People say “All Asians have it in their genes to look youthful”, but there is certainly more to it. Ever thought of preventing wrinkles with an eye cream? Did you ever think of using sun protection daily? You use make-up base and foundation and powder, and then you sleep with that make-up on? Your skin care routine is “soap-lotion” before you go to bed?

Have you ever heard of the “Korean 10 Step Skin Care Routine”? Here it is:

1. Take off your makeup with eye makeup remover a cotton stick, and make sure you use a cleansing oil to remove all make-up remnants on your face, this will take off all make up and dirt and keep your skin moisturized.

2. Foam cleanse gently to remove the oil and rest of make up. Don’t forget your neck.

3. Exfoliate once a week. You can use a Clarisonic or simply an electric toothbrush (the round one is the best, use a different head than you actual toothbrush), or just a gentle scrub on your face to remove blackheads and dead skin. Just focus on the Usually, these scrubs have to be rinsed off with warm water.

4. Tone your skin! A lot of people have asked my why this is so important: Korean toners are hydrating and clarifying, which means they are very different from the common alcoholic toners used in the Western cultures which are harsh on your skin. A good toner will remove all residue from the former steps and leave your skin’s pH-level balanced and ready for the next steps.

5. Don’t skip the essence – this liquid will nourish your skin, so make sure you pick up a product that matches your needs. The skin’s cells will be renewed, your skin will be brighter and “tighter”. Tap the product, don’t rub it, so your skin can absorb it the best. You can find it in “watery” form, just as a skin toner, or as mist from a spray can. This step is really important, and even if you skip some others, make sure you give your skin the essence it needs!

6. Ampoule: Sometimes, your skin needs a bit more, and this is where the ampoules come in. You can use vitamin oil instead as well, or an extra vitamins-enriched formula that is a bit thicker than essence and takes a bit more time to absorb to your skin. Prevent anti-aging with a tiny drop of this on spots that need more nourishment.

7. Masks, eye and lip patches to reduce wrinkles and give that extra boost: Korean products will come in fancy forms (I think I saw a glow in the dark Batman-Mask recently) and you certainly will have fun with the many sheet masks that are trending at the moment. Two or three times a week of this extra treament is recommended!

8. Eye cream: This is crucial, and something a lot of people don’t care about. Whether if it is for your wrinkles, dark circles or puffyness – find a product that matches your needs. And the less expensive products (alverde, Avène, clinique, etc.) are not doing their job less well than the more expensive versions (like the Sisleya Eyecream that sells for 100-140 EUR), so you might go to your nearest drug store and just buy any, really. Be sure to pad it in with your ring fingers, which are the weakest – to prevent any unnecessary force around that part of your face.

9. Emulsion: This you know as common “lotion”, usually a milky consistence to hydrate your skin.

10. Night cream or sleeping pack: Either way, your skin will be nourished and rested the next morning!

TL;DR: Die kurze Version auf Deutsch lautet Gesicht reinigen > Peeling > Essence > Maske > Augencreme > Tag-/oder Nachtcreme. Voilà!