The ground-breaking skincare products made in Korea have everyone in the world enamoured. Known for their inventive and rich formulations, as well as simple and natural ingredients, the K-beauty routine claims to lead your skin to perfection.
South Korea is undoubtedly the world leader when it comes to beauty products. It’s one of the world’s most influential and innovative skincare markets — using exotic ingredients like mushroom and snail lime for high-quality standards and safe products.
Korean beauty regimes consist of products that last a lifetime of happiness and smiling skin. Korean skincare ideology aims to work with your skin’s natural ecosystem by cleansing, hydrating, nourishing and protecting. It enables your skin to thrive as opposed to using skincare products consisting of harsh chemicals that make your skin lose its natural radiance. Here’s a 10-step K-beauty skincare routine for skin that speaks of health and radiance.
Oil-Based Cleanser
Compared to standard cleansers, oil-based cleansers are less abrasive and work like your skin’s best friend. They break down sunscreen, oil-based makeup, and other effluents that may have harsh leftovers on your skin. Cleansing oils are available in both liquid and balm formats for oily and acne-prone skin types. A Korean cleansing oil’s primary function is to remove makeup, sebum, and dirt while eliminating the oil-based muck from your skin’s deep pores.
WA Recommends: Heimish All Clean Balm, Etude House Real Art Moisture Cleansing Oil, Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm, Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil.
Water-Based Cleanser With pH
K-beauty believes in the power of double action when it comes to facial hygiene. The face should be double-cleaned with a water-based cleanser to help get rid of dirt, grime, sweat, and oil-based pollutants. Korean water-based cleansers are fantastic at removing skin-enemies from the skin without disrupting the pH balance. Higher pH level cleansers can cause damage to your skin since human skin is mildly acidic, and Korean beauty products consider the same when creating their water-based cleanser.
WA Recommends: Mediheal Intensive Pore Clean Cleansing Foam (Charcoal), Cle Cosmetics Oxygen Foam Cleanser, Mizon Snail Cushion Foam Cleanser, Zeroid Foaming Cleanser.
Exfoliant
A mild scrub that is appropriate for your skin can do wonders. Exfoliation primarily eliminates dead skin cells from your skin, delivering a brighter and firmer impact. Additionally, it helps to enhance your skin’s natural tone and texture. However, exfoliation is best left for periodical lapses than being followed as a daily chore.
WA Recommends: TonyMoly Floria Brightening Peeling Gel, SkinFood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Face Mask, Secret Key Lemon Sparkling Peeling Gel, Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel.
Toner
A toner is intended to clean up any lingering dirt on your face and restore the pH balance of your skin. Toners can cause your skin to feel tight and dry out by lowering the skin’s natural oil production. Avoid using toners with alcohol in them. Korean toners have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other beneficial ingredients that give the skin a youthful glow.
WA Recommends: Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner, Skin Food Peach Sake Toner, COSRX Full Fit Propolis Synergy Toner, Missha Time Revolution Clear Toner, Benton Let’s Carrot Oil Toner.
Essence
One of the most essential components of the Korean skincare routine is the essence. Essences are featherlight skin-cuddlers created with fermented components and are designed to moisturise and protect the skin while adding glass-like glow most oftenly seen on K-drama heroines caressing their night-skin routines.
WA Recommends: Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence, Blithe Vital Treatment Essence, Donginbi Single Essence, Peach & Lily Wild Dew Treatment Essence.
Serum, Boosters, Ampoule Treatments
Now that your skin is clean and prepped to shine like glass, it is ready to absorb the most significant components with adequate efficiency. A face serum is a somewhat thicker, more concentrated variation of an essence with active components to minister specific skin concerns like wrinkles, pigmentation, and dark spots.
WA Recommends: The Face Shop White Seed Brightening Serum, COSRX Triple Hyaluronic Moisture Ampoule, Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, The Plant Base Time Stop Collagen Ampoule.
Sheet Mask
Korean beauty products revolutionised the skincare market with sheet masks, a simple idea of paper-thin facials that could deliver results mess-less-ly. Healthy vitamins and minerals are abundant in the serum covering Korean sheet masks. Additionally, they are incredibly moisturising, leaving your skin healthy and soft.
WA Recommends: Mediheal Tea-Tree Essential Blemish Control Sheet Mask, Dewytree Calming Duo Cica Mask, PibuWang Mask – REST formula, Benton Snail Bee High Content Sheet Mask.
Eye-Cream
You can re-tone or correct your facial skin, but ultimately, the eyes and puffy bags will do the talking. Eye gels, creams, or oils are designed to repair the delicate, thin skin around the eyes and reduce dark circles, puffiness, and fine wrinkles.
WA Recommends: Schwanen Garten Antioxidant Eye Cream, Bellalussi SF Edition Bio Eye Cream, AHC Essential Real Eye Cream.
Moisturizer
The skin should be moisturized after the preceding stages lock in their holy grail of benefits. It acts more as a barrier to keep the former products sealed. Use a mild moisturizer with a lotion base if you have oily skin. Use a thick cream-based moisturizer on dry skin to dryness and irritation at bay.
WA Recommends: Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb, Laneige Lavender Water Sleeping Mask, Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream, Glow Recipe Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream.
Sunblock
Believe it or not but sun alone can damage your skin against every step discussed in this routine. The ultimate step comes in the form of SPF shields that defends your skin from harmful UV radiation. Use broad-spectrum sunscreens indoors or outdoors to protect your skin from UVA and UVB radiation damage. To prevent pore blockage from the application of sunblocks, it is advised that those with oily skin use physical sunblock or mineral sunscreen.
Best Korean Sunscreens: Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++, Neogen Day-Light Protection Sun Screen SPF 50/PA+++, Missha All Around Safe Block Soft Finish Sun Milk SPF 50+ PA+++, AHC Natural Perfection Double Shield Sun Stick SPF 50+/PA++++.
