Get glassy with this 10-step Korean skincare routine

It’s tedious, lengthy and requires daily commitment. We tried the Instagram beauty fad using natural ingredients

Even if you take a nonchalant interest in skincare, you would have heard of the Korean skincare regime—the 10-step process that seems equal parts mysterious and daunting because of the number of products involved in order to produce “glass skin”. Glass skin is skin that appears luminous, without pores, and almost translucent. In what order do cleansers, exfoliators and serums march? Fear not. We’ve replicated the routine using commonly-found ingredients, mostly natural, for those not ready to sink money into tonnes of products just yet.

Step 1: Oil cleanse
Oil cleansing involves breaking down the dirt and dust that’s accumulated on your skin. You can use olive oil from your kitchen, rubbing it in gently with your fingertips in gentle circular motions.

Step 2: Water cleanse
Mix rosewater with regular water in a spray bottle and spritz face; pat with a soft cloth to retain moisture. Keep this bottle on your desk and spray during the day to quench dry skin, especially in an air-conditioned environment.

Before and After

Step 3: Exfoliation
Exfoliation gets rid of dead skin cells and any build-up of impurities on the skin’s surface. Add a spoonful of oatmeal to two spoons of yoghurt and gently massage your face. Don’t be harsh—you don’t want scratches! Wash off after a few minutes.

Step 4: Toner
For the fourth step, we used aloe vera to tighten pores, prevent acne breakouts, and maintain the skin’s pH levels. Mix two parts water with one-part aloe vera gel and store in the fridge. Dab it on your skin with a cotton ball and wash off after 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 5: Hydrating mask
The humble kakdi is one of the best hydrating agents out there. Blitz cucumber pieces into a fine pulp, and apply like a mask for 
5-6 minutes.

Step 6: Serum
In a bowl, mix a spoonful of honey with a pinch of cinnamon powder and apply the paste to your face. This serum penetrates deep into your skin, delivering the nutrients you need for bright and glowing skin. Wash it off after 2-3 minutes, after the honey has ‘glazed’ on your face.

Step 7: Sheet mask
Use your favourite sheet mask to ‘lock in’ the moisture and hydrate your skin. If you want to go the extra dermis, you can buy cotton sheet masks online and create natural facial masks tailored to your skin type.

Step 8: Eye cream
Freeze coconut oil overnight to make a paste. Apply it under the eyes using a cotton ball to lighten dark circles and eye-bags—gifts of unregulated screen time.

Step 9: Moisturise
This step is the most important! You want your skin to absorb the buffet of ingredients you’ve just used, so push in your regular moisturiser, and you’re good to go.

Step 10: Sunscreen
Last but not the least, don’t forget sunscreen if you’re doing this routine in the morning. With the city’s April temperatures soaring to levels above 35 degrees, sunscreen will save your skin from the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays.

The routine is a little time-consuming but it’s worth it! It’s ideally recommended to follow the routine every day, but you can adjust the steps and the frequency as per your requirements. We definitely noticed a glow on our faces, and our skin felt firm and the habitual dryness was taken care of. However, our skin texture felt much the same as ever—not much of a change there.

Disclaimer: Customise this routine with ingredients that suit the needs of your skin type. 

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