YouAlberta
The dry winter months are coming, and we could all use a little extra self-care time nowadays. As a self-care connoisseur and a self-proclaimed Hallyu expert, I love my Korean skin care products. I usually stock up when I'm in Korea and/or Koreatown over the summer, so I had to problem solve this summer and find my favourite Korean skin care products in Edmonton.
Although it's quite a bit of work compared to the average skincare regime, Koreans are known for having some of the healthiest looking skin in the world. It's also therapeutic to have a ritual that you have control over, in a time with a lot of unknowns.
It also doesn't mean doing a 10-step process every day, but rather, having a variety of products that can be used depending on your skin concern of the day, week, or season.
If you want to build a skin care routine for yourself, it will take research and a little soul searching.
Do you have combination skin? Normal/dry? Oily? And what are your biggest concerns - dryness, acne, dark circles, redness, or more?
Personally I have combination skin, and deal with hormonal acne in my T-zone plus dry patches on my cheeks in the Winter. I also have a bit of redness and acne scarring that I'm trying to deal with!
Though I can't build each of you a Korean skin care routine, let me share my steps and favourite products, plus where to get them in Edmonton.
1. Oil Cleanser (Depends on Makeup/Sunscreen Wear)
Let's chat about double cleansing. Most products and debris on your face are either oil soluble or water soluble. So if you've just been using a foam cleanser, you're not getting everything! I used to do this daily, but now that I spend more days inside I only do this when I've applied makeup or sunscreen during the day.
I start with an oil cleanser, and my favourite product is Banila Clean It Zero. From this before and after shot, you can see how effective this product is with removing makeup.
I was pleasantly surprised to find this available at T&T Supermarket!
On days when I am really tired and about to pass out, I use the Mamonde Micro Deep Cleansing Oil Tissue. If I didn't wear makeup, I go for these Exfoliating Green Tea wipes I picked up from Rexall. However, makeup removing wipes or cleansing wipes are not that good for the skin or the environment so I try to limit my use of them.
2. Foam/Gel Cleanser (Daily)
It might seem extra to double cleanse, but so many skin problems start with your skin simply not being clean enough. My go-to is the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser (available at H-Mart & select Walmartlocations) in the mornings and the Laneige Deep Pore Cleansing Foam (available at Sephora, T&T, and H-Mart) in the evenings.
Also pictured in this shot from H-Mart is the innisfree Blueberry Rebalancing Cleanser which I really enjoyed as well!
3. Exfoliation (1 to 3 times a week)
Exfoliation not only cleans out clogged pores, but it also sloughs off dead skin cells. When you remove this dull layer of cells, brighter skin is revealed. This step is not recommended for daily use.
I have a couple of different products I use for this step depending on the day. For chemical exfoliating products, my go-to is the COSRX Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion and the COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid. This is one of my favourite skin care brands and I've seen it at H-Mart and Walmart!
I also enjoy the Neogen Bio-Peel Gentle Gauze Peeling Wine. This product combines physical and chemical exfoliating products. The double-sided wipes are packed with red wine and lactic acid. The gauze side is quite "scratchy" and physically exfoliating, and you can almost feel the dead skin sloughing away. Then you flip it over to the softer, quilted side to soothe your skin.
I haven't seen this available in-store in Edmonton, but I definitely suggest checking Mikaela Beauty (local) and YesStyle (located in Korea) online for this product.
4. Toner (Daily)
This next step is crucial for soothing your skin. In our dry climate, once you go "hard" on your skin to eliminate acne, dirt, and dead-skin buildup, you have to go soft once again, or else you'll be fending off dry patches for days.
My absolute favourite toner is the Mamonde Aqua Peel Toner (for that extra help removing dead skin cells), specifically for Combination Skin. I actually don't have a photo of it because it's empty! I need more! Here's a photo from Mamonde's website.
In the meantime, I've been using the super hydrating Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Watery Toner also for Combination Skin. That's another note about skin care: if the product specifically says it's for your skin type, then it probably isn't lying. I also spotted this at H-Mart!
5. Essence (Nevermind…oops?)
Though the experts say that Essence is… of the essence, up until this point I was not quite convinced. As I look over my extensive collection, I can't even find one to take a picture and claim as my favourite.
According to Cho from SokoGlam, "essence treats skin on a cellular level, targeting wrinkles, fine lines, and dull and even skin cells." Apparently this step sets the Korean skin care routine apart from the rest. Oof. Okay, let's get on that together folks.
Upon searching on Soko Glam for the best selling essences in the Combination skin department, I decided to pick up the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. Why? I love COSRX and I love snail mucin products as they repair and hydrate your skin like no other, which is a big issue for me with acne scars and dry patches.
I found it at H-Mart as well and am enjoying it so far!
