Say hello to skincare’s shining star
Slugging, retinols and more – countless skincare trends have risen to fame across social media, and the it-trend right now is K-beauty. But, what is it?
What is K-beauty?
K-beauty stands for Korean beauty. With a focus on high-quality ingredients and a holistic approach, skincare superstars like LANEIGE, Beauty of Joseon and Dr.Jart+ all find their roots in Korea.
Korean skincare routines stereotypically have lots of steps, which can feel quite daunting. But, typically these routines are split into two parts: firstly, you focus on cleansing the skin and resetting the skin pH, before moving onto targeting skin concerns and locking in moisture.
But where to start?
You don’t have to do a ten-step routine every day, but you can pick and choose what works best for your skincare routine and maybe incorporate some extra steps in every so often, like a relaxing face mask.
Scroll to discover the ultimate K-beauty routine – featuring some of the newest K-beauty brands at Boots!
Double cleanse
When to use? At night
Double cleansing has been massive online in the past few years, but what’s the point in it?
A Korean skincare practice for years, double cleansing involves removing any make-up or leftover SPF, before using a second cleanser to remove any leftover debris from the day.
But what cleanser should you use?
The first cleanser should be oil-based, or a micellar water. We love Beauty of Joseon’s Ginseng Cleansing Oil, which gently dissolves dirt and make-up residue on the skin.
The second cleanser should be gentle, like Erborian’s Centella Cleansing Gel or 1025’s Dokdo Cleanser, and should avoid harsh ingredients like benzoyl peroxide.
Double cleansing isn’t for everyone – it’s great for oily skin or if you wear make-up most days, but it might not help if you have sensitive skin, or a skin condition like rosacea or eczema.
Exfoliate
When to use? After cleansing, but only once or twice a week
Exfoliating helps remove any lingering dead skin cells from your face, leaving the perfect surface to apply the rest of your skincare routine.
There are lots of different types of exfoliators, like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), alongside physical exfoliators, which use ingredients like sugar or seed powders for the exfoliating effect.
Our picks?
Erborian’s Milk & Peel Resurfacing Treatment Mask is an exfoliator and mask in one; simply apply to dry skin, wait five minutes then carefully massage the face with wet hands, before rinsing off. This mask focuses on reviving the appearance of your skin, making it look more radiant and reducing the look of dullness.
Dr.Jart+’s Pore Remedy 5% Multi-Acid Radiance Peel uses a combination of 5% AHA, BHA and hyaluronic acid to gently remove dead cells, leaving more radiant-looking skin. It gives the benefits of an acid peel, without the awkward redness or irritation – so the big black hats aren’t necessary! Make sure to only use this exfoliator at nighttime, and wear SPF during the day; this is because AHAs make your skin more sensitive to UV rays and sun damage.
Tone
When to use? After cleansing or exfoliating
Toner works to remove any leftover oils, dirt or debris from the skin, and helps prep the skin to absorb the rest of your skincare routine.
Beauty of Joseon’s Ginseng Essence Water includes ginseng and niacinamide, and helps leave the skin looking revitalised and glowy. Plus, it’s suitable for all skin types – perfect!
Dry skin? LANEIGE’s Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturiser is a toner and cream in one, with a lightweight formula that helps hydrate and soothe your skin, while helping the appearance of firmness.
For sensitive skin, ISNTREE’s Green Tea Fresh Toner is the way to go. This toner helps to reduce the production of excess sebum, making skin look refreshed.
Face mask
When to use? After toning
Who doesn’t love a face mask? From brightening to hydrating, face masks are great for short-term results – and of course, for a self-care pamper.
Ready to meet some icons of the face mask world? Dr.Jart+’s Cryo Rubber Face Mask is made with moisturising hyaluronic acid, leaving skin looking glowy and hydrated. Or, try the LANEIGE Bouncy and Firm Sleeping Mask before you go to bed, to wake up with radiant-looking skin.
Essence
When to use? After toner, before moisturiser
While this isn’t a common skincare product in the western world, essences are a staple in K-beauty skincare. Essences help your skin absorb the rest of your skincare products, while hydrating the skin.
Snail mucin took the skincare world by storm last year, thanks to its glow-giving goodness. Want to try it for yourself? The COSRX ADVANCED SNAIL 96 Mucin Power Essence Gel feels lightweight on the skin, perfect for applying just before moisturiser.
Dry skin loves MIXSOON’s Bean Essence. Gentle on skin, this essence is loved by celebrity make-up artists in Korea, because it helps the appearance of glowy skin without causing irritation.
Looking for the ultimate hydration booster? ISNTREE’s Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence uses not one, not two, but eight types of hyaluronic acid to help refresh and restore the skin, making the perfect base for your moisturiser.
Serum
When to use? After toner, before moisturiser
You know it and you love it – serums are a hallmark of most skincare routines, because they have a higher concentration of ingredients than moisturisers, helping you to target specific skin concerns.
Want a serum to help with the appearance of wrinkles and skin tightness? Look no further than Erborian’s Ginseng Super Serum. With a luxurious texture, this serum uses ginseng and peptides to help make the skin feel smoother and tighter.
For sensitive or acne-prone skin, the Madagascar Centella Ampoule Serum is a fab all-rounder.
Eye cream
When to use? After serum
Eye cream is a bit like a heavy-duty moisturiser: it targets undereye skin concerns like the appearance of dark circles or puffiness, however it isn’t always needed, and sometimes, applying your normal moisturiser around your eyes is just as good.
Beauty of Joseon’s Revive Eye Serum does exactly what it says on the tube. With ginseng and retinal, this eye cream helps with the appearance of wrinkles, with a silky-smooth texture that blends gently into the skin.
Help with the appearance of wrinkles and tiredness with Erborian’s Ginseng Total Anti Ageing Eye Cream. Feeling nourishing around the eye area, Erborian’s formula also helps with the appearance of puffiness.
Or, if you’re looking for some hydration, it’s got to be LANEIGE’s Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Eye Cream. Infused with blue hyaluronic acid, this cream helps make the under-eyes look brighter and energised.
Moisturiser
When to use? After the rest of your routine, and before SPF for the day
The backbone to any skincare routine, moisturiser helps lock in all that skincare goodness from the rest of your routine – and, if you wear make-up, it provides the perfect base.
Some K-beauty moisturiser recs?
COSRX ADVANCED SNAIL 92 All in One Cream contains the ultra-trendy snail mucin, popular in K-beauty for its ability to help protect the skin while moisturising.
For dry skin, LANEIGE’s Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturiser is a must. With hyaluronic acid, this moisturiser helps skin look more hydrated – and would be perfect paired with the matching eye cream.
MIXSOON’s Bean Cream, on the other hand, is great if you’re looking to make skin look smoother and hydrated.
SPF
When to use? After moisturiser, as the last step in your daytime routine
We don’t have to tell you the importance of this, right?
SPF helps protect your skin against the sun’s harmful rays – and you need to use it all-year-round, not just on sunny days.
For sensitive or dry skin, Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun SPF50 is the way to go, with a non-greasy formula.
Or, combine SPF with eight types of hyaluronic acid with ISNTREE’s Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel. With SPF50, this formula helps skin look hydrated whilst protecting against the sun.
Whether you’re looking for something new to add into your routine or want to test out all ten steps, K-beauty is trending for a reason – and we can’t wait to try out all these fabulous new brands, now available at Boots!
