The KOREAN 10-step routine

If you’ve ever heard of Korean beauty, you’ve probably heard of the ridiculously extensive skin care routine Korean women and men do. Yes, I’m talking about the famous 10 step Korean skin-care routine. And if you haven’t heard about it, you’re probably thinking Damn Koreans are high maintenance! Ten steps is a shit load.

But here’s the plot twist; they don’t do ten steps everyday twice a day. Each step has its own time over the week, some daily, some once a week, and even once a month. When I first got into the Korean 10 step routine, my friend Emily would freak out about all the products I had on my vanity, questioning what possible reason I had for all these products. I would patiently walk her through each one and explaining the products’ vital role. I’m happy to report she is a complete skincare fanatic after spending way too much time with me and her skin is as radiant as ever. So, it suggests that the Koreans are on to something.

If you're new to the whole skincare game, I totally understand if you’re thinking 10 steps no way, I can hardly remember to brush my hair. However, at the end of the day, there are no miracle cures to great skin sadly. It takes time and effort. But you’re stuck with the skin you’re in for the rest of your life, so you may as well treat it with a bit of love.

The knowledge I’m about to give is just a guideline for the order to put your skincare on, and a sense of what sort of products are out there and when to use them. My specific recommendations for each skin type will be coming out in the following weeks, so stay tuned!

1. Oil Cleanser

I recommend this step for oil skin people, those who wear medium-heavy makeup, and sunscreen wearers (which should be all of us…but even I’m bad at this one). Oil cleanser helps remove the oil-based gunk of your skin. Did you ever do that experiment in school where you tried to mix the water, oil, then detergent? But no matter what they still separated even after mixing? Well, your skin is sort of like that. Oil won’t wash off with just water, and even when using a foaming cleanser some oil will still be sitting there just waiting to break you out overnight. Moral of the story, the best way to remove oil is with oil.

Oil-cleanser is applied dry on to the face and massaged in. Use gentle upward motions (not to drag on the skin and cause wrinkles) or little circles. Wash away with water. For every skin type, I would probably just use this at night to remove all the build-up from the day.

To be honest, I hardly use an oil cleanser as a dry skin person who only wears light makeup. But I do have one handy for those few occasions I wear heavy makeup. If you did want to simplify your routine and you’re not one of the formally mentioned, then this step is possibly skippable for you. Sensitive skin people for example, two cleansers maybe too much for your skin. On that note on to the next step!

2. Foam Cleanser

Foam cleanser or water-based cleanser is the second step in the routine and cleansing. It helps remove all the impurities that your oil-based cleanser didn’t wash off. Most of us already have this one at home, which is amazing. However, if you find your skin is dry and tight after using your cleanser, then you are probably one which is too harsh. In other words, chuck it. Cleansing can be gentle, unlike what most of Australian skincare brands for young adults has told us. Remember Proactive for example! Think of skincare as helping your skin not fighting it!

Wet your face (if not already wet from washing your oil cleaner), and massage in your water-based cleanser. Then wash off with water. After this your skin should be spot-less. I use my cleanser morning (wash of night products and overnight oil) and night (daytime build up).

Every skin type should be cleansing with a foaming cleanser. However, there will be certain cleansers made for specific skin types. For example, sensitive to dry skin would probably be looking at a milk cleanser (gentle and hydrating) and oily is one with Centella or salicylic acid to help treat sebum.

3. Exfoliator

The third step, exfoliation! Now I know it sounds scary, but it has an important role in maintaining general skin heath. For oil skin people, it helps remove dead skin cells which in turn reduces the number of clogged pores. Whereas, for dry skin people, the removal of flaky and dead skin helps the following products sink into your skin more effectively. It can also improve skin texture and brighten skin. There are two types of exfoliators. The first is mechanical, which is like your sugar scrubs and the apricot scrub from St Ives (the devil reincarnate). I really don’t like these sorts of scrubs for your face because the little beads used to ‘exfoliate’ are actually making micro-tears in your skin. Thus, allowing gunk to easy seep in and cause breakouts and redness. Chemical one’s sound scary but they actually use ingredients like lactic or salicylic acid to dissolve the bond between dead and healthy skin. If you really like the feel of mechanical though try Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze peeling pads which are the best of both worlds, since the gauze (mechanical exfoliant) is soaked in chemical exfoliant. Plus, the gauze won’t cause micro-tears!

Exfoliate one to two times per week, focusing on your T-zone. Remember to be gentle, as we are just assisting the skin in getting rid of the dead stuff not fighting it. The only skin type I would suggest staying away from exfoliating products is sensitive skin, since it would just cause redness. However, one could put their toner on a cotton pad and gently wiping over the skin to help remove dead skin cells without irritating your skin.

4. Toner

Ok step 4, Toner! By far my favourite step and majorly underrated. While many who are trying to simplify their skin routine will skip this step please don’t. Think of your skin as a sponge. If you put soap on a dry sponge it’s not going to absorb. However, if you put water beforehand it’s a different story (P.S. sorry for all the soap/cleaning analogies but it gets the point across). Toners help prep the skin for the fun products like serums and moisturisers, while also repairing and hydrating your skin barrier after cleansing. Word of caution though; always go for a hydrating toner no matter what your skin type! Koreans always use a hydrating one which is why they are often called “refreshers”. The more astringent ones are normally packed with alcohols and other nasties which is not what your skin needs after being cleansed and potentially exfoliated.

Use Toner right after cleansing day and night. I normally just put some on the palm of my hand and pat it in rather than putting it on a cotton pad (less product waste this way). Some Koreans even layer it a couple of times in the winter to stay extra hydrated.

