#20 BARLEY TEA
Beauty comes from the inside too. If you’re trying to have a healthy diet, indulging in a cup of tea should be included. Koreans drink roasted barley tea since childhood. It’s rich in antioxidants, improves body circulation, and strengthens skin. Now that you know this beauty secret, go brew some tea!
MOUTH EXERCISES
Practice saying vowels out loud in an exaggerated way. Repeat this exercise a few times and you’ll feel how the muscles on your face stretch. This helps with blood circulation and improves your skin tone. A simple step that will bring you closer to a perfect-looking skin.
SHEET MASKS
Koreans are crazy about sheet masks. Slowly, the whole world embraced this trend. They’re practical and useful. The one ingredient all the world is nuts about is charcoal. It will detoxify and exfoliate your skin in a matter of 15-20 minutes- that’s how long you keep these masks on your face.
ESSENTIAL ESSENCES
Many Korean women claim that using essences is a gamechanger. They feed and hydrate your skin making it ready for the next steps. You’ll want to use serums and then a moisturizer to get that skin elasticity. It does feel like a lot of trouble, but your skin will be thankful for this routine.
LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT
A good night of sleep helps the skin cells to rejuvenate. No wonder they call it a beauty sleep! Because of this fact, night moisturizers and masks we use are usually thicker and heavier for the skin. The reason? It takes more to feed skin at night. Sleeping masks will also remove puffiness and dark circles leaving your skin fresh.
LOOK AT THAT POUT!
Natural-looking lips are far more appealing than those covered in matte lipstick. Koreans love the ombre lips trend. Gently pat some of the lipgloss or a tint at the center of your lips to get the fuller look. This way you’ll look much more natural and refreshed.
THE 4-2-4
You now know how to clean and moisturize your face, but you still don’t know for how long you should do it. Here’s a secret: Koreans use the 4-2-4 technique. What’s that? Oh, it’s a routine where you clean your face with the cleansing oil for four minutes, then wash for two minutes with a foaming face wash, and then you rinse off with lukewarm and cold water for another four minutes. It’s ten minutes that really make the difference.
DON’T FORGET THE NECK
Neck skin is also sensitive and needs proper care. Pay special attention to this area by applying cream daily. Koreans take it a step further and moisturize the decolletage area too! What’s the point of having a beautiful face when your neck is desperate for some skincare?
STEAM YOUR FACE
Not only it opens clogged pores, but steam facials also help the skin breath and get cleaned thoroughly. Don’t forget to massage in circles afterward. Work your way from the forehead, then do cheekbones, cheeks up to the jawline. Regular use of this method will give you that dewy skin everyone’s talking about.
CLEANING WITH OIL
Please, no matter how tired you are, take off your makeup before you go to sleep. The skin remembers every time you’ve been terrible to it. Korean women prefer to use oil cleansers other than popular micellar solutions. Apply it all over the face and neck, massage it in, and then rinse. No, the oil won’t make your skin greasy. That’s a myth!
WATER IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER
No matter how good oil cleansers are, there will always be some residue makeup on your face. To get that squeaky clean feel, use water-based cleansers as the next step in your Korean beauty routine. They come in gel or foam-based forms and leave the skin renewed.
SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB
Skin needs exfoliation but in a normal amount. Overuse of this step may lead to skin damage, and that’s what we try to avoid. Use gentle scrubs two or three times a week to remove dead skin cells. This will leave your face smooth and the pores spotless.
TONE UP
After all those cleaning steps, it’s time to feed the skin. Toners revive the skin and help prepare it for the next step. These miracle workers balance the pH level and moisture of your skin. To get the most of it, apply toner with your fingers in an outward motion- from nose to the ears.
BLEMISHES
Blessed are those who have none skin blemishes. It’s a nightmare to get rid of dark spots, depigmentation, and pimples. If you start now, this step will help you prevent them from becoming residents on your face. Treatments such as serums, booster or ampoules solve this problem easily. Just make sure you apply it directly on the problem area, not the whole face.
EYE CREAM
The skin around our eyes is very delicate, that’s why regular moisturizers can’t do much here. You’ll need an eye cream if you want to treat this are the way you’re supposed to. Eye creams get rid of dark circles and undereye bags. If you use it twice a day, in the morning and before going to bed, your face will feel fresher and look brighter.
FACE MOISTURIZERS
A whole face moisturizer or an oil is used to maintain the moisture of your skin. This way you feed your skin giving the cells much-needed nutrients. Whether you use a gel, cream, or a lotion, make sure you rub it between your palms and then massage into skin. A moisturizer that fully suits your skin type should do wonders on a long-term basis.
SUN PROTECTION
Protecting your skin from dangerous UV rays should be a must during all seasons, not just in summer. Besides preventing skin cancer, a good SPF prevents premature aging too! Too much exposure to the sun can cause depigmentation and dark spots. Apply a finishing layer of sunscreen before you go out in the world. Better safe than sorry.
MATERIAL MATTERS
This is a silly one, but how do you dry off your face? You probably use cotton or terry cloths. Wrong! Sure, cotton is the best material, but not for your face. Korean women love using microfiber or muslin cloths to dry off. They’re super soft and gentle to the skin. Remember: pat dry, don’t rub!
CHANGE YOUR MAKEUP PRODUCTS
The era of heavy foundation is over. BB and CC creams are all the rave right now. These tinted creams give you enough coverage, and still let your skin breath. Choose some with plenty of natural oils. They keep the skin hydrated all day long.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD
You’re definitely what you eat. A balanced diet with lots of antioxidants will do miracles to your skin. Healthy food like ginger, garlic, peppers, scallions, and even kimchi (Korea’s national dish) are good for both your inner and outer well-being.
