If there is one thing that Koreans are known for, it is for how well they take care of themselves – and this includes how well they use their make up! Koreans are particularly aware of just how quickly the skin can wrinkle and begin to age, and so they, more than many other cultures on this earth, focus on proper skin care and anti-aging techniques.

What is Korean Skin Care and What does it Involve?

Some Korean women have more steps than those listed below in their skin care beauty regime after they wash their face, but the four basics steps are:

• Refiner (purifying care)
• Emulsion (balancing care)
• Essence (intensive care)
• Cream (protective and preventative care)

For most American and European women, after washing one’s face we simply apply a moisturizer and an eye cream and we’re set!

Korean women also have a special technique for washing their face. Rather than scrubbing at it thoughtlessly, Korean women advise that you never use up and down strokes when washing your face as it will loosen your facial muscles and cause your skin to sag. When washing makeup off of your face, use outward and upward strokes. This will help keep your skin looking younger for longer.

What’s the Difference between Korean Makeup and European Makeup?

Perhaps the largest difference between Korean makeup and European or “Western” makeup is the fact that Korean makeup involves a lot of whitening or bleaching products. Korean women love using products that will make their skin more fair and luminescent, and the whitening products also help reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes.

Korean makeup techniques also tend to involve a whole lot more steps than Western makeup. Sure, all women want that flawless complexion, but the flawless complexion is even more strongly encouraged in Korea than several other countries. To obtain flawless skin, Korean makeup involves:

• Using both a primer and makeup base all over your face to help correct your skin tone
• This is then followed up with foundation
• Concealer is then applied to help hide any further blemishes
• Korean women then set their foundation with “pact” (otherwise known as “powder)
• Most women then opt to add a highlighter to their skin to make themselves appear more youthful
• A blusher is usually applied last to give the cheeks a naturally looking glow

Another big part of Korean makeup regime is sunscreen. As mentioned above, Korean women strive to have as fair skin as possible, so a good quality sunscreen is definitely necessary. This can be applied either under or over top of your make up (though under your make up is preferable).

If you are currently looking at Korean makeup, you may notice that Korean makeup brands tend to be more expensive than American or some European brands. Korean makeup is most often top of the line as the men and women in Korea will not settle for inferior products that won’t help their appearance. Visit your local beauty store and ask for a couple of free samples of Korean makeup brands that you are interested in trying so that you know that it is right for you.