If you are like most women, you wear some type of makeup every day and take off only part of that makeup every night.
This results in dry, uneven, broken skin that is not pretty. By taking a few extra minutes during your nighttime routine, you can have skin that is hydrated and supple.
As with any routine you implement in your life, the first few times will require more time as you become used to the routine you are starting.
Once you have completed the steps a few times, you will easily fall into the routine and it will become second nature to you.
There are many skin care routines out there that promise amazing skin after only a few uses, but that is not a realistic expectation for most women.
You need a skin care routine that will gradually give you the supple, hydrated skin that you desire. Just like dry skin can be spotty and rough, over-hydrated skin can also cause issues that you won’t want to deal with any more than the issues you were trying to resolve in the first place.
However, there is a ton of information out there today that will give you step by step instructions, as well as products to use, which will allow you to tailor a routine to fit your needs and your schedule. One of those routines is known as Korean skin care.
Steps To A Korean Skin Care Routine
This is a ten step program that will help you to achieve the hydrated skin you need but is realistic for everyday women.
The creator of this program does not promise quick, easy results, but instead tells you how it is, and that you will have to complete the steps at least five days a week to achieve and maintain hydrated skin.
This is a simple routine that will allow you to ease into it and will keep you coming back for more every day.
The creator also states that this is not just for Korean women, and can be used by women of all ethnicities. Let’s talk about the steps and how they can help you to achieve your hydrated skin.
Makeup Removal
Most women are guilty of leaving their makeup on overnight at least once in their lifetimes. Maybe you had a long day at work and just didn’t feel like removing the makeup before you went to bed, or maybe you forgot you had it on and went to bed, only to wake up the next morning with lipstick on your pillow and clumps of mascara on your eye lashes.
Remembering to remove your makeup is a very important step in this skin care routine. You will need a top notch makeup remover in order to remove all of the makeup that you have put on your face.
Something with an oil base can not only help keep your face hydrated while you remove your makeup, it can also help you remove that stubborn makeup down to the last bit.
Make sure to remove all of your eye makeup, because even if you remove your foundation and powder, any eye makeup left can make its way to your face during the night and will eventually dry it out.
The author suggests that you spend the same amount of time removing your makeup that you did putting the makeup on. This may seem crazy at first, but it will ensure that you remove all of the makeup.
Cleansing
Even after you have removed your makeup, you will want to go over it with a cleanser to make sure that you remove any excess makeup particles that your makeup remover may have missed.
Getting a cleanser that is made with oils can help pull out that excess makeup, dirt, and grime from your day.
Massage the cleanser into your skin using either your fingers or a cleansing pad for a few minutes to make sure that you have removed any missed makeup.
Exfoliating
If you’ve walked into any pharmacy or supermarket with a health and beauty aisle, you have surely seen exfoliating treatments in many different forms.
There are some that come in daily washes for your face, and some that are specifically for monthly uses.
Depending on the results you need, you will need to decide whether you want to use an exfoliating treatment once a month or on a daily basis.
No matter what type of exfoliating treatment you choose, you will want something that you use mainly on your T-zone area.
Exfoliation is also a good option for areas of your face where you have large amounts of blackheads.
Toners/Refreshers
There are significant differences between American toners and Korean toners. Korean toners are not as abrasive to your skin as American toners tend to be.
For this reason, Korean women do not refer to toners by that name. They simply call them refreshers, as it is more of a refreshment for your face.
To help with dry skin, try switching to a Korean made toner. Most of these have bamboo extract in them to prepare your skin for the rest of your routine.
Think of the refresher step as a palate cleanser. You are cleansing your face again to help get it ready for the second half of your skin care routine.
Essence
This step is relatively new to American skin care routines, but Korean women swear by it. Using an essence treatment, you are treating your skin at a cellular level, which will radiate through to the skin level.
Most Korean women soak their face in some type of essence treatment, depending on their skin type.
We suggest using Missha First Treatment Essence, but you can use any that you feel comfortable with.
You can do a search online to see where you can pick up this specific product if this is the one that you choose to go with.
Serums/Ampoule
In American skin care, we are used to hearing about the amazing effects of serums, and the world of Korean skin care agrees.
Using serums, or Ampoules as they are referred to in Korea, can help to fade sun spots, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and add brightness to your skin. In the skin care aisle of your pharmacy or supermarket, you will find many options for repairing serums.
You want to look for serums that are made exclusively for nighttime use, as you will get the most use out of them and they will work better while you are at rest.
Sheet Masks
No doubt, we have all tried different types of face masks to help relieve our dry skin or to remove unwanted blackheads and pimples.
There is a relatively new trend happening now that gives your skin moisture and fullness simply by wearing a mask two times a week.
Sheet masks contain antioxidants and anti-aging compounds that force the skin to absorb the moisture in the mask.
Because of the amount of moisture in the masks, they are only recommended for use two times a week unless you are experiencing extremely dry skin, in which case you can up the treatment to three to four times a week.
Once you have seen an increase in hydration in your skin, you will want to move it back to two times a week to make sure that your skin will still be able to absorb all of the moisture out of the mask.
Sheet Masks look just like a small sheet has been placed over your face, it feels and looks weird, but the effects are amazing.
Eye Creams
When searching for an eye cream, you want something that is suggested for use at nighttime, as well as something that has a dropper bottle instead of a cream you put on yourself.
Using the dropper bottle formula, you will be able to place the cream in more specific places and it will allow better absorption of the cream. This can be completed up to seven days a week, as needed.
Moisturizers
Choose a moisturizer that has some amount of collagen in it. This will give your face a plumpness of youth.
It will also help to smooth out any wrinkles or fine lines that you may have and keep your skin hydrated during the night and into the morning, so you will want to choose something that has a long lasting effect to it.
Night Creams
These are used to help seal in everything you just put on your face, and while it may seem like a lot, it will be worth it in the long run when you are no longer dealing with dry skin. Find a good quality nighttime cream that is designed to help stay on your face and keep your skin hydrated throughout the night and into the next day.
While this skin care routine seems like a daunting task, and it may be when you first begin the routine, it will become easier over time.
Make sure to stick with the routine, or any routine that you find, otherwise you will not be helping your skin.
You want to keep going with a skin care routine so that you can help ease your dry skin and prevent any issues from starting up again.
After a few weeks of a treatment, you should begin to see significant results. At that point, you will be able to decide if you need extra hydration or if you are satisfied with the routine you are using.
