Skip-care is a K-beauty trend that hasn’t received the attention it deserves. What is it all about?
Famous for its ten-step ritual, no wonder the Korean skin care routine can sound offputtingly complicated at first. But I have to clarify that it’s not about doing all ten steps every single day: exfoliating and the sheet mask are not part of the daily routine and you can even opt for single instead of double cleansing. So, without exfoliation and masks you end up with 6-7 steps. Still sound like too much work? No worries, this is where skip-care enters the scene – a K-beauty trend that hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves. But what is it all about?
Skip-care is quite literally a skin care routine that skips some of the ten steps, leaving behind just the vital stages. Korean product developers have also been busy coming up with multi-use products that go with the skip-care routine, such as emulsions that combine a serum and moisturizer for the face, around the eyes, neck, décolletage and hands applied morning and night, as well as products that combine a mask and serum, reducing the skin care routine with a few jars.
Taking a deeper look at skip-care, in essence it’s about making sure not to overtreat skin, but instead selecting products according to the condition of skin and environmental factors posing external challenges. Although the Korean skin care method includes general guidelines with its different stages, each person’s skin is different and a one-for-all solution doesn’t always work. For instance, double cleansing and exfoliating can be too much for sensitive skin, and irritated skin should be treated with as few products as possible. On the other hand, there’s no point coating skin that’s in good condition and well-maintained with a constant bombardment of different active serums. Sometimes skin needs a rest from intense products, just like the body needs a break from supplements or a detox.
I’m sure skip-care will sound appealing to anyone wanting to devote as little time to skin care as possible, but I have to remind that there’s no point rushing if you want to get results and reap the most out the products you use. Even with the skip-care routine it’s worth carefully rubbing in the cleanser for 1-2 minutes, patting in the essence according to the 7 skin method and combining your facial oil with a skin-firming and brightening facial massage. To make it simple, take a less is more attitude to skip-care: fewer products used with care. In the coming weeks, I’ll be increasingly talking about self-care and product-free skin care methods that take time, meaning there’s no room for bodge jobs in future either.
Perhaps you’ve been using the ten-step skin care routine and now your skin is in such good shape that you are ready for the skip-care routine with less stages. It also works well when travelling.
To build yourself a minimalist but effective skin care routine, do this:
Skip-care skin care routine
1. Cleansing
2. Essence – 7 skin method
3. Moisturizer
4. Facial oil
If you ask a Korean, they’ll tell you skip-care has only three stages: cleansing, essence and moisturizer. I wouldn’t let you skip facial oil, though, because the following natural laws apply to skin care: after cleansing, skin is hungry for hydration (water) and oil. Moisturizers, especially if a thin oil-in-water emulsion, are not oily enough, and many feel the thick water-in-oil emulsions are too rich. If you are keen to pinch the routine from four stages to three, skip moisturizer altogether but never skip the essence or facial oil.
If you ask a Korean, they’ll tell you skip-care has only three stages: cleansing, essence and moisturizer. I wouldn’t let you skip facial oil, though, because the following natural laws apply to skin care: after cleansing, skin is hungry for hydration (water) and oil. Moisturizers, especially if a thin oil-in-water emulsion, are not oily enough, and many feel the thick water-in-oil emulsions are too rich. If you are keen to pinch the routine from four stages to three, skip moisturizer altogether but never skip the essence or facial oil.
Whamisa is a perfect skip-care brand, as minimizing skin care stages makes the price-quality ratio particularly important. Whamisa makes life easy because the moisturizer is so thin that it can even be stroked onto skin around the eyes. The essences are packed with nourishing ingredients, and in the 7 skin method, they could be called 2 in 1 products that combine essence and serum. For an added boost, you can use a sheet mask 1-2 times a week.
Skip-care by Whamisa
Cleansing
Cleanse with Whamisa Cleansing oil, suitable for all skin types. For a deep-cleansing effect, you can remove the cleanser with a konjac sponge or muslin cloth, but the cleanser can also be easily rinsed off with just warm water.
Essence
There are three essences to choose from: Deep Rich Toner suitable for dry, sensitive and aging skin, Original Toner for normal skin, and Refresh Toner for oily and combination skin. Pat seven thin layers onto skin according to the 7 skin method. Deep Rich Toner and Original Toner can be used also around the eyes.
Moisturizer
As a devout user of Water Cream, I haven’t given the Whamisa lotion the attention it deserves on the blog. The multi-purpose lotions go a long way, so they make great skip-care products. At the start of this post I mentioned that Korean brands include products that can be used for the face, around the yes, neck, décolletage and hands. The Water Cream comes in such a small package (50 ml) that I wouldn’t use it for the hands and probably not on the décolletage either. The lotions come in 120 ml bottles and cost the same as the Water Cream. I started to use them also as hand cream after being on the lookout for something moisturizing enough. Usually, hand creams are super rich, which doesn’t help if hands a dehydrated. The skin on my hands finally stopped feeling so tight after I’ve used the Whamisa lotion. The formulas are light enough to make the lotions suitable also for skin around the eyes. The Original version is recommended for normal and combination skin, and Double Rich for dry skin. Don’t let the name fool you, Double Rich isn’t rich or thick.
Facial oil
The Whamisa facial oil for all skin types is packed with nutrients and 98% of its ingredients are organically cultivated. Smear onto skin to finish off or mix a few drops with your moisturizer. I strongly recommend combining the oil with a skin-firming and brightening facial massage – you’ll find the instructions in my Instagram highlights. A facial massage boosts the effects of your skin care, like visiting a beauty spa for a facial.
In my book Kuulaan kaunis , I explain how you can adapt the ten-step skin care routine. I warmly recommend buying the book, which provides clear answers to questions I get asked on a daily basis. Instead of looking at the routine as a passing fad, the book is a collection of basics in effective skin care. It explains the order and significance of each stage in the routine, provides simple but precise information on key elements, and explains the ingredients used in products and why your skin will thank you for choosing natural cosmetics. Buy you copy here.
Have you given the skip-care routine a go? Is your skin in such good shape from a multi-step skin care routine that you’ve been able to move on to skip-care? What types of results have you reaped from the 7 skin method and facial massage?
Photography Katja Kokko
Translation Rebecca Watson
