Before last summer I really thought I was killing it with my skincare routine. I would do random face masks that I thought looked cool and I used a moisturizer. What more did I need to do? At the time that seemed good enough. My skin was pretty clear, but then tragedy struck. Turns out that trying to cut corners and using a combined moisturizer sunscreen was not the move. I had an allergic reaction and it took almost six months and a new skincare routine for my skin to clear up again.
I had a friend that swore by the 10 Step Korean skincare routine. I was like, “Hey, that’s great for you, but that’s gotta be pricey and my skin is oily I don’t need all that extra moisture.” After a couple of months of my old routine failing to restore my skin, I got desperate and I started following a simplified version of the 10-Step Korean skincare routine. Throughout changing my routine I learned a lot about my skin and skincare in general.
- It’s Not as Expensive as You Might Think
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Price was one of the two original reasons I was skeptical to switch. However, I did my research on all the products I used and was able to find a lot of well-rated products for under $15. The drugstore section of Ulta has a lot of well-priced skincare products that work wonders. Also buying the big bottles is definitely worth it. Once I figured out what products I liked I switched to big bottles which last for a few months. My moisturizer, one of my more expensive products, lasts me six months.
- Oily Skin Needs Moisture Too
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It turns out that using more hydrating products made my skin less oily. I know, it sounds crazy. This is why I was super skeptical about following the Korean skincare routine because it is all about hydrating your skin, but it works. I thought that using a moisturizer was all the moisture I needed to put into my skin. Then I added a facial spray, a serum and a hydrating sunscreen (more about that later) and my skin now glows because of the hydration I put into it instead of the excess oil that I was producing before. Not to mention, my skin is SUPER soft.
- Toner is Magic
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A couple of years back I had a bad experience with toner and swore it off. When I got desperate, I gave a different toner a chance. I’m so happy I did. The first day after I started using a witch hazel toner my breakouts were less red and shrinking. Since toner rebalances skin’s pH which can get screwed up after washing it, it can feel super refreshing to do one final cleanse before I add the rest of my skincare products on top.
- There’s a Reason Your Mom Nagged You About Sunscreen
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I really pretended like I did not need sunscreen when I first changed my skincare routine. Eventually, I realized that wasn’t going to work out because I live in Florida. My problem with sunscreen in the past has been that it is really thick and just did not feel good on my skin. Then I found the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence sunscreen, that was made for the Japanese market. This is my favorite skincare product. It is light, moisturizing and has SPF 50. It helped balance the discoloration on my face from not protecting it from the sun before, and since it is hydrating is a refreshing last step to my skincare routine.
- It Takes Time
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I was able to see what products worked and what didn’t pretty early on, but it took about three months for me to see real improvement. It was such a pain to put all this effort into something that did not instantly give me perfect skin. I stuck with it and now I am at a point where I am pretty happy with how my skin looks.
It took me a good amount of time to realize all of these things about skincare. So ladies, if you’re reading this and are struggling with any of the same things I did maybe try out some new products. You might be surprised by what will work since I sure was.