10 steps Korean skincare explained!

Hiya!

You have most probably heard about the magical Korean 10 steps skincare routine, right?
You've seen it on the internet, in some magazines, adverts, in your local shop for sure. So what EXACTLY these 10 steps are? Do Korean ladies REALLY use 10 items everyday in their skincare routine? How long does it take them?

No worries!
I will explain ^-^

In my skincare routine for example I've got around 15 products! WOAH, sounds like a lot, I know!

BUT!

it doesn't mean I use everything every single day! Some products I use only for the morning time, some of them at night time, some of them only ONCE A WEEK! but if you add everything you use in a week - it's gonna be like 10 lol.

this is my routine (just fyi! my skin is combo/oily and I'm also in my late 20s so I'm adding some anti-aging stuff too~! )

MORNING:

1. I start with a micellar water, I don't wash my face in the morning (if you find it gross or something then I'm sorry... not), it just doesn't work for me at all!

2. toner - to refresh and hydrate my skin, I'm using a mild toner for oily skin.

3. essence - essence is going to boost up all the good ingredients in the next steps! for the morning I prefer using a very light-weight, maybe even watery essence for oily skin. it keeps my skin hydrated, but not oily!

4. (gel) cream/(gel) moisturiser/emulsion - like I said, I'm more oily than anything else really! this is another thing in my routine that will make my skin stay hydrated! it's extremely important!

5. spf - I know, I know... you think that it's actually needless or like, come on, you want a tan, maybe you think that since you don't live in an extremely hot climate (or you're not somewhere on the beach) you don't need it or maybe your moisturiser has got some so why bother? YOU WERE SOOOOO WRONG! UV rays are extremely DANGEROUS! they don't only cause the burn, they make your skin age faster, dehydrate your skin and also cause the damage in your DNA (I'm not joking, you can check it anywhere!). not to mention they're really bad for acne and also make your skin produce more oil. I don't need to add anything about the skin cancer I guess?
For me, the spf must be 50 or 50+! I don't leave home without it, I don't want to have millions of wrinkles in a couple of years, you know~ but to be clear, the MINIMUM should be spf30+ !

EVENING:

1. oil cleanser - melts aaaaaall the makeup away! and I use quite a lot of makeup :D it feels so sastisfying removing it lol

2. gel/foam cleanser - removes all the leftovers of the oil cleanser, any other impurities and excess oil.

3. toner - this time I'm using something a bit stronger, preferrably with some acids (I've got one with AHA now, but for oily skin it's a bummer to be honest...). Again, it's to rebalance the ph levels of your skin, refresh and hydrate it.

4. eye cream - my under eyes are quite dark and also I started developing some crow feet around my eyes too (damn smiling lol). the skin around your eyes is the thinniest and the most delicate! you need to make sure you keep these areas hydrated! Be gentle!

5. essence - in the evening I prefer using more hydrating and nourishing essence. the night is the time when our skin rests and regenerates. atm, I'm using a very light moisturising essence with collagen.

6. serum - we use certain serums for certain skin problems, there are thousends of them available on the market! for now I'm using pore minimising one (but this one is a bummer too in my case lololol) but you could use hydrating, nourishing, anti-aging, anti-acne, brightening etc.!

7. (gel) cream/emulsion for night - I've got a really nice anti-aging gel cream for the night time! it's not sticky, doesn't feel heavy and doesn't leave my skin oily either! stick to the consistency that is the best for your skin type!

UFFF, that was a lot!

but it's not over yet :DD !

ONCE/TWICE A WEEK:

1. sheet mask! -it's definitely my fav step hahaha :"D ! you can choose from like a gazillion different designs, brands and purposes! I love them! they sooo help you feel relaxed and also can completely reset your face lol. So go get one NOW! :D

2. eye mask - these would be usually tear-shaped gel'ish like little plasters you put under your eyes, they also have different purposes, anti-wrinkle, whitening, moisturising etc. Personally I love the combo of eye mask + sheet mask on one go :D

3. exfoliator - there are different types of peeling, you've got physical ones (scrubs) and chemical ones (which I think are my fav ones!). it all depends on your skin needs! peeling is a MUST! it removes all the dead skin cells, I'd recommend using it once a week.

