How to Build a Skincare Routine (Beginner Edition)

Cleansers, toners, serums, essences, sunscreens, face masks, eye creams, raise of hands if you feel bombarded by these skincare terms. If your hand was raised, then you’ve come to the right place (if you didn’t raise your hand, go reapply your sunscreen)! The numerous categories in skincare are indeed overwhelming, so much that one might say they don’t even know where to start. The logistics of a skincare routine is customizable to your own skin because everyone’s skin is different, so everyone’s goals are also different. That being said, there is a common foundation to every good skincare routine, and–you’ve probably guessed it–we’re here to break it down for you.

Wash your hands with soap and water (Day & Night)

The term skincare is often used to refer to skin on the face and maybe neck. But what about other parts of the body? The skin on our hands is very important because we use them for virtually everything, so ensuring a pair of sanitized hands to prevent the transfer of bacteria onto the face is crucial for our health. The first step of a good skincare routine is not a cleanser but washing your hands with soap and water. Use the Kao Biore Foam Stamp Hand Soap to add some fun! A soft push to the pump gives your hand a foamy high five in the shape of a small paw, adding visual aesthetics to the traditional hand soaps. A gentle lather with some water is enough to remove all impurities without stripping moisture from skin. Don’t forget to wash your hands and under the nails for at least 20 seconds (Who said washing your hands has to be boring?).

Use a water-based cleanser (Night, optional for Day)

What’s a water-based cleanser? You guessed it. It’s a cleanser that’s mostly made of water (usually the first ingredient on the ingredients list). A water-based cleanser, whether it’s gel or foam, is used to remove impurities from our faces. The Dear Klairs Gentle Black Cleanser is an awesome pick that brings skin’s pH level to a slight acidic environment–ideal for skin barrier– and cleanses the skin without making your skin squeaky clean. The abundant plant extracts in this cleanser gives strong antioxidant boosts to skin and a very light but luxurious smell (not added fragrance), making the cleansing step a pleasant experience. Use this at night and if necessary, use it in the morning as well.

Moisturize (Night, optional for Day)

Why is moisturizer important? The goal of a moisturizer is to retain water in the skin and repair skin barrier. A good ingredient to look for in moisturizers is ceramides because ceramides are the building blocks of skin barrier. Internally, the skin barrier upholds moisture, ensuring adequate hydration to promote healthy skin functions. Externally, the skin barrier blocks out external harms such as bacteria and allergens, a layer of defense to protect our skin and body. The Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Lotion is a lightweight moisturizer that contains ceramides and soybean ferment extracts to strengthen skin barrier and soothe skin irritation, perfect for the summertime and our sensitive skin folks. The size of this product is ideal to double the use on both face and body, giving the best bang for your buck.

SPF during the day (Day)

Using sunscreen in the morning can be the wisest choice you make for your skin. Sun protection is essential because sun damage from UV (ultraviolet) lights are accumulative, which can increase the risk of skin cancer. The main purpose of sunscreen is not to preserve youthful skin–although this is an added benefit that comes with frequent sunscreen usage--but to prevent skin cancer from developing. For the last step of the daytime skincare routine, we recommend Beauty of Joseon Rice + Probiotics Relief Sunscreen. This sunscreen contains 30% rice bran extract to nourish skin, leaving your skin glowing and supple with no white cast. Just like many other Korean sunscreens, it’s SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 50, providing protection up to 98% against UVB rays, and PA (Protection Grade of UVA) ++++, which means strong protection against UVA rays. Make sure to apply at least two fingers’ length of sunscreen to face and neck to ensure sufficient protection against sun rays during the daytime.

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References:

1. Ceramides and Skin Function - PubMed (nih.gov)
2. Skin Barrier Function - PMC (nih.gov)
3. Sun Damage and Your Skin (aad.org)
4. Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better? - The Skin Cancer Foundation
5. What Does the PA Sunscreen Rating System Even Mean? (supergoop.com)