Strife of skincare: Ayurveda vs Korean Skincare Routine

“Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.” — William Shakespeare

The path to self-care is our “willingness” to do something for ourselves. Often, in the dust of regular chores of life, somewhere the “self-care” disappears.

As Shakespeare said, “Our bodies are gardens,” but do you know what the garden looks like? Good only when it's green. In fact, the very existence of a garden depends on the greenery it has. Just like this, our body also looks good only when it is maintained properly.

The first and foremost step in the self-care ladder is skincare, but what often confuses people when it comes to skincare is, “What stream of skincare should we really adopt?” 

Before jumping on the stream, let's first understand “what an actual skincare routine is.

Unmasking Skincare Routine

The greatest organ in our body, "skin," requires the highest attention to maintain its natural health, which includes beautiful texture and skin that is bright and even in tone. In addition to improving the appearance of your skin, skincare practices also increase your self-confidence, which brings out the best in you. 

To understand the routine, you must know that the skincare routine stands on the three pillars, or 3Ps. They are:

(i) Purify, (ii) Plumpify, and (iii) Protect.

Let's unfold the general and simplest skincare routine using these 3 Ps:

1. Purify: The first step that should be performed in the skincare is purifying or cleansing your skin by using any suitable cleanser.

2. Plumpify: The further step after purifying is “plumping”.Here, the term "plumping" could figuratively be referred to as irrigating the skin with adequate hydration for a plump look. Various types of moisturisers are available in the market that we can use as per our skin type.

3. Protect: We are well aware of the impact of sun rays on our skin. Therefore, after hydration, one of the most important steps that comes ahead is protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. The sunscreens, preferably over SPF 30, should be used to shield our skin from the sun.

This is the basic framework of a skincare routine that is universal to all. However, there are various streams of skincare that are based on local tradition and history, followed across different nations.Let's have a look at a few of these skincare routines:

Types of Skincare Routine

1. Ayurvedic skincare routine: So, who doesn't know Ayurveda- the treasure of knowledge? This ancient Indian medical treatise Ayurveda contains a wealth of information about wellbeing and health, including skin care. Natural elements are used in Ayurvedic skincare products. It discourages the use of skincare products that include chemicals.

2. Korean skincare routine: The Korean skincare is based on the philosophy of gentle care, abundant hydration, and a consistent routine. They mostly use the products that are watery or oily in nature. They follow a holistic, preventive, and highly personalized approach.

3. Latina skincare routine: Common elements of Latina skincare include natural remedies, cultural traditions, and a strong emphasis on self-care. Its roots lie in holistic methods that combine conventional skincare products with cutting-edge skincare methods.

4. Moroccan skincare routine: Moroccan skincare emphasizes the use of natural, organic, and traditional ingredients to nourish and protect the skin, and is founded on the core ideas of purity and simplicity. Its roots lie in traditional, holistic methods that emphasize using natural cures and self-care techniques to achieve balance and brightness.

Among these and other skincare routines, the two most popular skincare routines are Ayurvedic skin care and Korean skin care.

Now, delve a little deeper to know how you can follow these two skincare routines.

Steps in Ayurvedic Skincare Routine 

The ayurveda has identified the skin into three types:

• Pitta- a sensitive skin

• Vata- a dry skin

• Kapha- an oily skin.

On the basis of the prakriti (nature) of your skin, Ayurveda has designed a special routine for each of these types by recommending the suitable natural ingredients to be used.

The steps of Ayurvedic skincare too are based on the frame that we discussed earlier, i.e., purify, plumpify, and protect.

1. Purifying your skin: In a jar, combine equal amounts of dry milk powder (nourishing for the skin) and chickpea flour (mild natural exfoliation) to make a ubtan. In the shower, sprinkle two teaspoons into the palm of your hand, mix with water to form a thin paste, and gently scrape over damp skin. After washing, pat dry.

2. Toning: Following skin cleansing, Ayurveda advises to tone your skin with a solution of rose water and a small bit of plain water. It is believed that rose water is a natural toner. 

3. Moisturizing: Create a body oil by combining one ounce of almond oil with ten drops of essential oils that are suitable for your prakriti: use sweet orange or geranium for dry "vata" skin, jasmine or sandalwood for sensitive "pitta" skin, or lavender or bergamot for oily "kapha" skin. You can use jojoba oil afterwards to seal in the hydration.

