10 Steps of Korean Skin Care Routine That Can Make You Look 15 Years Younger

Everyone who has been to South Korea at least once has noticed the amazing ability Asian women have to stay younger for longer than European women can. Of course, genes play a huge role here but the most important factor is everyday care. Korean women have a lot of different skin care systems, but there’s a certain 10-step skin care routine that is believed to be the most popular.

We at Bright Side have discovered some of the best beauty secrets and we want to share them with you. And the best part is, it’s really easy to use this system in your everyday life.

1. Oil cleansing

The first step of this Korean skin care routine is cleansing. You can do this by using a cotton pad, your hand or a special sponge made of a plant called Amorphophallus konjac. This sponge is hypo-allergenic and allows you to cleanse your skin deeply and carefully, peeling the dead cells and normalizing the pH balance.

You can use a cosmetic product with the washing component or without it. Koren women prefer using hydrophilic oils. These products don’t only wash off makeup but they also dissolve sebum and cleanse the skin. They have a very positive impact on the skin.

2. Water-based cleansing

It seems that cleansing the skin a second time is not necessary. But Korean women know a secret: at this stage, it is necessary to remove the remnants of oil, sweat, and dust. We often use eggs as an ingredient for hair masks, but in Korea, they have a different way of using eggs for yolk-based skin care products.

Lipids make the facial skin softer and more elastic, and they stimulate the activity of the glands — they even make wrinkles disappear. This is not the only way to use egg yolks. This ingredient is also used in masks and different creams to decrease the size of pores. So it serves as a useful “breakfast” for the face!

3. Peeling and blackhead removal

This is one of the most important steps on the way to perfect skin. What’s the point of it, you ask? When dead cells are removed, other products can penetrate the skin more deeply and can be more effective. Peeling can be harsh on the skin, so it’s not recommended to do it more than 1-2 times a day.

As it turns out, sweet foods can be useful. For example, a mask made of black sugar is great for peeling skin, removing the blackheads and sebum. If you use it regularly, the skin will become way softer and cleaner. And volcanic lava-based masks are just as popular and have a matte effect. They’re very effective against acne.

4. Toner

This is not the most obvious skincare step so many people miss it, but that’s a huge mistake. After several steps, the skin becomes vulnerable and needs moisture. The skin is like a sponge and the more moisturized it is the better it absorbs the upcoming skincare products.

Toner ingredients are simple and can be made of yeast, for example. It is really effective because it doesn’t just moisturize the skin, but it also works as nutrition, making it more elastic. Toners often contain mineral water, so the skin also gets microelements.

5. Essence and serums

This is one of the most important steps. Now we are going from cleansing the skin to treating it. It is important to understand what problem you want to solve at this point. Is it whitening? Wrinkles? Depending on the goal, you should choose the right product. When using an essence, you should put it on the skin using tapping motions.

The Korean beauty industry is really inventive with their ingredients, some of which are found in...swamps! Serums with 20% of peat extract will make the skin elastic and wrinkle-free. There is a reason why such a strange ingredient is used: it has very good regenerating features. In Ancient times, Egyptians and Romans used peat to heal wounds.

6. Emulsion

The effect of a serum or an essence can be increased, and the best way to do this is with an emulsion. It should be light and the skin will “drink” the emulsion.

Emulsions, just like essences, can be used for solving different skin problems including battling age changes. In Korea, they use ginseng root a lot because it stimulates the cell production and protects the skin from free radicals. It also enables the synthesis of collagen and elastane.

7. Masks

Masks are supposed to prepare the skin for an aggressive environment. Just like the previous steps, the choice of the product depends on the effect you want to achieve. For moisturizing, Korean women use masks with snail extract, and in order to make the skin shinier, they use vitamin C. But there are even more interesting things about the masks they use.

Bubble clay masks are a hit not only in Asia but also in other countries. The thermal water normalizes the water-lipid balance and detoxes the skin. Another Korean trend is the donkey milk mask. Such a mask moisturizes the skin and heals micro wounds. It also has a whitening effect.

8. Eye cream

When taking care of their skin, Korean women pay a lot of attention to the thin skin around their eyes. If you use a cream, be careful when applying it to the skin with the fingertips. Don’t press too hard and don’t stretch the skin.

There are alternative ways of caring for this area like using patches. They contain both gold and black pearl powders. Such patches remove dark circles, swelling, and improve blood circulation.

9. Face cream

This step is supposed to finish the skin’s moisturizing process and soothe it. The Korean beauty industry offers a wide array of creams to choose from. Some creams are made with egg yolk for soothing the skin, while others use snail mucus for smoothing wrinkles and improving elasticity. There are even products with bird nest extract! They contain amino acids that keep the skin looking young. Additionally, the cream contains ions of gold that stimulate blood circulation.

10. Sun protection

Sunlight stimulates the aging of the skin. Korean women are sure that if you want to keep your skin young for as long as possible, you need to start using sunscreen. Use it every morning before going outside.

For example, the cream with donkey milk also protects the skin from stress, increases the level of vitamin C and of course, decreases the negative effects of UV-light. This may look strange but look at the women in South Korea: they look really young even at age 50 and older. And it’s not only due to genetics.

Bonus: a mayo mask for the hair

Mayo is hard to come by in a Korean kitchen, but you can easily find it in a bathroom! The mask is made of shea butter, macadamia oil, egg yolk, and vinegar. Such a mask serves as nutrition for the hair. As a result, hair gets softer, shinier, and more elastic.

If you want to use this mayo mask, it’s best to make the mayo yourself, or you can buy a Korean-made product.

Would you like to try this Korean skincare system? Or maybe you’ve already tried it and can share the results in the comment section below!