There is no denying that the K-Beauty wave took the world by storm, and still is up to this day! It is almost safe to say that wherever in the world, there is at least one woman there is a fan of it. From Korean makeup, Korean hair care to Korean skin care routine, everything is talking about it in the online world!

Koreans have, if not the best, one of the most blessed skins in the entire planet! Their skin is oozing with suppleness, moisture, and elasticity. That is why, regardless of race, a lot of women- even men today are joining in on the 10-Step Korean Skincare bandwagon!

Charlotte Cho, an American woman, who is a contributor and Beauty Editor at SELF, tried the 10-Step Korean Skincare for herself. She found out how this popular Korean skincare routine is not really a 10-step process every single day. She quotes Charlotte Cho, the board-certified esthetician behind Soko Glam and author of The Little Book of Skin Care, “It’s more about the different variety of products that can be used, depending on your skin concerns and skin type.”

Step One: Oil Cleanser

Emily used to settle for a BIY oil cleanser before she experimented with this new skincare routine. However, for a change, and to make the experience more legit, she chose to use Banila Clean It Zero. She used it to remove her foundation and mascara daily. However, during days she wore heavy eye makeup, she removed it with a round cotton soaked in makeup remover instead.

Step Two: Foam Cleanser

Emily never really double-cleansed before. She said, “The oil alone always felt like enough”. However, after having tried doing the 2nd cleansing with a foam cleanser, she shares how it made her skin feel extra fresh and clean. She used Neogen Dermalogy Cranberry Real Fresh Foam Cleanser for this step.

Step Three: Exfoliation

If you’re a lazy girl like Emily, you should also try what she used for her third Korean skincare routine step, that is Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine. It’s a double-side wipe packed with red wine and lactic acid. Exfoliations are done to clean our clogged pores, scrub away dead skin cells and lighten dark spots. As for Emily, she shares it definitely made her feel like her pores were cleaned each time but her discolorations never really faded, they only decreased in size, she noticed. She said she did exfoliate 3 times in a matter of 1 week.

Step Four: Toner

Most people skip the toner and to no surprise, Emily was one of them. This time, though, she didn’t skip it. All for the love of trying this popular skincare routine! She used Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner.

Step Five: Essence

The essence is the heart of Korean skin care, so they say. Essences are like serums and ampoules but with a more watery consistency. Emily used Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence but found it unnecessary to use because while it made her skin feel nice, she felt like it did the same job as the toner anyway.

Step Six: Serum/ Ampoules

Serums and Ampoules are mainly used for dark spots or pigmentation issues. Emily shared she has problems with redness and so she was really digging this step! She used Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Essence Serum that comes in a gel consistency. It left her skin a smooth layer sans the stickiness. She shared, it gave her skin a radiant glow sans the oiliness.

Step Seven: Mask

Just like the exfoliation, this step is not necessary to be done everyday. Masks are used to address specific skin needs in general. Emily tried Amorepacific Moisture Bound Intensive Serum Masque which made her skin feel plumper.

Step Eight: Eye Cream

To focus on eye lines, Emily chose to use Erborian Gineng Infusion Total nightly. It comes in a rich cream form that was well absorbed by her skin that she didn’t need to do much of rubbing around her eyes. She noticed how it took effect on her dark circles and eye puffiness that she even used it a couple of times during the day and even wore it under her makeup.

Step Nine: Face Cream

Moisturizer is the heart and soul of every skincare routine. All the other products you use before this will wear down without this. Moisturizers and SPFs are like lockers of moisture in the skin. Emily used Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb, “I looked forward to applying this cream every night. It felt like it was doing its duty, sealing in all the other skin care while providing hydration. Waking up every morning, my skin didn’t feel greasy or sticky.”

Step Ten: SPF

Emily experimented with her skincare experiment! She took it up a notch by using two products for this particular step! “I started with the Neogen Day-Light Protection Sun Screen, which I applied after my moisturizer every morning. And I finished everything off with the Amorepacific Color Control Cushion Compact Broad Spectrum SPF 50+”

The Results:

Emily shared how the seven-day skincare experiment made her feel more confident. “I have to say, during my seven-day experiment, only one night felt like work. The other six nights, it was a nice way to unwind while chatting with my roommates or catching up on The Affair. My red, blotchy inflammation calmed down and my undereye bags were almost nonexistent. I was so confident in my skin, I didn’t wear makeup the following week.”, she shares.

The Verdict:

“Will I do all 10 steps again? Probably not. Using a toner, essence, AND serum seemed redundant. But double cleansing is the way forward for my city lifestyle.”

How about you, girls? Will you do the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine like Emily too?