The time is now when the world is opening up and embracing Korean culture in all it’s glory. Korean food, K-dramas, K-pop are all attracting and inspiring us in more ways than one.
K-beauty is another one of those Korean secrets which is now for the world to know and as women we are lucky to have it as it has introduced us to a whole new world of beauty techniques, ingredients and products.
While Korean beauty products are slowing making their way and even replacing western beauty products in our beauty basket; thanks to social media one of the techniques as part of K beauty which has become a popular phenomena is the Korean 10 step skin care routine
What is the Korean 10 step skincare routine?
The Korean skincare routine is created with the Korean beauty philosophy in mind, grounded in Korea’s cultural obsession with healthy skin and backed by decades of scientific advancement.
Look at Korean celebrities and Korean people in general, their skin is a testament to their religious focus and dedication to following an intensive skincare routine.
It typically involves layering multiple products – a few extra steps in comparison to traditional skincare regimes, usually in 10 different steps, such as toners, serums, exfoliants, masks, and moisturizers that work together to nourish and protect the skin.
The routine encompasses using products in the right order – layering them right from lightest in texture to the heaviest. For example, tol apply an oil before a cream.
It is rooted in the preventive and protective mentality and skincare for the long haul rather than going behind undoing damage once it has happened.
It is more than a routine and has turned into a lifestyle of enjoying the process of regularly taking good care of your skin, which has tuned into a global phenomenon.
We’re beginning to learn that taking care of our skin can be relaxing, luxurious and even fun.
Fundamentally, the routine is about respecting your skin. It is about having the understanding that as far as skincare goes, consistency and dedication are what yield their much-desired results.
It’s like the difference between going on a crash diet vs. adopting a clean eating lifestyle.
Instead of using products full of harsh ingredients that strip the skin’s natural barrier, Korean skin care philosophy is about working with your skin’s natural ecosystem by cleansing, hydrating, nourishing, and protecting it — allowing it to thrive.
The Korean skin care routine wasn’t any one person or brand’s discovery. It was more of a gradual evolution that originated from the skin regimen that many Koreans follow.
It’s a mindset that taking care of your skin is an important part and should be incorporated into one’ daily routine. It recognizes the importance of taking out some essential ‘me time’ to keep your skin in top notch condition.
The ultimate goal of a Korean skincare regimen is to tailor a process that benefits your skin’s health.
Korean skin care became an educational experience for skin care enthusiasts.
It is a holistic approach to skin care that emphasizes the importance of using high-quality products on your skin to achieve healthy, glowing results.
By following it consecutively every day, you’re providing essential nutrients to your skin that help maintain its health and vibrancy.
The beauty of Korean skin care is that it really hits the sweet spot, where it has active ingredients that work for everything to result in the efficacious outcome with your skincare goals that you are aiming for.
Korean skin care products are addressing needs that the U.S. skin care market hasn’t. And it definitely doesn’t hurt that K-beauty brands tend to be much more affordable than their U.S., British and French counterparts.
What are the benefits of this routine?
- This routine works on unclogging and detoxifying pores. It tightens and minimizes the pores while hydrating the skin.
- It fades blemishes and makes the skin clear.
- Reduces signs of aging: The 10 step routine reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
- Firming and tightening: It firms the skin, making it look bright and radiant
- Provides long lasting hydration: This 10 step routine provides long lasting hydration to the skin. It consists of products that boost the skin’s moisture balance.
- Improved, even skin tone
- Skin looks smoother, brighter & radiant
- Repair’s the skin’s barrier
- Prevents water loss and foreign substances from seeping through your skin
What is glass skin?
The term “glass skin” is commonly used in the Korean beauty world to refer to skin that looks crystal-clear, poreless, translucent and luminous — like a piece of glass
In layman’s understanding, “glass skin” is exactly what it sounds like: skin so smooth, evenly toned, and virtually flawless that it mimics the look of a pristinely cut piece of glass.
It is a clear, and intensely hydrated complexion that appears to be transparent.
Skin that is flawless, clear, healthy with no visible pores and acne free.
This viral Korean skincare phenomenon is what skincare dreams are made of, and those who have mastered it show off plump, glowy, flawless skin that emulates the look of a fresh-cut piece of glass.
When it comes to how to get glass skin, the key lies in adopting the Korean 10 step skincare routine – using a layering technique of multiple hydrating and nourishing skincare products that include cleansers, essences, toners, serums, and more.
