When people hear the phrase “Korean skincare”, many assume that this means that all of the products need to be of Korean origin, making it a little inaccessible to us in the West. However, Korean skincare is more of an ethos than a strict list of products, containing a number of steps which should be completed in the right order. With that in mind, we’ve put together our take on a Korean skincare regime to show you how it can be done:
1. Cleansing Oil
Most Korean skincare routines start with an oil based cleanser like Elemis Nourishing Omega Rich Cleansing Oil as this will thoroughly remove all traces of make up, even stubborn waterproof products.
2. Water Based Cleanser
Next up is a water-based cleanser, such as Decleor Essential Cleansing Milk which will help to rid your skin of water soluble dirt without irritating your face with strong products, because you’re removing dirt in two separate steps.
3. Exfoliation
The next step is exfoliation, but as this is a daily routine, harsh physical exfoliants are out of the question. We’d recommend a gentle chemical exfoliator which won’t cause damage to your skin – Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads use gentle enzymes to slough away dead cells.
4. Toner
Toning is the net step, but avoid drying toners which will strip your face after such thorough cleansing. Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner contains moisture binding humectants to encourage your skin to hold on to vital hydration.
5. Essence
This is where things start to get interesting – an essence is a product which can do something a bit extra that your toner can’t do, like brightening for dull skin or plumping for ageing skin. This step is tailored to your face, so choose your favourite product and apply it now.
6. Masks
Korean skincare is FAMED for it’s love of masks and we agree that they’re a great product for imbuing your skin with an extra dose of love. This might not be a stpe you include on a daily basis, but at the weekend make sure you throw on some Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks.
7. Serum
We all know what serums are by now and this is another step with probably requires some personalisation. Serums are concentrated products which can be used to treat all manner of skin issues, so apply yours at this point of the routine.
8. Eye Cream
Next up is eye cream. Even the most youthful among us will benefit from using an eye cream on a daily basis and as we always say, when it comes to wrinkles, protection is better than cure. We recommend Jan Marini Age Intervention Eye Cream.
9. Moisturiser
Moisturiser should be one of the last steps in your Korean skincare routine, despite being one of the most important. Decleor Hydra Floral Anti-Pollution Hydrating Rich Cream is suitable for all skin types and will give your skin a wash of moisture.
10. Sunscreen
Sunscreen is (finally!) the last step in the routine and we’d recommend Elemis Liquid Layer SPF30, which is a broad-spectrum physical protectant. It’s water resistant and will even protect your skin against pollution.