Why I'm Into Korean Skincare Lately

I've always used MAC or Clinique when it comes to makeup. But lately, I've been reading a lot how Koreans are keeping this intriguingly elaborate way of taking care of their skin. 

​Among others, they use cleansing oils on top of the usual rinse-off foams to wipe out makeup & excess oils in the skin, hinging from the basic chemistry idea that "like goes with like". As such, Koreans use cleansing oils to thoroughly do the job in removing unwanted oily substances in the skin that water-based cleansers cannot do. Some use cleansing oils alone, while others opt to take the double step & use a rinse-off foam to wash the dirt and the oil off. 

7 Steps to Beauty

While employing these cleansing methods can seem a bit arduous to begin with, Koreans actually take it a few steps more by adding several essences on top of the usual 3-step cleanse-tone-moisturize regimen with the use of face masks, serums, ampoules, among others.

This whole idea of such a daunting beauty routine got me so curious that I went on to try it myself, wondering whether these things are indeed effective or just a bunch of marketing tactics to get people to buy more products. Thus I started with a 7-step skincare routine that involves:

1. oil cleanse - Face Shop Pore Clean Cleansing Oil
2. water cleanse - Clinique Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser
3. exfoliate - SkinFood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off
4. tone - Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner (check my full review here)
5. ampoule - Etude House Moistfull Collagen
6. moisturize - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +
7. BB cream - Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream

Note: Clinique is the only brand that isn't Korean in this routine of mine 

I tried to employ these steps and put on a little makeup before heading to the gym; and I was surprised to see myself still looking fresh and radiant even after a 30-minute intense workout

All about the benefits

While you may be wondering what's the fuss about Korean products, it's actually all about the added benefits! Technologically speaking, Korean beauty brands aren't more advanced than their their Western counterparts, but they do load their products with a lot of extracts & essences that help achieve that smooth & dewy skin that we've all been dreaming of. 

This is basically the reason why Korean products such as BB (Beauty Balm) & CC (Color Correcting) creams are growing in popularity — they are but the epitome of a wonder product that does the job of a moisturizer, sunscreen, anti-ageing cream, and light foundation.

Anti-ageing overload

Antioxidant is one of the key ingredients found in most Korean products. It's meant to fight ageing by protecting skin from free radicals that cause skin to age faster.  While this may not seem like a big thing for people like me in our early 20's, it can actually do a great deal of help in the long run by giving protection to skin even before wrinkles & fine lines would start to come out.

Soft, dewy, and smooth skin

I've been keeping my 7-step skincare regimen for more than a month already. Since then, I noticed that my skin is much more smoother and moister. My face also lightened up, making it look much more healthier.

How about you? Have you started keeping your own beauty regimen? You're welcome to share yours here!