The Korean Skincare Routine and Steps

Over the past few months, I've been receiving emails from readers wondering about Korean skin care, such as the steps involved and what the best products are. I didn't have much experience in this area, so I started to do some research online. Turns out that it's an up-and-coming trend in the U.S.! Since then, I've been seeing a lot of articles in magazines talking about Korean skincare products and the multi-step routine that's popular in Asia. I've learned that they have some really unique qualities that set them apart from Western skin care. 

So I've actually been using a Korean skin care routine for a while now, and I swear, my skin has never looked better! It's not just about the products (although there are some amazing ones out there), it's also about taking care of your skin and making it a priority. I'll be the first to admit that I barely had a routine for my skin.  If I took my makeup off at night (horrible, I know), I'd use a makeup remover wipe, then slap on an anti-aging serum and moisturizer quickly and go to bed. But more often than not, I waited until my morning shower before giving my skin a good and thorough cleansing.  My outlook has completely changed now that I'm taking the time to show my skin some love and it's looking healthier and younger, resulting in me having to wear less makeup.
This is a guide that will introduce you to the world of Korean skincare and some of the products I've been using in my own routine.  
So grab a snack or a cup of coffee, because this is going to be a long post...:)

Korean women are taught at a young age to take care of their skin and their routine involves anywhere from 5-10 steps and many different products that are layered in a specific order (which I'll get into a little further down).  In the U.S. we're mainly taught 3 basic steps- cleanse, treat and moisturize and the focus is often on speed and efficiency.

Korean Skincare products are very focused on quality ingredients and since the market is extremely competitive there, they have some very cutting-edge ingredients for a lot less than you'd find in Western skincare products. Some experts say that Korea is 12 years ahead of the West when it comes to skincare technology, and it certainly seems to be true.  In Asia, BB Creams have been around for many years, while the U.S. has just picked up this trend more recently. 

Newer ingredients such as Snail Mucin and Bee Venom are just starting to make their way to us, but are still not readily available in the U.S. 
Also, there are some low to mid-range products in Korea that have the same active ingredients as much higher-end brands here.  I'm amazed at some of the serums and creams you can get from Korea that are packed with potent anti-agers or whiteners that are a fraction of the cost for the same thing in the U.S.. Plus a lot of the packaging is so beautiful!

The Routine

There are between 5-10 steps in a Korean skin care routine. A lot of care is used to remove makeup and apply products gently to the skin, by either patting them in or using a light massaging motion.

Step 1:  The Double Cleanse (Night time only)

At night there's a two step process to cleansing.  The first part is to remove makeup with an oil cleanser.  Start by applying it to a dry face and massaging it into the skin to melt away the makeup. Then add a bit of water and work it into a milky lather before rinsing.  The second step is to get rid of the oil residue by using a light foaming cleanser. This will also get rid of any more makeup that the oil may have missed. 
In the morning, just use a regular cleanser and skip the oil since your skin is pretty clean already from the night before.

Cleansers I like:

Skin food Black Sugar Cleansing Oil ($12.96)- 

Innisfree Apple Juicy Cleansing Foam ($9.72)- 

Step 2: Toner

Since I have dry skin, I've always tried to stay away from toners in the past.  Western toners typically have astringent properties and can be very drying, but in Asia, toners are totally different. They are designed to add moisture back into to the skin that was stripped during cleansing, and to help other skincare products to absorb better. 

Toners I like:
Night: Laneige Power Essential Skin Toner- $25 (comes in normal to dry or oily/combination)-

Day: Skin Food Peach Sake Toner $17.99 (helps minimize pores too!)- 

Step 3: Sheet Mask (night only)

Sheet masks are soaked in a serum or essencs and are designed to target specific skin issues- some of them are moisturizing, exfoliating, or anti-aging. Most of the time they are meant to be used after toning and after wearing it for 10-15 minutes, you can remove it and pat the remaining serum into your skin.  For some people, this can replace the next step of applying serums, but other people may consider a sheet mask to be in addition to their regular routine. They can be used every day, but I use them once or twice a week.

