Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
Age is no bar for skincare
According to Cho, preventative skincare in Korea begins when you start applying sunscreen or wearing hats and clothing that protect you from sun exposure at six months old. “Not only does this prevent sunburns, but it also hinders sun damage that can contribute to ageing later in life.
People in Korea are less into facial fillers and favor injectables that replenish and boost collagen production on a cellular level, like Sculptra, Dr. Lee says. Consequently, hyaluronic acid-filled syringes, like Restylane and Juvéderm, are more likely used to help moisturize the skin on a cellular level.
When it comes to skincare, Cho says Korean women use “natural skin brighteners such as rice extracts, vitamin C, and licorice, as well as exfoliators. For stubborn brown spots, they will visit the dermatologist to lighten the brown spots using lasers.”
Koreans take skincare very seriously, and that is evident from their beautiful glowing skin. Not all of that is genetic. It's the result of an extensive skincare routine and naturally sourced hydrating extracts present in almost all Korean skincare ranges.
Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
"Koreans value glowy, hydrated skin and would be unhappy if their skin started peeling or becoming dry," she adds. With those emollient ingredients in mind, "moisture, lots of moisture" is unsurprisingly Seoul-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Cho Yun Joo's top advice for people dealing with acne.
In Korea, people like to wash their hair every day because of environmental pollution (fine dust, gas emissions, etc). Whereas people in America generally tend to wash hair every 2-3 days due to the common perception that it's much healthier for your hair.
Rice waterAnother effective way of keeping your skin glowing is applying fermented rice water to your face. This fermented rice water helps in eliminating damages caused due to UV rays. This water also helps in the formation of collagen that directly helps your skin look like glass.
Anti-aging habits
Some Westerners tend to have thin skin and fewer melanins to protect their skin from sunlight, meanwhile Korean's skin is said to have a lot of substances that absorb and decompose the sunlight in their skin structure effectively.
Korean skin care focuses on using natural ingredients and is ahead of the game in beauty product innovation. American skin care has traditional creams and toners but Korean skincare is unique. Korean skin care products have many forms - puddings, jelly creams, hydrating gels, peeling gels, sheet masks, etc.
Skin Botox is the most popular micro injectable treatment in South Korea. BTS (a K-pop star group) speaks publicly about Skin Botox being their favorite treatment, and it has been growing in popularity in the US.
It's because Koreans tend to view caring for their complexion as the ultimate investment, worthy of not only their money, even more so their time. In fact, most perform an intricate 10-step cleansing and moisturizing routine—every single night.
Lastly, it all comes down to this: what kind of skin you want to achieve. If you want to achieve shiny, luminous dewy skin, definitely try out the Korean skincare routine! However, if you want soft and matte-looking baby skin, try out the Japanese skincare routine!
“Men and women in South Korea are meticulous when it comes to maintaining healthy hair with a three-step process. After washing the hair with shampoo and conditioner, they often apply a hair essence or hair oil to achieve a shiny head of hair. Hair masks, serums, milks and hair mists are all must-haves,” explains Cho.
The reason Asian hair tends to be thicker is that it has around 10 layers of cuticles. Cuticles are the small areas around the inner protein structure of your hair–they are there to protect those proteins.
Double dosed skincare
This is why Korean women live by the rule of double cleansing, double eye mask and double hydration in their skincare regimen. The step cleansing method includes a foaming face wash followed by an oil-based cleanser. This clears the skin of every last bit of makeup and dirt from face.
“A charcoal rubber mask is the Korean beauty answer to the Vaseline blackhead treatment because the concept is similar: trapping the heat and moisture of the skin beneath a rubber mask will both intensely hydrate the skin and start to soften sebum and clogged pores,” Sarah explained.
In their paper titled GWAS Identifies Multiple Genetic Loci for Skin Color in Korean Women, published in the dermatological publication Journal of Investigative Dermatology, results showed that two of the discovered genes are believed to be the world's first discovered skin pigmentation-related genes and highly ...
If you want to have Korean-style glass skin, you should use honey as it contains various components that are beneficial not only to the skin but also to the hair. Make sure to use only organic honey, which is high in nutrients & antioxidants and help to keep your skin flawless and smooth.
The "Filter" singer shared that two of the most important things when it comes to skincare is never going to bed with makeup on and always washing your face at night. He also said that one should keep themselves hydrated by drinking a lot of water.
Green tea is known to have antioxidants, to reduce redness and lighten skin tone. Method:Rice flour mixed with aloe vera extracts makes a soft gel and can be applied to your face as a face mask. First, put the mask on your face, wait for it to dry, and wash with cold water. Then, apply the mask once a week.