We live in an age where technology is progressing at rates which are hard to digest.
Complexity has permeated every facet of modern life. When folks are tweeting from their refrigerators, perhaps it is time to take a step back and consider a simpler solution.
Skincare routines are no exception to this trend. Some beauty bloggers and other so-called “experts” push skincare regimens with ten plus steps per day!
Complex skincare routine are expensive, time consuming, and difficult to follow. We believe when it comes to skin health and beauty, simplicity is best.
Why 10 Step Korean Skin Care Routines are Unnecessary
We have touched on using simple, effective ingredients for the best results. When it comes to skincare regimens, this concept translates as well. The more complex the routine, the more money and time you could potentially be wasting.
We will illustrate this point by tackling one of beauty’s hottest trends at the moment: the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine.
This routine consists of no less than ten (10) full steps in a daily skincare regimen. The steps consist of makeup remover, oil cleanser, water cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, treatments, sheet masks, eye cream, moisturizer, and sun protection every single day.
This is simply unnecessary.
Not only will this costly regimen be overkill for the vast majority of consumers, it actually may prove detrimental in the long run due to exposure to the sheer volume of skincare products.
Beyond the cost and time investments, complex skincare routines are also difficult to follow. The more steps are including, the greater the chances of user error.
When mixing ingredients, this can cause products to lose their efficacy or even cause harm. When it comes to selecting your skincare products and your daily regimens, consider a simple, natural beauty product without all of the peripherals.
Simple, Natural Ingredients for Maximum Efficacy
Our ancestors have been using simple, effective skincare routines for millennia with great effect. For example, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long harnessed the power of a handful of potent ingredients to keep skin clean, youthful and healthy. It is also true that modern medicine has made great strides in identifying new ingredients to treat skin disorders like rosacea, eczema, and others.
So where do we draw the line? What is a minimum type and number of products one need?
In the morning, we recommend a gentle cleanser, followed by a 2-in-1 moisturizer & serum, and sunscreen with SPF > 30 and broad spectrum coverage.
In the evening, you need a cleanser and reparative facial oil, serum or moisturizer.
Once a week, you may wish to add an exfoliator.
Of course, you should select products with high quality ingredients.
More importantly, you should ask how the products are formulated and made. This second question is often ignored, but it is actually far more important than the type of ingredients.
For example, many skin care products are made using heating. Heat destroys active ingredients, much akin to cooking vegetables under high heat will destroy the nutrients of food.
In contrast, our skincare products are made not using heat, which preserve the active ingredients and maintain the efficacy of the ingredients.
Can Skincare Products Actually Make my Skin Worse?
Absolutely! Your skin is tough, but it can also be negatively impacted by an influx of nasty chemicals and inferior products. This is due to a number of reasons:
- Skin is susceptible to irritation: In this case, irritation can refer to physical irritation of constant scrubbing or to the chemical irritation of multiple products.
- Skincare products interact in different ways: All effective skincare serums, lotions, creams, and so forth will have at least one active ingredient. In most cases, they will have multiple active ingredients. When you combine any two skincare products, you are also combining multiple active ingredients, which may irritate the skin through different mechanisms. One solution is to source your skin products as a combo pack from the same source.
- When it comes to application, order of operations matters: Reader’s Digest suggests using the following order: serums, gels, lotions, creams, ointments. Again, you may not need all of these products, but it is important to understand that an improper order of application may directly lead to skin issues.
Skin’s Ability to Naturally Protect and Regenerate Itself
In our rush to find the best possible skincare products, many of us forget the simple fact that our skin does a pretty good job all on its own.
We are not suggesting that there are no useful skincare products to promote healthy skin, but more does not always mean better.
The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it has regenerative properties. We just need to provide the necessary nourishment allowing the cells and tissues to work in an optimized manner.
A healthy skin not only makes us look young and beautiful. It is also incredibly functional to keep the rest of body healthy. Here are just some of the incredible benefits and functions:
- Provides a waterproof barrier
- Wards off infections from bacteria and viruses
- Protects us from harmful UV rays
- Helps to regulate body temperature and the body’s hydration levels
- Works as a storage compartment for fat, water, and other products
- Produces essential hormones
- Heals itself from cuts, bruises, and other injuries
Treat your skin well, and it will thank you for it.
Dr. Wang Herbal Skincare: Simple is Best
Dr. Wang Herbal Skincare is a family business started by Steven Wang, MD and Gui Wang, LAc. Our co-founders have been working together for over two decades to offer holistic, innovative, and effective skincare products. Instead of selling a wide range of products, we focus on creating highly simple yet powerful skincare solutions. Our facial oil & youth serum combo pack is a two-in-one moisturizer and serum which is safe, cost-efficient, easy to use, and effective.
To learn more, view our family of products or read what publications like The New York Times and Reader’s Digest have to say about Dr. Wang Herbal Skincare.