Health

Why Korean Skincare Keeps the Women Looking Youthful for Longer

13. Get a Skincare Facemask with Natural Ingredients When you put on a facemask, you expect it to feel like a sheet of plastic on your… Trista - February 13, 2022

When it comes to skincare, people tend to treat it like a chore instead of something that’s actually benefiting their health. On the other hand, Koreans take the health of their skin more seriously, which is one of the main reasons they look younger than Westerners. Korean culture focuses on making the skin look as fresh and healthy as possible. Keep reading to learn skincare secrets that will help you keep a youthful glow. There are various products you can apply to your face to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin. Your actual skincare routine is essential, as well as what you eat and drink.

31. Apply Snail Mucin to Your Face

You’ve probably heard some unexpected routines or ingredients, but this one might surprise you: snail mucin. Did you know that snail mucin contains a bunch of exceptional properties? That includes vitamins, mineral salts, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. Snail mucin regenerates cells, and the animal uses this mucin to restore its shell. So, it can effectively connect the free radicals and normalize the production of elastin and collagen (via Bright Side). With an anti-inflammatory effect, it also calms and removes irritation. Not only that, but snail mucin also moisturizes the skin, covering the skin with a thin invisible film that holds in the moisture but allows oxygen to pass through.

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30. Use Vitamin C and Citric Acid to Remove Dead Skin Cells

Not only is vitamin C good for the inside of your body, but it’s also suitable for the outside. It nourishes dull and dry skin from the inside out. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C purify fatigued skin and brighten the complexion by improving the skin’s circulation. You can take advantage of the healing powers citric acid has to offer by removing dead skin cells and ridding your pores of excess oil and dirt (via Bright Side). You can use a vitamin C serum or go straight to the source. Squeeze half a lemon into a bowl, add water, and apply it to your skin with a cotton ball.

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29. Get More Collagen

If you’re not familiar with what collagen is, it’s a type of protein that provides structure for the skin. It is similar to a frame, but for the skin that helps to hold the whole building together, in a sense, and without the frame as we know it, the entire building would fall apart. This protein helps maintain the skin’s elasticity and makes the skin more luminous (via Bright Side). Skin becomes saggy and starts to lose its firmness and fullness when it lacks collagen. This is why collagen serums play a vital role in the anti-aging k-beauty routine.

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28. Use Sunscreen All Year Long

We all know that sunscreen is crucial when going out on a sunny day. Nevertheless, it’s also important to know that you still have exposure to those UV rays even on a cloudy day. This exposure is one of the major causes of premature skin aging since collagen production decreases in the dermis when you expose your skin to UV rays for long periods, resulting in thinner skin and the appearance of wrinkles. In Korean skincare, sunscreen has a relatively light texture, absorbs into the skin well, and doesn’t leave any greasy or sticky residue (via Bright Side). It also moisturizes the skin and can be used before applying your makeup. It’s also crucial, of course, for those who spend a significant amount of time out in the sun, as it helps to protect yourself from skin cancer.

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27. Create a Multi-Step Cleansing Routine

It may seem like a lot of work, but by adding multiple steps into your routine for cleansing your face, you can help with making yourself look younger, longer. K-beauty has come up with a different practice that includes a multi-step. The Korean skincare approach starts by using oil-based cleansing to get rid of all the oil-based impurities that could be in your skin, such as makeup and sunscreen. It also pulls out any excess oil that may be hiding in your pores. The second step includes a water-based cleanser that removes all water-based residues such as dirt and sweat (via Bright Side). Now and then, you will need to exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells that build upon your face.

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26. Use Different Skincare Routines for Day and Night

You can’t expect to use the same treatments during the day that you would at night before bed. They’re not going to have exactly what you need to have your skin looking its best. For example, you wouldn’t use an SPF face cream before going to bed because you’re not spending any time in the sun. Furthermore, you want a product that cleanses your skin more extensively before bed to eliminate all the dirt, oil, and impurities that may have settled into your pores from being outside. Consider having one set of products to use when you wake up in the morning and another set to use at night before you go to bed (via Cosmopolitan).

