For Koreans, it's considered so necessary that no one ever washes their face just once. You must remove your make-up first and then wash your face again with a second product to get your skin deeply cleansed.
There are many different types of K-beauty exfoliators including peeling gels, wash-off scrubs, face wash, and peeling pads. Since exfoliating the skin can be a bit harsh, you should only do this step about two to three times a week.
The leaders of the skincare world are thorough: “Korean skincare rituals begin with double cleansing: use an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen and other oil-based impurities, then follow up with a cleansing foam or soap to clean out the pores,” says Elchami.
The core products of a korean morning skincare routine are: cleanser, moisturizer, and sun protection (sun screen). As long as you have these three steps down, it's totally sufficient enough to keep your skin hydrated and protected throughout the day.
Double cleansing is a two-step cleansing method that is popular in Korea. It involves using an oil cleanser to remove any oil-based impurities such as makeup, SPF, sebum and any other impurities your skin has collected throughout the day.
Skincare is More Important than Makeup
Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
The secret is in the careful layering of products that contain moisturising ingredients – mostly humectants such as hyaluronic acid and followed by acclaimed glow-inducers and actives that will strengthen your skin barrier such as niacinamide and peptides,” she says.
Koreans typically exfoliate their skin 2-3 times per week using either a physical or chemical exfoliator. Physical exfoliators contain small grains that slough off dead skin cells, while chemical exfoliators use acids to dissolve them.
There are a few ways the Korean whiten their skin. First of all, they dodge the sun. They wear hats outside to keep the sun off their face. They have special sleeves they wear over their arms that are not connected to their clothes to keep the sun from hitting their arms.
Fermented Rice Wine (Makkeoli)
It even works wonders for acne. Makkeoli has inspired countless sheet masks and serums in Korea and can be found in most standard Korean restaurants.
Besides skincare, makeup is a beauty staple among Koreans. And as unusual as it may sound to some of us, it is common for Korean men to wear makeup in South Korea. For them, putting on makeup is as routine as how most women would groom themselves before leaving the house.
Based on tradition, Koreans only used natural and harsh-free ingredients to create the clear, glowy, and natural-looking skin through multiple generations that made K-Beauty products better and so popular today.
It goes a bit like this: a balm or oil cleanser (1), a foaming cleanser (2), an exfoliant (3), a toner (4), an essence (5), an ampoule or serum (6), a sheet mask (7), an eye cream (8), a moisturizer (9), and then either a thicker night cream or sleeping mask or an SPF (10).
But it's a very popular technique in Korea. Women in Korea slap their faces at least 50 times after finishing their daily skincare routine to get the blood circulation going. It also firms up the face muscles. It might sound crazy, but when it comes to slapping, the more, the merrier and the harder, the better.
As Koreans must care for their skin in multiple different types of weathers, Koreans have many secret know-hows when taking care of their skin. May is the end of spring. Therefore, Korean women usually buy many types of strong sunscreen to prepare for summer.
This is why Korean women live by the rule of double cleansing, double eye mask and double hydration in their skincare regimen. The step cleansing method includes a foaming face wash followed by an oil-based cleanser. This clears the skin of every last bit of makeup and dirt from face.
“Men and women in South Korea are meticulous when it comes to maintaining healthy hair with a three-step process. After washing the hair with shampoo and conditioner, they often apply a hair essence or hair oil to achieve a shiny head of hair. Hair masks, serums, milks and hair mists are all must-haves,” explains Cho.
How Long Does It Take To Get Glass Skin? The harsh truth is you cannot get glass skin overnight. Following the glass skin routine and being consistent about your diet and lifestyle will surely start showing results in 2 to 3 weeks and get better over time.