Up Your Beauty Game ~ Add An Essence

It's no secret that I have been totally wowed by Korean skincare (K-Beauty) for a very long time. 

I write about it allll the time. I get so annoyed at over priced skincare products in department stores, that are all consumed with packaging and with their celebrity endorsement, and that make almost no difference to the condition of your skin. I like products that make a huge difference to your skin, a difference that you can see and feel in the first few days.

And that's what happens with state of the art Korean skincare products.

I'm also enthralled with the K-Beauty 10 Step Skincare Regimen and how they layer their products.

Many of my readers want to try it but don't know where to start, and the thought of suddenly going to a 10 Step Program is far too overwhelming, so today lets talk about one Korean skincare product that you can add into your current skincare program. It can be your starter Korean Skincare product.

Essence.

Its Skin Power 10 YE Effector

This is a category of skincare product that for the most part we don't have here in America as part of our normal skincare routines, with the exception of SK II's Facial Treatment Essence

The closest thing to it here would be a serum.

Serums are typically heavy and leave a film on the skin. They are designed to have a few active ingredients that penetrate more deeply than a moisturizer, and deal with specific skin issues.

Korean essences tend to be much more lightweight and at the same time more concentrated.

You use an essence after cleansing and toning and before moisturizing.

What I love is that they disappear into the skin and don't leave a slimy film on the surface. (If you have that extra layer on the surface of the skin makeup will slide around and disappear).

What are your skin concerns? Maybe you have a dull complexion and dark spots. Or maybe you have blackheads and enlarged pores but your skin is also dehydrated? Maybe you are concerned with aging and your skin is dry.

Whatever skin concerns you have there is an essence for each one. 

Another thing I love about essences is that you don't have to break the bank buying them. The first time I bought essence I didn't know what to get, so I bought several different ones by It's Skin for only $11 each. And they were fantastic!
Some good Essences to try are the It's Skin Power 10 series.
The Its Skin Power 10 YE Effector revives skin and improves it's texture and clarity.


The It's Skin Power 10 SYN AKE Essence firms and rejuvenates the skin, and goes to work on fine lines and wrinkles.



The Power 10 Li Effector is all about brightening the skin and going after skin imperfections caused by the sun's damaging rays. Freckles, sun spots and redness are targeted, and it also soothes irritated skin.



The Power 10 VC Effector is all about Vitamin C. It brightens skin, refines skin texture and gives you visable results within a few days!

Ampoules

Not sure about trying an essence? Another option is to make an Ampoule your first K-Beauty product. An Ampoule sits on the other side of serum. It's super charged, super potent and has higher concentrations of the active ingredients. Ampoules are like a super booster for your skin.
You use a small drop after cleansing and toning, before moisturizing.

Again you choose one that is specific to your skin concerns. If I am more concerned about hydration and maybe a little less concerned about Vitamin C, I will buy a super hydrating Ampoule and a Vitamin C essence.
Scinic's Propolis Ampoule helps your skin's cells to regenerate healthier and stronger, giving you a complexion that is clearer, firmer and brighter. And it's only $20!

The CosRx Centella Blemish Ampoule is to clear up troubled skin, give some sebum control and provide a protective barrier to help your skin recover.

(Actually I buy all kinds of different essences and ampoules just because they are so affordable and yet so high performance)

Once you start using Korean skincare products there really is no turning back. Your skin looks so amazing!

I buy my Korean beauty products on the world's largest online Korean Beauty store, Memebox. Everything ships from California so it gets to my house within a couple of days.

Winter Skin Rescue

So how is your mid-winter skin doing?
For most of us January means dry, sensitive skin. Thanks to the colder weather, central heating and biting winds, the complexion gets dull and loses both luminosity and clarity.

Which means you need a strong game plan if you want to maintain or retrieve gorgeous skin.

