Skincare is deeply embedded in Korean culture, according to the BBC, “South Korean women spend twice as much of their income on beauty products and makeup than their American counterparts”.
They’re miles ahead of the west when it comes to skincare beauty innovations, excelling due to such an emphasis on skin care and wellness in Korean culture with a competitive market, supportive government and an enormous demand, fueling such innovations.
“There is a fundamental belief, anchored in a philosophy of wellbeing, pervasive in all of Asia, that you should take care of yourself spiritually and physically as a show of respect to yourself and others, and to your family,” Ms Wang explains, founder of Ulzzang, an online retailer for K-beauty and consultant at Deloitte.
This is why it’s become a hit in the west, with many beauty guru’s swearing by them. In the past five years alone, beauty exports from South Korea have grown from $1 billion in 2012 to $2.64 billion in 2017.
Here’s a selection of our favourite K-beauty products you’ll quickly fall in love with.
1. Hygee All-in-one Wrinkle Care Mask, £3.78 per mask
Image credit: Yes Style
An innovative mix of albumin, bamboo extract, ceramide and hyaluronic acid to deal with all signs of ageing in the form of a quick and easy to use face mask.
2. CosRx Blackhead Silk Finger Ball, £8.00
Image credit: Cult Beauty
100% natural silk cocoons believe it or not are very effective at polishing the skin and minimizing the appearance of blackheads while removing impurities!
3. Mizon Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack, £12.13
Image credit: Yes Style
A nourishing night cream made from the slime of a slithery snail. Mucin in filtered snail mucus regenerates skin cells while peptides plump up the skin. It’s a fantastic night cream and shows impressive results after just a few weeks.
4. Back To Baby BB Cream, £13.00
Image credit: Cult Beauty
A hard working BB cream which leaves skin looking luminous. The formula includes ‘crystal water’, with diamond and pearl powders to unify tone. It has an added broad spectrum SPF 35+ to protect against premature ageing and skin damage caused by daily sun exposure.
5. The Therapy Water Drop Anti-Ageing Serum, £22.73
Image credit: Yes Style
A classic anti-ageing serum with oat seed extract, rose and lavender to soothe, reduce wrinkles and hydrate.
6. MILKYDRESS Wrinkle & Whitening Eye Cream, £4.13
Image credit: Yes Style
This one’s incredibly effective at removing dark circles, while tightening, depuffing and reducing wrinkles.
7. Soo Beauté – Gold Hydro Gel Mask, £19.69
Image credit: Cosmetic Designs-Asia
A luxurious high-tech, golden hydro-gel mask enriched with grapefruit to energise skin and combat signs of ageing.
