So my skincare was pretty basic the last time I update you guys.

It consisted of:

+ Pacifica Sea Foam complete face wash (use at night)

+ Acure CGF repair serum (one pump in the morning, two at night)

+ Alaffia Day Cream (morning and night)

+ Amara Organics Aloe Vera Gel (morning and night)

But it wasn’t quite cutting it this winter. My skin was dehydrated, crying out for more moisture, and I was struggling with how to give it what it needed.

Then one of my best friends started talking about how she had been looking into the whole Korean skincare craze.

It seemed like a lot, and I’m all about less is more. But I was intrigued. Very intrigued.

So, I started looking into it for myself. And the main thing that came across for me was the focus on nourishing your skin, about getting the moisture back in your skin. Eureka! I thought, exactly what I was looking for. And I must admit I was green with envy by all the dewy skinned girls sharing their 10 step routines on YouTube.

The ten steps include:

One — oil cleanser

Two — water-based cleanser

Three — exfoliator

Four — toner

Five — essence

Six — serum

Seven — mask

Eight — Eye Cream

Nine — moisturizer

Ten — SPF or overnight mask

I took a look at what products I already had, that I liked, and really thought through how I wanted to go about it.

I realized I could nix the first step for now because I don’t wear anywhere as much makeup needed to need a double cleanse. I do eventually want to get one, but I was trying to not kill my bank account or overwhelm my skin at first.

My Pacifica cleanser counted for Step Two.

I’ve always struggled with finding an exfoliator I like, so while I research to find the perfect one I’ve stuck to baking soda or coffee grounds to exfoliate a few times a week.

Steps four and five were what I was most excited about. I haven’t used a toner for years (beyond apple cider vinegar) because I find astringents to be too harsh for my skin. After a lot of research and a lot of reviews read I settled on these two:

+ Son & Park Beauty Water (toner)

+ Missha Time Revolution (essence)

And I must say I love these two products. Plus, if I’m feeling a little extra parched like I did when I first came home from Bali I’ll put a few layers of each on for extra hydration.

I actually just finished up my Acure CGF repair serum, which I’ll be replacing with Klairs’ Vitamin C Serum.

While the dewy skin I saw girls reveal after using a sheet mask was almost mouth watering (I’m a total dewy/hydrated skin addict) I didn’t like the amount of waste that was produced with the single use sheet masks.

Instead I have been using and loving two masks from Lush over the past few months. The Rosy Cheeks mask for irritated skin, and the Oatfix mask when I need that hydration. But I am going to look into making my own DIY reusable sheet masks from muslin this month so stay tuned for that.

For step eight, my Kiehls eye cream has served me well, but is getting to the end of it’s life so I’ll have to look into a replacement for that one.

My Alaffia day cream moisturizer worked for step nine.

And finally SPF. I got a sensitive skin SPF 50 from Neutrogena for my trip, but that leaves a white cast on my face so I’m looking for a sunscreen that isn’t full of terrible ingredients.

Oh, and you better believe I’m intrigued by the hydrating overnight masks. I have a couple I’ve got my eye on, but for now I’ve just been taking a tiny dime sized amount of primrose oil and patting that on my face to soak in while I sleep.

So, this sounds like a lot, but is it worth it?

You bet your sweet behind I think it is. My skin has done a complete turn around from where it was before.

And while I give a lot of credit to slashing my addiction to sugar, I also can tell the difference that just giving some extra love (and moisture) has done for my skin. It has been looking fan-freakin-tastic.

But while what we put on our skin is important, I’ve also been focusing on staying hydrated with good old water, as well as keeping my diet full of nutritious, delicious whole foods.

Phew, lots of info, I know. Share your favorite beauty products, whether you’ve tried the Korean skincare routine and what other skin tips you have below.

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