K-Beauty Meets Everyday Skincare

skincareK-BeautySummer Skincare Routine
Written By Angela Finerson

Korean Beauty is coveted for its focus on skin health, prevention vs. correction, and a minimal (aka “clean girl” aesthetic) makeup routine. These principles naturally lend a healthy appearance regardless of age. Think hydration, exfoliation, and rebuilding when seeking that “butter or glass skin” look. Glow Lab skin atelier reveals how you can incorporate this trend into your routine as we go into those hot Memphis summer months.

Angela’s Top Picks:

Cleanse

Double cleansing in the evening is a must for properly cleansed skin and an essential part of a K-Beauty routine. The first should be a cream or oil cleanser, and it’s role is to dissolve and allow efficient removal of oil-based impurities, including makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum. The second cleanse is performed with a water-based cleanser, such as iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex, and is considered the true cleanse for a clean canvas ready for serums and other treatments.

There should be customization in your selection of cleansers based on skin’s tolerance and conditions, such as an acne cleanser if applicable, or an enzyme or chemical exfoliant cleanser to be used twice to three times weekly for added brightening and smoothing. For the morning, consider just rinsing with water if you are a dryer skin type, or a light single cleanse if more oily.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation should be done after cleansing, or performed within the cleansing step (second cleanse) as mentioned above with an enzyme or acid-based cleanser. Balanced exfoliation is key, as overdoing it can cause more harm than good. Depending on your skin type and exfoliator, this might be a daily or weekly step, but make sure to read the instructions on the label and consult a facialist or dermatologist first if you suffer from acne or other skin conditions as some forms of exfoliation must be avoided in certain cases.

There are different types of exfoliants—chemical, physical, and enzymatic—so choose one based on your skin’s tolerance. I typically recommend either a chemical or enzymatic exfoliant for most of my clients, although many enjoy the experience of using a physical exfoliant in which case I recommend a gentle product containing jojoba beads over harsher particles or tools that can be damaging to the skin. Cleansing Complex Polish cleanses the surface and pores of the skin without drying or stripping essential natural oils. This light, foamy gel contains eco-friendly microparticles of Cellulose and Jojoba combined with powerful botanical extracts to provide both physical and biochemical exfoliation and is an excellent choice for a physical exfoliant.

Chemical exfoliants include products containing resurfacing acids or retinols/retinoids. These actives also have the power to stimulate the skin’s natural rebuilding process resulting in functional and aesthetic improvement. In addition, although you often hear retinol classified in a box alone as an anti-aging powerhouse, while it’s turning on the skin’s cellular machinery it also is providing great general exfoliation. So anyone with aging concerns should seriously consider incorporating a retinol into their home care routine.

Hydration

Moisturizing the skin is essential both morning and evening as the final step or just before applying sun protection, and serves to protect your skin barrier from harsh elements and environmental pollutants. Vogue Magazine article Breaking Down the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine highlights that “there are many different types of moisturizers with various formats, benefits, and ingredients that can either target specific concerns or provide multiple benefits at once”, thanks to insights from Mandy Epley, a master esthetician at Mandy Epley Skin Studio in New Orleans. This is an accurate statement and why I often recommend an environmentally protective moisturizer without exfoliating actives, such as Reparative Moisture Emulsion from iS Clinical, for use as your morning moisturizer. This will prevent excessive exfoliation or skin irritation if choosing to add in actives elsewhere in your routine.

The evening is a great time to bring in an enhanced hydrator, such as one containing peptides, growth factors, and/or a retinol. This principle is supported by the fact that skin is very active at nighttime, repairing damage it experienced from the day and renewing itself naturally to rebuild a healthier skin structure. My clients do very well using Retinol+ Emulsion 0.3 as their evening moisturizer (beginning use every 2 - 3 days and advancing as tolerated) to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, boost hydration, and protect their skin’s health, and a non-retinol hydrator such as Jan Marini’s Regeneration Booster on opposite nights. For a spa-like home indulgence, reach for a sleeping mask or treatment mask. Glymed’s CBD Hydratherapy Masque with Micro-Silver is a luxurious, deep-hydration masque fortified with CBD and Micro-Silver and helps to support the skin’s natural flora to reduce bacteria and aid in healing, while moisturizing collagen instantly plumps and balances dehydrated skin. This mask can be used 2 - 3 times a week to brighten, increase hydration, plump skin, and reduce Inflammation. It’s a wise choice for hormonal acne or rosacea.

Don’t let anyone tell you that eye creams are only for the extra boujee. Selected carefully based on your skin needs, particularly if you are prone to milia, you will be happy many years later that you didn’t skip this step! Generally I recommend an eye cream without resurfacing acids such as Youth Eye Complex so as to not over-expose this delicate area to too many exfoliants and allow clients to take their retinols higher up into the under eye area. To firm the eye area and reduce any morning puffiness, reach for this Cryo-Tech tool once pre-chilled in ice water for 10 seconds and use the acupressure ball to smooth eye cream around the orbital area. The gua sha end can also be used for contouring the face and lending a tighter appearance to pores. It’s a morning game changer!

Mists are another great way to bring in added hydration. Available to calm, clarify, refresh, fight pollutants, etc. either alone or in combination, summer is a great time to enjoy facial mists that combat the heat and sun exposure that can inflame in the skin. Glymed’s CBD Mist and iS Clinical Copper Firming Mist are two of my favorites!

Protection

It’s undeniable that sunscreen is a must to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking. There are many elegant products on the market and something sure to please everyone. Personally, I enjoy a tinted mineral sunscreen for the face and neck and Jan Marini has excellent options in multiple shades that feel weightless on the skin. Keeping a powder sunscreen and lip protection in your bag(s) is also essential for summer on-the-go touchups. Shop around until you find one that is satisfactory enough to ensure its use daily.

With these principles, you can have it all… a simple skincare routine that leaves you polished and glowing and in perfect make-up prep condition! Use patience, consistency, and a customized routine that is suitable for your skin and conditions. Remember, many products available today are often hybridized and check multiple boxes, which can often mislead consumers when building their own home care routines BUT can save time and money if chosen with care. No need to seek out unknown Korean skincare lines or overwhelm with a 10-step routine to achieve K-Beauty results, it all comes down to selecting the right products from brands with high quality standards and results-driven botanical ingredients.

https://www.vogue.com/article/korean-skin-care-routine

https://glowlabskinatelier.com/tips/master-your-double-cleanse-game

Angela Finerson
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