From BB creams to the next generation CC creams, Korean women are still leading the trend in beauty care regimes (Milton 2014). While it may have taken some of the rest of the world to catch on, this isn't a new thing and the trend is growing quickly.
The implications of new trends in skincare for American women and their own beauty routines are widespread. Women are now adjusting and expanding their own skincare regimes in order to incorporate new products and steps as a result of the Asian influence (Milton 2014).
Korean skincare dates back to 57 BC when it was believed that an outer form of beauty could manifest beauty on the inside (Thompson, 2015). We tend to believe the opposite, right? Even so, we have an issue to address:
We need to take care of our skin, and our current routines aren't cutting it.
Why else would we look for other solutions? So let's look at Korean skincare routines and see what all the fuss is about.
There are a few ways to approach this, but, like the numerous steps involved in the actual beauty routines, a short answer is not readily available. So, suffice it to say, Korean women have two main goals in approaching their skincare. They have an emphasis on healthy skin emphasis rather than make-up; hence the multi-tiered approach (Thompson, 2015). They also layer their products and keep an open mind, changing up their options frequently if something isn't working. Makes sense, right?
What are these steps?
There are actually about 10 in total, though not all are used by every woman, of course.
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The Pre-Cleanse: make-up removal
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Cleansing
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Exfoliating: dead skin cell removal
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Toner: ph balancer/residue removal
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Essence: newest addition
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Sheet or face mask: several uses
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Serums: skin-specific needs or issues
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Eye Creams
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Moisturizers - 3 types (you know which one you need, right?)
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Sleeping Mask - This might be pushing it.
Overwhelmed yet? You don't need to be. While it may seem too time-consuming or even too expensive to set about what seems like such a simple undertaking, it doesn't have to take a lot of time, or even cost a lot of money. That's the beauty of this. You choose your steps, and the products that work for you. You can even do this the natural way.
Sources:
Milton, Tina. "The Asian beauty wave: Asian beauty, led by a Korean wave of beauty innovations, is becoming a stronger influence on other global buying nationalities and new skincare product developments." Frontier May 2014: 38+. General OneFile. Web. 25 June 2016.
Thompson, Kelly. Korean Beauty Secrets. New York, NY : Skyhorse Publishing, [2015]
Part 2 - Natural Cleansers - Can be found here
Part 5 - Masks & More - Conclusion
For a complete system based on botanical skincare and simplicity, go here.
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