Korean Skin Care Secret?

[Guest chloesophie]

I wish I knew too....

[BiggyQ]

I visit one Korean family for their new born baby (about 1 years old) and they already started to use lotion on the baby's face!

[rosetic]

BASIC KOREAN SKIN CARE REGIMEN:

• double cleanse - use cleansing cream at night especially if you wore make-up during the day. cleansing creams moisturizes your skin while gently melting off make-up. follow up with washing your face with your usual facial cleanser.
• toner - use toner to remove any excess soap residue after washing your face.
• emulsion - this is basically a light moisturizer. use it after applying toner to retain your skin's moisture before applying anything else.
• essence/serum - a serum or essence is a specialized treatment for your individual concerns(acne marks, wrinkles, visible pores, etc.). some are applied before moisturizers and some are applied as the final step of a beauty method.
• moisturizer - a moisturizer is an essential part of the recommended 1-2-3 beauty regimen that is used after cleansing and balancing to protect the skin as well as offer moisture-retention benefits encouraging a healthy complexion.
• eye cream - eye creams or eye treatments are important because skin around the eyes is very delicate, thin and apt to show signs of age.EXTRA:
• facial masks - use this every 2-3 days. their main purpose is to provide nourishment your skin needs from the outside. when you put it on your face for a specific time, it does not allow your skin to breathe. the mask's nutrients are absorbed by your skin. facial masks can be in the form of essence soaked sheets, cream, peel-off, sleeping packs, etc. most korean beauty brands offer masks that cater to your skin's concern.
• exfoliate - exfoliating both the face and the body weekly helps get rid of the dead top layers of skin. this allows moisturizers and serums to better penetrate the skin.
• rice water - the use of rice water in skin care is very big in asia. washing your face with rice water makes your skin very soft and it also helps in improving the complexion.
• ice facial - do this every morning. ice facials are very popular in asia. korean actresses swear by rubbing ice cubes on their face to achieve that beautiful radiant glow. this will help reduce morning facial swelling and help constrict large pores without using chemical toners.
• bb cream - it can be worn alone as a tinted moisturizer, over serum and moisturizer as a regular foundation, and under powder, depending on the desired amount of coverage. koreans don't consider bb creams a make-up, they consider it as a skin care product(because of its skin care properties such as skin repair, anti-aging, whitening, etc.). whenever celebrities say they are barefaced, they most likely still have bb cream on.
• sun cream/sun block/sunscreen - it is necessary to apply sunscreen on a daily basis no matter what the weather is like. it is also very important to use sunscreen underneath your base make-up. even if your foundation or bb cream has a high amount of spf in it, you would need to apply at least 1tbsp. of the product on each part of your face to get the full sun protection it offers(yikes!). koreans use a lot of sunscreen to prevent premature aging. it is a very important part of their skin care routines. ideal amount of spf for face is 30.
• green tea - drink at least two cups of green tea everyday. its benefits for skin have long been treasured as an anti-aging secret in asia. other main benefits for skin are clearing out acne, prevents skin cancer, protection from the sun's rays, and naturally treat warts, dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, and other skin ailments.
• get facials. may it be just cleaning or for more specific treatments, it is very important to get them at least once a month.
• avoid taking in too much caffeine, sweets, powdered juice, oily food, and dairy products.
• try to sleep before midnight.
• drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
• avoid touching your face.
• eat less fast food and opt for healthier home cooked meals.
• avoid stressful situations.CELEBRITY SKIN CARE TIPS:
  Go Hyun Joong
• avoid salty and spicy food to maintain clear skin
• wash your hands before applying skin care or make-up. avoid facial interaction with your hands apart from when cleansing and applying skin care.
• when washing your face, mix foaming cleanser with warm water and work up a foam the size of an egg. start from behind the ears and the jawline, and once the cleanser is warmed up, move towards the center of your face.
• breakouts can be treated naturally by washing affected areas with salted lukewarm water to sanitize the area and prevent it from worsening.
• skincare should be applied from the center then outwards. for neck cream, start from the jawline down to the decolletage in an outward 'c shape' motion.
• apply skincare once it is warmed up in your hands, and press both palms onto your face to improve absorption.
• discard skincare after two months of use for hygiene.Song Hye Gyo
• stay away from chocolates, sodas, black tea, caffeine, and junk food. eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• she applies egg white and honey mask, every fortnight, to whiten her skin.
• to brighten and reduce fine lines on her skin, she applies honey with water every fortnight(alternates it with the egg white and honey mask).
• she washes her face with milk.
• to make her face smaller, she massages her face with ice cubes.HOME MADE FACIAL MASKS/SKIN CARE: 
• half a tomato + 1/2tbsp. lemon juice + 1tbsp. organic yogurt/whipped cream = helps lighten acne scars and brightens skin.
• 1 avocado + 1 banana + (optional/for moisture) olive oil = helps hydrate and brighten dull and dry skin.
• 2tbsp. rice flour + 2tbsp. honey + 1tbsp. green tea = oil control and acne treatment.
• 1 uncoated aspirin + water + honey = acne treatment.
• 1 egg white + honey = tightens pores, helps dry pimples, and whitens skin.
• 1 egg yolk = moiturizes skin.
• 1/3 of a banana + half a small spoon of honey + small spoon of lime juice = for 'ulzzang' pale skin. also helps in reducing dark circles.
• 1 mashed avocado + 1 cooked and mashed carrot + 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1 beaten egg + 3tbsp. honey= helps skin rebuild collagen, fade age spots, and improve skin tone and texture.
• 1 tea bag of green tea + olive oil = acne treatment and hydration.
• 다시마(dashima/tangle weed) = whitens skin for 'ulzzang' pale skin.쌩얼메이크업(KOREAN NATURAL MAKE-UP): 
  *apparently this is how koreans do their 'natural' make-up.. they still put on a lot of products on their faces tho! this is why double cleansing at the end of the day is very important.
  베이스 메이크업(Base Make-up)
• skin care routine.
• apply sun cream.
• apply make-up base.
• apply primer.
• apply bb cream.
• apply concealer on problem areas.
• settle with powder.
• dust off higlighter on t-zone and c-zone.
• apply blusher.아이 메이크업(Eye Make-up)
• groom eyebrows(if you have bangs that cover your eyebrows you may skip this step, but if you don't have bangs, it is necessary to groom your brows because they help in framing your face.).
• apply eyeliner.
• curl lashes.
• apply mascara.
• apply clear mascara.립 메이크업(Lip Make-up)
• apply lip concealer(only if your lips are heavily pigmented. if they're naturally pale then you may skip this step.).
• apply lip tint.
• finish off with clear lip gloss or lip balm.

