M&C Journal
Let's Talk Korean Skincare Guide
At this point, I hope our community knows how obsessed we are with the Korean skincare regimen. Koreans are serious with their skincare regimen and can involve 10 steps or more. They believe in layering all the skin products for ultimately achieving the natural effect of healthy glowing, dewy looking, and beautiful skin.
Don’t panic! This is one of the reasons why Mangosteen & Cream exists—we’re here to translate these steps for you, so that you can customize them to fit your needs. The end goal is a healthy glow from within--and while it may take a little longer--the results are #worthit.
Mangosteen and Cream’s take on skincare regimen – Beauty should not be complicated!
First thing is to figure out what your skin needs and choose products with ingredients that fit the bill. Don't get caught up in whether it's an essence, emulsion, ampoules or serum. Right after you figure out the right ingredients for your skin issues, choose a texture that suits your skin type and sensibility. Make sure to try out different textures to see what you like. You don't have to worry about following some magic recipe of what your skincare regimen should look like. Depending on your skin needs, your skincare should constantly evolve. You can always find what your skin needs… concentrated, watery, lighter, or richer.
Lastly, no matter which or how many products you use, follow the general rule-of-thumb: Apply the lightest water-based products to the richest and thickest one last. Also, give a 1-2 minutes rest time in between products to make sure they are not diluted. Your skin is like a sponge - once it’s plumped up with water and cleansed, then everything else absorbs more easily.
Short abbreviation of Skincare Regimen Steps: 1. Cleansers 2. Toner - Skin Softener
3. Essence / Serum / Ampoule - Skin Conditioning Treatment 4. Emulsion/ Lotion / Gel-based / Cream - Moisturizer
Step-Up Extras: Exfoliation (1-3 times a week after cleansers); Facial Masks (1-3 times a week after cleanser); Sleeping Masks (1-3 times a week in place of moisturizers)
Let’s get into nitty gritty on these steps!
Step 1 – Cleansers
Before we start, there are two distinct types of cleansers that should be distinguished.
OIL-BASED CLEANSER - Select an oil-based cleanser to start as this will work to remove oil-based make-up and impurities from the skin. Oil repelling water makes for effortless cleansing rather than tugging at your skin to remove that last bit of mascara, and I know we’ve all been there.
WATER-BASED CLEANSER – Double the cleansing, double the fun! Once your face is oil free, use a water-based cleanser to gently remove that last bit of oily residue and impurities from your long day of being fabulous. Key: Find a gentle formula that won’t strip or dry out your skin.
Step 2 – Skin Softener - Toners
Skincare products from Korea completely changed the toner game. The key foundation of a great K-beauty routine is hydrate, hydrate and hydrate your skin! Toner is a first leave-on step that hydrates and treats your skin to many benefits to keep your skin healthy and glowing. It is known as a skin softener. The key benefits of using a toner are:
· It removes excess oil, which leads to less acne.
· It restores your skin’s natural pH balance of your skin.
· It helps protect your skin and tighten up your pores after cleansing.
· It adds another layer of hydration and refreshes your skin on the go.
Find a toner that suits your skin type. For oily skin, we suggest a salicylic acid based or witch hazel toner that will sweep away excess oil and help repair your skin’s surface without causing dryness. For sensitive skin, look for a mild toner with skin calming botanical ingredients. If you have large pores, look for toner with alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, that will help remove dead skin cells that accumulate around the pores.
Step 3 – Skin Conditioning Treatment – Essence/ Serums/ Ampoules
Hold up! Just admit that you are not sure exactly what “essence” actually is. Essence is traditionally more lightweight and less concentrated than serums, and used after a toner. It is used to add another layer of hydration before you apply moisturizers. Essence is considered a hybrid between a toner and a serum. It moisturizes the skin and make the most of the serums that follow. Essences come in varying thicknesses and tend to be a bit more fluid and less concentrated than serums.
Serum contains a few key active ingredients to address specific issues like brightening, dark spots, wrinkles, etc. The actives are usually more concentrated than what you’ll find in a moisturizing cream. Serums are a bit thicker in consistency and usually come in a bottle that's much smaller than a toner or cleanser bottle.
