Hey guys, it’s Veronica.

Following my previous post about how I’m trying to up my game on social media, I decided to film a fun and simple video about my skin care routine using all Korean-brand products.

If you have ever had any interest in Korean skincare, you’ve probably heard of the famed “10-step Korean skincare routine” which, if followed diligently day and night, promises smoother, softer, younger-looking skin. That very well may be true, but I was way too lazy to find out for sure.

Don’t get me wrong, I did give it the ol’ college try. I went out and bought products for every step of the 10 step skincare routine: makeup removers, cleansers, second cleansers, toners, essences, serums, lotions, gels, creams, masks, spot treatments, eye and lip treatments, scrubs, and I could go on and on. As you could probably guess, I spent a lot of money, too much in fact, trying to acquire all of these items. Which would have been fine if I had actually used them up and achieved my skin care goals, but like I mentioned before,

I

AM

LAZY!

I tried to keep up with the routine every day, but as you can guess, it’s a time consuming ordeal that was just too daunting a task to take on after a long day of work and/or exploring Seoul, and the mere thought of having to endure 10 (sometimes more!) steps of skincare before being allowed to sleep was not. my. jam.

Suffice to say I’ve got a toiletry cart in my bathroom fully stocked with all kinds of interesting skincare that I may or may not ever use…goodbye $$$…

But I couldn’t abandon Korean skincare altogether. First of all, my skin has got problems, girl. With acne, blackheads, wrinkles, redness, and more to deal with, there’s no way I could go back to the stone age of just rinse-and-go-ing. Plus, the world of Korean skincare is a magical one. So much new technology, methodology and ingredients! Korean skincare is easily 10 years ahead of the rest of the world, and to not benefit from that advancement while living in Seoul would be foolish!

So without further ado, here is my super simple Korean skincare routine that only has 4 steps! (5 when I feel fancy~)

1. The first step of course is always to cleanse! I currently use two different cleansers, both from Innisfree’s Jeju Volcanic Pore line. One is the original foam cleanser, and it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and fresh. After a particularly oily or just generally grubby-feeling day, I switch to the scrub cleanser, which also foams up quite nicely. It really just depends on my mood, but keep in mind, it’s not good to exfoliate too often.
2. My next step is to prep my skin with Missha’s Time Revolution: The First Treatment (Intensive Moist). It’s a crazy long name, but what you need to know about this product is that it’s a light-weight toner that provides moisture and also prepares your skin to absorb the next steps of your skincare routine. The smell is not my favorite (it’s somehow a bit yeasty???) but it’s not unpleasant by any means and I’m certainly used to it by now. I simply pour a few drops into my hands and pat it onto my face. I used to use cotton pads, but I realized it was a waste of product–you really don’t need the cotton pad at all.
3. Next is my favorite part of my routine! It’s the Cosrx One Step Pimple Clear Pad. These are pre-soaked pads with an anti-acne solution that actually makes a difference to my skin. Even though I still get the occasional angry pimple (God help me) I have noticed that if I skip using these pads for a few days, I get more acne than I would have if I had used the pads. That improvement alone is enough for me to sing its praises. The smell is fresh and citrusy so it really is a pleasure to use.
4. My last step of skincare is the AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion by Etude House. I noticed recently that Etude House has ended the “AC Clinic Daily” line and now offers the “AC Clean Up” line. I’m almost positive it was just a simple matter of rebranding and the formulas are the same, but I haven’t checked it out for myself yet. Anyways, the lotion I use is perfect for me because I tend to have oily skin and anything heavier than a gel tends to leave me looking like a ball of grease. Not cute. I used to hate the glass bottle packaging but I’ve learned to finesse it with the ol’ Heinz Ketchup smack so it really doesn’t bother me anymore. Overall it’s a nice lotion targeted to treat acne that has a light, dermatological/spa smell.

The End.

No really, that’s it. Just 4 steps.

I would like to responsibly mention that all morning skincare routines should be topped off with SPF and while I do have sunscreen and SPF makeup, I will admit that I am terrible at wearing it regularly. DON’T BE LIKE ME!

Beyond those four steps, I will use an under eye serum (Whitegen Eye Serum by IOPE) when I can remember, and I like to use different treatments like, masks, pore strips, peels, etc, when I’m feeling especially fancy one day and I want to treat myself to an at-home spa experience. It’s definitely not a regular thing for me, which is why I wouldn’t consider these as parts of my “skincare routine.” Because they’re not… routine……. I think you get it.

TL;DR: Check out this video for a fast summary of my Korean skincare routine!