Whether you are in your teen years or your 40, it doesn’t matter when you start your routine.ย Understanding your body’s biggest organ and protecting it as early as possible will be the best investment for you.ย What skin type are you?ย How can you fix those pesky bumps and pimples?ย To be able to tackle these issues, you’ll first have to have a basic understanding of what the human skin is.
In this article, I will be teaching you what the human skin is composed of, how to figure out what skin type you are, and what a skincare routine consists of. No, I won’t be preaching about the infamous 10-step Korean skincare routine because honestly, no one has time for that and that is so two years ago.ย I’ll also be giving you some of my recommendations on products I have tried through the years, so don’t sweat it!ย I gotchu~
SKIN STRUCTURE
The skin structure is comprised of main parts, upper epidermis, and lower dermis.ย The outer layer you are used to seeing is the upper part of the epidermis, also known as the “stratum corneum”. Most human’s cell turnover is usually 28 days, in which the cells of the upper layers would shed old cells and rebuild new ones.ย As we get older, the cell turnover cycle slows down, hence why it is harder to undo the damage we do in our younger years.ย So instead of taking 28 days for new cells to form, it could take up to 35-40 days!ย Yikes~
There are four cell types in the epidermis, which all play a role in protecting your skin.
–Keratinocytes: main cell in the epidermis; produces the protein keratin which provides the skin with physical protection and waterproofing
–Melanocytes: produces pigment melanin which gives the skin color and protects against UV light
–Langerhans cells: part of the immune system which helps destroy microbes that may invade the skin
–Merkel cells: sensory cells to provide sensation
As for the demis, it usually is divided into two layers: the upper “papillary” dermis and the lower “reticular” dermis. Rich in nerve endings, the papillary dermis is the skin’s structural support and elasticity, rich in collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
–Collagen: most abundant protein in the body; gives strength, rigidity, and support to the skin
–Elastin: connective tissue protein that gives the skin elasticity
–Hyaluronic acid:ย a large sugar molecule with gel-like consistency; unique capacity to bind over 1,000 times its own weight in water and keeps skin plump and hydrated
DETERMINING WHAT SKIN TYPE YOU ARE
Half the battle when it comes to building your own skincare routine without having the help of a dermatologist is determining what skin type you are.ย Depending on the different factors, you’ll fall under one of the four skin types.
Oily skin type:
-visible pores
-shiny, oily skin all over(blotting paper is your best friend)
-blackheads and blemishes/ pimples appear often
Cosrx salicylic acid daily gentle cleanser 9,900 won, Cosrx original clear pad 17,500 won, Cosrx Acne pimple master patch 3,500 won
I personally don’t have oily skin but these three Cosrx products are absolute cult favorites and products that you would most likely benefit from.ย All are super affordable and can help with oil control as well as aiding your blemishes.ย
Dry skin:
-rough, itchy, flaky, dry skin to the touch
-the tendency to have redness
-pore size is small
-lines and wrinkles are apparent
Those who have dry skin like me, try to avoid hot showers which can strip the skin of its natural moisture.ย Gentle soaps, as well as mild exfoliating products, will be your best friend.ย However, be careful of over-exfoliating since that can cause more problems than good in the long run.
Puirto fermented complex 94 boosting essence 21,000 won, Holika Holika good cera super ceramide cream 22,000 won, Missha time revolution night repair
I can go on and on with dry skin recommendations, but since this is just an overview of different skin types, here are a few I recommend.ย Purito fermented complex 94 boosting essence is a great hydrating layering product that makes my skin visibly hydrated as well as plumping up my skin.ย Holika Holika’s good cera cream is a great thick cream to combat the dry and flaky skin while Misha’s time revolution night repair (which is a dupe for Estee Lauder’s advanced night repair serum) packs in a punch of moisture along with ginseng concentration.ย It does seem like the purple bottle version of the time revolution serum has now been discontinued and has been replaced with a 4th generation one, so I’m not sure if it is the same thing.ย But I’m sure this version should still be floating around in the market if you do come across it.
Normal to combination skin:
-very few skin concerns
-oily T zone, slightly dry cheeks
If you have normal to combo skin, you could be lucky in a sense but when it comes to buying products, it might be a pain.ย For your T zone, you’d have to get oily skin-type products or anything that is lightweight while for the rest of your face, you’ll have to get dry skin-friendly products that are thicker and more moisturizing.
Cosrx oil-free ultra-moisturizing lotion with Birch sap 19,000 won, Elizavecca milky piggy glutinous mask $15, Celimax derma nature BFT moisturizing liposome serum 26,000 won
Although combination skin could be tricky to treat, the trick is to find lightweight products that are still hydrating. Cosrx’s birch sap lotion is a product I’ve always recommended to almost all skin types because it is just THAT hydrating.ย Snail is also another ingredient you guys should look into since it is super lightweight but very hydrating with a ton of healing and brightening properties.ย Elizavecca milky piggy glutinous mask is a great one that is super affordable, however, be warned!ย It is quite… Spiderman sticky.ย Celimax is a brand I’m really loving at the moment and their serum is a stellar product that is hydrating with built-in azulene to soothe the skin and biomimetic tears to protect and moisturize the skin.
Sensitive skin:
-facial redness (some with possible medical reasons: rosacea, eczema, etc) but not all people have obvious skin disorders
-burning
-itching, dryness
Those with sensitive skin should pay attention to ingredients and try to identify ingredients that irritate the skin.ย Ingredients to watch out for would be Sodium lauryl, Sulphate, Ammonium lauryl Sulphate, Salicylic Acid, AHA’s, alcohol, and fragranced products.ย Try to stick with physical/ mineral sunscreen instead of chemical sunscreens due to chemical sunscreens having the potential to irritate sensitive skin.
Purito centella green level recovery cream 19,600 won
Sensitive skin is a skin type that is very hard to predict and can be caused by multiple factors such as skin disorders or just hidden allergies you may never be able to verify.ย I don’t want to give you guys definite recommendations since everyone’s sensitivity differs, however, I can confidently recommend the brand Purito.ย There was one time when I chemically burned my forehead so badly that any product and even WATER burned my forehead to the touch.ย Only Purito’s Centella green-level recovery cream could save my poor forehead. I would look into getting yourself green/EWG-certified skincare which is popping up in K-beauty like popcorn.ย Brands such as Celimax, Vegan glow, Purito, Axis-y, รญ U N I K are few off the top of my head that are clean, organic, and green-based brands worth checking out.
Now that you have an idea of which skin type you might be, the next post will teach you how to build your own skincare routine so stay tuned!
