Are you new to skincare? If so, the famous 10 step Korean skincare routine is something you need to know!
In today's post, I'll explain the origin of the 10-step skincare routine, how it works, and how you can apply it in your own daily routine in a practical way. Let's start!
Table of Contents 🔍
- Toner
- Essence
The origin of the 10 step Korean skincare routine 🤔
The 10-step skincare routine gained popularity in 2014 when Charlotte Cho - American author and CEO of Soko Glam - published her book "The little book of skincare" about South Korean beauty secrets. In the book, Cho (who has a Korean descendant) introduces the term of the ten steps after visiting the homes of her Korean friends and seeing the number of products they used daily. The catchy term didn't take long to stick and soon after it became a viral hit with multiple Youtube videos and press publications on the topic surfacing the web.
How the 10 step Korean skincare routine works 👩🏫
The 10 step skincare routine is based on ten products to use on your skin:
Oil cleanser
Water-based cleanser
Exfoliator
Toner
Essence
Serum or Ampoule
Sheet mask
Eye cream
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
1 & 2: Oil cleanser + Water-based cleanser
The Korean skincare routine begins with double cleansing the face, using an oil cleanser and a foam cleanser. You may be wondering, why do you need to cleanse your face twice, isn't once enough? The short answer is no, and I'll explain why.
Water-based cleansers are what most people use to cleanse their skin. But, they can't cleanse the skin from everyday oils in a way that oil cleansers can.
As we all know, oil mixes with oil. Oil cleansers are no different and they mix with excess oils on the skin, dissolving them. This helps makeup oils, excess sebum, and impurities from everyday pollution to be effectively eliminated from the skin. But, should you use only an oil cleanser? The answer is no, as water-base washes also play a vital role in cleaning the skin.
After the oil cleanser, gel/foam cleansers help remove any other residue still left on the face and guarantee that your skin is 100% clean and ready for the following skincare steps.
Example of Korean oil and water-based cleansers you can use
3. Exfoliator
After cleansing the skin, it is important to exfoliate the dead skin cells on the surface of the dermis. Why you may ask?
As part of its natural process, the body regenerates skin cells constantly. Every day, new skin cells travel from the deepest layers of the skin to the outer layers of the dermis. When the skin cells reach the surface of the dermis, they are already dead. There, they tend to accumulate and shed at a slow pace. Excess dead skin cells contribute to dry skin, excess blackheads, and uneven texture. And since the natural shedding process of the skin is laggy, external help is necessary. Cue to exfoliation!
Exfoliating products help remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. This improves both the appearance and texture of the dermis. Plus, the absorption of skincare products into the skin.
Exfoliation can be done manually (using granular products or facial brushes) or chemically (using exfoliating acids like AHA or BHA). The ultimate choice is up to you, both in terms of preference and skin type.
4. Toner
The cleansers we use on our faces tend to be more alkaline, which corrupts the skin's organic pH level. This leaves the skin barrier drier, irritated, and vulnerable to bacteria and microorganisms.
Toners help restore the skin's pH to its natural state ( between 4.7 to 5.75 pH levels ). Plus, hydrate the skin barrier, reduce the appearance of pores, and sometimes cleanse residue or dirt still present on the dermis. Overall, this is a vital step that preps the skin for the next products in the beauty routine.
Example of Korean toners you can use
5. Essence
Essences are a staple in the South Korean skin routine. They are hybrids of toners and serums and have a light and watery consistency. They also have a high concentration of actives that hydrate and stimulate the well-being of the skin barrier. Plus, nowadays, there are also formulations focused on acne and wrinkle prevention.
According to scientific studies, the daily usage of essences improves the level of hydration, elasticity, and firmness of the skin. This is due to the consistency of the product (light and easy to absorb) - providing the skincare agents to better penetrate and perform on the skin.
6. Serum or Ampoule
After the essence comes the serum or ampoule. But, despite being grouped in the same category, serums and ampoules are not the same things.
Compared with essences, serums are thicker in consistency and have a higher concentration of active ingredients. According to their formulation, serums can be used to treat different skin problems such as:
Acne
Hyperpigmentation
Wrinkles and loss of elasticity
Enlarged pores
Dull skin
Etc.
On the other hand, ampoules are more concentrated versions of serums. This concentration is also observed in the price. However, the use of ampoules is not prescribed daily. Yes, thanks to its formulation, the usage of ampoules do not need to be continuous. A little goes a long way... and as a rule, ampoules are mostly used as a booster or pick me up when the skin is not at its best.
Example of Korean serums and ampoules you can use
7. Sheet Mask
Sheet masks help pamper the skin when it needs the most. But what are they really?
As the name suggests, sheet masks are fabric masks (usually cotton) soaked in serum. They are meant to be placed on top of the skin for about 10 to 20 minutes. Depending on the formulation, they offer improvements on acne, aging, dull skin, lack of hydration, etc.
According to your preference, you can use sheet masks with fabrics like:
Cotton
Microfiber
Tencel
Silicone
Charcoal
Gold leaf and many more!
8. Eye Cream
Eye creams are creams specially formulated for the skin around the eyes. They are rich in moisturizing and anti-aging agents and aim to prevent the spread of wrinkles in the eye area.
Eye creams' key audience is mature skins, as they have lower elastin and collagen levels than younger skins. Still, according to experts, both men and women from the age of 20 can use this type of cream to prevent wrinkles and reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness in the eye area.
Example of Korean eye creams you can use
9. Moisturizer
After the eye cream comes one of the most important steps in the skincare routine: the moisturizer.
Moisturizers hydrate and protect the skin. They usually have a thicker consistency. But, for more oily skin, there are lighter options in gel or lotion format.
10. Sunscreen
Sun protection is without a doubt the most important step in the daily skin routine. Sunscreens protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) that causes skin cancer, discoloration, and premature aging. In this since, for the well-being of the dermis, the daily use of sunscreen is a must!
To protect your skin from the sun, choose products that shield the skin from UVA and UVB radiation, and have SPF superior to 30+.
Korean sunscreens protect the skin from UVA and UVB radiation and have an SPF of 50+. Unlike many western brands, Korean sunscreens are super easy to spread, and don't leave the skin sticky or with a white cast. So, if you are looking to implement a good sunscreen product in your skincare routine, Korean brand alternatives are a must to try!
How to apply the 10-step skincare regiment in your daily routine? 🧖
The 10-Step skincare routine is not something you need to do every day. As Cho mentioned in her book, exfoliating the skin and using face masks are not vital steps in the skin's daily routine. Instead, they are steps to apply once or twice a month to prevent dull and textured skin. In this sense, you can apply 8 steps in your daily routine, rather than 10.
From eight, you can reduce these steps even more, according to the needs of your skin and your budget. For example, if you already use a moisturizing serum, it is not vital that you use an essence also. As a result, what matters is how you and your skin feel. However, there are some steps you shouldn't skip!
The 5 steps you can't skip
If you are looking to apply the 10-step skincare routine in a more practical way, these are the five products you shouldn't skip:
Water-based cleanser
Toner
Serum
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
If you use makeup, I recommend adding a cleansing oil to your skincare routine. This is the only way to eliminate makeup residues, sebum, and pollution 100%.
Conclusion ✨
Overall, the 10-step Korean skincare routine is something we can all benefit from. To see proper results you don't need to follow every single step daily. However, don't forget to treat your skin to the five essential steps: water-based cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
You can also try to exfoliate and pamper your skin once or twice a month to maintain its glow and health.
I really recommend giving it a shot. Your skin will thank you later ;)
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