From K-pop to K-beauty, Koreans sure have their way of working into trends for the 21st century. You have definitely heard of the glass skin effect. And if you haven’t, I’m here to tell you that Koreans and Asians, in general, have the best skin in the world. When well taken care of, their skin is. Like. Glass. I mean it. It literally glows and has this translucent shine to it. That’s goals!
The secret, they say is in their 10 step routine. 10 steps! That’s a commitment for even people that have a regular 3-4 step routine. Let alone you that can’t be bothered to wash your face. Yes, you. I’m judging you.
I’ll try to break down and show you the 10 steps. Hopefully to convince you that it isn’t as insurmountable as you think it is. And also, because I want you guys to keep me accountable for doing a Korean skincare routine at least thrice a week.
1. Oil cleansing:
This is the part where you wash your face. Sounds pretty obvious but the cleanser used in this step is oil-based. This may sound like a nightmare to people with oily skin because they think it’ll make their skin worse. But instead, it is extremely effective in breaking down oil-based impurities like the SPF you have been wearing all day long, sebum and environmental pollutants like car fumes.
2. Foam cleaning:
Yup! You wash your face again! But this time with a low ph foam cleanser. Low ph meaning that it should not lather a lot. This helps remove sweat and dirt that the first type of cleanser could not take off. An extra tip is to slowly massage your face for 60 seconds when washing. This gets the blood moving around and gives a good healthy glow.
3. Toners:
These aren’t the ones that you use to remove more dirt from your face like you are used to. This is for a thing layer of moisture and for getting your pH to normal. In that case, you don’t need a cotton pad and can use your hands to work the product in.
4. Essence:
This may be considered as a type of toner for more hydration. It is an extra step because layering light products one after the other is better than one thick lotion slapped onto the face. Essences usually contain snail, collagen and Niacinamide.
5. Emulsion:
AKA more moisture. If you want glass skin, you have to work for glass skin. Consume and slap on as much H2O as you can for that to happen. This is another layer of moisture that helps keep the skin hydrated.
6. Serum/Ampoules:
This, we are more familiar with. I never skip serum in my routine. It is thicker than the last two listed and work to keep your skin juicy.
7. Sheet masks:
Asides being used to scare away boyfriends and pizza delivery boys, this step is also for moisture and a great sheet mask stays wet for long and the extra good can be used on arms and legs.
8. Eye cream:
Not all face products are ideal for the sensitive skin around our eyes. So it is no surprise that the eye has its own moisturizer. This helps firm the skin and remove bags.
9. Moisturizer:
You can totally skip this step because your skin already has a lot of moisture in it. Or you can add it just to seal in all the other steps.
10. Sunscreen(am)/ Night cream(pm):
Depending on what time of the day it is, you should use a sunscreen or night cream. The former is already over flogged and we all know the benefits of using it. The latter is not as popular but should still be used to firm the face and prepare it for the night repair that your body undergoes while you sleep.
It may sound like a taboo to some die hard Korean beauty fans but you can actually skip one or two of the moisture steps. You know what’s best for you and the way to find that out is by being consistent and hands on with your routine.
Lastly, wash your beddings and pillowcases. Because if your skincare routine is 20 steps and you’re sleeping on dirty sheets, you are just working backwards.
So, tell me! Will you try the 10 step routine?