I know that the term ‘skin of Koreans’ is already a buzzword. It immediately makes us think of radiant, vital, ideally smooth.. or simply baby-like skin. Does the secret lie in skin care routine or the genetics? How to treat ourselves to Korean-like skin? I looked into the secrets of Korean face skin care routine and I was religiously following the ritual respected in the oriental country. Effect? Getting round to it!
Secrets of the beauty & flawless skin of Korean women… in my version
Korean skin care routine doesn’t turn out to be innovative or revolutionary. It’s simply time-consuming. Korean call it the ritual for a reason. It is a never-ending process which is based on face cleansing whereas nourishing and regeneration take three times more time than our skin care routine… women who are always busy, pressed for time and almost late. I thought: okay, I’ll find the time. I thought of it as taking time off to rest from the rush. I found time in the morning and (mostly) evening to give my skin what it deserved. Results? … the results went beyond my expectations.
Korean Skin Care Routine – step by step
1. Korean Skin Care – cleanse
As I already mentioned, skin cleansing and make-up removal cannot be limited to wiping it with micellar water. Koreans pay attention to detail. They thoroughly cleanse the face: using a make-up remover first. Then, washing skin with a gel or other cleansers. Wiping skin with a toner; a hydrosol will do, too. Patting an eye cream on. Patting a serum or (in the evening) a cosmetic oil on. Patting a moisturiser on. Sleep. It takes time, especially at the very beginning. You know what? After a week, I mastered it. The whole routine took me around ten minutes.
2. Korean Skin Care – nourish & regenerate
Every other evening, the ritual got a bit extended because I applied a sheet mask immediately after face cleansing (before the toner). Korean women do it every day and there’s nothing strange about it – a mask is a basis for skin care for them. I decided that if I wanted to use high-quality masks and apply them every day, I’d be ahead of a financial disaster. That’s why I limited myself to a mask every other day. Of course, it was always preceded by a delicate, enzyme face scrub. I guess my skin had never enjoyed such interest and care before.
3. Korean Skin Care – face massage
Face massage is already a classic in (not just Korean) skin care routine. In the oriental countries, women massage their bodies as well as faces – it seems logic, considering that the face has lots of muscles which get flabby and sagging without the right workout. Therefore, if you desire to keep your skin firm and supple, and prevent it from sagging – you can cheat the gravity by exercising and massaging your face.
I got myself a jade roller and used it for a daily face massage. It was my favorite time of the day because the roller makes a perfect match with a natural oil – I applied it exclusively in the evening over the night cream.
Face yoga is another form of the anti-gravity rebel. The Internet abounds in videos showing how to iron wrinkles out using clever and uncomplicated exercises. Face yoga – done regularly – should bring effects after just two weeks – the face oval is enhanced, face looks rested and youthful. Face yoga takes little time – e.g. when you decide to exercise just one face part (e.g. you work on the so-called lion’s wrinkle), it takes 5 minutes tops. With full set of exercises – it takes up to 20 minutes.
4. Korean Skin Care – UV filters – the sun? Get out!
It is common knowledge: the sun is the biggest enemy of our skin. Korean women avoid it like the plague and carefully protect themselves from the harmfulness of UVA, UVB radiation. Their skin is almost free of suntan. It isn’t affected by photo-aging as rapidly as ours. High factor creams are taken for granted.
What’s more, high UV filters are present in powders, foundations and BB creams. They’re spoilt for choice. I simply got a face cream which delays ageing, features a high UV and is designed for summer skin care (Yves Rocher offer is one of the most interesting options). You may as well use UV creams designed for kids.
5. Korean Skin Care – face moisturising, moisturising &… moisturising
No doubts about that – boosting moisture is the basis and main secret of Korean beauty. Not just drinking water, or hydrating body from within. It is about the choice of products. At least one of your favorites should be strongly moisturising. No matter if your skin is dry, young or mature – moisturising is the key to its excellent condition and vitality. Koreans have found the moisturising power especially in Aloe vera – it is one of the extra ingredients in many cosmetics. Aloe masks and all kinds of multitasking, non-greasy gels (e.g. the one launched by the world-famous Holika Holika).
I moisturised too – not just using masks, I used hydrosols and the already mentioned gel (applied it every day as a face serum before a moisturiser).
Korean skin care my way – effects after a month
To be honest, the whole effort and ceremonial TOTALLY paid off. My skin looked like after a SPA therapy – it is ideally moisturised, smooth, elastic and glowing. Full of energy, free of pigmentation spots and unsightly comedones. Obviously, it isn’t as light as the skin of Koreans. It isn’t alabaster yet the changes in its suppleness, elasticity and general condition are striking. If you want your skin to undergo a make-over – devote a bit more time, moisturise it, cleanse and protect from the sun. You will see it gets a healthy shine and looks much younger and vital.
I think I won’t give up on all steps of the Korean ritual. Even though I don’t feel like doing a face mask every other day, I’m going to stick to the precise cleansing and a jade roller. What do you make of Korean skin care routine?
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