Do you need 10 steps skincare regime recommended in the Korean skincare industry? It has become a trend that many bloggers and influencers rave about. But a dermatologist told Earth Melody, that we do not need that many steps to achieve healthy skin! Here are the steps recommended by a dermatologist.
A product formulated with a combination of good ingredients to reduce needed steps. You will find there are many products out there that included only a single or a couple of "star" ingredients at a fairly cheap price. That ends up having a consumer buy more products instead.
Step 1:
Cleanser. A good cleanser should clean away the dirt but not strip away the natural sebum from your skin. If you have makeup and sunscreen on, it's best to wash twice with the same cleanser or a good makeup remover plus a gentle cleanser. As for facial cleansing products included in AHA or vitamin C, or retinol, it's not recommended because it is a wash-off products, AHA needs to stay on the skin longer to provide its functions.
Step 2:
Toner: you may skip this step if you have sensitive skin, dry skin and use essence instead. If you have oily skin, acne-prone skin, recommend using a AHA toner sprayed onto a cotton pad. Or a hydrating mist with ingredients that target oily skin, (niacinamide is great for all skin types and multi-functional which can also tame acne-prone and sensitive skin) or salicylic acid for acne-prone skin. Highly recommend only using AHA periodically.
Step 3:
Essence: Essence should have a high concentration of active ingredients plus humectant, and also a great way to prep for serums and creams. A good essence should have probiotics (fermented fruits or rice) and ingredients that brighten, plump skin, and help with skin renewal.
Step 4:
Serum: Now depends on the concern you may have. The base of the serum should be hyaluronic acid. (Some of them cost cheaper may be just thickened water or aloe vera, usually thicken with gums.) If you have a hyper-pigmentation, sun damaged problem looks for vitamin C or lactic acid serums. If you have fine lines, redness, dry patches, look for vitamin B serums that soothe skin. Retinol for aging skin. Skip this step if you have oily and acne-prone skin. You may use a different one for the night and a different one for the day.
Step 5:
Moisturizer: a moisturizer should be the thickest of all of them and is used to seal and lock in the nutrients you are prepping from toner, essence, and serum. A good moisturizer should make your skin feel soft, the moisture should stay overnight or at least a few hours. A lot of creams out there doesn't have enough moisture and does not last long which evaporated really quickly. Look for ingredients that protect skin barriers such as panthenol, cholesterol, and ceramide. These ingredients should list before preservatives. A preservative such as phenoxyethanol which typical usage is 1%. If the active ingredient list after phenoxyethenol, which means they are under 1%, and that is probably used for marketing purposes and not really functional.
A mixture of good humectants such as glycols, propandiol, glycerin. A non-comedogenic oil such as squalene and caprylic/capric triglyceride is a great face oil that does not clog pores.
Step 6:
Sunscreen for day time. SPF 30-50 is the basic.