If you have ever suffered from sensitive skin, you know the struggle of finding the perfect skincare routine.
Finding the right cleanser, toner, serums, and moisturizer is like telling water not to be wet. Recently, I suffered a horrible bout with my acne, rosacea, and eczema. Talk about a triple whammy, huh?
During this time, I went on every blog I could find on the subject and made lists of products people had tried. I went to YouTube and watched a lot of my favorite ladies, and let’s not forget the gentlemen, to see what they had to say on the matter but always got the same run around with products.
If you’ve ever been on YouTube trying to narrow down the search for exactly what you need, you understand the struggle. You are trying to find the answer to a question and end up going down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole of remedies, “experts say this” videos and it can be so exhausting.
They would say “Be sure to use products that are dye free, silicone free, free of perfumes and free of gluten, free of clouds, free of the sun, blah, blah, blah!” It was always the same thing. I had tried all of that and it had failed.
Now, I’m not saying that these products aren’t great and they don’t work but when you are dealing with specific skin issues and you’ve tried these products over and over, even your skin begins to say “Um, haven’t we tried this? We didn’t like it, remember?” and it gets angry at you.
So, with all my hope hanging on by a thread, I decided to search for something I kept seeing that was trending on YouTube — Korean skincare.
What is Korean skincare?
Korean skin care is still fairly new to us in the United States but it’s definitely trending. I began watching videos of women talking about how they had skin just like mine that they were able to heal within months just by using these 11 steps.
Wait… I’m sorry… 11 steps?!
Now, I know what you’re thinking; “11 steps?! That’s a lot of steps!” I know, I said the same thing above and it seems like so much work.
It’s hard enough to remember to wash your face after working an eight-hour shift, feeding your family, getting them ready for bed and finally having some alone time. The last thing on your mind is an 11 step facial routine.
As I continued to research I found there are different variations of the Korean skin care method. Heavenly news from the skin gods! You can choose to do the traditional 11 steps, or opt for a seven or three-step process.
I opted for the seven-step process, which I’ll detail below.
Seven-Step Korean Skincare Routine
1. I applied the Banila Zero cleansing balm to the tips of my fingers to warm up the product and distributed it to the face to remove makeup. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. You will notice it turning into a milky consistency as you rinse.
2. I cleansed with CosRx Low PH cleanser gently and rinsed my skin. This doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry or stripped but it feels very clean.
3. I applied the Missha Clear toner to a cotton round and with gentle upward motions applied it to the entire face.
4. Taking a few drops of the Missha First Treatment Intensive Moist essence to the palm of my hand and patted it on my face to stimulate blood flow and push the product in.
5. Filling a vial dropper full of the Skin 1004 Madagascar serum to the palm of my hands, I patted it on my face in the same manner as I did the essence.
6. I applied the Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Moisturizer moisturizer to my face by dotting it on the nose, cheeks forehead and chin as to evenly distribute the product. I then gently rubbed the product into the face in an upward motion. I also took any extra I had on my hands and with gentle upward motions I applied it to my neck.
7. Finally, I use a rose essence spray from the brand Heritage to seal everything and to add extra moisture to the skin. This smells amazing and makes your skin feel wonderful.
A recommendation after this is to add a sheet mask, and while it can be done every day, I chose not to do that. I did them every Wednesday and Sunday and I would do a mud mask on Fridays. That way I still got the benefits of the sheet masks without having to spend so much money by buying them for everyday use.
After doing this routine for two months I couldn’t believe the difference I saw in my skin.
My acne was clearing, my skin tone was evening out and my rosacea was so much better. The dryness from my eczema was gone so much so that I was actually producing oil. The more and more I kept using this skin care belief the more my skin healed.
I found ways to tweak it and make it my own and I found that you don’t have to use the same brand of products for everything to work well together. The best part of all of this was there were days I was leaving the house without makeup.
For the first time in years, I felt confident in my skin again. My point in sharing this and telling you all of this, because I know I sound like all of those others whom I spoke about earlier, is that skin care is not universal. It is not one size fits all.
You have to get to know your skin, try different things. You are probably going to fail with a few products and that’s okay, it’s part of the process. Once you find what works for your skin you are able to better choose your routine out of the ocean of products provided for us.
Be patient. It’s not going to happen over night but you will get there.
You will start to save money, you will gain a better understanding of what your skin needs and you will learn to love the skin you’re in!
Have you experimented with Korean skincare products? Share your recs and tips in the comments below!