6. (+7) Serum, Boosters, Ampoule Treatments + Masks (2-3 Times a Week)
The steps I smushed into this mega step (Serum, Boosters, or Ampoule) are not necessary for everyone unless you are dealing with pigmentation like me. I will note however, that my product of choice is not K-beauty, but actually from The Body Shop.
A fellow K-beauty enthusiast friend of mine suggested the Drops of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum to help deal with acne scars and redness, and I haven't looked back. If it stops working for me, I might try and find a K-Beauty version. For now, I'm good.
If you are using serums, boosters, or ampoule treatments - you don't really need to indulge in masks too because many masks have the same ingredients and effect as these products. But they are so fun! I usually go for a mask when I really need a TLC moment and if I'm in desperate need of support with acne and/or dry skin.
There are lots of different retailers out there selling face masks, some with questionable Korean instructions on the back, so make sure you know your stuff before you go in. Do you want a mask that gives you a boost of a natural product like Cucumber, Lemon, Aloe, or Green Tea? Or, do you want the heavy duty active ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, or even Collagen?
For more natural masks, I usually go for Nature Republic or Innisfree, two brands known for natural products.
Nature Republic's model/spokespern was my favourite K-pop band EXO for years, so I have lots of cute products from them. I usually go for Green Tea or Aloe masks in order to help soothe my skin after some intense acne treatment or a long day out in the sun.
However, my favourite face mask of all time is the Mediheal N.M.F. Aquaring Ampoule Masks. N.M.F. stands for "Natural Moisture Factor," or what is naturally produced by the skin to maintain its hydration levels. It also has ingredients like exfoliating willow bark and toning witch hazel for an absolutely flawless product.
You can find them at T&T Supermarket and H-Mart!
8. Eye Cream
I don't know about you, but my sleep schedule has been quite up and down since COVID-19 came to Edmonton. I've also been spending a lot more time in front of screens with remote learning. That being said, eye creams are really helpful in reducing dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness from sore/tired eyes.
The only eye cream I've used so far is "The Pure Real Eye Cream" which I picked up randomly in Korea after asking which was the most popular eye cream in the store. It was only $15 CAD so I grabbed 2 and haven't run out yet!
Taking a look at Mikaela Beauty's site though, I see highly rated and fairly priced eye creams from popular brands like COSRX, Laniege, MISSHA, and Innisfree. There's also a diverse selection available at H-Mart too!
9. Moisturizer
Yes, it took us nine whole steps to get to moisturizer which is usually the first or second step for most folks.
But the importance of this step is that it locks in everything we've just patted onto our faces.
If you have dry skin, go for a cream. If you have oily/acne-prone skin, go for a gel. As I have combination skin, I have two go-to products depending on how my skin is doing that day or week. Quite honestly, in the winter, you can catch me using both!
My favourite soothing gel is from SNP - I've tried their Snail Gel, Pomegranate Gel, and their Aloe Gel. All huge hits with me and available at H-Mart and T&T Supermarket.
The moisturizer I prefer is the Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Cream for Combination Skin. Like I said, it's hard to go wrong with products that are specifically formulated for your skin type. I've been using this moisturizer for five years and it's never let me down. I was really happy to find this at H-Mart because I always stock up this when I'm in Korea or in Vancouver/LA.
I got to re-visit and do my full skin care routine for the first time in the long time, and I can confirm I felt very refreshed after a long week of work, school, and volunteering.
10. The Grand Finale - SPF
This step is for your daytime routine before you head outside for the day, even if it's not sunny out! It's absolutely essential to taking care of the skin you just put so much effort into taking care of! I have two SPF products - my Etude House Sunprise SPF 50+ face sunscreen (very light and watery!) and my COSRX Blemish Cover Cushion (aka my foundation!) from Mikaela Beauty.
If you haven't yet, I definitely recommend picking out foundation products that are also good for your skin like this cushion or the Body Shop Skin Clarifying Foundation with Tea Tree.
Some of the locations in Edmonton that carry my favourite products include T&T Supermarket, H-Mart, Sephora, and Walmart. I usually go to the Wal-Mart in the Westside aka the SmartCentres Edmonton West location on Stony Plain Rd. It's usually stocked up like the photo below from Reddit so I suggest calling ahead before you head into your nearest Wal-Mart for skin care.
Honorable mention goes to Nature Collection (formerly known as The Face Shop) in West Edmonton Mall. Nature Collection carries a selection from each of their skin care brands under the LG family - The Face Shop, VDL, belif, The history of Whoo and more.
If you want to shop online, for speedy service go for Mikaela Beauty, a Canadian K-Beauty online company based in Edmonton.
If there are products you enjoy or want to try that aren't available try YesStyle to order directly from Korea. Yes, there is a bit of a wait time but my orders have always arrived fully intact, no damage, and pretty speedy considering the current times.
Is there a secret spot you like to buy your Korean beauty products from? Let us know in the comments below!