Previously I’ve touched on the topic of how I adore those glowing, luminous and dewy Korean women’s complexions. I’ve mentioned that I’ve discovered a lot of websites that talked about this and they’ve been raving about this 10-step Korean ritual for some years now. i don’t have a lot of choices here in Maryland so that one store I know that sells these products sure got a rainfall from me.
The cosmetics store at HMart carries a few Korean name brands. My reasearch has told me a lot about these brands but, alas, my budget can only get me far. So I settled for a less expensive brand but also was getting good reviews. Most of my products were from Missha Super Aqua and they do work! So let me get down to my own Korean skin care and hope you do get some tips from my list.
Step 1. Cleansing Oil.
I’ve never realized what I was missing in my clelansing routine until I used a cleansing oil! Cleansing oils work for any type of skin – even oily skins. When massaged onto the face, it blends with the oils already on your skin. The oils in your skin could be naturally produced by your body and from your makeup and other products. So the cleansing oil binds with the impurities on your skin, pulling out the dirt and gets rinsed away when you wash your face. Because oil-free cleansers strip the skin of natural oils ans leaves it unbalanced, the skin produces more oil to rebalance it. The excess causes more oils and this leads to problematic skins. Oil cleansers keep the skin’s natural ph balance thus preventing too much oil to be produced.
My cleansing oil, and I’m on my second bottle now, is Missha M Perfect BB Deep Cleansing Oil.
Step 2. Cleansing Foam.
Washing your face with a cleansing foam is the second part of the double cleansing routine. This is important because foaming cleansers remove water-based debris.
Doing the double cleansing actually leaves your skin smooth and hydrated. I noticed that by the time I get to toning my skin, my face is so clean, without any dirt or trace of makeup on the cotton ball I use.
And like my oil cleanser, this is now my second tube of Missha’s Super Aqua Refreshing Cleansing Foam.
Step 3. Toner.
I always thought that toners were not important, considering that you’ve cleaned your face with soap already. But reading about it more and with more than a year now of using it, it actually moistens and preps your skin to easily absorb the other formulation coming next. Also, it refreshes your skin’s pH balance.
Step 4. Essence.
Essence hydrates the skin to better absorb the next formulations. But other than that, it also enhances the skin’s cellular renewal process giving your skin elasticity and firmness as well as brightens it. This is also a very important step in the routine.
Step 5. Ampoules, Serums, Emulsions
This is the part of my routine where I apply the formulations that I need for my skin. Anti-wrinkle? Acne? Oily or Dry? Pigmented? The only thing that you have to remember is that you apply them from the thinnest to the fullest consistency.
Gel Serum
The gel serum I use, Super Aqua Ultra Water-Full Gel Serum, is a clear agent which I use on my face and neck. It has age-defying ingredients that work as antioxidants, peptides and skin brighteners. They have a light texture that quickly penetrates the skin.
Repair Cream
This product is one of the 3 latest formulations I have bought that I now include in my arsenal. All three are made by Mizon and they’re from the Multi Function Formula Snail Repair. Yes… snail. Snail extract, most specially in this repair cream, which composes 92% concentration of it, promotes skin repair and resolves skin problems. There are so many wonders it does, that you might as well read it here. But to give you a hint of what it can do:
The slime or mucus secreted by these little mollusks that helps protect their exposed bottoms against cuts, bacteria, and UV rays contains a potent combination of elastin, proteins, anti-microbials, copper peptides, hyaluronic acid, and glycolic acid — all known beauty enhancers. Snail mucin is said to do everything from fading dark spots and scars to plumping creases and battling acne. The venom found in ocean-cone snails (as opposed to the garden variety) paralyzes its prey and is thought to relax muscle fibers that play a role in creating wrinkles.
Ampoule
This is the 2nd product of the snail repair trio. Ampoules target dark spots or sagging skin. They’re very concentrated and very powerful that just a few drops does the job. The Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule contains 80% of the snail filtrate that helps reduce the appearance of acnes scarring, fine lines and troubled skin.
Emulsion
Emulsions, applied after serums, seals in all the previous serums, ampoules, etc. They have a consistency that is lighter than moisturizers.
Step 6. Moisturizer.
I have 2 pair sets of moisturizers I use either for morning or evening. In the morning, I apply Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkler Repair for daytime and Super Aqua Ultra Waterfull Clear Cream. At nights, I put on Neutrogena Rapind Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer for Night and most specially during winter, Super Aqua Ultra Nutritious Cream.
Step 7. Eye Cream.
This is the last thing I put on. This is the 3rd snail repair I use – the Snail Repair Eye Cream by Mizon. The cream hydrates and eliminates the look of fine lines on the skin around the eyes. It also lightens the dark color of the skin under the eyes.
So I hope this gives you an idea on how you want to come up with your own skin care regimen. Just remember, do your research, and read as much reviews as you can. Some stores might actually give you samples prior to you buying the full bottle. This actually helps you test on the products first and make sure you won’t have any bad reactions to them. This is actually a good idea when you think that altho they might not cost much individually, but buying in total, it is still significant. But when “the shoe fits”, the results can be very rewarding. Trust me, you will love it. We can’t stop ageing from happening, but we can delay it much, much longer.
The once named “godmother of the Philippine Blogosphere”, Gigi Manaloto-Refugia, known by her pen name “Ate Sienna” has been blogging since 2002 in her old pansitan.net community where she housed famous bloggers. She now writes about being 50-something and shares her tips on fashion, makeup, skincare, travel, food and thrift-store diving.
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