Step 1: Pre-Cleanse
Remove your makeup gently with a liquid remover. For example an oil cleanser is perfect for that. You massage the oily product all over you face. The Pre-Cleanse is the first step of the “double cleanse method”.
Step 2: The Cleanse
With gently circular motions you remove things like BB cream and foundation. The cleansing product should remove everything which was left over. It will even remove sweat and dirt.
Step 3: Exfoliator
Exfoliating with a facial scrub removes all the dead skin cells. Focus on the parts that really need it and do not do it every single day.
Step 4: Toner
The refreshing toner step prepares the skin to absorb what comes next better. Mostly the Korean toners are not as harsh as western. The toner also resets your pH balance after using the cleansers.
Step 5: The Essence Mist
The essence affects skin on a cellular level, leading to an increase in elasticity, moisture and firmness. After applying it on the face, you can tap it in.
Step 6: The Ampoule
With the ampoule you can ameliorate everything you want to. Different serums concentrate on different issues. For example dark spot correction or anti-aging. You can give yourself a facial massage while massaging the product into your skin.
You can compare the serum to an essence but the serum has a thicker consistency and is higher concentrated.
Step 7: Sheet Masks
You do not have to put on a mask every day. There are many types of masks with different effects. For example, a dark-circle-mask is fighting against dark circles or wrinkles. After you applied the mask as it is written on the packing you can tap the left serum on your skin or remove it with a cotton pad.
Step 8: The Eye Cream
You tap the eye cream around the eye area instead of rubbing and pulling. It hydrate and protect the skin around the eyes.
Step 9: The Moisturizer
To keep your skin nice moisturized you should use a moisturising cream. You apply the cream with your fingertips all over your face and neck.
Step 10: The Sleeping Pack/The Sun Care
In the evening you should finish your routine with a night cream which is as thin as cream but effective and long lasting like a mask. So you can use it over the night. The skin should stay hydrated as you recharge over night.
In the morning you should skip the night cream but apply sun care and/or BB cream.
Tips and tricks:
• If your skin doesn’t need some parts of the routine, skip them
• Sometimes less is more
• Always be gentle to your skin
• Change the towel which you are using for your face from time to time
• If you have acne ask a dermatologist before trying this routine
Sources:
• elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/g8901/korean-beauty-skincare-routine-10-steps
• intothegloss.com/2014/04/korean-beauty-skincare
• style.com/culture/style-map/2015/korean-beauty-tips
• fashionista.com/2014/05/12-step-korean-skin-care-regimen