South Korea is known for its extensive 10-step skin-care routine. South Korea is at the forefront of all things skin care shown by the increasing popularity of K-beauty.
A reason why Korean skincare is so popular — and so good — is because the Korean government is said to have actively invested in its beauty brands to better develop cosmetics. Redditors also point out that Korean skincare includes 'special ingredients' and technologies that western products don't.
Advanced Technologies
The technology and ingredients behind K-Beauty are hailed as the most innovative and advanced; 12-14 years ahead of the US. As there are so many competing South Korean beauty brands, this helps to drive prices down.
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!
K-Beauty staple ingredients are natural and effective for long term results. Many American beauty products capitalize on quick results and use chemical-based products. The results of these products tend to be short-term and/or temporary.
THE INGREDIENTS
Korean beauty products use much gentler formulas thanks to the Korean tradition of using natural, unique, and harsh-free ingredients passed through multiple generations.
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.”
Majority of the ingredients used in Korean skincare are safe, even the most exotic ingredient such as snail slime are typically safe. Though most Korean skincare brands are cruelty free, and some brands are even vegan friendly by opting for natural traditional ingredients to be used in their products.
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.
Coming in at the top of the list as the most beautiful place on earth is Indonesia, which has a natural beauty score of 7.77 out of 10.
Despite the fact that Korean skincare is heavily reliant on ingredients such as snail mucin, rice bran, sea-kelp, and sake, Japanese skincare emphasizes moisturizing and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as green tea, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera.
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.
Exfoliate With A Damp Cloth
Exfoliation is a healthy skincare practice, but Koreans have taken it to the next level. They use a soft cloth dipped in warm water to scrub their face. It is gentle on the skin and can give you clean and clear skin. All the dirt and oil get stuck on the cloth, thus giving you bright skin.
The brand: You don't need to spend tons of money for effective products that derms love; Neutrogena is touted as the number one dermatologist-recommend skincare product and you can find it at the drugstore.
Most are made with all natural ingredients. That means that the majority of these cleansers, creams and serums are safe to use daily and by anyone, no matter your skin color, looking to fade dark spots, scars, or even out their skin tone. And not only that it works on any type of skin no matter what ethnicity they are.
Asian beauty products have better ingredients.
If you take a look at the ingredients for Asian beauty products, most of the time you'll see plenty of plant extracts, humectants, etc near the top of the list.
One of the reasons that Korean skincare stands out is there high use of natural ingredients. And Koreans use ingredients that are not commonly used by other countries. Snail mucus is a popular ingredient in Korean creams and masks and is considered to have a lot of benefits.
Coming to the real question, Is Korean Skincare Worth It? The answer is, probably yes! The reason is pretty simple, Korean skincare products include a number of exotic ingredients like snail Mucin, Ginseng, Pearl essence, donkey milk that are proven to benefit the skin in a number of ways.
What skincare brand was founded in 1178? Yardley could be perceived as innocuous today. There is no doubt that it is the world's oldest beauty brand.