I am a huge fan of Korean skin care and the concept of layering these amazing products. (Learn about it here: How To Layer Your Skin Care, Korean Style). Using these super high performance (and very inexpensive!) products has completely changed my skin. Depending on what is going on with my skin I can address it by changing just one product in the sequence, or adding in something new. 

The Essence

Korean women consider this to be the most important step. What it does is speed the cell turnover rate, which makes skin smoother and brighter. Essence provides multiple intensive ingredients in just a single drop, and takes them deep deep into the skin where they go to work. You apply essence before your moisturizer.

Innisfree Jeju Sparkling Mineral Essence

I just changed my essence to Innisfree Sparkling Jeju Essence
. This one is made with thermal water infused with minerals that heal the skin from the inside out. The mousse formulation is super rich in nutrients, keeping the skin hydrated and healthy, and is the perfect way to protect winter skin. 

The Ampoule

The Ampoule is like a super condensed version of the essence. You can use ampoules to target specific skin issues - dry skin, clogged pores, uneven skin tone, excess oil - whatever the condition you want to treat there is an Ampoule or serum for it.

Another thing I recently added in (which has been a lifesaver!) is 
the Propolis Light Ampoule by Cosrx

Propolis Light Ampule

Bee propolis is a natural antibiotic which gives extra hydration while it cures skin and soothes irritation. You will notice dryness disappears and skin gets radiant almost immediately.
You only use a small drop of the ampoule, and massage it into the skin after the essence and before the moisturizer. I've been using this one for a few months now and love it.

I order all my Korean skin care products through Memebox.com


Each time I place an order I order extra sheet masks. They are super inexpensive, and quick and easy to use.
I change them up based on what my skin needs. This time I ordered Botanical Mask Packs in Rose and in Aloe

Have you tried any Korean skin care products yet?

Tell me which products you have tried and if you loved them or not, in the comment section below.

xo

New Year New You ~ How To Build Your Skincare Wardrobe

Just as your sartorial wardrobe is built upon staple pieces that are timeless building blocks, immune to fads and the moving tides of fashion (a great pair of black pants, the LBD, a killer blazer), so should your skincare wardrobe be built with staple pieces, tailor made for your specific skin type.

If you read yesterday's blogpost on pairing down and thinning out your exisiting products (click here) and hopefully acted on it, now you are ready to build your skincare wardrobe.

This is a list of the building block products that make up a great skincare program. For those who prefer a minimalist approach there is the option to pare down, for those who like me can never have enough products or steps in the skincare treatment plan there is the option to add in.

Where it begins:

1. Eyemakeup Remover
This one lets overlooked far too often. Eyemakeup remover is designed to dissolve and remove all eye makeup products, even the most stubborn waterproof mascara, and do it gently. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest most delicate skin on the body, and the quickest to show signs of aging. Rubbing away at it with the wrong products will make you look older, faster.
You choose.
There are plenty of good ones out there. I use Makeup Forever's SensEyes because it's for even the most sensitive of skins, it dissolves everything, and it doesn't leave a filmy barrier on the skin that stops treatment products from penetrating.


2. Cleanser

image www.josic.com

You would be amazed at how many girls and women get this one wrong. You need a cleanser specific to your skin type. Which means you need to know your skin type first. Most of us get a little shiney in the T Zone, but this doesn't mean we are oily - for the most part it means we are normal or normal combination. 
Oily skin is generally oily all over, or has significant oil residue sitting on the surface of the T Zone. If you really are oily then you should use a foaming cleanser. If you are not actually oily, or if you have a normal or dry cheek area using a foaming cleanser can strip your skin and make it super dry.
I love oil cleansers for everyone, and cleansing milks for normal to dry skins. If you really are super dry and don't want to use an oil cleanser a cleansing cream works well.


3. Toner or Refresher
If you are oily a toner is a great rinse cycle product, if you are normal to dry then a refresher is a better choice.
Toners lift away excess oil while refreshers prepare the skin for the next step. Both lift away any residue from your cleanser.

