10 Step Korean Skincare Routine

We have all given in to the Korean craze. We’ve eaten their food, sung and danced to their songs, we’ve even spent hours watching our favorite oppas and unnies on screen, and who could help but notice how clear and smooth their skin is?

Well, we’ve discovered their secret to perfect complexion: the 10 step Korean skincare routine! But before you start piling products on your face, you have to remember that the more products you have does not equal better skin, it’s the right products in the right order that matters. To help you embark on your skincare journey we’ve broken it down, and made some product suggestions that best suit Filipina skin! 

1. Make-up Remover

Always start with a clean slate, and the best way to do that is by making sure you get all the sunscreen and make-up that has settled on your skin off your face! The best way to do this is with an oil-based cleanser, which Koreans swear by. We love Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil which helps control sebum production and soothe skin.

2. Water-based Cleanser

This step gets rid of all the water-based impurities, such as sweat and dust, that your oil-based cleanser missed. A really good one is Real Fresh Cleansing Stick Green Tea, from Neogen. It’s in a convenient stick-form cleanser you can easily travel with in case you feel the need to wash your face throughout the day. The green tea helps soothe the skin while removing impurities, dead skin, and unclogs pores.

3. Exfoliator

Exfoliating is important because it helps get rid of dull, dry skin which helps make pores appear smaller and allows the skin to look brighter. There are two types of exfoliators you can choose from:

Physical exfoliators are the skincare products that have a grainy texture to them, this scrubs away the top layer of skin. Something like Dear Klairs Gentle Black Facial Sugar Polish is as gentle as it claims while removing dead skin and melting blackheads.

Chemical exfoliators break down the ‘glue’ that holds dead skin cells together  making it is easier to get rid of these impurities. If you’re new to the chemical exfoliation game, Cosrx Two in One Poreless Power Liquid is the way to go; it’s gentle enough for newbies, but will still help with cell-regeneration and brown-spot correction!

If you’re looking at something that combines both physical and chemical exfoliation, Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Green Tea is your best bet - it even helps fight inflammation and premature aging!

4. Toner

This step in the Korean skincare routine is meant to prep your face for everything that comes next, so your toner should be gentle and moisturizing. It’s easier for your skin to absorb the serums that come next when it’s been prepared well, and Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner does it best. You can apply it with their Skin1004 Pure Cotton Pads or you can pat it on your face with your hands.

5. Essence

Essences are lightweight and packaged with concentrated ingredients to help moisturize, even skin-tone, and aid maturing skin! The Cosrx Galactomyes 95 Tone Balancing Essence is a great option for anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, whitening AND brightening.

6. Treatments

Serums, ampoules, and boosters are up next. These babies target skin problems like fine-lines, acne, and hyperpigmentation. A little goes a long way with Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule. The centella calms the skin and helps with breakouts - and with cases of acne becoming more common because of the need to wear face masks, we sure are glad to have this in our routine.

7. Sheet Masks

Speaking of masks, let’s talk about a fun kind: face masks! Masks are supercharged with great ingredients to make sure that your skincare isn’t just cute, it’s great for you, too! Lululun Moisture Enrich Face Mask is Japanese favorite and a great one for everyday use!

8. Eye Cream

The skin around your eyes is super thin and prone to wrinkles, so make sure you moisturize them well. The Inkey List Brighten-i Eye Cream is a UK product that actually suits our Southeast Asian climate. This eye cream is really good for helping lighten dark under-eyes, it also has no scent so it’s less likely to irritate the sensitive skin around your pretty peepers.

9. Moisturizer

Moisturizers come in many forms: gels, creams, sleeping masks, and emulsions. Your pick will totally depend on your texture preference. A full-proof pick, in our humble opinion, is the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Cream. It’s lightweight and great for the Philippine weather. Moisturizes AND hydrates your skin without being sticky or shiny.

10. Sunscreen

The last step, and arguably the most important one: SUNSCREEN! After 9 steps of skincare, protect your hard work with a good sunscreen. Having SPF in your makeup is all well and good, but it is definitely better to apply sunscreen, as well. Skin1004 Air-Fit Sunscream is a SPF 50 PA+++ formula that is light-weight and matte so you won’t even feel it, but your skin will definitely thank you for remembering to put it on.

There you go! The 10 step Korean skincare routine in all its glory. Remember that your products don’t have to be from Korean brands to be used in this routine. We made some suggestions, and you can also find other products which is available in the Philippines here. but you know your skin best, so try products from all over the world and see what works best!