Related articles
- From Usage in Skincare to Treating Wounds Quickly, Castor Oil Has a Lot of Applications You May Have Never Heard of: Benefits of Using Castor Oil (2021)
- Have Acne & Pimples Been a Major Downer for You? Fret Not! Here's a Guide on How to Get Rid of Pimples Naturally (2020)
- Keep your Face Lively & Dirt-Free: Best Face Wash for Men to Keep Them Fresh & Presentable All Times (2019)
Tips on Skin Care Routine for All Skin Types with Korean Beauty Products
The Korean Skin Care Routine
Skin Care regime is hard work, intensive and time-consuming but it results in your skin feeling soft, supple and youthful. This routine is all about becoming familiar with your skin’s requisites and focusing on the problem areas. In the realm of skincare, the 10-step Korean Beauty Regime is a popular method, one that involves oil cleansing, foam cleansing, exfoliating, toning, hydrating & layering, taking care of specific skin issues like pigmentation or uneven skin tone, moisturizing and protection from harmful sun’s rays.
- Oil Cleansers usually aim at removing make-up and pollution debris and are essentially oil-based cleansers. The next step involves foam cleansing, which is meant to remove any product that’s been left behind even after the oil cleanse. The Foam Cleansers are typically gentle.
- New Skin turns itself over in a matter of 6 weeks and though it is good to exfoliate your skin at least once a week, a better tactic is to keep your skin clean and well-moisturized. Exfoliation essentially removes the dead skin cells evenly to get an even skin tone as well as enjoy a glowing complexion. However, care should be taken through this process as rubbing too hard or too frequently can damage the skin.
- Toning is a significant part of skincare, as it removes any oil or dirt debris left by cleansers, also soothing, nourishing and hydrating your skin while restoring its pH balance. You can tone your skin several times in a day, but best to avoid it during the night, to allow the skin to breathe.
- The next step in skincare is applying a Facial Essence. A face essence instantly balances your skin post the cleansing and toning process, hydrating it and also priming the skin. It is a blend between a toner and a serum which aids the cellular turnout for youthful skin and perfect for hydration.
- As you progress further, the next step is to apply a serum or ampoule to tackle any specific skin worry. Serums and Ampoules are concentrated treatments that target the problem areas and eliminate any conditions the skin may be suffering from.
- A Korean beauty favourite, the Sheet Mask is a cloth saturated with skin-friendly ingredients that provide deep hydrating and anti-ageing benefits to the skin, usually suitable for most skin types.
- The next step is to apply the Eye Cream to protect & hydrate the delicate eye area and then finally moisturize your skin, as you turn in for the night.
Korean Skin Care for Every Skin Type
Even though the Korean Skin Care regime is a popular way of taking care of your skin, but like no two people are the same, every skin type is different from the next one. You can follow the Korean routine with modifications that suit your skin, for instance, intensive steps like oil cleansing, sheet masks or exfoliations can be avoided in the morning, but dual cleansing is a must at night when the skin is dull and tired and in need of extra nourishment. Here’s a summary of products you can use under the Korea Skin Care routine, every day for every type of skin.
- Oily Skin – Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm as an oil cleanser, CosRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser for foam cleansing, Innisfree Green Barley Gommage Peel for exfoliation, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Facial Toner, Leegeeham Tea Tree 90 Essence, Leegeeham Vita Propolis Ampoule, Tree Tea Bija Cica Sheet Masks, your regular moisturized for eye cream, Cosrx Advanced Snail Mucin All in One Cream & Innisfree UV Mild Sunscreen.
- Combination Skin – The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Oil, NeoGen Real Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Stick, Innisfree Peeling Wine Jelly Softener for exfoliation, Banila Co Dear Hydration Toner, Its Skin Aloe Vera Green Tea Watery Emulsion as essence, Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum, The Face Shop The Solution Mask, Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream, Mizon Black Snail All in One Cream and Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence as sunscreen.
- Dry Skin – Heimish All Clean Balm as an oil cleanser, Innisfree Green Barley Bubble Cleanser, Wishtrend Mandelic Acid Prep Water for exfoliation, Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Toner, CosRx Advanced 96 Snail Mucin Power Essence, Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule, Innisfree My Real Squeeze Mask, Innisfree Orchid Eye Cream, Joseon Dynasty Cream as a moisturizer and Cosrx Aloe Soothing Cream as a sunscreen.
- Sensitive Skin – Klairs Black Deep Cleansing Oil, CosRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser, Neogen Dermalogy Real Cica Pads for exfoliation, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Facial Toner, CosRx Advanced 96 Snail Mucin Power Essence, Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum, Klairs Blue Calming Sheet Mask, your regular moisturizer for eye cream, Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream as a moisturizer and Goodal Mild Protect Sun Cream as sunscreen.