Daytime products

Katie Bunn by Eric Cassee, makeup by Corinna Cooke

4. Serum
Add in a serum to address specific concerns. Maybe you need help with acne, maybe you're looking for anti-aging help or a barrier against environmental pollutants. Whatever your skin needs there is a serum for you.
I love Rhonda Allison serums. Actually I love all her products.



5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C provides potent antioxidant protection, shielding the skin from free radicals and environmental damage.
It makes skin healthier and brighter, boosts collagen, increases the effectiveness of your sunscreens and boosts your skin's defense against UV exposure.



6. Eyecream
The eye area needs it's own moisture product. If you need less help opt for an eye gel, if you need more hydration around the eyes go for an eye cream.

7. Moisturizer
Make sure your daytime moisturizer is specific to your skin type. Most of us don't need a really heavy product during the day, but we all need to address the hydration equation.

8. Facial Oil
The greatest thing ever. A few drops of a good facial oil make an incredible diference especially to normal and dry skins. Facial oils make the skin glow and have all kinds of benefits. My favorite is Nude Pro genius Facial Treatment Oil. I've used it daily for several years now (read about it here)
I love to put on a couple of drops before applying makeup, to make the skin glow and to make foundation look amazing.



9. Facial SPF
Don't be tricked into thinking the SPF in your moisturizer or your foundation is sufficient to protect you from melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, sun damage, fast tracked aging of the skin or anythinng else.
There isn't enough in there and you would have to put a super thick, opaque layer of it on to get even close to the SPF number on the lable, which is typically low.
You need SPF protection 365 days per year, so use a freestanding broadspectrum facial SPF product. I use Neutrogena Dry Touch with Heliopex in the highest SPF the store has, every day of the year. Its has a dry finish that makeup goes on beautifully over.

Night Time Products

Night time is when your skin does all it's repair work, so it needs a specialized set of products to help it along and to boost the turnover of cells.

Essence
The huge advances in skincare all stem from Korea. One of my favorites is the incredible essence products. In fact Korean women, with their absolutely sensational skin, will tell you that essence is the most essential step in any skin care plan.
It is a concentrated formula that treats skin on a cellular level, targeting fine lines and wrinkles, dull and uneven skin tones.
Korean essences have a special ingredient that optimizes the skin's natural turnover rate (regeneration). You will definitely notice a substantially smoother, brighter, more vibrant skin. 

The Missha Time Revolution Essence is super popular and less than half the price of the $100 SK II Essence. 

Serum
Like day time serums, night time serums tackle specific needs. I can never get enough serums! You can go more high tech, super boosted by using an ampoule in place of a regular strength serum.

RetinA
Retinoids are the gold standard in skincare when it comes to evening out skin tone, reversing sun damae, shrinking pores and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. 
Simply put, everyone needs to use a retinoid.
I've written about them often, but for more about retinA click here

Eye Cream
I use the same one day and night, but you can also get specific nightime eye creams.

Night Cream
Unless skin is super young or oily, (or for myself if I am somewhere humid),  I like to use a really enriching, emollient, heavy hitting night cream. I love skin to look glowy with all the extra hydration at sleep time.

Ancillary Products

There are a few additional products that boost and support your main skincare items, but that you don't use daily.

Exfoliant
I don't care for exfoliating scrubs. I always think they rough up and scratch the baby skin underneath, so I prefer enzyme masks to exfoliate. Ideally you only want to exfoliate every week or two.

Sheet Masks

I love these! When I have the time I like to use them at least once (or twice) per week. You look a bit like Jason from the Friday the 13th movies, but the sheet actually forces the skin to absorb the product better than if you just applied it to the surface.
I often buy the cheapie sheet masks at the asian market - there are so many to choose from, from brightening to tightening, hydrating to collagen boosting. They are fabulous.

On the Aeolian Island of Lipari with Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydrating Lifting Mask

When I really want to feel luxurious I use the Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask
I travel with these single serve masks. They breathe new life into tired, dehydrated skin, and work like magic after a long international flight.