10-step Korean skin care guide incorporating my own products

• Step One: Oil Cleanser
  • Purpose: Applied to dry skin, an oil cleanser removes makeup and any other oil-based product debris like sunscreen and pollution particles
  • My product: Heimish All Clean Balm
• Step Two: Foam Cleanser
  • Purpose: “Believe it or not, after one cleanse, you’re still going to have stuff left over,” says Cho. This water-based cleanser is applied to wet skin and removes impurities like sweat and dirt. After double cleansing (first with oil then with foam), not a hint of grime will be left to hinder your skin’s health
  • My product: Clinique Mild Facial Soap, Type 2
• Step Three: Exfoliator
  • 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 have sensitive skin, you’ll only want to exfoliate once a week. If you have a tougher complexion, you can do it more regularly (about three times a week)
  • My product: Clinique Exfoliating Lotion, Type 2
• Step Four: Toner
  • Purpose: “After you cleanse so many times, your skin is in a fragile state,” explains Cho. “So you want to really hydrate it.” She also explains that toner acts as a way to prep the skin, so it’ll absorb the following treatments better
  • My product: Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Lotion
• Step Five: Essence
  • Purpose: the essence is really the heart of Korean skin care, a step that is credited to their culture. Cho claims it’s of the most important parts of the routine. “It’s a treatment product similar to serums, boosters, or ampoules; but it’s more watery in consistency then the rest of those products, so it comes out like a toner"
  • My product: Cosrx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
• Step Six: Serum, Boosters, or Ampoule Treatments
  • Purpose: Cho explains that this is not a necessary step for everyone. “If you don’t have brown spots or pigmentation, you don’t really need to use [a treatment],” she says.
  • My product: none
• Step Seven: Mask
  • 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, sokoglam.com). But you can also choose one for brightening that may be packed with vitamin C. This is not an every-night step, you really only need to do it twice a week. In fact, Cho explains that you can swap a sheet mask for a serum or essence to cut time off your routine. “The mask contains those treatment products already,” she explains
  • My product: Innisfree masks, or Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
• Step Eight:Eye Cream
  • Purpose: Depending on the eye cream you choose, this could focus on everything from fine lines to dark circles. Basically, if you have any undereye concerns, there’s a cream for it
  • My product: Baebody Eye Gel, or Clinique All About Eyes
• Step Nine: Face Cream
  • Purpose: This step is simply to lock in skin’s moisture. And I’m telling you, next to daily SPF, skin hydration is key for supple, younger-looking skin at all ages
  • My product: Clinique Daily Moisturizer, Skin Type 2
• Step Ten: SPF
  • Purpose: “We’re 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 it’s applying SPF regularly that’s the biggest differentiator in the Korean regimen.
  • My product: SPF in Clinique Daily Moisturizer, might get P:REM Capsule Gel Sunscreen

{Guide taken from Self}