[BiggyQ]

Thanks for your great post Rosetic

[Guest nerd_love7]

Hmm I'm going to give that routine a try!

[Guest xklusive]

Most importantly, adequate sleep.

[Guest ermajuls]

chingus.... can you give me some recommendation of korean skin care brand? for emulsion and essence. btw my skin type is combination to oily skin. gomawo :)

[Guest blackrosexoxo]

as much as diet/nutrition, climate, and products have to play into it... I honestly think it's just in their genes... 

[flybabyfly]

oh my! how many hours do koreans spend to do this whole routine before work/school and before sleeping?

[Guest mastermei_]

ermajuls said: chingus.... can you give me some recommendation of korean skin care brand? for emulsion and essence. btw my skin type is combination to oily skin. gomawo

[Guest chunsa]

honestly, i think the diet of koreans place a  huge part in good skincare. (in addition to cosmetics.)
they don't eat like american junky fried or sugary foods as much.
but of course there are obviously exceptions to these rules.

[Guest kiwiikawaii]

face masks?

[Guest royalpalmmedspa]

If you have oily skin and have concerns due to the same then you can try using the products that don't cause clogging of the pores , you should constantly wash your face in day twice or thrice minimum and don't eat oily food.

[Guest radenayu]

I've watch a youtube video about Korean girls eating Yellow Bell pepper to whiten their skin

[Guest aliaanderson]

I'll try to use this product to take care my skin more and more beautiful.

[asdjasdkk]

most koreans are lucky enough to be living in a cold climate , BB cream are and the oils that they put on their faces are much more effective not appearing too oily while if you use it on hot climate countries it will only look like you slapped oils on the face lol.. cold climate =clear skin  and diet too
and I saw this video explaining that Koreans are really blunt when it comes to vanity , some people will just say "you're fat!" "you're ugly!" without batting an eyelash  so I guess the society pushes the women and men to become MORE vain and thus the pretty skin =) and I've heard that parents push the late bloomers to get plastic surgery at a young age as a graduation gift or somethin o_O to marry rich husbands lol .. so you can say the skin care regimen is no problem at all if they've done plastic surgery at a young age too xD

[Guest]

Rachel said: panda_z said: ive noticed that koreans put aloooooooooooooooot of effort in their appearance... >< sigh haha i wish i was just a bit less lazy..

[Guest Janie Lee]

yayy! i just made a korean skincare video!! i used to have really bad ,dull skin but i got a good skin routine down and dramatically improved my skin. so just wanted to share  

[Guest jolive213]

It's nature's effect too.

[Guest tiffemjay]

I am a newbie to soompi and I joined mainly to find information on skin care products from South Korea.I am in the United States and I've recently noticed how most skin care products available in stores simply do not work for me.I am interested in the Etude House Wonder Pore series of products, and so far I have:
-Wonder Pore Freshner (works like a dream)-Innisfree Mineral Primer -Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream-Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream-Mizon All in One Repair Healing Cream.
I know it's bits and pieces of different products, but I am really interested in the entire Wonder Pore Series of products and find out more information about them. I can't seem to find the complete line of products anywhere.
And for anyone curious, I have sensitive combination type skin.