Why I fell in love with Korean Skincare

I discovered Korean skincare when I was at the library one day about two years ago. I know, weird, but hear me out first. I was looking at the new books they had and I came across one called The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho. Packed full of information this book promised to deliver on the secrets I needed to achieve glowing skin. I was so eager to read it I finished the entire book in just a few days.

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So what led me to pick up this little gem? 

I struggled with acne a lot in high school, and I never knew how to get rid of it. I tried so many different products with no luck. My skin started to clear up as I got older and entered college which leads me to believe my skin rebelling could have just been due to hormones. But it wasn’t until I read This Little Book that I started to feel more confident within my skin.

Skin problems wreck havoc on anybody’s self-esteem and I was no exception. Whenever I looked in the mirror scarring reminded me every day that my skin was nowhere near perfect. I learned to use foundation to cover up but I felt like my skin still wasn’t perfect.

When I discovered the Little Book of Skincare I felt like my view on skincare dramatically changed. I learned that skincare isn’t just washing my face in the morning and using whatever product I had on hand. Although I don’t do the ten step skincare routine that Korean women are so famously known for I learned that skincare is not just about the products I use but so much more. It has to do with lifestyle choices, stress, exercise, and what you eat too.

The Ten Step Skincare Routine includes…

1. Oil Based Cleanser
2. Water Based Cleanser
3. Exfoliator
4. Toner
5. Essence 
6. Treatments
7. Sheet Masks
8. Eye Cream
9. Moisturizer
10. Sun Protection

One major lesson that I took away from Charlotte Cho’s book on skincare was the use of sunscreen daily. Before that I hardly ever wore sunscreen mostly because I thought it broke me out. It did take me some time to find a sunscreen that worked, but once I did I noticed a huge change in my skin. The acne scars that took months  cleared up so much faster. I thought sunscreen was too oily and clogged my pores, but it turns out I just had to find the right one (I love this one from the Face Shop). I never thought about how the sun was doing  damage to my skin, but once I saw how much clearer my skin looked I learned that I was doing good for my skin finally.

In addition to using more sunscreen I’ve also incorporated lots of Korean skincare products into my routine. Now I almost exclusively use Korean products except for makeup. Although I just made my first cosmetics purchase on SokoGlam so that might change very soon. Maybe it’s just me (I don’t think so) but I truly believe Korean skincare products are at the top of their game.

 

 

I think of my skincare routine as an investment now, and I’ve never felt more confident in my skin. I’ve come across some products that have quickly become staples in my beauty routine. And I love trying different products from different countries. There are so many awesome products I’ve tried that I would have never found in the drugstore right down the street.

So what’s so special about Korean skincare? Well for one, Korean women (and men!) spend more on skincare than people of any other country. Koreans tend to view their skincare routine as an investment and not a chore meaning that the companies there are always trying to one up each other and come up with the next big thing. Not only do Korean products have the most adorable packaging but they also include ingredients like snail slime, seaweed, and fermented green tea. Those are hardly ingredients I see in CVS or Target, although I am starting to see Korean products pop up in a few different stores (TJMaxx or Marshall’s).

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Here is a suuuuuuper helpful Skin Care Glossary off the klog. Be sure to bookmark it. You’re going to need it. 

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I’m not saying that Korean skincare is the only way to achieve clear skin but if you’ve ever tried Etude House, Tony Moly, Corsx, Missha, Mizon (there are way too many to count) then you don’t know what you’re missing. The first thing I tried when delving into Korean skincare was sheet masks. They were easy to use, cheap, and not something I had to use everyday. Some of my favorites include The Creme Shop’s Penguin Masks.

If you’d like to find out more information about Korean skincare I recommend reading The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho first. Not only is Charlotte Cho the author of this amazing book but she also runs the site SokoGlam, a site that sells Korean beauty and skincare products. I just placed my second order on that site last night and received my SokoGlam order early this morning. I was so surprised to have the FedEx guy knocking at my door early this morning! If you’d like to get 20% off your first order I have a referral link you can use to get a sweet discount too!

Even though my skin is by no means perfect now I’m so much happier with my skin than I have ever been. I love using sheet masks and trying out new products. So by all means if you haven’t ventured into the world of Korean skincare now is the time to do so. You might be surprised to find what gems await you in unexpected places!

Want to read more? Click here to read my featured blog post of the Neogen Cleanser on NEO|View.