Customized Skin Care Tips for Indian Skin
You can follow the Korean Skin Care routine by customizing it to suit your skin, given the hot & humid Indian climate. The first step in the Korean Skin Care routine is oil cleansing, which you can follow by replacing the oil cleanser with a milk-based cleanser like the Clinique ‘Take The Day Off’ Cleansing Milk. For Foam Cleansing, use a cleanser that’s made of tea-tree extracts or salicylic acid like the Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. When it comes to exfoliating, keep it to once a week if your skin is dry and twice a week if it is oily or combination skin and its best to use Ahava Time To Clear Facial Mud Exfoliator.
The next step is to use a toner, which you can should you wish to, but look for one that’s without alcohol, like the Plum Green Tea Alcohol-Free Toner. If you use an essence, then try the Innisfree Orchid Enriched Essence. For the serum and ampoule step, ensure that the boosters/serums are gel-based as the oil-based ones are heavy for summers. You can use Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Serum. You can follow the next step of using sheet masks once a weeknight and choose Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Power Foil Mask.
Eye cream is an important part of the skincare process and you should choose one that has cooling ingredients like mint extracts, asparagus and caffeine, like the Forest Essentials Intensive Eye Cream with Anise. To moisturize, use a light, gel-based summer moisturizer like L'Oréal Paris Hydrafresh Anti-Shine Icy Gel and finally use a mineral-based, matt variant for a sunscreen. Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++ is a good choice.
Best Korean Skin Care Products in 2019 That You Must Try
Sulwhasoo - Gentle Cleansing Oil
Sulwhasoo is a gentle cleansing oil formulated with traditional Korean herbs, aimed at gentle removal of make-up and skin impurities, leaving the skin, clear, refreshed and healthy. With ingredients like Coix Lacryma-Jobi, Tangerine Peel Extracts and Seed, it is blended with apricot kernel oil to reduce the dead skin cells. The Sulwhasoo Cleansing Oil should be applied twice a day (morning and night) to dry hands and massaged while circling from the forehead, down to the nose, and then the cheeks, rinsing it off with lukewarm water. The Sulwhasoo-Gentle Cleansing Oil (Soon Heng Cleansing Oil) is priced at Rs.1,567 for 50ml at Ninth Avenue.
Wishtrend- Pure Vitamin C21.5 Advanced Serum
Wishtrend’s Pure Vitamin C21.5% Advanced Serum is essentially a vitamin serum that improves the overall skin tone and texture, eliminating hyperpigmentation, discolouration, uplifts dull skin and suitable for removing acne scars. Free of parabens and other chemically harmful ingredients that aren’t skin-friendly, the serum is formulated with 10 essential ingredients that boost the collagen production, a key requisite for anti-ageing. Wishtrend’s Pure Vitamin C21.5% Advanced Serum is light, fast-absorbing and non-sticky that will lead your skin to become firmer, free from wrinkles, dark spots, sun spots, and fine lines. Priced at Rs. 1,783, it is available to buy at iHerb.
Swanicoco - Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion
A fermented extract with snail mucus filtrate, and hypoallergenic ingredients that revitalize the skin, Swanicoco - Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion moisturizes while relieving the skin of external irritants and layering it with a protective film, minimizing the effects of any harmful chemical ingredients. Lightweight and loaded with some effective active ingredients, this emulsion is a perfect start to up your skincare. It is best suited for sensitive skin, dry & rough skin, uneven skin tones, unbalanced oil and hydration levels. Swanicoco - Fermentation Snail Care Emulsion is priced at Rs. 1,799 and is available to buy at Nykaa.
Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask
An overnight mask that aims to give your skin a lively and well-rested appearance, Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask has a sleep-tox purifying effect and an aromatic sleep scent to help you relax while you sleep. A moisture recharge gel mask, the Water Sleeping Mask absorbs quickly to hydrate your skin deeply. Since it is an emergency beauty treatment, owing to its potency it cannot be used more than once or twice in a week. To use it, apply the mask evenly across the face after cleansing and toning the skin, as it gets absorbed completely, leave it overnight and rinse off in the morning. Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask is priced at Rs.1,850 and is available to buy at Nykaa.
Lanbena - Ginseng Essence Acne Scar Removal Cream
Made of herbal ingredients Lanbena - Ginseng Essence Acne Scar Removal Cream helps remove burns, cuts, acne scars, and surgery marks effectively in addition to being anti-inflammatory, aimed at elimination of bacteria, nourishment of skin and a soft, beautiful and smooth skin texture. Ideal for most skin types, Ginseng Essence Acne Scar Removal Cream from Lanbena can be used twice a day by cleaning the affected skin part before use, polishing. After a hot compress of 3-5 mins, the cream should then be applied on the affected area, massaged till it gets completely absorbed. The Ginseng Essence Acne Scar Removal Cream from Lanbena is priced at Rs. 769 and is available to buy at Amazon.
