Korea's Top Dermatology Clinic's A to Z Skincare Routine
ID Dermatology Clinic has been on the Glow Recipe radar for some time as one of Korea’s top dermatology clinics and hospital in Korea. Beauty editors, bloggers and industry insiders alike raved about the next generation treatments available at this clinic, housed in a sleek glass monolith in the heart of Gangnam. Our co-founder Christine even spoke with ID Hospital’s founder and renowned dermatologist, Sang Hoon Park at the Conde Nast Intl Forum last year.
During our co-founder Sarah’s recent trip to Seoul, she finally visited ID Dermatology Clinic to experience the latest in technology and trends in facial treatments. You may recognize this viral video of Sarah receiving a rubber mask – which was at at ID!
After returning back to NYC with glowing skin, Sarah kept raving about the treatments that she received, but also surprised us with a suitcase full of products straight from ID Dermatology Clinic. As the leader in skincare treatments, ID developed and formulated their own in-house line of gentle and healing line of products: ID.AZ. With a monochrome, minimalist design, the Dermastic line from ID.AZ caught our attention with their simple and harsh-free ingredient list suitable for all skin types.
I revamped my entire skincare routine to test out ID.AZ’s simplified, alphabetized products, starting with the letter F.
F for Foaming Cleanser
Foaming cleansers with a pump are made for lazy people like me. With the touch of a finger, a cloud of gentle and SLS-free cleanser magically appears. There is no more confusion in calculating the precise ratio of water to cleanser needed to achieve the perfect lather! Surprisingly, this soft mousse is completely sulfate free, and contains our favorite gentle and calming ingredients such as Centella Asiatica (better known as ‘tiger grass’) and brightening licorice extract.
When judging and evaluating any cleanser, I tend to look for the following criteria:
– how well it foams (clearly this one already passes with flying colors)
– how well it feels like it’s cleaning my skin
– how my skin feels after rinsing the cleanser off
With the Dermastic Foaming Cleanser, it performed well in all categories, leaving my skin feeling fresh and clean (not squeaky!), and looking bright and calm. Usually after cleansing, I’m left with a slight reddened blush on my cheeks, but after rinsing off the foam, my skin was even-toned and hydrated!
T for Toner
I would argue that hydrating toners are the unsung heroes in the K-beauty routine. This one product goes a long way in efficiently hydrating the skin (hello, 7 Skin Method!). The Dermastic Essential Toner is a slippery, watery toner that fully absorbs without any stickiness. Packed with nourishing botanical oils and extracts, this toner is definitely 7 Skin Method-worthy. Plus, it helps that the packaging is totally luxe with its deceptively heavy glass and weight.
E for Essence
“Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.” – Derek Zoolander
With the entire Dermastic line from ID.AZ formulated to balance out skin’s natural oil and water levels in order to calm and repair skin. Zoolander’s famous words could describe this star essence. Milky in appearance, this ultra slippery essence glides over skin, giving skin that dewy sheen while sinking in to provide hydration. Similar to the prior toner step, the essence absorbs quickly, and without leaving behind any stickiness. After patting in a couple layers of essence, my skin was noticeably plump, smoothed, and brightened.
C for Cream
The final step in this simplified routine was the Dermastic Moisturizing Cream. As a fan of gel creams because of my oily to combination skin type, I was so surprised to find a cream-textured moisturizer that spread so easily and provided that fresh hydration I usually seek, with an added sealing nourishment that didn’t feel suffocating.
A week of keeping up with this routine has provided me with a more balanced complexion overall in terms of texture and tone! It stays true to the K-beauty way of thin layers of hydration, as each step was incredibly soft and spreadable, instantly sinking into skin for a mattified, yet radiant finish. I wouldn’t expect anything less directly from leaders in the field of dermatology in Korea!
Let us know which product from ID.AZ you’re most excited for in the comments below!
You can also find ID.AZ at Glow Studio Uptown in Saks Fifth Avenue!
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