5 Korean Skincare Routine

When I was a kid, I just wash my face.  When I'm in my adolescent stage, I wash my face then moisturize if only necessary.  When I'm already in my early 20's I learned a little about toning but never bothered to include it in my wash and moisturize routine.  So, I'm shocked when I heard that Koreans have 5 steps in their skincare.  Most of you probably already know this but for the benefit of all latebloomers out there like me, here's an intro on how most Koreans take care of their skin.

photo from bellasugar.com.au

1. Double Cleanse
Nowadays when all kinds of dirt and pollution are present in our faces and with the trend of wearing make-up, double cleansing is a must.
A good cleansing cream or cleansing oil removes dirt and makeup while a cleansing foam washes away anything that is left behind your face, leaving it clean and refresh.

photo from http://trendnstylez.com

2.  Massage, Scrub and Mask

Now to make the skin look brighter and looking healthier, regular massaging and scrubbing should be part of a good skincare routine.

It is said that facial massages improves blood circulation leaving your skin looking stress free and glowing.

Use a mild scrub once or twice a week as scrubbing slough off dead skin cells and will help in resurfacing new cells though this part is not advisable for those with oily or acne prone skin type as it will irritate the oil glands.

Once in a while when you are not massaging your face, you can use facial mask/sheet mask.  I use whatever kind of sheet mask that is available in my closet once a week but if undecided as to what sheet mask to get then a cleansing and/or a moisturizing one are the best options.

By the way, massage, scrub and mask are part two of the routine but whenever I use facial mask/sheet mask, I first tone my skin.

photo from holisticmamas.com

3.  Tone

For many years, I neglected this part of the routine because I thought it's unnecessary.  I mean toner for me before is like an ordinary liquid or water put into a cotton pad.  But of course I was wrong as toner removes any residue left behind by foam cleansers and make-up.  There are a lot of kinds of toner that are available in the market that can help remove dead skin cells, balance the skin PH and other features depending on your skin type.  Toners also prepare the skin to the next step of the routine.

from realsimple.com
most serums in the market are in pretty bottles 

4.  Essence or Serum

Essence or serums are liquidy concentrated substance that penetrates the deep layer of the skin to nourish and help treat specific skin problem.  There are brightening, whitening, nourishing, moisturizing, anti-aging and whole lot more.  Just ask the sale assistants in the shops or your dermatologist as to what is the best for your skin type.

I just started to use a serum this year and it did help in smoothening and hydrating my skin.

photo from http://www.123rf.com

5.  Moisturize

After letting the skin absorb the essence or serum, apply moisturizer or emulsion to keep the skin well hydrated.  The outer layer of the skin will benefit the most from this step.  Creams are more advisable for those with dry skin while emulsion is more for those with oily skin type because it's more liquidy and lighter than a cream.

I'm still learning as to what is the best for my skin but maybe in the near future I'll post my discoveries and more specific topic on each step.  How about you what's your skincare routine?

Thanks for reading.  Till then.  Bye!

sources:
k-popped.com
http://tonymoly.ph
arya de guzman's brain and experience :p