. Korea’s cultural obsession with healthy skin has laid the groundwork for the routines now frequently seen/displayed across several platforms like YouTube and Twitter. Essentially the multi-step routines seem to focus on packing layers of hydration into the skin which in turn provides a smoother texture and increased water content to provide clear and glowing skin. For those interested in clear and healthy skin, the steps involved to attain it is a minor feat; above all it’s about going through the steps by making time to care for yourself. Korean skincare is said to be for all skin types and for the newbies to this regimen — you can seek out brands like COSRX and Missha which have been staples in the game and are easily attainable via sites like Amazon and Ulta.

Now let’s get into the steps involved to attain healthy skin via the use of a Korean skin care routine. This routine typically encompasses 10 steps but can be modified as needed based on your skincare needs.

Step 1: Cleanse with an oil based cleanser. This is the first step of the double cleansing process. Oil based cleansers have the ability draw out and dissolve excess oil, dirt and makeup.

Step 2: Cleanse with a foam or water based cleanser. This will remove impurities and keep skin hydrated.

Step 3: Use a gentle exfoliator to free your skin of dead skin cells which can aid in fading acne scars and better product absorption.

Step 4: Apply a toner to balance your skins pH levels so skin doesn’t become dry and dehydrated.

Step 5: Apply an essence as the first step of nourishment while building up to your moisturizer. An essence is a hybrid between a toner and a serum.

Step 6: Apply an ampoule or serum to target specific skin care concerns. These products contain a higher number of active ingredients to create your ideal glow.

Step 7: Apply a sheet mask to saturate skin in hydrating, brightening and/or anti-aging ingredients that will allow for an extra boost in healthy glowy skin.

Step 8: Apply an eye cream to moisturize, de-puff and/or minimize signs of aging.

Step 9: Apply a moisturizer to keep skin hydrated and balance skin barrier.

Step 10: Apply a sunscreen to protect your skin against all signs of aging but most importantly to protect against skin cancer.

For those with a busier schedule that want to attain hydrated and healthy skin the routine can be simplified to include the following steps:

Step 1: Cleanse with water

Step 2: Apply toner

Step 3: Apply serum or ampoule

Step 4: Apply eye cream

Step 5: Moisturize with an SPF

Well there you have it, the key to hydrated and healthy skin! Whether your routine encompasses 10 or 5 steps it’s important to enjoy the process, focus on natural products that cater to your specific skin needs and never skip suncare! Stay tuned as I’ll post specific products that you might like to incorporate into your routine.