Happy Wednesday, darlings!
Is it just me, or is anyone else having a hard time with dry skin this winter?! My poor little nose keeps peeling. And I always moisturize!
Have you guys been reading and staying up to date on the Korean beauty craze? Honestly, I hadn’t been before about three weeks ago and my whole perspective and understanding of skincare has drastically changed. Do you know that almost all Korean women use 7 nightly steps and 8 morning steps? Some use 8 nightly steps and 9 morning steps. I mean…that’s a lot! My hubby already jokes that I take forever getting ready for bed and that’s only with 4, measly little steps.
So, basically my takeaway from what I’ve learned thus far, is that each product has a role and there are certain orders you can apply all the products to better help your skin absorb them. Also, I’ve learned that I need to step up my moisturizing game ASAP. Apparently, my skins’ moisture level is only at 26%. Gasp! I know, it’s a desert.
Korean Skincare Routine (what you should really be doing)
1. Pre-cleanse. Which basically means, remove your makeup with a gentle cleaner.
2. Wash with a foaming soap.
3. Use a toner. Make sure it’s alcohol free as that is only drying! The purpose of a toner is to balance your skins’ ph levels.
4-6. Essence, facial oil, serum, ampoule. Woah! I know, I had no idea what an ampoule was either. They say that all of these steps aren’t completely necessary as long as you have quality products that are formulated to help with your skins’ specific wants and needs.
7. Emulsion. This can either be in replacement of toner before steps 4-6 or after these steps to help seal in all the goodness you just put on your skin. Read the labels!
8. Eye cream. Always, always, always use an eye cream in the morning and night.
9. Moisturizer/lotion/cream. Now, I know, the facial oil and serum should be good enough to moisturize our skin, right? According to Peach and Lily’s Alicia Yoon, this step isn’t entirely necessary if you do an excellent job during the facial oil and serum steps. But, if it’s dry outside, she recommends using a nightly moisturizer/lotion/cream after all the above steps to lock in moisture.
10. Exfoliate. Now, when most of us think of exfoliating we think of using a product that has tiny micro beads to buff all the dead skin cells away. According to Korean skincare, this is a big no-no. It can often cause micro scratches and broken capillaries. So, what they use instead, are peeling gels or a fruit based peel one to two times per week.
That was a lot…I know. Sometimes, using too many products on your face can lead to problems. Whether that be a breakout or some other sort of reaction i.e. a rash. With that being said, knowing that I have sensitive skin, I won’t be using this many products. But I am certainly looking to add an essence or emulsion and a facial serum to my nightly routine. Perhaps a nightly cream also? Ay ay ayyy.
I hope this at least inspired you to look at you own skincare routine and see what needs adjusting. Remember, our skin is constantly changing. Not only what we put on our skin is important, what we put in our bodies is just as important.
Also remember, healthy gut, better skin. Hydrated body, hydrated skin. So, drink a ton of water.
xox
Tessa
P.S.- Wanna know how I figured out my skins’ moisture level? This handy dandy little thing below! I’ve also linked a few different products that I’m loving at the moment!
P.P.S.- The “Raw Sauce” that’s listed below is a toner, essence and emulsion all in one! Heck to the yes for minimizing the steps!
nbsp;