5. Essence

HALFWAY! Step 5 is Essence, the very soul of the Korean beauty. I’ll be completely honest; in my skincare routine this step is non-existent. Not to say it isn’t important, I just haven’t found the right one as of yet. So, as I write this, I am learning along with you.

In Korea and Japan, this step the most important and it is actually quite hard to find anywhere else. Essences range in texture (from watery to a thick consistency) and objectives, with some targeting specific concerns. For example, vitamin C to even out skin tone, niacinamide and peptides to combat signs of ageing, or AHAs and BHAs to remove dead skin cells. You'll see more results from essence than any other product because it treats skin on a cellular level (very concentrated formula). Even Ms Tsai, owner of Tatcha cosmetics who refused to add an essence when the brand first launched, says it is the biggest game changer for skincare.

After cleaning your skin, apply toner (to deep clean and prep your skin for the essence). Then apply essence onto your hand (or a cotton pad) and evenly apply all over your face and neck. After writing this I really want to buy one!

6. Serums, Boosters, Ampoules

The step that has many names, number 6. Basically serums/ampoules are like spot treatments. So, for any big skincare concerns you would buy one to target that. For example, I have a Vitamin C serum for brightening and a hydrating serum to target my dry skin, but my mum has one to target fine lines and anti-ageing. Oily skin people may have one to target acne and sebum, while sensitive skin types may have one to calm the skin. I’m sure you get the point that each person will have a very different arsenal of serums.

They normally have a thicker consistency than toner and essences. Many Koreans have multiple serums to target different things and only put the ones they think their skin needs for that day. You may eventually have different serums for day and night. Night serums are more potent than day ones and increase sun sensitivity (so don’t wear it during the day!).

I normally put 3 drops or a 20c size of my serum on my hand and massage it into my skin after essence/toner. Don’t forget the neck too!

7. Sheet Mask

Step 7. Sheet mask, by far the most fun step of the whole routine. Sheet masks are more like a special occasion/self-love ritual sort of thing. More often than not you will look like Jason from Friday the 13th when you put this on but its 100% worth it. Some even come in animal mask print, which are very cute. To put it simply they are a face sheet soaked in a sort of essence/serum that you leave on for 10-20 minutes. The prolonged contact between the sheet and face forces the skin to absorb more of the nutrients than you would normally through serums. You can find ones that target certain things like calming, hydrating, or acne.

On average I probably use a sheet mask once a month or on special occasions. Though Koreans can use it up to two times per week! Place a sheet mask on, lie back, and chill; no other steps required.

8. Eye Cream

Why can’t I just use the same moisturiser for my eyes as my skin, you might be asking. Well, the skin around your eyes is actually the first to show signs of ageing! So, while the rest of your face is looking 20, your eye wrinkles say 40. Your eye area is the thinnest and most delicate skin on your face. Eye creams are more like serums than moisturisers. They are packed with a higher concentration of ingredients to protect the skin and be anti-ageing.

You only need a little bit (10c) for the eye areas. Gently tap the cream in under and above your eye. Don’t get too close to the eye and get stuff in it! Also rubbing and pulling will cause wrinkles, so be gentle x

9. Moisturiser

Almost there with the 10th step, Moisturiser. The moisturiser is key to locking in all the previous steps and is most important step of your night routine. It should be the thickest product to put on your face, which goes hand in hand with its hydrating and protecting properties. It goes on last as the steps go from the wateriest consistency to the thickest. For oily skin, I would go a more gel like consistency, as it feels more light weight. For my dryer skin types, medium-heavy thickest is good for us.

Apply morning and night after serums. Older women are known to have a day and night cream, this just means they put a thicker and more ingredient concentrated cream on at night, sort of like our serums. But if your new to the whole skincare game, it is definitely not a necessity, just having one good moisturiser is amazing!

10. Sunscreen

The final and most important step for your daytime routine, Sunscreen! I think there is a sort of love for sun damage in Australia. Tan and freckles show you’ve had time to be in the sun and go to the beach. However, for our skin, the sun just causes dark spots and ageing. Koreans have such amazing skin because they never see the sun, literally. You should always wear sunscreen during the day, especially in the Aussie sun! It is probably the most important thing you can do for the longevity of your skin. There are chemical sunscreens, which I recommend for oily skin and tanner skin tones as they have no white cast. There are also mineral sunscreens, which are my favourite as chemical ones can be quite irritating for skin and they are normally more natural and cleaner. I will write a blog later on about the two different types and which is better overall.

Apply as the last step, before makeup if you wear any, for your day routine. Make sure to take it off at night, as sunscreen can clog the pores or irate the skin. It is possible for you makeup to have SPF in it, but its normally a pretty low dose, so to be safe apply sunscreen!

Final Notes: Change is good!

If I haven’t totally overwhelmed you with the above steps, congratulations! It’s a lot to take in, I know. There is definitely no reason for you to go out and buy all these products. The best approach is to slowly build your skincare arsenal as to not overwhelm your skin.

Even once you’ve established your skin-care routine, it is not set in stone. Sometimes you may want to add or subtract products when the seasons change (thicker moisturis

er in the winter for example). Or maybe you’re just not liking the product. Ask any of my work friends, I constantly give away products that don’t work for me. Your skin can also get used to a product after using it for a long time. So, there is definitely no brand loyalty here! Koreans happily switch it up all the time for the newest products. Which is so unlike western society and may take some getting use to.

My day routine is pretty much my night one too. Foam cleanser, toner, serums (two-day ones, one night), moisturiser, and eye cream. The other steps come in and out of my routine but those are my essentials. But as I’ve said above change is good, so on that note I want to add an essence and sunscreen.

I hope you’ve found this at least a little interesting and starts your interest in Korean skincare. Stay tuned for my recommendations for each skin type based on the Korean 10-step in the following weeks!

Love,

Author Bridie Conroy.