I’d been struggling with skincare for a while. It’s never been easy.

I mean, mid-twenties acne? Come ooooon.

 

In spite of that, I thought I was doing pretty well. I felt good in my skin, you know?

Until, that is, a random acquaintance told me I looked 32.

When I was 25 at the time.  So, yeah. Being told you look 7 years older… no good.

 

But me being the obsessed care creature that I am, I channeled this. Into an obsessive skincare routine, that is.

But believe it or not, this actually REALLY helped. It made a HUGE ASS difference.

 

So here, without further ado, is my take on the Korean 10-step skincare routine. (Don’t worry, I don’t do all TEEEEN steps).

Sometimes I even do more! 😛

 

Step 1: Oil Cleanser

I use Skinfood’s Black Sugar Cleansing Oil. Aside from it smelling like scrumptious lemon pie, it cleans out all the gunk from your skin, leaving it silky smooth and clean. And yes, my skin tends to be oily. And no, this doesn’t contribute to making it oilier – it actually prevents it in the right way.

 

Step 2: Soap Cleanser

I use a normal pharmacy variety – changing it from whatever happens to be recommended by my dermatologist. It tends to switch between Bioderma and Aderma, so pretty much the same thing. Anywho, the point of this second “cleansing” is to get rid of all that the first oil cleanser couldn’t clean up. Oil vs. water. Get it?

 

Step 3: Toner

The toner is the step that gets you ready for all the moisturizing that’s to come. Ohhhh yeah, baby. Moisturize. 

 

Step 4: Sheet Mask

Put it on, leave it for 20 minutes, take it off. These are the instructions, but I like to leave it on until my skin feels like its absorbed everything. And after that, I use the spare serum in the pack on the next morning and, if it lasts long enough, until the next evening. It feels like I did 3 sheet mask treatments in one sitting.

Also, this isn’t done everyday. It can be done once a week, twice a week, or even daily. There’s not a “you’ve done too many sheet masks” thing here. But still, they’re kind of pricey, so if you only do it once a week, your face will thank you. THOROUGHLY.

 

Step 5: Serum

First, I use a vitamin C rich serum. This is because my skin tends to be oily and I like to keep the acne both away and afraid. This means I tend to skip essences. But all I’ve read about them seems to make them amazing – I just don’t have the time in the morning. But probably some day soon 🙂

 

Step 6: Second Serum

Laneige Fresh Calming Serum has been a godsend for me. It is just amazing. It calms, hydrates and tones my skin. Just freaking A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

 

Step 7: Eye cream

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t this, like, for old ladies? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. The skin around your eyes is the THINNEST and most DELICATE of all the skin on your body. It deserves love. It deserves cream. Especially since it’s the first one that wrinkles and ages. TAKE CARE OF IT.

 

Step 8: CREAM!

It’s time to moisturize that baby-butt face of yours. Buy a cream that’s expensive – seriously, you won’t regret it. You’ll notice the difference within days.

 

STEP 9: Sunscreen

Please, for the love of God. NEVER, EVER, EVER, skip this step. If you’re too lazy to do the rest, do this. The sun, aside from providing us with vital energy to live, is also the biggest factor in aging, both in wrinkles and spots. Protect your skin from it and never leave your house without it.

And if you have both the time and dedication, re-apply every four hours. I’ve done it and it works freaking wonders.

 

So know you know it. This routine has helped me go from 32 to even 18, by strangers’ standards.

But in my standards, it had improved my self-esteem and feelings a thousand times over. I feel confident going out without make-up I feel AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL in my own skin.

Just to prove my point – here’s a comparative picture.

Before undergoing severe Korean skincare and around 8 months after. The first with makeup, the second with absolutely none. And the second one is where I’m clearly the happiest.

And I’m a great believer that everyone – EVERYONE – should feel the same. Happy in their own skin.

 

Keep in mind – this worked for MY skin. I always add or remove a few steps, depending on what I think needs to be done. But I always maintain these essential steps shown above. Find out what works for your skin and make it glow 😉

 

Keep rolling till you find something you love…