Ampoule is a supercharged serum with higher concentrations of active ingredients that you're meant to use for a finite amount of time as a booster or when you're having a skin crisis of some sort. It is in the same family as essences and serums. Both serum and ampoule are formulated with active ingredients that target specific needs by skin type, such as fine lines, loss of firmness, hyperpigmentation and dehydration. This is where you can feel free to play around with the routine, use it or don’t. You can also use them in any order, but generally thicker, more viscous products go on later (just like layering!).
Treat yourself in Serums & Ampoules
Step 4 – Moisturizers
Emulsion - Emulsion is a light-weight, water based and non-sticky lotion that works with skin’s natural oils to promote hydration. It comes in almost-liquid like texture or gel form. The main effect of emulsion is its ability to retain hydration and quickly absorb into the skin. Basically, the emulsion acts as a moisture lock that seals in all the hydration and benefits of your essence and serums. If you have an oily or sensitive skin type, an emulsion is a good choice of moisturizer to use as it is a water base and prevent pore clogging issues on oil skin and less likely to irritate your skin. If you’re struggling with dry skin, emulsion is a lifesaving moisturizer. You may consider using emulsion in conjunction with the cream for double magic of locking in moisture from emulsion and soaking up further hydration from the cream. You can also mix a facial oil into your emulsion since emulsions are water based and mixing in an oil means your skin gets both water and an oil-based moisture. The kind of emulsion you use and how you use it depends on your specific skin needs.
Lotion - Moisturizing lotion is simply a thicker version of emulsion but still lighter than the cream.
EYE CREAM - The skin around your eyes is thin and therefore dehydrates quicker, so it should be treated with a cream specifically formulated to protect, nourish, brighten or de-puff those pretty little pupil pockets.
FACE CREAM - Select a nighttime moisturizer to keep those skin-loving ingredients sealed in, allowing you to wake up with that beautiful, rejuvenated complexion you last remember waking up with in… what was that… ’89? Moisturizers create a barrier that locks in all the beneficial ingredients you’ve just applied, instead of letting them evaporate out of your skin.
STEP IT UP - EXTRAS
These are optional steps that don’t have to be part of your daily routine, but should be done a few times a week or whenever you need an extra skincare boost. #treatyoself
After Step 1 Cleansers with Exfoliators
Exfoliating at least twice a week is crucial for clear and polished skin. To promote cell turnover and unclog pores, use a gentle non-irritating exfoliator twice a week. This easy routine will allow for better product absorption, keeping your skin looking youthful. By shedding off your dead skin cells, it helps for the rest of your skin care products to blend in better and perform their magic on your skin. Gently massage an exfoliant into your skin for smooth and silky skin.
*Side note - Koreans love to use “gommage” as a gentle exfoliator that contains a mix of botanical and fruit extracts to peel off dead skin cells. And yes, the word gommage is more fun when you say it with a French accent.
Don’t be a hater—be an exfoliator!
Replace Step 3 Essence, Serums and Ampoules with Sheet Masks
The sheet masks are known as the soul of Korean skincare favorites. Perfect for all skin types, everyone from your teenage daughter to your widowed third cousin twice-removed can benefit from these masks. They deliver a deeply hydrating and anti-aging treatment to your skin faster than Amazon Prime. You can simply chill for 15-20 minutes after you put one on your face. The single-use sheet masks are formulated with the same ingredients as serums, so you can use them as necessary. Sheet masks provide an extra skin- nourishing moisturizer boost that maximize treatment to your skin. You can use a sheet mask at least 1-3 times a week or use it every single day (there is no such thing as too much hydration) to give you that moisturizer boost.
A tisket, a tasket, put some sheet masks in your basket!
Replace Step 4 Moisturizers with Sleep Masks
Skin regeneration goes into overtime while you sleep. No-rinse sleeping masks make the most of your beauty sleep. Packed with active ingredients, it slides on like cream and stays on your skin all night. Use it 2-3 times per week in lieu of your regular moisturizer when sleep levels are at an all-time low.