Korean Skin Care - 10 Steps
- beautybuffetindia
- Feb 5, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 6, 2019
With alternative (easy to buy) products!
I had mentioned in one of the previous posts about the 10 Step Korean skin care regime which I fell in love with. This post is going to have the products I used and their best alternatives which are easily available in India.
ALERT - This is going to be a long one!
WHAT IS THE KOREAN SKIN CARE ROUTINE?
They have 10 steps from start to finish, each step is helping, treating, nourishing and protecting your skin. Every step is as necessary as the previous one. And, it works like magic!
WHAT ARE THE STEPS?
1. Oil Remover
2. Foam Face Wash
3. Exfoliator
4. Toner
5. Essence
6. Emulsion
7. Treatment - Serum / Face Mask
8. Under Eye Cream
9. Moisturiser
10. Sunscreen
1. OIL REMOVER:
Massaging your face with oil is step one of the double cleansing technique, it not only removes the makeup from the face but also loosens the impurities stuck in the pores, like pollution, dirt, sebum etc.
WHAT DO I USE?
Virgin olive oil, because I have dry skin I prefer olive oil over coconut oil.
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
Organic Coconut Oil is best suited for oily skin.
2. FOAM CLEANSER / FACE WASH:
This is the second step to the double cleansing technique, after massaging the face with oil, you wash it off with a foam cleanser to get rid of the impurities completely. This also removes the water based impurities which the oil remover couldn’t remove such as sweat.
WHAT DO I USE?
Rice Water Bright Foaming Cleanser by The Face Shop. I absolutely love this face wash, it is mild yet effective.
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser by Neutrogena. CLICK HERE TO BUY
3. EXFOLIATION:
Scrubbing your face removes the dead skin cells on the first layer of your skin, which makes it easy for your skin to absorb the products that comes after the exfoliator.
WHAT DO I USE?
Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Scrub by Neutrogena.
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
You can use any scrub that you already have or a home made scrub.
4. TONER:
After scrubbing your face, wash and dry your face completely. Apply a toner to your face with a cotton pad and be extremely generous with this step. Toner helps close all the pores on the skin, which reduces the chances of impurities settling in again which could further lead to severe acne.
WHAT DO I USE?
Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Cooling Toner by Neutrogena (yes, I love Neutrogena products)
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
You could use a cucumber toner or rose water, but for this skin care routine I suggest against it, as these toners are extremely mild.
1. Cucumber Toner for Oily to Dry Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
2. Rose Toner for Normal to Sensitive Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
5. ESSENCE:
This is a light weight product that hydrates your skin instantly. It also helps in cell regeneration. This is where it gets fun, I absolutely love this step and love the product I use. I’ve also written an entire blog about it. A little dab of those product, will make your skin shine and glow! The essence that I use further removes the left over dirt that didn’t come off with the double cleansing. It’s AMAZING!
WHAT DO I USE?
The First Treatment Essence by Missha
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
I haven’t found a single product that has reached the excellency of this one. I honestly do not know if there is an essence in the market that works this well!
6. EMULSION:
Emulsion is basically a watery cream, emulsion is a mixture of oil and water, so it suits every skin type. It is easily absorbed by the skin and creates a smooth texture on the face. A lot of people like to use the emulsion as a moisturiser but I prefer using it in between the routine rather than ending it with emulsion. Because after application of so many products my face is already saturated and does not absorb the emulsion fully. So, I prefer using it before my skin is fully saturated and hydrated.
WHAT DO I USE?
Fermentation Care Emulsion by Swanicoco
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Emulsion by The Face Shop
**You can skip this step or use a moisturer at the end of the skin care routine although I suggest against it for people with extremely dry or oily skin.
7. TREATMENT:
This step is more personal than the rest, in this step you treat your skin with products that you need. I use a hydrating face mask and a serum for for an even tone finish, because I have dry skin and slight discolouration on my face. You could use a product of your choice depending on what problem you have. The first six steps have basically prepared your skin for the treatment. I first apply the sheet mask for 10 mins and then massage my face with the serum.
WHAT I USE?
I have used multiple sheet masks but the one I found most effective for this routine is the Hyluronic Acid + Collagen Mask by Skin Republic.
Advanced Night Repair Serum by Skin Logix
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
Like I said, you could use any product of your choice. A sheet mask, a normal facepack, a serum or all of the above.
The list of serums and sheet masks I like:
1. Vitamin C Serum for Dry/Dull Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
2. Organic Serum for Sensitive Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
3. Aloe Vera Serum for Oily Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
4. Vitamin C Sheet Mask for Dull Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
5. Lemon Sheet Mask for Oily Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
8. UNDER EYE CREAM:
When I heard about this routine I ordered an under eye cream that didn’t really work (Which is in the picture above number 8) so I bought another under eye cream which is now over but I’ve written about it in another blog post. Its amazing how important this step is for Koreans and It should be, the skin around the eyes is most prone to wrinkles as it’s the thinnest on the face, let’s not forget the dark circles and the under eye bags! If followed with the rest of the steps the results are amazing, I can swear by it.
WHAT DO I USE?
O3+ eye circle cream (best so far)
ANY ALTERNATIVE?
You can use any under eye cream, believe me I’ve tried, but I won’t be adding any of them as they didn’t work. But, if you have a product that works for you, you can totally add that to the list.
9. MOISTURISER:
We are almost sealing the deal here! If you follow this routine in the night, this can be your last step, if you are following it in the morning, after this comes sunscreen for obvious reasons. Moisturing your face after everything quite literally is like sealing the other products that are applied on your face and are working their magic. So, this is an extremely important step. After all that hard work, you wouldn’t want your products to get rubbed off or washed away. Moisturisers come in different forms, gel, cream, lotion, emulsions etc.
WHAT DO I USE?
Ultimate Nourishing Rice Spa Mask by Cosrx
(This is a light lotion like moisturiser) which has worked like a charm on my skin and given me a smooth even tone finish. I have squeezed it down to the last bit as you can see in the picture!
ANY ALTERNATIVES?
1. Lotus Gel Cream for Combination Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
2. Biotique Cream for Oily / Acne Prone Skin >> CLICK HERE TO BUY
10. SUNSCREEN:
Always use sunscreen, ALWAYS! Even if you are sitting inside your house. This is a protective step, it shields the skin from harsh, damaging UV rays and reduces the risk of premature skin aging, damaged skin cells and skin cancer.
WHAT DO I USE?
MY FAVOURITE EVER - Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock by Neutrogena SPF 50+ for dry skin.
ANY ALTERNATIVES?
1. Lotus Sunscreen for Oily Skin
DOES THIS WORK?
Yes it does, like magic! I followed this routine for about 2 weeks and my skin looked angelic (not to brag) but it was glowing like never before, I didn’t need to wear makeup. My skin had this sheer, glass like brightness which I haven’t got from any product or skin routine. Although, the entire process is quite tedious and takes a lot of time. If I did the routine in the night I would manage to follow it completely, but if I did it in the mornings I would skip out the treatment step because It takes longer than the other steps.
WOULD I FOLLOW IT AGAIN?
Yes, writing this has made me want to repurchase some of the products and start it all over again. Even when I stopped I continued using some of the products everyday, the essence, emulsion and the moisturiser. These three were my favourite products! And of course I wash and tone my face everyday anyway.
Beauty Buffet Rating - 4.9 out of 5
Hope this post helped you guys,
Until next time,
Stay Beautiful
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