With its focus on gentle exfoliation, smart hydration, and skin-nourishing ingredients, it’s no wonder the Korean skin care routine has taken the world by storm. But for beginners, the multi-step regimen can seem daunting.
By breaking down the key steps, products, and order of application, we’ll decode the Korean skin care routine so you can reveal glowing “glass” skin. Read on for tips on customizing the routine for your unique skin needs.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Oil Cleanser
The first step in the Korean routine is cleansing with an oil-based cleanser or balm. K-beauty oil cleansers melt away makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and impurities gently thanks to ingredients like coconut derivatives, olive-derived squalane, and vitamin E.
Massage oil cleanser into dry skin for 1-2 minutes then emulsify with water before rinsing. This hydrating first cleanse lifts away daily grime without stripping skin. Those with sensitive or dry skin can then skip the second cleanser.
Step 2: Water-Based Cleanser
The second cleanse targets any remaining impurities with a gentle gel, cream, or foam cleanser. Look for non-drying formulas free of sulfates and alcohol. Hydrating ingredients like glycerin prevent tightness.
Apply a quarter-sized amount, massage your face for 30-60 seconds concentrating on the T-zone, and rinse well with lukewarm water. Pat dry with a soft towel. Your skin is now prepped for treatments.
Step 3: Exfoliator (Optional)
To gently slough off dead skin cells 2-3 times per week, use a chemical or physical exfoliant.
Chemical exfoliants with AHA or BHA acids like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids dissolve dead skin. Start with low percentages.
Physical exfoliants use tiny particles. Look for scrubs with soft jojoba beads or chemical-free options like konjac sponges.
Gently massage in circular motions avoiding irritation. Rinse then continue with toner.
Step 4: Toner
The fourth step is cleansing pores further and restoring pH balance with a Korean toner. The watery, essence-like toners hydrate while ingredients like tea tree soothe.
Use a cotton pad or hands to apply toner to the face and neck after cleansing. Pat in gently until absorbed before continuing to treatments.
Step 5: Essence
Think of essence as a treatment step concentrated with skin-benefiting ingredients like antioxidants, hydrators, vitamins, and ferments. This ultra-hydrating liquid hydrates and preps skin to absorb subsequent steps.
Apply a few drops, pressing into the skin gently with hands until absorbed. Your complexion will feel deeply hydrated.
Step 6: Serum
Serums deliver targeted skin solutions. Options like vitamin C brighten dullness, retinols tackle fine lines, and peptides firm. With a higher concentration of active ingredients than essence, serums target specific concerns.
Use once or twice daily after toner and essence. Apply a few drops on clean skin and gently pat to absorb.
Step 7: Sheet Mask (Optional)
Sheet masks serve as a weekly skin treat to nourish, hydrate and brighten. The thin cotton pads soaked in serum adhere closely to skin to deliver a potent dose of nutrients. Enjoy relaxing 15-20 minutes with your mask 1-2 times per week.
Slide the sheet mask on after toner and essence, remove after 15-20 minutes, and gently pat remaining serum into skin. Follow with moisturizer.
Step 8: Eye Cream
The delicate eye area needs extra care. Dispense a pea-size amount of hydrating eye cream onto the orbital bone beneath the eyes. Gently tap in using your ring finger until absorbed. This combats fine lines, dullness, and dryness.
Follow immediately after serum before creams so the rich eye cream can penetrate. The skin around the eyes will appear smooth, hydrated and youthful.
Step 9: Moisturizer
Lock in all that skin nourishing goodness with moisturizer. Look for lightweight gels, creams, or lotions containing humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that bind water to the skin.
Morning moisturizers should be light enough to layer sunscreen over. Heavier night creams focus on repairing skin while you sleep.
Smooth on moisturizer while the skin is still slightly damp and massage until fully absorbed. Your complexion will feel supple and quenched.
Step 10: Sun Protection
Sun protection is essential in Korean beauty. Apply a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen as the last step before makeup to shield skin from UV damage that can darken and age the complexion.
Choose a fluid sunscreen that doubles as a skin-blurring primer under makeup. Reapply every two hours when outdoors.
Tips for Customizing Your Routine
While these basic steps provide the framework, you can customize your perfect routine:
- Adjust steps and frequency based on your skin type and concerns
- Not every step needs to be followed daily – start with cleanse, moisture, SPF
- Lightweight textures like gels and fluids are great for oily skin
- Focus on hydrating creams and oils if you have dry skin
- Sensitive skin may only need 5-6 steps maximum
- Mix and match products as you find your ideal combinations
The key is figuring out which steps deliver results for your unique skin. Establishing good cleansing and SPF habits provides the base. From there, add treatments like serums strategically.
Reveal your healthiest, clearest complexion by following a Korean-inspired routine tailored to your skin’s needs. Chok chok (dew-like) glass skin, here you come!
