Oh here we go. It’s time to talk about my obsession with K-beauty and the 10 step routine! Yay! For those of you following me on Instagram, you know I’ve been on QUITE a journey this year when I discovered K-beauty. I went from falling asleep in my mascara and not even washing my face to doing 10 steps NIGHTLY. I have gone from being the laziest person ever with my skincare to going to bed a well-oiled face, following #shelfie posts on Instagram for skincare and I spend my spare time listening to beauty podcasts.
Before we start, a word on the time it takes to do this. Although there are a lot of words in this post, my nightly skincare takes about five minutes and my morning routine is the same. When I have more time I like to play around a little more, but don’t get intimidated by all the steps!
My 10-step routine is part of my process of honoring my future self. I love waking up knowing that my skin has been taken care of and I’ve noticed an incredible amount of brightening and intense hydration. I know that it sounds intense to have 10 steps, but trust me, they don’t take long. (Remember I’m still the lazy person who barely washed her face before!)
My 10-Step Routine
You’ll find that my skincare is a mix of traditional Korean beauty (K-beauty) and American solutions. All of my American-based products are Tu’el that I buy from Beauty Boost in Wichita. Let’s begin!
Oil Based Cleanser
The double-cleanse is the MOST important part of K-beauty. I am a huge fan of this cleanser as I can use it traveling and at home. Just a little bit goes far and I love the texture! It’s like butter but like somehow better? I also use this as my mascara remover as it’s pretty gentle and dissolves mascara. For about $20, this will last you for months!
Water Based Cleanser
I’ve had fun with this one! I use this Skinfood egg white pore cleanser. (Select Ultas now sell it!) This is the second step of the double-cleanse. The first step takes out oil-based impurities such as sebum, SPF, and pollutants while the second step cleanses water-based debris like sweat and dirt.
Toner
I love that my Tu’el products are already PH-balanced, but I use toner Son & Park toner nightly. This is a K-beauty cult favorite. When you cleanse your face, your face becomes slightly unbalanced. Toners are an immediate boost to your skin and revitalize it and make your skin ready for the rest of your skincare. I always think of toner as the primer that makes your face ready to soak in the nutrients it needs.
Snail Mucin (Essense)
I shared here that I am obsessed with snail mucin lately. This is a classic K-beauty ingredient and I LOVE IT! I take a couple of pumps of it and gently dab into my skin and neck (never forget the neck!) This serum is where you address your trouble spots. It’s very nutrient-rich so it can target things like anti-aging, brightness, etc.
Vitamin C (Serum)
Even if I am the LAZIEST, I never miss applying vitamin c serum! I truly think that it’s one of the most effective ways to take care of your skin and it is worth the price. For me, it’s a can’t-miss product. I use Tu’el C Power. I used to use something a little cheaper that I got from a K-beauty site but it stung and had the most terrible urine-color and I was really turned off. I LOVE how I can instantly tell a difference when I used this vitamin c serum.
Jade Rolling
I use my jade roller between serums to make sure that it really gets into the skin. Jade rolling has many benefits, but I absolutely love the cooling affect it has on my skin and helps me quickly power through applying all my serums and ampoules. When I’m congested it’s a great way to relieve some nasal pressure. I’m not the only one that swears by it though! When I first started using it, I felt like a weirdo and now I see it on Instagram at least once a week. I definitely always travel with it as I’ve noticed it does eliminate some facial bloating during travel.
Some people use rose quartz and personally, I can’t tell a difference as they basically do the same thing. If you like it in pink, get the rose quartz and have fun!
Ampoules
This is where you have fun! I am currently using this ampoule, but I’ve done many different ones! To me, this is where you get to play around. Glossier has their own that are great, but I consider them extremely expensive for pretty average results. You should be using this step to target whatever skin issues you are having. Here are my favorites to use:
Masks, Masks, Masks
Okay I cannot say ENOUGH about masks! I LOVE eye masks, skin masks, anything I can mask! Although Korean skincare doesn’t require sheet masks every night, I mask in some form pretty much daily. I love how you can target skincare issues with them and they are so afforable, if you know what to look for!
My all-time favorite hydrating mask
Eye Cream
Anyone who is 25 years or older needs an eye cream! To be honest, this is the one area that I am not sure how to target. I use this one and I do love it. However, I am doing this more as a preventative move and not so much a solution-solving move. I love anything Mizon does (as you can tell) so I don’t think you can go wrong as long as you’re doing SOME sort of eye cream.
For my facials, Ashly uses Eye Corrector Firm & Lighten Gel which visibly prevents and reverses the signs of aging by using a combination of natural ingredients that lighten and brighten, build collagen, firm, increase elasticity, tone and fight free radicals.
Are you exhausted yet? I swear, we’re almost done!
Night Cream
So after you’re an extremely hydrated machine, you moisturize MORE! I use Tu’el Super Soothe 2 in 1 Mask for this step. It’s more expensive, about $50, but I only have to buy it twice a year because it’s so potent. This cream is where I tackle my redness issues. I apply a thick coat every night and then let it do it’s magic and I wake up with MUCH less red.
It’s especially important to use some sort of night cream, but as we head into fall, this is my PSA. Don’t skip! The moment it got cooler, I noticed my showers were creating more redness in my skin and I was out of Super Soothe. I thought I could get something else but I cannot find ANYTHING that helps calm my skin like this
In the middle of winter, I use this during my morning and evening routine.
Moisturize + SPF
Can you ever moisturize enough? You CANNOT! The final step is to apply moisturize and sunscreen. I use Tu’el Daily Protect with SPF 35 so I get a two-for-one winning combination. I LOVE this moisturizer as a little bit goes so far! Plus it gives me a little glow that I think is the perfect touch for all the work I’ve done through my 10 steps.
If you want an additional layer of sun protection, Glossier’s sunscreen is absolutely light as a feather and smells amazing. Expensive, but truly worth it in my opinion.
And that’s it! There are so many other fun things you can add it, such as acne treatments and neck creams, but that’s for another day. Let me know your questions, what products you love and if you’ve ever had experience with any of these products!