4. sleep mask - sleep masks are usually denser, thicker and richer night creams. you don't use them daily, they might completely clog your pores! I use them twice a week usually and got two types atm: hydrating one and detoxifying one. try for yourself ^^

Okay, I think I've covered all the basics here :D I didn't put the names of the products I use on purpose ;D 'cause will need that for the future posts ahahah ^^ you can obviously change your routine and add or remove some of the products I've mentioned, however to me, they're my essentials and I'm being serious!

hope you did like this one ^^

I will see you next time!

Happy reading,
Miru

TO BE CONTINUED...?

HI ALL!!!!!!!!!

I've decided to re-activate this blog after a looong long time on it's being on hiatus lol

At the very moment my yt channel is on hiatus (sadly, lack of time...) BUT I still want to talk/write about all the amazing beauty/skincare stuff SO I will keep you updated on here (^^)v

I'm gonna try my best to writer a proper post this week and publish it on Friday so I think it would be awesome if you could just hit that "subscribe" button ;D (or whatever it's called, lol I just forgot :"D )!!!

what am I going to write about?
*k-beauty💖
*makeup 💖
*skincare💖
*and a bit of haircare ^^ 💖

<--- all the stuff I LOVE!

stay with me guys!

Miru💖💖💖

magical ingredient: arbutin

Hello (^-^*)/ !

this is my first post since I've decided to change this blog's theme : D I hope you will like it （／．＼）


OKAY

today I wanted to write a bit about ARBUTIN. why ARBUTIN?
you've probably noticed that on maaaany many bb creams you can see ARBUTIN as one of the main ingredients:

most of SKIN79's bb creams have arbutin


but not only them

 

Dr. Jart+

 

Skinfood

 

Baviphat

you can also find this ingredient in creams, toners, lotions etc.!

 Charmzone

 

Tonymoly

okay, but what exactly ARBUTIN is and why would I need it?

Biohemist, Hannah Sivak will give you the best answer :333
source: http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-is-Arbutin-The-most-common-skin-lightener-/10000000012957788/g.html

"Arbutin is one of the many actives we sell as powders, and we also use it as an  ingredient in our skin brightening cream. The mechanism of action of arbutin is through the competitive inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the synthesis of melanin, although it has been suggested that it may also affect other steps in the synthesis and accumulation of melanin."

 and wikipedia:
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_whitening#Arbutin


Some of alternative lighteners are natural sources of hydroquinone. They include Mitracarpus scaber extract, Uva ursi (bearberry) extract, Morus bombycis (mulberry), Morus alba (white mulberry), and Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry). All of these contain arbutin (technically known as hydroquinone-beta-D-glucoside), which can inhibit melanin production. Pure forms of arbutin are considered more potent for affecting skin lightening (alpha-arbutin, beta-arbutin, and deoxy-arbutin). Beta-Arbutin is also known by its more common name of Bearberry extract
Arbutin is derived from the leaves of bearberry, cranberry, mulberry or blueberry shrubs, and also is present in most types of pears. It can have melanin-inhibiting properties.^[12] Arbutin and other plant extracts are considered safe alternatives to commonly used depigmenting agents to make the skin fairer. Medical studies have shown the efficiency of Arbutin for skin lightening.^[13] There are patents controlling its use for skin lightening. Arbutin actually exists in two conformations, alpha and beta. The alpha conformation offers higher stability over the beta conformation and is the preferred form for skin lightening indications.

<------- so in other words this ingredient makes your skin more radiant, less grey'ish and dull, it's also got this whitening effect.

we have to remember that original bb creams were made for Asian women (and I don't have to remind you that for 99% of Asian women bright skin is the most wanted thing ever..? )! they usually have problems with melanin's accumulation when aging, that's why prevention and protection is the must! so not only high sun protection filters but also skin whitening ingredients are very welcome in Asian cosmetics.

I don't mind whitening effects in my cosmetics, mostly because I like my super pale ghost's skin and every little imperfection would be VERY visible on "white" background.



let's sum everything up!!!

+
whitens skin (blemishes, dark spots, freckles etc.)
prevents melanin's accumulation
not very hard to find in Asian cosmetics


+/-
lately not soooooo common in cosmetics (probably because of new super technologies?)

-
none? :D

so,
what do you think about arbutin?
have you ever tried any cosmetics with this ingredient?


ps. did you like the post? share your thoughts with me please!

love,