A skincare routine can be very overwhelming. Layering products on your face can sometimes take time and take a toll. I used to think that way but since I started my Korean skincare routine and have seen amazing results from it I have taken it upon myself to be serious about it. After all, skincare is self-care right? Moreover, it is just a good feeling that you start the day looking good and protected. May this morning routine that I presently go through every single day be a benchmark on how you start your own skincare routine…

STEP 1: Cleanse

Cleansing can be the harshest part of a skincare routine. Products with highly stripping ingredients like surfactants and sulfates can compromise your skin barrier. Finding the most suitable cleanser for your skin is very important. What I do every morning is just wash my face with water. The reason for this is that I want to preserve the natural oils present in my skin. Second, I don’t really have any strenuous activity the night prior that contributes to the accumulation of dirt, gunk, sweat, and bacteria on my face. However, on days where I use the Retinol in Squalane from The Ordinary, I use the COSRX Salicylic Gentle Foaming Cleanser to remove the excess oil brought by the squalene present in the retinol. This cleanser is perfect for acne-prone skin like mine since salicylic is very effective in fighting off pimples and removing excess sebum.

STEP 2: First Essence

After cleansing, I dabbed my face with the Purito Fermented Complex 94 Boosting Essence. This is a 3-in-one essence. It functions as a pH balance which is good since our skin can be messed-up with even just a splash of water. Cleansing can disrupt our pH so applying something that allows our skin to return to its balanced state is imperative. This essence also helps products to penetrate more because of its layering properties. This stars four fermented ingredients: Lactobacillus rice ferment, mistletoe ferment, imperata cylindrical (cogon grass) root ferment, and soybean ferment extract all of which are effective for skin brightening and evening out skin tone.

STEP 3: Moisturize

My skin can get very oily at the end of the day so layering products can be a bad thing. That’s why my morning routine is relatively minimalistic but it doesn’t mean that I don’t moisturize. Even if I am oily skin, I still put on a moisturizer to help my skin into thinking that it doesn’t need to produce any more oil because it is already compensated by the moisturizer. And for us oily skin people, what we need is a light moisturizer. My all-time favorite is the Green Tea Aqua Soothing Gel Cream from COSRX. What I like about this product is its green tea leaf extract which is excellent for pimples and acne because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The polyphenols present in green tea can help reduce sebum production. It also has panthenol and allantoin which are efficacious for soothing, calming, and wound healing. I have already emptied three tubs since the beginning of this year, so you know I am obsess with it. It’s simple, it’s clean, but it performs well.

STEP 4: Sunscreen

A morning routine will never be complete without sun protection. All the products we use will be put to waste if we don’t use a sunscreen. As a last step of the routine, I use the Green Level Unscented Sun SPF50+ PA++++ from Purito. It has two organic filters: Diethalamino hydroxybenzol hexyl benzoate for absorbing UVA and Ethylhexyl triazone for UVB. I love this sunscreen not only because of the excellent UV filters but also because it contains moisturizing and beneficial ingredients like Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica extract. It is not drying nor irritating. It feels like applying your regular moisturizer. It’s a perfect finale in my morning routine before I head out and go on with my day!

This minimalist routine has really helped my skin get better from what it used to be a couple of years ago. May this help you start your own routine and together we will achieve that Korean glow that everyone raves about!

#TakeCareWithSkincare
#SkincareIsSelfCare