[ENG] My Simple + Gentle Korean Skincare Routine with Olive Young Global

*Anzeige/Ad K-beauty doesn’t have to be complicated – a simple, but well-curated skincare routine is all you need! So, today I’m sharing my current favourite 5 step skincare routine with you, build entirely with products available from Olive Young Global, Korea’s no. 1 health and beauty store that also ships worldwide!

If you’ve followed me on social media and YouTube, you probably know by now what a big fan of Olive Young Global* I’ve become! Truly, if you are into K-beauty at all, this is the place to shop – because, well, it is the place where Koreans shop for their beauty products, too. When Olive Young opened a global shopping site, I was pretty ecstatic, since I’d been so darn jealous of people in Korea having access to a number of exclusive brands, products and value sets.

Apart from the Olive Young “home brands” such as BOH or Bring Green, the number one health and beauty store in South Korea also carries many products and brands that we outside of Korea cannot really find at other shopping sites. Add to that the low free EMS shipping threshold of $60 and you have a very tempting shopping address for all your K-beauty needs indeed.

I had been thinking about writing a little introductory article summarising the benefits of shopping at Olive Young Global for a while now. But, in order to not make it too dry or boring, I thought I’d share my very simple, but effective 5 step skincare routine with you today, featuring – you guessed it – amazing K-beauty products you can find at Olive Young! I’ve been rather obsessed with these products lately, and found that they work so well for my sensitive combo skin, which has suffered rather terribly thanks to the “never-ending summer” of 2022. So, let me walk you through my new favourite, simple, yet effective 5 step K-beauty routine!

Skincare Routine Step 1: Cleanse Skin with the Skin1004 Centella Ampoule Foam

I actually cannot believe I never tried Skin 1004 products before, given how virally loved they are in the skincare community! The Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella range is probably the brand’s number one bestseller, especially their Centella Ampoule* is immensely popular. Now, as for the Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam* – I’m loving this cleanser right now as both a morning and evening cleanser! I don’t use much makeup at the moment during the day (except on YouTube filming days), so I usually only need a foaming cleanser to remove dirt and sunscreen. With my easily upset, sensitivity-prone skin, it has to be a gentle foam cleanser though, preferably free from the potentially skin-aggravating sodium laureth sulfate.

The first time I used the Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam, I audibly gasped – no joke! – because it leaves skin so soft?! I hadn’t expected my skin to feel so refreshed, yet super relaxed, as foam cleansers can sometimes be a bit drying. But the Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam isn’t drying at all! This gently foaming cleanser contains 33% centella asiatica extract sourced from Madagascar, an island country off the African coast known for its pristine, lush nature. Centella asiatica truly is such a superstar K-beauty ingredient: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and soothing, it works well for all skin types, but especially well for those with sensitive and blemish-prone skin.

The Centella Ampoule Foam uses gentle surfactants, plus hydrating humectants glycerin and hyaluronic acid. It also contains finely milled baking soda, which can help remove fine dust and excess sebum without compromising the skin barrier. And yes, this cleanser is also free from any alcohol/ethanol or fragrance. So, if you are looking for a hyper gentle, yet thorough foam cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin and leaves it surprisingly well-moisturised, the Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam is a really great choice. I’m quite a bit in love with it!

Skincare Routine Step 2: Removing Impurities with the JAYJUN PHAming Fresh Pad

I love toner pads – they are just so darn convenient! However, I often feel that the ones meant to exfoliate and remove impurities such as blackheads from the skin just don’t really work that well for me. Enter the JAYJUN PHAming Fresh Pad*! These toner pads are soaked with an essence that contains three peeling acids: PHA, AHA and BHA, so triple the power to remove both excess sebum as well as dead skin cells and potentially harmful environmental pollutants such as fine dust. PHA, also known as poly hydroxy acid, is one of my favourite acid types. This is a very gentle acid suitable even for sensitive skin, and I find that products containing PHA always give the most amazing, subtle glow to the skin.

The pads also contain a number of hydrating and soothing ingredients, among them chamomile extract, centennial fruit extract and damask rose water, so they are great for people with dehydrated, sensitive skin that are looking for a gentle exfoliation option. Humectant glycerin hydrates the skin, preventing it from drying out during the exfoliation process. I swipe one cotton pad all over my face – leaving out the eye area – with its embossed side first, right after cleansing, then wipe away any leftover impurities with the smooth side. The Olive Young set with the toner pads also came with a free PHAming toner sample, which I’m currently testing out.

Olive Young Skincare Routine Step 3: Hydrate and Soothe Skin with the Heynature Erseongcho Toner Moisturizer 

I had noticed the Heynature Erseongcho Toner Moisturizer* trending at the Korean Olive Young website for ages now, so I was very excited to get my hands on this spray mist type toner. Mist toners are such an easy and hygienic way to soothe irritated skin! The Erseongcho Toner contains a number of great ingredient goodies, among them my beloved houttuynia cordata, one of the best plant extracts for irritated, inflamed or redness-prone skin. Apart from the 15% houttuynia cordata extract, this mist toner also features soothing and skin barrier repairing panthenol plus hydrating glycerin. Oh, and of course our favourite skin-soother and inflammation-fighter, centella asiatica, plus my personal favourite, skin-brightening licorice root extract.

