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From essences to sheet masks, Korean beauty products and trends are taking over the American beauty market.
Everyone is talking about the 10-step routine that is popular among the skin-centric women of Seoul.
But it’s a total exaggeration.
I really wanted to indulge in this experiment.
Its the lifestyle and mind-set behind skin thats really getting people interested in Korean skin-care rituals, says Cho.
My Experience:I recently got on the oil-cleansing bandwagon thanks tomy week with coconut oil.
Every night during the week, I removed my daily foundation and mascara combo with this oil.
I didnt use it to remove stubborn heavy eye makeup, though.
For that, I used a cotton round soaked in makeup remover.
This water-based cleanser is applied to wet skin and removes impurities like sweat and dirt.
My Experience:Though I often remove my makeup with coconut oil, I’d never really double-cleansed before.
The oil alone always felt like enough.
I thought I would slack on this two-step process, but surprisingly I ended up double cleansing every night.
I might even adopt this habit for my day-to-day.
Purpose:Exfoliation not only cleans out clogged pores, but it also sloughs off dead skin cells.
When you remove this dull layer of cells, brighter skin is revealed.
This step is not recommended for daily use.
If you havesensitive skin, youll only want to exfoliate once a week.
I could easily exfoliate away, while watchingThe Bacheloron my couch.
Then the quilted side gave you a gentle finish to the process.
I did this three times during the seven-day trial.
And while the bumps definitely decreased in size, the discoloration never completely faded.
Purpose:After you cleanse so many times, your skin is in a fragile state, explains Cho.
So you want to really hydrate it.
My Experience:Toner was always a skin-care step I skipped.
I tried Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner ($40,amazon.com).
But by day five, I was just pouring the liquid into my palms.
Cho claims its of the most important parts of the routine.
It seemed obsolete to me.
Purpose:Cho explains that this is not a necessary step for everyone.
Its also one that Im used to completing on a regular basis.
It left a smooth layer over the skin similar to how a cream would without any stickiness or grease.
It also gave a dewy effect that didnt look wet or sweaty, just faint enough to look healthy.
Im crediting the serum combined with the moisturizer for my skin feeling so smooth in the mornings.
Purpose:The purpose of your mask depends on what your skin needs.
Cho recommends a hydrating mask like Skinfood Hydro Fitting Snail Mask Sheet ($13,amazon.com).
The mask contains those treatment products already, she explains.
But damn Daniel, that was not the case!
But after patting onto my skin, I could really feel the active ingredients against my skin.
By my second attempt, I learned my lesson.
It was much thicker than most sheet masks Ive used, but that meant it stayed on easily.
Although this was packed with wet serum, it didnt drip and absorbed fairly quickly.
Basically, if you have any undereye concerns, theres a cream for it.
This particular eye product was a creamy texture that absorbed quickly.
So I didn’t have to do any rough rubbing to get the cream to sink in.
When youre pulling and tugging at the area, it causes premature wrinkles, explains Cho.
During my regular routine, Ill apply an eye cream about two times a week.
But I saw my dark circles and puffiness diminish by using this every night.
Purpose:This step is simply to lock in skins moisture.
I looked forward to applying this cream every night.
It felt like it was doing its duty, sealing in all the other skin care while providing hydration.
Waking up ever morning, my skin didnt feel greasy or sticky.
I loved the sheen this left on my skin underneath my makeup or barefaced.
And it was so light it mixed well with the SPF.
Purpose:Were pretty obsessed about SPF, says Cho.
It seems self-explanatory, but we can never stress enough how important sun protection is on a daily basis.
Cho claims that its applying SPF regularly thats the biggest differentiator in the Korean regimen.
My Experience:I made my own little two-step SPF program.
I have to say, during my seven-day experiment, only one night felt like work.
Western cultures skin-care routine is more of a chore almost, claims Cho.
You just put on whatever you have in the bathroom.
But she explains that with a Korean-skin mind-set, its all about pampering and taking care of yourself.
By the end of my vigorous week, my skin felt smoother.
My red, blotchy inflammation calmed down and my undereye bags were almost nonexistent.
I was so confident in my skin, I didnt wear makeup the following week.
Will I do all 10 steps again?
Using a toner, essence, AND serum seemed redundant.
But double cleansing is the way forward for my city lifestyle.
You may also like: 6 Coconut Oil Beauty Hacks That’ll Change Your Life
