K Beauty has built up quite the following over the last few years for its innovative technology (see: cushion products) and adorable packaging. With the increasing interest in the beauty habits of Korean women, we have also learnt that they are all about their rigorous skincare routines to ensure that their skin has that covetable glow.
The latest Korean skincare trend that has gained notoriety worldwide is something that is now commonly referred to as “Glass Skin”, which is skin that is free of blemishes and pores, skin that is glowing and translucent — just like a piece of glass. After posting her skincare routine to Instagram only a few days ago, Ellie Choi has already gained over 20,000 likes for her how-to on achieving this cult Korean beauty look.
Choi begins her daily routine by first removing any make-up, or excess grime, from her face with Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. “Removing all your make-up every night before bed time is essential to your skin” said Choi. This step is quite gentle but essential to ensure that the skincare that follows has its proper effect.
Once she has removed her make-up, Choi’s next step is to use a facial cleanser. She recommends the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, or for a more affordable option, her other favourite is Cetaphil’s Daily Facial Cleanser (or try the Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser for something similar). Both products are gentle on the skin, and will remove any remaining oil or dirt from your skin without stripping it of its moisture. For one final clean, Choi uses Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 3 to tone her skin and give it that extra clean.
Once Choi has double cleansed and toned her face and well and truly given any impurities the boot, her skin is ready for a good dose of hydration. “Right after toner, I will apply a decent amount of moisturiser to my skin to keep it hydrated overnight,” said Choi. Among her favourite moisturiser, she names Cetaphil again for their Moisturising Cream, as well as Wonjin’s Water Bomb Cream.
In addition to her daily routine, Choi will use an exfoliator every second day to remove any dead skin cells from her face. She considers this step a must to achieve that “healthy, natural glow” and favours Skinfood’s Black Sugar Strawberry Wash Off Mask. Not only will you get a good exfoliation with the black sugar, but the mask will also leave a soft strawberry scent, a lovely smelling addition you can find with Korean skincare products.
To keep her glow as the week progresses, Choi will use one to two facial sheet masks throughout the week. She names Korean beauty brand Innisfree’s My Real Squeeze Masks as her preferred facial mask, and considering you can pick up one of these masks for under $2, it’s definitely a very small cost for that glass-like glow.
Sometimes we need to be reminded to drink a substantial amount of water each day, but if Choi’s skin isn’t encouragement enough for staying hydrated, we don’t know what is. In addition to keeping yourself hydrated, she also draws attention to the importance of diet and how it can show through your skin. “For me, eating fried and greasy food affects my skin” said Choi, who recommends that her followers curb any bad food habits and ensure that they are eating plenty of vegetables.
We hear you loud and clear, K Beauty experts.
From: ELLE AUSTRALIA
