Korean Skin Care 101

How to Make a Korean Skincare Regimen Work For You #1

By Sara Spruch-Feiner

The secret to Korean women’s luminous, poreless skin lies in their dedication. As “K-beauty” gains more and more popularity in the states -- seriously, search the hashtag on Instagram to check out just how massive this is -- us American girls are familiarizing ourselves with the 10-step (yes, you read that right) process by which Korean women prepare their skin for the day in the morning and for sleep at night.

We’re not saying you need to take on an equally regimented process, however, we could stand to learn a thing or two about skincare from Korean women. So, I went straight to the pros, Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, co-founders of Glow Recipe, to get the scoop on how to curate your own Korean skincare-inspired regimen.

Start With a Cleansing Oil

Washing your face is a pretty basic element of any good skincare routine. Perhaps too basic, because Korean women do it twice, and it's called double cleansing. This method is, as the name suggests, a two-step process.

Step one typically involves an oil cleanser to remove makeup (pro-tip: oil cleansers are applied, and massaged into, dry skin). Lee and Chang's favorite is Whamisa Organic Flowers Cleansing Oil, a brand which works with fermented ingredients. “Fermentation is a natural way to get the most out of your ingredients. Think of wine - the process of fermentation is used to bring out the most of the flavor, aromas, and even nutritional properties such as important proteins and antioxidants. The same concept applies to natural ingredients used in our skincare. Natural fermantation also eliminates harmful bacteria and toxins that deplete the skin and make it vulnerable to damage and signs of premature aging,” they explain.

Though in fact it is Japanese, another fan favorite is DHC’s oil cleanser.

Use a Foaming Cleanser

Once the day’s makeup (and even more key: SPF) is removed, Korean women usually follow with a basic foaming face wash. Sometimes they'll use a powder exfoliant. These guys don’t have to be used everyday (exfoliation is done on a less frequent basis in Korean skincare) but they could be. Compared to the harsh and scratchy beads found in many of our face scrubs, these are super gentle. You pour a bit of powder into your hands and mix it with water (less water=more exfoliating, while more water=less).

Dr. Oracle The Snow Queen Enzyme Powder Wash is packed with natural enzymes like papaya and pineapple to refresh your skin and promote cell turnaround.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Forget everything you know about toner. For Korean women, the core goal of skincare (pretty much every step of it) is hydration.

Unlike the toners we’re used to, which typically aim to strip excess oil from the skin, these toners are meant to add hydration. Some of the best ones come in mist form, making them perfectly portable and ideal for a quick refresh, especially on a hot day. Try Soyedodam Organic Ginseng Mist or Whamisa Organic Flowers Olive Leaf Mist.

What Is An Essence, Anyway?

Essences, ampoules, and serums, oh my. Korean skincare is known for its innovation factor, but with the volume of products coming out, it can be hard to figure out exactly what each product can do for your skin.

Chang and Lee were my patient educators when it came to making sense of the countless options.

Essences are usually the lightest in texture (that is to say, they feel the most like liquid) and come in bigger sizes.

Serums are smaller -- you can almost feel the “precious” factor in a serum, due, in part, to their highly concentrated, higher-end ingredients.

Ampoules, however, are the most potent formulas of the three. They come in small packages and you only need to dispense 1-2 drops, 1-2 times a week. Chang and Lee call them “beauty boot camps.” Try LJH Tea Tree 90 Essence or Isoi Bulgarian Rose Blemish Serum if you’re battling blemishes, and LJH Vita Propolis Ampoule to help luminize and revitalize your skin.

Treatment Time

Treatments are by no means an everyday requirement, but they are essential in your quest for radiant skin. And there are more than enough options. From sheet masks to rubber masks (the latest trend taking off), there’s something for every type of skin.

Korean masks tend to aim to deep-clean, but with none of the stripping of oils and hydration that the masks we are accustomed to do. Try a rubber mask at least once, if only for the fun of it (they’re sold in one-time use containers, which you mix up with water and apply with a small spatula). Try a Pore Pack for a deeper cleanse.

For optimal at-home spa-ing, try Caolion’s Premium Blackhead Steam Pore Pack which self-heats, and follow it up directly with their cooling Premium Pore Original Pack.

Go Lighter for Daytime

For daytime, a light moisturizer (or emulsion as they’re frequently called in K-beauty) is enough.

Chang and Lee recommend The Lotus Essence Lotion with Lotus Leaf. It's incredibly lightweight, and yet, thanks to its contents -- 70% lotus extract -- it’s also superhydrating and packed with antioxidants.

Another lightweight moisture fave: Dr. Jart’s Water Fuse Water Sure Gel, which is packed with plumping and hydrating hyaluronic acid.

Two Essential Letters

It’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago, this must-have Korean staple wasn't widely available in the US. (Let’s just say the beauty industry moved a little faster in South Korea.)

The best way to describe a beauty balm is the halfway point between a tinted moisturizer and a foundation. Plus: they've got SPF and other skin benefits. Soyedodam Organic Ginseng BB Cream is a Korean fave, but sadly, it only comes in one shade. One of our tried-and-true faves stateside is Smashbox’s Camera Ready BB cream, which offers a much wider shade variety.

For Girls On the Go

Another essential of a Korean purse is the cushion compact. Quite literally, the cushion compact is a compact with a cushion inside that’s soaked with an SPF-rich foundation.

Bonus: It's perfect for on-the-go reapplication. Amore Pacific’s Color Control Cushion Compact with Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ is a favorite, but these, part of a collaboration between Hera (which owned by Amore Pacific) and Olympia Le-Tan, are to die for.

The Final Steps

Okay, so you’re home from work. You’ve double cleansed, and essence-d, and tone-d, and ampoule-d, and spritzed and given yourself a spa-worthy facial massage to boot. (Pinky promise that none of this takes nearly as long to do as to wax poetic about!) You’re almost ready for bed.

But not quite, because it’s time for a sleeping pack. The final frontier of the process! Sleeping Packs range in texture and feel quite a bit, from the lovely, light LJH Probiotics Sleeping Cream, which is 50% probiotic extracts (prepare to glow!), to Goodal’s Anti-Wrinkle Want Night Sleep Cream Pack (with lavender aroma oil). Never mind the Anti-Wrinkle bit of the name (though a little skincare foresight never hurt anybody), this sleeping pack is at once ultra-rich but still bouncy and doesn’t feel too heavy. It’s perfect to seal the day, and your face, for a good night’s sleep.