The Seven Skin Method is a Korean skincare hack involving using three to seven layers of essence or serum after cleansing your face. The rationale for this is,when done correctly, it will increase the absorption of skincare ingredients into your skin, because you are taking the time to pat on each layer, wait for it to soak in, and then apply more product. Because you are using essence, toner, or serum, these have a watery consistency compared with moisturizers, so you are less likely to clog up your skin by applying multiple layers.
It’s so simple yet so ingenious. All you have to do is cleanse your face, and apply between three to seven layers of one essence or serum of your choice.
Some little pointers to guide you, which have really helped us:
-
Apply the first layer when your skin is still slightly damp.
-
Pat each layer on with your bare hands, rather than using a cotton pad. This is because cotton pads are not completely smooth to the touch, and can cause microabrasions to your skin over time. They also soak in a lot of product, which doesn’t get transferred to your face. The patting motion helps increase the skin absorption of the product. Also try gently massaging each layer in, which also maximises its absorption.
-
You don’t necessarily need to wait until each layer completely dries before putting on the next layer, as long as you’ve taken time to pat and massage the product onto your face, concentrating it on any dry areas.
-
You don’t need to do this routine every day. We do this once a week, and it’s enough to see increased radiance and dewiness to our skin after keeping it up for a month.
-
The exact number of layers you apply depends entirely on how your skin is responding. Start off with applying three layers, and work your way up depending on whether your skin is still dry afterwards.
-
Steer clear of toners that are meant for cleansing or exfoliating, or which contain astringents (such as witch hazel). It’s fine to use toners instead of essence or serum, just look for ones that don’t contain these types of ingredients.
-
Whichever layering product you chose, also try to avoid ingredients such as sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrance and colors, or triclosan. Ideally try to also avoid alcohol as it can be drying, though keep in mind some form of preservative is usually needed in the product. We love using the Primera Miracle Seed Essence (Althea) or the COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence (Style Korean)(Althea)(Beautynet Korean)(Jolse) for the seven skin method.
By the way.. some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the chance to win a collection of our favorite skincare picks, and to get monthly skincare tips & recommendations on our top picks for cleaner, safer skincare.
Tag us on social media to share your skincare routine with friends if you think our tips have helped!
P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!
