Korean care
Koreans highly pride themselves on their shiny, dewy, plump, radiant skins, or as they like to call it "Mul Gwang." It basically means a 'wet glow to the skin' and Koreans take a lot of measures to ensure that they look 20 even if they are pushing 40, and it does not come easy. There are a lot of processes and steps which they follow tirelessly to hold on to their Gwang.
Now, why shift to Korean skincare products? It's not a whole lot different as it is mostly their layering techniques where they use many different products, one on another, and yes every day; but some of their products include ingredients such as snail gel, bee venom and fungus. These are said to have extreme healing and soothing properties and were common treatments even in ancient Egypt.
The other extremely hyped product is sheet masks. They come in a wide variety with almost any ingredient you want,-from fruits to herbs, to bee venom. These are better in the way that they force your skin to absorb the nutrients without getting the chance to evaporate away. Sheet masking once or twice a week should do the trick.
The most famous, not to mention elongated skincare routine in Korea, is ten steps long. Most Korean women follow this religiously and start from a very early age. Their aim is not to reduce wrinkles in their 30s but to prevent them from ever appearing. Newbies to the Korean skincare scene might be a bit flustered by the ten steps skin regimen, but it all comes down to cleansing, exfoliating, moisturising, etc.
STEP 1
Removing makeup. Using oil based makeup removers before cleansers is the best way. This way no speck of product remains and just cleansers are not enough to completely remove your makeup. This is also known as double cleansing.
Opt for oil based makeup wipes such as the Innisfree Olive Real Cleansing Tissues, or use cotton pads with the Banila Co Clean It Zero Purity.
STEP 2
Cleanse. Using cream based or foam cleansers to clean your face again, give it a squeaky clean finish. It is always best to rub it in gently as it increases blood circulation which helps make skin brighter.
The Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Oil is a good oil based cleanser to clean out your face.
STEP 3
Exfoliating. This is not a regular regimen. Twice a month is good enough. This helps get rid of all the dead skin cells from the surface, making your skin plump and soft. Exfoliating too much on the other hand is harmful for your skin and will strip away oils, making your skin dull and dry.
Skin Food Black Sugar Wash Off Mask is a good natural exfoliator for somewhat frequent use.
STEP 4
Toner. Toners or refreshers in Korea are different from others in the sense that they are alcohol free. Toners help balance the skins pH after the previous steps, help remove residue and also prepare the skin for later. Some good toners are Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner and Jeju Volcanic Lava Pore Toner – THEFACESHOP.
STEP 5
Essence. This helps regenerate skin cells, increases elasticity and firmness and also makes skin brighter. This step is considered one of the most important steps in the entire routine after double cleansing.
Essences should never be applied with cotton pads, instead should be disposed directly on the fingers and should be patted onto the skin. Patting increases absorption of products more than rubbing.
Benton Snail Bee High Content essence or LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence are two of the best.
STEP 6
Ampoule. This is basically a much more concentrated version of essence and it works directly on the problems such as anti-ageing. A few drops usually do the trick, but it is not a must do for people who do not have specific skin problems they want to target. For those who do, Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule is a good one.
STEP 7
Sheet masks. These are a once or twice a week regimen. They are soaked in ingredients such as collagen or snail gel, which are forced into your skin and give almost immediate results. Wrinkle fighting collagen eye patches and hydrating lip masks can also be used for more targeted problems.
The Tony Moly I'm Real sheet masks comes in 10 different varieties. Lemon to tea tree to tomatoes, they have it all. Right after sheet masks, Korea has a lot of rubber masks - also a once a week treatment. Rubber masks work in almost the same way as sheet masks but because of their rubber like texture, the nutrients seep into the skin better without having the chance to escape. Lndsay modelling masks also have many varieties you can try.
STEP 8
Eye cream. This step is pretty familiar to all of us. Eye creams help hydrate and relax the skin around the eyes, and reduce wrinkles. Once again, patting eye creams helps absorb the product better while rubbing will increase wrinkles. Some good Korean eye creams are the It's Skin Collagen Voluming Eye Cream – Suka and Innisfree - The Green Tea Seed Eye Cream.
STEP 9
Moisturiser. A self-explanatory step. Moisturiser is the key to glowing healthy skin, be it in Korea or anywhere else. This step is a must do even if you decide to skip some others. Also choosing the right moisturiser for your skin type is crucial. Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel is one of the best for calming irritated skin with a natural cooling sensation.
STEP 10
To the end at last. This step consists of either a night cream or sunscreen - depending on when you decide to do it. Korean women swear by sunscreen and never step outside without it. It is considered one of their beauty secrets for obvious reasons. Protecting the skin from the sun is very crucial as it causes early skin ageing. Try out Innisfree, Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF50 + PA + + + if you're looking for a good amount of SPF. Night creams on the other hand help retain the moisture all throughout the night. Orchid night cream by Innisfree helps soften the skin overnight.
Following ten distinct skincare steps everyday might sound a bit absurd, so you might buying ten different products for everyday use; but it does not necessarily have to be all ten. It can be modifying your current routine with a few sheet masks once a week or a snail gel moisturiser in place of your current night cream. Also this does not necessarily have to feel like a burden. Taking a day to do all these regimens can feel somewhat therapeutic to oneself.
No, you do not have to travel all the way to Korea to have perfect skin. ShineSkin: Korean Skincare Cosmetics, Shop #350, 3rd floor, Shimanto Square, Dhanmondi deals exclusively in Korean skin care products. Pages like ShineSkin: Korean Skin Care Cosmetics, and Korean Cosmetics – Bangladesh have almost every Korean skincare item you will ever need.
Happy self pampering!
By Anisha Hassan
Photo: Collected
Comments