The Heynature Erseongcho Toner Moisturizer is formulated specifically to cool down overheated faces and replenish lost moisture during hot days, so I’m not surprised that it was so popular in Korea during this crazy summer! Given the potent mix of humectants and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory plant extracts, I can see myself happily using this throughout the colder months too. I basically spritz this all over my face and neck right after using the JAYJUN toner pads, and it really helps calm down my redness issues considerably. The spray feels so soothing and hydrating, it’s a lovely step right before my moisturiser.

I feel most skin types will enjoy this spray toner, especially those who have troubled, blemish-prone skin. You can also use this all over your body, by the way! The spray mist is very fine and comfortable, and I also like that the bottle is made out of 100% eco-friendly materials. And – it came in another one of those Olive Young Global value packs, with two Heynature sheet masks as freebies.

Olive Young Skincare Routine Step 4: Replenish Moisture with The Lab Green Flavonoid 3.0 Cream 

The Lab is one of my favourite Korean derma brands, and so far I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from them. Green Flavonoid is their latest skincare line, which was formulated for troubled skin that is both sensitive as well as blemish-prone, a tricky combination. Flavonoids are plant compounds that are extremely potent antioxidants. But not only this, they are also said to be even more effective anti-inflammatory ingredients than cica/centella asiatica. I had been eyeing up The Lab’s Green Flavonoid 3.0 Cream* for a while now, since it seemed just perfect for my sensitive combo skin.

This is a gel formula that feels super lightweight on the skin, but still has enough moisturising power for my combo skin, thanks in part to the squalane found in the gel cream. Squalane is an oil-like substance that is usually well-tolerated even by oilier skin types, because its composition is very similar to our skin’s natural oils, which means it doesn’t clog pores like some other oils can. It helps replenish moisture in the skin and keeps it well-moisturised for hours.

I’ve loved all creams from The Lab so far, and this one is no exception. Compared to their Hyaluronic Acid Cream, the Green Flavonoid 3.0 Cream feels lighter, thanks to the smooth, slightly cooling gel texture. I love how fast it sinks into my skin, leaving it plump and effectively moisturised without being too rich. Like all The Lab products, the cream has a consciously minimalist formulation and is free from any potentially skin-aggravating ingredients such as fragrance or alcohol. Thus, it works especially well for those of you with sensitive, oily to combo skin. Plus, I feel men will also like this one a lot! And, guess what – Olive Young Global offers a 1+1 value pack, so you get 50ml X 2!

Skincare Routine Step 5: Protect Skin with the Dewytree Urban Shade Anti-Pollution Sunscreen SPF50+

Another Olive Young bestseller is the Dewytree Urban Shade Anti-Pollution Sunscreen* with SPF50+ PA++++. This is a physical sunscreen with a natural tone-up effect and pinkish hue, which it owes to the pink calamine in the formula. Tone up sun creams are super popular in Korea, and many Koreans use them to brighten their overall skin tone and give their face a fresher, dewy-shiny look. Tone-up creams with SPF are also often used as a makeup base, since they help even out skin tone and texture issues. Pink calamine is traditionally utilised to treat itchy rashes, but it also can help to gently dry out blemishes, while providing overall soothing. It is quite a common ingredient in Korean skincare aimed at troubled skin. The Dewytree Urban Shade sunscreen is also meant to shield skin from absorbing ultrafine dust, a huge environmental problem in Korea and other parts of Asia.

The Dewytree Urban Shade Anti-Pollution Sunscreen SPF50+ is made by Kolmar Korea, sunscreen manufacturer extraordinaire, maker of literally all the popular sunscreens on the market in Korea right now. The essence-like sun cream feels super hydrating on the skin when I apply it, but then leaves a dry finish that feels lightweight, hydrating and comfortable on my combo skin. I really love the slightly pearlescent, but not too intensely dewy effect it has on my skin. On “no makeup” days, I usually just apply the Dewytree Urban Shade sunscreen and a touch of powder and I’m good to go.

The tone up effect leaves my skin more even-toned overall and the light-reflecting effect of this physical sunscreen gives a flattering, youthful effect to tired, dull-looking skin. This sunscreen works best if you already have pinkish undertones, or if your skin tends to look kind of “grey-ish” (as mine sadly often does). My Olive Young set came with two extra 20ml minis of the Dewytree Urban Shade Anti-Pollution Sunscreen SPF50+ as gifts!

My Skincare Routine with Olive Young Global: K-Beauty Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated!

I’m so glad that we are moving away from this misconception that K-beauty routines are complex and long! Because, truthfully, most Koreans don’t have time for 10+ steps and usually prefer a simple, yet effective skincare routine, with quality products catered to their skincare needs. I’ve really been enjoying this more stripped-down routine, which still provides my skin with all the hydration and skin barrier supporting goodness that I need.

If you’re interested in any (or all!) of these products, you can find them at Olive Young Global*, together with literally all of the currently trending K-beauty brands and products that Koreans are actually buying, including a number of Olive Young exclusives. Make sure to apply my code “SUGARPEACH10” to get an additional 5% off your order – this code can be combined with downloadable coupons if you are a registered member! And, here is a pro tip: always double-check if there aren’t any special value sets available for the products you are interested in, because they usually contain extra gifts and price benefits!

Let me know in the comments: Are you team “short and sweet” or “long and drawn-out” when it comes to your skincare routine? Have you shopped at Olive Young Global before?

Take care guys, and stay safe – remember to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest K-Beauty and skincare news!

*Ad/Anzeige, in collaboration with Olive Young Global – all views in this article are entirely my own! Links marked with an * are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission when you use them, and a tracking cookie is placed. This does not increase the amount you pay when you purchase via these links.