Korean Skin Care Secrets: What Every Woman Should Know

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For centuries, Korean women have been obsessed with taking care of their skin. Korean women have had beauty secrets up their sleeves for years and are always on the cutting edge of what’s next.

Maybe you have heard of the exhaustive 10-step routine that Korean women follow daily? But, if you don’t have the time or even money for that kind of multi-step process, you’re in luck.

These 7 tricks will keep your hydrated and your skin glowing, with no 10-step process required.

Korean Skin Care Secrets: What Every Woman Should Know
Korean skin care tips / photo credit: womensweekly.

1. Double Cleanse When Washing Your Face

Cleansing is very important to the Korean skincare regimen, most women cleanse twice in one sitting. This is to give their complexions some extra love.

“Everyone double cleanses. This is considered necessary that no one washes their face just once.”. Out of all the somewhat weird-sounding Korean beauty habits, this one makes the most sense.

How to:
First, you should remove your makeup by using an oil-based cleanser or at least, use a makeup-removing wipe first. Your next cleanser should be a foaming cleanser or a mild cream. But, don’t rub, using soft circular motions will do the trick.

2. Facial Massages

Give yourself a daily face massage. Cleansing boosts circulation and gives your skin a healthy glow.

“When massaging your face, work with the direction of the muscles, not against,” according to Charlotte Cho, curator and co-founder of SokoGlam and she mentioned this in her forthcoming book The Little Book of Skincare: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin.

How to:
1. Starting just underneath your cheekbones, you can use the knuckles of your first 2 fingers (with your hands in fists), and then work out and slightly up from there.
2. Press as firmly as what feels good to you. The oil will help keep the pressure from pulling your skin.
3. While still using your knuckles, trace them up the sides of your nose and into the top of your forehead, then down the perimeter of your face.
4. Lightly massage under your eyes, using the pads of your fingers. This will help drain puffiness. You can start at the bridge of your nose and then into your temples.

3. Healthy Diet

A cardinal rule of skin care that you should always remember is that “You are What You Eat“, and Korean women strongly follow this maxim.

The Korean diet is rich in key nutrients that help nurture the skin. One such popular dish is kimchi, which is actually fermented cabbage that is filled with beta-carotene and vitamin C that boost your skin’s health.

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Another common ingredient that is present in their diet is Makgeolli, which is a fermented rice wine that is rich in amino acids and minerals. It helps in brightening your skin and preserving its elasticity.

But, you do not have to follow a Korean diet to improve your skin health. What you need to do is to make that your body is getting the sufficient supply of all essential nutrients it needs to be healthy.

4. Remember the 10-Second Rule

The 10-second rule is about how quickly you apply your products, a rule that was talked about over and over again in Korean beauty magazines.

“After you take a hot shower, you are supposed to apply your toner within 10 seconds”, according to Angela Kim, founder of Insider Beauty(an e-commerce site which makes skin care and makeup products from Korea available in the U.S.). Because the longer you wait, the more dehydrated your skin becomes.

Therefore, the faster you can lock in that moisture and keep your skin protected, the better.

5. Wash Your Face with Rice Water

Korean women have a long history of making their own rice water in order to wash their face. This is because of its long-established skin benefits.

Rice water is a natural moisturizer that helps reduce dark circles, slow down aging, brighten skin and reduce age spots.

How to:
1. Soak the rice grain about 10-15 minutes.
2. Swirl it around.
3. Use that milky water as a pseudo-toner.

6. Slap Your Face (Yes Hard!)

This really is a popular technique in Korea. Korean women will slap their faces for about 50 times, after finishing their daily skincare regimen. This is to get blood circulation going and to firm up the face muscles.

This might sound crazy, but when it comes to slapping, “the more the merrier” and “the harder the better!”

7. Use a Sunscreen

Finally, the last but also an important step is to use a sunscreen. The Koreans are extremely wary of the sun and for a good reason.

The Sun’s rays will make you age faster. Therefreo, get yourself a good sunscreen with SPF. You must make it a habit to use it. This is even if you are only going out of the house for only 5 minutes. This will help your skin in the long run.

Read More:
1. Rice Water: Its Benefits and How to Use It for Healthier Hair
2. Look 10 Years Younger with Rice Water Face Mask
3. Ancient Beauty Remedies You Should Try for Better Skin

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