My Korean Skincare Routine

My Korean Skincare Routine

• March 2, 2018

Throughout my life I've been battling the asshole known as hormonal acne (oh hey, oily skin) which has led to my current day battle with its cousin, acne scars. I've tried countless face washes over the years where salicylic acid was my best friend and  I've been to the dermatologist for prescription creams. A lot of these would work for short periods of time before my hormones realized what was up and started fighting back. So finally, fifteen years after puberty first started kicking in, I've gotten my skin into a pretty consistent place of being relatively clear for an extended period of time. How you ask?

👏🏻  KOREAN 👏🏻  SKIN 👏🏻  CARE 👏🏻 

I know almost everyone and their mothers are slowly jumping on the bandwagon here, but I can't stress enough how much these products have actually changed my skin for the better. Reading through countless articles to learn more about this phenomenon, a few things stuck out to me: (1) Korean skin care philosophy focuses on prevention instead of quick fixes and (2) Korean consumers are willing to spend so much money on skincare products which in turn brings in more $$ for research and development...bringing their innovativeness to the forefront.

While the typical Korean skincare routine involves ten total steps, I started off small, focusing on my main problem areas:

1. Grain Ferment Cleansing Water ($15) - I use this to take off my make-up for the day and duuuuude it's incredibly lightweight, not oily at all (which is a problem I've had in the past), and so damn effective. 1-2 pumps of this water on a cotton ball gets my whole face make-up free without having to vigorously rub my face. 
2. Tea Tree Balancing Foaming Cleanser ($22) - Next, I clean my entire face with this cleanser, which is incredible for my oily T-zone. My face feels dry afterwards without being dehydrated and the tea tree helps mildly treat my acne. 
3.  Snail Recovery Gel Cream ($14) - To treat my acne scars and help diminish their appearance over time, I apply a thin layer of Snail Recovery Gel cream (it's not gross - I swear - the snail extract works wonders). 
4. Clinique Moisture Surge ($12) - This might be the only product that's not Korean Beauty (although I'll probably swap it out over time), but a tiny bit goes a long way and these help moisturize my dry cheeks. 
5. Acne Spot Dots ($5) - For any active breakouts, I'll smack on these acne dots overnight that'll treat and reduce inflammation within hours (and also keep me from picking at those nasty buggers).

2-month results: I get breakouts less frequently, redness in my t-zone has decreased, and most of my acne scars have faded away. I'm also able to control my oil better throughout the day which in turn helps my foundation stay on my face longer. Korean skincare, I give you ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Bless you.

My go-to retailers are Botanic Farm and Peach & Lily (click here to get $10 your first order), who make it so easy to figure out the right combination of products for your skin type. If you try it, let me know - I'd love to hear about your Korean skincare journey too and exchange tips!