While glass skin has more to do with a lit-from-within healthy glow than it does with the physical feel of the skin, the look is achieved with ample moisture content in the skin (ideal hydration levels are the center of glass skin), which gives it a beautiful, mega-watt yet translucent glow.
While some people may be genetically blessed with super glowy skin, for the rest of us who want to achieve the look, a combination of skincare ingredients that flood the skin while removing dead skin cells is essential.
Multiple layers of different skincare products rich in humectants, ceramides, and the right types of exfoliators are vital in creating a luminous glow in the quest for glass skin.
Glass skin might sound like an elusive goal, but anyone can attain that coveted luminosity with the right skincare routine and dedication.
How to achieve glass skin?
Glass skin isn’t all that hard to achieve, but it takes plenty of diligence and time, and the results may not surface for upwards of one month.
Since the principles of glass skin are multi-factorial—a smooth skin surface, ideal moisture levels, and the ability for the skin to reflect light appropriately—following each step to a T is critical to glass skin success.
By layering on the different types of products necessary in the routine, you can achieve glass skin.
Of all the skin care trends, glass skin is one of the easier ones to implement and achieve.
That’s because the name of the game is all about hydration, hydration, hydration.
Adding moisture to the skin makes it plumper, brighter, more even, and with a flawless glow.
The key, however, is going beyond basic moisturizers and working essences, serums, and toners into your skincare regimen for glass skin.
But don’t expect your skin to transform overnight.
It takes dedication and diligently following a routine carved out for glass skin for it transform.
What previously seemed to be impossibly dewy skin is now possible with the Korean 10 -step skincare routine.
K-pop stars became the prime examples of the coveted complexion trend.
The trick lies in the ‘layering’.
You want to use multiple lightweight layers of hydrating products so skin looks dewy and plump, akin to a baby’s bottom.
So without further ado, let's deep dive into the real 10 step K-skincare routine order, to achieve the glass skin of your dreams.
Step 1: Oil Cleansing
Despite initial reservations, oil cleansers operate on a simple yet profound principle – ‘like dissolves like’.
This means the oil in the cleanser adeptly lifts away the oils on your face, including stubborn makeup, sunscreen, and accumulated impurities.
As you rinse, it takes this residue with it, leaving your skin impeccably clean, supple, and prepared for subsequent skincare steps.
Step 2: Foam Cleansing
Double-cleansing is essential in K-beauty routines, though its since been adopted in skin care routines all over. By following up with a water-based cleanser, you can properly remove water-based impurities like dirt, sweat, and grime.
Step 3: Exfoliant
A gentle scrub that suits your skin type should do the trick for you here.
Exfoliation essentially means removing dead skin cells from your skin.
This step will make your skin appear brighter and more firm. It also helps improve your skin’s overall texture and tone.
Step 4: Toner
A toner removes any dead skin cells and excess dirt and oil from your skin.
It also removes impurities and diminishes the appearance of pores after cleansing.
Step 5: Essence
An essence acts as a primer for your skin and makes the ingredients in the rest of your routine much more effective.
Step 6: Serum/ Ampoule/ Booster
Serums contain topical antioxidants (like vitamin A, C and E) that help to even out your skin tone.
A serum acts as a targeted treatment for wrinkles, redness and pigmentation.
Step 7: Sheet Mask
This Korean beauty product has taken the industry by storm.
Sheet masks are soaked in serum and are packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals.
They are also extremely hydrating, leaving your skin soft and supple.
Step 8: Eye Care
Eye creams are great for blurring the appearance of lines, wrinkles and dark circles.
They can also help reduce the look of puffiness in the eye area.
Step 9: Moisturizer
You skin needs lots of moisture, period.
A moisturizer can help firm skin and improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
It also locks in moisture for deep hydration and nourishment.
Step 10: SPF or Sleep Mask
For the Day
Always wear sunscreen! Even when it’s not sunny out.
Minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer UVA/UVB protection that physically shields the skin from harmful rays.
Sunscreens are now including protection against blue light — which is a must for both indoors and outdoors!
For the Night
Put on a rich and deep Sleeping Mask.
This is a bonus step for nights when you have extra time or want to treat yourself.
Masks are an incredibly diverse and fun category in Korean skincare.
Depending on the mask, its application might vary, but typically, they are used after cleansing and toning.