Ok yall. So if you’ve been following me on Insta lately, you know I’ve been raving about taking better care of my skin. As much asI love makeup, with 2 kids I had no time. It was becoming burdensome to feel like I needed to wear make up to cover my scars whenever I went out, so I decided to do some research and take my skin care routine to the next step. Here is my adapted version of the 10 step Korean Skin Care Routine. As I do more research, try and review new products, I’m sure I’ll eventually have all 10 steps and a more elaborate version. But if you’re just a beginner like me, it’s a great start to better skin care. All of the products below are linked if you’re interested in adding any to your skin care routine!

Step 1: Oil Cleanse (I usually only do this step when I wear makeup) – Cleanse your face with an oil based cleanser or with a light oil.

I like to use sweet almond oil since my I have acne prone sensitive skin and it’s a light weight oil rich with Vitamins A + E. There are also many light oil cleansers you can use like DHC or Camellia Wonder Oil.

Step 2: Water/Gel Cleanser – Cleanse face with gel cleanser.

I have been alternating between these few depending on what I feel my face needs. Clean + Clear is my daily go to.  Murad is when I have acne to help dry out and fight acne from getting worse. I use Aveeno when I want to brighten and enhance my skin, typically after a pimple to prevent scarring. don’t be alarmed that it’s called an exfoliator, it’s extremely gentle.

Step 3: Exfoliate – One of my favorite steps in cleaning my face.

I typically only do this step at night unless I feel my face absolutely needs it during the day. I rotate with these, but this Charcoal one by Freeman is by far one of my favorites.

Step 4: Toner – I’ve been using toner for years, but never really paid any attention to the variety of them and how unique they can be.

      
I’ve found that mists tend to last me slightly longer since I tend to spray less than I would pour. I generally apply with a cotton pad and spread into skin. Sometimes I use my Mario Badescu Aloe Herbs + Rose Water as my toner because it’s so refreshing, but I usually stick to Pearlessence’s Mint Bamboo (grabbed it at TJMAXX for a steal) or my new fave All Bright with Hibiscus by Botanics.

Step 5. Essence –  I’ve never heard of essences before and with my skin type I thought keeping my routI haven’t incorporated this into my routine yet, but it’s basically like liquid vitamins to put on your face. I’ve been doing research and will hopefully decide on a couple soon. There’s literally sooo many to choose, I got overwhelmed and decided to start my routine and add this in once I select a few to try.

Step 6: Serums – These may sound similar to essence’s but thicker and have less ingredients made to target specific concerns. You can layer these up if you’d like. I’m currently using this one from Derma-E.

It’s super lightweight and literally melts into my skin. I’ve seen a noticeable difference in the brightness of my skin since using.

Step 7: Masks – I use a variety of masks for all sorts of reasons. I’ve been working on doing this daily, but I admit I skip on days I’m too tired to stay awake to take it off. I absolutely love Tony Moly sheet masks and any mask by Formula 10.0.6 (check out the peel bright) and Freeman Beauty.

Step 8: Eye Cream – Still searching for a cream per-say, but I’ve been using the roll on by and it seems to be working pretty well.

I am interested in trying some of the eye creams by Mario Badescu. If you’ve tried any of them or recommend any, leave a comment below so I can check them out!

Step 9: Moisturizer  – I sway back and forth between Olay and the Neutrogena Hydro-gel(I know I know, so controversial)  and actually skip this step at night leaving whatever juices from my mask and/or my serum as my moisturizer overnight with some almond oil.

Step 10: Sun Protection/Overnight Mask  – This step can be skipped during the day if your moisturizer has SPF in it. I do use Olay Luminous Overnight Face Gel Moisturizer 3 nights out of the week to help with elasticity and firmness.

So far, I’ve been doing this routine a little over a week and my skin has been improving. I plan to start keeping track of my progress so be sure to follow me on Instagram and watch my stories!