Daily Skincare Regimen

Last year, my skin care routine only consisted of cleanse and moisturize. However, after watching many Korean shows and YouTube beauty gurus, I noticed my old routine hadn't been adequate for my skin. Thus my transformation to 5-step skin care routine - Korean style - started.

I have combination skin that tends to be oily on the T-zone and chin, so I have to make sure my daily skin care routine doesn't add oiliness to my skin throughout the day. I'm also acne prone, though only if I eat too much oily food. Still, I have some acne scars that are pretty persistent. It was a tricky process to pick and choose several products from numerous that are available out there. We all know Korean women have ridiculously high standards of beauty. and those are reflected on their flawless skin and make up, along with hundreds and thousands make up brands that offer all kind of treatments from all kind of ingredients I've never thought existed before. I had to read tons of reviews to find the suitable products and asked the prices from the seller to make sure they weren't too pricey for me. I can say I'm glad now the searching is over and I have a fix routine I follow pretty religiously days and nights.

from L to R: Silky Girl All in 1 Gel Cleanser, Ultima II Eye Make Up Remover, Hada Labo Foam Cleanser

 As the YouTube beauty gurus suggested, and as the articles from most websites I bumped into said, the first step to Korean skin care always start with double cleansing. I only double cleanse at night, and that means erasing my make up with make up remover, then cleanse with face milk cleanser and freshener, before I finally wash my face with a facial foam. This first step is important and I believe no one should skip this part. We have to make sure all traces of make up are gone before we go to bed or apply skin care. Otherwise, our pores will be clogged, our skin care products won't be absorbed effectively into the skin, and we surely will bring more troubles to our skin. However, when I wake up in the morning, I don't see the need to double cleanse, so I just normally wash my face with facial foam and be done with it. I never sleep with make up on, anyway.

Skin Food Fresh Apple Sparkling Pore Toner that I just emptied

 Then, we could move on to the next part. Toning. Yes, use a toner. Nowadays, Korean toners aren't just regular toner to return the skin's PH-balance and pick up any leftovers dirt. They're also formulated to address to other skin troubles like pore-tightening, and reducing blackheads. It's unbelievable, to see that I still have some dirt on my skin even after double-cleansing. Seeing those dirty cotton pads are satisfying, I must say. Anyway, toning is not to be left out, Toning actually helps to condition your skin before you put on more skin care products. I used up my Skin Food's Sparkling Apple toner, and is now waiting for Etude House's Wonder Pore freshener to replace it. In case you don't know, toner and freshener are the same thing. Some companies just name it differently.

Secret Key STE 

 My next step involves the use of an essence. It's optional, but I consider this vital because I've seen wonders on my skin ever since I used it. Most essence has a liquid consistency, almost as watery as a toner, though some brands have heavier essences with thicker consistency. My choice of essence is Secret Key's Starting Treatment Essence. It has galactomyces ferment filtrate that can help brighten your skin, reduce wrinkles, hydrate, soothing, and give your skin some nutrition it needs. It's pretty similar to the most popular essence out there, SK-II First Treatment Essence, but with only 1/4 of the price. If you can't afford SK-II, Secret Key's STE is your next best buddy. I've been using STE for almost a year now, and have heard people commenting how bright and clear my skin is. I also feel that it helps to control my oil and reduce my acne scars. I highly recommend this product. In fact, STE was the first thing I added to my previously simple routine (cleanse and moisture), and it alone had improved my skin condition. Now that I combine it with other products, I think I can safely say it continues to condition my skin to the better. Plus, one bottle lasts for 6 months or more! It's very economical, right?

Secret Key Snail+EGF Repairing Emulsion

 After putting on some essence, my next skin care routine differs from days to nights. In the morning, I apply an emulsion after applying STE. I choose emulsions instead of creams because they're lighter in consistency but moisturizing enough for my combination skin. Applying heavy creams on broad daylights can add more oil to my skin, and I don't want that. I find that emulsion alone is enough to keep my skin moisturized throughout the day without adding excess oil. I'm using another Secret Key product, which is Snail + EGF Repairing Emulsion from their Snail range. Snail slimes, apparently, are very useful for our skin. I really like how light the emulsion is, and how fast it's absorbed into my skin without leaving sticky feelings. It also gives the right amount of moisture my skin needs to survive the day. When I finish applying emulsion, I usually just go straight into make up. So, my skin care routine for the day ends. Some people put on some eye cream, but I haven't found the right eye cream for me, so I skip that part as well.

C20 Serum (the glass bottle comes with a dropper, which was refrigerated when I took this pic)

 At night, however, our skin needs more moisture, especially if you sleep in an air-conditioned room, which is very drying to the skin. Therefore, I add extra steps after applying STE. Instead of using emulsion, I apply a few drops of serum to my skin. Serum is a more concentrated product which is used to address particular skin problems. Pick the right serum that addresses your skin problems, like acne, wrinkles, large pores, blackheads, etc. There are limitless number of serums you can choose from. Since serum is pretty expensive and comes in small bottles, usually contains not more than 30ml of products, you might want to skip this part if you want. Serum has a thicker consistency than an essence,though still watery, and is very moisturizing, it takes longer to be absorbed to our skin. That's why I always leave it for the night. I don't mind more moisture while I sleep. I'm currently using C20 Original Pure Vitamin C serum from Only S. Trend cosmetic. This serum is a pure Vitamin C serum. The company says it can fix numerous skin problems like large pores, blackheads, acne scars. It also works as an anti-aging agent, Basically, it gives vitamin C to your skin, with added benefits. Since vitamin C easily oxidizes, especially if exposed to sun light, it's recommended that you use it only at night, and keeps it refrigerated to prolong the shelf life. I need to remind you again that this step is optional and you may skip it if you've only started to change your routine. You can add this step later when you feel like it.

Mizon Returning Starfish Cream. The packaging is definitely gorgeous.

Next, I apply a heavier cream to lock in some moisture. This is my final step before I sleep. My choice fell to Mizon Returning Starfish Cream. Cream, obviously, has the thickest consistency among all of skincare products. I chose this particular cream because I was intrigued by the memory foam-like texture, which can always return to its normal shape after you dig into it - it doesn't leave a mark. It's bouncy, creamy, but melts the moment it touches your skin. It's definitely the heaviest of all, it takes longer to be absorbed, and will add more oil if I use it for the days, which is, again, why I only use it for the nights.

At the weekends I also exfoliate my skin using Nature Republic's silk cocoon, and sometimes I use a face mask (if I have one). In my opinion, exfoliating is also vital to remove dead skin but shouldn't be done every day. Exfoliating can be done using face srcubs, or cocoon like mine.

My skin care routine ends on that note. But, a lot of people use sleeping masks or sleeping packs afterwards to further moisturize the skin when they sleep. I don't need more moisture for now, though I'd love to try it one day. To summarize everything before I end this long post, here are my skin care routine steps:
Days : cleanser - toner - essence - emulsion
Nights: cleanser - toner - essence - serum - cream
(When in doubts of which products should come first, always use products with the lightest consistency to the heaviest consistency. Also, pay attention to your skin type and adjust the products to suit your skin. Google a lot. It helps.)

After I changed my skin care routine, I noticed my skin has become healthier in general. It's brighter, smoother, clearer, my acne scars have diminished though not disappear completely, I also have fewer blackheads, and smaller pores. I still have an oily combination skin, but at least it's not as oily as it was before. My only regret is not starting this routine earlier. I hope it's helpful for you who're thinking of changing their routine. It's never too late to start!