<p>It’s not surprising that everyone strives for clear and glowing skin. American beauty<br />
standards are geared towards creating a perfect complexion by focusing on which<br />
makeup products are the hot topic. Within Korean beauty standards, skincare is<br />
emphasized early in one’s lifetime. Women start taking preventative measures to avoid<br />
aging as young teenagers, known as a “skin first” philosophy. Personally, I started<br />
learning about skincare later in adolescence, as opposed to when I started using<br />
makeup in early adolescence.<br />
Korean skincare has majorly grown in popularity in recent years. I consistently see the<br />
trend of achieving “glass skin” on social media, the goal of a clear complexion while also<br />
having a natural healthy glow to your skin. Within Korean skincare, “there’s an<br />
emphasis on gently nurturing the skin towards your desired results.” The key is to have<br />
consistency within your routine by using products that are individualized to your needs.<br />
This also includes choosing several products you can sustain using daily.<br />
Even though this number of steps is not necessary, the trending “Korean skincare<br />
routine” consists of 10 steps:</p>
<ol>
<li> Eye makeup remover/first cleanse – this could include a cleansing balm or eye-<br />
makeup remover (or both).</li>
<li>Second cleanse – this is your main cleanse to ensure that your skin is clear of<br />
any leftover makeup, dirt, and/or sunscreen.</li>
<li>Exfoliate – either a physical or chemical one.</li>
<li>Toner &#8211; to balance the PH levels on your skin and remove any remaining<br />
makeup/oil.</li>
<li>Essence – a very popular product within Korean skincare. It’s used to hydrate<br />
your skin, like a serum (compared to a toner that ensures no impurities are left on<br />
your skin).</li>
<li>Treatment – any serums you want to use. This is where your routine can become<br />
very customized by choosing treatments that align with your skin needs!</li>
<li>Sheet mask – to add an extra layer of treatment after you apply your serums…<br />
again a sheet mask can be chosen based on your skin concerns.</li>
<li>Eye cream – my current personal favorite is Glow Recipes Avocado Melt Retinol<br />
eye cream!</li>
<li>Moisturizer &#8211; chosen based on your skin type.</li>
<li>SPF – in the morning… so important to use sunscreen always!</li>
</ol>
<p>Yes, this is a super overwhelming list of products. Especially for someone just starting<br />
out in the world of skincare, I would highly advise not to use these many products. It will<br />
only make having a skincare routine seem unattainable and stressful. I would suggest<br />
using this list as a guide to which steps you want to implement and in what order you<br />
should perform them. The order you use products can be crucial to their effectiveness<br />
(for example, it won’t make a difference to your skin if you decide to put on your serums<br />
before your toner).<br />
A simple routine that implements the Korean skincare methodology and trending brands<br />
can include:</p>
<ol>
<li>Starting out with a gentle cleanser/double cleansing method.</li>
<li>Using an essence to add nourishment back to your skin.</li>
<li>Applying a serum, like Glow Recipes Watermelon Dew Drops or Peach and Lilys<br />
Glass Skin Refining Serum (two of my favorite serums at the moment!</li>
<li>Finishing off with a moisturizer that fits your skin type (possibly a gel for oily skin<br />
or a thicker cream for dry skin).</li>
<li>In the morning, end the routine with an SPF. Mineral sunscreens are an excellent<br />
choice for those who don’t want a white cast/want to apply makeup on top. My<br />
favorite is Elta MD’s UV Clear sunscreen.</li>
<li>Applying the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask for hydrated lips.</li>
</ol>
<p>Korean skincare brands will continue to influence the beauty industry uniquely. I predict<br />
future generations will start learning about the benefits of taking care of your skin at a<br />
younger age, becoming a crucial part of one’s self-care routine. Hopefully, brands will<br />
continue to be innovative with their ingredients of choice and aim to create user-friendly<br />
products for anyone who wants them.</p>
<p><em>Featured Image via Marie Claire.</em></p>
 <!-- WP Biographia v4.0.0 -->
<div class="wp-biographia-container-top" style="background-color: #FFEAA8; border-top: 4px solid #000000;"><div class="wp-biographia-pic" style="height:100px; width:100px;"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/634e1d7f52d506beb2d33ce284eb259521db763349832f39af1efe56b124f359?s=100&#038;d=wp_user_avatar&#038;r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/634e1d7f52d506beb2d33ce284eb259521db763349832f39af1efe56b124f359?s=200&#038;d=wp_user_avatar&#038;r=g 2x' class='wp-biographia-avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-biographia-text"><h3>About <a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/mgurtz/" title="Morgan Gurtz">Morgan Gurtz</a></h3><p></p><div class="wp-biographia-links"><small><ul class="wp-biographia-list wp-biographia-list-text"><li><a href="mailto:mg&#117;&#114;&#116;z1&#64;tulan&#101;&#46;edu" target="_self" title="Send Morgan Gurtz Mail" class="wp-biographia-link-text">Mail</a></li> | <li><a href="https://tulanemagazine.com/author/mgurtz/" target="_self" title="More Posts By Morgan Gurtz" class="wp-biographia-link-text">More Posts(8)</a></li></ul></small></div></div></div><!-- WP Biographia v4.0.0 -->

Achieving “Glass Skin”
