Korean Beauty

Writer and expert4 years ago

Here at allbeauty, we like to stay ahead of the curve, keeping you up to date with all of the latest trends. In the last few years, one country in particular has been taking the world by storm with their beauty secrets, South Korea. We love the concept of K-Beauty! It involves assessing your skin’s needs and amending your traditional beauty routine, possibly giving it a major, much-needed shake-up to help it fall in line with the Korean way of beautifying. In essence, K-Beauty is fully focused on skin health, prioritising protection during the day, and following up with a thorough routine each evening.

Sun Protection

In the UK, we’ve shifted our love of tanning to realising the harmful effects of too much sun, and the K-Beauty concept is the perfect natural progression for beauty-focused folks. Acheiving flawless, youthful skin, free of pigmentation, is the goal of Korean skincare, which is why sun protection is so important.

The majority of Korean women don’t leave the house without applying an SPF cream, even if they’re spending all day in an office. In fact, many women will wear both an SPF specific skincare product, as well as additional SPF infusion in their makeup. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

The K-Beauty Routine

We admire how K-Beauty focuses on skin health to such an extent that the need to follow up with additional cosmetic products is minimal. K-Beauty creates the perfect flawless canvas, with or without makeup.The K-Beauty skincare method is tailored to your individual skincare needs, this could mean up to ten steps of beauty magic – it all depends on what you’re starting with. The core skincare routine is completed in the evening, with a paired back version used in the morning. Here’s the run down:Step 1: Cleanser

For morning cleansing, use water to remove any impurities on the skin and give the skin a hydration boost. In the evening, opt for an oil-based cleanser to ensure you remove all traces of makeup and SPF from your face.

Step 2: Cleanse again

Follow up your oil cleanser with something water-based to remove any remaining residue and impurities.

Step 3: Exfoliate

Once or twice a week, buff off any dead skin cells with a gentle enzyme exfoliator. This will prevent pores from clogging and ensure your products get maximum absorption.

Step 4: Essence

A sort of hybrid product that falls somewhere between a serum and a toner, essence hydrates your complexion and encourages healthy skin at a cellular level.

Step 5: Ampoule

Ampoule is another product which has similar properties to serum, but it usually contains an even higher concentration of active ingredients. Choose one that best suits your personal skin complaints.

Step 6: Serum

Use a targetted serum on the areas of your face that need a pick-me-up. From dark spots to fine lines, serum plays an important role in reversing any signs of damage.

Step 7: Sheet mask

Sheet masks are hugely popular in Korea and are a regular part of the nightly skincare routine. Perfect for all skin types, everyone can enjoy the convenience and skin-nourishing benefits of a sheet mask treatment.

Step 8: Eye cream

After letting your skin absorb the ingredients of the sheet mask, smooth an eye cream around the brow and socket, moving from the inner to the outer corner of the eye. This area is not only delicate, but prone to dryness, so hydration is incredibly important.

Step 9: Moisturiser

At the end of your routine, finish with a day or night moisturiser to lock in all those beneficial skin-loving ingredients.

Step 10: Sunscreen

The final step in K-Beauty skincare is a layer of sunscreen, year-round. This wouldn’t take place during the nighttime routine, will always, always, always, be part of the morning routine.

K-Beauty Favourites

While the main focus of K-Beauty is the in-depth skincare regime, the products which are used also play a key role. Korean women have access to an enviable range of skincare products, many of which aren’t imported to our side of the pond. However, at allbeauty, we have curated a collection of finds to cover all your beauty needs, so you can fully immerse yourself in K-Beauty without having to step foot out of your home.

#1 Seoulista

Seoulista is a revolutionary brand that packs a wealth of skin benefits into one convenient sachet. Bathroom space is at a premium in many Korean homes, so these no mess, no fuss sachets offer an easy way to get spa-style results in your own home.

While the K-Beauty regime can contain up to twelve different steps, the Seoulista range combines multiple steps in one, making it a breeze to get your beauty fix when you’re pressed for time. From super hydration to antioxidant-rich formulas that nourish the skin, there is a formula in this range for every skin type.

With an offering that includes everything from facials to pedicures, Seoulista products are formulated with powerful botanicals and are free from harmful parabens, oils, sulphates and artificial colours. They’re also never tested on animals and are reputably manufactured – what’s not to love?!

#2 Erborian

Our next featured brand describes itself as ‘Korean Herbal Science meets Modern French Luxury’, a fusion that creates innovative skincare. Whatever your skin type, there is a product created for you at Erborian. From cleansers and moisturisers to flawless makeup, these wonder creams will revive and overhaul your look.

Achieving perfect skin with simple and unique products is the mission and mantra of Erborian. This is a brand that combines the most sophisticated Korean technologies with high-quality ingredients, derived from herbs found in traditional Korean medicine. The brand not only has skincare and makeup, but nails the hybrid products with their famed BB and CC creams. South Korea is home to the inventors of the CC cream and Erborian brings you compact versions to unlock your inner glow whilst on the go.

#3 MISSHA

MISSHA is another fantastic brand that offer a wide range of products. So, whether you want to expand your beauty regime to include a few more steps, or you’re time-starved and want to experience K-Beauty on the go, you’ll find the perfect addition to your skincare ritual.

Along with their more familiar products like sun protection and face masks, are some truly exciting items that we know you’ll love. With ingredients spanning bee pollen, snail gel and black ginseng, you’re sure to get your fix with MISSHA.

Everybody knows prevention is better than cure so the sooner you start looking after your skin the better – apply today and reap the benefits tomorrow. Shop now!