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The Korean secret to the fountain of youth? Here’s how I got an entire 10-step Korean skincare regimen for only $155.12, with extra products!
As an Asian girlwith a lot of Asian friends, it was always a mystery to me how my friend’s moms seemed to never age. I’ve definitely seen my friends mature as we’ve grown up, but their moms managed to look
A 10 Step Korean Skincare Routine For Combination Skin
A few years back, the conversation came up with a Korean friend of mine, where she mentioned her mother’s insane10-step skincare regimen.I immediately wrote it off as an unaffordable solution for me, because 10 products sounded wayout of my budget. But when my friend showed me her medicine cabinet, my perspective changed.
Korean beauty is basedupon the “10-step regimen”: it is an art form that involves layering and using multiple products for maximum effect. Each product plays a specific and equally important role.
Over the years I’ve done heavy research on Korean beauty products and integrated many of them into my own skincare routine. However, I wound up removing certain steps because my acne-prone, combination skin would sometimes get congested. I’ve tried every step and learned that not everyone may needevery step due to the difference in skin types.
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While not all products may be organic or preservative-free, Korean products tend to strivetowards less toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Instead, they are filled with naturally-derived, active ingredients like snail filtrate and even sake (Japanese rice wine). These exotic ingredients have properties that synthetic ingredients are actually inspired by, but usually come without the side effects.
Most of Korean skincare revolves aroundslowing down the aging process. While we tend to grab for medicated products like Retin-A or heavily-drying benzoyl peroxide, those short-term fixescan actually cause more damage in the long-run. The idea behind Korean skincare is to nourish your skin and boost its natural processes, not strip it and hinder it from healing itself.
10-steps. Slowly massagemakeup off. Laydown with a mask on for 20 minutes. Gently patin product. Korean products all have distinctive methods of application, which all require care and mild handling. This self-pampering routine is something that ourAmerican culture tends to neglect. Manyof us workhigh-stress jobs 5 days a week, soit’s a great habitto take some time out of your day and be kind to yourself.
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The Korean beauty market is massive. Where we are forced to choose between the price points of sub-par drugstore itemsand bank-breaking products at Sephora, their “drugstore” brandscan compete with many crowd favoritesI’ve purchased at Sephora for$30-$70 a pop. 80% of my skincare regimen comes from Korean brands, and all of themare also under $12. This makes investing in a full Korean skincare regimen extremely affordable, whereas in American culture you’d normally walk out of the store $50 poorer with only a single item in-hand.
Korea definitely has their high-end luxuryproducts and I’ve seen them go for over a hundred ormore, butI’ve neverfound a reason toventure into that price point (althoughI’m sure the results must be otherworldly).
Of course, I’ll get to the meat of why you’re probably reading this. I’ve tried so many Korean products over time, and I’ve gotten comfortable with a few products. Here are my favorite products integrated into a full 10-step Korean routine, along with tips and tricks I’ve learned during my career as a licensed esthetician.
Step Sensitive Skin Care Routine
Unsure about what skin type is best for you? Take my skincare consultation quiz below and get a skincare regimen custom-tailored to you.
It’s very important to cleanse not once, but twice. The first cleanse removes all your makeup, and the second cleanse removes the rest of the leftover dirt and debris.
Contrary to popular belief, using an oil-based makeup remover gives better results, and here’s why: oil has more lubrication, so you’re not irritating or pulling at your skin when trying to remove long-lasting makeup. This is crucial for areas like the eyelids, where the skin is thinner and more fragile.Oil also helps remove sebum build-up inside the pores, so you’re actuallygettinga thoroughcleanse.
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My favorite oil cleanser: The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Light Oil. This oil is non-comedogenic, so itwon’t promote pore congestion or acne. What I love about this oil is that the rice water extract actually helps a lot with hyper-pigmentation and acne scars, something that people with deeperskin tones tend to get more often.