The Face Shop - Damyang Bamboo Fresh soothing Gel
A soothing gel with moisture infused gel-type texture, The Face Shop - Damyang Bamboo Fresh Soothing Gel gives a moisturizing massage to your skin with soothing & cooling effects. A multi-use soothing gel, it can be applied both to your face and body. Made of bamboo extracts which are the richest source of organic silica, a much-needed ingredient for skin health, the gel is not only an anti-oxidant but also helps heal the skin of minor cuts and wounds. It also aids in reducing the production of melanin, leading to fading dark spots and pigmentation quickly. Damyang Bamboo Fresh Soothing Gel from the Face Shop has a pleasant floral fragrance, is light and quite similar to an aloe vera gel, colourless with a smooth texture. The gel acts like a moisturizer, an after-sun wash-off mask, a sleeping mask, a hair de-tangler, a primer and as an aftershave! It is priced at Rs. 360 and is available to buy at Shoppers Stop.
Cosrx - Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask
Formulated with 655 rice extracts, the Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask from Cosrx is a sleeping mask that intensely hydrates and brightens the skin texture giving it a fresh and even tone. Rich with niacinamide, a powerhouse brightening ingredient and hydrating sunflower seed oil, the mask is designed to moisturize and nourish tired and dull skin while resting and has a lightweight texture that gets absorbed quickly. It can be used both as a day and night moisturizer and has a pH level of 6.5. The Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask from Cosrz is priced at Rs.1,119 for 60ml at iHerb.
Missha - Time Revolution Night Repair Borabit Ampoule
Time Revolution Night Repair Borabit Ampoule from Missha has a key ingredient, a fermented yeast called Bifida Ferment Lysate that reduces signs of ageing visibly and improves the skin’s elasticity while protecting it. Often compared to Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair, this ampoule has become quite popular for its ability to repair and hydrate, giving a luminous even-tone and smooth texture to the skin with regular use. With a power-packed formula, Time Revolution Night Repair Borabit Ampoule from Missha is gentle for sensitive and acne-prone skin. Priced at Rs.4,557 for 50ml, the ampoule is available to buy at Look Fantastic.
Etude house - Baking Powder B.B Deep Cleansing Foam
Etude House’s Baking Powder B.B Deep Cleansing Foam is a deep cleansing foam that removes dead skin cells and skin impurities from pores with its fine baking powder that acts as a primary cleanser for stubborn dead skin cells and the adhering BB cream as a secondary cleanser with a plant-derived rice bran powder. To apply, rinse your face after removing all makeup and dispense a small portion of the cream on your wet hands and then work it into a lather, gently massaging it on your face for roughly 2mins. Wash it off and rinse thoroughly. The 160ml Baking Powder BB Deep Cleansing Foam from Etude House is priced at Rs.1,362 and is available to buy at Ninth Avenue.
Klairs - Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
Vit. C is an antioxidant that provides optimum care in the realm of anti-ageing and is an effective skin brightening ingredient. The Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum from Klairs features 5% Vit.C and aids in protecting the skin from pigmentation, keeping it firm, reducing visible fine lines, brightening and evening out the skin tone. With a pH level of 3.81, The Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum from Klairs is an innovative and multi-solution, non-irritating product to revitalize, maintain and transform your skin to its optimum level. Priced at Rs. 1,415, it is available to buy at iHerb.
Bonus Tip: Tips on Where to Buy Korean Skin Care Products in India
As popular as the Korean Skin Care regime is, it can be equally overwhelming! Further, getting your hands on Korean Beauty products can be challenging if you don’t know the brands and the places you can source them from. Albeit several international sites ship these products to India, you’ll end up paying much more on custom duty. So here are a few websites where you will find the best range of Korean Skin Care products at varying prices. So it is best to compare your choice of products before you place an order.
Related articles
- Are You Looking for a Foundation You Can Use on Daily Basis without Spending Your Entire Salary on It(2020)? Lakme India Boasts of an Entire Range of Foundations to Suit Your Skin Needs and Your Budget!
- Why Shell Out Hundreds on Cosmetic Sanitizers When You Can Make Your Own: How to Make Sanitizer 5 Different Ways (2020)
- Cream Foundations are a Godsend for Anyone with Dry and Dehydrated Skin(2020): 10 Best Foundation Cream to Guarantee the Coverage You Need.
- Toner and Oily Skin – It’s a Match Made in Heaven(2020)!: How to Find the Perfect Toner and 10 Best Toners for Oily Skin
- Foundation Brushes are the Tools to Create Greatness(2020):10 Best Foundation Brushes that Will up Your Makeup Game in Just a Few Swipes.
Choose Your Skincare Routine
Skincare is very important if we are to maintain a clear skin devoid of wrinkles at a very early age. And Korean skincare is one of the best. But even the very best might not suit every skin. Each to their own. So, take care that you use products that suit your skin the best. Add or skip products depending on your skin and routine. Adapt it to the climate of the place you live in. But never miss your skincare routine at the end of the day however small it is.