11 Steps to Create the Perfect Asian Skin Care Routine

Start Your Day by Focusing on Maintaining Healthy Skin

When it comes to beauty, Asian cultures are well-known for focusing heavily on skin care and youth-enhancing treatments to keep people looking young and vibrant.

It could be said that because Asian skin care routines are more elaborate than standard skin care regimens, the extra focus on problem prevention and skin protection helps achieve these remarkable results.

Korean skin care has been trending over the last few years, especially since Korean beauty exports have begun making their way into the global cosmetics market. However, this applies to many more Asian countries than just Korea.

With that in mind, we’ve got our own Asian skin care routine that we’d like to suggest, but before we dive into those, let’s talk about what an Asian skin care routine is and why it’s important.

What is an Asian Skin Care Routine?

Asian skin care routines focus on more than just daily treatment and protection.

It goes one step farther to tackle preventative measures that your skin can use to get healthier overall, and then carry some of that extra radiance forward into the coming days.

This is achieved through the use of some unique cosmetics (like fermented essences) that you don’t often find in North American skin care routines.

It’s done daily, and in some cases, both in the morning and again before bed. In those ways at least, it’s very similar to other skin care routines that you might already be familiar with.

Why is an Asian Skin Care Routine Important?

Asian skin care routines are important for the same reasons that any skin care regimen is good for you – it helps strengthen, heal, protect, and enhance features of our skin.

Done regularly, there are lots of benefits to Asian skin care routines. The most valuable of these are things like preventing breakouts, keeping skin healthy and hydrated, as well as addressing the fact that not everyone has the same types of skin.

With a bit of extra care, an Asian skin care routine can also help reduce the signs of aging and add a vibrant glow to your complexion.

Why You Should Consider Adding an Asian Skin Care Routine to Your Day

If you aren’t already doing some kind of skin care routine, then we’d suggest you at least start with something like that.

No matter who you are, or what your cultural heritage may be, you could benefit from spending more time taking care of your skin in the morning.

For those who are already using a skin care routine as part of their morning regimens, we’d suggest taking your skin care to the next level and trying an Asian skin care routine for yourself.

It will take a little longer than an average skin care regimen, but the effects could be even better than what you’re achieving through your regular routine.

11 Steps for the Best Asian Skin Care Routine:

1.) Start with Makeup Remover

This is an easy step that anyone can add to their existing skin care routine, which will ensure that your face is completely clear of any remaining products/cosmetics from the previous day.

If you use any cosmetic products as part of a bedtime skin care routine, this will help ensure that they’re completely removed from your skin before you wash up to start your morning Asian skin care routine.

2.) Wash with Oil-Based Cleansers

Most people remember from school that oil and water don’t mix, but did you know that if you’ve got oily skin, water-based cleansers won’t be able to effectively remove all of the excess oil and impurities from your skin?

It’s true. You can combat this by starting your Asian skin care routine by washing using an oil-based cleanser, which is designed to efficiently remove all those oils for you.

3.) Wash with Water-Based Cleansers

Now that you’ve gotten any potential excesses of oil out of the pores of your skin, you can switch to a softer, water-based cleanser like a foaming liquid or bar of soap.

This will work in tandem with the oil-based cleanser that you just finished using in the last step, by helping to remove things like sweat and dirt from your skin, which the oil-based cleanser may not have been able to effectively remove.

Once you’re done this step, your skin should be as close to entirely clean of all impurities as possible, which means we’re almost ready to move on to product application.

4.) Time for Exfoliators

It’s time to really get in and clean out those pores!

We’d suggest that you should invest in a skin scrubber, which will help you do a deeper clean of your pores before you start applying new products for the day.

This essentially removes all the dead skin cells that you may be holding onto so that the fresh, lively skin can take its place on the surface.

5.) Now Add a Toner

As we included in our AM skincare routine, toners are a great way to help make sure the balance of your skin’s pH is where it should be.

You can even find new products available that are not only a toner but also offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in addition to their other benefits.

6.) Apply an Essence

Unique to Asian skin care routines, essences are actually made from fermented ingredients, which both protect and hydrate your skin.

Where other skin care routines focus on serums and actives at this step in their process, an effective Asian skin care routine will use essences instead.

Many people believe this helps encourage brighter, more youthful-looking skin.

7.) Perform Serum Treatments

These are done specifically to treat issues that you may be experiencing with your skin.

This could mean including products that are designed to combat signs of aging like wrinkles, or it could be applying treatment medications to address acne breakouts.

Since these are purposeful treatments, these medications likely only need to be applied in the areas that are currently experiencing problems.

8.) Use a Sheet Mask (Sometimes)

You may have never heard of a sheet mask, which is why it’s often overlooked as part of ordinary skin care routines.

Using a serum-soaked paper mask, you apply this to your face for anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Then you just sit back and let it work its magic.

However, this doesn’t need to be done every day. It might be a good idea to consider adding this step once or twice a week to your Asian skin care routine.

9.) Apply Eye Cream

We call these eye creams, even though you can actually find many of them in gels and oils, as well.

Whatever form it may come in, these topicals are used to treat the sensitive skin around your eyes, which is a bit thinner than the rest of the skin on your face.

These treatments are known for helping with puffiness, and dark circles under the eyes, as well as reducing fine lines that can become wrinkles.

For other anti-aging options, consider checking out these Hera anti-aging products.

10.) Moisturize!

We cannot possibly stress this enough – MOISTURIZE!

This is probably the most important part of any type of skin care regimen, and an Asian skincare routine is no exception.

Without moisturizing, other products can leave your skin dry for the day, which can lead to flaking or cracking. Don’t ever skip this step, if you can help it.

11.) Add Your Daily Protectors

Of course, once you’ve done all this wonderful work to keep your skin healthy and give it everything it needs to get through the day, you’ll want to protect those efforts.

If you’re going to be spending any time in the sun throughout the day, be sure to take the time to apply some sunscreen before you consider your Asian skin care routine complete.

Without protection, you could end up undoing all the hard work you’ve just completed, simply by being out in the sun too long.

Be the Boss of Your Skin

Give Yourself Permission to Pamper Yourself in the Morning

You may not have time to do every single one of these steps every day, but that’s alright!

The important thing with Asian skin care routines or any kind of routine is that you make an effort to do as much as you can each day.

These 11 steps could be condensed to 5 or 6 without sacrificing all of your results. However, the important thing to remember is that for you to get good long-term results, you need to stay as consistent as possible.

Once you’ve got your routine down to a science that you can easily and enjoyably complete every morning, you’ll be ready to own your mornings and rule your days – no matter what life might have in store for you.