My Skin Care Routine

Gussied Up and Glitzed Skin Care Routine I get questions and comments about my skin and what products I use all the time, and I thought it was about time I shared my skin care routine, favorite products, tips and tricks with y’all.

I practice the Korean ten step regimen because after many years of trial and error it’s what transformed my skin. However, I do not strictly use only one Korean brand or only Korean products, but a mashup of all different brands. I think that’s the beauty of using the Korean 10 step method–handpicking products that work specifically for your skin yield the best results.

I do love Korean skin care products because they are extremely effective, gentle, and the price point can’t be beat. The standard Korean skin care routine usually consists of seven to ten products. It’s a routine that can be done by anyone as it is not at all complicated or overly time consuming. Some people prefer not to utilize all ten product categories and this is perfectly acceptable. Korean skin care is all about customizing a treatment that is right for your skin. You can cut back on some products depending on your skins needs or use dual purpose products. (Korean skin care brands are famously known for creating dual step/purpose products that are extremely effective)

Before we jump in I want to emphasis that I did not buy all these products at once but slowly over time added them one by one to my routine. It’s a bad idea to put more than one new product on your skin a week because you will freak your skin out, and its impossible to know what products do and don’t work for you.

My Skin Care Product Routine: AM/PM

Oil Cleanser : Cremorlab T.E.N. CREMOR CLEANSING GEL OIL

Foaming Face Wash: MIZON EGG WHITE BUBBLE CLEANSER

Toner: BE THE SKIN BOTANICAL PORE TONER

Essence: CREMOLAB MINERAL TREATMENT ESSENCE OR MAY COOP RAW SAUCE

Oil: TARTE MARACUJA OIL

Serum: PEACH AND LILY GLASS SKIN REFINING SERUM

Serum: MIZON HYALURONIC ACID 100

Ampoule: MIZON SNAIL REPAIR INTENSIVE AMPOULE

Eye Cream: MARY KAY TIME WISE REPAIR EYE CREAM

Moisturizer:DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE HYALURONIC OIL FREE MOISTURE CUSHION GEL CREAM / PEACH AND LILY MATCHA PUDDING ANTIOXIDANT CREAM

Sunscreen: LANCER SKINCARE SHEER FLUID SHIELD SPF 30

OTHER PRODUCTS I USE:

Exfoliates: LANCER SKINCARE THE METHOD POLISH OILY-CONGESTED SKIN

Sheet Mask Brands: TONY MOLY, TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL

Eye Masks: SHANGPREE GOLD BLACK PEARL HYDROGEL EYE MASK

Lip Treatment: CHARLOTTE TILBURY HOT LIPS 2.0 LIPSTICK TREATMENT ENIGMATIC EDWARD

My nighttime routine looks something like this:

oil cleanse
exfoliate
foam wash
toner
essence
oil
serum
ampoule
eye cream
moisturizer
lip treatment

Sometimes I will put on a sheet mask or double mask between the essence and oil steps. After the mask is done I finish the rest of my routine normally. I do not use every single serum, ampoule, or oil I have every night. I switch them up each night depending on what my skin is doing. At night I really slather on the eye cream. And by slather I mean generously pat a good amount all over my under eye, entire lid space, and the outside of my eye stretching over my temple.

My daytime routine looks something like this:

oil cleanse
foam wash
toner
essence
serum
eye cream
moisturizer
sunscreen
makeup

During the day I wear less serums so my makeup doesn’t slip and slide. Also, I use the eye cream very sparingly during the day or my eye makeup runs everywhere. I do not exfoliate in the morning, ever, because I don’t want to strip my skin of all the good stuff I slathered on the night before.

When the seasons change I swap some of my products for others–like a heavier moisturizer for winter–but for the most part my products usually stay the same. I want to emphasis that I don’t do this routine religiously every day and night. There are just some nights all I manage is to wipe my face with a makeup wipe and crawl in bed. That’s life. But I do try not to go maybe a night or two without at least doing the bare minimum.

My Skin Care Tips:

THE BIG THREE

Prevention is Key – Wherever you are in your life journey start now to prevent whatever is down the road. Whether it’s your twenties or you seventies now is the time to start.
Moisturize – sounds so simple but it’s in the big three for a reason. Try to moisturize twice a day. Dry skin ages faster and makes it difficult to wear makeup more naturally.
Sunscreen – Sun damage plays one of the largest role of aging and/or irritated skin. Wear a sun screen every day–even under your makeup. Your makeup–unless your primer or foundation contains sunscreen–is not protecting you from sun damage. And a little science fun fact* layering products with SPF does not increase their potency or up the SPF coverage. Whatever the highest SPF you’re wearing is the highest SPF coverage you will receive.

Other Advice

Hydrate – drink your daily water minimum. Water really makes a difference in your day to day skin health.
Facial Exercises/Messages – Asian women have been doing them for hundreds if not thousands of years and their skin is proof. Google Korean facial exercises and you will find hundreds of great videos. Facial message will also help to drain the Lymph Nodes in your face reducing swelling and helping to sculpt your jaw line. I started doing them a few years ago and I can tell a difference.
Smile – it makes everyone look more youthful and beautiful!
Research – Know your skin. Look at the ingredients in the products you use now and see what their alternatives and opposites are. For example, salicylic acid doesn’t work on acne for my skin–it makes it worse. I respond better to very low doses of alpha-hydroxy acids (aha), sulfur, charcoal, and physical exfoliates that contain enzymes. I learned that simply by looking at the ingredients on the back of the bottle and doing a little Googleing.

OK, that’s pretty much the basics of my skin care routine. I can’t emphasize enough that prevention is the best medicine. And don’t worry, it’s never to late to start. You might not be able to reverse everything about your skin but you can hydrate it and help it get the nourishment it needs and slow more signs of aging!

I want to hear all your questions and comments below! What do you think of my routine? Does it overwhelm, inspire, or both?

Maegan