While essences focus more on hydration, serums target a variety of different skin concerns. Serums typically contain more active ingredients than essences, to help them address said concerns. They're also usually thicker and more viscous in texture than essences.
A toner is typically swiped over the face with a soaked cotton pad, and an essence is pressed straight into the skin. Essences are better for soothing irritated skin, hydrating a dehydrated skin and helping your skincare absorb more effectively.â€
Ever wondered why? It's because Koreans tend to view caring for their complexion as the ultimate investment, worthy of not only their money, even more so their time. In fact, most perform an intricate 10-step cleansing and moisturizing routine—every single night.
Essences aren't a replacement for your usual moisturizer. “A moisturizer will have occlusive agents and emollients that give you longer lasting moisturization,†says Perry Romanowski, a cosmetic chemist and co-host of The Beauty Brains podcast.
For both methods just apply the serum after your toner. If you use an essence apply it after the essence. Try to use only one active in your skincare routine if you are a beginner. Also if you never used an active ingredient before, start with a cream or mix the Vitamin C serum with your favorite moisturizer.
If the mask is supposed to be left on overnight, apply it right before your moisturizer. You can also “multi-mask†to target different areas—like applying a charcoal-based mask to an oily T-zone, versus a hydrating mask to your cheeks, forehead, and neck.
Essence should be applied to the skin after cleansing and toning, but before applying serum or moisturizer. Don't rub or drag the product across the skin. Gentle pats should do the trick. Step 4: If you use a serum, apply this before your moisturizer for the best results.
Most faces do far better with fewer products, so if you're just starting out, keep it simple:
cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen. That's it.
Now for the goodies….
- Step 1: Cleanser. .
- Step 2: Toner. .
- Step 3: Serum. .
- Step 4: Eye creams. .
- Step 5: Spot treatments. .
- Step 6: Moisturizer. .
- Step 7: Retinol.
- Step 8: Oils.
Think of your skin-care routine as consisting of three main steps:
- Cleansing — Washing your face.
- Toning — Balancing the skin.
- Moisturizing — Hydrating and softening the skin.
The Best Morning and Nighttime Skin Care Routines
- Step 1: cleanse. A lot of people think they don't have to wash their face in the morning because they just did it at night.
- Step 2: exfoliate.
- Step 3: moisturize + protect.
- Step 1: remove makeup.
- Step 2: exfoliate.
- Step 3: repair + moisturize.
It goes a bit like this: a balm or oil cleanser (1), a foaming cleanser (2), an exfoliant (3), a toner (4), an essence (5), an ampoule or serum (6), a sheet mask (7), an eye cream (8), a moisturizer (9), and then either a thicker night cream or sleeping mask or an SPF (10).
You should be using an essence every time you wash your face, especially before bed. Think of your essence as injecting a first round of moisture into freshly-cleansed skin. But it will leave your skin super dry and irritated.
A good rule of thumb is to apply products from thinnest to thickest—toner, serum, moisturizer, oil. Be sure to always start with a clean face.
Limit to Two Serums Per RoutineWe recommend you use no more than two serums per routine. Again, alternating skin care items is a strategy here. If you have many serums that you like, use one to two in your morning routine and two different serums in the evening.
- Cleanse. Cleansing is the first step of any good skincare routine.
- Tone. Toner is an optional step, but if you have a toner you like, you should absolutely use it.
- Vitamin C Serum. When it comes to serums, Dr.
- Eye Cream. Eye creams fall into the "treat" category.
- Moisturizer.
- Sunscreen.
- Cleanse.
- Tone.
CLEAR SKIN, RADIANT COMPLEXION: Niacinamide is a very stable form of Vitamin B3 that helps fade the look of dark spots and improves skin texture. LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA: This lightweight hydrating essence is designed to prep your skin for optimal absorption of your skincare routine, and is formulated for all skin types.
