Rumor has it, the Korean beauty industry is ten years ahead of us, which could be why their skin looks ten years younger than our own. Usually, before I give a new K-beauty product a chance, the aesthetically pleasing packaging hooks me, allowing me to fall down the rabbit hole of using products I can't even pronounce, let alone read their directions. As intimidating as this sounds, there is a reason these products and their key ingredients receive rave reviews.
Koreans swear by a simple 4-step routine: Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize, Protect (aka apply sunscreen). I think their soft, dewey, blemish free skin is proof that sometimes less is more.
Since some of these products are just now receiving hype in the US, they are a little hard to find. Yesstyle, Olive Young, and Stylekorean are the sites that will have your skin glowing in no time.
Cleanser: Banila Co. Clean it Zero
You might not have heard but when wearing makeup, skin experts recommend cleansing twice. In an Elle.com interview, Dr. Anjali Mahto, a consultant dermatologist, explains “By cleansing twice, you're ensuring that both the first layer of sebum, make-up, sunscreen and deeper layers of pore bacteria, which can all aggravate acne, are removed.”
Dual cleansers get your face as clean as possible without irritating it. If that sounds like too much work, Banila Co. Clean it Zero does a double cleanse with just a single product. They have four different variations for your ideal clean: Original, Revitalizing, Purifying, and Nourishing.
Want to take a dip into the sea of K-beauty? Round Lab might be your new go-to. Their products come from the surrounding ocean water off a Korean island called Dokdo. Their 1025 Dokdo Toner is extremely popular in Korea right now with ingredients that balance, hydrate, protect, promote new tissue growth and have anti-inflammatory/healing properties. And here’s the kicker: All their products are under $30 with some masks as low as $3!
Moisturizer: Mizon Black Snail Cream
Hopefully the name did not scare you off since snails are changing the skincare game! The use of snails and their milk/slime dates back to ancient Greece where crushed snails were used to cure inflammation. The use of snail has is definitely advanced in the MIZON cream receiving rave reviews about maximum hydration and anti aging properties. You better escar-GO-t get this magical potion before everyone beats you to it.
Sunscreen: PURITO Centella Green Level Unscented Sun
'Cica' has been slowly climbing the approval ladder of skincare experts, but it didn’t take long for me to love it. Its full name, Centella Asiatica, is actually a type of healing grass. It’s also known for increasing skin cell production, having antibacterial properties, and increasing antioxidant activity and blood vessel formation.Tigers would roll around in it to heal their wounds, which is exactly what 'Cica' did to my acne.
So listen to me when I say trust the tigers! Now to the product: The PURITO Centella Green Level Unscented Sun has been swirling around the internet for its impressive results. As much as you might dread incorporating sunscreen in your routine it really is key. Combine niacinamide, centella, and hyaluronic acid into a sunscreen and you get your go-to, priming, lightweight, moisturizing, no streaks, perfect product. Hopefully, this has convinced you to give sunscreen a chance, but if not, just know, the centella covers all your bases, so cover your face in it.
Lazy or not, a 4-step is doable, especially since the fourth step can be skipped in the evening (even if your dreams consist of you tanning on a tropical island). Since you probably have some time during quarantine, give this simple, but meticulous routine a try. Your skin will thank you by glowing.