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25. Moisturize Daily

It’s not just as simple as slapping on some lotion and going on with your day. Follow this step if you really want to take advantage of the moisturizing process. You want to allow any cream, moisturizer, or lotion to penetrate your pores fully, so make sure you moisturize your skin as soon as you are out of the shower or bath and dry off. While you bathe or shower, your pores open up, so it’s best to apply any moisturizer to your face quickly after, no more than minutes after being dried off (via Bright Side).

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24. Use Skincare Products with Peptides

Again, collagen is a crucial protein for the skin, and it looks like a chain made from many small segments called peptides. When our body detects an increasing amount of peptide, it receives a message that the skin is losing collagen and begins producing it, which is exactly what you want it to do. This means you want to use products that contain peptides because they help increase collagen production in your skin (via Bright Side).

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23. Wear Less Makeup

The Korean makeup market focuses on one thing: making your face look fresh. To achieve this, Koreans try to wear as little as possible. Besides, Koreans are the ones who came up with foundations, compacts, and sheet masks. People use them to achieve a fresh and dewy look that can do wonders for your skin. Moreover, when it’s time to put on makeup, they stick to the basics: a layer of foundation that closely matches their skin tone and then very thin eyeliners on their eyes. Instead of thick and full lipstick, they prefer to use tints that just add a little color to their lips and a bit of extra shine (via Her Zindagi).

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22. If You Wear Makeup, Clean Your Skin Before and After

Most people just wash their face with a basic face soap to get rid of the oil before putting on makeup. But Koreans have a much more detailed facial cleanse before they even consider putting makeup on. It involves getting rid of all excess oil and bacteria. That way, it won’t get trapped under their makeup and foundation (via Her Zindagi). The first step is to use a gentle wipe to get off all the oil and impurities. That includes those on their neck and around the eyes. Then an oil cleanser is used to get rid of oil-based impurities. Lastly, they use a foaming cleanser to remove the water-based impurities. With all of that gone, their skin is left feeling clean and fresh.

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21. Apply Makeup Correctly

Most people rub lotions and creams to the face to work them into the skin, but this is the fastest way to add more wrinkles, too. Instead of rubbing cream into your face or using a cleaner to remove makeup, use a gentle tapping motion to apply or cleanse your face, as this will reduce the amount of “punishment” your skin has to endure. Then pat dry with a clean face towel to preserve the structure of your skin. You may notice that you get fewer lines in the process (via Her Zindagi).

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20. Add Hydration Makeup Foundation

When most people use foundation, they’re most likely to use it straight out of the bottle and apply it right to their faces. It’s easy and fast, but it’s also the wrong way. Korean women, instead, add face oil to their foundation so that it not only blends more smoothly but also adds some moisturizing factors to their makeup (via Her Zindagi). Without it, the foundation can look dry and flake off the face. So, the next time you’re going for foundation, add face oil, and you’ll notice their differences in your appearance.

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19. Incorporate Probiotic Foods into Your Diet

It’s true what they say: what you eat is reflected in your skin. If you’re eating a lot of processed foods and meals cooked in oils, then it’s going to show on your skin. That’s why Asians tend to look much younger than Westerners; they have healthier diets that promote probiotic foods that help to balance out gut flora (via Soul Story). One of those critical probiotic foods is kimchi, a side dish of fermented vegetables with spices and seasonings added. Because it is a staple of their diet, their skin is much healthier than those who drink a lot of alcohol and eat processed sugars.

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18. Include Your Neck with Your Skincare Routine

Many people forget to spread those moisturizing creams to their necks, which is one of the biggest mistakes they can make. Why? Because the skin of your neck is thin, delicate, and does a lot of work throughout the day. This skin also tends to start wrinkling and sagging first, but many people may not notice. Add your neck to your list of areas that require your attention the next time you’re applying moisturizing face cream, as well as adding SPF lotions to prevent premature aging from the sun (via Soul Story).

