K-Beauty

When I started my Instagram page, I really had no real idea about the skincare or products besides what I had been paying for at major department stores. I believed that paying more, (much more!) meant better products. I didn’t really have a routine either and didn’t understand the significant benefits of morning and evening attention to my face. Luckily for me this is a very welcoming and open community of beauty enthusiasts who want new members to learn more. I began to get more educated and understand what was going on with my skin and what I had to do make it look better. This is what I call my Basic Training Boot Camp. Well, just like after freshman year or boot camp, it's what comes after that starts to be so much fun! Which brings me to the subject of my blog this time around – K-beauty! If you are open to new ideas, exploring new multi-step routines and simply falling in love to some unbelievable products, then look no further!

When I started my Instagram page, I really had no real idea about the skincare or products besides what I had been paying for at major department stores. I believed that paying more, (much more!) meant better products. I didn’t really have a routine either and didn’t understand the significant benefits of morning and evening attention to my face. Luckily for me this is a very welcoming and open community of beauty enthusiasts who want new members to learn more. I began to get more educated and understand what was going on with my skin and what I had to do make it look better. This is what I call my Basic Training Boot Camp. Well, just like after freshman year or boot camp, it's what comes after that starts to be so much fun! Which brings me to the subject of my blog this time around – K-beauty! If you are open to new ideas, exploring new multi-step routines and simply falling in love to some unbelievable products, then look no further!

K-beauty is an all-encompassing term for skin-care products that are derived from, inspired by or originating from South Korea. The focus of these products is on health, hydration and a glowing textured skin. Luminous or glass skin is a favored look by South Korean women. Instead of having many layers of make-up and foundation in order to mask imperfections, it is preferred to have a careful skincare routine that promotes a more natural approach to skincare.

Korean consumers are very knowledgeable about different ingredients and products. They are very selective which in turns drives innovation. The heavy acceptance of social media make K-beauty an unstoppable force in the skincare industry. As such trends also pop up very quickly in Korea with shoppers willing to try and experiment with new cosmetic types in order to be ahead of the curve. This also means that you will find some very unique ingredients in K-Beauty products: snail mucin to boost cell generation, bee venom as an anti-inflammatory, centipede extract for moisturizing and pig collagen to firm up and tighten skin.

But the most important thing, what you should really focus on, is what K-Beauty is most famous for: its 10-step skincare routine. This is really the essence of K-Beauty. A thorough cleaning, treatment, moisturizing and protection of your skin. So here is a quick breakdown of the 10 steps. Some of these steps by themselves have actually been blogs I’ve already written about and some others will be future blog posts.

Here they are:

1. Make-up remover and oil cleanser - This is first step of the double cleanse. Check out my previous blog.

2. Water based cleanser - This is 2nd part of the double cleanse and removes water based impurities such as sweat and dirt

3. Exfoliator – this is the last step of cleaning your face. A good exfoliation will clean pores and remove any remaining dead skin cells.

4. Toner – The ultimate prep product which removes any leftover residue and gets your skin ready to absorb the moisturizers in the next steps.

5. Essence – Used to prep your face for the following products

6. Treatments – This is really fun. Use your favorites boosters, serums and ampoules to clarify, bright or added more hydration to your skin.

7. Sheet mask – This has definitely become one of my regular routine steps. I may not use it every day or every time, but I have really become a proponent of sheet masks. Look for it as a stand-alone blog soon. They help infuse moisture into your face and are an important step to giving you that glass -glow skin you may be looking for. Love it!

8. Eye cream - Want to get rid of crows feet, keep those dark circles and puffy eyes away? Then never skip this step. Specialized eye creams are especially made to target the most delicate area of your face.

9. Moisturizer – Emulsifiers, lotions, creams, gels, you name it. Now that you’re almost at the end of the routine, your face is really to absorb and seal in moisture. This will plump up skin and smooth out fine lines.

10. Sunscreen (AM) – Always wear sunscreen. Every Day. No cheat days. Easiest and most effective way to prevent premature aging of your skin.

And that is it for this time friends. Off to enjoy a little #selfcaresunday with a gorgeous 3 step sheet mask routine from one of my fave K-beauty brands - JayJun.

https://www.wethrift.com/beauty-by-earth