In fact, harsh active ingredients Americans have long sought out to combat signs of aging, particularly retinol, are much less popular in Korea because Koreans prefer to avoid their drying and irritating side effects, Dr. Chang says.
If you're up to date on the latest K-Beauty Star Ingredients, you've probably realised that retinol rarely features. While not completely absent, it doesn't have the same hold over the Korean beauty industry as it does in the West.
Retinol might not be a fit for those with overly sensitive or hypersensitive skin, those who have food intolerances or high allergic reactions, and young skin, she says. “Caution is necessary when using any vitamin A derivatives and should only be used after advice from your derm or skin care specialist,” Joss says.
A retinol should be applied at night and at the treatment/serum step in your routine, i.e. after your essence and before your moisturizer. Because using retinol and acids like AHAs together can be too irritating for skin, it's best to alternate usage.
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.
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.
"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.
Koreans exfoliate their skin regularly to prevent buildup of dead skin cells and to maintain a smooth, radiant complexion. Depending on their skin type, some Koreans may exfoliate daily while others may do so every other day or a few times a week.
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When it comes to using retinol with glycolic acid in your skincare routine, it's best to use them at different times (eg, glycolic in AM and retinol in PM) or even on different days to make sure your skin gets all the benefits of both without getting irritated skin.
Can Retinol Damage the Skin? You may have heard that extended retinol use can cause the skin to thin and the skin barrier to degrade as a result of increased cell turnover, but Shah says that's a myth. You don't need to worry about retinol causing permanent damage, Schlessinger says.
Who should skip retinol? “Retinols can be a beneficial addition for most skin types, but it isn't a one-size-fits-all approach,” Panzica says. Board certified dermatologist Zenovia Gabriel, MD, notes that “people with sensitive skin conditions like rosacea cannot tolerate really strong topicals like retinols.”
First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
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Korean beauty products utilize the most effective Western ingredients—and so much more. With an impressively large repertoire that includes ground-breaking ingredients such as snail mucin and bee venom, their compellingly fresh formulations can deliver results you could never achieve before.
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.
Korean beauty advocates double dose of skincare products to seal the benefits and preserve the skin's health. This is why Korean women live by the rule of double cleansing, double eye mask and double hydration in their skincare regimen.
Double cleansing is important. For Koreans, it's considered so necessary that no one ever washes their face just once. You must remove your make-up first and then wash your face again with a second product to get your skin deeply cleansed.
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.
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.
To brighten and lighten skin, they use Korean skin care products. Natural ingredients such as rice extracts, vitamin C, and licorice are used in Korean skin care products to effectively brighten and lighten the skin. In addition, Korean women will go to the dermatologist to have brown spots lightened with lasers.
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.
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.”
“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.