How to use:Apply a dime-sized amount and remove all face make-up, using circular massaging motions. Be gentle when removing eye makeup. Afterward, usecotton rounds to wipe off the excess oil, paying careful attention to the eyes. To remove eye makeup, swipe the cotton rounds in a downward stroke, following the direction of the lashes. Never pull sideways – this can irritate the thin eyelid skin and causeaccelerated wrinkling.
The second round of cleansingfocuses on removing any excess residue. I prefer using gentle cream or foam-based cleansers that won’t dry-out the skin. Drier skin forces your sebaceous glands to secrete more oil in order to protect itself. If you like that paper-dry or tight feeling after a cleanse, you may very well be over-cleansing.
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My favorite cleanser:Cosrx Low Ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser. This is my new favorite! Most cleansers have a high pH level (more alkaline), creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Your skin is slightly acidic, so this cleanser is a great way to control breakouts without drying your skin out. It also works well for dry skin.
Exfoliating is a very important step in Korean skincare. A popular practice of exfoliation is scrubbingoff dead skin cells toencourage new cells to the surface. However, there are plenty moremethods other than abrasivescrubbing. One of the most popular exfoliating methods include gentle chemical exfoliations with acids orpeels, and these arehighly encouraged in the Korean regimen.
My favorite exfoliant: Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off Exfoliator. Black sugar contains glycolic acid, which can penetrate deeply into the skin and break apart the outermost skin cells. This derivative of alpha hydroxy acidmakesthis product not just a scrub, but a chemical exfoliant too. This product isgreat multitasker for those who want to physically unearth clogged pores while lightening dark spots.
Step Korean Skin Care Routine Set (normal Skin Type)
How to use:Dampen your face and massage a small scoop of scrub into the face for 2 minutes. After scrubbing, leave on for 10-15 minutes and wash off. Exfoliate 1-2 times a week, or as needed. Depending on the type of exfoliant, you may not need to exfoliate daily. It’s encouraged to exfoliate no more than once a week, but over the years many new products have developed that allow gentle exfoliating benefits safe for daily use. As a general rule of thumb, if you find your skin growing more dry, sensitive, or even extremely oily, you may be exfoliating too frequently. Give your skin a few days to recuperate in-betweenexfoliating treatments.
For my oily skin, I like usinga detoxifying mask to ensure a thorough pore cleanseright after exfoliation. If you’re suffering from breakouts or congested skin, thisis the best time to do a treatment mask since the entrance of the pores are more exposed after exfoliating.Clay-based masks can also be very drying if used often, so sometimes it’s okay to skip this step if you’re in need of hydration.
My favorite mask:Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask. Maybe it’s the novelty bubbles, but I absolutely enjoy using this clay mask. After several minutes, this mask EXPLODES into foamand your face turns into the Michelin Man. The product usescarbonation to thoroughly cleanse out the pores. My T-zone’s congestion is completely obliterated after using this!
Korean Skincare Kit For Dry Skin Types
After cleansing, your skin is stripped of its protective barrier. More than likely, your skin won’t be at it’s normal5.5 pH level. 5.5 is slightly acidic because the skin actually has what is called an “acid mantle, ” or a protective barrier comprised of fatty acids. If your skin tends to be dry and sensitive, this is a sign of weaker acid mantle, meaningyour skin is too alkaline. A toner helpsbring yourskin’s pH levels back to normal and creates a balanced environment for the next step in your skincare regimen.
My favorite toner: Skin Food Peach Sake Toner. My T-zone tends to get congested easily, but this toner controls sebumbuildup and prevents the appearance of large pores. It also smells like fresh peaches!
This is where it gets a little confusing. Essences and serums are basically leave-in products supercharged with active ingredients.Depending on your type of skin and the time of day, you’ll have different needs: essences arethe least concentrated and very watery, whereas serums tend to be thicker in consistency and more concentrated. I would recommend essences for people with oilier, acne-prone skin, and a serum for others who need hydration.
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My favorite serum:I have yet to find a budget-friendly essence (by about now you should be noticing that I pay no more than $10-$12 per Korean product here), but I do really like Skin Food’s Peach Sake Pore Serum. It is very mattifying and helps prevent that inevitable shiny T-zone I tend
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