My Korean Skincare Routine Revisited

Hi friends!

The most popular post on this website by far is my post earlier this year on my Korean skincare routine. It seems that the whole world wants to know about the secrets behind Korean women’s flawless (and I mean flawless) skin – even if it means putting snail slime on your face. In my case, especially if it means putting snail slime on my face.

It’s been a while since I wrote that post, so I thought today I would update you on exactly what I am using to keep my skin supple, smooth and moist (or at least I think). As I have mentioned before, I do think good skin comes from a number of factors (less stress, healthy eating, sleep, water… all the obvious ones that actually work), but a Korean skincare routine definitely provides a superior level of cleansing and moisturising that you just can’t get in the West… yet.

Without further ado, let’s delve into my current collection and I’ll give you my thoughts on each product as we go. Strap yourselves in!

The first step in any good Korean skincare routine worth its salt is a cleansing cream or oil. Of course, recently cleansing oils have taken the world/blogosphere by storm, and a lot of people have been espousing the benefits of The Body Shop’s Chamomile Cleansing Oil. I’m sure this is a lovely product (and I love The Body Shop as a general rule of thumb) but I can’t help but feel that Asia – and Korea in particular – are light years ahead and have been doing this for a loooong time. Well, much longer than the rest of us, anyway. This step is one of the key differences in the Asian/Korean skincare routine and that which we “follow” in the West (a general term that I am bandying about to refer to Australia, America and other sort of colonised Americanised countries…? I’m not quite sure), which usually consists of cleanse, tone and moisturise. That just won’t fly in Asia, son!

So, getting back to the task at hand, the product I am currently using as a cleansing cream to first remove my makeup is the Nature Republic France Mud Cleansing & Massage Cream. As you may have spied in the caption above, this product has been discontinued, which isn’t such a rarity in the fast-paced world of Korean cosmetics. Blink and you’ll miss ’em! I bought this last year and at first I felt like my skin reacted to it, so I stopped using it. However, I kept it hanging around because I quite like the idea of massaging French mud into my face (who wouldn’t?) and it appears to be getting on much better with my skin. This is a nice creamy step to remoe the makeup of the day, and my first foray into cleansing creams (but not the last, I should think!).

Next up is 식물나라 (Plant Kingdom)’s The Rich Snow Foam (please keep in mind I have taken the liberty of translating the Korean and this may not necessarily be their English name!). I received this in a Memebox, and although I wouldn’t say I love it, it does get the job done in a fun way. It’s a cleansing foam, and it is serious about the whole foaming thing! Foam foam everywhere. Gav once thought I was trying to shave my face with this, which was quite hilarious and wouldn’t necessarily be wrong per se, but it would certainly be troublesome. Regrowth etc. Anyway – decent cleanser, would not buy again!

After I have cleansed with these two products, I dry me noggin, spray Nature Republic’s Argan 20 Essential Toner all over my face and bask in its misty glory. This is a night lightweight toner, yet it feels strangely moisturising. It’s a good summer option, as it does feel lighter than the Nature Republic Bee Venom Toner I previously used, and I do love the smell of this line. However, toward the end of my time with the Bee Venom one, I got strangely attached and may considering repurchasing that in the future (if I ever end my spending ban!).

In both of the above photos you can probably see a beautiful vessel featuring some capsules suspended in liquid. No, this is not an art piece, it is instead Tony Moly’s Floria Whitening Capsule Essence. I just featured this in my July Favourites video (filmed today, coming soon!) and really, this deserves a post all of its own. Apart from looking beautiful (which it does really, really well), this essence is also lightweight, moisturising and not too sticky. Win.

So we are almost done with the moisturising part of this evening, except WAIT! You’re forgetting the most obvious one… emulsion! This bizarre-sounding step is the light, milky moisturiser (pretty much a lotion) that comes before your cream. I actually don’t have a full sized emulsion on the go right now; instead, I am working through my 20394839 samples of Nature Republic’s Snail Solution 80 Emulsion. I love this line and everything it stands for. It’s moisturising, it smells great, it’s calming and it’s made from snail slime. All signs of greatness.

Lastly, the cream. I have recently started a new one, Muji’s Moisturising Cream. That’s its name. For any of y’all unfamiliar with Muji, it’s a very “Japanese” Japanese brand, in that its simple, simple, simple. Zen and stuff. I really like this ethos, as it is basically everything I’m not and everything I aspire to be. This cream is probably a tad rich for summer, but in the evening I spread it on very lightly and it protects me from the blast of our air con. It feels luxurious and you don’t need to use much!

In addition to these daily wonders, I have also been getting back into sheet masks. Especially after Krabi, I felt that my skin could do with a bit of extra conditioning, and I forgot just how cooling and amazing Korean sheet masks are. They are just so great! A notable mention is Nature Republic’s Snail Solution 1,000 Hydrogel Mask Sheet… just for a change!

And that brings me to the end of my current skincare routine! I will try to stay on top of this, so when I switch around a few products I’ll post another update. I obviously am trying to cut down on buying products, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have enough stashed away for a good few lifetimes switch-ups. If you would like any more information on any of these products, let me know in the comments below and I may feature them in their own posts. Obviously the Floria essence is getting its own post because, I mean, just look at that. It’s practically got its own modelling contract, it’s beauty incarnate!

Thanks for reading, and until next time,

Steph x