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17. Avoid Using Straws

One of the biggest anti-aging secrets you can start carrying around with you is to stop using straws in your everyday life. The repeated use of a straw places stress on the same area of your mouth, which increases the appearance of wrinkles in that area (via Soul Story). As a result, you will start to look older than you really are. Skip the straw and start drinking from a glass instead. You’re doing your part to keep the environment clean when you skip the straws anyway by reducing the amount of garbage.

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16. Moisturize Your Skin with a Humidifier

Most Korean women have humidifiers in their rooms, and they also have them on their desks at work (via Vogue). Humidifiers add moisture to the air, which significantly impacts the health of one’s skin. With more water in the air, there’s less evaporation from the skin, allowing it to remain moisturized for much longer and reducing the need to reapply moisturizer over time. If you’re inside most of the day in an air-conditioned environment, then having a humidifier is recommended to help your skin’s health.

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15. Add Ginseng to Your Diet

Ginseng is one of the biggest parts of Korean culture; it’s in every part of their traditions (via Love Devani). The older a piece of ginseng is, the more valuable it is. This is because ginseng is rich in collagen, which is beneficial in having healthy, youthful skin. It is also known for boosting the immune system, improving blood flow throughout the body, and enhancing memory. So you may want to consider ginseng to your diet so that you can reap its benefits for your health and the appearance of your skin.

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14. Drink More Water

Korean culture focuses a lot on moisturizing products but also staying hydrated in general (via Love Devani). They drink a lot of water regularly because they know that their skin is the largest organ of their body, and they want to take care of it. Koreans also use many moisturizers to keep their skin hydrated in combination with drinking water so that they reap the most rewards for their efforts. People tend not to drink water in their everyday life, which leads to their skin drying out more.

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13. Get a Skincare Facemask with Natural Ingredients

When you put on a facemask, you expect it to feel like a sheet of plastic on your face. However, Korean facemasks are much different. Plastic is not a natural substance and can be tainted with other chemicals. On the other hand, a Korean facemask has cotton pads soaked and infused with natural skin-rejuvenating ingredients (via Sistar Cosmetics). This way, everything is perfectly natural without the risk of your skin coming into contact with anything harmful. With absolute control over what is going on your skin, you’ll have fewer problems with breakups or confusing reactions on your skin.

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12. Rub Ground Mung Beans on Your Skin for Exfoliation

One of the primary yet basic ingredients in Korean skincare products is ground mung beans (via Sistar Cosmetics). Companies use them in facial soaps, as they have many exfoliant properties and have a high vitamin E content. Exfoliation removes the dead cells from the surface of your skin. That way, it always looks fresh and healthy. Besides, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce any UV damage to the skin.

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11. Try Rice Facial Scrubs

Rice is also in the Korean skincare routine, believe it or not. Before the modern-day version of skincare products, people created scrubs with sea salt to exfoliate the skin. It was also a gentle cleanser, meaning the natural oils don’t become stripped from the skin. Furthermore, these scrubs didn’t leave the skin left red and feeling raw. Koreans use rice facial scrubs to help tone the skin and keep it soft and supple yet firm (via Sistar Cosmetics).

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10. Drink Green Tea to Help Your Skin

Green tea is becoming more popular with those just getting into matcha lattes. However, Korea has had a leg up from the beginning, with their drink of choice always being green tea. It’s not just great for digestion, but it also works wonders on the skin. Green tea is known for being an antioxidant and detoxifying the body from any impurities (via Sistar Cosmetics). By keeping the inside of your body “clean,” this will show in your skin as well. So, include more green tea in your diet, and consider looking for skincare products that have green tea in them as well.

