“The 5-Step Skin Care Routine: Japanese and Korean women’s biggest beauty secret to flawless skin
Skincare
Makeup should be an enhancement, not a cover-up agent. Everything starts with good skin and a good skincare regimen is essential to maintaining or obtaining good skin. As clich? as it sounds, beauty comes from within. Just because you splurge hundreds of dollars on brand name skin products does not guarantee you will look flawless. People with great skin often attribute it to a healthy diet, exercise, plenty of water and 8 hours of beauty sleep.
For sensitive skin, try to avoid products with excessive fragrance, alcohol and chemical sunscreen, as they tend to have adverse effects on your skin. Many Japanese skincare products nowadays contain no added fragrance, color additives and chemical sunscreen, and are excellent to use because of the exceptional quality and quick penetration to the skin.
The 5-step regime
Your typical beauty routine should consistently involve cleansing, toning and moisturizing your face. This is known as the basic 3-step routine. However, we learned that Korean and Japanese women who have the most beautiful skin in the world, use a 5 step routine. A trip to any Korean or Japanese cosmetics store can help you gain valuable insights to their rituals and beauty secrets, but we can share those secrets with you right here:
The 5 step regime consists of double-cleansing —> massage/mask* —> toning —> essence —> moisturizer
*masks are recommended for 1 - 2 times a week only unless directed. Most essence type masks are recommended to be applied AFTER toning unless otherwise stated.
Double Cleansing - Makeup Remover + Foam Wash
You should always take off all your makeup before you go to sleep. Raccoon eyes aside, makeup will clog pores while you sleep and you will end up with breakouts the next day, not to mention the imprint on your pillow. This is a common problem with teens in North America, as famous model Iman once said, they learn how to use makeup before they learn about proper skincare. Hence the premature aging and skin problems.
If you wear makeup, you would be pleasantly surprised at the concept of Cleansing Oil. The name sounds heavy, but cleansing oils are perhaps one of the greatest inventions in the beauty industry (by the Japanese). Instead of the two-phase makeup removers we use in North America, the Japanese and Korean women use cleansing oil to remove makeup - including waterproof mascara. You apply the cleansing oil on your face without wetting your face first and the makeup dissolves quickly and effortlessly, and rinses off in seconds without any oily feeling.
After you remove your makeup with cleansing oil/cream, use a gentle cleanser to cleanse your face. This will remove any residue the cleansing oil leaves behind (if any). Double cleansing is crucial to maintaining great skin since many people tend to break out and they think they are doing everything right, but turns out that they were using cleansers that do not clean thoroughly.
Massage
Facial massages are a secret to glowing skin. Because of skin damage from UV rays, dehydration and aging, the skin loses its elasticity - just like a balloon that gradually loses air. Also, young people or those with oily skin secrete excessive sebum that clogs the pores, making the skin susceptible to acne and irritations.
When you massage your face with a massage pack/cream, it is an exercise for your skin. Working deeply within the skin, it cleanses the embedded particles, improves blood circulation and relieves stress. By working deep within the skin, facial massages can stimulate the flow of oxygen and nutrients to improve the elasticity of your skin. Because of the massage, the skin temperature rises, opening the pores and the dirt embedded within the skin will be removed.Your skin looks visibly fresher, glowing and younger after a massage.
Incorporating massages into your beauty regimen at least 2- 3times a week will give you visible results.
Facial Mask
Everyone can benefit from using a facial mask once or twice a week and it is an economical alternative to having a facial at the salon. For dry skin, a moisture boost once a week is a great relief; for oilier skin, a purifying mask can unclog pores and remove embedded dirt. For normal skin, it is a maintenance measures to keep your skin in top shape.
Facial masks cleanse from deep within the skin, improve blood circulation and improve skin renewal. They remove deeply embedded dirt which can cause acne, and stimulate oxygen flow to improve the elasticity of your skin. The skin is fair, smooth and firmer after and has a healthy glow. Unlike facial massages, facial masks should be done only 1 to 2 times a week after cleansing and preferably at night-time. (Excessive stimulation of the skin can cause skin discoloration)
Facial masks have many different types. They come in sheets (cloth or silk), clay, gel and cream. Each type is specific to its own purpose: sheet types are usually treatment essence to be absorbed onto skin; clay type is usually for oilier skin types to draw out dirt and impurities; gel or cream masks are usually for drier or more mature skin types to infuse moisture. Depending on your need and skin conditions, you can choose different types for each time. For example, when you are feeling stressed out and your skin looks dry or dull, an essence type sheet mask will do the trick. While most facial masks are applied after cleansing before toning, some essence sheet masks (they are considered essence, and hence are applied after toning) are applied after toning. Refer to product instructions for correct usage sequence.
Toners
There are people who think toners are useless, but toners are actually essential products as they remove dead skin cells and residue from cleansers, replenish your skin with moisture after cleansing, and make the absorption of any subsequently applied products easier and faster.
One common mistake when choosing a toner is that people with oily skin often choose a strong astringent to try to “dry” out their skin. However, this is a serious mistake as abrasive toners containing high levels of alcohol* often overdry your skin, which in turn promotes the secretion of even more sebum (your skin’s natural reaction), which makes your skin even oilier.
*Many skin whitening toners contain alcohol. This does not mean that they are bad or harsh on your skin, but most of the skin whitening ingredients need alcohol to penetrate into your skin. As long as it does not burn or sting your skin, alcohol is not always an enemy.
Essence
Essences or serums are very light liquid form treatments, usually concentrated, to correct skin problems. They penetrate deep into your skin whereas regular moisturizers only sit on top of skin. Essences provide much quicker results and visible differences than regular moisturizers.
Different essences serve different purposes. Applied after toners (or moisturizers, as some essences are to be used on top of moisturizers), essence and serums are quickly absorbed onto skin. For best results, wait 5 minutes after applying essences or serums before applying moisturizer to allow maximum absorption onto skin.
Moisturizer
Whether you have oily skin or dry skin, you need to moisturize your face. If you have dehydrated combination/oily skin, choose an oil-free or water-based moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. If you have dry skin, after applying a light moisturizer, you can also apply a richer cream to seal in the moisture.
Depending on your skin type and needs, there are many moisturizers available. If you are in need of skin whitening, choose a moisturizer with skin whitening properties (preferably used in conjunction with the same line of whitening products). Acne-prone skin should find a sebum controlling moisturizer that is light-textured and non oily. Remember, oily skin can be dehydrated too, even though it looks shiny (oil). When your skin is dry, it secretes more sebum to help protect your skin, so even oily skin will benefit from using a water-based moisturizer.
Epilogue
While results vary from individual to individual, this 5-step routine gives many women visible results. Because of climate changes, diet and environmental pollution, we can no longer expect great skin without efforts anymore. Moreover, maintaining or establishing a beauty regimen should not feel like a chore. It should be a calming and relaxing experience. Enjoy and relax.
“If you do this, great skin will come!”
Sources: (C)(R)Joseibi.com (http://www.joseibi.com/store/view_article.asp?idArticle=21)”
P.S. Yeah!! I’m gonna try massaging my face every night, too!
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