Be Whole

Oh Em Gee.

I’m not sure how you’ll feel about a morning and evening beauty routine that includes 10 steps but before you click away, let me tell you what my experience has been thus far:

After two weeks of consistently following this Korean Beauty routine, my mind is blown. I’m still shocked that I haven’t had a major breakout because of the long list of products that I’ve been applying to my face, day and night.

And yes, I have been strict with this routine because I’ve had nothing to lose.

In previous blog posts, I’ve shared my battle with hormonal acne and how I’ve managed to keep my breakouts at bay by restructuring my diet.

I’ve also been getting monthly facials at The Skin Renewal Institute, to help reduce the appearance of existing acne scars.

Developing acne really lowered my self-esteem to the point where I would cancel catch-ups with friends because I didn’t want anyone to see my face. I’m not joking. It was bad but I eventually snapped out of it and researched ways to improve my skin naturally, which has been the best decision i’ve ever made.

As I’m writing to you now, I’m sitting in a studio packed with people and I’m not wearing ANY makeup. That’s a huge step for me.

Watch this video of my experience, applying the 10-step Korean beauty routine:

What is the Korean Beauty routine?

According to Vox, Charlotte Cho, the founder Of Soko Glam coined the 10-step Korean Beauty Routine. Cho was being interviewed by Elle Magazine at the time and was simply explaining the various beauty products used by Korean women. She told Vox that the following 10 products are used in a beauty routine but that they don’t necessarily need to be used in conjunction, all the time:

1. Oil cleanser
2. Foam cleanser
3. Exfoliator
4. Toner
5. Essence
6. Serum
7. Mask
8. Face oil
9. Moisturiser
10. Sunscreen

Stjoe, I know – it’s quite a list. What confused me the most was the essence because at first I didn’t know the difference between an essence and a serum but, an essence is what most of us in SA know as a concentrate because, well, it’s quite concentrated.

As I’d mentioned in my video, I use my Clarisonic brush to exfoliate, and did not use an essence but chose a light thermal spray (by Avene) instead. I also didn’t use an eye cream because I am using a concentrated face oil which I massage under my eye area. You don’t have to Bible the above steps – they’re simply meant to serve as a guideline.

Also, I didn’t actually use any products from Korea – although I’d love to. I’ve been using plant-based beauty available in South Africa since Korean skincare is quite hard to come by.

Does the Korean beauty routine work for Africans?

Yes! I’ve got a dewy glow and I’m loving it. The last time my pores were this tiny, I was nineteen and had no idea that I was heading into a couple of years with horrible adult acne issues. My skin is smoother and my breakouts are minimal, bearing in mind that I continue to get a pimple or two during my menstrual cycle.

Here’s the list of the products that I included in my routine:

Oil cleansing – Castor oil (I bought mine at Dischem Pharmacies)

Foam cleanser – Clarisonic foam cleanser

Exfoliator – Clarisonic brush

Mask – Garnier Hydrating sheet mask

Toner – Pradiance balancing facial toner

I chose not to use an essence but Avene thermal water instead

Face oil – 100% Baobab oil from Baocare

Moisturiser – 100% Aloe vera gel – I use the Betta Way brand from Wellness Warehouse

Sunscreen – Yungskin SPF 40

I only apply the sunscreen in the morning – it’s not obvious to everyone, hun but I see you. 😉

What did you think of this post? Are you keen to the routine? I’ll probably be doing this for the rest of my life if I don’t find a better routine.