Are you getting older and don’t know if Korean skincare is suitable for you?
Almost all of my family members use Korean skincare, with great results. The average age of them is 45+, so it’s doesn’t matter how old you are.
Skincare is something that takes time and will work for anyone.
Of all the skin concerns people have and understanding what K-beauty can do, mature skin is at the top of the list. Most of this is due in part to how having beautiful skin well into old age is synonymous with Korean beauty.
Let’s get started.
What Happens to Skin as It Ages?
Once 30 years old, no matter where you come from or what your culture is, cell metabolism slows down. This translates to a reduced ability to fight off free radicals running around in the pores, decreased collagen production and, thus, a loss of natural oils.
The skin loses its ability to retain water, which means all the classic aging signs begin to appear. Skin becomes dry and flaky. Wrinkles and fine lines develop around the forehead, eyes, mouth, neck and décolletage. Crow’s feet and laugh lines become par for the course.
Our once supple and firm facial features begin to lose firmness, which results in a loss of smoothness and tone. As the process of age deepens around 50 years old, pigmentation changes and along with the appearance of age spots.
What Can Korean Skincare Do for Mature Skin?
While Korean skincare can’t turn back the clock, it can improve the condition of mature skin and help slow down the aging process. This is because K-beauty products focus on nutrition and hydration. These two aspects to aging skin make a world of difference when approached properly.
Hydrated and moisturized skin with the right emollients can create a softer appearance with a youthful glow. It reduces the appearance of wrinkles and retards the progress of time. Plus, Korean skincare is all about getting down to the root cause of skin problems rather than masking issues while stimulating cell renewal.
What Is the Ideal Korean Skincare Routine for Mature skin?
Caring for mature skin isn’t the same as for those under 30 years old. More care and attention is essential with an involved daily regimen that includes both nighttime and daytime care.
Regardless of age, skin concerns, tone, color or anything else, the crowning feature of K-beauty is the 10-step ritual twice per day. The following table indicates a typical regimen to help fight the signs of aging.
What’s great about it is you can customize, change, reduce or increase any of the steps to suit your preferences and needs. These are merely suggestions for you to begin planning how you want your K-beauty process to go. Not every step is necessary to do every day.
1. Dual Cleansing
Double cleansing can be done in two ways. First is using an oil cleanser that works great for removing make-up. Now, there’s also a foam cleanser, which is more popular. This tends to be cheaper since you only have to use it once.
Double cleansing is also an option. This is where you use two products at once. Albeit not the cheapest option, it’s often more effective.
Oil Cleanser
- Dry: thicker oil and remove with microfiber towel
- Oily: skip if severe or use a light oil and pat clean
- Combination: medium-light oil that you rinse or wipe away
- Sensitive: avoid if severe or use oil designed for sensitive skin
Foaming or Cream Cleanser
- Dry: moisturizing cream cleanser
- Oily: sebum controlling foaming cleanser
- Combination: depends on the combo
- Sensitive: cream cleanser
2. Exfoliation
Clear dead skin cells and remove deep impurities with a facial scrub for anti-aging purposes. Dry and sensitive skin should use more gentle products.
Not necessary every morning.
The majority of people that exfoliate use it once or twice a week. Using it every morning can damage or irritate the skin, which might cause redness.
Therefore it’s only recommended to use it once or twice a week.
3. Toner
Use a restorative and lightweight fluid that brings back the skin’s pH balance and prepares it for the next steps of the regimen.
Toners are the holy grail of Korean skincare. If you haven’t been using this already, you’re missing out big time! Since it’s one of the most effective products out there.
Make sure to add this to your Korean skincare routine. Especially if you want to speed up the process to getting glass skin.
4. Essences
Pretreatment for specific skin concerns that’s nourishing and slightly moisturizing.
Essences are often skipped over. The main reason is that you don’t really need it. It’s great in addition to other skincare products, but in general, it’s not necessary.
Now, only if you have extremely dry skin, then I would highly recommend you use this. If not, skip it.
5. Ampoules, Serums or Other Treatments
Different skin concerns will require varying products such as pore refinement, AHA, BHA and etc; but all should focus on anti-aging.
Layering these is fine during this step, but they should follow this order:
- Treatment
- AHA/BHA
- Ampoule/Serum
6. Sheet Mask
Not for daily use; two to three times per week for 10 to 20 minutes. Interchange off days with eye masks to target wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.
7. Eye Cream
Use a brightening eye cream with an SPF of 30 or higher every day.
8. Lotions, Creams or Moisturizers
- Dry: Emollient balms or lotions
- Oily: Hydrating facial mists or water
- Combination: moisturizer
- Sensitive: cream or lotion
9. Sleep Pack or Mask
Wash off the previous night’s application.
10. Sunscreen
A safe and quality sunscreen with an SPF of 40 or more.
Which Ingredients in Korean Skincare Are Best for Mature Skin?
The ingredients that comprise every step in the regimen will be incredibly important. They should target specific concerns in an efficient manner. Some of the ideal ones in many K-beauty mature skincare products are:
- Adenosine: Functioning as a skin-restoring and soothing agent, this is a constituent derived from yeast.
- Ceramides: These replace the skin’s natural lipids that we lose via the process of aging. It helps to form a protective, plumping layer to the skin which means your skin better retains moisture.
- Galactomyces: This fermented yeast extract offers toning, cell renewal, nourishment and hydration.
- Green Tea Extract: Packed with antioxidants, Green Tea is notorious for repairing skin cells and protecting against free radicals. Plus, it’s anti-inflammatory and nourishing, which provides for a soothing texture. The caffeine. It contains works great on dark circles.
- Hyaurolonic Acid: Babies skin burgeons with hyaurolonic acid, it’s what makes their skin soft, supple and smooth. As we age, we lose our retention of this and using it as a serum or essence helps maintain a youthful appearance.
- Niacinamide: A derivative of Niacin, which is essentially vitamin B3, it helps retain elasticity in the skin while providing a barrier against environmental damage. It also revives the skin’s texture and tone.
- rh-Oligopeptide: An ingredient comprising 53 amino acids that have the potential to stimulate cell growth and renewal. Plus, early scientific research shows it can speed up wound healing while providing scar reduction.
- Sodium Hyaluronate: With the ability to hold 1,000 times its own weight in water, this makes an excellent moisturizer. This is a naturally occurring substance in the human body and it’s an important component to maintaining hydrated skin.
Final Thoughts
After all, it’s important that you get started. Korean skincare works for all skin types including mature skin. As long as you get started, it doesn’t matter what kind of skin type you have.