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9. Stop Fine Lines with Turmeric

Do you want to decrease overall swelling in your face? Are you a little sick of always looking puffy? Then you may want to consider including more turmeric in your everyday life. Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory and, in skincare products, has been shown to ward off signs of aging and the production of fine lines. You can choose to drink it as a tea, include it in more of your cooking, or look for products that have turmeric listed as one of its ingredients so that you can reap the benefits of this all-natural ingredient (via Sistar Cosmetics).

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8. Find Affordable Korean Skincare Products

If you’ve ever headed to the store to restock on your favorite beauty products, you may notice that you’re shelling out a lot of money for them. This forces you to budget for them every month, interfering with how well you stick to your routine. Nevertheless, Korea knows that everyone takes care of their skin, so companies make their products more readily available to their customers by making them more affordable (via Fine Homes and Living). But affordable doesn’t mean cheap; companies still provide excellent quality products at a more affordable price for everyone.

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7. Look for Korean Skincare Products Because They Have Greater Diversity

When you buy skincare products, your only real options are oily or dry skin. That seems to be the only option, but that’s the wrong way to look at the skin. Different people have other skin types, and the Korean skincare culture is very aware of this. For example, if you were to buy a cleanser in a Korean beauty store, you would have a choice of a water-based or oil-based cleanser so that you can remove exactly what you need from your skin (via Fine Homes and Living). These differences in products mean that customers can mix and match to take care of whatever skincare problems they’re facing.

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6. Pay Attention to Korean Ingredients and Formulas

Because Korean culture is so focused on taking care of their skin, they invest a lot more time, money, and patience into creating great products that will do exactly what they want. They understand that not everyone’s skin is the same, so they also formulate different products to care for various problems (via Sistar Cosmetics). America is just catching up to this trend, and they still have a lot to learn about what kind of products and formulas they should actually be making.

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5. Remember That Genetics Play a Role in Skin Health

Unfortunately, the state of your skin is mostly due to genetics. At least 70% of your skin health comes from genetics; the remaining 30% is from your lifestyle and commitment to taking care of your skin (via Vogue). Genetics is something we can’t change or control. However, by taking the extra steps to take care of your skin, you can gain control over the remaining 30% and improve the health of your skin in the long run.

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4. Invest in Quality Skincare Products

Your skin will definitely reflect your efforts if you put more effort into your skincare routine. Invest your money into good quality skincare products, too; if you go for cheap, then your skin will pay the price. Consider asking several things to your regular routine, including eye masks, sleeping masks, a good quality face cream, as well as exfoliation and toning products that will eliminate dead cells from your skin so that the fresh dermis underneath can shine (via Her Zindagi). Pamper your skin, and it will be good for you in the end.

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3. Start a Skincare Routine at a Young Age

Most people don’t start taking care of their skin until there’s a problem, and this usually happens when a person becomes a teenager and gets their first pimple. In Korean culture, skincare is taught from a very early age, instilling the importance of sunscreen as well as staying out of direct sunlight for extended periods (via Vogue). They make regular visits to the dermatologist to take care of problems and check their skin’s health. They also have a thorough multi-step skincare routine that they see as part of their health and wellness instead of as a chore.

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2. Continue Taking Care of Your Skin Throughout Your Life

Koreans don’t see age as a barrier to taking care of their skin (via Vogue). They start using sunscreen as young as six months old and continue long into their old age. They carry these practices with them every day of their lives, which minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and reduces pigmentation of the skin. Taking care of your skin from a young age helps it look its best and allows you to appear younger for much longer throughout life.

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1. Understand You Don’t Have a Cure for Aging

Most Western society focuses on looking for the “cure” for aging when there is no real cure; the best way to eliminate the signs of aging is to take care of skin before it becomes a problem. By taking the proper measures towards prevention, you’re reducing those signs, to begin with. Korean beauty focused on treating skin concerns at the root of the problem instead of just the symptoms minimizing the chances of the issue rearing its ugly head. Their skincare products focus on the most natural ingredients to nourish the skin instead of beating it with chemicals that worsen skin conditions (via Vogue).

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