4. Protection: Ayurveda recommends the use of natural oils like aloe vera, coconut, sesame, and others to protect skin from harmful UV rays. However, these provide only mild protection from the sun.

Aside from this, the Ayurveda recommends an internal routine for glowing skin as well; it says for healthy and glowing skin, one must adopt a healthy lifestyle. Radiant skin can be achieved by having healthy food, good sleep, and yoga in the morning.

Steps in Korean Skincare Routine

Korean beauty procedures typically involve several phases. However, their overall goal is to provide long-lasting benefits while gently enhancing skin. Let's look at the steps involved in a Korean skincare routine:

1. Dual cleansing: The first ladder in Korean skincare is cleaning your skin twice to get a purer canvas for further products. Generally, they use two types of cleaners for dual cleaning. They are as follows:

2. Oil-based cleansers: These products containing components like olive oil, jojoba, and tea tree work well to remove sebum or excess oil and makeup from the skin. This cleanser is easy to use; just massage it over your dry face and neck, then rinse with warm water.

3. Water-based cleansers: These cleansers help to remove sweat and grime from the skin by using components including birch sap, green tea, and rice water. Using a foam or gel-based after-oil cleanser is always recommended. 

4. Exfoliation: Exfoliation is an important step for getting Korean “glass” skin. In the given skincare routine, they use a mild physical scrub or a chemical exfoliant once or twice a week to remove all the dead skin cells. 

5. Toner: Further, toners are used to balance the pH level of  skin. You can use a toner that contains hyaluronic acid, rose water, or other substances. It can be applied on the face and neck using a hand or a cotton pad. 

6. Hydration: Snail mucin, fermented yeast, or rice extract are widely used by Koreans for providing hydration to the skin. You can use these simply by gently patting it on your skin.

7. Serums: These are used to target the specific skin concerns like acne, wrinkles, and fine lines. You can choose the type of serum suitable for your skin concern.

8. Additional hydration: For providing more hydration to the skin, they use several sheet masks. Koreans also use eye cream for hydrating and protecting skin around the eyes.

9. Moisturizer: The moisturizers containing Ceramides, Shea butter, or Centella Asiatica are advised to be used for locking in the moisture.

10. Sunscreen: In case you're following a morning routine, layer your skin with sunscreen having SPF 30.

The ones who follow night routines can go for night creams.Given routines can also be customized as per the skin type and the skin condition.

Ayurveda Vs Korean Skincare: Which one has gotten the edge?

Both these skincare routines have distinctive character.In order to understand which one has gotten the edge, let's first know what sets these two apart by drawing a comparison.

Summing Up

Every skincare regimen, whether it is Ayurvedic, Korean, Latina, or Moroccan, is tailored to the local skin type, as well as the accessibility and cost of the different components used in that area. Therefore, comparing these will not be fair. However, it is incorrect that Indians frequently choose skincare products that adhere to international beauty standards. We must realize that our skin is not like that of Koreans or other people. Therefore, it is not a given that those foreign practices will be effective for us.

Ayurveda has been practiced for thousands of years and is more familiar with our skin than these foreign skincare routines, so whenever it comes to selecting one, we must go for our own.

At last, one crucial thing that we need to inculcate is “consistency is key.”. Any skincare will only help when you are consistent with it.

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Kumkumadi Face Serum and Kumkumadi Face Oil for Anti aging and Skin Brightening

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Shubhr Bakuchi Oil Free Face Serum | Natural Retinol Alternative for Youthful Skin (30 ml)

Kumkumadi 24K Gold Face Serum for Advanced Skin Repair and Firming (24 herbs)

Coconut Sunscreen SPF 50 Face Lotion for Sun Protection (18 herbs, 50ml)

Turmeric Ubtan Powder for Glowing Skin (9 herbs, 100 gm)

Related Articles:

Why is Korean Skincare not working on Indian Tone/Skin ?

References:

https://www.vogue.com/article/korean-skin-care-routine

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/get-healthy-glowing-skin-an-ayurvedic-skincare-routine/

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/korean-skincare-routine