Sometimes you end up going down a rabbit hole on the internet and you don’t regret it for an instant. You see, it all started when I read Sydney’s post about her k-beauty routine, and MAN, I was intrigued. I read her post and loved what I saw, and FELT her excitement, and I knew I wanted that for myself.
My skin has been changing over the last couple of years, and I’ve been struggling to figure it out. I do have some products I adore, but still, it hasn’t been enough. I have melasma on my forehead, some breakouts along my chin that tend to linger and scar, and just a uneveness that I don’t like. (And let’s not mention that frightening look into the magnification mirror in the hotel in Vegas…) I mean, I can cover it all up with makeup and it is fine, but I want to get away from that! With my gym routine I want to be more barefaced, you know? I almost always wear mascara and eyeliner, because I just plain like it, but I’d also like to ditch the concealer and throw on some moisturizer and be fine the other 90% of the time.
Cue (Korean) k-beauty. The rabbit hole I went into started with Sydney’s post, and then went into sokoglam’s blog that has so much information on it that I almost died from happiness. I loveeeeeeee researching things and reading reviews, so reading all these blog posts and then finding all the products on Amazon and cross referencing reviews was amazing. You can also get a lot of these products from either Target or Sokoglam.com, but I love me some Amazon Prime, so that is where I got a lot of my new stuff. Let’s get into the details of what I bought and why:
- The beginning steps involve a double cleanse. The first is with an oil based cleanser and the second is a water based one. I already have a gallon jug of Purity Made Simple, so I bought Banila Co Clean It Zero to start with. You start with the oil based cleanser and finish off with the water based one and your face will love you.
- Next you need a toner to balance the ph balance of your skin. I have always hated toners as they felt like the burned and added nothing, but apparently k-beauty toners are not harsh and really are an integral part of your routine. I bought Etude House Moistfull Collagen Toner because it had great reviews and I saw this brand mentioned a lot in the blogs I read.
- About twice a week you are supposed to exfoliate (after the double cleanse step!) I bought Neogen Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Wine because it was recommended by Sydney and had great reviews. It smells like grape juice and I really dig that;)
- An Essense is something that comes highly recommend in the k-beauty routine and I had never heard about it. I almost decided to skip it as it seemed weird, but the products are relatively inexpensive and I wanted to really dive in here! Must. Do. Everything. One-hundred. Percent. I bought the Cosrx Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence because it had great reviews, snail mucin is apparently a miracle product for aging skin, and it had a great price. I’ll just not think about what it is made from and apply this stuff liberally!
- This next part gets wild because you add in serums and boosters and it seems like a lot, I am game, though! I took the advice of Lauren from The Skinny Confidential and ordered Instanatural vitamin C serum and Instanatural Rose hip oil. I also ordered the Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator to add into my night routine (duh!), because it is really highly reviewed for aging skin.
- An eye cream is something I have seen the importance of for a while now. I bought Cosrx Honey Ceramide Eye Cream because it came highly reviewed and you’ll notice I stick with some brands as they seemed perfect for my really dry skin. I also REALLY love Rodan and Fields eye cream .
- It may seem crazy to add a moisturizer on top of this, but again, I am game to see how this will all help me and let me live a mostly makeupless life. I use the Rose hip oil in the daytime under my sunscreen, and at night I ordered the Laniege Water Sleeping Mask.
- Lastly (!), in the day you need an spf cream, and at night you need an overnight cream. I currently use a Rodan + Fields duo that I have been pleased with. I do plan to experiment a bit when those run out and have looked at the Missha All Around Safe Block Sun Milk for day coverage, and for night, I’ve heard great things about the the Laneige Renewal Water Sleeping Mask (mentioned above.)
*A note, you also are supposed to use a sheet mask a couple of times a week, I haven’t jumped in there, yet. Give me time, though, I’m sure I’ll go nuts there, too;)
The whole thing apparently takes 10 minutes twice a day, which I can make happen. A tip I heard once that I love! At night, instead of waiting till 11pm to wash your face, try doing it while your kids are taking a bath, or when they take 15 agonizing minutes to brush their teeth and get ready for bed (longest minutes ever are before bedtime…) That way you are all cleansed and ready and can enjoy the rest of the night.
Also! I am just about a week into this routine and wanted to share, so if you are in we can do it together! I’ve heard the first week or two comes with breakouts and such as your skin purges all the gunk it is hiding. So don’t be scared. We can do hard things. I WILL say my skin has never felt more moisturized and it looks dewy and prettier than typical.
Finally (I swear!), if you are in a hurry, the most essential steps are the double wash, toner, moisturizer, and spf. The rest is a bonus. This is what I do before the gym Monday-Friday. Then I come home and do the rest of the stuff.
Progress reports to come!