Sheet Masks I like: 
Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask ($13.39 for 10 masks)- Anti-aging

Skin 79 Honey Moisture Mask Sheet ($9 for 7 masks)- moisturizing

Step 4: Essence/Serum/Ampoule

This is the step where the layering can really add up. Essences, Serums and Ampoules are essentially treatment products (like the serums we're used to here in the U.S.) that have concentrated ingredients that focus on specific issues. The difference between them is the weight and thickness. An "essence" is very light and watery and can be either in a bottle or in spray form (I've seen several essences starting to launch in the U.S. recently). A serum is in the middle in terms of thickness and is very much like the serums we're used to here.  It has a higher concentration of active ingredients than an essence. An “ampoule” is a serum with the highest concentration of active ingredients. You can include all three in your skincare routine or switch them out between day and night, or only use one or two.  This is the part that's very customizable to your skin's needs. Personally, I like to target several of my skin's issues with this step, so I focus on whitening (getting rid of freckles and dark sun spots), anti-aging (fine lines and wrinkles) and plumping up my dry skin.  I use an essence and serum in the day and save the heavier ampoule for night time.
It's important to let each one soak in a few minutes before layering the next one. 

Essences, Serums and Ampoules I like:
Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence- $13.39 - anti-aging 

Laneige Bright Renew Original Serum ($45)- Whitening

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule ($33.75)- anti aging

Skin Food Aloe Moisture Ampoule ($37.99)- moisturizing

Step 5: Eye Cream- 

This step is optional, but I always take care of my undereye area since it's the first thing to show fine lines and wrinkles.  So after the essence/serum/ampoule step, I pat in my eye cream.

Eye Creams I like:

Etude House Moistfull Collagen Firming Eye Cream ($16.20)

Holika Holika Black Caviar Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream ($22.86)- 

Step 6: Emulsion

An emulsion is a moisturizing lotion that's light in texture.  If you have oily skin, you can stop the routine after applying your emulsion.  If you have dry skin like me, you can add a heavier moisturizer afterwards.  I don't use an emulsion every night, especially in the summer, unless my skin feels dry. Sometimes I skip right to the cream moisturizer.  But in the winter, I'll definitely use an emulsion for added moisture.

Emulsions I like:
Laneige Balancing Emulsion ($28)- Night

Skin Food Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore Emulsion ($18)- Day

Step 7: Cream 

Creams add additonal moisture to the skin if you're dry. They're thicker than emulsions and usually come in a jar rather than a pump.  

Creams I like:
Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream ($32)-

Secret Key Super Plumping Jelly Cream ($14.13)-

Step 8: Sleeping Pack (optional, night only)

A sleeping pack or sleeping mask, is a treatment that delivers an intense dose of moisture to stressed, dehydrated skin overnight.  It's applied as the last step of your routine (I use it in place of my cream once a week or if my skin is extra tight or dry) and you wake up to super soft, plump skin!  

Sleeping Masks I like:
Laneige Water Bank Sleeping Mask ($23)- 

Skin 79 Rose Waterfull Mask ($16)- 

Other steps can include: 

-Exfoliation- Twice a week is fine.

-Sunscreen- daytime only- last step of the routine. This is very important to preserving your skin especially if you're using whitening treatments since the sun will undo your progress.

-Spot Treatments (such as acne products)- before emulsions and creams.

So that's my routine and my skin is really thanking me for it!  After the first night my skin had a nice glow in the morning I hadn't seen in years! After a week I noticed a smoother, more refined texture and my makeup was going on much smoother than before, plus the tone was much more even. A month later, I barely have to use foundation for the first time since my 20's. BB Cream is actually enough to even my skin out which I never thought I'd say. As far as fine lines and wrinkles go, they're still there but are less noticeable. Unfortunately they take more time to fade and I don't know of any product on the market that gets rid of them completely.
This routine does take a bit longer than my old "routine" (or lack thereof), but I'm addicted to how great my skin looks so I don't want to stop.
By the way, you don't have to use Korean products in this routine. There are plenty of great products right here in the U.S. that can be used instead of or mixed in with Korean ones. I've just had so much fun discovering all of the new Korean products that I've replaced all of my skincare with it for now. I'm sure I'll find a good balance between the two down the road.

What's your skincare routine? Do you have multiple steps or do you use as little products as possible?